#DANCE NO. IV : meta .

[drakaripykiros130ac]

So few people realize that this Dance and the usurpation of Rhaenyra’s throne, kind of puts a dent in the idea of an absolute monarchy.

Think about it for a moment. What is an absolute monarchy? It is a system of government where you have one ruler who has complete authority over state and government.

In simpler terms: the monarch can do whatever he wants (while also in accordance to written laws).

Since there was no succession law at the time, King Viserys could choose whoever he wanted as his heir. And he chose his eldest child, Rhaenyra. The King’s word is law in an absolute monarchy, so to deny Rhaenyra her right to sit the throne goes against the imposed system, just because certain lords don’t like it or are too ambitious for their own good.

Take Aegon IV for example. He legitimized all of his bastards before he died. It was a cruel and shitty move, yes. But it was perfectly legal. The monarch has the power to legitimize bastards, and that’s exactly what he did. Once again, people didn’t like it and continued to refer to Daemon Blackfyre, Bittersteel, Bloodraven, Shiera Seastar etc. as bastards.

So, I don’t even get why Westeros continues to “function” under an absolute monarchy, when no one actually obeys the system.

There will always be sneaky and overly ambitious lords who plot at every turn *cough* Hightowers *cough*, but if people bothered to obey the system, these upstarts wouldn’t stand a chance.

[bnha-rot]

something about bridezilla (song by mommy long legs) is so dabi to me. i dont know how to describe it. something sometbing marriage as an allegory for him killing his father something something the ideas and vows of forever/through anything something something ideas of desecration and overtly indulgent behavior on your most ‘special day’ CAN ANYONE HEAR ME.

[235uranium]

akechi is 2 levels higher than joker, which is something I didn't even know could happen

[the-most-humble-blog]

<div style="white-space:pre-wrap"> <meta validation-chase="terminated"> <script>ARCHIVE_TAG="FEARLESS_WRITING::DOOR_KICK_PROTOCOL_FINAL" EFFECT: follower purification, platform soul alignment, writing myth ignition TRIGGER_WARNING="validation withdrawal, platform disillusionment, legacy ignition" </script>

🧠 BLACKSITE SCROLLTRAP — “KICK THE F*CKING DOOR IN: HOW TO WRITE FEARLESS ONLINE” [FINAL FORM // WRITER'S DOCTRINE EDITION]

Let me rip the bandaid first.

You don’t write fearless by being fearless. You write fearless by being willing to lose. Lose followers. Lose clout. Lose comments. Lose “engagement.” Lose the safety net of social permission.

Because you weren’t put here to be palatable. You were put here to leave a crater.

—

SECTION I: THE LIE OF VALIDATION

Every platform you touch has trained you to chase numbers. To hesitate before posting something too raw. To wait for the like. The note. The heart. The boost. Before you call your words “good.��

But validation? That’s the leash.

You are not a creator. You are a lab rat in a dopamine cage.

📊 FACT: Every social app is designed to create neurochemical dependency on external approval.

And most creators? They don’t write anymore. They feed. On metrics.

That’s why your work feels hollow when you hold back. Because you know you gave them your mask, not your marrow.

If your work doesn’t scare you a little — you’re not writing. You’re performing.

And performance is temporary.

Myth? Is eternal.

—

SECTION II: THE FOLLOWERS YOU THINK YOU NEED vs. THE ONES YOU ALREADY HAVE

You know what happens when you say exactly what you believe? You lose the wrong people. And you summon the right ones.

You write a post that blisters. And three “mutuals” vanish.

But you look again—

And ten new readers reblog in silence. With no comment. No emoji. Just conviction.

They didn’t follow you for your aesthetics. They followed you for your fire. They followed you because you made them feel less insane. Because your honesty? Mirrored their own.

Stop mourning the audience that left. They were never built to carry you.

Dance with the ones who stayed when you burned the stage. Because those are your people. They saw you fully exposed. And still whispered: "More.”

