#first love to tragedy ACK-

[turnedinto-themoon]

Couples who are just the absolute most tragic thing you’ve ever read>>>

#romeo and Juliet is one of my most favorite stories ever #newest obsessions are akiangel and rhaenicent #or however you spell it #Rhaenyra and alicent AHJDKWKX #they hit different im sorry #asheiji and Erwin/Levi will always hold such a special place in my heart #also yumihisu #ajdjkwkdow #‘I’ll die without regrets. or atleast… that’s what I’d like to say.’ #YES I HAVE THE WHOLE LETTER MEMORIZED #also how could I ever forget eremika #</3 #eren you idiot you fumbled the bag so hard #Jean and Marco tho??? #first love to tragedy ACK- #actually maybe I just have issues #hm… #maybe I feel I’m incapable of love of being love so I fixate on tragic fictional couples #… anyways #SATOSUGU #how could I forget #‘my six eyes tell me you’re suguru geto… but my soul knows otherwise #AXKSKWKID #hurt

[qqueenofhades]

i'm going feral about queer icon hob gadling thank you very much. I JUST CAN'T WITH HIM. i cry because in the comic in the 1989 panel there's a person at the inn talking about how "of course AIDS isn't a punishment from god." hob has to sit there and hear that and just. JUST. hob being visible! hob being vulnerable in his love! hob surviving all his friends. hob buying the fucking pub with the power of his queer money!!! committing the crime of graffiti to SPRAYPAINT A SIGN FOR HIS LOVE TO FIND

It is... probably because I am a queer historian and that is why I imprinted on Hob in the first place, but uh, yes, I have many feelings about this too, and the subtle way in which queer places and spaces work both in the show and in the Dreamling story specifically. Obviously there are many queer characters in Sandman (and we love it for that), but the White Horse, and then the New Inn, is one of the few physical locations I can think of that is a literal embodiment of queer devotion. Hob buys the old pub and builds the new one so Morpheus, if he does ever come back, can find him! He appropriated the spot where they met the first time, where their relationship was built over centuries, and he both saves the old one and builds a NEW one (new step in their relationship etc etc). And physically paints giant signs because his immortal boyfriend is very stupid! He makes it visible and explicit, he builds his devotion into every fiber of that pub, he does it especially so Dream can still come back and find him if he chooses, he waits patiently, and like... the New Inn is absolutely brimming with queer adoration, and ack.

Also, there was that tantalizing tidbit about the real, historical White Horse pub that the Sandman version was based on, being best known for being run by two women in the 18th century who called themselves "Mr. and Mrs. How." Granted, I found that in the IMDB trivia section and if I was writing an actual paper on it, I'd have to do a heck of a lot more research. However, happily, I am NOT writing a paper, and I say it's real because it feels right. In that case, the White Horse itself is embodied as a queer establishment, a place previously run by married lesbians in Hella Gay 18th-century London, and adds another layer to that being the place where Hob and Dream meet every century to conduct their careful, tentative, tender, unspoken romance.

But then! Tragedy! The pub has been bought and will be shut down, and with it, the physical and literal heart of Hob’s relationship with his "stranger!" As I wrote in my meta about the 1989 scene, everything is so careful, so subtextual, so unspoken, whether it is Hob saying he has been stood up and the bartender deliberately not assuming it was by a woman and offering oblique reassurance that Hob is safe here, as a queer man in violently homophobic 1989. So of course Hob can't stand to think of it going away, and has to save it both for himself and as a queer-friendly establishment! So he takes his queer money, as you say, and does something about it! Maybe bad people get to do whatever in this country with that money too, but so does Hob, and he can claw back a little of the place that has always most belonged to him (and him with Dream).

Hence the New Inn, where Hob absolutely hung Pride flags in the '90s long before it was cool or popularly accepted to do so, was able to use his status both as owner of the establishment and Queer Who Can Kick Your Ass to deal with anyone who had a problem with it, and otherwise keep it ready for the day when his love might get to show up again. It's beautiful! It's visible! It's symbolic! And then when Dream does walk in and make their relationship "visible," i.e. apologising and calling Hob his friend, they get to sit down together in that space that Hob has created and kept as an altar of queer devotion both private and public, they smile at each other adoringly, and then what scene/setting do we cut straight to??

THE GIANT BEATING HEART OF THE THRESHOLD OF DESIRE. FROM ONE BEATING HEART OF DESIRE MADE VISIBLE DIRECTLY TO THE OTHER.

They were insane for this, truly. Insane.

#wordsinhaled #ask #hob gadling #dreamling #hopefully this made sense #i have uh. many feelings. #and now i need to lie down

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Man's Fallibility & Immortality

I found a practically perfect song, by my interpretation, to add to my Rise to Fall playlist. (I haven't cleaned up/updated the playlist fully, so I'm not posting the whole thing yet, but I think this particular song warrants its own post.)

First, listen to the song: Nothing's New - Rio Romeo

Then, what follows below is something of a tragedy-analysis, abstract, meta-thing/omniscient prose narration experiment. I don't know what it is—an outpouring of thoughts. It may strike a similar chord as my narration at the end of Simony and its epilogue.

(Simony was a prediction fic I wrote before the publication of Fall. An extremely erroneous one though. I still think it could work, but oh, how wrong I was.

The direction Soman took the plot in, just, it was unpredictable, even if I did enjoy the book. I still like Rise better than Fall though, of the duology. If Rise had just ended at the point of: Vulcan is dead, Rafal tortures his students, and the brothers gradually learn to trust each other again, that would've been nice and comforting, honestly. But no, substitutes, substitutes, substitutes! On both sides. Drives me insane. Ack! But, I have four, short fics planned that have alternate endings to Rise and to Fall, to make up for it. Well, one of them is so far a little longer, three chapters long.)

If anyone wants me to analyze the actual lyrics more closely, I'm willing to do that too!

⸻

The tales.

They are all the same.

Good winning, Evil winning.

What difference does it make after centuries, really?

Everything probably feels numb and empty after a certain point.

Like nothing matters anymore.

Undiluted apathy after that certain point.

When? I've lost track.

When losses and victories all ring hollow, and all sound the same.

The End.

That's all It wrote.

The sum of lives distilled down to ink and illustrations.

Nothing beyond that. No life, no spark.

What more is there? When nothing will ever satisfy the restless souls, not even an Ending all to themselves.

Just pages that will yellow with time even if the stories themselves are timeless because nothing changes.

Nothing ever changes.

There's no evolution.

Every tale is the same.

It becomes nothing after nothing, not victory after victory, when you're ageless like we are.

And how, if that's how it is?

Why bother?

Why bother at all?

It's a cycle that continues, with or without the brothers.

Ceaseless.

So, why should it matter?

It's the same with or without them.

Their position was always ceremonial.

After a while, anyone becomes tiring. Anyone.

And one person just isn't enough, when you have no one else.

No one else to shield you.

It gets old. The love just... fades, and wears out.

Perhaps, human love can only span for so long, and that's why humans are mortal.

Made mortal, and no one should traverse beyond that.

It always leads to hubris, and then, a fall.

An unnatural fear of death trained into them, when limits were never set, when power was never checked, when they expected to have all the time in the world.

Nothing is built to last. At least, not by the Storian.

It does whatever it pleases.

You can't extend a life past its time.

It will always end in ruin. Isn't that the lesson the storybooks teach?

A cautionary tale.

Again and again, the cycle continues.

Every failed holy-grail of immortality, every spilled cup drawn from the fountain of youth, every cursed head of lettuce, every white snake, every chalice of sleeping draught that led to execution after execution, every baptism that succumbed to primordial wickedness, every impoverished fisherman's hovel?

Why not a tale about two brothers?

One where two are felled.

To caution against mortal greed that even immortality can't peel away.

To caution against always wanting more until you're left with nothing.

Nothing at all.

Just like how you can't truly resurrect anyone as who they once were, you can't revive the soul that a person once was.

And you can't play at being God because it defies the rules of nature.

And all that we know about transience and permanence and how ephemeral everything else is.

Everything but Man, who vies to leave a legacy wherever he goes, at any price, even at the cost of his soul, not life.

⸻

Now, I do wonder if I made anyone emotional? I certainly tried this time around, to be a provocateur like Soman is. Tell me what you think, if you want.

#school for good and evil #rise of the school for good and evil #fall of the school for good and evil #rafal #rafal mistral #rhian #rhian mistral #the storian #sge #sfgae #the school for good and evil #tsfgae #rotsge #rotsfgae #fotsge #fotsfgae #my post #my fics #my writing #my analysis #creation theory #artificial life #man vs. pen

[lewis-winters]

my love if you are still taking requests could i pls have some hcs on K Company (Sledge, Snafu, Burgin, Leyden, De L'Eau, Ack Ack and Hillbilly) and how they would survive a slasher movie (particularly Scream franchise if you have seen it?) absolutely no pressure if u dont feel inspired or interested in writing this ! x thank uu

I've only seen the first one, tbh, so I'm not as well versed with the whole franchise, but I've seen my fair share of slasher movies, so I think I'll give this a go! But I'll be operating on the idea that they're in a slasher film together, so unfortunately, not all of them are going to survive. Sorry! It might not be exactly what you asked for!

