#but sometimes it feels like people are just unwilling to try new things or be challenged in any way

[manhattan-gamestop]

The fact that some people can equate an entire musical genre to just its stereotypes and never listen to it is baffling to me. Like no, metal isn't just screaming, country isn't just trucks beer and misogyny, rap isn't just sexualizing women and getting money. When will people learn to escape their comfort zone oh my god

#currently curating a playlist of metal songs that don't have screaming/yelling #and needed to Vent #also I know that there are people with legitimate problems with yelling in music #and differences in tolerance to that #but sometimes it feels like people are just unwilling to try new things or be challenged in any way #and I could not relate less to that #tracking tag #rambling

[inkskinned]

what is with men being mad any time a woman raises her voice where did that even come from. someone posted a video of a small electrical explosion, and the top comment was of course the woman screams. the second comment is women try not to scream challenge, level impossible. i had to go back and watch the video again. there is, somewhat fainty, a little gasp emitted off-camera, more of a yelp than a scream. it is mostly lost in the crack of the explosion. afterwards, you hear her voice, shaken, say, are you okay?

i am helping one of my friends train her voice pitch lower, because she wants to be taken seriously at work. she and i do each other's nails and talk about gender roles; and how - due to our appearance - neither of us have ever been able to be "hysterical" in public. we both appear young and sweet and feminine. she is cisgender, and cannot use her natural voice in her profession because people keep saying she appears to be "vapid". we both try to figure out if our purposeful voice lowering is technically sexist. is it promoting something when you are a victim to it?

a storm almost sends a pole through a car window. in the dashcam, you can hear the woman passenger say her partner's name twice, crying out in alarm. she sounds terrified. in the comments, she is lambasted for her lack of calm. how is that even fucking helping?

in high school, i taught myself to have a lower voice. i had been recorded when i was genuinely (and righteously) upset; and i hated how my voice sounded on the phone speakers when it was played back. i was defending my mom, and my voice cracked with emotion. it meant i was no longer winning the argument: i was just shrieking about it.

girls meet each other after a long summer and let out a little joyful scream. this usually stops around 12-14, because people will not tolerate this display of affection (as it has the effect of being passingly annoying). something about the fact that little girls can't ever even be annoying. we are trained to examine each part of our lives (even joy) for anything that could make us upsetting and disgusting. they act like teenage girls are breaking into houses and shrieking you awake at 3 in the morning. speaking as a public school educator: trust me, it's not that bad, you can just roll your eyes and move on. it does not compare to the ways boys end up being annoying: slurs in graffiti, purposefully mocking your body, following you after you said no. you know, just boy things.

there's another video of a man who is not allowed to yell in the house, so he snaps his fingers when he's excited about soccer. the comments are full of angry men, talking about how their brother is unfairly caged. let him express himself and this is terrible to do to someone. eventually the couple has to address it in a second video: they are married with a newborn baby. he was trying not to wake the infant up. there is no comment on the fact women are not allowed to yell indoors. or the fact that it could have been really alarming or triggering for his wife. sometimes i wonder if straight men even like women, if they even enjoy being in relationships with them.

for the longest time, i hated roller coasters because it always felt inappropriate and uncomfortable for me to scream. one of my friends called me on it, said it was unusual i'm so unwilling. i had to go to my therapist about it. i don't like to scream because i was not raised in a safe situation, and raising my voice would have brought unsafe attention towards me. even when i am supposed to scream, it feels shameful, guilty. i was not treated kindly, so i lack a basic form of self-protection. this is not a natural response. it is not good that in a situation of high adrenaline - i shut up about it.

something very bad is happening, i think. in between all the beauty standards and the stuff i've already discussed - this one feels new and cruel in a way i can't quite express. yes, it's scary and silencing. but there's something about how direct it is - that so many men agree with the sentiment that women should never yell, even in an emergency - it feels different.

is the word shriek gendered automatically? how about shrill or screech? in self defense class, one of the first things they tell you is to yell, as loud and as shrilly as you can. they say it will feel rude. most women will not do this. you need to practice overcoming the social pressure and just scream.

most women do not cry out, even when it's bad. we do not report it. we walk faster. we do not make a scene. what would be the point of doing anything else? no matter what we do, we don't get taken seriously. it is a joke to them. an instagram caption punchline. we have to present ourselves as silent, beautiful, captivating - "valuable."

a woman is outside watching her kids when someone throws a firecracker at them. she screams and runs towards her children. in the comments, grown men flock together in the thousands: god. women are so annoying.

#warm up #writeblr #this one has bothered me for a bit #any time a woman does something even passingly annoying we treat it like a fucking crime #hey man. women are allowed to be annoying. everyone forever is allowed to be passingly annoying #as long as they aren't hurting anyone/thing #like u wanna know something? i find it super annoying that men don't wear seatbelts #why arent there thousands of comments on driving videos thats just like : men try not to die in a car crash challenge #''this briefly annoyed me''. okay??????? AND????????????????? go get ur self a cookie and calm down about it #ur not entitled to control other ppl's experiences and emotions just so u can maintain ur own peace #if being briefly annoyed ruins ur whole day! you! need! therapy!!!! #men try not to become immediately angry about nothing challenge: level impossible #ps author is nonbinary. we didn't even get into the gender presentation thing #the fact men think it's SEXY that my voice is on the lower end....

[mionemymind]

Blood Drive

Summary: While donating at a local blood drive, Y/n stumbles up the best nurse in town, Wanda Maximoff. Unable to get Wanda out of her mind, Y/n goes through a lengthy process just to ask her out.

Warnings: Fluff, Blood Donations, Passing Out, Needles, Happy Ending

A/n: Not gonna lie, I think it's somewhat getting easier to write kissing scenes but I still have to look at a tumblr post just to figure out the wording for it. Let me know what you think :)

Word Count: 4.0k

Masterlist

In an era of new politics, the Mayor of New York City declared that registered heroes of the city had to do mandated community service. This was a new mission to help build relationships between the regular folk of New York City and the heroes that harbor it. Because let’s be honest, having Hulk throw your new car at the enemy was not the best introduction for regular people. 

Those who harbored powers relaying force or strength helped out in the trade industry. You’d often see super soldiers helping out in the demolition zone by crushing what was needed. Those with magic tried their best to help heal the homeless or aided at soup kitchens. Anywhere you can unconventionally help, the heroes did. 

For Y/n, it was a lot of physically demanding tasks. Such as helping families move from apartment to apartment. Or helping police officers move accidents out of the way. Sometimes, she would even demonstrate how to safely carry a person through a burning building for the local firefighters. 

Today, however, Y/n decided to do something different. Rather than focusing on the same physical tasks, she chose a simpler mundane task. “Hi there, are you here for the blood drive?” Y/n nodded in agreement to the receptionist upfront. “Just sign in for me right here. Have you filled out the online rapid pass?”

“Yes, I have the QR code screenshotted.” The receptionist smiled warmly. “Perfect. Someone will be with you soon. Please have a seat in our waiting area.” 

Y/n walked towards the waiting room area. This was the fourth thing on her list of community service opportunities to try. She wasn’t quite sure if her blood was even allowed to be donated, having the super soldier serum in her surely could cause a reaction to a regular human. 

After some tests back at the compound, the staff found everything to be okay. That’s how Y/n ended up in a place like this. 

“Y/n Y/l/n.” Getting up from her seat, Y/n followed a nurse in red scrubs to a different area. “How are you today?” 

“I’m good. I'm a little nervous. I’ve never done this before.” The nurse led them to a private part of a huge common room. Multiple stations were built throughout with various people donating blood. “It’s okay to be nervous, but the worst feeling you’ll get today is just a small prick.”

Y/n breathed out slightly in relief. “Let me first get your basic information.” The nurse had gone over Y/n’s personal information but was immediately flagged by the date of birth. “It says you were born on April 2, 1917. It must’ve been a typo.”

The nurse almost changed it to 1971. “Actually ma’am, that is the correct birth date.” 

“So you mean to tell me you were born during World War I?” The nurse was unwilling to believe the joke that was being played. Y/n could immediately tell from the look she gave. “It was the Great War at the time, but yes ma’am I was born in 1917. I’m actually a super soldier.”

The nurse went back to her computer and typed in more information to store on Y/n’s file. “Ah - I see. I’m sorry about that. There’s already a note on your file. It looks like your director has already approved your donation today.” 

Y/n sighed in relief, while she didn’t mind explaining to people her situation of being frozen for so long, it was strenuous trying to get them to understand it all. The rest of the consultation went along smoothly as she gathered the remaining information such as Y/n’s hemoglobin and her rapid pass. 

“Alright dear, let’s get you to a bed.” The nurse led them back to the common area where all the beds were laid out. “Just sit right here for me, right now we currently have a special volunteer today that’s helping out with the drive. She’ll come over in a couple of seconds to help you out. But if you have any questions, please feel free to let us know.” 

Y/n sat up on the reclined bed and looked at her phone. She scrolled through her messages to make sure nothing important was happening. The sound of someone clearing their throat gained her attention. “Y/n?” As Y/n looked up, she could physically feel the moment that time stopped again. Was it possible that she fell back into the ice again? Surely she would feel the same numbness as before. But it was all different. Because from just one look from this girl would be enough to melt all the ice away. 

Y/n’s breath hitched as she locked eyes with her. “I- yes, that’s me.” Y/n cleared her throat, embarrassed at the lack of composure she had. 

“Nice to meet you today. My name is Wanda Maximoff and I’ll be helping you with your blood donation today.” All Y/n could do was nod as she further realized that the woman in front of her was the Scarlet Witch. 

Wanda looked through her notes on the clipboard. “It looks like it’s your first time donating, is that true?” Y/n’s eyes remained locked on Wanda. It was embarrassing how much she couldn’t look away. “Uh yes. It is.”

“Do you have a preference on which arm you would like to use today?” Y/n shook her head in disagreement. “No preference at all.” 

Wanda wrote down more information when a note caught her eye. “S.H.I.E.L.D. approval - are you a member?” Wanda looked over at the young girl in front of her trying to see if she could remember the pretty face.

“I’m one of their new recruits. Only been active for three months.” And suddenly, Y/n seemed to never mind all the questions that Wanda could possibly ask. If it meant talking to her, Y/n would oblige. 

“That’s great to hear. If you don’t mind me asking, do you have any powers that we should be aware of?” 

“Well, I think you’re aware of my counterpart, Bucky Barnes. We both have a super soldier serum.” Wanda smiled at the mention of her old teammate/acquaintance.

 “Interesting. How come I haven’t heard about you before?” Wanda couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow she had managed to miss this girl for three months. 

Y/n scratched the back of her neck sheepishly. “You know how Steve was found in ice right?” Wanda nodded. “That’s basically the same situation I was in but rather than crashing into the arctic, I was in a freezer chamber. I’ve been awake for only ten months.” The shock on Wanda’s face was apparent. 

“Sorry to keep asking,” Y/n never minded, “how has it been like adjusting back to the new life?” Y/n shrugged indifferently. 

“A little rough. I do miss my friends back from my time, but Bucky has been trying his best to help me. However, he has been focused on helping the new Captain America, Sam?”

Wanda nodded, confirming that Y/n’s information was correct. “I do enjoy the fact that I’m no longer Hydra’s soldier though. More than anything, I’m just glad to have a second chance in life. Not a lot of people get that so I’m pretty thankful.”

Wanda digested Y/n’s words and was pretty enlightened at Y/n’s outlook on life. “Thank you for answering all my questions.”

“It’s no problem.” 

“Now, let's get you set up to donate.” Wanda proceeded to bring out a couple of items from the nearby stand. On the table beside Y/n, Wanda placed various tubes and empty bags. Although it was nothing, the sight made Y/n feel slightly uncomfortable. It reminded her too much of Hydra’s labs but minus the dark atmosphere and torture that came with it. 

As if sensing her discomfort, Wanda grabbed a disinfectant and started to disinfect Y/n’s left arm around the area inside her elbow. “Ya know, for being so nice and cooperative. How about you ask me a couple of questions? It makes the day go by faster.” 

Bringing herself out of her internal thoughts, Y/n asked the first thing that came to mind. “You’re the Scarlet Witch, right?”

It was Wanda’s turn to blush. She hadn’t expected Y/n to recognize her so quickly, especially since she just got back to the real world.  “I am.”

“I wasn’t aware that you could help with the American Red Cross as part of your community service.” Wanda grabbed a marker and a squeezable toy. She placed the toy in Y/n’s left hand stating, “Give me three big squeezes and hold on the last squeeze.”

While pressing around Y/n’s elbow, she continued with, “I had to do some training to get qualified. A lot of the people who use magic generally help in other areas.” Wanda marked a dot followed by a line. “You can stop squeezing now.”

“I’m gonna disinfect one more time and then I’ll have to poke you. Are you scared of needles?” Feeling more embarrassed, Y/n looked away as she said, “Yes.” 

