#the underground toy society

[harley-quinns-riddler]

Liam Lion Lost at the Bloomsburg Fair by Jessica D. Adams - Book Review

Liam Lion Lost at the Bloomsburg Fair by Jessica D. Adams – Book Review

Book Review Liam Lion Lost at the Bloomsburg Fair by Jessica D. Adams is a marvelous addition to The Underground Toy Society book series. This children’s picture book is a great gateway to teaching children about safety. Why? You might ask. Well, Liam Lion is Eric’s stuffed animal friend. They are preparing to go on a great adventure to the Bloomsburg Fair. Unfortunately, Eric’s Mom says Liam…

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#book recommendation #book reviews #children&039;s picture book #childrens book #jessica d adams #picture book #the underground toy society

[feroluce]

I've only recently started having my own thoughts about Emanator!Sampo and I think my favorite version of this is that he is technically an Emanator, it's just that he doesn't talk about it because Aha is a dick who only blesses people that don't want it and Sampo hates it here dkjxkdkdck

Aha blessed the Mourning Actors! A whole faction of people who have specifically made it their life's mission to resist Elation! They made a literal worm their Emanator just to see if it would be accepted into the Genius Society! And when it wasn't, Aha just as easily killed it and tossed it aside! So I feel like there is a good possibility that Aha looked down at Sampo, this little oddball who doesn't seem to even like Epsilon or a lot of the Masked Fools and was like.

Hey.

You know what would be really really funny.

And I feel like being an Emanator wouldn't even be a plus for Sampo, because of how he operates. Sampo excels at blending in; he managed to smuggle himself onto a planet

that had been isolated for 700 years,

with only one (1) single city on it,

and going even further, he snuck himself into the Underground,

where the population is even more sparse,

and STILL. Not a single accusation of him being an alien! Not even after the Astral Express lands and proves that interstellar space travel is possible! Sampo is so thoroughly ingrained into Belobog that yeah, some people admit they don't know his origins, but none of it ever comes with the question of whether he actually is a Belobog native or not. Sampo knows exactly how to blend himself into his surroundings in the most subtle way possible. And being an Emanator, something far more powerful than any normal human or Pathstrider could ever hope to be, would only throw in a massive extra variable for him. Sampo would have to be so so careful to keep a lid on his Emanator traits, to keep up the appearance of being totally normal and average at all times. It doesn't help him at all.

And this part is pure indulgence, but I love taking Aha's closeness with mortals, and THEIR tendency to take human form, and twisting it into a case of THEM using Sampo as a vessel.

I want Aha to look at Sampo the same way all of us look at Sampo. A chew toy. A plaything. Something to shove through the meat grinder. Aha thinks Sampo is hilarious and a funny, silly little guy, and THEY want to put him in Situations just to see what he does. Sampo is not a fan.

This though, this is what makes Sampo so wildly entertaining as a vessel. Because Aha knows that Sampo does not want to be a vessel, does not even want to be an Emanator, and THEY find it SO much fun to watch the mental gymnastics he has to pull to convince himself he's ok with it, this is fine actually, because he's not exactly about to tell off a literal god. He doesn't feel like getting a smiting today, please and thank you.

Because squeezing yourself into a human vessel is so different than merely adopting a human disguise, there's already a human soul in there, it's kind of a tight fit. If Sampo doesn't make room, doesn't all but dissociate right out of his own body, it could cause. Consequences.

And so, Aha always gives a warning, just to watch him squirm.

It begins with the sound of bells.

Just little ones, at first. Small, clinking little sounds that could even be considered nice. Something almost gentle, like a wind chime in a pleasant breeze on a warm day. This is the signal for the countdown.

Sampo breathes in, breathes out. Makes himself as small as possible within his own body.

The bells rise and multiply, tinkling wind chimes give way to sleigh bells, to shopkeepers bells, the sound of something inevitable approaching, something entering.

Sampo breathes in, breathes out. Dilutes himself, weaker and weaker concentrations.

The bells rise and rise, multiply and multiply, celebration and tragedy resonating in the sound of church bells, ringing bright and loud, the sounds of weddings and funerals both the same.

Sampo breathes in, breathes out. Becomes like smoke, like vapor. Hollows himself out.

Empty, empty, empty until he echoes, like a bell, like something with the sole purpose of being shaken and rattled around, a thing to be struck, the sounds jarring and punched out and gasping and piercing the air, the lung, the eardrum.

Sampo breathes in.

Beaten he rings, bashed in he sings.

Aha breathes out.

#sampo koski #hsr sampo #hsr aha #emanator!sampo #emanator sampo #hsr #honkai star rail #my fics #pardon me I've been listening to a lot of kara kara kara by kikuo lately dkxjkskdmd #I really like Emanator Sampo theories and even think canon is pointing that way- assuming he isn't just Aha in disguise #but I also like Sampo being a pathetic little guy. a squeaky toy. just a little dude. #and thus. this skzjnskdkd #an Emanator but pathetic about it haha #stringing Sampo up like a piñata so I can beat him with the possession angst stick ☆ #he just has a lot of personality. Sampo is very bright and vibrant and distinctive- #-and always perfectly in control of himself to put on the best show. #so I think it's most jarring to see him dissociate- to see him go completely still and quiet just trying to breathe and settle #breate and settle breathe and settle breathe and settle #until he looks distant and hazy and goes unresponsive. until he feels like he is barely within his own body. #aha thinks this is funny #sampo tells himself he does too because it's easier that way #(shaking hands with Aha and Sparkle as I too like to mess with Sampo and put him in situations snkzjsjdkd)

[nikethestatue]

I don't know how to explain this exactly, but I feel that some people in this fandom, especially not the casual readers, but those who 'study' the books, for lack of a better term 'over-read'. The desire to find SOMETHING--anything--that's bad or inappropriate or controversial--overrides common sense.

Today in the morning a video came across my dash, where the girl was talking with utmost seriousness that the Night Court is an 'apartheid state', that Rhys is a violent dictator, that he forces his own people people to stay underground (Hewn City folks), that Illyrian women aren't allowed in Velaris and much more of the same.

And at some point, you have to ask yourself--why are you reading this? But besides that, what was the intent of the author? Do you really REALLY think that SJM was writing the NC as an apartheid state? That people aren't allowed to do certain things on purpose? That her favourite character--Rhysand--is subjugating his subjects and is a power-mad misogynist?

I guess I just don't get it. If you so dislike the main characters, why are you reading? Also, throughout the books, some of these things are explained--how Rhys can't change certain thing because then he WOULD become a dictator. It's a magical society where people live forever, so it's not like there is generational change. There are a ton of things that could be said about all of this, but really, apartheid state? At some point, just walk away, because you are starting to sound unhinged.

Like every time when I see that Azriel is an incel, who scares women and doesn't understand boundaries, etc. Obviously, anyone can 'theorise' anything, but do they think that the intent was to write him as such? Or when people say that Azriel wants to use Elain as a sex toy. If you consider this logically, for just a second, anyone can and would understand that that's not the case at all.

I don't know...At a certain point, you just have to stop and not analyse ACOTAR like it's it's a work on international historical assessment of feminist intersectionalism in the apartheid state of Prythian. Just, calm the fuck down, I guess.

#pro SJM

[sagephilosophie]

ROYAL REQUEST

┆RINDOU H.

Chapter II : Sanzu's Wife 「Masterlist」

꩜ Chapter Summary ▸ For nothing can cure the princess' broken heart, but the wedding bells crushed into dust.

꩜ Chapter Tags ▸ Implied/Referenced Pregnancy, historically accurate misogyny, Arranged Marriage, Cheating, historically accurate systemic oppression, slight suggestive content.

꩜ Word Count ▸ 5995

The Shibuya kingdom; known for their powerful political and financial figures, authority over the rest of the kingdoms within the Tokyo empire, widely civilized society, and graceful princess that will bring them peace by marrying into the Kantou kingdom royal family.

Never had the princess been so terrified of her way back home.

(Name) watched coldly as the carriage pass by the forest, lake, and farms and for once she couldn't admire them, the future looked so harmful through the greens, the urge to open the door of the moving cart and roll off the hill was pretty tempting.

Her head went to two directions, one autocalming her with memories of the previous night, of Rindou's messy mauve hair in her grasp as his muscular one held tight to her thighs, oh the pure euphoria as his lips painted her neck similar color to his orbs, all while mercilessly fucking her. The other making up horrifying scenarios, of her lover targeted by the Shibuya and Kantou royal family, of having to end up in a loveless marriage and possibly never seeing Rindou again.

'If i can't marry whom i love...' she thought '...i won't love whom i marry.' A promise. A fake promise. She cared for Sanzu... just not like that... never like that...

At the thought of Sanzu a memory popped up into her head...

"(Nickname)! Over here!", Happily gestured the Tokyo prince, as the little princess tried to keep up with him and the Yokohama prince running up the hill, racing to the cherry tree.

Unfortunately for her, they had too much energy to match that she had to stop midway to sit down and catch her breath.

"Manjiro! Keisuke! (Nickname) is tired", Rushed the Kantou prince to her side, taking her hand and offering her a plum he just got before finding them.

The other two kids stopped their tracks and ran back the opposite direction, making the four of them sitting and facing the Tokyo imperial palace, that looked like a toy house from their point of view.

"Do you still have more plums?"

"Stop thinking of food all the time"

"No one was talking to you"

"Both of you be quiet already!!"

"What will you do if we don't?"

"I will tell your brother Shinichiro"

"No you will not"

"Yes i would"

"Then catch me first"

Manjiro got back on his feet and continued running as Baji followed along, both kids giggled and called for Sanzu to play catch with them, the boy in question moved away and squated for (name), "i will carry you around, now let's beat them!"

She climbed his back and he ran after the troubled boys to the cherry tree. The sounds of children laughing echoed across the open area.

It was put to the test more than once how Sanzu was a loyal friend and companion who would always have her back. Including these times.

As a matter of fact, they haven't seen to one another since the engagement ceremony nor spoke during it, he was well aware she wasn't taking the news as happy ones so he was making sure to give her space; another small considerate act from Haru that still meant a load.

There was more supporting factors for that, however - aside from the superstition of the unluck threatening the groom and bride presuming they meet before the wedding - the Kantou kingdom faced a number of political menaces that kept the wedding delaying; from going on a hunt for the traitor of the royal military, to encountering two seperate rebellion movements known as Moebius and Valhalla, leading them to suffer severe damages especially with their most capable captain, Yasuhiro Muto, fleeing the territory upon being discovered as the traitor they were looking for.

Rumour has it, he works for an underground alliance between corrupted royal figures to dethrone the now emperor, Shinichiro Sano.

The prince, tangled through all this mess, being the only capable working royal around to take care of the kingdom, that he became a serious mess - almost reaching Rindou's workaholism level - that he had no time in his hand to meet up with the princess nor discuss their opinions - not that it mattered - they were in neutral terms with the idea anyways, even she was willing at one point to be Sanzu's wife ... that was until Rindou and his gorgeous face interfered.