1) Andrew Haldane and Eddie Jones - Oh no they don't make it. In fact, they're the dead girls who haunt the narrative. Particularly Andy. But Eddie, too, because Andy would not be dead if Eddie had not died first. They were each other's greatest happiness, and inevitable doom. Their romance is the tragedy, and sets the stage for all the shit that's about to go down next.

2) Bill Leyden - practical, smart, pragmatic, you'd think he'd survive, but he's too skeptical, you know? But he's too logical. Almost to a fault. At first, he wields it as his own weapon against the fear, but slowly it morphs from weapon to shield. Then slowly, from shield to outright denial, and as the tension rises and rises, he struggles to keep from breaking until, finally, he crumbles beneath it. Not completely, but just enough to give their killer an in. He's not surviving the night, unfortunately.

3) Jay De L'eau - he is though! Jay's surviving! out of pure dumb luck! He's so quiet, so small and so unassuming, that the killer will forget about him until it is too late. He's the last minute save you wouldn't expect, the car that comes crashing against your slasher, sending him several feet away and far enough to buy everybody else some time, or the shadow that brings something heavy down upon the slasher's head, enough to knock him out and pull everybody else to their feet, crying 'Run!'. He's the guy they find at the end, maybe in the post-credits scene, hiding beneath the rubble or tucked away amongst the shadows, safe and traumatized. But generally untouched.

4) RV Burgin - I don't think he's surviving. He wants to get out, no question. But he's not desperate enough to throw people under the bus, and maybe that was his mistake. He stops running because someone tripped. Turns to look back because someone calls out his name, reaches out to him. Or makes it out, but then realizes his is a hollow victory if he can't manage to take his friends out with him, too. Man, he should've just run, but that's not who Burgie is. He might come back in the sequel though, maybe in a post-credits scene added by the producers after the test screening audiences demand that he be alright bc they love the character too much.

5) Merriell Shelton - ok if there's a likely candidate for the 'someone from the original group who was the Slasher all along' character, it's Snaf; turns out he was Ghostface this whole time! but that feels like too much of an out and a little unfair, so I'll just say that he'll make it almost all the way to the end, but he's going to slip up. And it's going to be because he's so tired. He's so afraid under all that anger, but he's just so tired, too, and it only takes one little slip. One little swing too late. But make no mistake, he fights back. He will be remembered very fondly because he fights back, and the tragedy of it lies in how close he was to getting out. He was so close. But not close enough.

6) Eugene Sledge - FINAL GIRL FINAL GIRL FINAL GIRL ENERGY ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? OF COURSE HE'S FINAL GIRL he's standing over the bloody corpse of their tormentor and he's the only one in his right mind to shoot it more than once to make sure it's dead. He's the one whose rage far surpasses that of the slasher. He's the who comes out of this ordeal alive and fully changed, covered in blood, blurring the lines between victim and perpetrator, and smoking his pipe at the steps of the house or the entrance of the summer camp; red and blue emergency lights flashing over his face as someone puts a blanket over his shoulders.

#ask #the pacific #andrew haldane #eddie jones #andyeddie #eugene sledge #merriell shelton #rv burgin #bill leyden #jay de l'eau #im not actually taking requests hehehe but i'll answer if it tickles my fancy #tbh i think it's obvious by now that i enjoy horror and sci-fi/fantasy AUs. i think those are asks i'll be most likely to answer. #anything else you'll have to catch me in a good mood. #tp aus #tp hcs

[eowyntheavenger]

15 Questions 15 Mutuals

I was tagged by @valasania-the-pale, thanks so much for tagging me! :)

Rules: answer the questions and tag fifteen mutuals

1. Are you named after anyone?

Not my first name, but my middle name belongs to one of my mom's best friends, who I love :)

2. When was the last time you cried?

Hmm... I recently teared up while rereading The Silmarilion, does that count?

3. Do you have kids?

No, and it's not something I see for myself.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Sometimes, but I prefer to just outright criticize things rather than being sarcastic.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

I notice how they treat me and others around them.

6. What's your eye colour?

Blue.

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings! Although this frames it as a choice between two things that are not really opposites, so... I also happen to love tragedies.

8. Any special talents?

Depends on whether I'm actually talented, but I think I'm a good writer, and I also have some skill with drawing/painting, although I don't do it often enough these days.

9. Where were you born?

In the Pacific Northwest.

10. What are your hobbies?

Reading, writing, drawing/painting, photography, hiking, and martial arts.

I'm currently reading two books: one about the Coastwatchers in Solomon Islands during World War II, and the other about the Guadalcanal and Bougainville campaigns... also WWII.

I'm also currently working on some writing projects, namely the one giant writing project that has consumed the past three years of my life, although I've been taking a long-ish break for the holiday period (I've been too busy).

I'm also working on my first digital artwork, which has taken a few years at this point... partly because it keeps getting bigger and bigger! Ack!

There are a lot of things I'd like to learn how to do or do more of, like scuba diving, archery, and getting a pilot's license (but I need to save up money for that).

11. Any pets?

Two cats that I love very much. One of them is a tortoiseshell named Minou (there are pictures of her in the link). She is tiny! She is only 6 pounds. She doesn't really know how to meow, so when she wants food or attention she will gently and politely tap me with her paw (it is SO cute).

The other one is an orange cat with white socks named Percy, which is short for Persimmon. She is a troublemaker, and will steal ANYTHING from the kitchen. I once saw her running out of the room with a very long udon noodle trailing from her mouth. She is very cuddly and likes to spend all of her time on my lap, purring. Otherwise she's dashing madly around the house.

I also have a Juniper bonsai, which I think counts as a pet. I have had him for about three years.

12. What sports do you play/have played?

I played soccer as a child, and loved it. I played basketball for one season and it was not for me - neither was cross country. I started doing Muay Thai and boxing when I was 17 and I liked that a hell of a lot better. Then I started doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo in college. Nothing makes me happier than getting to do MMA multiple times per week, and I only wish that I could train regularly right now! I don't live close enough to the school I want to go to - but once I find a new apartment I'll be able to. I also enjoy weightlifting.

13. How tall are you?

5′4″... I would like to be taller, but this IS average height for a woman in the United States (where I live), which is what I remind people who tell me I'm short!

14. Favorite subject in school?

History, to be sure, which was my major. I also enjoyed Philosophy, Russian Literature and my language classes - over the years I took Latin, Japanese, German and Russian. Unfortunately my language skills are a bit rusty now, but I don't regret the time I spent studying them. :) I would like to learn some of the languages of the Pacific Islands - there are certainly a lot to choose from.

15. Dream job?

The one I have now, basically! Although I would like to live in the South Pacific one day. I work for a research institute and my field of study is the Pacific Islands. I love what I do, I get to travel, my coworkers respect me - I'm literally so happy! It's a big relief, because I was not happy at my previous job, and it's hard to find jobs in my field, at least where I live now.

Tagging friends: @softlypause, @wishiwould, @jtulipe, @lonelysocksclub, @orestes-hungry-and-pylades-sober, @frodo-baggins, @princeofnerds, @carinatae, @cosmologicalhedgehogephemera, @igotofetchthesun, @tuulikki, @belljarsandrabbitholes, @warrioreowynofrohan, @daegred-winsterhand, @katbatmagat, @softpyrate, @lie-where-i-land, @speckled-jim, @orangechickenpillow, @potatoobsessed999, @armenelols, @actuallyfingolfin, @backgroundelf, @stillcantgetoverthesilmarillion, @rhymes-with-sky, @kookyburrowing, @novemberblueskyink, @legolasbadass, @playingjax, @calliopechild, @randomphases Okay sorry I tagged a lot of people. No pressure to do it though! And anyone else can join in :)

#personal #tag game

[obsidiancreates]

The Noxious Avenger Liveblog

Excited for this, intriguing title. Annnnd starting with a garbage truck. OH BEEBOP AND ROCKSTEADY YAY

BOOBISH TRAP AH ROCKSTEADY IS ALREADY DELIVERING THE GOLD

IT IS A GROCERY LIST HAHAHAHAHA I LOVE THES EIDIOTS

OH WAIT NOOOOOOO IS GARBAGE MAN GONNA GET MUTATED OR GOT OH NO OH NO OH NO OH NO HE'S GONNA GET MUTATED NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOT THIS GUY

Oh Donnie wait, 15 hours and no bathroom breaks? Guy use the fucking bathroom you're gonna get intestinal infections geez

NOOOOOOO GARBAGE GUYYYYYYYYYYYY NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YOU WERE AN ENJOYABLE RECOURRING EXTRA WHILE IT LASTED

I love Donnie's sassy little shit-eating grins in the intro song so much. Sassy Lad.

Getting your shells waxed sounds nice though, Donnie?

Haha but it is a grocery list

Mikey. Mikey I get why you told Raph to never mock a thousand pound rhino man. But you also mock the thousand pound rhino man

OH GOD GARBAGE GUY HAS GONE THE WAY OF TIMOTHY HASN'T HE NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ANOTHER TIMOTHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Donnie why do you know what goes into a mind-control serum. Donnie what have you been up to.