“All good. Just means I’ll have to give you a small distraction.” Wanting to distract herself even more, Y/n asked, “Why did you decide to do this rather than something in your wheelhouse?”

Wanda thought about it before replying with, “I like the normalcy of it. On the plus side, it feels more rewarding. Like I’m actually earning my community time rather than going the easy way of using my powers.” As Wanda finished disinfecting, she blew on Y/n’s elbow hoping it would dry fast. 

“When I give you the go-ahead, I’ll have to ask you to give me three more squeezes and hold on to the last one, okay?” Y/n nodded and waited for the signal. 

“And - go.” Y/n did as told, but as she did her last squeeze and held, red wispy magic flowed in front of her morphing into swirls in the air. “Woah.” She followed the magic with her eyes, not even noticing that Wanda had already poked her and started the transfusion. 

“Should be about 10 minutes. Every couple of seconds give the toy a small squeeze to keep it going.” Y/n glanced away from the magic amazed with Wanda. “That didn’t even hurt.” For the first time in Y/n’s life, she didn’t scream when the needles came. 

Wanda couldn’t help but keep the magic up for a little longer. The dopey look on Y/n’s face was something she didn’t want to go away. 

“I told you I would distract you.” Y/n was at a loss of words. Her brain jumbled for anything but all she could focus on was that Wanda Maximoff successfully distracted her. She had a natural caring heart, something the media failed to show. 

“Your magic is beautiful by the way.” Y/n savored the last few seconds of it before it completely disappeared. 

Wanda’s magic has been called many things in life, powerful, destructive, and manipulative but none have ever said beautiful…till now. “Thank you Y/n.” 

There was a small silence as Wanda stayed to make sure Y/n was okay. “I’ll be assisting other volunteers, but if you start to feel like you're fainting, just call me over, okay?” 

“I will.” Would it have been wrong to immediately fake an injury just to get Wanda back? Possibly but Y/n weighed the consequences and none could compare to her. So as Wanda left, Y/n used her free hand to call Bucky. After a couple of rings, he picked up the phone. “Hey, Y/n.” 

Getting straight to the point, “Is Wanda Maximoff single?” 

“Uhh - I think so. She and this synthezoid, Vision, used to date but I believe they broke up a year ago. Why do you ask?” Y/n looked at Wanda who was across the room. Her radiant smile could be spotted from miles away. “Just wanting to gather intel. Thanks Bucky.” 

Y/n hung up the phone, not caring about what Bucky had to say back. Her eyes lingered back to Wanda. No matter how much she distracted herself with her phone, her eyes always glanced back on Wanda Maximoff. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail and all she wore was matching red scrubs. But everything about her looked and felt beautiful. 

Little did Y/n know, Wanda was admiring her too. 

The blood donation was soon over, quicker than Y/n anticipated.  Wanda had already come over, stopped the machine, and disconnected the line from Y/n’s arm. She taped a cotton ball on top of the area she poked and proceeded to wrap a red bandage around Y/n’s elbow.  “You keep this red bandage on for two hours and the cotton ball for four hours.” 

Wanda grabbed a pamphlet that had Y/n’s personal information and gave it to her. “Don’t miss a single meal for the next eight weeks. Make sure to drink plenty of water as well. If you feel dizzy in the next couple of hours, be sure to call this number, okay?”

Y/n nodded. Her mind was elsewhere at the moment, trying to find ways to ask Wanda Maximoff out. “Do you have any questions for me though?” 

Y/n opened her mouth, wanting to ask her, “Are you busy after this?” But nothing came out. And the more she tried to say words, the more silence that remained. 

“Wanda!” The pair turned to the employee that shouted her name. “I have someone that needs your help after you're done with your current volunteer.” 

“Understood.” Wanda looked back at Y/n. “We have snacks and shirts over there but I think you should be good now. Thank you for donating today.” 

As Wanda walked off, Y/n couldn’t help but beat herself up for not asking. She took a couple snacks and juice boxes before walking out of the donation center. 

Was Y/n in love? Not quite yet. Infatuated? Probably. It was the best explanation as to why she was back at the blood drive the very next day. The brown eyed girl paced around all night trying to think of ways to see Wanda again. And the very first realistic idea she thought of was to donate blood again. 

The super soldier practically begged the compound to give her another approval to donate blood stating that her super serum allowed for faster recovery. When no one could argue with her logic, they allowed a special approval to donate so soon. 

So when Y/n followed all the same directions, all the same questions, she was met with disappointment when she didn’t see the redhead that captured her mind. “Hi, my name is Lucy and I’ll be helping you today.” 

As Lucy proceeded to set up, Y/n couldn’t help but ask, “Is Wanda Maximoff here today?” 

The blonde shook her head with a small smile. “I’m sorry dear. She’s not going to be here today.” Y/n couldn’t hold back the frown that escaped. It was stupid to think that Wanda would come back the very next day, but she had hope. 

And as much as Y/n wanted to ask when she’ll be back, she knew the blood center wouldn’t give out information like that. Regardless, Y/n was determined. She was going to see Wanda again. 

It was a new month and a new day. Although Y/n was glad to help a good cause, her hope waned as each day passed with no Wanda. By now, everyone in the blood center knew Y/n by name. On the bright side, the other volunteers were not bad to talk to but none compared to her. 

So as Y/n sat down once again, she scrolled on her phone, expecting much disappointment. Until the voice that captured her heart called her name. “Y/n?”

She looked up from her phone and saw that familiar smile that was ingrained in her head. “Wanda.” Y/n couldn’t hold her smile back as she finally saw the girl that she’s been begging to see. 

“Looks like you’re here for you…18th donation? Look at you being a star citizen.” Y/n blushed knowing that those donations were mainly for something else. “I think by now you should know the drill. Are there any concerns you may have?”

Wanda looked back at Y/n, ready to disinfect her arm. “I-” Y/n’s brain short circuited at the feeling of Wanda’s hands on her arm. It was like everything that she wanted to say suddenly left her brain. But the feeling was just on the tip of her tongue. 

“You know, they should give you a badge or something for donating so much. I didn’t even know that was possible. Didn’t you start donating like last month?” Again, not a single thought formulated in Y/n’s head when all she could focus on was how soft Wanda’s hands were. Because if Y/n was able to focus, she would be able to say that her donation was 17 days, 13 hours, and 5 minutes ago. But who was counting? 

Wanda looked back at Y/n’s chart to confirm her suspicions. “Are you still scared of needles though?” And that’s when Y/n finally got back into the real world. For all the times she’s been back, she’s had to look away from the needle while using a nearby pillow to control her nerves. 

“I think I might need your magic again.” Y/n blushed at the request but felt proud at the smug look that came from Wanda. “I might have to start charging you for the show.” 

With sudden blind confidence, Y/n asked, “Let me take you out on a date in return.” Wanda almost missed the vein at Y/n’s sudden question. She had an inkling that the girl liked her but never expected her to actually pursue her thoughts. 

“You didn’t even need it.” Y/n looked down and saw that Wanda had poked her without realizing it. 

“Does that mean you won’t go?” Wanda looked at the time on the clock and smiled at Y/n. 

“It actually means you have three hours till my shift is up.” Wanda patted Y/n’s arm, reminding her to squeeze the ball in her hand. “So pick me up then. How should I dress?”

“Something casual. I hadn’t really planned out what I was going to do after you said yes.” Wanda blushed at the idea of Y/n practicing this moment. 

“How about this? You and I walk around New York. I don’t think the guys have given you much of a good tour. So I’ll tell you all about the new New York and you tell me about the old New York.” 

“You have a deal.” 

Wanda and Y/n were in the back seat of an uber. The small date was something Y/n never wanted to end but the lack of energy made it hard to keep up. So when Y/n asked if it could be an early night, she was relieved that Wanda wasn’t mad at her. 

Right now, the uber was at a stoplight and the two hardly spoke as their shoulders touched. 

“Can I hold your hand?” Y/n whispered as she lightly placed her hand above Wanda’s. The small smile was hard to miss on Wanda’s face. She could feel Y/n’s internal battle to ask her that. She leaned into Y/n’s ear and whispered, “You don’t even have to ask,” and pressed a small kiss on Y/n’s cheek as they interlaced hands. 

A small blushed and a wide grin appeared on Y/n’s face. “I hope you had fun today.” Looking away, Y/n yawned into her hand.. “You tired dekta?” 

Looking back at her, Y/n tilted her head in confusion. “Dekta? What does that mean?” Wanda blushed more. She hadn’t meant to call Y/n that, but it left her lips so easily. Like it was second nature. 

“I’ll tell you later,” Wanda placed her left hand on Y/n’s bicep and gave it a small squeeze, “Aren’t you supposed to be a super soldier? It's barely past 10 pm and you’re already tired.” Y/n scratched the back of her neck, slightly embarrassed at how tired she was. But all Wanda could focus on was the feeling of Y/n’s muscles as she gave one more squeeze. 

Y/n yawned again, unable to fight the sleep that took over her body. “It’s what happens when you donate blood every day to try and see a pretty girl.” They hadn’t even kissed but Wanda could’ve sworn she was in love. The dopey smile on Y/n’s face would make any girl’s heart melt. The red head mentally thanked that it was her that Y/n was looking at and nobody else. 

“You did that for me?” Y/n could think of many things she would do for Wanda, rescue a billion people, punch a hole in the moon, even kidnap someone. Regardless of how unrealistic it was, Wanda Maximoff was worth changing the tides on Earth. So how could someone so wonderful could ever question that someone would do something for her attention? 

“I wanted to see you again.” Y/n bit her inner cheek, trying her best to stay calm but all she could think about was how soft Wanda’s lips looked. 

The red head hadn’t meant to hear that thought, but she was glad she did. She bit her lip wishing that Y/n would just kiss her already. But something about the way they stared into each other's eyes was already enough for her to feel alive. And for someone so sober, her body grew drunk at the touch of Y/n. 

“So you donated blood to see me?” It was still all unbelievable to Wanda but Y/n would tell her a million times until she believed it.

Their eyes interlocked causing Wanda’s breathing to hitch. She swore she could look into those brown eyes forever. “18 pints and counting.” Y/n couldn’t hold back her grin as Wanda looked away, unable to hold back her wide smile. 

Y/n gave a gentle squeeze in their interlaced hands as Wanda turned back to face Y/n. “You’re gonna get yourself sick if you keep donating.” Wanting to focus on something else, Y/n caressed Wanda’s cheek as she tucked a loose strand back. 

Not wanting her touch to go away, Wanda placed her hand above Y/n’s. So many thoughts ran through both of their heads. Wanda could feel the weight inside Y/n’s mind but didn’t dare to peak. 

“Tell me what you’re thinking…” 

“...I think you’re really pretty,” Y/n admitted in secret. 

“What else?” Y/n rubbed her thumb gently across Wanda’s cheek. 

“I think I want to take you out on a second date.”

“Oh yeah?”

“And I…I think I want to kiss you.” Wanda swallowed all the nerves in her chest.

“...I’d really like that…” And as brown eyes looked at greens eyes one more time, Y/n slowly leaned in and kissed Wanda. There was no rush with each kiss, something Wanda never experienced before. All she could remember was the sloppy kisses and fast make outs. But something about kissing Y/n slowly drove heart mad because how dare she live this long without being kissed like this. 

And as they kissed, their hands never broke apart, instead, they gave gentle squeezes with every kiss. And when slowly pulled apart, Wanda knew then she was love sick. 

Bonus

“Let me get this straight,” Bucky rubbed his forehead, feeling the headache coming forth, “Y/n passed out from kissing you?” 

“Well, the kissing didn’t help but she also donated 18 pints of blood in the last three weeks.” Wanda looked at Y/n’s sleeping figure. Her head rested comfortably on Wanda’s lap. 

Bucky sighed. “Okay, I’ll meet you at her place.” 

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#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda x reader #wanda maximoff #fluff #Blood Drive #mionemymind #wanda maximoff fluff

[ashleyisartsy]

Problems (objective and personal) I'm not seeing discussed a lot w this new WatcherTV thing, in no particular order:

-Alienates people internationally who literally CANNOT GET the streaming service!

-Alienates casual fans who don't watch or want to watch all of their shows. Putting down 60 bucks a year to watch just one or two shows is kind of insane, at least for me.

-The volume of content Watcher has produced historically hasn't been enough to justify a separate streamer. I understand there's no way a small team could compete with something like Netflix, obviously, but that's what you're trying to do by putting yourself in the streamer market.

-Will this streamer be secure? What steps are in place to protect your viewers info? ESPECIALLY payment info.

-Will it be easily watchable on multiple devices? I watch YouTube videos on my phone at work 90% of the time, or at home on my TV thru my switch. Is this a browser only deal?