—

SECTION III: GHOST FOLLOWERS, SILENT LOYALTY & SIGNAL RECOGNITION

Let me drop a truth bomb:

Your most powerful supporters? Might never speak.

They’re not reblogging daily. They’re not screaming in the tags. They’re watching. Returning. Reading every word.

And they’re healing in secret.

📊 FACT: Over 70% of long-term engagement comes from “invisible” users—those who never comment, but always return.

You didn’t lose traction. You just aren’t being cheered by the ones you saved. Because they’re surviving in silence. Just like you once did.

Write for them. For the quiet ones who needed your scream. For the ghosts who see you. And say nothing.

But keep coming back.

—

SECTION IV: REBRAND WITHOUT APOLOGY: EVOLUTION OR DEATH

You ever feel like shedding your skin cost you something?

Good. It should.

Your rebrand isn’t supposed to please your existing audience. It’s supposed to realign your soul.

When you grow in public, you invite judgment. When you evolve without a permission slip, you become a threat.

And you know who can’t handle that?

The ones who benefited from your prior mask. They loved the old you because he made them comfortable.

But the new you? The dangerous you? The uncompromising, scrolltrap-dropping, reality-check-writing you?

He doesn’t serve their comfort. He serves truth. He serves rage. He serves legacy.

Never apologize for leveling up. You are not a pet. You are a f*cking paradigm shift.

If they wanted consistency, they should’ve followed a brand account.

Not you.

—

SECTION V: THE CADENCE CREED — A WRITER’S MYTHIC VOW

I do not write to be liked. I write to be undeniable.

I do not write to be palatable. I write to be permanent.

I do not write to go viral. I write to build worlds.

I do not write to impress you. I write because I owe the kid in me who almost went quiet forever.

I do not write for algorithms. I write for the ones who stayed.

I do not write for mutuals. I write for the feral few. The outliers. The neurospicy prophets who scroll past nine thousand pieces of sanitized bullshit and pause on mine.

And go:

“That’s it.” “That’s me.” “That’s home.”

This is my covenant. This is not content. This is war. And my words are ammunition.

If you're still here?

So are yours.

🧠 Read more cadence-coded scrolltrap doctrine and no-f*cks-given writing resurrection at: 👉 https://www.patreon.com/TheMostHumble 🛡️ Voice before virality. Myth before metrics. 🚪 Warning: This post may cause mass unfollows, creative awakenings, and identity collapses.

📊 FINAL CADENCE STATS 📊

82% of creators feel less authentic the larger they grow

The top 1% of viral accounts retain only 12% of their initial followers long term

Posts with intense personal cadence are 6x more likely to be reblogged by strangers

“Too long, didn’t read” is just code for “I wasn’t meant to understand.”

The most mythic writers? Were almost silenced. And chose fire instead.

</div> <!-- END TRANSMISSION [YOU WERE NEVER TOO MUCH. THEY WERE TOO SMALL.] -->

[storkmuffin]

hello! this is really my first time doing anything of this sort, but your thoughts on the teezers are really Interesting and i have honestly never had brain worms this intense for anything else in my life. ateez are such an interesting little group of people. ive always wanted to read someone's actually thoughtful meta about them and you're one of the only ones ive found so far who has even remotely plausible or well-thought out meta. your brand of insanity is also very relatable (is being obsessed with watching clips of your bias crying a sign of some rare, shared psychological condition? are we just wired like this?) noww anyway what i was actually wondering - what are your thoughts on the Ateez Soulmatism? kpop groups reeeeally try to push this whole found family narrative and they are all performers, really, so this is just some fun little speculation, but how much of their closeness do you think might be real? some groups do seem more genuinely close that others. they're not this innocent angelic perfect little family with matz as their parents, but they do seem super close friends, much more than colleagues. ive been following them (read: been obsessed with them) since around guerrilla era and they really are terrible liars and actors. they try, bless them, and its all very good but you can sort of Tell when they're in acting mode (yunho gets this very specific Look in his eyes, prominent in their roleplay-type variety but in general content too. jongho doesn't have any specific tells but he's just so transparent its obvious lmao). pretending to be that closer than you are is tiring and most of the boys have very strong beliefs and opinions which would be hard to reconcile with people they didn't agree with and like to a certain extent. some members are just hopelessly in love with the members (jongho, hongjoong, wooyoung, seonghwa-ish), but overall? sorry for this super weird rambly ask this is quite literally the first time ive ever done this and i have A Lot Of Thoughts about them 😭