OH GOD GARBAGE GUY IS SO GROSS HIS-HIS HAND IS A SKELETON OH GOD WHAT THE FUCK THIS BODY HORROR IS- OH THIS IS HORRIBLE- OH HE'S CARRIE

OH GOD HIS JAW HIS EYE- FUCK THIS IS TERRIBLE I HATE THIS I HATE THIS I HATE THIS OH GOD THIS BODY HORROR IS SO AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

DONNIE BETTER RETROMUTAGEN THIS GUY I CAN'T STAND LOOKING AT HIM

I though he said "Fuck it" at first

OH HIS OPEN GAPING TORSO AND THE FISH BONES AND THE SKELETON HAND OH GOD OH GOD THIS IS HORRIFYING

Oh good one-liner though.

Awwwwww Mikey sits so cute.

RAPH WHY ARE YOU SO- GOD PLEASE GET THERAPY FOR YOUR ANGER MUCKMAN IS JSUT A SAD AND NOW HOMELESS MAN

I don't trust this eyeball.

OH POOR GUY OH POOR GUY

RAPH?!?!?!?! "ONLY A GUILTY MAN RUNS"?!?!?!?! WHEN DID YOU BECOME A FUCKING COP YOU ASSHOLE

SHIT EW

God this episode is just, a million layer of tragedy

SHIT JOAN GOT A SILLUE- OH NO SHE GOT MIKEY'S ENTIRE BACK

Yeah no being grounded is right. You're being harsh in the delivery, Splinter, but it genuinely is bad for them to go up right now. Just like... say it softer, though? And Splinter wonders where Raph's misplaced anger responses come from...

... Wait shit I just stumbled into a character analysis.

They all look high as shit- SPLINTER BROKE THE FUCKING TV HOLY SHIT SPLINTER CALM THE FUCK DOWN SEE THIS IS WHERE RAPH GETS IT FROM

OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BEEBOP AND ROCKSTEADY ARE GONNA MANIPULATE HIM NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THIS EPISODE IS SO SO TRAGICCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Wait so, Muckman gave them a mutant-specific illness?

CHILD-EATING?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I GOTTA KILL JOAN GRODY

God Leo, this isn't- okay. Sure. "Show him we've still got our stealth", whatever you need to justify your rebellion as not actual rebellion in your mind

OH NO THEY USED THE DAUGHTER SAVING INSTINCT AGAINST SPLINTER clever and Splinter was being a little Intense but DUDE LIKE HE'S STILL MOURING KARAI RIGHT NOW

Pfffft "Who would throw away perfectly good eyeball?" Rocksteady you're a gem

FUCK 'EM UP MUCKMAN

Oh they're lying to bond with him... oh, poor Muckman... this episode is making me really sad, actually. This episode has rotten vibes.

But the "Not everybody can be as ninja as us" and then setting off ALL THE ALARMS with the shitty parking job is good. And Donnie returning to lock it. But this is gonna be on my "Skip during rewatches" I think.

Oh, the eye is wise? The eye knows best?

Oh he's just awful to look at. This sucks.

AGAIN WITH THE CALLING OTHER MUTANTS FREAKS AND MONSTERS LIKE GUYS HE KNOW HE KNOWS THAT'S WHY HE'S UPSET SO SHUT THE FUCK UP RAPH

OH FUCK LEO

EWWWWWW MIKEY GOT PUT INTO HIS FUCKED UP SPING- MIKEY DON'T ASK TO EAT HIS TORSO PIZZA

Awwwww Joe. I take ack my reservations, I like this eyeball.

Whoaaaa what's up? Why the slow-mo and ringing?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOO STOP SHOOTING MUCKMANNNNNNNNN NOOOOOOOOO THIS IS TERRIBLE OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD

HA TAKE THAT BEEBOP, SHIRIKINS IN THE ASSCHEEKS

OH THEY BLEW UP THE CHEMICAL WITH THE TRASH PUKE

Donnie now's the time for the bo blade

Aw Muckman's helping them now. Oh I hope they cure him...

OH OHHHHHHHH OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HE MENTIONED THE PULVERIZER OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY HEARTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Awwwww. At least he's taking on the hero role... and he covered for them...

SPLINTER GOOD GOD CHILL ON THE CORPRAL PUNISHMENT, YOU'RE MAKING ME REGRET MY EARLIER POST DEFENDING YOU

#tmnt 2k12 #tmnt 2012 #sid blogs live

[viovio]

hi as my saw mutual i have a question :) if u have seen all of them, whats ur ranking from worst to best? or out of the ones youve seen if u havent seen all of them :)

ACK OMG IM SORRY I GOT TO THIS LATE BUT TEEHEE ALRIGHT!! (i haven't seen jigsaw and spiral yet but i know what happens in it!!)

SPOILERS DOWN BELOW!!!!!

7. Saw 3D.... it has some of the most brutal traps but it's not getting any points for the horrible misogyny really :/ it's the only movie where i actively skipped parts (which were the frustrating scenes of having the main guy fuck up and save some of his team AND BLAME THEM. AND GOD THE LAST PART JUST UGH) i won't lie though lawrence is so fun in this one like he would not do that! i believe it though go cary elwes give me everything (and hoffinator)

6. Saw 5, i don't understand the hate for this one I actually really liked the fatal 5!! and the opening with strahm was just so cool but the cuts back to him investigating hoffman were just... eh! didn't care. the ending though was pretty sick. i love how the movies treat it like a series because they always start from where they left off in classic camera flashing fashion.

5.. Saw 6 (LOL), the plot really intrigued me with watching william's pain alongside him only for it to be all crushed because nothing could change the fact that you run a health insurance company with treating people's lives like a game! and like, what tara said did get me thinking because yea no matter the torture are you really sure he's changed? hes probably profited enough from his company that he could reasonably stop but i feel like the employee deaths would bank in more family insurance somehow lmfao.

4. Saw 4, OK NOW WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERE rigg was the only main guy i was invested in out of all of them, sucks that he's a cop but damn the journey and game and atmosphere in this one was just excellent!! the opening confused me a bit for sure but it made sense later. this is where we begin hoffman's saga (guy himself is mid but hes funny) after amanda (HEARTTTT FOREVER) and john's death! and even though I don't like the guy himself the mindfuck of this movie and the rigging (heh. get it) was pretty solid)

3. Saw 3, man. ok. Amanda's true spotlight. It's frustrating to watch jeff's segment itself at times but his story's pretty tragic. Don't get me started on Lynn the fucking tension is insane but coming from a guy who hasn't watched medical dramas before this comes pretty close. After saw 2 you finally see Amanda's hope die alone with the lies John fed her it's great. Imo this movie was a great way to wrap up their tragedy!

2. Saw, they've been in that bathroom for 18 slutty slutty years and you feel that budget so hard. It's so claustrophobic but you can see why it's a classic, and rewatching it is just so GAH LIKE YOU KNOWWWWW BUT YOU STILL WANT TO SAVE HIM LIKE OPENING A FRIDGE AND EXPECTINF SOMETHING DIFFERENT. s great but some people says it drags on for a bit, i personally don't mind! The pacing gets real confusing at times though and repetitious

1. SAW 2 BABYYYYYYYYYYYGGGGY🎉🎉🎉🎉 OK AMANDAS FIRST SPOTLIGHT AND THE INTRODUCTION ON GROUP GAMES IN THE SERIES HOOORAYYYYYYYYYY oh my god mandy.its getting so fucking late and what i say here's been said before but *opens brain and it's just buzzing static

#asks #uppertwist #GRABS YOU LISTEN. PERFECT TO ASK ME THIS TOO SINCE IVE EXPERIENCED EM ALL BY BINGING #this was so difficult too like i liked them all in their own ways #and id say i didnt like the cop b plot either but thats a lie it was so stupid i just accepted it as a part of the soap opera #still fucking sucked in the 2nd one though like goddamn i do not care about matthews

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 8

This is just filler content

Um, rude?? Plot wise, this is the chapter where we get the ball rolling, even if only just a little bit. Kicking the tiny snowball down the hill, if you will.

I’m a little surprised I could get this out so soon, but that’s because this chapter felt like a breeze compared to the last. Let’s dive right in!

*faint muffled sobbing* It’s been three thousand years...

😥 Tropius. Tropius, I swear it wasn’t our fault. Tropius. Tropius, pls.

Boom. Here it is. The first inkling of who Teresa really is. So subtle as to be undetectable.

The shot heard ‘round the world fired not with a bang, but a whisper.

Bro how embarrassing would it be if we finally got there... and realized we’ve been calling it the wrong thing this whole time... ha ha just kidding... unless?

Oh my god, please please please tell me Uxie is actually Bonsly. I’d love to see a tiny baby that disguises its sweat as tears try to defend a Time Gear.

🫢

Y’know Tropius, I’d love to, but Teresa is having a bit of an existential crisis right now, so... Rain check?

The first time I played Explorers, I totally thought this was the answer. Very clever Red Herring on their part.

This time, I decided to explore the side path first - in this case, Exotic Falls. It sounded a lot more exciting than Common Meander, and after having such a rough time with Sad Land, I figured the extra experience couldn’t hurt.

But what’s this??

Wh. The key to the lake is just. Sitting there. Out in the open. Just like how Andrea “happened to find” the Relic Fragment. Yes, I know, convenience for convenience’s sake, but also... C’MON NOW!

Imagine you failed in saving the world because these items were actually kept hidden. Or because some rando scooped it up before you did. And you’d never even know! A tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.