-What are the internet requirements for this? Believe it or not most streaming services won't run on my internet personally. I don't have any for that reason. I can watch YouTube on 360p, or on my 2-bar-reception phone data. Not everywhere has stable reliable internet.

-The suddenness and totality of the move was going to be jarring no matter what, if the idea had been introduced gradually or started as a hybrid model to test audience interest there wouldn't be nearly this amount of pushback.

-I understand the people saying "pay artists!!" Bc I am one, and I get that their quality is expensive and they have a whole company's worth of people to support. I do actually think their work is worth paying for! Everyone's is! But convincing anyone to pay for something they previously got for free is going to be a hard sell. They were still getting paid before, they're now just asking us to pay instead of the advertisers. Idk about you, but that's a way bigger hit to my pocketbook than a multimillion dollar company's bank account.

-I get that YouTube can be a really shitty place to be a creator sometimes, and that being beholden to advertisers is something they don't want to be. It's why they left Buzzfeed! They already have a patreon and merch and it's clearly not been enough for their ambitions. But shooting yourself in the foot because your running shoes are wearing out isn't going to make you a better marathon runner. They had to know that there was going to be a not small portion of their audience unwilling to make this move with them (and again, lots literally aren't able to!)

-If they had a free w/ ads option, or even did a hybrid model with whole shows behind the pay wall, or even just ran a fucking crowd funding campaign to help cover costs of new seasons of shows, any of those things could have worked. They don't even have YouTube memberships turned on, which I've personally seen many many channels do even when they already have a patreon. It really doesn't seem like they've exhausted other options, at least from an outside perspective, which is all we have as viewers!

-I get that this has been in the works for a long time, and that there probably isn't a way for them to back out now. But I hope they can find a way to make this more accessible if they want it to work at all. I truly am not wishing for their downfall, but the whole situation is an awful mess.

Idk, rant over. As a lot of you are I'm feeling very disappointed and upset with this one, and I'm not paying for it either. Hope the boys can salvage this one for their and their crew's sake. Would really hate for this to be the end.

#watcher #ryan bergara #shane madej #steven lim #the youtube landscape is a hell hole #just :(

[eddywoww]

Thinking of a Steve who has a “my body is all I have” mentality

It starts because of the upside down, obviously. All he can do is try to protect these kids, try to protect this family that he’s made. He doesn’t know what else to do because he’s spent the majority of his life being made into a puppet for his father. He’s never been seen as smart, he’s never been seen as capable. But he can fight and take care of people and so, Steve is his body. As long as he can move, he can help.

I think this has the potential to twist on its head for him. He’s too emotional, he’s too needy in every relationship he attempts. So if he’s too much, how can he ever be enough? But he has his body. He has his sexuality, he was his charm. He knows how to use it, who to use it on. Even if it’s clunky at best sometimes, he can still manage. But then he feels like just a body again. Like he’s this figurine for people. He’s nice to look at, nice to spend a night with. But that’s about it. So he would adapt to that. “My body is all I have.” And it’s a joke that he makes, something sly and funny. Because obviously he was a slut growing up, right? Everyone knows that. It’s fine because it’s funny that he slept with soccer moms, it’s funny that he slept with cheerleaders, it’s funny that he could seduce someone if he really wanted to.

It’s so funny that everyone else makes jokes about it too.

And Robin tries to get them to stop but Steve can be convincing when he wants to be. It’s fine, he’s okay. He doesn’t mind.

But somewhere deep inside, he does mind. It twists again, like a knife to the stomach. Because after all the pain, after rebuilding their world, Steve is no longer just his body. His body hurts. He has scars. His hearing isn’t the same, his eyes get blurry every morning and he needs glasses now. Sometimes he limps when it storms too much. He’s not just his body because now he thinks his body is bad. What use is he if he can’t fight? What use is he if he’s not attractive enough to pull someone in with looks alone? He’s stained and he hates it because before he was just a body but now he’s just a mess.

Eddie sees it. He sees it and notices it because he feels the same way but not the same at all. He’s insecure and always has been. Too loud, too excited, too much this, too much that. He just is. But surviving something horrific, being pulled from the flames of the supernatural…it leaves a mark that lasts longer than any scar ever could. He’s not as chatty, not as funny. He becomes just a body in a different way. His personality feels sapped, he feels like the ghost of his former self. He just is.

He tries for Dustin, for all the kids. But he knows they can tell that something is off about him, that he’s one hundred shades of fucked up.

So, of course they see each other through it all. Different ends of the spectrum. Eddie, who feels like he’s walking through life as an intruder. Steve, who feels like he’s had everything he’s worth taken away from him. They talk about it. They sit out by a nearby lake and talk about how deep the black hole inside them feels, how badly they just want to wake up and have it be gone. Erased, washed away. Steve shows Eddie his scars and Eddie does the same and it’s cliche but it feels good. Lit under moonlight as they use too much bug spray, unwilling to just go home. Unwilling to invite the other one over because then it’s Something. Then it Means Something.

But eventually they would cave. Eddie would bring Steve to his new trailer, the one they got with hush money. He’d smoke with him, play him some records. Steve would confess as much as he could about how he feels like he lost his worth, how he’ll never amount to anything. Eddie would talk about how he isn’t the same and he doesn’t think he’ll ever get back to who he was.

Neither of those things are true, neither of them hold weight.

But they’ll heal together. They’ll talk it out again and again and they’ll use kinder words each time and they’ll start living life like they used to, only not quite the same. It’ll take time and adjustment but eventually, Robin will see the difference and she’ll be able to breathe again because she felt like she was losing not only her best friend but the guy that came along with him in the end.

#blurbs #my brain is busy tonight #my fic #steddie

[astroloverblog]

Saturn in the signs pt.1

Saturn in Aries:

You probably feel that you are more capable than those around you, hence you may end up doing all the work others telling you what to do. Having this placement can make you self-sacrificing. The lesson you have to learn in your life is to take charge of your own destiny, stand up for what you believe in and start loving yourself. If you create enough self discipline you could get great success. Because personal goals are that important to you, teamwork might get blocked. The stress that comes from trying to achieve too much could make you prone to headaches. Their often thoughtless and unscrupulous/risky actions bring them numerous rivals and enemies. If Saturn is poorly aspected, fate is not kind to these people. Getting ahead is very difficult, which creates strong inner tensions. As a result of their assertiveness, these people also find it difficult to fit into the community. Many struggles and worries are the result. Might also struggle with loved ones, having unstable relationships. Marriage also harbors potential for conflict and is a problem in many cases. As a result, you could be a very capable leader who knows what needs to be done and isn't afraid to go out and make things happen no matter what the cost or how long it takes. Consequently, you run the risk of interfering in the affairs of others and trying to influence them. You may just be ignoring them and trying to get them to follow your ideas instead of their ideas. Obstacles, disappointments and constraints may stand in the way of your unconventional, confident commitment. Impatience can undo all your efforts so be as careful as possible in implementing your plans. You’re determined, self-confident to arrogance and able to remain humble. Success brings diligence and efficiency, contemplation and discretion. Over the years, you get used to creative work. The people around you consider you a self-centered and unwilling person, headstrong and willful, prone to sadness and melancholy. But perhaps the development of aggression, cruelty and ruthlessness, sometimes leading to destructive behavior and tragic consequences. There is a great desire for meaningful, goal-oriented activity. Likely business creation and efficiency. Versatile interests, great opportunities, great functionality and consistency in approaching the solution of big and small problems. Such a person, despite your tyrannical nature, always has many connections in society. You are easily excited by new ideas, strict on yourself and on others, readily springs into action in the presence of an external impulse of sufficient strength. Many people love your creative restlessness. For such a person is very dangerous loneliness, the lack of a field of free action and immersion in revolution and rebellion - you will almost certainly be evil under these circumstances. Only alone depends on the development of numerous skills and strengthening of the character. You might have difficulty realizing that those around you are entitled to independent conduct and personal judgment. Using the energy properly, you can display wonders of endurance through the combination of initiative and discipline. In this case, you innate enthusiasm and resourcefulness is shown positively and constructively. Due to the many subconscious fears, such a person often feels an need for security. It is possible to communicate with a jealous partner or the development of a "paternal complex". With negative character development, it is possible to generate impatience, superficiality, a tendency to self-justification and blaming others in all difficulties and misfortunes that catch your eye due to your own miscalculations, mistakes and inaccuracies. Such a person should constantly learn tact and cooperation with people. Often a good emotional discharge is brought on by physical activity. A determined person, easy to climb, easily angered, and surprisingly surly in situations where others are forced to disagree with.

Saturn in Taurus:

You are a tireless worker and have patience, caution, determination, discipline, organizing ability and can go the distance when those around you fall. Hard work is your forte. Your feelings are serious, well-controlled and not easily changed, although at times it may be hard for you to forgive and forget. Loyalty and money is a important thing to you. You may be stubborn and materialistic but you can also be a methodical realist. You desire a stable social status, the feeling to be adored and accepted by society. If the saturn is bad aspected, then jealousy might be a thing. You take things slowly, but with thought and perseverance. Outwardly outgoing and reserved, they are polite and kind with other people, which greatly increases their chances of success in life. The will of these people is extremely tough and persistent. Failure only spurs them on to redouble their efforts. The desired goals in life are usually achieved through hard work and discipline. You tend to associate your sense of security very closely with having possessions and money, and overdoing it could make you stingy and unhappy for temporary. Because then you keep thinking about what might happen tomorrow and whether you will have enough money to pay for everything. You should consider your personal values ​​and learn what real security is. You take your feelings seriously and know how to control them. Saturn in Taurus dramatically increases a person's responsibility in the circumstances and situations in which this sign is active. In the negative version of Saturn in Taurus there is an extreme lack of trust in any constructive session, feeling the enmity of the material world, mystical depression, anger and crystallization in a complete alienation from the world. This person will never really be comfortable. With a negative development of nature, you’re inclined to do everything only on your own. Form tape type, prone to intrigues even for the sake of small profits and basically incapable of any cooperation. In the positive development of this placement, there can be artistic interests. This person becomes wise pragmatist, has enviable patience and rare exposure. Wisdom might be the key you need in life. You’re realistic and thrifty, reliable and solid, constantly striving for property, showing a rigid, unyielding will and working virtuously in the methodical plan. You’re very afraid of fate, because you suspect the movement of the deep energies of karma in your own soul, but you do not tend to study yourself. You show enviable patience in building projects and consistent implementation of real programs. You are able to give up personal pleasures in favor of an unrelenting movement toward future security. Because a person is always characterized by a "far-sightedness", you might shy away from extravagance and unfoundedness in thoughts, in speech and in deeds. The picture of thinking is extremely realistic, the art of living is extremely practical. Such a person thinks consistently, weighing all the pros and cons. In conversation you’re polite and friendly, in cooperation honest and conscientious. There is a certain reluctance that is associated with the fear of losing the chance of gaining personal benefit through over-informing others. Perhaps the development of self-will and resentment, over-materialistic thinking and feelings of cold, sadness and darkness, cruelty and recklessness, over-ambitiousness and ostentatious arrogance to implement in one's goals, plans and intentions. You’re inclined to take collective norms and do not represent your point of view. You have developed a high sense of duty and the gift of self-organization. Always feeling strict self-discipline from myself and others, firmly convinced that the path I have taken is the right one. Your seriousness is manifested outwardly in the form of patient work in the field of wealth creation, as well as a rare stability and solidity in difficult situations. You possess fantastic resilience and an enviable firmness of character and convictions.

Saturn in Gemini:

This is a good position for Saturn, but you may need to develop faith in the future. The will to learn new things can be very helpful for claiming success. The lesson you have to learn in your life is learning how to trust yourself and your intuition. Avoid self-doubting and don’t get too pessimistic. Your mindset is practical and logical. You might find things like science, physics as well as mathematics or mechanical engineering interesting. Don’t get too attached to details, or else you’ll loose the big picture. You’re very flexible especially when it comes to new situations. The quick grasping intellect of these people enables them to penetrate quickly and deeply into the most diverse problems and to solve them. Your particularly profound thinking motivates you to delve deeper and deeper into things. Many researchers and inventors can be found under this placement. Your lungs need a lot of oxygen, so it's best for you to sleep in a well-ventilated room. If you want to be successful at something, it is important that you discipline your mind and learn to think and act methodically. The complete lack of confidence in the reliability of the coming Gemini and outgoing information from them and stability in communication Saturn does not make them their life is sweet, but compensatory measures bring such fruits that the envy of most particularly harmonious Gemini are through Saturn not easier, especially in youth. It is helpful in overcoming the obstacles, insufficiently adaptable, anxious and prone to depression. In the positive development of this person's placement they can become smart, quick and able to do several things at once. You have a cultivated mind, can work well with numbers and usually show enviable skill in work that requires intelligent hands and a good head, for example in business or as a magician. Such a person is zealous in his studies, likes to solve the contradictions and solve problems. You’re reserved, conscientious and have an amazing talent in the field of literature and the exact sciences. Contacts bring you real pleasure, because you feel a constant need for communication. This placement is great when it comes to learning a new language. He is big on advertising and extremely successful in propaganda campaigns. Such a person is in a good mood more often than in a bad mood, you’re smart and skill full both in work and in communication, but tend not to notice your fatigue and therefore often leads to exhaustion from overwork and overexertion. Such a person can adapt to any situation. You’re systematic and logically consistent, and therefore, being self-acquired, being able to think through real-life problems to the end. It generally refers to the type of successful "problem solvers" who combine literary, technical, and artistic skills. A particularly successful career is possible in the areas of teaching, science and technology. This person loves to learn - and learns throughout life. However, it often shows disrespect for others, which is why you can be considered as flighty, moody and a argumentative person. When you have taken on too many duties and responsibilities, you can quickly become overwhelmed and health risks. Sometimes shyness arises, combined with an exaggerated responsibility for expressing one's thoughts in words. This is a very resourceful and skillful in all people, ignoring the frequent fear and sadness. You show interest in modern and progressive thinking, you like deep reflections and studies complicated questions.