Within their love hours she couldn't think properly of the consequences, the disgrace of having a premarital affair with a different man than her betrothed, the possible treason against the council's decision to her courtship allegation, the crossed boundaries between respected allies such as the Kantou kingdom, and the threats of supplies getting cut and the innocent civilians end up in an extreme famine because of her... The consequences kept getting worse as she listed them, all of that flew over her head back then, all they could've thought as worst case scenario was separating from one another.

-

The shame was late, the realisation of the situation only hit (name) as she passed the gates, heading to the meeting tower. That damned tower.

She couldn't recognize the way inside her own home anymore, the stairs were getting taller and taller the more steps she took, the sound of her own footwear against the surface haunted her.

"May this go right so i would too...", she chanted under her breath repeatedly. The promises she made all day were to no one but the void, saying something with a meaning of 'help me out of this one and i will stop sinning' sounded ridiculous when she'd break her vows faster than ever if and when Rindou shows up.

The meeting room door swung open... The members of the council shifted their full attention to (name). The mood got tense and the wind blowing outside the brick wall sounds ever so clear.

"May we be of assistance... your royal highness ?", urged Lord Kisaki Tetta with a sharp tone - that she didn't appreciate.

"Yes... i mean.... well....", she inhaled intensely, "i came with an announcement..."

"And what may that be ?", the king replying from across the room caught her off guard, unnerving her more.

"I- uh...."

Breath in...

"The t-t-thing is...."

Breath out...

"You make me happy princess..."

That was all the encouragement she needed.

"I wish to cancel my engagement to Haru."

The room flipped; everyone yelled in unisen that words were incomprehensible, but the curses were too loud to miss, no doubt they were going to freak out but shouting insults at her in the presence of the king took her aback - more concerningly that he was too... collected...

Tears threatened to fall as the slurs kept rolling, the men got up from their chairs holding their work papers for dear life to revise the outcomes of the alternative she suggested, unnecessarily calling her a Bitch behind every word, the unreasonable ferality getting out of hand.

"QUIET!!!!! QUIET GENTLEMEN!!!!!", Duke Ken Ryuguji silenced the raging circle and warned them, "I should remind fellow members of the Shibuya council to watch their tounges, when speaking to our Princess."

Everyone behaved themselves on his command; the Duke was well respected as the right arm of the Tokyo empire crown prince, Manjiro Sano.

"Well pardon me, Your grace", Kisaki's mischievous voice barged in, signaling no good, "are you perhaps implying you... support her royal highness' statement?"

"I have not implied a thing, Sir Kisaki", Ken answered him in a serious note, "however, i believe we should hear her out."

"Sure, sure, oh please elaborate on your catastrophic, disadvantageous, and death-dealing vision, princess (name)! We're all ears!", sarcastically added Kisaki.

"Oh don't be ridiculous... that's just melodramatic...", She can hear Ken growling from his place prior to replying again on her behalf.

"Is it now ?", The malicious man moved from his seat closer to the center to address the entire room, "Shall i remind you all what awaits us if prince Takeomi dies ?"

The silence in the room got loud, a cold breeze roamed around. Not even the princess dared to argue with... what started the arrangements;

The Shibuya kingdom and the Kantou kingdom had a long-term tied history... ever since the late emperor, Mansaku sano, gave them close lands both kingdoms favored the other and have been practising inside trades, Shibuya ended up excessively relying on Kantou's agricultural goods, which was proven to be disastrous on one fateful day;

When the crown prince of Kantou, Takeomi Akashi, disguised himself and roamed the villages of Shibuya, unwarned, the prince was cornered by a group of Knights that knocked him out and beat him up, his head was severely injured which left him comatosed.

To avoid war and conflicts, the council acted fast to find the culprits and publicly execute them, but that was not enough.. Kantou parliament wasn't going to let that slide so fast as Takeomi showed no signs of recovery and they had to resort to preparing the spare for the role of a crown prince.

Said spare, Haruchiyo Akashi - now Sanzu for safety measurements - also received the most awaited duty of an heir; to conceive a child, that's when Shibuya council jumped at the chance to offer a peace treaty by making arrangements to marry off their beloved princess, (name), to Sanzu so all ends contently.

Or so they thought.

The tower dared not talk back to Kisaki after reminding them how important this marriage was for the sake of peace, all were convinced there was no way around this, either she marries Sanzu or war it is.

"Am glad we're all in the same page, however...", He turned to face the bride-to-be with a nerve-wrecking smile, "I'm curious..."

The princess gave him a puzzled look at what he was building up to.

"what made you to change your mind two days before the wedding..."

Her expression twisted when he finished off, "maybe another man ?"

She broke into cold sweat at the indirect mention of Rindou, all the ways they could try to hurt him if she admits anything....

The silence made it too late.

"And there you have it, gentlemen."

A loud slam was heard from across the room...

The king tossed his chair away and made his way to where the princess was standing, "is it true ?"

Upon receiving no answer a loud slap echoed, "you whore... who is he? Give me the name. Now."

She held her cheek and tears streamed down her face. Still no answer. The king's expression got dark and enraged he ordered, "That settles it."

The king turned to face the council, "Princess (Name) is to be wed to Prince Haruchiyo by the chosen date", he got back to her once again, "and you better cut off your little affair if you know what's good for you.

End of."

With that, the meeting ended and the men in the room were dismissed.

The princess ran away from the tower and seeked refuge in her chamber, the ladies-in-waiting in there hovered over their crying lady as she covered her face with her hands and sobbed loudly, they couldn't make up what she was saying while she sniffled between words.

In a blow up moment, (name) ordered everybody out harshly, and was left alone to hear her own ragged breathing.

She moved near the mirror and stared wide-eyed into her own eyes in the reflection, in disbelief of the mess she looked like...

-

(Name) sat still in front of the mirror and stared coldly back at her own eyes in the reflection while the maid was adding the final touch to the flower crown to the bride, she had been all dolled up for the Prince; the royal family requested the best tailors from the west to specifically make her the most majestic wedding dress - that was singlehandedly made of 7 layers from the finest fabrics in the empire - to speak of years to come, professional stylists and beauticians travelled across the empire to Kantou kingdom just for the darling princess' most suitable hair style and cosmetics.

None of that impressed her. Truly acting like a lifeless doll since arriving to her new home, the Kantou kingdom. Absent-mindedly being bathed by the maids, she stared into the abyss as the warm water ran down her body.

"You're beautiful..."

The door opened and another maid curtsied, "it is time, my lady"

Her vision blurred when she stood up and her hearing was muffled, she walked down the hallway within her 'home' and made up the nobleladies talking to her but not their words.

She've been to the Kantou palace many times, but it felt strange and unfamiliar like it was her first time seeing this path.

Next thing she knew the door was creaking and the lights in the venue almost blinded her, faded faces were staring her way awaiting for her arrival, the musicians changed the song into what sounded like her dreadful fate...

Douce dame jolie,

Pour dieu ne pensés mie...

(Sweet, beautiful lady,

For god's sake, do not think...)

the guests lowered their wine glasses, and the cleric moved next to her so soon-to-be father-in-law, King Akashi...

Que nulle ait signorie...

(That anyone rules over me...)

The Shibuya kingdom king closer than everyone, ready to walk her down the aisle towards a classy pink-haired gentleman that's further from her than everyone, he had his hands clasped clearly waiting more impatiently than everyone else for his bride's move...

Seur moy fors vous seulement...

( But you alone...)

But she can only recognise Rindou in the crowd, misty-eyed with dark circles, his lips curved into a pout and she felt her heart break to the right person being in the wrong place...

Qu'adès sans tricherie...

Chierie...

(For endlessly and without falsehood...

I have cherished you...)

Feeling alive again, (name) unmindfully moved forward, only to be cuffed to her father's arm taking her to the luxurious dungeons known as her fate -or hell in her made up world...

Vous ay et humblement...

(And humbly...)

She stared around once more and the image was clear again. This is happening... her eyes widened at seeing the cleric and Sanzu getting closer from her point of view...

Tous les jours de ma vie...

Servie...

(All the days of my life...

I have served you...)

she turned her head to see the duke, he had the thousand yard stare like she never saw him before whilst Ran had a hand on his younger brother's shoulder, worried for him...

Sans villain pensement...

(With no unworthy thought...)

The king kissed his child's forehead through the veil and extended her hand to hold the groom's - who helped her up by his side - and the cleric began speaking, "we are gathered here today by god's will to join this man and this woman..."

Helas! et je mendie...

D'esperance et d'aïe...

(Alas! And i beg...

For hope and aid...)

The cleric's voice went faint as Sanzu turned his head and murmered kindly to his young bride's ear, "My princess, I'm grateful that you're the one with whom I'll spend the rest of my life..."

Dont ma joie est fenie...

(For my joy is ended...)

Her eyelids kept twitching at the overload of her thoughts, memories, and visions. Glancing at the middle akashi next to her, he is stunning; his long rosy hair neat and tied in a ponytail only one strand of hair fell on his face but it wasn't out of place, his white and golden ensemble made him look more king-like than a prince, he wore a small smirk on his soft pink lips that can only be seen from his side profile - where she was standing - the only thing topping all that are his ocean eyes underneath his long snow eyelashes. The man was god-crafted...

Se pité ne vous en prent...

(If you do not take pity...)

The cleric arranged the clock and gave both of them time to read out their vows, hand in hand, locked eyes, and the vows were coming to an end - and so was the future for her...

Douce dame jolie,

Pour dieu ne pensés mie...

Que nulle ait signorie,

Seur moy fors vous seulement...

(Sweet, beautiful lady,

For god's sake, do not think...

That anyone rules over me,

But you alone...)

"I hereby pronounce you husband and wife, You may now kiss the bride."

Mais vo douce maistrie...

Maistrie...

(But your sweet mastery...

Masters...)

Sanzu lifted the Princess' veil, her paranoid eyes gazed into his love-struck ones and his hands lovingly stroke her cheeks as he held her...

Mon cuer si durement...

(My heart so harshly...)

Rindou couldn't watch anymore and dropped his head with the scene unfolding, closing his eyes tightly and fighting the tears...

Qu'elle le contralie...

Et lie...

(That it torments...

And binds it...)

Ran watched worriedly on behalf of his brother at the newlyweds sharing their first kiss and the crowd cheering loudly, he - unlike them - understand the dynamics around the room and couldn't enjoy the ceremony like the rest of the invitees...

En amour tellement.

(So much in love.)

-

A giant table was set after the ceremony for the royal families and their guests, serving gallons of alcohol that filled their golden chalices. Everyone was too focused on their ceremonial beverage whilst (name) hopelessly searched for Rindou with her eyes, no sign of him anywhere.