...Hm. I’m starting to realize I’m sounding like CinemaSins. Moving on.

A very fitting aesthetic for the dungeon name!

It was subtle before, but now it’s a lot more obvious that Teresa and Andrea are drifting apart on the experience curve. Teresa levels up faster, but has less health - and barely gets a boost to any of her stats. She’s especially hurting in defense, and I doubt that’s likely to change. And she hasn’t even learned a single move through level up. Probably never will, since Togekiss is an evolutionary stone form.

Besides that, I actually have little to report here, as Exotic Falls is only five floors. Although I did run into a Tyrogue with Dark Void (*war flashbacks*) and Sky Attack, which was scary for a second.

So, onwards!

Common Meander... Oh, dear. Your name is deceiving 😬

Earlier, I happened to pick up a Dough Seed. I decided to bring it with me, since I’m hurting for money. (I NEVER have any when there’s a Kecleon Shop.) I was curious if the randomizer actually allowed the Dough Seed to function or not. At first, it didn’t seem to do anything - on the next floor, the room I spawned in was filled with the usual random junk. But then I did find a couple of Poké, which is far more than I can say for literally any other dungeon thus far.

Final answer: It... sort of works?

*big long heavy sigh*

Thankfully, Blizzard took care of this one real quick. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have made it this far without it.

Andrea... why do you keep trying to learn moves that aren’t helpful? I just want what’s best for you ;-;

I just thought this environment was neat!

WOAHHH, hey there, buddy...! I don’t mean to intrude... You got any work done on those claws recently? They look nice, real nice... Very sharp and menacing. Nooo, I mean it! Ack, don’t growl at me... Dear God please let us pass, I have a wife and children.

Thankfully, we manage to get away relatively unscathed...

Here’s what you do: sliiide to the left... sliiide to the right... two hops this time! Two hops this time! Take it back now y’all.

What, you might end up somewhere eventually.

After Andrea shoots me the death glare, I never thought I’d be so relieved to see a pine cone in my life.

👀 I wouldn’t say that’s nothing! Show me.

It’s a Groudon statue jutting into the ground? Duh. I know the fog is impeding your vision, but let’s step it up here, Andrea.

Salamence? Oh no.

I was hoping I could laugh at Groudon being replaced with a Luvdisc or something, but that doesn’t seem to be the case 😓

I- *folds hands together* Andrea, my love. What did I just say? That is not Salamence.

Andrea: “Hey Teresa, do you think you could do that thing where you touch something and gain temporal ESP?”

Teresa: “Oh yeah, I can try it. Ha ha, I almost forgot about that. Hope I’ll see something useful this time!”

Pineco:

It’s okay man, we barely understand it either.

I’ve always wondered if this was Grovyle’s voice or yours in the flashback... I guess it can be interpreted either way.

Now introducing Teresa the sleuth!

More like a simple deduction of logic, really.

(Hnnng... see those ripples? The fog effect kind of messes with the screen display, at least for my cheap camera.)

Thank you, thank you, I know I’m a genius 😎

I wanted to include the beautiful art here, I really did. But my photo limit is real tight for this chapter. Besides, my camera simply can’t do the image justice.

Sure thing, Andrea! ...Wait. Why do I hear march-like music gradually getting louder-

Dammit, man! This is why we can’t have nice things.

Tensions rise. Claws come out and teeth are bared. We’re gearing up for the ultimate showdown, but then-

...Saved by the bell Apple!

God, I still find it so funny that this little Totodile is our superior in rank to everyone here.

Another mid-attack frame? It’s different than the one from before! Presumably because it’s shown from the side.

Sldkdhjfdgfdhks I can’t... such babey. He’s just so happy everyone is here.

Going back to the first time I played Explorers... I thought this meant “You’re going back towards base camp” and he prevents you from going any farther. But nah, instead you just kinda sneaky sneak your way forward.

*dramatic cartoon narrator voice* DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN! A nail-biting, cliffhanger ending! Can Totodile survive the overwhelming stench of a stinkbug and a water weasel? Can Team Heavenly square up against a Salamence without getting their butts kicked? Most importantly, can the guild finally start calling Fogbound Lake by the right name?! Tune in next time to find out, exclusively on TH channel!

If you made it this far, thanks for reading 😊 I won’t even feign ignorance this time: the Chapter 9 title is... bizarre, to say the least. Look forward to it, and stay hydrated! 💧

#pokemon mystery dungeon #pmd explorers #randomizer #chapter 8

[always-andromeda]

um. so. ive been thinking over my past relationship, and i dont know if im in the wrong for hating my ex or not? like. he wasnt very affectionate, which is just how some people are, i guess.

but the only way he tried to be at least slightly affectionate was by talking about sex, A LOT. like, every single day. like, sure, he could be sweet, but that was only in the beginning of our relationship. later on, he just. stopped being loving in any other way aside from sex.

all he complimented me on was my looks. he said he liked my personality, but then ended up saying i was unfunny and insufferable later on. i dont know if they were jokes or not, is the problem.

but heres the thing that pisses me off the most. he pretended like he was gonna break up with me, knowing it was one of my worst fears, as a joke. he said something along the lines of "i prank you once and you suddenly act like im the worst person in the world." like. we had taken a break from our relationship only a couple months prior to this, and it took a fucking TOLL on my mental health. he knew this. and yet he pretended he was leaving me anyway.

and then he actually broke up with me like. a few weeks later i believe. and he completely ignored me after that. i didnt get any comfort, besides one single "im sorry".

im just wondering if im in the right for hating him, because he was just clearly unhappy in our relationship near the end, and the feeling was mutual. and maybe him being unaffectionate was just his personality and he had a hard time showing love. i dont know. sorry this was so lengthy ack

Okay, so sorry this took me a hot second to reply to Ethan!! I really wanted to offer up like my full attention to really answering this in a meaningful way. Because just reading through this reminded me so much of the situation-ship that I was in when I was a teenager. Sadly, I think a lot of us are prone to falling into these kind of relationships when we're young and don't really have much experience with romance or any other kind of intimacy and it's a real tragedy.

TW for descriptions of emotional abuse, gaslighting, manipulation, and mentions of sexual harassment below the cut because whoo boy this is gonna be a long one.

In my situation, the guy completely drained me of everything. He would encourage me to vent every single feeling and thought I possibly could. But as soon as I took it to heart and dared to talk about my day or something that was bothering me, he'd go, "Did I ask?" or "Didn't ask."

And that doesn't even scratch the surface of the sexual shit. The guy had a girlfriend who didn't really know anything about sex. So he'd make sexual jokes to her and make me explain their meaning to her, knowing full well that I had feelings for him. Then he'd turn around and make jokes and conversation about my own sexuality. Like as soon as he figured out the daddy issues thing, he went nuts with it. He immediately used sex and my insecurities to deliberately fluster me and make me uncomfortable because he knew it would only make me cling closer to him.

I went through almost three years of him upping the ante on his bullshit to the point where I was completely codependent on him. And even now, close to three years removed, I'm still unlearning some of the shit he instilled in me.

I don't think it's wrong of you to hate him exactly? Like there's often this narrative that gets pushed on victims to "forgive and forget." And for some, that may be beneficial in order to obtain peace of mind. But that isn't a one size fits all solution. Sometimes things just haunt us and we learn to live with it. Which might sound terrible un-motivating. And sometimes it is! Because there's a lot of work required for untangling these situations and trying to find something of value in them. Because they shouldn't have happened in the first place. But they did. It isn't fair that it happened, but it did, and I don't think you're a bad person for not being able to just swallow that.

I myself can never forgive the guy who fucked me over, mostly because he didn't just do it to me; he also did it to one of my best friends. And for her sake, that anger and defensiveness flares up and in a strange way, it allows me to process my own feelings. Because if I don't think she deserved that treatment, surely I should be able to muster up that same love for myself? Perhaps I should be able to advocate for myself with the same, fervent kind of love.

Because people who do that kind of shit–people who deliberately hurt you over and over again–they do it because they want to put you in a cycle where they can say and do whatever they want, all while knowing completely that you'll go right back to them for that validation. In my experience, it's those folks that are so sad and so ridden with insecurity and dysfunction that they derive enjoyment from doing this to people. And I'm not talking about people who maybe suddenly blow up before realizing their mistake and apologizing. I'm talking about people who take joy in hurting you. Those are people who will always feed on your sympathy and your willingness to see the good.

Whenever I found myself trying to humanize my abuser after everything, I started reminding myself that no matter what low point I've been in...I have never done the things he did. Sure, I may have been more short with people or a little less thoughtful and isolated myself. But I never once made that my excuse to deliberately and repeatedly hurt the people who love me with no remorse. So, no, I don't think it's unreasonable to hold to negative feelings over him. There's no one size fits all prescription for navigating these situations. It's all about what we can live with. For me, I can live with knowing that if I ever saw my abuser again, I probably wouldn't throw hands exactly, but I most definitely wouldn't be smiling and singing Kumbaya with that fucker.

However your brain and your heart chooses to receive that experience is completely up to you. Because at the end of the day, it is your experience. And you tell yourself and do whatever you need to in order to live with it. I love you, Ethan. Please please please be gentle and kind with yourself, bud.