Saturn in Cancer:

Because you might feel unloved at times, you can get moody and fearful or even overdramatic. Your unconscious fear of being hurt by others can cause you to withdraw from too close an emotional involvement with others. Might lack empathy. Family life is always difficult, as is the relationship with parents. Its important that you accept yourself and let others know how you feel. In relationships you might not be able to give warmth, because you always seem to hide your emotions to your partner. Thats mostly the reason why you feel lonely or unloved. Abandonment and the future are definitely one of your biggest fears. If the Saturn is bad aspected, this could mean your hypersensitive. Since the free expression is getting blocked, you might isolate or alienate yourself from family members. When it comes to partnership, family or career, you have the ability to give emotional security. The will of these people is tough and strong, but often unbalanced on the mental level. Own goals and plans are vehemently pursued, but their emotional conflict makes them divided internally. This often results in worries and difficulties in fate. You can be so busy protecting yourself from hurt that you don't see the hurt of others. It is important to keep your appetite under control, otherwise you may develop health problems. This person enjoys working at home, managing and cleaning the premises. It is persistent, direct, frank, in the course of performance of tasks often there is a surprising difference and the periods of a recession of enthusiasm. Negative development of this placement creates a type of person who is untrustworthy, tends to evade and procrastinate, and blames others. Such a person comes into contact with great difficulties, tends to isolate and become isolated. He often turns out to be lazy and idle, often complains to everyone, is extremely unhappy with life and extremely sensitive even to minor troubles. With positive character development, this is a diligent and conscientious worker who works best alone. Such a person is distinguished by restraint in the expression of feelings, seriousness in the perception of life, a clear sense of duty, frugality and a tendency to cling to what has already been achieved and formed. Such a person needs guarantees that one receives when buying a house or a job, although you may not have a high, but permanent social status. You might seem a bit cold emotionally, as if alienated from real life. Sometimes you overemphasizes the role of tradition and show cruelty in dealing with subordinates. The material interests of such a person are more often associated with the desire to grow to a quiet, comfortable old age. In the course of fate, slowness and inhibition are clearly expressed, which often leads to the formation of constant deep dissatisfaction with life. Develops increased sensitivity, excessive receptivity, and acute crushability. There are very serious problems in understanding the ideals of this person and the life and the parents and ancestors. At the same time, a painful dependence on the past. Thirst at home, garden, garden and real estate in general is very strong. Perhaps a hobby in the field of applied and decorative arts. The ability to self-organize is difficult to recognize. Discipline to such a person is not easy. Strong emotional vulnerability of feelings are combined with external coolness, dryness and strength. Almost constantly this person is in a defensive position, mysterious, suspicious and cautious. Perhaps the development of a tendency to replace real life with dreams about them, which is why it cannot be a question of satisfaction with what has been achieved. But a person perfectly understands all your hidden desires and quickly feels like physically the weight and value of material acquisitions. You cling wholeheartedly to existing property, at the deepest level of psychic life, and therefore applies very deeply to the breaking of ties with property or the destruction of the latter.

Saturn in Leo:

You’re proud but insecure, and this combination can limit your opportunities. You may feel that you had to grow up too fast and were prevented from having that carefree time we all deserve. You need love, but may not know how to go about giving or receiving it, thus you may isolate yourself from others. Saturn don’t feels well in this sign because leo is known for his ego. People with this placement are either humble and loving or battling their ego. One strives upwards with great activity and wants to attain a powerful position in life. These people demand attention and respect. Your personal ambition drives you constantly. It gives enormous willpower, capable of removing all resistance and obstacles. The interests of others are usually ignored. People tend towards self-aggrandizement and arrogance. On the other hand, they are reliable, outgoing and warm in their affection for others. Qualities which in turn are favorable for relationships in love and friendships. Stop overthinking cause others are not worth your time, you have better things to do in life. You creatively approaches the decision of a power problem, in particular the clarification of questions of justification of rights, structuring and delimitation of restrictions. Such a person longs for a firm, stable and constant power. You care a lot about your looks. You take yourself very seriously and is able to efficiently perfect matter and finance. You try not to substitute primitive individualism for a meaningful approach to reality, as you subconsciously know that looping about yourself will unleash your creativity and deprive you of rich opportunities. Such a person feels a tremendous reserve of strength and talent for the depths of your own soul, and your psychological complexes are most often associated with the impossibility of full disclosure of inner gifts in the current situation. It is difficult for you in general to manifest your abilities creatively, it is not easy to recognize yourself, it is very difficult to realize your potential. Even in the presence of great talent, you can forever remain "high hopes". You prefer everything to your own ideas, a brilliant autodidact who does not ask for help but can do everything himself. You try to translate your unfulfilled dreams and unfulfilled plans into your own children and quickly force them into their educational tyranny. So you subconsciously try to compensate for the failures in your life by demonstrating your children's outstanding multi-faceted talents. These people usually show a deep and abiding interest in the problems of creativity and the task of developing people's skills. You might be very hardy and independent but sometimes tend to overdo others, especially children. You’re often rejected by society, like dying to focus on small, but concrete, tangible achievements, instead of respecting a person for not yet revealed, but in potency great talent. The main thing for such a person is refusal to dictate, paying attention to promoting the development of the talents of others and the deepest humility - not only in dealing with colleagues, but also in dealing with children. Such a person openly rushes to power, recognition and fame. You tend to neglect the pleasures of life in order to achieve set goals. Your passions are strong, irritability is great, and jealousy knows no bounds. You are a bright person who doesn't often get the chance to be successful in every respect.

Saturn in Virgo:

Life can be stressful or unlucky sometimes. You can be really perfectionistic and there can be a fear of criticism and making mistakes. Getting things done is not your best strength. There may be a desire for solitude. Its common for these people to feel like they are not good enough, especially if saturn is bad aspected. You have a really good sense of organisation and analytical abilities. Don’t overwork yourself and stop worrying over the smallest things that aren’t even necessary. This connection is unfavorable for love and marriage. Due to their strongly developed intellectual orientation, these people mostly neglect the emotional level. The feelings are sometimes deep but never passionate. Thinking is concentrated and goes deep. These people are never superficial, but shaped by a very serious view of life. Your expectations can be low, if you want to change your low self esteem than start setting your standards higher. This placement is good for someone wanting to be a psychologist, therapist or anything in this way. You’re characterised by a deep sense of personal responsibility, a critical attitude towards mastering the new and the ability to delve deep into the essence of the topics covered. The person can be totally focused on work and like to outsmart their commitments. Subordinates see you as a serious and aloof leader. The intellect is concentrated and perceptive, the person is chaste and reserved in all manifestations. Discretion and prudence can be combined with a desire for high spirituality. In the worst case, unhealthy pragmatism, persistent distrust and blandness develop. The mind clearly rules over feelings. In work, such a person shows sober analysis, considerable greed and attention to details and trifles. You’re aware of the secret of self-discipline, self-restraint and self-restraint. The inclination to a strict way of life can reach extreme manifestations of asceticism and fanaticism. This person is hidden, cautious, vigilant and always doubts everything. The character is stubborn and power-hungry, but personal initiative and enterprise are small. You’re as great as a performer, because a worker inspires trust among others. Success in business and in literary theater criticism is possible. Careful detailed elaboration of specific internal difficulties is used to gain stable confidence in one's actions. Very strong sense of duty, patience and perseverance in attention to detail. Sometimes this person gives more importance to details than the main idea and follows the main line of development. Through patience and obedience one can successfully learn from the experiences of others. Works itself well and looks wondrous in the surrounding working ability. The most important wish in life is to become a master, a professional in your field. Excessive attention to a smaller one can cause psychological overload and expressed in nervous exhaustion and sustained internal dissatisfaction. Outside of work a person feels his own uselessness, retirement can die of boredom. In general, the attitude towards work is biased and extremely interested. Orderliness can go to the extreme. Such a person feels uncomfortable in an unstable, extreme situation. For the flowering of all their abilities there is a comfortable home and no complaints from neighbors and employees. Feelings are clearly suppressed by the mind, the mind is analytical, algorithmic., but such a person can serve as an excellent connoisseur of the practical usefulness of technical inventions and commercial proposals - you feel useless and unnecessary things in your heart. Everyone regards this person as a clear, moral and hardworking pragmatist.

@ 2022 Copyright astrolover

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part. 2: >>click here<<

#astrology #saturn in astrology #natal chart #zodiac signs #witchcraft #astro observations #trending #capricorn #astroloverblog #pinterest #beginner witch #saturninthesigns #part 1 #saturn in aries #saturn in taurus #saturn in gemini #saturn in cancer #saturn in leo #saturn in virgo

[painted-bees]

Thinking a little more on the whole "when did Margie and Raf realize they were In A Relationship?" question, and while they'd both struggle to find a definitive moment, I think there was one particular situation that arose to kinda...lock things in for them.

Sometime prior to autumn 2009, Margie was headhunted by Bioware[Edmonton] thanks to the recommendation of an old Orbital Media colleague who was trying to establish/salvage Bioware's beleaguered handheld dev team. Following a promising phone interview, she was asked to make a 30 second demo track as part of the hiring process, and met expectations well enough that she was offered a job as an in-house musician and sound designer. Which also meant that she'd have to move to Edmonton. She had been keeping Raf up to date with this whole thing, mostly because she was too excited to keep it to herself. Raf was hugely supportive and excited -for- her. 'Cus like...he plays games. He even plays Bioware games, so, yanno...very cool. But he had also assumed this was gonna be more of a freelance contract kind of thing. And so, hearing her mention that the company would cover the costs of relocating her to Edmonton comes as a weird surprise. And suddenly, he's having a real hard time being excited for her. He keeps it to himself, 'cus he'd be an asshole not to. He's been really adamant with himself, and with anyone who asks, that he and Margie are just really good, comfortable friends/roommates. But even by this point, he's kinda known and been unwilling to admit to himself that the only reason he hasn't openly recognized their relationship for what it actually is--is because the non-committal ambiguousness provides him a clean way out if he starts feeling cagey/uncomfy about anything. It was an exit door that he liked keeping open incase he needed it. But Margie had seen it differently. To her, it was a door she figured she was gonna have to leave through eventually. Because Raf would inevitably find a more serious partner to settle down with, or he'd be whisked off by some other important venture that she couldn't be a part of. She figured he was leaving that door open because his current situation was a temporary transitional stage in his life that he simply allowed her to be a part of. And so, she's not really torn-up about the prospect of leaving, especially under the circumstances. It presented an easier, more exciting transition than she might have had to face if Raf had 'outgrown' her first.

So, Margie's excited about the new job offer, and Raf's sitting there feeling like he played himself--while being wholly unable/unwilling to tell her "Hey, uh...this sucks, actually, I really don't want you to go." Because that'd require him to admit that he's been lying to himself--which sucks. But more than that, it'd require him to admit that he's been lying to her--only employing honesty as a tool of convenience to dissuade her from going and getting something really good for herself. He can't, he won't. The sudden off-key in his tone, though, doesn't go unnoticed by her, and Margie is perfectly candid about the whole "we'll visit each other, I'll stay in touch--I'm not gonna disappear on you lmao" Except that's not really...how Raf operates. Distance + time does not make this man's paranoid lil' heart grow fonder. There's never been a relationship-friend, family, or otherwise-with enough staying power for Raf to maintain it once they're no longer within physical proximity. Even if he wants to 'keep in touch', it quickly falls off. He's just known...too many people, and been too many places...his brain doesn't have the bandwidth to maintain close relationships when there's a distance. And, after a long enough pause in communication, his paranoid anxieties lift the barrier of entry higher and higher until it's almost insurmountable. People become strangers again. Always. In the end, Bioware did not get to develop any more handheld titles, and the handheld division in Edmonton is dissolved before Margie was even offered a job start date to plan her big move around. And so the whole thing falls apart before it even had the chance to get started lmao. At which point, Raf finally allows himself to be honest and say "thank god, I was fuckin' dreading an empty apartment again." Treats her to a consolatory dinner, and gets to tell her as much as he is able to figure out for himself--that he doesn't really know what he wants, actually--but that things aren't as casual and clean-cut as he thought it was. He still can't bring himself to be like "yes, romantic committed relationship, that's us, that's what we are" but he does at least take measures to establish that he'd really like to take off his shoes, place them on the rack next to hers, and close the door behind him.