King akashi got up and raised his wine, drawing everyone's attention towards him, "this is a toast... to my daughter-in-law! welcome to the family (name)."

The young royal snapped out of her headspace and thanked him quietly, when her king followed next, "My old friend... this is a toast to our new family bond... TO FAMILY!!"

The men and women raised their own drinks and applauded to their drunken speech, every second that passes by in that dining hall, the princess shifts closer to insanity, things can only get worse for her when she accidentally overheard her husband's cousin make a remark to him, telling him to monitor his drinking to stay awake tonight, and she felt sick to her stomach at that very mention.

Sanzu did tell his drunk cousin off, but the reminder of what's to happen this night was suffocating enough.

"Not drinking, princess ?", the older haitani crept from beside her that she practically jumped on Sanzu, "it's your night, you know."

"No, I'm not gonna drink", she answered him and he hummed swirling the wine goblet in his hand, on her other side, Sanzu scolded his old acquaintance, "leave her alone, Ran."

"You are of luck...", added Ran, "not anyone can melt down stones..."

Sanzu scoffed at that metaphor and took another sip of his whiskey, but (name) understood whom he really meant.

He got up to walk away, "Take care of him, (name)... he doesn't show it too often but he needs your love.", the Roppongi prince's disguised request flew over everyone's head, only he and his brother's lover knew the real meaning behind his blessing.

Ran smiled, "and that maid is a looker.", he winked playfully and left the dining hall, the comment confused her until she turned to find said maid approaching to announce in her ears,

"it is time to go to the bridal chamber, my lady."

-

The way to the bridal chamber was uncomfortable, she could hear her heartbeats pounding excessively, she tripped over her own feet a couple of times and the night wasn't lookong so great from here.

Her legs froze in their place at the presence of Rindou on the way, looking at her like a kicked puppy. If it weren't for the maids, she would've jumped in his arms immediately.

She stared at him tenderly, the most joyful she has been all day, she stood there silently in hope he'd say anything, absolutely anything and she would agree and leave with him wherever. But the princess' pain was immeasurable when he averted his eyes. 'Oh... he doesn't care anymore...'

"Leave, Rindou...", (Name) whimpered, "this my first night what do you still need here..."

The duke's silence done nothing but infuriate her and the tears streaming down her face grew warmer that she snapped at him,

"I... I... I... I TRIED- AND- AND YOU'RE- YOU'RE HE...RE- JUST WHAT ARE- WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING HERE???????!!!!!!!!", she stammered in her cries, beating his chest with both her fists until he held them tightly with his own, "LEAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!! JU- JUST... GO.... LEAVE ME RIN...DOU..."

His heart shattered at hearing his love bawling - because of him nonetheless - so he respected her wish and left her as a shell of a woman.

The maids stepped closer to hold the crying lady, escorting her away from the hall, unbothered to any drama only fulfilling their mission to get her ready for their nuptial night.

-

Changing her into a cream lace nightgown didn't do much to stop the princess from crying a river, the older maid of the two taking care of her kept telling her stuff about a woman's duty to endure pain for her husband and some other nonsense she didn't care enough to listen to.

'This is wrong... this is all wrong...'

She lived this scene before; getting ready waiting for her man under the moonlight, and it isn't as charming the second time, most definitely because the man about to enter the chamber is her childhood friend and not the one she loved and lost her virginity to.

Not one, but two relationships are about to be ruined by this night... if the fight with Rindou didn't already do enough damage that is.

When the young maid let go of her hair and they both curtsied, there was no need to look at the door to figure her fate arrived.

Sanzu ordered both maids out and approached the bed, she had already stopped crying from alarm but was now in the mood to bite if he tried anything funny. It was on to the second stage of heartbreak, full fury.

He placed his hand with care under her chin and moved her face to meet his, she finally noticed him; he had let his long pink hair down and left the bangs fall on his face really close to his half-lidded eyes, a pink blush covered his face as he still had that smirk on his scarred lips, staring down his white and golden robe was now open revealing his abs - even though Rindou was more muscular - and one last thing she noticed was a red dagger tied to his belt before drawing her attention again, "look at me..."

"Why was my wife crying ? This is a happy occasion you know...", Sanzu muttered while his finger stroked her chin, her angry expression was the only response he got, "tell me what's wrong, pretty..."

Slowly and patiently, he brought her face closer to his own only to be pushed hard into the ground, Sanzu gave her a puzzled look, "(Nickname)? No seriously what's wrong ?"

"Everything was just alright. Thank you", the bride responded harshly and stomped away from him.

The prince got up on his feet to follow her and held a hand in place as she struggled, "wait- you can't- where are you going ?"

"None of your business.", She freed her hand from his grasp and pushed him again this time not strong enough to trip him down, "and i have no business here with a jester like you."

Sanzu held her back in place, hugging from behind with one arm holding her wrists down in another, "come on there is no need to keep pushing me, sit still so we can talk!!!"

"LET GO OF ME!!!", they kept struggling like that, the princess trying to free herself by knocking him down while he kept her in place.

"Promise you won't push again first.", she eventually nodded so he retreated a few steps still holding her left wrist gently, "now, look at me and just talk..."

She turned furiously and slapped him, "just talk ???? JUST TALK????? I don't want you !!!!! I don't want to marry you !!!!!! what's so hard to understand ??????"

Sanzu held his cheek shockingly at the outburst of the princess he knew and grew up with all his life, he never saw her like this nor did they ever have to get violant. The graceful and elegant Shibuya's sweetheart princess losing her composure and letting it all out on her childhood friend - now husband - it was like witnessing a headline for stories to come, really taking him aback. This was not the (name) he knew, something was extremely wrong and he stayed quiet to listen in if she tells him.

She saw red just by staring at him, his entire being was irritating her, she tried to slap him again but he dodged, the pent-up rage from the entire day has reached its limit and now the culprit was right in front of her, she went on to attack him but he still overpowered her, "calm down!!!!! (Name)!!!!!!"

"You don't get it- You never will !!!!!!!!! You won't understand what it's like !!!!!!!!!!!! Being a DEAL....... a god damn PRODUCT!!!!!!!!!!! You're to blame!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF TRASH- FOOLISH BASTARD-", Sanzu didn't say anything as his wife was losing her sanity and kept on insulting and yelling at him, still trying to land a hit on him but he controlled their position enough to hold her close as she cried in his arms in the end.

The second Akashi son picked (name) up bridal style and tucked her in bed, watching her closely cry herself to sleep. When the room finally got quiet from the sniffs, he took put his dagger and it on his finger to see how sharp it is.

As quiet as he can, he stabbed his own hand and left the blood drip on the mattress.

"Sleep well..."

-

The next morning, two maids opened the curtains to sneak the sunshine in, the princess woke up anxiously and examined her surroundings, oh, that's right, she lives in Kantou palace now.

"Good morning, my lady.", a maid curtsied before her.

"...where's Haru ?"

"His royal highness woke up a long time ago and he told me to inform you he wished to have breakfast with the entire royal family before his departure to close a deal with an old acquaintance so they are now waiting for your arrival", the princess stared half-mindedly at the woman standing, then at the ones behind her.

"... I will be there in a minute.", she tried getting up but almost fell, the three women rushed to her side, two of them staying to help her change into a presentable gown, the last one took the blooded mattress specifically and left behind everything else.

She looked at the ground, mind occupied by last night and how she treated Haruchiyo. If she must be honest, she'd say she feels ashamed to see him again, but to be sincere, she needs to apologise, so she took a couple of deep breaths, and headed to the garden.

The atmosphere in the garden was rather calming, enough to distract her from the tense one she's living, the flora and the breeze warmed up a spot inside her broken heart.

"Oooohhhhh~ siiiiiiiiiisterrrrr innnnn lawwwwww~"

(Name) followed the voice to find the grand duchess, Senju Akashi, waving for her to join their breakfast table. She did find a spot next to Haruchiyo, but tried finding another to avoid the awkwardness, unfortunately, there was exactly five chairs; King Akashi always sits at the head of the table, the seat that was supposed to be opposite of him taken away, Senju facing her brother and sitting next to her grandmother. Oh. Meaning the only chair left was supposed to be Takeomi's. How unpleasant.

The Kantou princess swallowed her pride and sat next to her spouse, deciding to only apologise when they're alone. Sanzu, however, didn't get that idea as he put the food down and gazed worriedly at his life-long friend changing towards him the moment she became his wife.

The king broke the tension by starting small talk, "What a joyous twist of events!!! i remember you kids being inseparable... oh, i also remember my Senju here begging to play with you two, but her brother scolds her and she comes crying to me!"

"DAD!!!", The old king laughed at his daughter's embarrasment of the memory, the newest Akashi consort found their bond adorable, Senju's open behaviour with her father was something Shibuya royal life couldn't allow for her own.

Despite the mention of Takeomi saddening them, Haruchiyo chuckled at his sister too and they shared a small happy family moment.

"Oh come on, Haru, Dad also brought up you two inseparable love birds~", Senju teased her brother.

"Senju don't-"

"I wonder how inseparable you were last n- OUCH!!!!!! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?????", Sanzu pinched his sister before she could finish her sentence, "I said. Don't."

"WHAT DID I DO NOW???!!!!"

"Your brother is right, Dear, that's a private matter."

"I was just curioussssss!!!! Back me up here, nana!!!!", the energetic girl shook the old lady slightly, getting no reaction at all, she couldn't even hear her.

On the contrary, the woman only looked over to see (Name) and smiled brightly, "grandson... who is this lovely lady ?"

The princess couldn't help but smile back, she could feel the pain following her the past three days soothing. Her husband equally as relaxed by seeing her smile after their intense fight.

"It's your grandson's wife, mother", Father Akashi answered her.

"What ?"

"YOUR GRANDSON'S WIFE!!!!", Senju raised her voice for the antecedent queen to hear better.

"Greatson is alive ? Congratulations", Senju frowned at her failure when the two men broke into laughter.

"Oh don't disappoint your nana son, do give her a great-grandson! I'm waiting for my grandson as well"

"Oh, for sure...", Haruchiyo's reply made the noble lady put down her utensils, "...At this rate we will get you as many grandchildren as you wish!"

The princess' smile dropped as rage boiled up inside her, she slammed the table getting up and left her in-laws in confusion, Sanzu got up to run after her but she kept running away from him, "(Name) WAIT!!!!!" "GO AWAY!!!"

The prince managed to corner her before she could reach the gates and whisper-shouted, "why did you leave like that ??!! What now ???!!!"

"You little- Who do you think you are ?! I will not bare your children!!!! Who even said i will agree to consumate this marriage ?!", She argued.

"Shhhhhh lower down your voice, if the council find out your hymen didn't even break, you will be in bigger trouble than i am and you should know that by now!!", he got closer to answer back in a low voice, "listen, (name), i'm serious don't mention that outloud again!! I'm sorry... but they don't care about you, they just see you as a womb, and they won't hesitate to hurt you... not even I can protect you from their panorama that far, so please just... cooperate and play nice till we have that heir and they will leave you alone... please."