#˚ʚ ask meda ɞ˚

[baratrongirl]

Fanfiction Trope Meme

Stolen from @pigeontheoneandonly, who I don't know at all. Saw it in their blog and went "I like these questions". Rules: copy/past and bold your fic preferences and tag someone to do the same. I don't ever explicitly tag people because I don't want anyone to feel put on the spot when they could be having a bad week/month/year. I'm interested in all my friends' answers, so answer the questions if you want to.

slow burn or love at first sight. (Good question. I tend to think that love at first sight is unrealistic, because you only know what someone looks like, not who they really are. So I suppose I prefer slow burn where the affection grows as the people get to know each other.)

fake dating or secret dating. (Ugh, I like both! Though secret dating wins with Klapollo - dating in secret because Klavier's a rock star and they don't want the tabloid hassle.)

enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers. (This is how my relationships have worked in real life. We've always been friends first - at least for the relationships that have actually LASTED.)

oh no there’s only one bed or long-distance with correspondence. (Ack! I can't decide! *squishes Klapollo into one bed* vs LDR with Apollo in Khura'in and Klavier in Los Angeles/Tokyo?)

hurt/comfort or amnesia. (HURT/COMFORT. Finally, an easy one!)

fantasy au or modern au. (This one depends on the original setting. If it's a fantasy setting, a modern AU. If it's a modern setting, then a fantasy AU!)

mutual pining or domestic bliss. (Get it together, silly boys! Of course, I'm talking about Klapollo again. With some of my other ships, I prefer them to simply communicate and sort their relationship out.)

smut or fluff. (I like both BUT if we are simply talking about tropes in the absence of plot, I prefer Porn Without Plot to Fluff Without Plot. Fluff Without Plot leaves me feeling unfulfilled, like I ate candy floss when I wanted a meal. Fluff WITH Plot is fantastic, and I've written quite a few Teen-rated fics myself. Smut is definitely not essential for a good story.)

canon complaint or fix-it fic. (Fix-it!!)

alternate universe or future fic. (AUs are fascinating.)

one-shot or multi-chapter. (Depends on the story, of course. If it's high-quality, I can easily read 150k of fic in a night. What is this "bedtime" thing you speak of?)

kid fic or roadtrip fic. (I am not really a fan of either, but I LOATHE kid fic. Fan-created OC children make me break out in metaphorical hives. Though - I say that, and I would still absolutely love to read a story where Trucy (aged 25+) offers to be the surrogate for Klavier and Apollo, since she is Apollo's sister and has the most similar genetic makeup to him. I guess I'm more interested in the negotiations (will they accept it? Does Klavier even WANT children which are genetically his considering how Kristoph turned out?) than the actual part where a baby exists.)

reincarnation or character death. (NEVER character death, I hate it - and it's an actual squick to the point of being triggering with my main ship. Whereas reincarnation, finding each other again and again in different worlds over time - OMG I love.)

arranged marriage or accidental marriage. (Especially if accompanied by queer lawyers with legal shenanigans.)

high school romance or middle-aged romance. (Middle-aged fans demand middle-aged Blorbos! 35 is not "old", you teenage Narumitsu fans.)

time travel or isolated together. (Can't decide. As long as it's not a tragedy where they're separated by time, or where one is already a ghost while the other is alive, I don't much mind.)

neighbors or roommates. (No actual preference.)

sci-fi au or magic au. (Slight preference for magic, but only because SF is hard to write well.)

body swap or genderbend. (No preference, though I should perhaps observe that F/F Klapollo are barely any different to M/M Klapollo unless you're writing smut. Body swap, however, is hilarious because you have Mr Tall, Skinny, and Beautiful suddenly inhabiting the body of Mr Short, Buff, and Ordinary - and vice versa.)

angst or crack. (Angst with a happy ending. But I do love a good crack fic too!)

apocalyptic or mundane. (Mundane please. Apocalyptic fic stresses me out instead of being fun.)

#fanfiction tropes #fanfiction preferences #my blorbos #klavier gavin #apollo justice #klapollo #answer if you feel like it

[superchat]

(re: SIGNALIS) My first ending, I could not keep the promise. I aim to try again, hoping to fulfill it - or else, try for the secret ending.

I sure am awash in emotion!

ACK!!! I FORGOT TO REPLY TO THIS IMESO SORRY ;-;

Did you get the Leave or Memory ending? :o

Honestly i need to play through the game again cuz theres so much going on with the characters and world its hard to keep track of it all, a second playthrough i think would just be filled with "...OHHH THATS HOW THEY DID THE THING" moments

Yeah honestly like. that game hits the heart emotions hard, so much love and tragedy but NOT HOPELESS EITHER so everything has that weight to it that makes it all feel like its for something

Signalis good game i never expected it to be such a gem when i put it on my radar but it really is special

#Glad you enjoyed it :3 #Hopefully you get a more rewardingtending next time #Rooting for you #cubecubed #Asks

[suhnshinehaos]

ack im crying at the latest chapter of growing pains. knowing that ynmin is the first act out of three and that it's not going to last yet theyre so sweet and oblivious it's like i'm watching a tragedy in motion. huhuhuhuhuh i love it so much and thank you for making this and sharing it!!!! 💖💖💖

yup, you put it perfectly anon ,, it really is like watching a tragedy in slow motion... you want to root for them but, you know how it all ends ;-; im glad you enjoy it despite the pain that im abt to cause u huhu

#— book club : growing pains! #sent by : anon <3

[demonslayedher]

Buri-senpai~ it’s me again! It seems like the Kamado family was respected in town. How do you think the townsfolk would’ve reacted once they realized that Tanjirou hadn’t been visiting with charcoal, only to check up on the family where they see the wreckage. Perhaps Tanjirou had left a rushed note, noting how his family was attacked, how only he and Nezuko were alive, and how they won’t be able to visit for a very long time. If that’s the case, I don’t think Tanjirou will explain the cause 1/3

2/3 of the attack, but there’s a chance that Saburo would’ve eventually realized that a demon had attacked them. Also, side notes: if Kaigaku was still a demon slayer during the events of the red light district, do you think he would've heard about Zenitsu's contributions to the defeat of upper 6? I had read your amazing Ukogi fic and enjoyed the characterization of Kaigaku's crow embellishing his achievements as a slayer. I also enjoyed Matsuemon's fondness of Nezuko and it seems like

3/3 he was ‘conspiring’ (for lack of a better word) with Oyakata-sama behind the scenes, with how the events at Asakusa with Tamayo played out. I'm sure Tamayo's existence was pardoned by the Oyakata-sama of Yoriichi's time. Also, sorry for the length! I enjoy your input on everything!

Going to reply to this in a couple parts, but allow me to first borrow one of my LINE stickers to express:

I'll reply to the fic stuff under the cut, but I'm really honored by your close reading and consideration of one of my favorite fics, "The Legend of Ukogi." But first for your question about Tanjiro!

Honestly, I was surprised by the village's upkeep of their home, including nice new tatami and shelves which Nezuko noticed in the extended epilogue included the Volume 23 version of Chapter 204. I would had assumed they'd have a mess of a home to come back to (and wrote my canon diverent/continuation fic that way, for the first draft was written after Chapter 204's magazine publication but before Volume 23's publication). At least nowadays in Japan, uninhabited homes are often left as-is and fall to shambles, even in cities, causing problems for the neighbors as they become home to pests. Upkeep is an issue, and it seems unlikely the townspeople would had gone out of their way to keep the site of a tragedy so nice.

However, Gotouge seems to stress that the Kamado family, simply for being good people, were often humbled by being on the receiving end of such kindnesses. Even Sumiyoshi and Suyako were on the receiving end of this, as mentioned in a Taisho Secret in Volume 22, for having helped a local lord's wife and son while they were in peril without knowing who they were. Even though they tried to refuse reward, they made sure they had a nicely fixed up house anyway (side note, they moved in to Yoriichi's and Uta's abandoned house).

A sturdy house as returns for their kindness seems to be as much of a running theme in Kamado history as is Hinokami Kagura and making charcoal. We do see that Tanjiro is pretty popular among the townspeople and everyone knows they can rely on him, and if Tanjiro's highly biased word is to be trusted, Nezuko had a reputation as a local beauty. In good whether the little kids must had gone into town a bunch, and Tanjiro (and Inosuke's) continued charcoal business (despite the increasing reliance on electricity) in the Fanbook #2 extended epilogue shows that the Kamado family has always had a reputation for high quality charcoal. Certainly, they've been well-loved long enough that their tragedy would not go unnoticed.

As further evidence of this, in the Giyuu Gaiden, a hunter even notices that on a different mountain nearby there was a family of charcoal farmers slaughtered and a suspicious person in a half-and-half haori was seen around there. Clearly, the villagers were quick to notice the incident and start looking around for the man who might had done it!

But we're still left with the question of how quickly they'd have noticed the absence, how word got around, and just how much they knew. My initial thought in response to your Ask was "there's no way Tanjiro had time for that, he had bury his family and get Nezuko dressed and hurry and go!" but then again, this is Tanjiro we're talking about. Tanjiro who faithfully keeps a diary for Nezuko no matter how tired he is, and who faithfully keeps in touch with all his penpals even with all his demon slaying work to keep him busy. If anyone would had written a letter, it would had been him.