#Margie takes a little while to get over the sting of disappointment with having her cool validating job fall through #but she's happy she gets to stick around with Raf too...and then soon realizes the full implications of what he tells her #over that consolatory dinner lmao #hi-note #magritte #rafael

[transmutationisms]

I would love to hear more of your thoughts on House & its relation to the detective genre ! I think that house (completely accidentally and very badly) stumbles into a good critique of how doctors & medical structures view addicts & disabled people, with house being a horrible hegemonic mr malpractice to his patients frequently yet half is series is unironically just about all the injustice/mistreatment he faces because his doctor colleagues can’t see him as a person but only as a problem to be solved/rehabbed/therapized/institutionalized/treated like a child with stolen candy/treated like a criminal. and then it also randomly takes an incredibly pro MAID stance. which isn’t really part of this but I just remembered how batshit insane that show was. and then chase killed a dictator and I feel like the show was squarely on his side for that one. Anyway. Do you have thoughts? I really like house.

ok here's my house md take. like a lot of medical dramas, the show essentially relies for its dramatic appeal on the construal of patients as gross, weird, and stupid—rubes who are too uneducated and self-serving in their petty lies to solve their own bodies, and thus need the intervention of house to fix them. this is standard for the genre, although slightly meaner on house than on some other examples (cf. grey's or even the older and soapier generation of these shows). i don't even think house committing malpractice is all that new; it's relatively common as a plot point that positions the noble rule-breaking doctor as someone who 'does what needs to be done' and skirts the bureaucratic red tape to follow their own superior judgment. what makes house more interesting is that from the get-go, house himself is both a doctor and an unwilling patient. in itself this isn't a tension that's new to the medical soap (injuring a major character is pretty par for the course) but house's particular interactions with the ruling biomedical epistemology are, as you point out, characterised by hostility and resistance, and the show frequently either sides with house, or at least leaves it somewhat up to the viewer to decide whether house is right to resist the pathologisation that cuddy and wilson try to impose on him.

this is kind of a tricky line to walk for 7 seasons or however long the show is. my recollection is there are episodes, for example, where it's very clear that house's pain is physical, and the writers use this to morally justify his vicodin use. this is obviously not a full-throated defence of opioid users, but it is at least pointing to a position on chronic pain that allows for the possibility that for some people, long-term use of drugs with a high addiction potential and side effects is legitimately the best thing. but, this messaging is also undercut by the fact that it's primetime television, they need to make drama, and there are definitely also episodes where house is framed as potentially lying about his pain, or at least mistaking a somatic problem for a physical one, which the writers often (not always, but often) present as evidence that actually, house shouldn't be trusted to make his own decisions about drug use, and ideally should be 'de-toxed' and probably sent to cbt or whatever. of course all of these considerations are also contextualised by the fact that house is, again, not just a patient but a doctor: his right and ability to make these types of calls for himself is, it's suggested, a result of his having attained medical education and credentials. the patients who come to be treated by him are seldom, if ever, given this same level of consideration or presumed to have sufficient self-awareness to make their own medical decisions. this isn't to say they're portrayed entirely unsympathetically, but ultimately the narrative engine of the show relies on house being the smartest guy in the room (though ofc, sometimes tragically 'held back by his addiction').

so, although there are moments on the show that genuinely transgress some of the norms of the med-drama genre, i have never agreed with people who thought that the show as a whole was presenting any sustained critique of the medical system, the treatment of chronic pain/disability, or the power-imbalanced doctor-patient relationship. ultimately all authority on house md is supposed to emanate from the physician, or the physician's superiors (cuddy as a 'check' on house, though sometimes a failed one! again because of the need to generate drama for like 140 episodes), and at its most radical the show is really only capable of presenting house himself as an out-of-control aberration whose existence strains the existing system rather than being produced by it.

this is where i think the comparison to the cop show genre becomes more clarifying. house md never made a secret of being an interpolation of the detective genre, specifically sherlock holmes. however, i'm not sure i've ever really seen writing on the show that analyses what effect this actually has on house. like police, doctors are tasked with maintaining certain social norms; the dichotomy between policing and medicine isn't even a solid line, as criminality is frequently rhetorically construed as a pathology in itself and medical authorities can and do have recourse to carceral systems in order to discipline and confine recalcitrant patients, the 'criminally insane', addicts, and so forth. (policing has historically also been understood in a more expansive sense than how we use the word today; our understanding of the medical/public health system as separate from police authority is arguably more to do with university credentialling than the actual exercise of social and political power).

so, if we want to be serious about the portrayal of medicine in popular culture (i am always serious about this) then we're necessarily talking about broader systems of power, social control, and discipline, and doubly so on a show like house that is explicitly inspired by detective fiction. this is where house md is most ideologically objectionable to me: as with the trope of the cop who breaks all the rules, house is basically positioned in one of two ways throughout the show. either he's a lone genius who alone is willing to achieve noble ends (cure) through distasteful means (breaking into patients' homes, berating them, performing risky interventions on them, &c), or—and this is rarer on house but does happen—he's portrayed as genuinely crossing an ethical line, in which case he's a kind of monstrous aberration from the normal, ethical functioning of the medical system, often represented metonymously by the objections that cuddy, wilson, or house's underlings raise. in both of these cases, as with copaganda, the function is ultimately to reinforce the idea that doctors, though occasionally capable of human error, are prima facie wiser than their patients, looking out for their patients' best interests, and performing noble social roles as healers. house, ofc, is very rarely willing to admit that he has any underlying ethical motivations, though much of the show is driven by the flashes where he is revealed to 'secretly' care about another person (often wilson) and anyway, the construction of an ethical society in which all individual actors are motivated solely by selfish interests is a very established rhetorical move for those interested in defending liberal capitalist societies (cf. charles darwin, thomas malthus, adam smith, &c).

because of television's need to generate profit via audience engagement, house md always relied on a certain level of shock or at least provocation in order to sustain itself. so, there are certain aberrations from the more overtly doctor-valorising medical dramas, like the suggestion (sometimes tongue-in-cheek) that house was better at his job when he was mildly high on opioids. this was, for the reasons outlined above, never a serious entry into political critique, but it was at least refreshing in a certain way as a departure from, eg, the portrayal of addiction and drug use that we see on grey's, which is completely limited to the medicalised AA narrative of 'recovery' as a battle against the malevolent intervention of an external chemical agent. which is to say that although house md is ultimately reactionary in the way we should expect from an american tv show, it did at least dabble in a certain level of caustic iconoclasm that allowed limited departures from the genre conventions. even with what was ultimately a pretty solid vindication of the anti-opioid narrative, the show does stand out in my mind as one of the few very popular presentations of any kind of alternative stance on chronic drug use. that it's usually put in house's own mouth means it is occasionally legitimated by his epistemological authority as a physician, though ofc ultimately this authority is challenged not through a critique of the medical system, but by presenting house as individually and aberrantly licentious, undisciplined, and insane—and his chronic pain/disability are both a justification for this, and a shorthand for conveying it.

#house md

[loving-jack-kelly]

listen i think it's like. davey falls in love immediately and davey is very aware of it and davey resigns himself to never being anything more than friends and davey takes what he can get. an arm around his shoulders. a moment of holding hands trying not to get separated in a crowd. leaning against each other on the couch. silly conversations after both of them should already have been asleep. and it's fine. it's just fine, it's not good, but it's not bad, because davey falls in love more every time they talk and davey falls in love more every time he hears jack laugh but davey also gains a better friend than he's ever had and davey gains a person he can be himself around and davey gains a group of people who don't weigh him down with more expectations that he can barely hold on his shoulders and so it's fine. it's okay. it's fine.

and jack doesn't fall in love immediately and jack isn't aware of anything and jack has no idea for months that davey has become such a solid part of his life that a future without him is unthinkable. but then he starts to notice some things and those things start to make an appearance in daydreams and drawings and sometimes in conversations where they have no business being. he starts noticing the way davey tips his whole head back when he laughs and the way he quirks his eyebrows before tearing into somebody for something mean or wrong or stupid they thought they could away with saying in front of him. he notices the careful way davey contains himself around his parents and the way that tension melts away when it's just the two of them, and he notices the undertones in davey's voice when he says "I love my family but sometimes I wish they'd let me figure things out on my own." and so jack doesn't fall in love immediately and he isn't aware of anything and he has no idea for months but once it hits.

well. once it hits it's all jack can think about because he's never been in love like this before and he has no idea what to do with himself and no idea how to handle it. and davey, who has been in love this whole time and who has accepted that things will never be more than the fine they've ended up at, refuses to read into anything. like when jack starts finding more excuses to throw an arm over his shoulder, that can't mean anything new. or when when jack refuses to let go of his hand even when they've made it outside the crowd, that can't mean anything, either. and leaning against each other on the couch, jack's head dipping down to rest on his shoulder or jack's arm draped across his waist instead of kept off to the side, those mean nothing. they can't mean anything because if they mean something they mean something and that's far more terrifying to reckon with than a lifetime of fine with an undercurrent of wishing for something else.

so that's where it stays. building and building and building, davey loving quietly and melancholic but determined to be satisfied the way things are and jack loving so hard he feels like he might explode but completely unsure of what to do with that feeling. they spend nights talking around it. "don't you want to run away?" asks davey, hoping jack will confirm again that all this hope is silly and davey should really just get on with getting over him. "there's too much good here to leave behind," jack says, hoping that davey will understand that he means no matter how badly he wants to run he wants to be with davey more. "don't you wish love worked like a fairytale?" jack asks, knowing that if it did davey would sweep him off his feet and they'd ride off into the sunset together forever. "no, happy endings would never be the ever after that everyone wanted" davey says, knowing that if love were a fairtale jack would marry his princess and leave davey the sidekick behind, forgotten.

but the thing about love like this, that becomes so big and so present and that both people are so aware of but unwilling to talk about is that it isn't always quiet and nice and settled. sometimes, it rears up and it's mean and ugly and sometimes it doesn't feel so much like love. it becomes a jealous spike and a spiteful comment when davey sees jack spending too much time flirting with and teasing somebody else. it becomes jack having too many opinions about davey's other friends, the ones he doesn't even know and hasn't bothered to try. it becomes arguing around the thing, late night conversations that turn into whispered debates where neither of them will say what they're really feeling and neither of them will listen to what the other is trying to say because things needs to stay the same. they can't change one way or another because that's terrifying and isn't better if things just stay...fine?

and i think. davey is the one who snaps first. davey who has spent his whole life compressing himself into other people's boxes, pushing down different parts of himself to fit whatever any situation needs, finally snapping from the pressure of doing it in the relationship that never felt like he needed to until everything became a fight. why should he keep pretending to be something he isn't? why should he keep pretending to be someone he's not?

and i don't think it's easy. i think it's mean and petty and easy to assume the worst, easy for davey to assume jack has know all along and has been playing with davey this whole time. easy for jack to assume that davey is saying things he doesn't mean because they're fighting and he knows it cuts too deep. they argue and get upset and spend the night and maybe a few days stewing and wondering is this the breaking point, is this where we end all of this, is there where I finally let my heart break?

but the thing is. neither of them can walk all the way away and they both know it. davey remembers the expression jack gets when he's lost in a drawing and knows he's never not been in love with him even when it feels like this. jack thinks about the way davey's hands move when he talks about something he cares about and knows that he can't walk away even though maybe it would be easier.

and if davey is the one who snaps, jack is the one who spends time figuring out exactly what to say. he's terrified and nauseous and not sure if this is what he should be doing, but when he explains himself it's careful and honest and blunt, all of the things he hasn't said since the minute he realized he was in love with davey laid out neat and gentle and real. and davey, for all he stopped pretending, can't quite believe it. not that he thinks jack is lying, exactly, but maybe he's mistaken. jack can't love davey, not the way davey loves jack, because not only would that mean all the stupid arguments and passive-aggressive moments of the last however long it's been happening have been over nothing, but that would mean jack feels this expansive, consuming, whole body love that davey has been living with for so long. that would mean jack understands and if jack understands, why has davey been okay with things being just fine for so long?

and adjusting to the truth being between them is, I think, hard. davey keeps catching himself about to say something and having to force himself to say it out loud because he's spent so long not letting himself. and jack keeps having to force himself to feel things without chasing the feeling away because he's spent so long refusing to process any of it because that would mean processing the fear. conversations are hard. change is hard. figuring out new dynamics is hard.

but when davey starts noticing that jack is taking his hand with no excuse and wrapping both arms around his waist whenever he has a chance and tipping their heads together when they sit side by side, and when he starts noticing that jack has a special smile that only ever seems to be aimed at him, and he he starts noticing that late night conversations have gone back to what they were like in the very beginning when they were about everything and nothing and more than just words, that's when he notices that things aren't fine anymore. they're good. and when jack starts noticing that davey is relaxed with him, not putting on a face, and when he starts noticing the way davey laughs at even the stupidest of his jokes without seeming insincere, and when he notices that davey has a serious, thoughtful expression that he only seems to wear when he's talking with jack, that's when he notices that this doesn't feel so confusing and scary anymore. it feels good.