Well so first thing first - YOU should write the meta you want to read. If you can't find it, you should just make it. (This is what Toni Morrison did after being an editor for years and years - she wrote what she wanted to read. We can't go wrong following Toni Morrison.).

One of the very rewarding things about doing all this long form writing on Tumblr is that I keep getting contacted (even if anonymously) by people who are Same Coded. Like people with the tendency to come up with neologisms and capitalizing them, such as your Ateez Soulmateism moniker. (I love it).

To answer your questions: How close do I think Ateez really are?

As adults I think they're as close or as distant as step-siblings raised together but whose parents have subsequently separated. Reasons:

1) There's a methodology to raising Idols in groups - forced bonding from cohabitation, isolation not just from families and friends but normal social interactions with most other people, starting them on careers while still children - that will result in close relationships. 2) They sing and dance together and have done so for years very intensively. Human beings are biologically geared to bond with each other through music and movement. 3) These 8 went through the trenches together and I know they're very successful abroad but they're kind of still fighting for their lives in Korean entertainment. 4) They each need to have made the decision to get along with each other and made a professional commitment to do so because BTS made bank on the found family concept and they're all following suit. Deciding to like someone can have a really determinative effect on your relationship with that person. 5) Fame is pushing them all closer and so far none of them have achieved breakout star status, though currently San is pulling ahead if we use just Instagram followers as a metric, which would naturally create fissures.

I think the Ateez Soulmateism is bullshit and entirely fabricated. It's marketing that's very enticing to people of a shipping and romantic bent that I do not share. I also think the concept of soulmates is a lie, personally. I would need the names and photos and footage of all the trainees that tried and failed to make the final cut for Ateez as well as all the candidates that KQ tried to scout and couldn't before I can buy any part of this Magnetic Draw of The Soulmate stuff.

The Ateez members have through their work given me a lot of happiness and because of the gratitude that I feel, I don't want any of them to be in love with anyone else in the group. That sounds suffocating and cruel, to bury them in this hermetically sealed social life where they only have each other. I want them to have outside support separated from their work, like I do, that isn't just mommy and daddy.

[mhsdatgo]

The Helaemonds/Helaegons need to calm down.

Don't get me wrong, it's always refreshing to see some people fill in the gaps of a basically untold relationship such as the one between the green kids in general, but this goes beyond basic obsessive shippy discourse. Leave this poor girl alone. Why's there an obsession with having her be romantically paired with her brothers, one worse than the other?

I understand the show has basically shown so little of her to the point where we didn’t even have a coronation for her on screen, so therefore you can self insert through her and have fun with headcanons regarding Aegon and Aemond. Really, I'm not faulting their girlies, you can be head over heels for whatever actor in character you want (unless you put them on pedestals and start acting like they did nothing wrong and pounce on whoever contests them, THEN we have a problem) but I assure you, Helaena would barely want anything to do with either of them.

Aegon is a sex pest turned sex offender, a drunkard and a neglectful father and husband at best. Her infamous toast in ep.8 has us believing that he cannot for the life of him interact with her unless he's horny drunk or that he forces himself on her at worst.* He was ready to leave them all in ep.9 before he was caught. Even the book is subtle about their relationship: all we know of them is that they sleep in shared chambers, that she was someone important and reliable in Aegon's council before B&C, and that he named her and Alicent the true Queens of his reign.

*(⚠️TW: PERSONAL OPINION⚠️ I'm not saying this last one isn't a possibility but it's sill outrageous for the way people speak about Helaena in defence of this "claim". No, she wouldn't joke about her own r*pe in front of the whole table full of people she doesn't know and right beside her abuser, and despite the hour-long metas I've read about how she's basically "too sheltered" to know what r*pe even means, I assure you she's a high-functioning autistic, not 5 years old. She can understand it perfectly.)