It's possible that his reasoning would had been for Nezuko's sake. Should word get around about the incident, and about Nezuko being a demon, people might suspect she was the one who did it. Even Tanjiro had to consider that possibility when he was first shocked by her transformation, though he had the evidence to clearly determine that she was innocent. So maybe if he did leave something, it might simply had been to inform people that Nezuko still needs help, and he's left to take care of her.

To the townspeople, Tanjiro's word is trustworthy. As soon as someone discovered the incident (and perhaps a letter), word would probably get around pretty fast, and if Tanjiro had circumstances that forced him to leave for Nezuko's sake, that implies that they might make a return once she was alright. That might be what inspired the townspeople, who cared for generations about their local charcoal farmers, to have their hearts wrenched with sympathy for the tragedy these two surviving children have been through, and to try to do what they can by taking care of the house while they're gone.

As for knowing if it was demons or not, it's possible only Saburo knew that. There's so much we don't know about Saburo, but my personal headcanon is that he lost his family to demons and was rescued by the Demon Slayers. While others might have been quick to blame the suspicious man in the half-and-half haori, anything said by Saburo, a man perhaps known for keeping to himself with a sullen personality, was dismissed or taken for mere superstition. Saburo, having told Tanjiro to stay with him that night, might had already felt something was off, and when the feeling kept bothering him, he might had gone to check on the Kamado family and been the first one to discover the massacre. Letter or not, he'd have known Tanjiro survived, and might had gotten there soon enough to trace the footprints to deduce to that one of the other older children must had survived too.

Now because of fic spoilers, Bird Fic commentary below!

As I was doing my best to make that fic fit alongside canon, I tried to consider where the birds might and might not been able to influence the events of canon, and that made Denroku (Kaigaku's crow) one of my favorite small bits to work with. Even though he never makes an appearance in the story (only mentioned as a slightly antagonistic bird), he struck me as having the most potential for influencing events.

Since we see a general pattern of the birds being very invested in the Slayer they work with, I imagined that Denroku would pick up on Kaigaku's ambitions. When he got in trouble for embellishing Kaigaku's achievements, that's when he tries the reverse, taking assignments into his own talons and leading to Kaigaku fighting an enemy out of his league. While most of the Kasugai-garasu would had immediately reported Upper Moon 1 so that a Pillar could be summoned, Denroku's underhanded drive to see Kaigaku promoted is what leads to a situation the Corp would had preferred to avoid.

And that brings us back to Matsuemon, who does his best to promote his underlings' achievements to get Tanjiro recognized as a Pillar. He is protective of Nezuko, having picked up on that from Tanjiro, but honestly, I had not considered Matsuemon leading to Tanjiro's encounter with Tamayo. Letting Oyakata-sama know about it, though, that does seem in character for Matsuemon, which we'll get to!

As for why Tanjiro encountered Tamayo so early on, I posited in this Ask that Oyakata-sama probably was hoping Tanjiro would make a connection with her. Gotouge has stated that the demon Tanjiro was sent to investigate in Asakusa was Tamayo. Like you, I assume that Kagaya's forefathers must had chosen to pardon her existence out of Yoriichi's good word for her, and we know from his later mention of her to Tanjiro and efforts to reach out to her later that he's probably always been curious about a way to gain her trust.

What probably gave him the idea to use Tanjiro, a kid with a demon sister, was Urokodaki's letter. We didn't hear the full letter read allowed at the Pillar meeting, but my thought is that Urokodaki wrote highly enough of Tanjiro that Kagaya was like, "aha! This is it! This might be the person who helps me gain Tamayo's trust!" and that was why he sent Tanjiro to Asakusa on his second mission. As for whether Matsuemon knew that or not, I suspect not initially, but he might had gotten aware of it overtime and been in on the loop of birds who know this but help keep it on the downlow, as per Oyakata-sama's request. Matsuemon might had also been given special instructions to report details to the Kasugai-garasu who initiated the personal correspondence between Oyakata-sama and Tamayo. Knowing this egotistical bird he probably would had loved to brag about it, but he's smart enough and respects the Corp mission enough to know when to keep silent about his achievements.

EDIT: Ack! I forgot to respibd to your Kaigaku question. I do assume Kaigaku was still a Corp member at that time and he probably heard and that it ticked him the hell off. Even if he didn't know the details, the fact that Zenitsu would had been credited with fighting an Upper Moon would tick him off with jealousy. Not to worry, Kaigaku, Upper Moon 6 is only the bottom rung of the Upper Moons. ; P

#kny fandom theories and meta #my fics #kamado tanjiro #kamado tanjirou #saburo #ubuyashiki kagaya #kaigaku #tennoji matsuemon #hahaha so many tags I wouldn't had expected to put together #tamayo #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer

[sour-n-salty-citrus]

Do you like the backstory for rick? Idk I kinda preferred it when Rick's past was a complete mystery and i dont really care about diane at all. I didn't expect the writers to actually write a canon for him either but I guess they realised how much the audience wanted one for him

Ajdjdjeidjs ack, I'll be honest I'm not... keen on it.

(Bolly-quinn actually puts it into words well how I feel about Rick's backstory here)

I liked the mystery element of his backstory! I know it's always exciting to have things in canon, but like... it being open to interpretation was something I always appreciated.

And... ugh, hoo boy. I'm torn. I mean, I love that Rick is completely different from what dudebros and like- "high iq" redditors present him as. He's a man who loved his wife and daughter, loved them so much he would rather give up travelling the multiverse, becoming a genius scientist, just to stay with them. He was vulnerable, soft, and caring. He wasn't nihilistic and reckless and selfish and some "alpha male who wouldn't let anything tie him down". He was ridiculously romantic, optimistic, sweet and loving, and maybe even kind.

And I don't give a shit.

I don't! I don't care. This might sound incredibly cruel and unfair, but I don't care that Rick lost his family.

Ok- let me explain.

I'm... disappointed. I'm disappointed that losing Beth and Diane is all it was that made Rick into the complete and utter monster he is today (or the start of the series anyway). I don't mean to undermine his loss and grief- at all! It's just... for him to go on a (seemingly decades long) killing spree, slaughtering any version of himself he seemed to come across... christ. Maybe in his eyes, they were all as bad as that One. Which is understandable. I'm very lucky to have not experienced that kind of loss. I haven't had to Grieve the way Rick did. Maybe I just don't get it, because I've never felt it. That's fair.

It just felt... god, I don't want to say excessive. I know, people process grief in different ways, and for some it manifests in unhealthy ways, some lash out at the world, fixate on trying to find an explanation, to find justice, etc. And I like how Rick was an absolute inconsolable wreck at first. Something like that, it needs time to process and overcome before you can start moving again.

I just- I don't know. Something rubbed me the wrong way about it all.

It's like- it's not that I wanted Rick to have spent all that time partying or something. It's just- argh, i don't know! Maybe someone else can put it into better words lol.

I hate that he immediately jumped into not giving a single shit about other people (save birdperson and squanchy!). Like- when he blew up those aliens who gave him whatever it was he needed. Ah- ok, they probably weren't exactly innocent or anything, but still. I think it was just I felt if we ever saw Rick's backstory, I'd want it to be a slow decline into who he is, show him gradually losing so much of his morality and becoming so jaded. Idk i guess i just wanted it to be like, a series of significant (and lesser but still important) events that lead to him going down that path rather than- this ONE thing that just apparently completely ruined him? And yeah ik ik it was a BIG thing, but like- i guess i was expecting.... more? Maybe something like idk Rick trying to save all the other Beths and Dianes and failing, idk, just... something more.

I actually would have preferred it if Diane lived. I dont know, I just- man I really hate the dead wife/daughter turns ordinary man into callous asshole trope. I agree, it's hard to really care all that much for Diane, and for a while I couldn't understand why. I thought, idk, is it internalised misogyny? Do I just not like Diane because I want to ship Rick with someone else?

I think I get it now. Diane, for all her significance in Rick's backstory, just... isn't a character. She's just- the motivation Rick needed to kick off the story. You could replace her with literally anybody else Rick could have loved and it wouldn't feel any different. She just doesn't feel special. She's no more unique than any other Dead Wife. We get nothing, literally nothing of her. I kept thinking, why? Why does this just not hit that hard? Rick's had emotional moments with Beth, with Birdperson, even with Summer and Jerry. And then I got it- it doesn't feel earned. It felt like how you feel when you see side characters or extras in the background of an action movie die. Maybe some faint sadness, but mainly nothing. We as an audience get nothing from Diane, we don't know her, don't get to see how she matters to Rick, don't get to see her relationship with Rick, we don't get any chance to connect with her character. So when she dies and Rick gets his montage of seeking revenge, it doesn't feel earned. It feels more like I'm being told about how this guy suffered than really seeing it (which i believe, may have been the writers intention actually...). It's kind of like a feeling of "damn that sucks bro... and?". There's no real heavy emotional response that I could really get from it...

