#but the story was a big part of my childhood

[daresplaining]

I'm going to need to know your FULL opinion on the erosion of Elektra Natchios in The Red Fist Saga ASAP!

OOF. Okay, here goes...

Elektra's role in the Red Fist Saga directly follows the Woman Without Fear mini-series, so I feel like I should start there, especially since I haven't really talked about it yet on this blog. Woman Without Fear was an Elektra solo comic that came out just as Devil's Reign was ending and the creative team was gearing up for the Red Fist Saga. The mini-series's purpose was to introduce big, shocking changes to Elektra's origin story. These changes didn't end up having much to do at all with the Red Fist Saga, or with anything else really, but they did functionally strip her of her agency and autonomy and made her motivations instead revolve around Matt. Now, Elektra's origin story has changed before. Frank Miller himself gave us three versions: the original, introduced in Daredevil volume 1 #168 and #190, a slight variation in Elektra: Assassin (he changed the timeline a bit and modified the character of Elektra's father), and then an entirely new, in my opinion much less interesting version in Man Without Fear-- which was not intended to be part of the 616 continuity, though that didn't stop later writers from drawing from it, including Zdarsky, who seems to have used it as a core text to inform his characterization of Elektra in general.

I know you know Elektra's original origin story, but I'll provide the general gist for anyone who might be unfamiliar: Elektra Nachios was the daughter of a rich Greek diplomat and his wife. Her mother was gunned down by assassins while pregnant, but Elektra survived. Her father, now paranoid and fearful, put Elektra in martial arts classes from a young age, while also keeping her sheltered to protect her from harm. She ended up attending college in the US, where she met Matt Murdock, another sheltered kid with a beloved but overprotective father. They fell in love, but the magic was destroyed when Elektra and her father were taken hostage by terrorists. Matt tried to be a hero, and Elektra's father ended up getting killed. Shattered by grief, Elektra left school and traveled across the world to train with Stick, who had trained her childhood martial arts teacher before casting him out (in Elektra: Assassin, the timeline is slightly different; Elektra trained with Stick before attending Columbia, though the end result is the same). Stick saw Elektra's skill, but judged that she was too emotionally compromised to complete the training and kicked her out. Elektra devised a desperate plan to prove herself to Stick: infiltrating the Hand and taking them down from the inside. She failed tragically. Turned cynical by grief and hardship, she used the skills she had picked up from all of her training as weapons to protect herself from a harsh and unforgiving world. She carved herself a life from the tragedies she had endured. She became an assassin.

Note that I mentioned Matt's name a grand total of two times in that synopsis. It's not to say that Matt isn't important to Elektra, of course he is, but he isn't that important to her origin story. The star of this beautiful tragedy is Elektra, as she should be.

Woman Without Fear introduces something new-- at least, new to the comics (more on that in a moment). It takes the Elektra: Assassin timeline and suggests that she trained with Stick when she was still a child. (It also brings in things from the Man Without Fear Elektra origin, but I don't think I'm going to get into that here because that is a whole other rant and this post is long and tangent-y enough already). It then suggests that when Stick rejected her, she still ended up with the Hand-- but not of her own will, with the intention of destroying them. No! She was successfully recruited. And once the Hand had her in their clutches, they sent her out to go after another target: Matt Murdock. In this shiny new backstory, Elektra and Matt run into each other at college not as two kindred spirits, but because Elektra was ordered to hang out with him in order to bag him for the Hand...before, oh no!, accidentally falling in love with him. To add extra insult to this character assassination, we're told in the main series that even her behavior during her father's hostage situation was intended as a test for Matt.

What this change indicates to me is a fundamental lack of understanding of Elektra's character; or worse, a lack of respect for her complexity, or a conviction that she operates at her best as a tool to further Matt's narrative.

What is possibly most baffling to me about all of this is that this change had pretty much no bearing on the Red Fist Saga. Why was it made? What was the point? The term "MCU-ification", referring to changes being made in Marvel's comics that seem aimed at aligning them more closely with the MCU, gets thrown around a lot-- possibly too much-- but this really does seem like a case where there's no other clear explanation for the change other than to shift 616 Elektra's backstory closer to that of her live action counterpart. (In the Netflix show, Elektra recruited Matt for Stick; something I, as a huge Stick and Elektra fan, actually thought was a cool What If?/alternate universe because it presented an opportunity to explore a different take on their relationship). The new backstory is mentioned a few times in the main Daredevil series, but otherwise it seems irrelevant to the plot. And that's because Elektra herself is kind of irrelevant to the plot. She seems to have three purposes in this story: 1. To serve alongside Stick as an exposition machine and provide details about the Hand/Fist/Pinky Toe/etc.; 2. To be someone Matt loves and thinks about in moments of danger and conflict (despite the fact that they have very few moments of actual emotional connection in this story, despite getting married!), and 3. As a warm body onto which Matt can project his perpetual internal musings on good and evil ("Elektra was Bad, but she is Good now. She, like all people who have done bad things, is still worthy of God's love and is capable of rehabilitation, and look! Her decision to take on the Daredevil identity is proof that she is now Good! She has become a worthy soldier of God." Man, I wish I was exaggerating.)