The princess gave him a piercing glare and murmered, "You can not threaten me into letting you impregnate me, Haruchiyo..."

"I'M NOT-", The stressed man sighed and ran his fingers through his hair to pull himself together, "that is not what i said, we will have that child whenever you feel like it... but for the time being do not make it too obvious. For your own. Safety."

She moved dangerously close to his face, "And we are having that child never."

Yelping as Sanzu held her face with one hand, his expression got dark, "I have been saying since morning, we don't have much choice here."

She almost fell when he let go, this time it was his turn to show hostility in his tone, "Weither you liked it or not, it is the only fucking reason you are here, so you can give me an offspring. I am not a fucking god to alter every course of your reality that you do not like, give me a fucking break, i'm trying my best here. Welcome to your new life now."

(Name) took a step back and left running, she can hear her husband calling for her to come back but her tears decided trusting him won't be a choice anymore.

She ordered the guards by the gate to prepare her a carriage in a hurry.

'I won't stay here a minute longer...'

-

The princess sobbed on the entire way to Roppongi kingdom, the place where she felt love at its peak.

She needs to see Rindou now, whatever it takes.

Passing by the vast fields from the Haitanis' territory, the sharp feelings since confronting the council ate away the allure and innocence of the first impression she had on the route to their castle .

"i'll be with you through every minute"

Rindou's husky voice recited again and again in her thoughts to convince herself this is the right thing to do, be with the younger Haitani, always and forever.

She payed no attention to anything but the daydream to embrace him, not the carriage stopping at the center of the estate, not the guards dropping their heads low in her presence, not all gates opening to pave the way, not the servants trying to interrogate her visit, no one and nothing were cared for.

(Name) approached the stairs, determined to reach her lover's room when she was stopped by the older Haitani, "Princess ? What are you doing here ?"

"I made a mistake, Ran...", 'pushing him away last night', "I need to speak to Rindou!!!

"I don't know about that, (name)... meeting Rindou now is a bad idea-"

"Please- i really need to see him please..."

"(Name)... it's risky i mean... does your husband even know you're here?"

She began to weep again and Ran found himself with no choice, "No nononononono- look look it's alright you can go talk to him, but make it quick! He's in the Library, here let me show you the way..."

The princess wiped her tears and followed him, recklessly running to where Ran was pointing when they got closer and swinging the door open.

"RIN!!!!"

"...Princess?!", Rindou tossed his book away getting up hastily from the chair, his hair was a mess and his face looked tired, it doesn't take a genius to figure out he hadn't slept that night.

No time wasted, she jumped into his arms, "oh Rinny... i'm so sorry i should have never let you go... i love you!!"

At loss for words, the duke hugged her back hesitantly, "My princess, i love you too but...", carefully he broke apart from the hug, "... you're not mine anymore..."

"Don't say that, Rin!!! of course i'm yours i...", (Name) looked him deep in the eyes and caressed his cheek, "I only belong to you..."

Rindou put the hand on his cheek down and held it tightly, he summed up the courage to tell her in a cracking voice, "You have a husband now, (Name), this is your chance to live happily ever after... and it wouldn't be love if i ruin it..."

"No... no Rindou don't- i don't love him, Rin... you're... the only one i can live happily with i-... my body and soul, both are yours, i will never let anyone possess them after you..."

Catching her hint, the man finally brightened up and gave in to his desire to keep holding her, happily taking her in his arms.

Caught up in the moment, they leaned in to kiss passionately, the kiss escalated to Rindou grobing her lustfully as she kept moaning his name into his lips.

Rindou moved to her neck, leaving hickies left and right, she opened her eyes for a moment to find herself staring into familiar blue eyes with long snow eyelashes by the open door.

...

Oh, the old acquaintance he had to close a deal with...

-

A/N: Thank you so much for reading <3 (There will be way more Sanzu next chapter cuz i feel bad for him)

@sagephilosophie

#Royal Request #i write! #tokyo revengers x reader #rindou haitani x reader #rindou haitani x you #tokrev x reader #rindou haitani smut #sanzu haruchiyo x reader #tokrev #tokyo revengers #rindou haitani #ran haitani #royalty au #vee's

[witchofthesouls]

I'm curious about Tourniquet the Camien Nurse's Mentor/Parent. Cause there's at least some similarly to Tarn.

The level of professional wrath the Nurse and Nickel inflicted upon Overlord was just chef's kiss. I have to wonder what Tarn's response to the incident was.

The Pit was the Phase Sixer trying to even do, or was he just fucking around to find out? He certainly found out and not from a mech he expected.

Overlord is a giant, over-sized, weapon-packed cat that wants to toy with his Master's newest "focus." Megatron is focused on... whatever Tarn and nurse got going, so Overlord has to naturally insert himself into the mess.

The Phase Sixer didn't expect the little bird to have such a delightful bite.

So, Tourniquet has a warm and kind persona, inviting as a campfire or a temple's ever-burning oil lamps, but don't let that fool you. There's a sadistic, cruel streak beneath it.

And it's an absolute necessity as a Camien Healer.

Omph, I would have to really delve into my own lore of Camien society (and I will in another ask/post), but short list-wise between Tarn and Tourniquet: extremely capable hunters, well experienced in causing immense pain in their targets, highly committed sparks, deep-seated loyalty to their mission, and, in the Nurse's point of view, musically-inclined.

They share a similarity to use music to decompress and relax. Tarn with a variety of classical compositions and propaganda pieces in his office and musicals, lower-caste folk songs, and Underground Independents in his habsuite, while Tourniquet finds a way to a nearby choir or a bar with live bands.

Tourniquet had taught a small, not-yet-nurse of a traumatized sparkling, very simple hymns and canticles: Gloria and Embers of the Forge.

Tarn does enjoy the rendition of Camini Fair.

And Tarn was extremely unhappy in the aftermath.

There were three hysterical newsparks that couldn't be soothed for anything, and he had to cut (non-Megatron) meetings short. Tarn and Kaon are frazzled from the multiple tries to calm their neverending anxiety, nor any attempts to reach half of his unit was working.

Not only had Overlord prepare a communication blocker on the medbay unit, the Nurse immediately blocked their sparkbonds to negate any emotional transference. Sure, the newsparks didn't feel the pain of their carrier's arm getting twisted and ripped, but the gaping silence of a lively song had pushed them into a hysteria of fear and terror.

And seeing the damage on Nurse and the report on how they got one over the Phase Sixer? Tarn is absolutely furious and most definitely issues a Challenge after Overlord starts lingering outside the Peaceful Tyranny.

#ask #bookandyarndragon #transformers #transformers idw #idw #mtmte #the donor clause au #tarn #overlord #reader insert #Cybertronian!reader #kaon #nickel #bitlets #sparklings #caminus #tourniquet #cybertronian biology #cybertronian culture #maccadam #my writing #Tarn figured out to use a blanket to bundle the three and lay down to have them splayed on his chassis #turns the shrieks into frightened and confused chirps and meeping #he also gives me Simon & Garfunkel vibes #weirdly enough Florence & the Machine as well #Overlord is that house cat that has a New Thing to focus on #unfortunately it's Nurse and Nick for the ball bearings to not only counter and have the skills to work on his frame #hook was a piece he wants to conscript the wayward colonists into his Division

[thenamesblurrito]

To bring some positivity to TFOne coming out, what stuff did you like about the trailer? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

oh man im still digesting it a lil bit but whoof lets go-

ECOLOGY

WE HAVE ROBOT ANIMALS!!! FLORA AND FAUNA!! WE SEE MORE THAN JUST CITIES WE SEE LANDSCAPES AND GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES AND A BLEND OF CIVILIZATION AND WILD SPACES AND A PROPER ALIEN PLANET!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ANIMALS!!!!!

like don't get me wrong the cities themselves rock and are gorgeous, but we only ever see like... just a bunch of grey metal and blocky greebled buildings and rust. Cyberverse was probably my favorite properly alien planet as a whole instead of just a really big sci fi city named Cybertron and i'm so excited to see what they do with it in One, ESPECIALLY with how it seems to be heavily technoorganic and hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Quintessonsssssssssssss eeeheheheheh give me the SQUIDS

actually for that matter the aesthetics?? this is such a fascinating artistic direction that i'm really appreciating like the vaporwave sunsets, the fractal moving mountains and aurora horizon, those busy neon city scenes and the upside down underground towers and... whoof it's all so incredible?? and it manages to be visually stunning WITHOUT just being a bunch of, yknow, greebled nonsense. it looks designed, it looks like it has Culture and Life and Intent behind it instead of being a mess of vaguely robotic detail slapped on. i keep wondering what the significance of the tower on the poster will be. the train things are fascinating. the little hints and implications of society and oh how interesting that could be expanded on. the mecha themselves too are like, halfway in between uncanny valley and stylized tin soldier toys for me in a way that took a bit of getting used to but i'm appreciating more and more how it's visibly and joyfully animated instead of trying (and failing) to be 'live action' like the Lion King

the SCALE. THE SCALE!!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW RARE IT IS WE GET SO MANY NAMED KNOWN CHARACTERS PACKED INTO SCENES LIKE THIS. tf canons usually have core casts of characters both for storytelling and budget reasons and yet here we've got so many shown off in just the trailer, it makes it feel like a real populated planet instead of a handful of robots and some set dressing like Aligned feels like to me.

i've got some insane questions like why does D-16 already have a Decepticon brand on him??? why is Alpha Trion alone and sad and did he rip those tcogs out of the corpses of other primes to give to them and why is he some kinda mossy gorgonopsid unicorn?? why is Sentinel getting tentacled and will we see him be ripped limb from limb (positive)?? what are Vehicons here and how do they differ from regular bots and what is their purpose???

the only real issue i have is Hasbro being predictable and shoving Bee in when someone else would really better fit this movie as he's typically not meant to be in this time period/role but eh. disappointed but not surprised and willing to let go and laugh at him being comic relief anyway. there's literally not enough information on anything else for me to say if i don't like it or not yet bc i have no idea how they're gonna execute it, but what is there has me eager and hopeful it'll be good

i guess the biggest thing is. it looks fun. it looks FUN!!! the world looks fun, the characters look like they're having fun, it just seems like a movie that wants me to ENJOY it!! i'm ready for a fun movie in a franchise i love!!

#tf one #tf one spoilers #it just looks SO FUN!!!! #ew canon

[cultofsnowfall]

Leshy, The Chaos Bishop of The Green Crown in Darkwood!

Here’s some Leshy Headcanons!