I actually would have preferred if Rick and Diane broke up, divorced. I feel like that would offer so much more for them BOTH as chatacters. Instead of their relationship being happy and sunshine and rainbows until a Big Bad came in and took that away, I'd prefer it if Rick's downfall was just... his fault. (Actually His fault.) If his marriage fell apart because he couldn't make it work. If he estranged his daughter because he couldn't properly handle fatherhood, despite loving her. If he was flawed, terribly flawed, because of his own misjudgement and shortcomings. I guess my biggest problem, is that this is presented as someone having the perfect life, which is then taken away as a result of someone Else. It's too easy to then say, oh, it's not his fault he's like that! He had his heart broken, his life ruined! He lost himself in a revenge spree, poor thing... I'd have rathered if it was just a little bit more... realistic? If Rick had been the root cause of his own problems. If he'd experienced tragedy, but also been the cause of much more. I just wish there'd been more of a balance? It just felt so rushed. And not because of the montage- it just like Rick became completely apathetic way too fast. I just hate hate HATE the "he was a good guy with the perfect little life until tragedy struck and he was never the same". Rick never made the effort to improve his life, to do better, to be better. He's actively a cruel, callous, unkind person (complex, yes, but these are traits no one can deny he harbours). He's done far worse than was done to him, and that will never be justifiable to me... it just all feels so very cliche and out of place, and out of everything, this was the one thing I had hoped they wouldn't do.

I think the writers are aware of this, strangely enough. I mean, Rick even calls it his "crybaby backstory". I think they didn't want to leave it open any longer, and just got it out of the way. I don't think they really want to elaborate on it anymore. From what I predict, they want to focus on the here and now of Rick (and Morty, haha), and the development of who Rick is NOW, instead of who he WAS. I think they kind of just went, here's your gut-punch, your tragic backstory, now leave it alone. Diane is dead, Rick had a hard past, the series is about moving on and change. Now can we PLEASE get back to the sci-fi shenanigans?

(There was something I LOVED about the backstory though, and that was the soundtrack! Like the music for the Battle of Bloodridge, it fucking SLAPPPEDDDD. I can't imagine making synthwave emotional, but it actually kind of worked! The swell of the music actually did a lot more for getting a reaction out of me than the content lmaooo. It kind of reminded me of Kurzegast's "optimistic nihilism" for some reason... I actually liked the Bloodridge track so much, it got me a little into synthwave, which i never listened to before! The music producers this season have just KILLED IT!)

#citrus speaks #long #ajdjsjdhaj im sorry i just have so many Thoughts on this #as critical as it sounds i promise i dont hate it that much #rant #is this a rant? it sounds like one akdnaja #RaM #Rick and Morty spoilers #rick and morty #RaM S5 finale

[krizaland]

zim x irken!reader based on the trial? the reader being a higher up that wants to save him (the tallest liking them would be an extra point)

Yes!!! I love this!

This came out waaay more angsty than I intended.

Be warned: There’s self sacrifice and attempted execution ahead!

Here’s the song I used btw

You felt your squeedilyspooch churn as you landed on Judgementia.

You didn’t know why you were so surprised.

It was only a matter of time before  Zim would have an Existence Evaluation.

As much as you hated to admit it, Zim was responsible for some of the worst tragedies on Irk.

From causing a massive blackout on planet, Devestus, to nearly annihilating their entire civilization during Operation Impending Doom 1; You should’ve expected this to happen a long long time ago.

Nevertheless, the mere thought of Zim having an Existence Evaluation made you burst into tears.

In spite of his numerous sins, you knew Zim never meant to cause so much trouble.

All Zim ever wanted to do was prove he was worthy of respect.

The life of a short Irken was filed with ridicule and discrimination.  You could never even imagine what it felt like to be as short as Zim.

He was even shorter than Skoodge!

It was a miracle he didn’t end up a Table-headed Service drone nor The Tallest’s personal foot stool.

You thanked your lucky stars you had the privilege to train with him.

Despite all the hateful words flung his way, you quickly learned that all of them were untrue.

From the moment you met Zim, you knew he was someone extraordinary.

He had more passion, determination, perseverance, and loyalty than anyone else.

Zim fought tooth and claw every day just to prove that he was just as worthy as anyone else.

And you deeply admired him for that.

No matter what anyone else said, you always stood by Zim’s side.

You cheered him on during training, you patched up his wounds, you even listened to him vent about his day.

Whenever Zim said he’d be a Tallest someday, you genuinely believed him.

He may have been short, but by god did he have the spirit of a leader.

Over time, you and Zim begun to fall in love.

Unfortunately, due to the drastic height difference, you and Zim had to keep the relationship a secret.

As time went on, you became the highest ranking general the Irken Army had to offer and Zim became an Invader.

You couldn’t have been more proud of him! You always knew he was destined for greatness!

Even after the catastrophe that was Operation Impending Doom 1, you still never gave up on Zim.

Unfortunately, the rest of the Empire didn’t feel the same.

Not one little bit

You thought that once Zim had been banished to the far reaches of the Galaxy he would be safe!

However, Red and Purple had been planning Zim’s Existence Evaluation for quite some time now.

You tried to talk them out if it. After all, Red and Purple adored you. You were so sure they’d listen.

Oh how wrong you were.

Red and Purple simply laughed in your face and thought you were joking.

As much as you wanted to fight for Zim, you didn’t want to upset Red and Purple.

Despite their trashy behavior, Red and Purple were still The Tallest and you had to respect them whether you liked it or not.

And you really really didn’t like it.

Neither Red nor Purple had any business being in a leadership position.

Both of them were arrogant, selfish, and childish.

They didn’t give a sandworm’s last whisker about Irk! All they cared about was snacks and which poor Navigator to yell at.

You always hated being invited to ‘oversee’ their ‘projects’.

You knew damn well that was just code for asking you on a date.

You could usually get away with declining but not today.

Every Irken was required to be present for an Existence Evaluation.

And you were given a front row seat.

You dragged your feet as you slunk inside the judgement hall.

“Hey Y/N! Over here!”

The sound of Purple’s excited voice woke you from your thoughts.

You jumped a bit before scurrying over to his side.

“Ah! Y/N! Glad you could make it. This Existence Evaluation wouldn’t nearly be as enjoyable without you.” Red purred as he floated over to you.

“But it would still be pretty enjoyable. After all, Zim’s totally going to be deleted!” Purple chuckled.

“Yeah! We’ll finally be rid of him!”

Red and Purple burst into a loud fit of laughter while you fought back the urge to cry.

Had they really no shame? Not even the tiniest inkling of remorse?

You held your tongue as you turned your attention to the center of the hall.

The Control Brains loomed ominously over The Spike of Judgement as they waited fir Zim’s arrival.

You always hated those dumb Brains.

Their rules were always so ridiculous! 

In fact it was their very rules that stood in the way between you and Zim!

You tried not to scowl as you took in a deep breath.

FWUMP!

Zim was tossed into the center of the Spike of Judgment.

He looked a bit bruised and confused but other than that Zim seemed fine.

“ZIM, YOUR TIME HAS COME. PREPARE FOR ALL YOU DESERVE,” The first Control Brain bellowed.

Zim jumped a bit as he felt a shudder run down his spine.

“Eh?! Oh! A surprise party?! That’s what this was all about?! I was wondering why I was beaten up and transported from Earth to this place! A party for Zim!” 

Zim sounded cheerful but you knew that nothing could be further from the truth.

You could see the panic radiate from his beautiful magenta eyes.

He was simply in denial to protect his mind from the truth.

“SILENCE! ALL WILL BE MADE CLEAR ZIM.” The first Brain bellowed, almost sounding annoyed.

“Geez this is a party, lighten up!” Zim huffed as he rolled his eyes, “Hey can I make a quick call?”

The guards exchanged annoyed glances before begrudgingly agreeing.

After a few minutes, Zim returned to the center of the Spike of Judgement.

“C’mon hurry up and praise me! Every second I spend off Earth is time lost! Zim time! Because I am Zim!!” 

“IT MAKES NOISES.” The second Control Brain bellowed.

“BOTHERSOME NOISES” Replied the third.

Zim looked over and let out an excited gasp.

“My Tallest! And Y/N! This really *is* a surprise party! You honor me greatly on the most wobbly gelatinous parts of my squeedilyspooch!” 

You let out a whimper as you turned away from Zim’s excited grin.

“That’s Zim! Start already!” Purple commanded.

And with that, The Control Brains plugged into Zim’s PAK and begun the Evaluation.

You watched Zim’s memories playback on a large monitor next to The Control Brains.

While Zim did indeed commit quite a few atrocities, most if not all of them were the result of accidents.

It wasn’t long before Zim realized what was going on.

After a comical escape attempt, Zim was dragged back to Judgementia and plugged back into the Control Brains.

“OUR RULING: ZIM’S I.D PAK IS DAMAGED AND HAS LED TO A CORRUPT DATA PATH. HE IS...A DEFECTIVE!” The first Control Brain bellowed.

“But..I can’t live without my PAK!” Zim wailed.

Purple opened his mouth to speak but you cut him off.

“WAIT!! Almighty Control  Brains! Please spare him!”

The entire room gasped before falling silent.

“IT DARES TO DEFIE US?” Asked The second brain

“HOW FOOLISH” replied the third.

“Y/N ARE YOU CRA-“

“GENERAL Y/N. STATE WHY ZIM’S I.D PAK SHOULD NOT BE DELETED.” The first Brain ordered “YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE”

 You cleared your throat and took in a deep breath.

“Almighty Control Brains, while it’s true that Zim has committed many atrocities, I believe these atrocities to be the result of mere accidents and not the result of a damaged PAK. Therefore I propose that Zim train in my boot camp in order to correct these mistakes!” Your voice was laced with a slight plea as a few tears trickled down your cheeks.