Elektra's appearances in Daredevil comics have always centered around Matt to some degree, simply because it is his comic. There's miles of difference between reading a DD comic with Elektra cameos and reading an Elektra solo series. But that doesn't mean it isn't frustrating to have comics like the Blackman/Del Mundo run, or the Dark Reign solo tie-in, that delve so deeply into Elektra's rich psyche, that truly do look at her worldview in a way that is complex and morally difficult and so, so compelling, and then to have comics like this where she barely even feels present because so little effort has been made to do anything other than slap some vague morality lessons onto her and make sure she and Matt sleep together every other issue.

#Daredevil vol. 7 #Woman Without Fear (2022) #Elektra Natchios #Asks #Commentary #Adventures in Continuity #Reading “Woman Without Fear” truly felt like being punched in the face. And to what end?

[roses-edge]

A big part of why I'm against transitioning kids is because I was a kid whose normal development was medicalized and treated like an illness.

When I was 12 instead of having a therapist to talk my feelings through with or even someone to help me understand my emotions, I turned to self harm and immediately I was put on a concoction of SSRIs.

It's been 10 years, and even now, I question what sort of long lasting affect these medications have on me. There are no studies or reports about children growing up on these meds. I still haven't even stopped them as I am scared of the side effects.

And even though I have mostly gotten better, all I needed was for someone to help me cope, to teach me how to work through my emotions. Every single therapist I had would threaten or straight up would put me in the mental hospital if I was "open and honest" with them about how I was feeling and so I never truly got the help I needed. Being honest in therapy was a death sentence. It meant you were punished with being put away.

So when I see posts about kids or trans adults or worried adults in general pushing for children to transition, I think about the medical system I had to deal with, and I get so angry. Children are already being pumped with psych drugs before being helped through their emotions. Imagine them going a step further and stopping biological processes and pumping them with hormones that their body will reject. Imagine all of the stories of trans kids who grow up and look back on their childhood and realise like I did that their bodies and brains are permanently changed over feelings that are a normal part of childhood development.

The whole world has a problem with how we view children. We view children as smaller adults who should just know right from wrong without guidance.

I feel like I am one generation removed from trans kids in a way. I think in the future, if we continue on this path, childhood transition, like anti-depressants, will be normalized as an acceptable part of mental health treatment for kids even younger than I was.

#gendercritical #radfem #radblr #radical feminism #terfblr #terf #gender critical #terfs interact

[hawkinsschoolcounselor]

whats your opinion on the UD being frozen as a metaphor for will's childhood and so when it's all released, he'll be free of it and therefore maybe his love for mike is still chaste and childish and that when it's all over he'll have released that love too?

with neither mike nor el or will ending up in a romantic pair at all.

That sounds rather ridiculous, in my opinion, like someone was trying to find a way to justify Will growing out of his love for Mike. If that's the case, then it's also homophobic, as it's very in line with the old standby of "it's just a phase" that gay kids had to grow up hearing.

The Upside Down being frozen in 1983 has been stated to be a significant plot point. While it may have connections to Will's feelings, since it seems to be connected to Will in general, its main purpose is in the central story.

We already know that the Upside Down does not naturally appear as the real world. When Henry was sent to what we are told was Dimension X, it was largely barren of any landmarks, looking much like a violent primordial world. The only signs of life were the small democreatures and the Mindflayer. Assuming Dimension X became the Upside Down, which seems likely since Henry, the Mindflayer, and the democreatures all are found there, then it stands to reason that it can be shaped.

The obvious source of this would be Henry. His first action when he got there was to bend the Mindflayer to his will. However, the problem with that is that he was in there for years before he had any (known) contact with the main world, apparently caused by El getting close to a demogorgon while in the Void. This causes a Gate to open, creating a physical connection between the two worlds on November 6, 1983. Will disappears into the Upside Down that night, and the dimension has appeared as a dark, twisted version of Hawkins forever stuck on that date.

The question we have is why hasn't the Upside Down changed since then? What is responsible for shaping it? If it is Henry, then why would he bother doing so? Why wouldn't he make it look more like the Hawkins he knew from before he ended up with Brenner?

The next suggestion is that Will is responsible. He wanted so badly to go home that the entire dimension shaped itself to be home. That would fit in with the idea that Will was more than just a random victim, that Henry wanted him for something. Unlike other victims of the demogorgon, Will was hunted, but not killed. We've seen enough of these beasts to know they are both mindless animals, but subject to control through the Mindflayer and, subsequently, Henry. We also know Henry can take the powers of his victims ("everything they will ever be"), so it's very possible he wanted to get this power for himself rather than let Will be food for his beasts.

The problem I see, especially with the Reddit community, is that they see Will as an artifact character. There's this idea that the writers just didn't know what to do with him after season 1, and that he's an unimportant character that they're giving side stories to in order to give him something to do. However, Will has always been important, only in a way that they've been saving for a big reveal, with only hints along the way. His love for Mike is part of his individual character arc, but it's not a weakness for him to overcome. Instead, it's being built up as his source of strength. Mike makes him feel like he's better for being different. It would be very bad storytelling to make this something he has to give up.

Will is central to the story in a way they haven't fully revealed. I'm banking on the Upside Down being stuck in time being a result of something he did, albeit unwittingly. Henry is going to want that power for himself, which is why he hasn't killed Will. I'm guessing that Henry will appeal to Will's repressed anger and resentment to recruit him in the same way he tried to recruit El (mirroring Palpatine tempting Luke in Return of the Jedi), but it's Mike and his love that will grant Will the strength to overcome this. At that point, we'll see the dark, twisted Upside Down either be destroyed, revert to its natural state, or become something beautiful as a reflection of Will's emotions.