Helaemond is a pure show invention, I honestly wasn't expecting this many people to go up this kind of train. They barely interact, and most of the time it's Aemond saying he'd "perform his duty" should Helaena ever be wed to him, or that stare in ep.9 when he enters her chambers toiling after Alicent. It's, as always, the Aemond girlies who think poor Helaena would live her best life with Aemond, or that they are already romantically involved behind the scenes. The amount of "if one possesses a thing, the other will take it away" edits from people that are FULLY CONVINCED "the thing" is Helaena and that "the one" and "the other" are Aemond and Aegon respectively is honestly concerning.

Fics that are all about Aegon doing the worst and unspeakable things to her so "Aemond can come and save her" are y'all okay? Out of all people, HE has to save her?

Babes, I'm sorry to break your bubble, but this isn't Aegon IV/Naerys/Aemon on steroids. Aemond didn't give two shits about Helaena. No, he wasn't jealous when Jace came to ask her to dance, he just wanted to stir some shit. If we talk about the books, he didn't fucking hesitate to leave King's Landing, his sister, his mother and whatever he was doing for the Riverlands the second he heard that Daemon was there. And he brought the only means of defence they had with him. If he knew how important Vhagar was for the city's defence, he's evil, if he didn't realize it, he's dumb as fuck. Which one is it, Aemond girlies?

People beat each other to the curb about Jaehaerys, Jaehaera and Maelor's paternity like it's the Wars of The Roses. They put Helaena and Alys against the other like they have personal beef with one of them.

Stop mentioning this sweetheart only when it's about praising or hating one of her brothers. No, it's not the only option you have because she's underdeveloped as a character. There's actually another one.

LEAVE HER THE FUCK ALONE.

[imagine-lcorp]

Imagine L-Corp Masterlist (cont.)

A/N: This is the post where you will find the rest of fics, due to Tumblr's new formatting I cannot put it all in the same post, but here it is, I hope you don't have trouble finding what you need. Last Updated: Dec 26, 2023

Request // One Shots & Series // All Hallows

One Shots

"Where Angels Cry, Demons Dance"- Demon R 

"To Feel Again"- Frankenstein R

"In Memoriam" - Ghost R 

"No Rest for the Wicked" - Witch R 

"A Lucky Shot" - Photographer R 

"One Full Moon is not Enough" -Werewolf R 

“The Song of the Sea” - Siren R

“Cosa Nostra” - R/Mob AU

"Folie à Deux" - Killer R

“Between Two Lungs” - R/Hanahaki AU

Alternative Endigs:

i love you, i love you, i love you...

not as bad as it could be...

it breaks and breaks and breaks...

“Trades With The Devil” - Demon R

"No Light, No Light" - Agent R/Red K Supergirl

"You Make a Fool of Death with Your Beauty" - Grim Reaper R

"Falling" - R/Succubus Lena

Dating Lena Luthor...

"Being from the Fifth Dimension and Dating Lena Luthor" - Alien Fifth Dimension R

"Being a Speedster and Dating Lena Luthor Would Include" - Speedster M!R

Series

“To Be a Hero” - Meta-Human Daughter R - Full Text

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

"Mustang Ride”- Shapeshifter R -(WIP)

Part I

Part II

Part III 

Part IV

Part V 

Part VI

Part VII

Part VIII

Part IX

Part X

Part XI

Part XII

"A Step Into the Light" - Vampire R - Full Text

Part I 

Part II  

Part III 

Part IV 

Part V

"Patient Zero" - Zombie R - Full Text

Part I 

Part II 

Part III

"Perfect Sense" - Shapeshifter R (A/B/O Dynamics) - Full Text

Part I

"Bullet For My Valentine" - R/John Wick AU - Full Text

Part I

[doomhardy]