Before Being Indoctrinated:

🌿 • Leshy is the youngest of the Bishops and so he gets babied and has more freedom on how he acts and portrays himself to his followers and the other bishops

🌿 • He sees mortals as playthings or toys so he plays pranks on them often and doesn’t really care for their personal emotions. Narinder always plays along being a huge prankster as well

🌿 • He definitely has some sort of ADHD. He constantly changes plans or activities on a whim with little to no thought

🌿 • Along with his schedule being unpredictable so is his mood. He can be playful one moment and sadistic the next

🌿 • If his followers think to even cross him he will devour them without a second thought. Even if a follower does nothing wrong and follows his every whim he will sometimes decide to eat them anyway

🌿 • As the Bishop of Darkwood his society is responsible for the steady wood supply throughout The Old Faith

After Being Indoctrinated:

🌿 • He is the most defensive and verbally hostile Bishop in the cult. He hisses out insults any chance he gets. Usually Shamura has to calm him down

🌿 • Leshy is completely blind so his hearing and smell is heightened. He can distinguish individuals on scent alone

🌿 • Because of this he suffers from sensory overload quite often. A method of grounding himself is to gently stroke and sniff the Camelia flower he has hidden

🌿 • Still has the ability to burrow underground. Usually only does it when he is under some sort of stress or extreme emotion

🌿 • Enjoys gardening even if he can’t see. The calm environment with the earthy smells remind him of Darkwood, giving him a sense of comfort

🌿 • Tends to cling onto his siblings for reassurance, usually Heket as she makes him feel safe

🌿 • His diet is now strictly vegan as during his Indoctrination he developed the inability to digest any animal by-product. He still misses eating meat and flesh

🌿 • Leshy surprisingly is 6’1ft tall for being the youngest Bishop. He uses this height to intimidate others simply to prank them and fill his chaotic nature

#cult of the lamb #cult of the lamb darkwood #cult of the lamb leshy #cotl #cotl fanart #cotl leshy #cotl headcanons #cult of the lamb headcanons #cotl bishops #cotl relics of the old faith #cult of the lamb fanart #cotl hc #cotl Headcanon #cotl hcs #cult of the lamb hc #cult of the lamb Headcanon

[leonardcohenofficial]

tagged by @herbaklava @timrothencrantz and @wutheringdyke to post my top nine new-to-me watches of the year—thank you all! in no particular order (l-r, top row to bottom row):

skinamarink (kyle edward ball, 2023) great freedom (sebastian meise, 2021) earth mama (savanah leaf, 2023) nineteen eighty-four (michael radford, 1984) enys men (mark jenkin, 2022) marina abramović & ulay: no predicted end (kasper bech dyg, 2022) paris 5:59: théo & hugo (olivier ducastel and jacques martineau, 2016) nationtime (william greaves, 1972) giants and toys (yasuzo masumura, 1958)

while i hit my continual goal of half of the films by women and nonbinary filmmakers, i still definitely need to keep up with deliberately seeking out films by directors of color! tell me your faves if you’ve seen any of these; do we think i can hit 150 titles in 2024? 👀🎬🍿🎥

i'll tag @sightofsea / @lesbiancolumbo / @nelson-riddle-me-this / @draftdodgerag / @edwardalbee / @majorbaby / @radioprune / @glennmillerorchestra / @deadpanwalking and anyone else who'd like to do this!

my full watchlist is included under the cut, favorites of the year are bolded in red:

The Final Exit of the Disciples of Ascensia (Jonni Phillips, 2019)

Nothing Bad Can Happen (Katrin Gebbe, 2013)

Dive (Lucía Puenzo, 2022)

The Menu (Mark Mylod, 2022)

The Wonder (Sebastián Lelio, 2022)

The Whale (Darren Aronofsky, 2022)

Shapeless (Samantha Aldana, 2021)

Skinamarink (Kyle Edward Ball, 2023)

Avatar: The Way of Water (James Cameron, 2022)

Actual People (Kit Zauhar, 2021)

Honeycomb (Avalon Fast 2022)

Warrendale (Allan King, 1967)

Women Talking (Sarah Polley, 2022)

This Place Rules (Andrew Callaghan, 2022)

Nationtime (William Greaves, 1972)

Deep End (Jerzy Skolimowski, 1970)

Incident in a Ghostland (Pascal Laugier, 2018)

Keane (Lodge Kerrigan, 2004)

I Start Counting (David Greene, 1970)

Bones and All (Luca Guadagnino, 2022)

Tár (Todd Field, 2022)

The Most Dangerous Game (Ernest B. Schoedsack and Irving Pichel, 1932)

These Three (William Wyler, 1936)

Dead End (William Wyler, 1937)

The Sport Parade (Dudley Murphy, 1932)

We're All Going to the World's Fair (Jane Schoenbrun, 2021)

Ratcatcher (Lynne Ramsay, 1995)

Smile (Parker Finn, 2022)

Holiday (Isabella Eklöf, 2018)

When Women Kill (Lee Grant, 1983)

Softie (Samuel Theis, 2021)

My Old School (Jono McLeod, 2022)

Beyond The Black Rainbow (Panos Cosmatos, 2010)

The Diary of a Teenage Girl (Marielle Heller, 2015)

Infinity Pool (Brandon Cronenberg, 2023)

Murina (Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic, 2021)

The Banshees of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh, 2022)

Doubt (John Patrick Shanley, 2007)

Enys Men (Mark Jenkin, 2022)

Bully (Larry Clark, 2001)

My King (Maïwenn, 2015)

Festen (Thomas Vinterberg, 1998)

Marina Abramovic & Ulay: No Predicted End (Kasper Bech Dyg, 2022)

Elles (Małgośka Szumowska, 2011)

Poison Ivy (Katt Shea, 1992)

ear for eye (debbie tucker green, 2021)

Spring Blossom (Suzanne Lindon, 2020)

God's Creatures (Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, 2023)

I Blame Society (Gillian Wallace Horvat, 2020)

Bama Rush (Rachel Fleit, 2023)

Is This Fate? (Helga Reidemeister, 1979)

Paris 5:59: Théo & Hugo (Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau, 2016)

Madeline's Madeline (Josephine Decker, 2018)

The Strays (Nathaniel Martello-White, 2023)

Here Is Always Somewhere Else (René Daalder, 2007)

The Weather Underground (Sam Green and Bill Siegel, 2002)

American Revolution 2 (Mike Gray, 1969)

Judas and the Black Messiah (Shaka King, 2021)

Underground (Emile de Antonio, Mary Lampson, and Haskell Wexler, 1976)

Saint Omer (Alice Diop, 2022)

Baby Ruby (Bess Wohl, 2022)

Welcome to Me (Shira Piven, 2014)

Clock (Alexis Jacknow, 2023)

Knock at the Cabin (M. Night Shyamalan, 2023)

Blue Jean (Georgia Oakley, 2022)

Soft & Quiet (Beth de Araújo, 2022)

Jesus' Son (Alison Maclean, 1999)

The Rehearsal (Alison Maclean, 2016)

Violent Playground (Basil Dearden, 1958)

Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog, 2005)

A Banquet (Ruth Paxton, 2021)

Jagged Mind (Kelley Kali, 2023)

The Night Porter (Liliana Cavani, 1974)

Good Boy (Viljar Bøe, 2023)

Sanctuary (Zachary Wigon, 2022)

Little Girl (Sébastien Lifshitz, 2020)

Séance on a Wet Afternoon (Bryan Forbes, 1964)

Massacre at Central High (Rene Daalder, 1976)

Summer of Soul (Amir "Questlove" Thompson, 2021)

Bad Things (Stewart Thorndike, 2023)

Still (Takashi Doscher , 2018)

Lake Mungo (Joel Anderson, 2008)

The Vanishing (George Sluizer, 1988)

The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring (Erin Lee Carr, 2023)

Giants and Toys (Yasuzo Masumura, 1958)

Spoonful of Sugar (Mercedes Bryce Morgan, 2022)

Double Lover (François Ozon , 2017)

Hereditary (Ari Aster, 2018)

Bodies Bodies Bodies (Halina Reijn, 2022)

Don't Call Me Son (Anna Muylaert, 2016)

Great Freedom (Sebastian Meise, 2021)

Mother! (Darren Aronofsky, 2017)

The Mind of Mr. Soames (Alan Cooke, 1970)

The Bloody Child (Nina Menkes, 1996)

Bunker (Jenny Perlin, 2021)

Polytechnique (Denis Villeneuve, 2009)

Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America (Brian Knappenberger, 2023)

The Woodsman (Nicole Kassell, 2004)

Giant Little Ones (Keith Behrman, 2018)

The Killing of a Sacred Deer(Yorgos Lanthimos, 2017)

Nineteen Eighty-Four (Michael Radford, 1984)

Saltburn (Emerald Fennell, 2023)

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, 2023)

May December (Todd Haynes, 2023)

Free Chol Soo Lee (Julie Ha and Eugene Yi, 2022)

Girl (Lukas Dhont, 2018)

Queen of Hearts (May el-Toukhy, 2019)

Streetwise (Martin Bell, 1984)

System Crasher (Nora Fingscheidt, 2019)

Burden (Richard Dewey and Timothy Marrinan, 2016)

As Above, So Below (Larry Clark, 1973)

The Captive (Chantal Akerman, 2000)

Run Rabbit Run (Daina Reid, 2023)

Subject  (Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall, 2022)

Earth Mama (Savanah Leaf, 2023)

Woodshock (Kate Mulleavy and Laura Mulleavy, 2017)

Swept Away (Lina Wertmüller, 1974)

Meadowland (Reed Morano, 2015)

Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power (Nina Menkes, 2022)

La Ciénaga (Lucrecia Martel, 2001)

Zola (Janicza Bravo, 2021)

The Starling Girl (Laurel Parmet, 2023)

Night Comes On (Jordana Spiro, 2018)

Dance, Girl, Dance (Dorothy Arzner, 1940)

#so many good films this year! #so funny that the ones that people have really strong feelings on i did not really like this year (minus skinamarink which was incredible #and still absolutely haunts me—some of the other 2023 releases were :/)

[vqlisms]

if no-one else is gonna dissect n’s room i guess i have to do it myself

this is based purely on the games btw :3

n is about the same age as the rest of the bw protags, perhaps a bit older. estimations and canon information say they’re around 18-20 in bw and 20-22 in the sequels.

n’s room is on the fourth floor of plasma castle. it has purple and white checkerboard walls, and blue and white cloud pattern flooring. the ost plays a melancholic music-box theme, a sharp contrast to the pressure of the orchestral (or as close as the bw soundfont can get) symphony in the castle halls.

the toys in the room are not interactable, but do have text prompts.

an incomplete train set loops around the entrance. “It’s a set of trains and tracks. Has it been played with recently?”

a toy box rests beside the looping train. “This toy box contains pieces of a train set.”

a downsized basketball court takes up half the open floor. the hoop, with a toy train blocking the net, reads: “It’s a home-style basketball hoop…” the basketball on the floor beside it reads: “It’s a basketball that looks like it’s been used a lot. It says Harmonia on it…”

underneath a rotating plane suspended from the ceiling, “A skateboard is resting on a pile of wheels.”