#byler #stranger things 5 #will byers

[randomfoggytiger]

The Scully Family In-Depth (Part XVI): Crouching Cancer, Hidden Motives

The official, canonical introduction of one Bill Scully is at Maggie Scully's family dinner in Gethsemane: freshly off the plane, entertaining and prodding, tongue held (temporarily) behind his teeth. On the heels of Scully's metastasized diagnosis, he is determined to get her to open up so the family can share her remaining days, weeks, maybe months as a unit.

Scully, however, has yet to accept her death (though she pretends to do so to Mulder and herself); and, therefore, doesn't want to address let alone admit to her diagnosis.

GETHSEMANE, THE DINNER BEFORE DEATH

The scene opens on the prepared dinner table, a hired service woman leaving the room just as the camera pans over to Maggie lighting the candles herself. Maggie cannot leave someone else to serve her guests or prepare her table in her own home, hiring on (or accepting someone else’s offer to hire) a helper merely to have another hand on deck. 

It’s a quiet moment to herself, alone in the dining room; and she lowers her guard, appearing somber and contemplative as Dana’s voice floats into the room. Once finished, she follows it back to the front room where her daughter is engaged in conversation with another woman.

Scully is fondly telling a childhood story about her and Bill’s antics, recounting a moment she bested her older brother: “grabbing him by the knees, and then sending him falling backwards and tumbling over me and down the stairs.” It establishes her close relationship with Bill, despite a few rough patches in their past; and that she can (and did) always hold her own against him (which will be relevant later.)  

Maggie walks in, smiling at her; then gives a beaming, hostess grin to Scully's companion.

Scully asks after her brother with a smile-- “Speaking of Bill, is he coming?”-- right as the front door pops open and Bill arrives with a charismatic grin.

Maggie rushes over delightedly to give him a warm, welcoming hug while Scully looks over with shocked surprise that shifts into pleasant surprise. 

Maggie and Bill loudly and enthusiastically greet each other, he with more poise and she with less reserve. As they pull apart, Bill immediately looks around for his sister while Maggie’s eyes remain on his face. 

“Hello, Dana!” he greets cheerfully. 

Scully gravitates to him, happily swinging her arms over while he compliments her (“Look at you”) and scoops her into a hug. “Look at you, my big brother!”

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Bill begins, turning to their audience, “my ship was stuck in traffic.” He’s upbeat and confident in his delivery-- used to playing to crowds and secure in their reception of his overtures. 

They laugh at his little joke and the charisma and exuberance he used to help pull it off. 

Scully, too, chuckles-- an exaggerated one that points to their long history and easy rapport-- amused that he’d tried to amuse (and succeeded.)   

Bill, pleased by everyone’s response (even Dana’s), drops his entertainer’s mask and smiles genuinely. Then he immediately switches to the next important item on his list: “Did you get my birthday card?”

“Yes, I did,” Scully pokes, mild annoyance in her tone, “thanks for remembering this year.” 

Scully is unaware Maggie told him about her cancer; and knowing his awareness and her lack thereof, the birthday card becomes a twofold morbid sign: one she thinks must be orchestrated by her mom (and that is true, but in a different way) and one which is really caused by Bill’s utter conviction that she’s doomed to die, and soon.

“Once a decade,” he jokes, getting a real smile from his sister that time.  

From this short, first interaction, we can conclude a few things: 

Bill and Scully are close, in their own way. 

That closeness doesn’t mean he will send her yearly birthday cards, nor will she expect them. 

That closeness also doesn’t mean she will share her cancer diagnosis, even if it’s terminal.  

Scully doesn’t see how hurtful her reticence is to the family, viewing her cancer as hers and not wanting their pity or sympathy. Her family do pity and sympathize, but they also feel rejected, cut out, and less valued because of her distance. 

Not only did it hurt Maggie to be told as a necessity in Memento Mori, it also hurts her to shoulder the burden of her daughter’s decline and sentence of death alone. Being Maggie, she told her son, who sent a birthday card and worked a family reunion into his schedule (despite, as we later learn, having a pregnant wife back in California.) However, he-- like his mother-- is not a great secret keeper; and blabs a few scenes later when he thinks his sister’s behavior has gone out of control. 

Father McCue shows up then-- a surprise to Scully, whose face drops, watching his and her mother’s interactions with suspicion.  

His arrival prompts Bill to ask a more pointed, softened question-- “How are you feeling, Dana?”-- which she avoids immediately with a quick “I’m fine-- let’s get some dinner, huh?” 

Bill smoothly follows her lead (“Yeah, I’m starving”), happy for some normalcy but also guiding her-- with a hand on her shoulder, which Scully doesn’t flinch from or mind-- swiftly out of the room. He likely doesn’t want his very ill sister to be hungry a moment longer than necessary. But he lets his hand drop the second Scully turns to spare a last glance at Maggie, not overstaying his welcome if she chooses to break contact with him.  

It’s very telling of their dynamic: warm and touchy, close with odd periods of little communication, comfort and consideration in and of each other’s spaces, backing away when the other won’t open up emotionally (for now.) 