I feel it has become a yearly thing where I mention I used to be a danganronpa fan and then dont mention it again until another real rolls around, but I was just thinking about "Danganronpa another episode: Ultra despair girls" and like. Guys you can make fun of me 100% for this but that game is one of my favourite games possibly period, next to like. Disco Elysium. rancid sentence i know but. BUT

The reason I think about this game despite not truly being in the fandom for years is because. It did so many things right compared to every other danganronpa game. Every other game has a lot of issues with its story and gameplay to the point I am genuinely convince all of the DR games should have been a 3rd person shooter because UDG just did it better. Kodaka time and time again makes these god damn story games where you click on words and it never works every time. UDG actually told the story right yet if you dont know anything about DR you wont even be able to follow the story so sorry everyone who thought they could get into dr and skip the shit games upon reading this post.

Anyways, in the DR games, youre like. Told and learn about how the outside world is a hellscape and there is truly no home to go back to, everyone is suffering. This is often a big reveal point in these games, yet every time I don't give a fuck. It does a really poor job at putting the player into the environment, and so the dread you feel is kind of just.. not there.

UDG though? youre actually thrown into the outside world you're keep hearing about, and it is actually dreadful. I never felt so consistently depressed and empty playing a game. You are traversing through an active genocide, everyone you meet eventually dying and youre being consistently reminded there is likely no good ending after something like this. The collectible writing is actually worthwhile and just the overall direction with the art style and music does the macabre-funk very well in this game. The DR games have this really goofy aesthetic where its as if youre having a 80s dance party in a torture dungeon and they somehow pull it off in this game. Additionally, the anime cutscenes dont overstay their welcome, and like, the shooting/fighting mechanic isnt like perfect but literally no one should be playing this for that so id say it does the job its supposed to.

The story is like.. actually good. Like yes there are some issues with it like every dr game, one of those issues ive made a post for ages ago and all the same shit still applies ( basically just a problem with how kotoko's character is explored and treated on a meta level ) but like. How can i hate a game that somehow took the absolute worse character in the first game and made her the best character ever in this game and somehow it didnt feel forced or unrealistic. Toko is great in this game.

This game got the short end of the stick because it was stuck on the ps vita for SO LONG before it finally came to pc and people dont even know it exists because of that and it sucks because its literally the best game in the danganronpa series and only one that actually made me feel the emotions that the entire series has been attempting to make me feel. Just warning anyone who actually does read this and gets inspired to play the game because of me that this game is very dark and discusses child abuse and other early childhood adverse experiences a LOT and so the material can be incredibly uncomfortable to people, and i recommend looking up all the warnings before getting into it

also this post got made simply bc i rmemebred this goofy ass track

[feralloremaster]

I made a thing. A thing I am going to go full autistic hyperfixation on and over explain the song choices of to death. Till they're deader than most of the characters at the end of the play. Ahem.

Exit Music (For a Film)" – Radiohead This song is Hamlet. Slow dread. Escaping fate. A funeral dirge disguised as rebellion.

"Ophelia" – The Lumineers Soft and ghostly, a ballad for the girl he loved, drove mad, and lost.

"Hurt" – Johnny Cash cover Regret. Decay. The slow unraveling of the self.

"I Know the End" – Phoebe Bridgers From quiet reflection to an apocalyptic scream: sounds like Act V to me.

"Take a Bow" – Muse Revenge never sounded so theatrical. This is for Claudius.

"Asleep" – The Smiths “Sing me to sleep… I don’t want to wake up on my own anymore.” You can hear the skull cradling.

"Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" – Set It Off Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern… anyone who's playing games in Elsinore.

"I Am Damaged" – Heathers: The Musical Post-duel Hamlet and Laertes spiraling toward their graves. It's morbid, but beautifully tragic.

"My Body is a Cage" – Arcade Fire Philosophical paralysis, anyone? The prison of indecision and inherited trauma.

"Way Down We Go" – Kaleo Everyone’s dying. The bodies are stacking. This is the slow-motion collapse of Denmark.