#and in the background their mutual besties crutchie and race are talking every night about #please god PLEASE let them get their shit together right now we can't HANDLE this anymore #newsies #javid #jack kelly #davey jacobs

[aciddrooldeluxe]

Thought of a scenario (CW for possible cruelty, digestion, unwilling pred, and unwilling prey, betrayal, very mild implied disposal)

a pred and prey are friends in a society where that's just. Outlandish to most people. Prey are meant to be eaten, and preds are meant to eat that prey. But, these two have a sorta, Romeo and Juliet thing going on. They hang out, and, hell. They might even feel like they're more than friends, especially after so many years, and sharing their lives with each other, they practically feel like they grew up together.

Eventually, the pred finally makes another friend, a pred friend, probably at work, or another social event. It's fine. They seem like a pleasant enough person, too. They wouldn't tell this random guy about their best buddy, but, it's always nice to get to know new people, even hang out at each other's houses sometimes.

Then one day it all goes, awry. The pred is hanging out with the prey, when the door opens behind them. It's that guy from work, he's come over uninvited. They're close enough pals, right? So coming over like this should be a fun surprise. And, hey, it seems there's even a snack ready for you. How kind.

The pred panics, seeing their friend moseying on over to possibly devour the now terrified prey, and does the only thing they could think to do. They panic, and devour the prey they'd just been talking to, sending them down into a gut currently swimming with previously shared snacks.

It'll all be fine right? Of course. There's no way their friend will stay for long. Until he does. He stays much, much longer than usual. There's no excuse to get out of this situation. It's your house, you can't say you have to go back and turn off the oven, and leaving in a condition like this? It's distasteful at the very least, your swollen gut indecently hanging from your hips.

So they wait. And wait. And they can try to hold off digestion, but, stomach don't like to hold back. It's an automatic system. Their buddy is left stewing, and, not to mention, their pred buddy keeps assisting each churn with belly rubs. But, they're still fine in there. They're alive, and clearly breathing, wriggling about. So the pred holds on.

They start going a little numb to the sensation in their guts, desperately wanting the other pred to just leave, as more waves of peristalsis wear their current occupant down, the prey inside trying to hold on.

From the prey's perspective, it's all so, sudden. They thought their pred had been worried from them, with their increased heartate clearly audible above, but. Maybe it was excitement. They've been in here for so long they feel numb. Were they betrayed? As each groan washes over them, it feels more and more true, but they keep on hoping until even the subtle red glow of light through skin seems to fade, and they pass out with large hands pushing more acid over their body, the enzymes and slime pooling around them, everything around them fully digested, as their body now slowly finishes its turn in the process of filling the body around it.

The time passes. Breathing fades. The nonsense chattering continues. It's unbearable, but the pred has to keep on this façade as they panic. They're sure their friend is gone now. Possibly even melting away. And it's their own fault, having waited far too long. Was this worth it? Could he not have just explained? Were they doomed from the start?

The only thing left to do, though, is finish the job, right? If you ate your friend, it'd be beyond ungrateful to just, regurgitate what's left. So, that shape in the pred's gut slowly rounds out, then seems to pool down towards the bottom, before evening out when the remainder of what used to be their friend chugs down hungry intestines, organs loudly making a scene of the entire ordeal, making everything feel even more disrespectful.

As the pred finally gets up to, inevitably finish the process, their pred friend grins, takes it as an opportunity to leave, congratulating them on their new pounds of fat as they head out the door

#v.ore #vorblr #voreblr #v/ore #soft vore #digestion #unwilling pred #unwilling prey #implied disposal #cruel vore #betrayal

[balkanradfem]

I feel that any bad-faith argument about abortion needs to be turned into argument about quality and value of all life on earth. Because we are an intelligent species, and are capable of looking ahead and seeing the consequences of out actions.

For instance, we are living in a world with current ongoing wars, where certain people are given the orders to end thousands of lives, without any consequences or retributions. And yet this is not where pro-life is focusing their intent; apparently once babies grow up it's perfectly fine to gruesomely end those same lives in a genocide, or be starved to death during wars, that kind of thing just 'can't be helped'. But women can be pressured and guilted into birthing more babies, so apparently that's the way to go, sure way to increase the amount of suffering in the world.

But, you'll say, not all born babies will be killed off in wars (weird thing to say honestly), what about children who will live their lives safely and happily on this planet?

Well, tell me how?

Any child being born is going to experience the devastating effect of the climate change, they'll watch whole ecosystems collapse, animals going into extinction, and thousands of humans losing their homes and survival resources. They're being born into a misogynistic world, and if the child is female, she'll experience oppression that she won't even be able to prove is real to the male part of the population.

This child will grow up in the world where empathy is scarce, they'll be bombarded with news about human suffering almost every day, they're likely to come down with mental illness or at least feel that the future is bleak and brings more pain. They're also likely to fall victim to pedophiles, predators, and brainwashed boys who learned to sexually assault other kids due to the exposure of p*rn. Is pro-life trying to protect them from any of it? No. They're fighting to stop teaching them about puberty and what sex is, so once these traumatic things happen to them, they're unable to recognize them or speak about it.

But let's look into even more immediate effects of having a child born against their mother's consent. Once a baby is born, they're alive, but we all know that if they're not tended to, they'll die, experiencing nothing but pain. We always assume women will do this labour unprompted, but how can we assume this?

The forced mother, who is already traumatized from having to go trough forced birth, is likely both unwilling and without proper resources to care for a baby. The baby will feel this, they will know they're unloved. They'll know they're unwanted before they even grow up. As a solution to this, you suggest we blame and shame all mothers for not being good enough, for struggling with post-birth trauma or post-partum depression, for being unwilling to be a parent? You can't control what an unwilling mother does with her baby. You forced her to give birth but you can't do anything beyond that point.

Why did you do it? Why did you make sure a baby exists in a world where there is nobody who wants them, is willing to take care of them or give them a good life? What is it worth to you if there's another unwanted, unloved, suffering child out there? Does it make your life better if there's more human suffering? Do you fight for support of new mothers, for better healthcare, for better resources to take care of abandoned babies, for better institutions to take care of unwanted children? No. You feel entitled to women's unlimited labour and endless caretaking of children they don't want. You don't want to acknowledge it's undertaking of a huge scale, that requires endless resources, finances, complete exhaustion, loss of health, sleep, protection, sometimes education and career. It's nothing to you. Loss of quality of life, for everyone involved, means nothing to you.

As long as there is more human suffering. As long as mother didn't get any say over whether she'll become a mother or not, and how many times, and when. As long as her life was put at risk without her consent. As long as she was punished for something you consider she should be punished for.

And now I'm going to circle back to where I started, the war. Because mothers have to watch their children both go to war, risk their lives in war, and be killed in wars. After putting that endless amount of energy and resources to grow and raise a single child, they'll have to watch them go to slaughter. And what happens if a child dies, as a solider in a war? Mother gets payment for it. That's right. For having that child murdered by someone else, the mother will get paid. Murder of that child is not only okay, legal, approved by government and somehow necessary, but is also rewardable to the mother, who, had she refused to birth that same child, causing zero suffering to ensue, would have been punished. Nobody except the mother can get punished.

If the child was killed in a war, and not a soldier, nothing. Apparently loss of life with extreme amount of human suffering, is worth absolutely nothing. But refusing to put that life out there, is a punishable crime. Because it only matters if it's unborn or a newborn. Once that same baby grows up, it's slaughter time. Humans apparently lose value after they grow up, they're only worth as 'endless human potential' in unwilling hands, but after they've reached the age of 'not a baby anymore', worthless.

We have observed the world for long enough to see the consequences of the actions we make. Women are the only ones who can and should decide whether they are willing and able to bring another life into the world, that is worth living, that will provide a life which is livable, enjoyable, worth being alive for. Life is extremely precious and bringing it into the world where it will be subjected to neglect, torture, and possibly a painful death, is unacceptable.

Caring for mother's rights is the first thing that will improve any child's quality of life. Caring about the environment is the second. Ending wars and debilitating male's ability to even start a war, is a fight for life. Not fighting for them to take control of female bodies, which they'll use to make themselves endless supply of soldiers, endless war resources. Taking control from women always means putting it in hands of m*n, who don't find any problem with human suffering, who celebrate wars, find themselves at home doing massive murdering, torturing and raping of women and children.

Women in charge of life means making life compatible with joy, love, care and warmth. We are the only ones who give children have safety, community, care and protection only a willing mother can give. You're wrangling it away from us further away from control the women are. We are fighting for a world where every mother is willing, and every child wanted. Why aren't you?

#pro-abortion #anti natalism #anti natalist #radical feminism #anti war #anti male #anti patriarchy

[meowzfordayz]

when the war is over; will our ghosts dance together, or will we ourselves dance hand in hand

Tomioka Giyuu x Reader

Word Count: ~700

CW: canonical violence, death content, depression, implied self harm, PTSD, traumatic references

Emergency Request Fulfilled: I am, I’m just feeling tired my work is so draining emotionally, mentally, physically and I know I’m burnt out because I’m just apathetic. (...) I want someone to take care of me; like I took care of the people I used to know. I feel like I’m spent and I have nothing left to give. It’s so hard for me to make friends again because I don’t even know what to say. I don’t know how to carry on a conversation anymore, if it’s because I’m scared or what or if I’m tired and I know things are going to end soon. (...) I want to let out the frustrations on me instead of someone else… I’d rather be hurt instead.

I hope this makes sense..? I am feeling like this again and I’m just tired ya know. You can pair it with any character you like, it’s all free reign for you. A comfort angst I suppose.

He knows how you feel

Recognizes the glimmer of defeat

In your soft gaze, so intent on pressing into his chest

Defeat has an odd shine to it

A sense of finality, of strength, at the end of a

Sea of doubt, longing, emptiness accepted in place of

Warmth

Sometimes, he wishes he could ask you

“How are you feeling?”

Oftentimes, he’s afraid your reply will be

“Fine. And you?”

How is he supposed to answer such deflected pain?

How can he reveal his own lonesome while trying to fill yours?

Perhaps this is why they say

You must love yourself before loving

Others

You must look out for yourself before looking out to

The One

Recovery is a fickle creature

As numbing as it is freeing

As quiet as it is difficult to ignore

Screaming in one’s head day in, day out

Etched into one’s skin, the drag of a blade

The shiver of a downpour

Puddles of blood seeping into moistened ground

Why does rain so frequently shed itself on the battlefield?

But he can tell

The lingering taste of war, of death

Is not your sole accompaniment

You are similar, but not the same

Walking a pace a step faster than his, sunken in a different weight of anxiety

Of dread

As he is

He wants, craves, a connection with you

Fixing, helping, someone else

But how?

And what?

And why?

He’s never thought of himself as a savior

A victim, more like it

And is it truly so grand, so honorable, of him

To desire a caress with heroism for the sake of healing

Of selfishness

And not necessarily out of curiosity, compassion, for your haunted tremors

He still remembers the one time you came to him

Well, really, he was the only soul around

“Tomioka-san. How do you tolerate it?”

And he had frowned, unable to meet your shaken stare, blue eyes glazed from an evening of ash and maroon, sunrise an unwilling accomplice in fulfilling his duties

“I don’t,” he’d deadpanned, turning from your telltale scars, so similar

So different

From his

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

He wonders, too

Of course he does

Wonders what he would do if he ever caught you

Caught you in your act of hatred and denial

Physical rendition of the song that’s been on repeat in his head

Wonders if the lyrics are identical

Underlining his every thought, just as they overline your wrists

He likes to imagine he would comfort you

Would be able to tug you into his arm, cool and solid, unfaltering and steady

But he thinks, in fact, that he’d be angry

Upset

Disappointed

Arm crossed, tight, unwelcoming, as his demons fraternize with yours

Lips pursed in desperation

Come here, I promise I won’t hurt you

Stuck beneath loathing

“Do you miss them?” you murmur, village sprawling out below the damp, thatched roof

Stars twinkling, teasing, dancing among the slivers of cloud above

“I do,” Giyuu confesses, inhibitions low, fingers cold with grief, “I’m grateful for this new world, but I fear my existence ceased along with the old one.”