Maggie is still chatting with Father McCue; and Scully pivots back around, disturbed by the obvious setup on her mother’s part. 

FATHER TAKES HIS MCCUE FROM MAGGIE

Maggie continues hosting during the meal-- pouring for her guests-- while Bill continues entertaining-- making the room laugh with a funny anecdote. Scully, loosened up fully, laughs heartily along with the group. 

An interesting note: Bill looks at everyone’s faces to gauge their level of interest. It’s a consistent pattern of behavior: he’s very clued into others’ reactions to himself and his presentation. A presentable appearance, pleasing manners, and correct behavior seem to be ingrained by Captain Scully (and Maggie, perhaps) into both his duty-minded children. 

Seeing his mother amused but still hard at work, he offers to help her out, despite coming freshly from the plane or the airport or his motel for the party.  

After he leaves, Scully sits quietly, fondly reviewing the past few minutes, a pleasant memory, or an adjacent, family-related thought. 

When Father McCue slides in after he leaves, she’s taken a bit off guard-- feeling awkward only after he tries to reassure “I feel awkward sitting here, I’m sure you do, too.”

“No, I’m sorry,” she begins; but Father McCue rushes on.

“I’ve known your family for so many years… your mother asked me to come.”

Scully is not pleased at this confirmation, looking over at Maggie.  

This is what Scully didn’t want, and why she put off telling her mother as long as possible: not because her mother is second or last place on her priority as Maggie assumes (post here) but because the more people “in the know”, the more outsourcing or advice or opinions she will receive on her choices or preferences. 

She stares at her mother, then looks down-- a silent but understood sign of her disappointment. 

Maggie’s face falls, knowing Dana all too well; and turns back to busywork with a smile, equally guilty and resolute. She doesn’t want to make her daughter’s life harder, seeing Father McCue’s encouragement as a medicine for the soul; but she took a gamble and lost this round.

Scully turns down Father McCue’s “important, and essential” offer to guide her back to the faith: “Father McCue, I appreciate my mother’s concern... and yours. But I’m being treated for my cancer--” Scully doesn’t mince words, knowing Maggie must have spilled the beans to some degree, “-- and I’m taking every precaution.”

It’s incredibly important to note that Scully said “But I’m being treated for my cancer”, not “the doctors have done their best, and I’m prepared to go on my terms”-- because Bill diagnoses her correctly in a later scene: Scully does believe she can cure herself. Deep down, she hasn’t given up yet, as much as she tries to talk herself (and Mulder) into accepting her “fate”; and it’s why she rushes about in Redux to manufacture proof (hope) and suffer a breakdown after her resignation crumbles in Redux II (hopelessness.) 

Father McCue pushes once more, arguing for her return to religion and to God. “Faith can make you stronger.”

Pursing her lips-- annoyed that her boundaries are still being pushed, yet understanding it’s coming from a place of deep concern-- she gently explains. “I haven’t felt a need, um….” Scully pauses to check the crack in her voice. “I have strength. And--”

A phone goes off in the kitchen-- Mulder-- that Bill answers before slowly making his way to tell Scully.

In the meantime, she continues: “ And I’m not going to come running back now. It’s just not who I am-- I’d be lying to myself and to you.”

A LOT IS ON THE LINE

“Dana?” Bill cuts in.   

Bill displays the first signs of distemper that haunt his steps the rest of the series: his face is thoroughly unimpressed, his gestures are clipped, and his voice is short-- meaning, he knows who is on the line, and is not happy about it. 

How much does Bill know about Fox Mulder? Enough to know he’s Dana’s work partner; and that work should not intrude during Scully family hours. 

It’s unlikely he knows a lot about Mulder-- in fact, his knowledge seems very recent, referring to him as “this guy Mulder” in a later scene. Bill begins to piece together the bigger picture when Dana adamantly stands by her decision to get “knocked down at work”, transitioning his questions from her job priorities to her personal loyalties. And as we will learn, Bill doesn’t think Mulder returns that loyalty to Scully-- in fact, he thinks Mulder considers Scully as part of “the job”, (politely) warning him against whatever work project he believes Mulder is bringing to her deathbed in Redux II… then pulling out a tactical strike when he believes Mulder refuses to take the hint. 

Scully is stressed to have to end her conversation with Father McCue so abruptly, awkwardly giving her excuses to the priest before trailing into the kitchen. 

Bill remains in the doorway, waiting for her to join before handing over the phone and ducking back to the counter-- very well-trained, proper behavior. 

“Hey, Scully, it’s me-- sorry to interrupt your dinner,” Mulder says over the line, not sorry at all. 

“No, uh, is something the matter?”

As her partner explains his hot new tip he wants her to come over, now, to investigate, her brother glowers from the counter, contempt pouring from his eyes. Mr. Mulder has already made a bad impression on Bill, it would seem. Moreover, what he’s heard from Maggie-- or what he’s assumed from what Maggie’s told him-- has taken a distrustful shape based on their brief exchange over the phone. One can only assume what little was said-- and how. 

“When?” Scully asks; and at Mulder’s “Right away” she looks over at Bill, unsure how to tell him she’s about to leave. 