to the right, blocking the back wall and more toy boxes, is a half pipe. “A halfpipe for skateboards… It has Pokémon scratch marks on it here and there…”

the only reachable toy box behind the halfpipe reads, “This toy box is full of new toys…”

on the back wall are three decorations. the leftmost one is a dartboard with several darts stuck to and around it. a frame beside it, hanging crookedly from the wall, reads, “This panel has a dart stuck in it.” the rightmost picture is made up of two shades of purple. “An art panel with a printed geometric pattern.”

n’s room is barely larger than the others we’re able to visit in the castle. the room is childish and colourful, not a bad thing, but definitely not fitting to the king of team plasma or the person who has been so confident in their ideals.

n was adopted by ghetsis when they were small, likely not even 10. they had no knowledge of what was normal or necessary for human children’s development. the world had no knowledge of them either, since ghetsis isolated them from society with only abused pokemon and their sisters or other team plasma members. this castle was underground for years, they were physically and emotionally dependent on people who shared ghestis’s ideals.

children are easy to manipulate. children are easy to mould. children are easy to control. no-one has changed n’s room with their growth because they weren’t supposed to; if n grew and learned and thought, they wouldn’t be the perfect king that team plasma needed. but this room, whimsical and lonely, isn’t a king’s room. n is a figurehead and a symbol. they have no control or duties, their responsibilities end at looking regal. only the people allowed into their room—ghetsis, their sisters, and select other plasma members—see that they are nothing past the garb and speeches that they preach.

aaaaaalso symbolism time!!! once again the castle is underground for the majority of the time it exists but also, please note the layout of the rooms that exist within it. none of the rooms have windows, but most of them do have chimneys. in a normal house, windows, useful or locked, at least allow a person to acknowledge the existence of an outside. since windows are useless in an underground castle, there are none. but that’s not quite true, is it? after all, the point of the construction of plasma’s castle was for it to rise from the dirt and surround the league. most of the rooms have chimneys, which would be nothing but a hazard underground when the smog would have nowhere to vent to. but they have constructed chimneys, because this castle isn’t meant to stay underground forever. n’s room does not have a chimney, or windows. there is nothing connecting their room directly to the outside of the castle.

also, the pattern of the flooring specifically is clouds. the pattern is rote, symmetrical. there are no variations, no deviations. also, this pattern is on the floor. of course, we can’t see the ceiling because of the camera limitations/perspective and the style of the game, but i think putting the sky on the ground is still interesting. because n knows what outside looks like, they grew up in the wilderness for years, enough to learn to understand pokemon. but now, in this castle, they can’t leave. the sky is upside-down and carefully graphed, and part of that is like with the toys to keep n from getting restless, but it also shows how warped their environment has made their view of the outside world. they’ve been told everything they know about society and how it functions, presented like the truth, and have only been given evidence that certified what they’ve been told.

also, a fun bit of colour symbolism. reshiram follows the hero of truth, while zekrom follows the hero of ideals. now here’s the fun part: their colours are swapped. reshiram and truth are black, while zekrom and ideals are white, corresponding with the twin dragon that the protag is able to catch in the story. outside of the dartboard on the back and some lineart, there is no black in n’s room. i don’t care if it was intentional or not, n’s room is a figment of their and the people around them’s ideals, all presented as the truth. but no matter how they present it, no matter what they wrap it in or how they light it, there’s no truth to anything they’ve been given.

also real quick the presented/fake freedom to n’s room parallels the difference between what team plasma is presenting their goals to be and ghetsis’s actual goal of holding power over people

IM BACK also note how the newest toys are shoved in the very very back of the room, almost hidden behind their old ones. they’ve played with the same toys over and over and over because they’ve had nothing else to do. they don’t have crayons or paper or crafts, their entire room is made up of solid unchanging toys. they can rearrange them and look and play from different angles, but there’s fundamentally nothing new they can do with anything. this parallels how the only ideas and ideals n could ever conceptualise were ones literally handed to them growing up. they didn’t have any information or experience to create their own because they didn’t know anything else existed. any new ideas they shoved away and repressed, regardless of how close they were to their own, or who was presenting them to them. nothing new has ever existed for them, not for a very very long time.

OH MY FUCKING GOD I COMPLETELY FORGOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING there is literally zero (0) furniture in n’s room. no bed, no dressers, absolutely nothing. there are two things i want to point out about this, one to do with n’s position in team plasma and another to do with a bit more symbolism i guess? n’s room isn’t meant to be comfortable, it’s a gilded cage, it’s simply meant to hold them, so that they don’t get restless, so that they don’t leave, so that they play along. they are a puppet leader, plasma grunts obey them because of their figure, but almost all of the major decisions of the team are either from ghetsis or from his manipulation. and ghetsis treats them like a puppet, too. after all, dolls may look human, but they don’t need anything. and n was in a perfect position for not needing anything, since they had no standards of what a human should receive in a healthy household, emotionally or physically.

anyways if i forgot anything whoopie daisy, i’ll add it later or scream about it or something (current edit count: 3). for now let’s just say pokemon won’t be called pokemon anymore after i’m done with ghetsis

#gotta do everything myself around here smh #also if you see me accidentally misspell ghetsis as ghestis anywhere in this no you didn’t i only recently realised i had it wrong for years #also they/neos your n i don’t take criticism #n harmonia #n pokemon #pokemon #q talks sometimes

[visibleclosedeyes]

hello hello vce. Do you have any khaenri'ah society/ every day life/ culture headcanons I can cry over.

This might not be tear jerking im sorry TT but this is the headcanon i can think of rn—there will be more in the future ( warning this is long)

Khaenri’ah everyday life headcanon go!

1. In Khaenri’ah society, poly relationships is more common overall (polyamory not polygamy i mean). It may not be super widespread but its more common that mostly because people die often in the abyss—missing person happened every day so to

2. Since Khaenri’ahn live mostly underground, most of their food are hard to come by therefore the majority if their food is actually fermented in some form

3. There are some Khaenri’ah who live on the surface before the cataclysm—they like to hide their eyes to avoid people questioning them

4. Khaenri’ah used fields tiller as an actual tool for carrying heavy objects as well. Actually before things got tensed—most fields tillers are actually tilling the fields.

5. Khaenri’ah toys for children are scary

6. People disappear into the night very often and never return—mostly because they fell into the abyss hole and die there.

7. Because the abyss have less lights than above ground, when they go to the surface for the first time they can have panic attacks from too much light.

8. Some Khaenri’ah went blind when they live on the surface.

9. Starvation can still happen from time to time in Khaenri’ah—so almost very one is somewhat in survival mode

#rhinedottir #genshin impact khaenri’ah #khaenri'ah #genshin khaenri'ah #genshin headcanons

[lxm-memories]

EYYYY CONGRATS ON 500!! May I request “being spun into a kiss” with Luca?

lxm-memories' 500 followers event drabble

✧ luca kaneshiro x gn!reader

✧ prompts: being spun into a kiss

✧ content: slight uncomfortable situation (?)

✧ a/n: i had a plan for this that i forgot the moment i sat down to read so this is the result of that forgotten vision.

When Luca had invited you to a banquet, you had kindly smiled at him before replying: "Hell no."

Which is understandable, your lover is practically asking you to get scrutinized, analyzed and observed by other members of high society, but in the dark. The underground. He's asking you to go to a banquet organized by mafia, to other mafias?

You weren't taking that chance.

But Luca only laughed, somehow already expecting that answer before he sat down and gave you that same reassuring smile, "Have I ever put you in danger, babe?" he asked, eyes softening when you had to think for a second what he said.

"It's going to be fine, I promise."

So here you are, dressed to the nines in an outfit you're not used to wearing at all, staying close by to the snacks table as you watch Luca mingle with other participants in the huge venue.

It's pretty extravagant, the jazz music being the only sound you're tuning into, because when you tried to listen in to what other people were saying, you promptly dipped away the moment you heard the mentions of drugs, brothels and gun trades.

Being with Luca who was considered the more powerful ones despite being the kindest one truly did wonders to your imagery of mafia. But as he said, not everyone is the same, because you also soon realized it was places that Luca had set his sights on to clean up of illegal trades.

As you continue to observe your lover, you suddenly notice another wealthy man approaching you, the bodyguard beside you doesn't seem all to fazed though, but he's barely by you when you can already notice the alcohol smell from him.

Good lord, the party had just started and he seems to have taken a bath in the high end alcohol.

"Ohh, so you're Kaneshiro's newest toy?" he remarks, both you and the bodyguard stiffening at the word. "I can see the appeal, quite the face, figure is top-notch too and the way you hold yourself is also quite impeccable. Say how about-"

The audacity of this giant-

Before you can kick him in the shins, you feel a hand grab your hand that was resting against your hip, and suddenly you're spun around and away from the man before you. Letting out a shriek of surprise before you're suddenly faced with Luca who grins down at you.

And you only have a milisecond to react, a tiny: "Luca-" slipping from your lips before Luca is pressing his lips against your own firmly, shocking you out of your anger.

"We're in public-" you manage to let out before Luca is pressing his lips against yours once again.

Your wide eyes stare into his own mischevious ones, the mafia boss grinning against your lips before he leans away, eyeing the sleazy "gentleman" behind you, who you notice have turned a bit pale when you glance back.

"Ahh, what was your name again? Well, not that it matters since I heard every single word you just spat to my lover here," Luca says, the grin is still present, but his tone seemed to turn a tad bit colder.

"M-Mr. Kaneshiro, I can explain-"

"Oh, I'm sure you can, later." Luca says with a laugh, waving his hand slighty as a signal before he grabs your other hand. "Sorry that you had to hear that," he murmurs, and you can practically see the imaginary dog ears deflate.

This truly was the same person who just sealed someone's fate just minutes prior.

The stark difference causes you to snort, leaning up to once again "Oh stop, it was honestly a bit fun, didn't expect to hear something I only heard in movies here." you reassure, touching your wet lips before you turn to face Luca who had an arm around your shoulder now. "Why that passionate kiss though?"

Luca only shrugs, letting out a small huff as he eyes the other people in the room with a gold gaze. "Just wanted to prove a point, that's all."

#luxiem #luxiem x reader #luxiem imagines #nijisanji #nijisanji en #nijisanji x reader #luca kaneshiro #luca kaneshiro x reader #[[ lxm memories 500 event !! ]]

[boyakishantriage]

She stepped, one foot over another as the alien held his breasts high. So, trans people exist, and this motherfucker was yet another pirate. And I'm getting the sensation that the only reason I'm bumping into so many pirates like this, is because the coalition doesn't understand how crime works.

On earth, there was this whole thing where the underground had systems of government sort of. Money, debts. Whatever, ways to make crime in high society and stuff less stupid pains for legal governments, and the only reason I know this fictional system is because my boss has a seat on it.