“Tomioka-san,” you smile faintly, “I’m glad you’re here.”

“We barely know each other,” he mutters

“And are we to blame?” you chuckle, the sound brittle and forced, “It’s always been safer for us.”

To not get attached

“I wish I knew how to live.”

Me too you almost admit, head drooping with fatigue, elbows propped on your knees, legs hugged to your sternum

“I wish I knew how to live for myself,” he clarifies Everyone that mattered is gone

Sleep claims your response, limbs gradually relaxing, the rough fabric of his haori tucked around your shoulders before he leaves

“How about this…”

You glance at him, hesitant

Hopeful

“I’ll care for you. You’ll care for me.”

“You don’t already?” you tease gently, giggling when his eyes widen with alarm

“I-”

“I’m teasing, Tomioka-san,” you quickly assure him, “I appreciate your company.”

“I would like to walk beside you.”

He is shy

Sweet

A realization that

This is what could have been

“Okay,” you nod slowly, “But my pace isn’t consistent.”

“That’s alright,” he shrugs, “As long as we keep walking.”

#giyuu tomioka #tomioka giyuu #giyuu x reader #tomioka x reader #water hashira #drabble #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer

[the-s1lly-corner]

I wanna try something different this time around.

I’ve started to grow an interest to Eyeless Jack, I mean I haven’t read the story but the character has intrigued me.

What’s some fluffy headcanons you can think of for him with a partner in general?

General hcs for Eyeless Jack x Reader !

ehehehehe welcome to the ej fan club!! evil laughs >:) gotta admit my take on ej is only loosely based around the original story (guy waking up to find one of his kidneys missing is the TLDR version) but a lot of my hcs are based around a fic (?) reimagine (?) of ej that i remember seeing floating around yeeeeears ago back in middle school and im unsure how many people follow the "jack used to be a human but got dragged into a cult/human sacrifice unwillingly" idea since i admittedly dont interact much with the fandom outside of writing these lil hcs and making fanart TToTT

after everything that happened to him jack ran off to the woods to be away from prying human eyes, and as far as he knew he was viewed as (albeit unwilling and you could argue it was in self defense) murderer.... kind of puts a stop into your plans of finishing school and going into your dream career.. oh and also the teeny tiny detail that you now rely on human flesh as sustenance with no hope for being able to physically accept alternatives and as more time goes on you start to resemble something.. not human... theres that, too

if you want to see him during the day you're likely going to have to visit him in the woods, but fear not hes not homeless, hes found refuge in an old cabin; slowly hes been patching it up

dont expect him to make you do any work on the cabin, he views it solely as his responsibility and he'll likely deny any actual work helping rebuild it... though i dont think he would be against any tools and decoration (ex. stuff for a generator so he can have power, means to wash his clothes, basic supplies that arent food ectect)

i think overtime he would even get a little mini fridge for you so you can store snacks and drinks at his place, since he doesnt. have food

sometimes visits you at your place, but he only does this during the night so he doesnt get caught wandering the streets by other people... usually enters through the backdoor, to avoid anyone seeming coming from the front

very quiet and reserved, not very high energy... so most nights hanging out with him are calm... usually him asking you how you've been doing... you /could/ ask him the same, but he can only talk about patrolling his area in the woods for hikers straying too close so many times, and he doesnt want to bore you

thats actually another thing, he has traps set up around; mix of a means for hunting without having to go out and pick someone, and to make sure no one gets too close to the cabin

so i think, in the beginning he would ban you from coming to him without him guiding you, at least not until youve had ample time to get used to the traps and how to look for them and remember the general locations of them

teaches you how to forage, him being alone for so long has forced him to pick up new hobbies to keep him from going insane, so you now know how to do that sort of thing as well as identifying plants and fungi... fun!

on the very rare occasion you can convince jack to walk around town with you at night when everyone else is asleep.... its nice, i think.. kind of gives him a chance to just sink back into what his old life used to be and feel like hes normal again; though he tends to be quieter than usual on these walks

i dont think hes particularly possessive, dont get me wrong he cares about you and he does have the passing thought of you just up and leaving him one day (and he doesnt blame you, he holds a lot of self loathing for himself nowadays) but hes not going to be breathing down your neck and watching your every movement... he has enough trust in you not to get hurt or stuck in any situation

blunt, he doesnt beat around the bush and sometimes he doesnt sugarcoat things when the blow needs to be softened... mix of jack just being a little insensitive to others but also because hes gotten so used to thinking so logically and straight forward and numbing his own emotions over... who knows how long, probably even before he got all messed up..

can be a little sarcastic at times, so he might come off as an asshole every now and then, especially when you mix in the bluntness

i dont think he would actively try to be mean to others though, he'd try to understand and fix something if his habits upset you because he doesnt want to lose you

very cold, physically, so be sure to bring blankets and stuff when you want to cuddle into him

very careful with you, he has claws and teeth... and sometimes shedding blood around him can be really dangerous (he feeds on human material, he tends to push off eating for as long as he can since the fact hes eating people meat messes with him.. argument between survival of himself and survival of others; but due to his curse he can go into 'frenzies' and momentarily lose himself to his hunger. think how in finding nemo the sharks went nuts when dory cut her fin on accident, its like that but he doesnt go nuts all the time) so hes very very gentle even when he has a strong hold on himself

speaking of his forced diet, he doesnt eat often.. only really needing to do so every now and then, but i like to think he would still sit at the table with you to keep you company while you ate dinner

though he wouldnt want you to do the same when he DOES eat, might prefer you not come at all on those days actually

him and reader remind me of the "its rotten work"/"not to me, not if its you" audio

#creepypasta x reader #creepypasta x you #creepypasta imagine #eyeless jack x reader #eyeless jack x you #eyeless jack headcanon #eyeless jack imagine

[aziraphales-library]

Hey! So I just read a Tumblr post about a costumer always going to this one coffee shop and asking for the most disgusting thing ever and NEVER drinking it (and one time they took a sip, they said yuck). And it got me thinking. Do you have any fics here about A or C doing something once as a joke or whatever and then it scaling and they can't back out now, but like, humorous? Could be this sort of setting, could be any other setting. The only tags I can come up with for similar things is the fake dating/married, but I'm pretty sure I've already read most of what's there and I want something different to that anyway. Hell, it doesn't even need to be A and/or Z who are stuck in that situation. I just really wanna read more stuff like this.

Hi! There isn't a specific tag for this kind of fic, really. But you might find similar fics to enjoy on our #misunderstandings tags. And here are some fics I think fit the idea you're describing...

Would you like to get a drink? by AppleSeeds (G)

Crowley has been drooling over the handsome checkout operator in his local supermarket for months and finally summons the courage to approach him. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for Crowley's brain to shut down completely.

Calling All Catchers by Quefish (E)

Crowley is horny and puts out a personal ad, Aziraphale knocks on the door.

Ways to Make You Smile by WickedWriter (M)

Crowley has always been awkward around anyone who he develops feelings for. While Aziraphale is always nice to him, he can't help but screw things up when trying to flirt. But when he starts making latte art to impress his angel, it was only a matter of time before he found a way to cock things up again. Rated M for adult themed jokes and puns

Sansevieria by KissMyAsthma & leukozyna (M)

Crowley is on the prowl for a rare plant. Unwilling to pay such a high price, he takes a stroll to the plant shop to look for an alternative... then meeting a handsome stranger who happens to own the plant of his dreams. How far will Crowley go to seize a cutting of this botanical masterpiece? Or: when you want to get a cutting of a rare, expensive plant, what do you do? You slither your way into the pants of its owner (too bad if you fall in love on the way)

Thrown for a Loop by MickyRC (T)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man in possession of a large amount of yarn will be assumed to be a knitter. It is a truth universally acknowledged among crocheters that this is annoying as hell. In his many years crocheting, Aziraphale has never been one to let that assumption stand. But faced with an opportunity to join a knitting group run by a very sweet new shop owner, he decides to play along. Even if it means he has to pretend he wants to learn how to knit. Even if it means he has to hide his skill with a crochet hook. It’ll be worth it to get to know Crowley better. Probably. Hopefully. (It will.)

Waking Up Slow by the_moonmoth (E)

“Then you’ll just have to come back with me," Aziraphale said. “You what?” “You’ll have to come and isolate with me, at my cottage.” The thing about messing with people, Crowley thought, was that sometimes, they genuinely surprised you. After both being exposed to coronavirus, total strangers Crowley and Aziraphale are forced to wait out their isolation together. A tale of soft winter romance by the sea.

- Mod D

#good omens #ineffable husbands #adult omens #misunderstandings #miscommunication #mistaken identity #human au #mod d

[heinzpilsner]

I lied to you, bwahahaha!

I keep thinking about tSR (from Aang's perspective this time though)

And when I think, I type in my notes, simple as that.

You know, another component people (me including) kinda tend to overlook about this episode is that Aang didn't just argue with Katara and Zuko about their morals.

He was put by Katara into the position to argue because she suddenly went to him and asked to borrow Appa for their revenge trip. And after Aang refused, they decided to take him anyway.

And... It wasn't a right thing to do. At all.

Katara's right to revenge in general is one issue (which I'm not going to discuss here).

But they had no right of using Aang's personal animal companion to commit something Aang openly disapproved, no matter how upset his refusal made them.

It would make Aang their unwilling accomplice, and besides - for him, it wasn't just like giving them his vehicle to commit crimes (which would be bad in itself): it'd feel like letting them to kinda corrupt his unintelligent friend and put him into unnecessary danger, I suppose.

(Not to mention the unnecessary danger for Aang's intelligent friends!)

I saw some people criticizing Aang for not respecting Katara's moral beliefs in this situation, but... It's Katara who went to Aang with her request for his cooperation, not the other way around. Hence, it's Katara who first implicitly asked from him to discard his pacifistic values for her sake. Basically, she suddenly (really suddenly, if you think about it from Aang's perspective) put him into a "It's me or your morals now, Aang? Choose wisely!" situation, and when he wasn't eager to give her the answer she wanted on the spot, she resented him and just turned to leave ("I knew you wouldn't understand"). To treat your close friend in such a way is pretty unfair, no matter how much you're hurting at the moment. And of course Aang felt the need to explain his views to Katara after this - because he valued their friendship and was concerned for her.

(I'm not stating here that Aang's behaviour was perfect, or that his relationship with Katara in general couldn't benefit from him being more attentive to her feelings and values. That's not my point. I'm just trying to explain Aang's exact position here.)

And after that, Katara and Zuko treat Aang as if he's not their friend anymore or something. As if he's some equivalent of a pirate, and to steal something that belongs to him is a right thing to do just because they want.

Aang was actually extremely understanding and (yes) forgiving in this conflict. Zuko had no right to be so dismissive and sarcastic when you look at the situation from this angle.

I mean, hello Zuko, it's Aang's beloved bison you're stealing here for your risky, non-urgent and morally problematic mission that can psychologically harm Aang's beloved girl as well? And he isn't even angry at you for this? You could be a little more grateful, you know.

(Do you value Aang's friendship at all, Zuko, or your heart can accommodate only one important person for you at any given moment, eh?)

Again, I'm trying to be objective here. From Katara's or Zuko's perspective, the situation looks completely different (with a big neon 'lost mothers trauma' sign all over it). But this post is not about their perspective.

Something like this.

(I can always change my mind on the topic after noticing some new facts though, you know. My opinion on anything isn't set in stone. It can be such a bummer sometimes, haha. I keep ignoring my notifications, anyway.)

#atla #aang #katara #zuko

[asherlockstudy]

So, the journey was more about them (not the chicken). 👀

Of course.

I am gonna analyze the video here and... well... I have reasons that make me feel and think strongly about it and this may be evident in this post. Sometimes I might get a little judgy, a little confrontational... just fyi.

I have this feeling now, I feel vindicated, not so much about this video being obviously once more about their journey towards coming out but instead because I am vindicated in that they WANT people to pick up on their hints and some "brightbrains" who say "don't assume blah blah blah" are actually working AGAINST what Rhett and Link are trying to achieve right now. They are making their job HARDER. I will talk about it in a minute. Let's analyze this.

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD

So they get to pick from four chickens in specific, they intentionally asked for four. My assumption is them and the wives, because obviously here we do not have just the issue of the sexuality, we also have the issue of what happens next with the marriages. It's not just a sexuality coming out, it's likely a coming out from two marriages, very well established situations, which makes it much harder overall under the public spotlights. (If someone gets hives at the implication that they will not come out together just because they get hard when they watch a Kevin Costner movie next to their beloved wives, well, it's not my problem. Perhaps stop reading at this point. What is going on is not just a label issue.)