He doesn’t need her excuses: Bill knows these types of calls-- has probably had dozens over the course of his career-- and already seems to think Dana will leave before she’s answered yes or no. Meaning, Scully now has a reputation in her family (even in their absence) of putting work as her first priority. And who would pass that impression around? The woman recently put second to chasing a lead-- the Scully matriarch. 

Still, he doesn’t say a word, walking out disapprovingly-- yet without bothering to cajole or talk her out of her decision. 

Scully flinches as he passes: disapproval in any form is still hard for her to handle, coming from her late father, her angry mother, and now her disappointed brother. It’s not outright rejection; but the two are easy for her to conflate. She sighs, then packs her vulnerabilities away and tells Mulder “I’m on my way.” 

A hurried escape into work, it is. 

CONCLUSION

We have only a familial glance at the returned Bill Scully, Jr.: one who is actively engaged with his family, his mother's guests, and even his sister. He anticipates Dana's actions, responses, and their unspoken meanings with uncanny correctness-- an attribute that will come into play pivotally in their next scene.

Moreover, the Scully family seem close despite the distance; the truth, however, is buried between the layers of half-truths and secrets they keep from one another: Scully's declining health, Maggie' motives, and Bill's knowledge.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

#txf #The Scully Family In-Depth #In-Depth #xf meta #Crouching Cancer Hidden Motives #meta #mine #Scully #Bill Scully Jr. #Maggie Scully #Mulder #Father McCue #xfiles #x-files #the x files

[urne-buriall]

sotw is so close to my heart and i admire you and your writing so much. the snippets you posted are so good and it’s so interesting to think about what could’ve been! something that is so interesting to me in the fic is sam and dean’s relationship. i wonder every time i read sotw what the future holds for their relationship?

this is a feast of a question. I'll tell you what I know:

there's just over a week between when Sam leaves and when he's set to start school. just before he's due to go back (and just after Dean rescues Zeppelin), he gets a call from Dean. at first he assumes Dean is calling to make amends for John and try to woo him back home one day, same old story. but Dean says he's broken from John, intends to become Sam's guardian, and also he's gay and dating Cas. honestly all the John stuff is more real and relevant to Sam in that moment. the gay thing is a surprise but Dean's pretty much like, "if you have questions just talk to Charlie, she knows" and I think Sam is pretty much in the best environment in that regard

the first time Sam comes home is, logically, Christmas. Dean and Cas just got the new farmhouse in November. part of Sam wanted to stay at school, because it feels weird going "home" out of tradition or comfort when this isn't your childhood home and everything's changed and he doesn't know what he feels. I also happen to know that Cas is the one to pick him up at the airport, unexpected because Dean got called away last minute with something unavoidable. and it's kind of good because Sam gets to ask and find out for himself that Cas doesn't think of Sam as encroaching on their space. that it was part of the conversation from day 1 that this was Sam's home too

and you know. YOU KNOW how excited Dean is to show all this stuff to Sam! the lights he put up, and a tree, and he's made a WHOLE BUNCH of food. like, it's a modest house that needs a lot of work and he and Cas are just scraping by, but he's made sure Sam's room is nice and there are presents for him and I think for the first time, Sam actually sees that Dean wants his approval. and when he finds out Dean is actually making plans to leave town and visit Sam in California for his birthday, he's surprised by Dean and understands just how much he's grown and changed without John around

they also have a conversation about John. to put it to rest. obviously Dean hates that but Sam insists he doesn't want to be kept out of it, that he was always affected by it to even if he wasn't allowed to be made part of it and understand what was going on. he wasn't actually left out of it, ever, and I think when Dean gives in and agrees to talk about it just this once, he realises how deep it went. and how Sam didn't even always have the connections that Dean had to other people in town, and that there were reasons Sam felt isolated. and Sam would ask the big question, does he think John's dead? (Dean doesn't know.) does Dean want him to be dead? (Dean never wants to see him again. but it doesn't comfort him to think of John dead rotting in a ditch.) (Sam, like the rest of us, doesn't seem bothered by this prospect.)

and, of course, a word about Dean and Cas. that first night Sam is home you just know Dean won't fall asleep and is whispering to Cas all the things like: "do you think he's doing good? he seems good"; "do you think he likes the place? maybe I should repaint his room"; and "is he okay with us, though? for real?" and on this Cas is able to assure him that on that drive from the airport, the only question Sam really asked was if Dean was finally happy

(he is)

#ask #spirit of the west #thank you for the kind words!

[tamblerdraws]

I drew this during Matpat’s last episode

I’m not crying you’re crying

(Also at the end the multiple endings thing was awesome & really funny)

#game theory #matpat #In all seriousness though Matpat was a really big part of my childhood #I used to binge watch the fnaf theory videos back when I was super into fnaf #actually I think those videos are why I was super into fnaf for so long and why I still like keep up with it #and also because of his videos I've started to look for hidden stories and lore in different media I consume #like I remember theorizing about the fnaf movie while watching it in the theater lol #I'm gonna miss Matpat #but I hope he has a good retirement #and I can't wait to see the new stuff he mentioned about other channels #apparently there was something about Random Encounters fnaf musical #I dunno if he was bringing that up as something he's done or they're remaking it #but it was during the part where he was talking about the new stuff #so I'm gonna look into it now

[whatmoredoyouwangfromme]

I’m starting a petition to have more Eldritch/badass lizzie in fics

She’s been called the shadow queen. Make her able to steal shadows

she was the queen of the fae. She has many names and only a few are hers

she was the ocean queen. Make her tall.

she’s the mayor of animals. Make her respected by all forms of life. The god of the sky feared and respected her (never forget Joel’s pathetic “ok”)

she was the holder of the time traveling walrus hat of peace, give her time powers.