The Terran circled around, her grip, her stance, her form. All of it was weak, light. A novice with so much bravado, it appeared that this human was all bluff. A fool.

The bell rang, the human holding her ground as she wasted the pirate's time.

Bleck, the planet had several ports, been explored about a third specifically around the ports and as a result. There'd been pirates, when we crashed and the others and I managed to build a settlement around our scattered shuttles, they'd surprised us. Thankfully, the area they found us was a little further away, the cluster of three shuttles leaving the twenty or so crew to be led back and by now Daniel had organised or at least was planning something.

Tribal, that's what the pirates were. Nicking resources, just taking leeching off the network across the room planet in the system, and the Dyson sphere experiment in the area was funneling a lot of resources. The courts had "asked" me to fix it. And the "malfunctioning turrets" meant the humans would take what would be, maybe a weekend of static testing (reading code) and setting up a temporary defence while they troubleshooted the problem, into a month long operation. Mostly by using the order to stall by experimenting with various new types of defences, occasionally "accidentally" causing minor issues meaning our ship had been parked here for six months. My third crash was reaching my halfway point and I frankly. Couldn't care less.

He spotted weakness, that blank stare was her not paying attention. Drawing weapon, he swung.

CLANG.

A blade held his, hooked the Terran sweeping the weapon into the air, forcing him back as she thrust the weapon off the hook towards him. Now standing straight, weapon held parallel as he caught the weapon. Like a statue.

This dance continued for a while, everything the man struck, she'd dodge, duck or disarm him. And he'd get his weapon back, but these light attacks weren't doing anything.

New strategy, the twirled the weapon, swishing the air as he aimed to strike her middle. A block, as he threw a punch, and he was suddenly on his back. Both blades held to his neck.

"one."

She'd toss the blade back at him, relaxing into a new stance. Blade held over her, body stretched like she were between a leap, roll or sprint. The alien for up, eyes following him as he swung for the legs, a kick sweeping across his face as she slammed her elbow into his chest. Throwing her ass out as a foot wrapped around his, the weapon held between her shoulder as she slammed her head into his face. Sending him flying to the floor, pushing off his falling body and landed a little further away, blade now held at her hip.

She's toying with me.

That much was obvious, but her form was perfect. Each strike had anticipated any moves he would do, before he could counter she'd struck blind spots, which forced strikes until he had to get back up.

The alien was finished playing, the tail unfurling as the agile alien held his weapon, practically telling me he was getting serious as we held positions.

Leaping first, jumping between spots and increasing velocity as he twirled, throwing a pair of kicks as he swept down. Blood hit the floor, a gnash on my arm.

The Terran jumped back, legs sweeping away as she proceeded to bandage and disinfect her arm while dashing away from her opponent. Constantly keeping a ruler's length away from him, as she drew her sword.

"Impressive."

"Eh?"

"You treated a wound, while keeping away from me."

"... Ok?"

The two now stood apart from one another, blood no longer dripped to the floor, the man standing still as she caught her breath.

"Tired?"

"nah, just forgot to breath."

"..."

His head turned, as he repeated.

"you forgot. To breath..."

"What?"

"How..."

She shrugged, drawing a second blade.

Hesitation. The Terran could duel wield, a longer lighter weapon and a heavier shorter one, each about as long as her elbow to hand. While she wore what looked like a makeshift leather breastplate, the leather melded together with heat, that was it. Aside from some clothes. Versus his fully leather body armoured, minus the iron vambraces, the two had similar weapons. Ignoring the part where his sword was vibrating at a high frequency, their weapons were similar.

It clicked, her swords were straight. And they hadn't been cut despite being what appeared to be titanium. Just, titanium blades, looking more like modified hoes if nothing else. The Terran then spoke up.

"alright. I can't deal with this silence. Who in Hell are you?"

"... I am Lowe Bymd. Pirate lord."

"Did ya make that name up yourself?"

"Yes."

"Bit childish innit?"

"Excuse me?"

"Pirate lord? What, is there a pirate King over ya?"

"Pardon, but it is pirate Queen"

"Bet she's got a sloppy cunt."

"Excuse me?"

"A whore, wanker. I'm calling your kind a good for nothing whore."

"You mean my mother?"

"Ohhh, so you're a bastard."

"HOW DARE-"

"and you sound like a posh cunt."

"..."

The man drew back, taking a few steps back.

"You're going to regret that."

"regret what nimble legs?"

The deer like alien's limbs flexed, muscles rippling-

"Ooh, and you've got thunder thighs huh?"

Nostrils flared, the man whinnying equally like a deer as he charged forward.

The human was calm, the deer cracking the earth behind him as he gathered speed, the weapon cutting ground like softened butter as she held her sword. Closing her eyes, as the alien drew his weapon back.

"NO ONE INSULTS TO T'VA"

"Loud cunt." She sheathed her blade from beside him, the neck slicing open like a blood balloon. Head snapping as she grabbed the body, sucking the blood out the body.

#tag #Vampy #humans are space orcs #Lore thing

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: Red

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Jordan Peele’s Us is a divisive horror film, mainly because everyone takes in-universe guesswork at face value. But what I don’t think anyone could call divisive is the film’s antagonist, a doppelganger (or Tethered, as the movie calls them) who decides that living trapped underground ain’t all it’s cracked up to be and decides to take on the surface. She’s an absolutely fantastic villain, and…

Well, let’s just start this before I say too much. Take heed of that warning, though, because this review spoils the film’s big twist.

Motivation/Goals: I mean, it should be obvious that her goal is to no longer exist in the underground and to be free to experience the upper world. Who wouldn’t want that, right? Does living off a diet of rabbits and being forced to crudely mimic the actions of the person you’re a duplicate of, all while having only basic levels of intelligence and being kept out of view deep underground sound like a fun existence to you? In a way, the actions of our villain are completely understandable. She just wanted out, the chance to have the freedoms and opportunities her victim was offered and that she was denied down in those tunnels.

Performance: Lupita Nyong’o is pulling double duty here, playing both the protagonist Adelaide and the antagonist, Red. She’s killing it in both roles, convincingly portraying both characters while giving each of them distinct and distinguishing traits to differentiate them despite one being the doppelganger of the other.

Final Fate: In the final battle, Red is fatally wounded by Adelaide, who takes her son and escapes with her family. It ends up being a pretty dark ending, for reasons that will become clear shortly.

Best Scene: The final battle is a work of art. Red deftly maneuvers around Adelaide, dancing about and toying with her while diving in for strikes here and there. The music, the movement, the foreshadowing of the movie’s big twist… That’s what cinema is all about, baby!

Final Thoughts & Score: Did this all seem kind of vague and brief? Well guess what, that’s because there’s a big twist here! You see, while Red is undeniably the main antagonist, there is another villain in the film lurking right under our noses… And the one this review is also about.

Psycho Analysis: Adelaide Wilson

In a heavily foreshadowed and kind of obvious twist, it turns out that Adelaide was the original doppelganger and Red was the original Adelaide, and during that fateful night on the boardwalk their places were switched. Adelaide damned Red to a lifetime of suffering below ground so that she could escape and live her life freely, without a care for the other disenfranchised Tethered wandering around in the tunnels, feasting on rabbits and being forced into a psychic link with those above.

Ultimately, it reinforces the core theme about how those in the higher echelons of society tend to get there by standing on the backs of the disenfranchised, as well as how even those who clawed their way up from poverty and whatnot can forget their roots and turn a blind eye to the same pain they once suffered so long as it’s happening to someone else. The numerous weird logical inconsistencies of the film are almost daring you to pick at them rather than acknowledge the simple yet uncomfortable truths Adelaide herself embodies.

It’s ultimately hard for me to truly label Red as a genuine villain as opposed to a victim of circumstance who decided violent, bloody revolution against the ruling class forcing her and the Tethered to exist in squalor was necessary, especially since she was subjected to horrific trauma (including rape, considering the way she talks about how her children were conceived). But at the same time, it’s hard to label Adelaide as truly evil as well—Can I truly fault her when, as a child, she did something drastic and cruel so she could escape her own torturous existence? Would she not have been subjected to the same horrible existence that Red was, only without the hope to one day spark a rebellion due to the nature of the Tethered? She only got as intelligent as she was because she was given opportunities and privileges the other Tethered are denied, so if she hadn’t switched places the events of the film could have been avoided… which means the Tethered would still be suffering out of sight and out of mind.

It’s an interesting dilemma we have on our hands here, and it’s one of the reasons why the movie is so fantastic. Is anyone truly evil here, or are these just the actions of desperate individuals who want to improve their lot in life and see no other way than to resort to extremes? I think that both things are true in this case. While both women are incredibly sympathetic in their motivations, both still do some incredibly heinous actions.

Adelaide is the more obvious of the two in this regard: It is her actions as a child that set this whole plot in motion. Surely there was a better way than knocking out the girl she was a clone of and forcing her into the miserable life she herself wanted to escape? Could she not have simply tagged along after her, and maybe lived as a twin or even just alerted the world to the presence of the Tethered? It may seem rather excessive to hold this against a child, but she never made any effort to rescue her family or Red from the life she left behind. She seemed to simply forget them until the Tethered uprising began. It’s rather cold and cruel, especially when considering how good a mother and person she was able to become while blending into humanity.

Red may not seem quite as bad when the twist comes around, but I think it actually reveals just how bad she had become in her years of isolation from humanity. She manipulates her son Pluto into immolating himself, and she refers to her daughter Umbrae as a monster. It’s to the point where, in Umbrae’s dying moments, all she can do is quietly sob until Adelaide gives her comfort—likely the only maternal affection the girl ever experienced. Need proof? I saved the Best Quote segment for here, taken from her introductory speech:

“Once upon a time, there was a girl and the girl had a shadow. The two were connected, tethered together. When the girl ate, her food was given to her warm and tasty. But when the shadow was hungry, she had to eat rabbit raw and bloody. On Christmas, the girl received wonderful toys; soft and cushy. But the shadow's toys were so sharp and cold they sliced through her hands and fingers when she tried to play with them. The girl met a handsome prince and fell in love. But the shadow at that same time had Abraham. It didn't matter if she loved him or not. He was tethered to the girl's prince after all. Then the girl had her first child, a beautiful baby girl. But the shadow, she gave birth to a little monster! Umbrae was born laughing. The girl had a second child, a boy this time. They had to cut her open and take him from her belly. The shadow had to do it all herself. She named him Pluto, he was born to love fire. So you see, the shadow hated the girl so much for so long...until one day the shadow realized she was being tested by God.”

While the fact remains that their births are surrounded by horrible implications, they are ultimately innocent children that their own mother inflicted her suffering upon, and who she freely used and discarded without a care because she didn’t see them as “real.” Even her Tethered husband has a moment of hurt at how dismissive she is of him. Where Adelaide blended into human society and learned how to blend in and be a good person and a good mother (despite her wicked actions as a child), Red grew to become a cold, unfeeling monster molded by her brutal circumstances. Red’s humanity was stripped from her, and she became more like the Tethered than even she would like to believe.