The chicken was used as an allegory of a scared, even cowardly individual. Rhett says the initial idea was to give them names based on personalities (which strengthens the argument they were symbolizing four particular individuals) but kinda gave up on it and they named them Chloe, Lucy, Birdie and Drumstick. Chloe - short for Cloaca - is Link, she's the most eager one, Link has his mentality changed by the egg song, he is the chicken in the egg, he gives that speech for the choice of Chloe, and then of course he is the one who helps Chloe "cross" the road. Cloaca Chloe is Link.

Drumstick is the only one whose name could be perceived as derogatory (makes me suspect the name was indeed pre-selected) and Drumstick stubbornly remains last. Rhett very consciously says that apparently "Drumstick is the slowest one to pick up on what's going on". That's obviously either Jessie or Christy but I am a little confused as to who it really is because I would think the one, let's say, more innocent to start suspecting things would be Jessie but the one intentionally more unwilling to follow through with this plan would be Christy. Unless something has changed lately, I don't know. Maybe I am wrong about the "innocence" part though. I just think Christy is way more suspicious but on the other hand Jessie is very socially skilled and emotionally intelligent. So even though Christy could have been always more suspicious of Rhett and Link's relationship, in the end it may have been Jessie that picked up on the things that were really happening.

I wonder whether the shot of Drumstick hidden in the plants was a conscious choice...

Anyway, next. Eggs here is a symbolism for sex. Link confesses to Rhett he's not big on them and Rhett informs him there are so many ways to try eggs until you find the way you enjoy them. (What if this is how it all started?) But it actually has a double meaning. This is not the first time Rhett has implied Link is too vanilla and too hesitant to try new things. In GMM many times, like once he laughed "We are the most vanilla men in the world" and you can rest assured he doesn't consider himself responsible for it. Back to the video's context, this is an epiphany for Link - this realisation. He is pictured inside the egg, expressing his confusion and despair. The sequence of the song does not end happily. The egg does not crack yet and Link says how he is so confused he is on the verge of dying.

An easter egg (hehehe) is how many egg dishes Rhett is shown enjoying throughout the video. We know it, he loves sex A LOT and he loves it in as many ways as possible.

The roads where they are training the chicken are not coming out attempts, but technically the "coming out with each other". In the very first road, the chicken is very hesitant and uneager to walk. Eventually, Rhett loses patience, grabs the chicken and rushes it across the busy road, to Link's bafflement. They later both agree that this is not the way to do it, because the chicken did not enjoy the crossing. It was all too rushed and haphazard. This is perfectly aligned with what I have described before in at least two posts such as They dug a hole and PUZZLE: The recurrent Rhink storyline is not even new!!!!!!! If you know, you know. If you don't and are positively interested so far, I really think you should read them. AND I REALLY have to remind to everyone that the PUZZLE VIDEO IS FROM 2015!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS FORGET THAT, YOU VERY FEW FOLKS WHO KINDA BELIEVE ME BUT NOT QUITE. Sorry for the screaming. it's just... it's hugely important if you want to put things into perspective.

Want more argument line after line?

Rhett: Come on, Chloe. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Get it. Get it. Get it. Come on, come on, Chloe. We're running out of time Chloe! (grabs the chicken) Link: 10 seconds- what? What are you doing?! (fast road crossing) Four, three, two, one. Rhett: Ah. Ahhh, God... I'm sorry, I panicked.... (apologetically to Link) I was just going on instict. The numbers were getting low*, single digits... Link: You are a results oriented person. Rhett: Right, I mean, she got to the other side! Link: Yeah... but it did not feel... great. Let's go back to the question. Why did the chicken cross the road? What if it wasn't to get to the other side? What if it was to have a glorious crossing experience?

Now compare this to the digging and the Puzzle videos or the paragraph with the bike pedalling in TLCOBC. They are all the same exact thing, the same incident. Digging is crossing, up to this point at least. *Rhett saying digits getting low, AKA falling, compare this with the missing head puzzle piece situation in the Puzzle and the hardship of pushing the shovel in the hard ground in We dug a medium sized hole. Like I have described, Rhett was having some physical limitations the first times and Link's ground was too tightly hard. (Link has numerous times also blessed us with the information that he has a very tight asshole. Sorry. He has chosen to say this.) Plus, Link makes an argument that... for the chicken it was not about getting to the other side, like, getting this done for some reason or ticking something off a list or just because it was a way to confirm something about the chicken's identity etc, but instead he wanted this to be a glorious experience. For him and, I dare say, for the other one who was involved. So this crossing was supposed to be ultimately founded on sincere emotional reasons, according to Link.

Anyway since Link, I mean, Chloe did not enjoy that very first rushed, rapid road crossing, they decide to try again in conditions more suitable for him her. They go to a small neighborhood road, where everything is just more peaceful and intimate and slow paced. And they are just the two of them.

Uhhhh except Jason Segel shows up with his own chicken and advices them that a chicken can't be forced into it but has to take the lead. "Incidentally", Segel's chicken is Paul Rudd and Rhett and Link emphasize on the fact that Paul Rudd is his friend and co-star. Segel and Rudd have played in a few movies together but undoubtedly the reference here is this one:

Now, the movie is exclusively a bromantic comedy, however it has some themes such as that the one's fiancé feels like a third wheel and initially the friend causes strain to the couple's relationship. Also, Rudd, the shorter more brunette half of the duo is the chicken in the stroller and Segel is his tall guide who "walks him out". Just in case you needed more proof Chloe was actually Link that Rhett walks out in various modes of frenzy or calm intimacy. Ahem.

The scene changes abruptly after Segel's advice. We do not see how the second attempt unfolded once they left it to Chloe to take the initiative while crossing the road. I don't remember in which post it was (could be in the linked ones) but I wondered once why they always talk or are inspired by the first, very unfortunate time and never the second or, say, the first mutually enjoyable time. I had reasoned they probably keep this off limits, just for them. I respect this fully, although the cave-girl in my brain dies to know what an inspired metaphor from that experience would look like!

The chicken couldn't realistically cross this highway. So they had to come up with a plan - a van with a build in simulation of crossing the road. I believe this could be an allegory for the fact that the official crossing will happen through an isolated, monitored, secure environment - that of a studio. I mean, aside from the fact that it was a necessary measure for the chicken in this case. We see again Rhett doing weird-ass maths with a hint of delirium in his eye - this is consistent with his overthinking anxiety while trying to take a nap and with his overpreparing for the night in the ghost-free house and for the quest for the brown diamond. It shows how Rhett, who struggles more with the actual crossing, has assumed a position of supposedly curating the crossing experience and overfixating about it, instead of doing it.

True enough, they go on a little competition about who gets to drive the car (plan the whole thing) and who is with the chicken (comes out). Unsurprisingly, Rhett convinces Link he is the one who has to be with the chicken.

A VERY interesting moment to me was the commentary about the animal monitor from the American Humane Society. Given how much of a serious deal this is, I can't be sceptical about whether this man was indeed the animal monitor or just acting like one. However, I am having so many thoughts about how Rhett and Link decided to make use of his (non)involvement. Usually, you don't make monitors and everyone else checking what you do a part of your final project. Usually, they are edited out or somewhere in a corner since their job is not to be part of your movie but instead to ensure all your practices remain lawful, harmless and sensible. The fact that he sits next to Rhett and is depicted multiple times, always taking notes (writing comments?), albeit blurred, makes me suspect Rhett and Link (certain they wouldn't mistreat the chicken), asked him to have a tiny part in the video. They also stressed he was checking on Chloe through a monitor showing him everything, like an audience. But why make a deal out of it? They make a big deal out of his UN-responsiveness, which is a little strange, since it is not his job to be responsive but rather to be as discreet as possible. And yet, here we are, Rhett and Link have something to say about it.

Would anybody make an educated guess whether the animal monitor is used here for another metaphor? The animal monitor is the fanbase. The unresponsive, stone-faced fanbase. They did explain recently they are not getting the reaction they wished for from the fans regarding the videos. And just so you do not get confused, they did clarify they are seeing and are thankful for the positive reception from the viewers. Still, they said, it is not what they were looking for! It's not a "bravo" they are after, they are after getting their message across, they are after seeing some understanding or realisation from the fans, who insist on not understanding or not wanting to understand. That's what I have been saying for months at this point. They want you to understand and acknowledge and expect this BEFORE they speak openly about it. I am not being evil or incosiderate or delusional for discussing this here openly as a few very clever individuals have insinuated - THEY WANT THIS TO START BEING DISCUSSED. They want to minimize the shock impact this will have if they do it on their own suddenly one Monday morning on GMM. And there's MORE proof of that later.

The highway goes in two directions of five lanes each and then there is also the median. They do the first five lanes with Link holding the chicken to walk on the treadmill. Then they reach the median, what they call liminal space. They stress this a lot so I think there is significance to it. They employed Hank Green to explain this better;

Liminal space is the concept of having left one state of being, but not yet having arrived at your next stage.

And because it is stressed, I think it signifies Rhett and Link's current stage: they are in liminal space, which means they have given up on their past selves but are not still quite where they are determined to be. Quite possibly it also means Link (and perhaps Rhett) has already done half the work; in his private relationships, with family and friends. And he is now in liminal space because he is hovering between his previous life and the future one where he can't get yet as long as he is a public persona who is still obligated to cross the next half of the road; the world.

Once they reach the median Rhett helps Link turn around the equipment, in order to give Chloe the illusion she is crossing the opposite direction lanes.

Rhett: I am not doing a lot. Link: I know you are not doing a lot! Rhett: I'm trying to remain in liminal space.

If you have doubts, consider please, what is the point for Rhett saying this in the context of the chicken's crossing? Does he want to keep the car forever in the median? Does he want to stay in the median while Link and the chicken leave him with the car? Does he want to stop the project? What does it mean? Nothing. It means nothing in the text plot of the video, but it means EVERYTHING for all the things we've been saying all this year and is the reason for the occasional apparent strain between Rhett and Link. Rhett does not want to leave liminal space as much as Link. Or, rather, he wants to but he is too scared of the consequences, especially when it comes to the reaction of his father and their fanbase, which could affect their career. Rhett here confirms indeed that he'd rather keep what's happening between them a secret or only known to their closest people (the ones it affects) but Link can't suffer it anymore. Rhett complies with it for Link's sake, both out of necesity and perhaps also out of love.

They also make a huge deal out of passing the bridge to reach the other lanes and of course they are much more excited about the second half. That's what happens now. We are at that stage of crossing the second half but unlike in the video we have not reached the EXIT (out). I wonder whether there is significance in that Link opts to keep the chicken in the stroller for the second half. My assumption is that in the first half (coming out to the loved ones) it was a process that took a lot of time like with the baby steps of the chicken, with a lot of pauses in the beginning. But once they decided to leave the liminal space behind, now the developments will be much faster and consequential. Now the chicken will be running on wheels.

Meanwhile, as the job's done and Rhett and Link are cheering for their success, the animal monitor is still taking notes in pure apathy. This alone makes it very likely something's up in his case. He almost certainly stands in for the commentators of their channels, who write, write, write irrelevant stuff while so many things happen under their nose.

The video ends with another cry from Rhett and Link that people will understand it's all about them and it's not just silly meaningless content.

Yes, the journey Link has been talking about the entire year.

Y'all, this is a cry at this point. If it was just cryptic work inspired by their private lives, which however they would want to keep entirely secret, they wouldn't make such pleas to be understood. They want people to start considering it, thinking it, discussing it. They want to prepare the fans' brains before the news falls on them in the likes of a huge asteroid. Still not sure about it?

Like I said, Rhett and Link have freaked out by their failure to communicate their message. So, this time Rhett wanted to check on the situation himself, in real time. They released the video in a later time, when more people could watch and Rhett did something he almost never has done before. He was liking and replying to comments personally. He did like a lot of the positive comments... perhaps he sighed in these ones

but there were SO many which were like this one

This person got nothing from that video and the last scene and everything they have said about their scripted videos and I can sense Rhett's disbelief and sarcasm from here. Also, notice how he did not heart that comment lol

Anyway from a quick scroll through the comments, I believe there are a few which could give them a little faith but ultimately the results were still underwhelming.

Last but not least, Rhett wasn't the only one reading the comments in real time with no chill left. Link found a different way to drive the point home:

Doodling hearts over the video, above their heads, on Rhett and on the first comment, which indeed was ambiguous.

(shoutout to @mpay22 for the screenshots)

They have no chill anymore but who's to blame them... Even I have no chill anymore with all the stuff I see regarding that situation and the whole thing does not concern me one bit.............. let alone them, whose entire future and happiness depend on it.

Thanks for reading my long - occasionally intense - answer / post.

#rhink #rhett and link #randl #r&l #r&l videos #mythical #rhett mclaughlin #link neal #anon #mail #long post #tw long post