#ldshadowlady #lizzie ldshadowlady #Empires smp #last life smp #the fairy fort #Fairy fort alliance #empires smp season 2 #empires lizzie #guys. #Guys pls #we can call her Shadow Queen!Lizzie #Pls #I need this #The amount of stories I can find focused on her is abysmal. #She was such a big part of my childhood #pls

[depresseddepot]

finally FINALLY finished watching the legend of korra. it only took me LITERALLY ten years

#tbh lok doesn't make me feel the same way atla does but that isn't necessarily a bad thing #i wish there was more focus on martial arts and history but i understand why there wasn't #history and tradition was EXTREMELY important to aang in ways that it was NOT to korra #i also wish we had seen more silly things about korras childhood but again they were telling a different story so i understand why not #they introduced a lot of new things w this one and i think pro bending was my favorite #cause it was one of the few things that WAS focused on martial arts it was just focused on like. boxing and mma #which is REALLLY fucking cool to see #i have critiques about mako's character but watching him fight was always so much fun because he is straight up mma fighting #for that to be depicted in a show that focused heavily on traditional martial art is so cool to me idk #bolin did it too but earthbending didn't lend itself quite so visually for the same effect #i also ALSO wish the stuff with amon had lasted longer than one season #a big part of atla is that aang is working the whole show to defeat ONE enemy #it felt like there was a new big bad each season #if they went amon -> the red lotus -> the earth empire -> unalaq in terms of season progression #i feel like the stakes would've been paced better yknow??? like the fight against vatuu should've been a Big Fucking Thing #what do i know tho lol #anyway im very excited for the upcoming movie and also the next avatar series #apparently the movie was set to release in 2025 and the series after that but. we'll see

[alphacrone]

my favorite thing about my father is that despite having multiple possibly paranormal encounters in his life he absolutely refuses to believe in any of it. the man got BORED looking at a flying saucer. I love and hate him in equal measure.

#that last part is a joke I don’t hate my father he’s my pal #but the way his mind works is a mystery to me #ok to rb #paranormal tag #ufo tag #he has a good ghost story from his childhood too #but that can be chalked up to sleep paralysis probably #the flying saucer one tho he was awake sober and there was another witness so #there was also a military base nearby so the skepticism is warranted #but still #he mocks my interest in ghosts but is more open to aliens/inter dimensional beings #he fucking loves mothman #I don’t think he believes in mothman but he’s a big fan #between whatever he has going on and my mothers love for ghosts and cemeteries idk why he’s surprised by my interests

[peppermint-moss]

how did you discover the series warrior cats?

stumbled across it when i was in elementary school at the public library; i actually found n read Greystripe's "Warrior's Return" manga first and then went onto Starlight i think? Super out of order lol but for whatever reason I kept reading till i got through all of em

also i remember as a kid misreading greystripe as Grapestripe and I'll still sometimes call him that in my head fjsdklgh

#anon #ask #ppmpost #wc #warrior cats #there are many issues with the series unfortunately #but they were such a big part of my childhood cause i would re read them a LOT and now for better or worse they're like a comfort read #just cause the story n characters are v familiar cause ive read them a hundred times lol #OH and i also got my hands on the like TWO audiobooks that i still LOVE ; Twilight and Sunset narrated by #Nanette Savard (had to google it lol) and i LOVED listening to them i like fell asleep to them almost every night as a kid LOL #they did great voices agh so good

[litlecreacher]

imo middle grade horror is scarier as an adult not (just) because it involves a lot of child endangerment but because you have a more grounded understanding of just how much the adults in the kids’ lives are failing to help (regardless of their intention/investment)

like, reading a spooky story as a kid and recognizing how scary the world can be and how misunderstood you feel is one thing. reading it as an adult and seeing yourself in the other adults in the story failing to help or even actively perpetuating harm unlocks whole new layers of existential terror

#creature.txt #im listening to the audiobook for kenneth oppel's The Nest #and while the Actual Horror parts are certainly unnerving #the parts that had me lying awake last night were the scenes with the main character's well-meaning parents #who are trying their best and how their best is still failing their child and his needs #and of course there's like. way out-of-anyones-control supernatural shit going on #but what is a child with a mental illness but a haunted child #((the personal thing that hurts with this story is deeply relating to the mc's childhood anxiety and nightmares #and realizing how little any adult in my life helped me as a kid #like the scene where he tells his parents about his nightmares and they take him to a therapist #had me spiraling a little bit cuz i realized as a kid when i tried to tell my parents about my nightmares #i got told it's cuz i wasn't believing in god enough and was told to read whatever book in the bible #and if my nightmares started being about any specific thing (a book. a movie. a tv show) then it got banned #so seeing this kid have An Issue and his parents reacting like normal decent people really threw me through a loop lmao #such is growing up in a religious household i guess lmao)) #anyways #book good big recommend so far