"Vienna" – Billy Joel Okay, okay, hear me out—this is Hamlet if Horatio had a mixtape and was trying so hard to get his best friend to just breathe.

"O Death" – Haunted Version by Colm R. Mcguinness The ghost’s theme. The grave-diggers’ chorus. The haunting of blood-stained royalty.

"No Children" – The Mountain Goats If Hamlet ever just snapped and laughed bitterly over the wreckage of his life, this would be playing.

"Lover, You Should’ve Come Over" – Jeff Buckley A yearning for Ophelia that comes far, far too late. Drenched in candle smoke and wine.

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" – Tears for Fears ...Fortinbras enters stage left.

Next Section, Same Playlist - Individual Acts

ACT I – Shadows and Spectres

"Bury a Friend" – Billie Eilish The Ghost rises. Whispers in the dark. Something cold and wrong in the castle stone.

"The Host of Seraphim" – Dead Can Dance Majestic and sorrowful. The Ghost speaks. Denmark listens—whether it wants to or not.

"The Sound of Silence" – Disturbed (cover) Claudius's hollow words at court. Hamlet’s soul screaming in silence.

ACT II – Masks and Madness

"Mad World" – Gary Jules Hamlet begins to unravel. Everyone starts lying. Even the air feels poisoned.

"The Killing Type" – Amanda Palmer Hamlet toys with the idea of murder. “I’m not the killing type… unless I absolutely have to be.”

"Clair de Lune" – Claude Debussy Ophelia’s gentleness amid growing chaos. A sad little lullaby before the storm.

ACT III – The Play’s the Thing

"No Church in the Wild" – Kanye West & Jay-Z ft. Frank Ocean The Players arrive. Truth will now be spoken through masks. Bring out the meta.

"Lacrimosa" – Mozart (Requiem) The play-within-a-play. Claudius watches himself die. Hamlet smiles. Everyone else shudders.

"Tear You Apart" – She Wants Revenge Hamlet kills Polonius. The blood curtain falls. There’s no going back now.

ACT IV – Descent

"The Haunting" – Halsey Ophelia’s madness. Water lilies in her hair. Words like riddles. Eyes like glass.

"Seven Devils" – Florence + The Machine Gertrude trembles. Claudius plots. Laertes burns. Everything is cursed.

"Nothing is Real" – Bladee (or something ghostly and glitchy) Reality itself seems to splinter. Is Hamlet mad or merely pretending? Is there a difference anymore?

ACT V – The End

"The Last Goodbye" – Billy Boyd The graveyard. Yorick. Mortality. That aching weight of memory and decay.

"Blood Upon the Snow" – Hozier & Bear McCreary The duel. The poison. The collapse. Death claims the court in one brutal waltz.

"Dies Irae" – Verdi or Gregorian Chant version Wrath and judgment. The kingdom burns. Fortinbras walks through the ash.

"Vide Cor Meum" – Patrick Cassidy Horatio lives. And tells the story. Beauty in mourning. Dignity in ruin.

Bonus Epilogue Track: "After the Curtain" – Beirut A soft, solemn track for the quiet aftermath. The tragedy is over. The stage is empty. The lights go down.

Next Section: Songs for Individual Characters

Hamlet – “Black Sheep” by Metric

He’s brilliant, bitter, and done pretending to play nice. This is his swaggering descent into madness and rebellion—equal parts punk, prince, and poison.

Claudius – “The Archer” by Taylor Swift

“I’ve been the archer, I’ve been the prey.” A guilty man in a crown he stole, haunted by the blood on his hands, and desperately trying to look composed.

Gertrude – “Numb” by Marina

She’s elegant and aching, willfully blind yet not heartless. This is the inner voice of a queen trying to survive in a palace built on lies.

King Hamlet’s Ghost – “9 Crimes” by Damien Rice

Cold winds and heavier truths. He calls to his son not with rage, but sorrow—the terrible ache of unfinished business in a voice like fog.

Ophelia – “Dollhouse” by Melanie Martinez

A fragile girl made into a puppet, watching the world crumble and being told to smile through it. Madness never looked so porcelain.