So, what do I even give these two characters? They’re evil, but they might be some of the most sympathetic villains I’ve ever covered. It’s genuinely hard to fault their actions, but it’s pretty impossible to defend what they ultimately accomplish. If I have to boil down these incredibly complex and multifaceted characters to a simple numerical score, I’d say that they both deserve an 8/10. But that's an 8/10 I feel is a bit reductive.

#Psycho Analysis #Us #Red #lupita nyong'o #Youtube

[cazort]

I feel a strong desire to be more open talking about sex than I am, but not just with anyone.

I find the culture in the US surrounding sex to be profoundly uncomfortable, because like, there is this division. On the one hand, in the mainstream, sex is heavily taboo. People generally don't talk about it at all except in a strictly abstract, kinda medical way, except with sexual partners. Progressive culture will sometimes talk about sex but without much emotional vulnerability, particularly avoiding the discussion of personal desire or pleasure or positive feelings associated with sex. So like it's okay to talk (often even in relatively public settings) about how you were sexually assaulted or experienced sexual harassment at work and how this was traumatizing, but it's not okay to talk (often even in relatively private settings) about what slash fanfic gets you off, what toys you like to use, or how masturbating helps you to relax and love your body or feel connected to people, and stuff like that.

Then on the other hand, there is like this sort of underground/private culture of people "letting loose", mostly just with partners, and a few people who are really open, especially in certain kink subcultures, being really open but in a specific sort of way, in these subcultures, which includes people on Tumblr posting on certain tags. This culture is like 100% raw but often strikes me as sex negative because ironically a lot of people want to engage in sex or sex talk but are profoundly uncomfortable having a more straightforward conversation about sex. It's like they want to do, not talk. And people can be terrible with boundaries. I can't even count how many times I've tried talking to someone and repeatedly expressed boundaries only for them to repeatedly overstep them.

I find that neither of these cultures feels at all comfortable to me. I'm uncomfortable with the sex taboo, and honestly I think I find it more stifling than most people. Like, to me, other people seem to tolerate it more. In part, I think they tolerate it because it leads to this sort of pent-up sexual frustration that they then release by going all-out with partners and/or in certain subcultures, which could include being kinda semi-public about it like for people who post horny personal content on a blog.

I feel really uncomfortable with this sort of dichotomy. It's important for my life to be more balanced and integrated. I think part of this is that I tend to experience feelings and sensations very intensely, and part of it is that my brain just tends to make things more integrated. I'm often uncomfortable with the "all out" expression of sexuality and I associate it with bad experiences such as being sexually assaulted or having others overstep my boundaries. I also associate it with past partners who lost interest in me because I wasn't sexual enough or didn't express my sexuality in the ways they wanted to. So there are like multiple different things I'm scared of or uncomfortable with.

Basically, I'm too open for mainstream society, but I'm too inhibited for most people in the bedroom. Kinda the opposite of that lyric "Lady in the street but a freak in the sheets." I'm not this, I'm the same person all the time and I want to be "more of a freak in the streets" and "more of a lady in the sheets", than is valued or condoned by our society and culture.

When I think about why I don't relate to the more "intense" or open expressions of sexuality, it's not that I dislike openness inherently, nor that I want to be sex negative. Rather, it's that I just don't relate. I have years of trauma associated with like...people expecting me to experience sexuality a particular way that I just don't experience it. People expect me to find certain things sexy or a turn-on, that I find a turn-off. People are surprised and sometimes weirded out, if they learn specific things that turn me on.

I get really frustrated that whenever I find spaces or subcultures where people are open about sex, they're usually dominated by people who are experiencing and expressing their sexuality in ways that are really different from my own. When I try expressing myself, people just don't engage.

It's really frustrating.

If you are reading this and relate, please reach out to me. I feel very alone on this issue. BTW I am not trying to flirt and not looking for new partners, read my pinned post for clarification. I have a partner and we relate super well. My struggle is that I feel like I don't have a broader social context to talk about this stuff with and I don't have people who I can talk to about this stuff who I am not dating or in a sexual relationship with. Again, this relates to the whole dichotomy of like, people being totally closed off about sex except with sexual partners where they "go all out". I am looking for some sort of middle ground where I can have friends that I am more open with about this stuff than in the mainstream sex negative society, expressing a (sometimes fairly strong) degree of emotional vulnerability, but where we are not flirting or engaged in sex talk. If it is not clear to you what this would look like, feel free to ask for more clarification.

#sex positive #sex negative #boundaries #talk to me #does this resonate with anyone

[mimmilina]

I just finished the Dressrosa arc and I am still processing it but two things are certain:

I loved it, and

it murdered me in several ways.

The One Piece theme of freedom vs. oppression is really strong in this arc and is infused into every piece of it from start to finish (Law's backstory, Rebecca's story, the Tontattas, everything).

We've seen slavery before in One Piece, and we've seen people be forced or manipulated into servitude (Nami with Arlong was an early example), but Doffy takes it to another level of cruelty in Dressrosa. Like, not only did people get turned into toys and enslaved, but they were also forgotten by everyone who knew them. People were forced to walk around as toys, doing Sugar/Doflamingo's bidding, seeing their loved ones living their lives without even remembering they ever existed. As dystopic horror scenarios go, that's a doozy.

The Tontattas were also enslaved, but through deception and because Doffy took advantage of their naïve and trusting nature. (Though he also completely underestimated them and how strong they would be if they ever fought back.)

Another recurring One Piece theme is "places that look great on the surface while hiding a cesspool of oppression and poverty beneath", and it's all there in Dressrosa . I mean, ffs, there's a whole secret underground level where toys, people, and Tontattas are forced to slave away, day and night. Sabo and Luffy even comment on the similarities from their childhood town. They know this kind of bullshit-society only too well.

And everywhere in Dressrosa, Doflamingo is pulling the strings, literally and figuratively. His string-string power to control people's actions directly is a physical manifestation of this, but he also schemes and lies, threatens and deceives in order to manipulate everyone around him. He pulls the strings in Dressrosa, and he pulls the strings in the New World.

The Arena, the Coliseum, is like small-scale version of Doffy's world. He sets the rules, he imprisons people there, he forces people to fight each other in order to survive, he pits people against each other, and puts on a grand show to make people look away from the real-life horrors in their city. Later, with the birdcage, Doffy turns all of Dressrosa into an Arena and even sets bounties on his opponents in order to make everyone inside the cage turn on each other, so that he can hold on to his power.

It almost works. But then, people start working together and instead of fighting each other, they fight Doflamingo and his crew.

All those strong fighters Doffy gathered to manipulate into fighting each other for Ace's devilfruit? They start working together. The townspeople work together, the Tontattas work together, the Straw Hats work together, everyone works together, and this is what really defeats Doflamingo in the end.

Yes, Luffy is the key, but the story is careful to show us that Luffy would not have been able to do it without help. The Straw Hats defeat the Doflamingo execs, Law buys Luffy a whole lot of time with his Gamma Knife attack, Sabo is crucial, the fighters buy Luffy time by banding together, Rebecca and Viola risk their lives by confronting Doflamingo, Franky and the Tontattas push the factory to slow down the contracting birdcage, Barto uses his barrier and has everyone help him hold the cage back, and so on...

Even Gatz helps by keeping Luffy safe while his haki recharges. Without their help, Luffy would not have been able to win.

And all of that, the fact that he needs help, is not a sign that Luffy is weak. Rather (and this is another recurring theme in One Piece) it's further proof of Luffy's real power (maybe his most dangerous one as Mihawk remarked at Marineford): making friends wherever he goes, and getting people to rally to his side. (For example, if Fujitora hadn't bent Luffy's way, even while pretending he didn't, things would have been a lot worse.)

So in this arc we get Doflamingo, who wants to control and manipulate everyone and everything all the time; fighting against Luffy who just wants people to think for themselves (like he tells Rebecca when he breaks her out of the palace), and please please please not ask him to tell them what to do.

The scene with the Grand Fleet when Luffy tells them that he doesn't want to be someone important; he just wants to be the Pirate King is so awesome in this context, even as it confounds everyone around him (except the Straw Hats, who know Luffy better than anyone.)

Anyway. I loved this arc, and another theme it highlights is that there's nothing like the power of friendship. Right, Law?

#dressrosa #my op #one piece #luffy #monkey d luffy #doflamingo

[ant1quarian]

Um I got info on my weird dragons

Hexmer CaveTails ·      

Stay in large groups of 40 to 50 members, led by two Alphas[Male and Female], Most groups live underground but some have left the safety of the caverns they were raised in, and most are born blind. Bloodhound noses but with steroids, they can hear the smallest mouse from half a mile away.  ·     

 They have four eyes[the second pair is only used for motion detection] and six legs with razor-sharp claws that help them climb cave walls with ease. Blind members of the species have developed a sort of echolocation and use their whiskers to feel around. They are warm-blooded and give birth to live young, Can shoot a very hot magnesium-based blast. Have very light-sensitive eyes.

 They write by dipping their claws into hot ink and carve their language into the paper, Vivid storytellers.

Do you think you help add more because I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to world-building?

Ooo! Intriguing!

I'm more than willing to help, sure :]

So, I have like. A bunch of questions specifically tailored to building worlds and such, because I'm terrible at it without a template

What different cultures are there? (Many different species will have different cultures that mix and merge when they come together)

What is the difference between upperclass and lowerclass? (are there obvious indicators?)

Who is treated better? Is everyone cared for equally?

What governmental systems are used?

How is makeup used? Is there make up? Is it ceremonial? Daily? Specific patterns and colours for certain things?

What do different cultures see as beautiful? Hair? Eyes? Slimness? Chonkiness?

MEMES: (Helps for you to understand how the people inside of your book interact with their society. Make funny memes about how they view their society)

Different culture’s sense of humour?

Popular Literature vs Classical Literature?

Cuisine? Different cuisines for different cultures?

Toy production? (How, where, why, etc.)

What’s considered alcohol?

Embarrassing old raunchy songs that people would sing while intoxicated but refuse to admit they know while sober?

Are there any minerals/gems that don’t react well to their bodies?

Where does the water come from and how is it distributed?

Who makes the food?

Who transports and distributes the food?

Do utilities have to be modified? If so, which ones?

What happens to the trash?

What building materials are available?

What happens to the sewage?

What do people do when they get sick?

What do people do in the case of natural disasters?

What do people do in the case of a fire?

How are large objects moved?

How are items that require skilled people to create made and distributed?

What do people learn in school? (Any extra subjects? Different things?)

Are there any cool accessories?

How are messages sent and information shared?

Which partner is more likely to take the other’s last name? Does gender play a part? Power?

#Arian's Asks #Arian's help!