[lesbianwords]

i’m gonna be ambitious and try nanowrimo again this year!! i wanted to do it last year but i gave up pretty quick, i’ll try to take it seriously this time lmao

i’ll be working on “queen’s echo” (i’ve actually just been calling it “echo” recently) which used to be a lighthearted fantasy romance but has now become darker and horror-ish? idk if it’ll be that scary and i’m not really committed to the genre yet but there will be some horror elements i think. i want to just write it out and see what happens! basically the previous idea was like fun celebrity wedding planning shenanigans in a hotel that’s possessed (in a fun quirky way) but now the wedding happens in the beginning and the bride and groom die bc the spirit possessing the hotel actually possesses one of them and kills the other that way. so yea. the main cast of characters (who all work at the hotel) is pretty much the same the plot is just more unhinged

#there's more to it than that but i'm too lazy to try to describe it properly rn lmao #the characters will be a bit different too but technically the same! my mc just got some violent urges. as a treat #i started this wip in december of last year #so this is like the longest i've ever gotten myself to stick w a project #so when my previous plot idea just wasn't going anywhere (like i couldn't figure out what would actually happen) i decided to rethink #the whole thing without giving up on the wip itself #i also took out some worldbuilding stuff that was tripping me up and now it feels like it's easier to get somewhere w it #im worried that once i start drafting i'll lose steam again but i'll try to push through #my on the job training also happens to be during nanowrimo so i'll be working 6hrs a day + doing lesson plans and essays and stuff #(i'm studying early childhood education) #but i'm gonna try my very best to write a little bit every day #i've tried to help myself by outlining a bit for once but the outline's not done so we'll see #also im struggling bc a big part of the plot is figuring out stuff that happened in the past which is something i dont enjoy reading #that much? like obviously it depends but i do tend to avoid it. and it feels weird to write smth like that when i dont prefer to read it lol #but thats how im doing it for now! the story will obviously keep changing so i shouldnt get stuck on details rn #also will i ever rewrite the mess of a middle grade fantasy draft i wrote in nanowrimo 2020? we shall see #vee.txt

[doodles-and-stars]

so i think we all know about disney+ and it’s dismal and completely fucked up pride section, but apparently disney also “curated” a pride playlist for apple music - and ohhhh boy is it bad. as in, “they put a link to their ‘rainbow disney collection’ in the description” bad:

half of it is just covers of songs they already have in there. they had the fucking audacity to put “don’t stop me now” by queen - yes, the original, by queer, bisexual, legend freddy mercury - on their rainbow capitalist playlist and change nothing except slap “revisited” and a soundtrack cover on it. not to mention “this crazy thing called love” which they did not change a single thing about. and halfway through they just started shoving random songs into it:

those are not pride songs! that is party in the usa! granted, i haven’t listened to most of them in this screenshot, but

i have listened to almost all of these and there is not a single way to justify “when will my life begin” being on there.

so in conclusion, screw disney and their horrible attempts at trying to be an ally.

#i hate it because i love amphibia and gf and toh #and their movies were such big parts of my childhood #and as a queer person it just feels like such a betrayal because as a little kid i loved this company and what they made #but then all of the sudden i heard stories about them censoring these things and trying to profit off of us. #not art #disney #screw disney #pride month #i don’t know what else to tag this #oh also the songs playing at the bottom are from my own playlist #i was listening to music while i wrote the rant

[spitxlfields]

I am going to blame how I’m feeling on the fact that I got my first dose of the smallpox/monkeypox vaccine yesterday and then slept for 13 hours.

Regardless, I’ll be around since I need to get some computer stuff done anyway.

#That's No Moon! (ooc) #Mun: Graves (singular) #all i'm saying is that if/when monkeypox does become a big thing because *gestures broadly* #it's gonna be the gays and the boomers absolutely thriving and i think that's poetic or something #(i don't remember what year the cutoff is but people born before then in the US defacto got the smallpox vaccine #as part of the childhood series. i know my parents were like 2 when the polio vaccine was FDA okayed and I'm pretty sure they had #the smallpox vac. and like people in other countries depending on if the disease stayed endemic #like i have a friend from Libya who is around my age who got the jab. which reminds me of a funny story. anyway) #i'm very very very very lucky to live in a major city where both of our local queer clinics have been hardcore pushing testing and the vax #by the by i actually don't feel as bad as i thought i would. the water blister absorbed super quick #and all it looks like is like i have a big bug bite #i just took too many edibles last night whoops #and it was a really long week in the morgue ive needed a rest. a break. as a treat. #but i am medicated hydrated fed and changed clothes so i'm doing pretty solid regardless

[ieirism]

intertwined. | preview

pairing: gojo satoru x f!reader

setting: omegaverse!au, university!au

genre: angst, smut, some fluff

contains: yandere, estranged childhood friends to enemies to lovers, mentions of self-identity issues, dubious consent, obsessive behavior, loss of virginity, mutual(ish) pining, gojo is bad at expressing his feelings so he’s kinda a jerk, lovesick!gojo

summary: you just want to lose your virginity, no strings attached. how could you have known that gojo satoru is in love with you?

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

release date: tbd | ask for taglist if interested

-

“I want you to take my virginity.”

Satoru’s cocky grin wipes clean off his face. His stare goes blank and his jaw drops open comically wide. For the first time in the twenty-one years you’ve known him, Gojo Satoru is at a loss for words.

“We never have to talk again afterwards,” you add quickly, your cheeks starting to heat up in embarrassment. “This is just gonna be a one-time thing.”