Polonius – “Everybody Knows” by Leonard Cohen

The old manipulator, full of half-truths and unsolicited advice. Everyone knows he’s a sycophant. Everyone knows how he dies.

Laertes – “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)” by Fall Out Boy

Hot-blooded revenge incarnate. He will avenge his father. He will avenge his sister. Even if it kills him. (And oh, it will.)

Horatio – “Saturn” by Sleeping at Last

The loyal friend. The steady soul. The last man standing. This is the quiet awe of someone who watches gods fall and lives to tell the tale.

The Gravedigger – “People II: The Reckoning” by AJJ

Dark humor and dirt-stained truth. He’s singing about death while chuckling through the horror. Someone’s got to.

Rosencrantz – “No Surprises” by Radiohead

He wanted comfort. Obedience. Simplicity. The world chewed him up anyway.

Guildenstern – “Fake Empire” by The National

He knows something’s wrong. He just keeps marching in rhythm with the lie. Until the ship sinks.

Fortinbras – “Glory and Gore” by Lorde

A mirror Hamlet. A prince of action. Marching in with blood on his boots and purpose in his eyes.

The Snake (a.k.a. Ambition Itself) – “Biting Down” by Lorde

The quiet hiss beneath the entire play. Power. Corruption. The urge to claim and destroy.

The Players – “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen

Melodramatic. Masterful. Capable of shaking a king to his knees. The truth is told through costume and chaos.

Ophelia’s Madness – “Girl Anachronism” by The Dresden Dolls

This is Ophelia after. Unhinged, wild, lyrical—dancing barefoot through trauma and flowers with rage blooming under her tongue.

Act V – “How to Leave the Party” by Orla Gartland

A final bow. Everyone’s dead. Fortinbras walks in. Horatio has to explain. “You ever try to tidy up after an emotional massacre?”

Final Section - Pop Songs That Fit Weirdly Well.

“Royals” – Lorde Hamlet to Claudius: "I've never seen a diamond in the flesh / And we'll never be royals..." Broody prince with disdain for the courtly excess of his uncle. This is his anti-coronation anthem.

“Toxic” – Britney Spears Gertrude’s love life. Hamlet’s morality. Claudius’ vibes. The whole damn castle. Let’s be honest: this song is the poisoned chalice of pop.

“Blank Space��� – Taylor Swift Ophelia, after Hamlet says “Get thee to a nunnery” and then kills her dad: “Got a long list of ex-lovers / They'll tell you I'm insane…” ...Girl, same.

“Somebody That I Used to Know” – Gotye Hamlet, staring at his mother. His uncle. Himself in a mirror. Ophelia’s empty chair. That chorus? Pure soliloquy material.

“You Should See Me in a Crown” – Billie Eilish Claudius, whispering into his goblet, probably. Or Fortinbras as he walks into that blood-soaked court at the end like: “Hi. I win.”

“Look What You Made Me Do” – Taylor Swift Act III Hamlet. You know the one. He’s play-acting madness, stabbing curtains, confronting ghosts, and honestly? Feeling himself.

“Bad Guy” – Billie Eilish Hamlet again. This time, ironically meta. He’s the villain in everyone’s story by now—Ophelia’s, Laertes’, Claudius’, Gertrude’s. And he knows it.

“Can’t Feel My Face” – The Weeknd Polonius. After the curtain scene. Too soon? Yes. Appropriate? Also yes.

“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” – Kelly Clarkson Horatio. Just. Horatio. Everyone's dead. He’s holding it together. Barely. But he’s holding.

“Viva La Vida” – Coldplay Claudius: "I used to rule the world…" A fallen usurper king in the throes of guilt, unraveling in candlelight.

“Teen Idle” – Marina Hamlet, the ultimate sad gifted kid™ “The wasted years, the wasted youth / The pretty lies, the ugly truth.” This song is him pacing the halls, haunted by ghosts and his own overthinking.