The first Control Brain hummed for a moment.

“YOUR OFFER SOUNDS INTERESTING....”

Both you and Zim lit up but it was way too early to celebrate.

“HOWEVER IT SHALL BE DENIED.”

“WHAT?!” You and Zim exclaimed in unison.

In a last ditch effort to save Zim you cried out.

“If you won’t accept my offer than delete my PAK instead!”

Another gasp echoed throughout the hall as Purple fainted into Red’s arms.

“Y/N NO! ARE YOU INSANE?!” Zim yelped.

In spite of everyone’s protests you continued.

“My PAK data is just as damaged if not more so than Zim’s! I am one of the few Irkens capable of feeling compassion and,” you looked into Zim’s eyes, “.......affection...”

“IT WISHES TO SACRIFICE ITS LIFE FOR THE DEFECTIVE’S?” Asked the second Brain.

“THIS ONE TRULY IS FOOLISH.” The third Brain tutted.

The first Control Brain almost seemed surprised

“GENERAL Y/N, ARE YOU CERTAIN YOU WISH TO SACRIFICE YOUR PAK DATA IN EXCHANGE FOR ZIM’S?”

“Y/N NO-ACK!”

ZAP!

Zim was cut of by a shock from the first Brain.

“Yes! Yes I am! Just as long as you spare Zim!” You pleaded as you looked into the many eyes of the first Brain.

“Y/N NO-“ Red cried out

“VERY WELL. IN EXCHANGE FOR GENERAL Y/N’S PAK DATA, ZIM

SHALL BE SPARED FOR NOW.” The first Brain interjected.

“Y/N!!!!! NOOOOO!!!!” Zim wailed as the first Brain released his PAK.

FWIP!

CLANG!

The first Brain latched on to your PAK and dragged you to the center of the spike of Judges.

“Control Brains! Stop this at once! General Y/N is not a defective!” Red pleaded as a few tears trickled down his cheeks.

“THE DECISION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE. COMMENCING DELETION PROTOCOL!” 

With another ZAP! You felt the life slowly drain from your PAK.

Zim let out a panicked cry and shoved past the guards.

“Y/N! Why...Why would you do this?! Why would you something so stupid?!” 

You gave Zim a sad smile and caressed his face.

“Because I love you....”

With a soft sniffle you gazed deeply into Zim’s magenta eyes.

“One day you will realize...The stars you are chasing shine bright deep inside you...but will you ever let it shine from within... And cast all your fears aside... You’ll see the light but until that day comes...”

Zim burst into tears as he desperately clung to your gentle hands.

You winced but still tried to keep a smile.

“My dearly beloved, be strong I shall be there. Always here beside you. So keep your head held high..”

Zim tried his best to hold you close as you kept singing.

“The shadows of this world will try to steal you away into their arms but you belong in mine...”

You returned the hug and let out a soft purr.

“We are one within a dream, so hold me close and count the stars with me... All our scattered memories... I will find the pieces one by one..”

Zim clung to you for dear life. 

The Control Brains lifted you up in a poor attempt to shake Zim off of you, only fir him to cling tighter.

“Solar flares fly over me... I’ll keep you in my memory...”

You and Zim were gently spinning in the air. 

If Red didn’t know any better he’d assumed you and Zim had planned this as some kind of elaborate performance before Zim was deleted.

“This dream that lives within your eyes, I wish to see it come to life.”

Both you and Zim were in tears as the song continued

“A thousand blades into the sky, reach out and link our worlds, yours and mine. Let the stars rush over you. And one day I know we shall meet again!”

“My dearly beloved, be strong I shall be there. Always here beside you. So keep your head held high. The shadows of this world will try to steal you away into their arms but you belong in mine! ” Zim’s desperate plea melted with your voice.

You pulled Zim into a gentle kiss and sung softly.

“My dearly beloved...”

Just as you felt your last spark of life start to fade-

CRACK! CRASH!

Zim pulled with all his might and tore you free from The first Brain’sclutches.

Wasting no time, Zim scooped you up into his arms, hopped into his Voot and took you back to Earth with him.

Once he made it back to his base, he immediately hooked your PAK up to a medical bay.

After days of tedious labor, your F/C eyes finally opened.

“Y/N! You’re ok!” Tears of joy spilled down Zim’s cheeks as he caressed your face.

“Zim? I... I’m alive?” Your voice was dry and scratchy.

“Yes! So very much alive!”

 You let out a soft laugh.

“I knew we’d meet again...”

“Yes! And I’ll never ever let you leave my side!” Zim sobbed as he gently held you close.

“Don’t worry, I promise I’ll never leave you again, My dearly beloved

#invader zim #invader zim x reader #anonymous #sorry if the formatting is weird I posted this on mobile

[sofwrites]

The shout out was SO cute. I cannot tell you how honoured I am that you mentioned me 💕

Sutton was also my fav character from the show, and when it came to the choices they made with her... well, let's just say that I have questions but even more so I have complaints

Girl, I'm so relieved to find out the reference wasn't in this one. I went full clown swiftie looking for clues that aren't there with this one. New Year like the song??? Them facetiming because "a tiny screen's the only place I see you now"??? Benji was previously mentioned but maybe I didn't pay enough attention then??? I even read the chapter twice because the first time I did so was late and I figured maybe it passed over my head eventhough I'm a radar for all things related to her. I'm already excited about the next chapter, but knowing the reference is going to be there will be an extra treat for me. You don't have to, but I cannot explain how much it means that you go out of your way to include it. That's so lovely of you 💕💕💕

Her lyrics do fit Penelope so well. The thing about Mr. Perfectly Fine is that I can't listen to it or even read the name of the song without remembering Sophie Turner's insta story. That's when I snort. Even when you associated it in the fic with the incident, I was still amused. Blessed be female friendships

I love mutual pining and angst, as long as there's a happy ending. I'm not suffering in vain. Possibly the only fic that I've read that ends in tragedy, was the one you wrote about Colin being too late. It made me feel things, mostly sad ones. Even at that, I thought you did a great job at exploring the plot, that could have been a possible outcome if someone else would have courted her. I think I've read it like three times? But then i go and revist fluffy fics to make myself feel better. You know, for self care purposes

Your efforts not only show, but they also pay off. The fic is so enjoyable and it's very impressive how you manage to pack a whole plot on short text messages. I love it so much. As for rereading your fics, the thing is, they bring me comfort, WCBCR especially. Polin, in case it wasn't obvious, is my fav couple of the books and your fic is what I would have liked the book to be like. I mentioned it in a previous ask, that for me it just makes more sense than the original story (no disrespec to JQ). I go through all the emotions when I read it and aren't we all in need of that? I'm truly thankful that you continously decide to share your talent with us ordinary mortals, we are not worthy 💕💕💕

Now, on today's episode of me projecting my life on your fics, I also picked up crochet and am watching reruns, just that in my case is of Teen Wolf. The only thing I'm lacking is a cute guy to be in love with me. I'm cool with that though, we're still in a pandemic and I don't want people to get near me

AND YESSS! WHAT? IS? SHE? PLAYING? AT? This is the chaos era, but I'll enjoy it as long as she keeps giving us stuff. Between her releases and your updates, the serotonin won't stop coming my way

[I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO SAY I DID CATCH THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE REFERENCE. YOUR FICS ARE WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF (I had to, you know I had to)]

- YOU ARE SO CUTE. These messages give me life and you're just the best

- yeah Sutton and Richard were so good that they just decided to make up problems for them and just... fixed it without actually fixing anything it was rude

- no I'm so sorry you had the stress of going through it again!! I even read through it because I was like "wait what was the reference I put in there" cause I wrote my tags so long ago 💀this certain reference is from one of my favorite TS songs and it's such a Polin song and I know you won't miss it!

- Sophie Turner posting a screenshot of Mr. Perfectly Fine was iconic. Miss queen is iconic for that and I love any woman who clowns her husband

- I can't believe that the only fic without a happy ending you've read is mine AND that you've read it multiple times... Like oh my god that's so overwhelmingly heartwarming. I actually love that story and don't mind at all when people don't want to read it (hence why I was so clear in the tags), but knowing people like it even despite the ending is so wnejfnasjkdfnskfd

- STOP you're honestly so kind I'm basically crying while reading your message. I wrote WCBCR so completely on a whim and that the fact that it became 100k is maddening and even more maddening is that people use it as their comfort fic. ACK I constantly am going between missing writing it and being so relieved that it's done

- no literally re: Penelope spending her life in quarantine is literally just what I did. I watched Love Island and learned how to crochet. However, I too was lacking a cute male (and a cat 😭)

- she's actually crazy and being a stan is so tiring and I'm not even one of the ones that deciphers her codes

- OH THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE REF. I actually went to Italy 2 years ago and basically word-for-word copied the Instagram caption from my own post 🤪ANYWAY ILY FOR CATCHING THAT

#taylor swift anon #my bestie #screaming crying perfect storms #tbh you make my day #I took like 2 days to process this message cause it was so sweet and there was so muc #I know we'd be besties irl too considering our shared interests #have a great day!! #also i have a physiology exam tomorrow and fun fact but serotonin promotes your pain receptors