Satoru is silent, expression tense as he observes you carefully. His crystal blue eyes seem to darken a few shades as he takes your hand in his. His thumb strokes once, slowly over the back of your knuckles.

“Just a one-time thing,” he repeats languidly, lips stretching into a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

Perhaps if you weren’t so focused on the rapid, frantic beating of your own heart, you would’ve noticed Satoru’s gaze wander—only to lock right on the clear patch stubbornly covering your neck’s scent gland. You would’ve seen the way his pupils dilate and his tongue swipes over his lips, with hunger written all over his face.

“Well then,” he all but rasps out, voice thick with desire. Without warning, he pulls your body against his with ease, trapping you in the warmth of his arms. Satoru rests his forehead against yours, letting out a groan that is too soft, too vulnerable, too intimate.

He’s so big, you realize. You can hardly believe that you once stood a whole head taller than him. Satoru towers over you, his lean frame completely dwarfing you. His large hands squeeze at your waist as he presses a barely-there, tender peck to your forehead.

You feel like you can’t breathe.

“I hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into, sweetheart.”

You’ve heard stories about what he’s like in bed; it’s inevitable that as the most desired alpha on campus, he’s gotten around. You don’t expect tenderness or care; if you did, Gojo Satoru is the dead last person to approach. You’re waiting for him to start man-handling you, tearing your clothes off, chasing after the carnal pleasure that only sex can bring. You’ve prepared yourself for that.

Instead, Satoru cups your pretty face between his large hands, running his thumb along your cheekbone. His blue eyes are a swirling pool of emotions, burning with not only lust but something deeper. “Been waitin’ so long for this.” His hushed whisper falls on deaf ears as he leans in to kiss you.

You let out a surprised squeak as his lips press against yours; this isn’t how things are supposed to go. You’re not here to play romance with Satoru—yet, the slow gentle kisses he’s giving you and the gentleness with which he’s holding you are cutting it too close.

“W-Wait,” you gasp out, pulling away to catch your breath. Satoru is panting too, cheeks flushed pink as he stares at you like a man dying of thirst discovering an oasis. His hand trails down your side to rest on your waist, pulling himself forward so he can drop his head against your shoulder. “What are y—“ your words die in your throat as you feel his nose nudge against the most vulnerable part of you.

“You smell so fuckin’ good…” His groan against your neck reverberates through your entire body, shaking you to your very core. Your internal alarm flares to life, blaring loudly in warning. You can’t even pay much attention to that, though, not when—

“Y-You do, too…” The words leave you before you can even process them. You knees feel like jelly as his scent washes over you, deep, musky and addicting. Satoru stiffens against you, huffing out a short breath of frustration.

“You’re gonna kill me.” You feel it. You feel his teeth scrape against the spot your mating bond would be. Satoru knows just as well as you do that you don’t have one, and that if you had things your way, that would never change. He teases the edge of the bandage covering your scent gland, rolling it between his teeth. Your fingers curl into his shirt, tugging nervously.

“N-Not there,” you protest, stumbling over your words in panic. Satoru pauses, and for three very long seconds, neither of you move. The only thing you can hear the is the pounding of your own heartbeat, his shallow pants against your neck, and the hum of the air conditioning.

He’s close, too close—you’re terrified of what he’s capable of, only because you don’t know if you can count on your own willpower to stop him. You’re slowly going limp in his arms, becoming nothing but putty in between his fingers—you’ve never felt so weak.

You hate how he makes you feel. You’ve always hated how he makes you feel. Weak. The world has always told you that you are. You’re nothing but a little omega whose only fate is to be a strong alpha’s obedient mate. You’ve fought back, resisted, protested—yet, Gojo Satoru has always managed to put you right back in your place.

This time is no different. Once again, you find yourself at his mercy. Your stomach boils with bitterness, with anger, with hatred… with longing.

Too slowly, he pulls away from your neck, only to lock eyes with you. “Right.” Satoru’s lips quirk into a crooked grin. “This is just a one-time thing, huh?”

You recognize that smile.

It’s the one that Satoru gave when he broke his mama’s favorite vase and blamed the cat. It’s the one that Satoru gave when he stole a candy bar from the store and got caught by the cashier. It’s the one that Satoru gave when he claimed you were no more than a stranger and left you to fend for yourself through high school.

He’s lying.

Far too late, you realize you’d made a big mistake.

-

author’s note: i can’t even lie this little word vomit was just a way to get some gojo thirst off my chest. i’m not even sure if i’ll ever get around to writing a full fic because i’ve been planning this in my head for weeks and there’s so much i want to include. yet i have too little time because of uni :(

if you are interested in being part of a taglist just in case i ever actually get around to writing the full fic, just let me know in the replies.

thank you for reading this far :)

#gojo x reader #gojo satoru #gojo satoru x reader #satoru gojo x reader #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen x reader #yandere #yandere x reader #yandere gojo #yandere gojo x reader #gojo x you #gojo x y/n #gojo smut #jjk x reader #yandere jjk

[basil-the-hopeful]

Just when I get a solid idea of CM Punk, something else comes out that wrecks that😭

#My solid opinion in general #A big part of my childhood I still hold as a big reason I stayed/ got back into wrestling #But changed along with me #Whether that's good or bad #That's a whole other story