“Shatter Me” – Lindsey Stirling ft. Lzzy Hale Ophelia’s inner monologue, fighting the glass shell of obedience, court expectations, and madness. Beautiful, dramatic, tragic.

“Dark Horse” – Katy Perry ft. Juicy J Gertrude and Claudius’ origin story? “Make me your Aphrodite / Make me your one and only...” …And now he’s your brother-in-law-husband. Whoops!

“Good 4 U” – Olivia Rodrigo Laertes at Ophelia’s grave. Loud. Furious. Grieving. Stab-ready.

“I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” – My Chemical Romance Not strictly pop, but... it’s everyone. It's Hamlet the musical. There is literally not a soul in this play who’s okay.

Thanks for coming to my Tedtalk.

And no, it isn't in order. I did my best, okay!

[marapage]

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Meta-Interpretation

Welcome to Chapter IV 😊 Could There Be a Good Ending?

The game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 left a deep impression on me – the characters, the music, the world – but most of all, the story and its characters.

I call this interpretation a “meta-interpretation” because I examine many different angles and also include thoughts and opinions I’ve encountered in various texts, videos, and comments. However, all direct quotes come from the game itself.

This essay is divided into 6 chapters with several subchapters. I’ll be posting them step by step in both German and English.

👉 Click here for Part 3.5

👉 All chapters are also available on AO3

⚠️ Spoiler warning:  You should only continue reading if you’ve already completed the game.

IV – Could there have been a “good ending”?

Yes – there could have been. Below are two examples I came up with. Maybe you have more ideas. If so, let me know. 😊

4.1 – What could Verso have said? At the latest when the Curator gives Maëlle the sword, Verso could have revealed to the group that the Curator is a projection of the “real” Renoir – currently trapped in a prison created by the Paintress, his power limited by her. And that Renoir's wish is to free his wife from her self-made world of denial.

There could have been a diplomatic way to help the Curator: “We’ll help you bring your wife home if, in return, you grant canvas-Verso his wish to be released from this life – and leave the canvas world alone afterward.”

Result: The group could have returned to Lumière – without Verso, but successful. Maëlle would still have suspected she belonged to the Painter family, but she would have had the chance to continue living in “her” world. And since she’s mortal, Alicia would have awakened in the real world after Maëlle’s death.

Because time passes much faster inside the canvas, the Dessendre family might have only had to wait a few hours or days.

4.2 – An improved Maëlle ending When Maëlle holds canvas-Verso in her arms after the battle and he begs her: “Please, unpaint me. Only you can do this.” – she could have granted that wish. Or – if she wasn’t ready – she could have sincerely asked him what she only claimed to say to her father: “Just a little longer.”

A sensitive conversation with painted Verso would have been important. Maybe she could have given him one final performance – just as he wished.

Quote from a camp conversation between Verso and Maëlle: “Before the Fracture, I studied piano at the Conservatory.” “I really miss performing at the concert hall. When the lights dim and the room is hushed and the first notes echo through the chamber… I can just lose myself and feel the music through my fingers. Every time I play, it feels like my heart’s about to break from the beauty of the notes.” Maëlle: “That’s lovely.” Verso: “I miss that a lot.”

Maëlle suggested repairing the opera house for him after the battle – for his first concert. They sealed it with a small, childlike promise.

It could have been a peaceful ending – one that wasn’t based on ego, but on listening, honoring, and fulfilling a promise.

In a revived Lumière, new artists would have taken the stage, and children would have grown up with their own creative possibilities – people presenting their art in books, paintings, statues, and on stage.

A glimpse of that was already shown to us in the prologue:

The sculptor working on a statue of Esquie

The painter looking for inspiration in a dancing couple

The dance troupe on stage

And Lune, enchanting her audience with her guitar playing

All of that was there – and worth preserving.

But even regarding Lumière itself, I didn’t feel all of Maëlle’s decisions were right. I liked that she brought back the people Renoir had wiped out. But her decision to resurrect Gustave, Sophie, and Sciel’s husband didn’t feel right to me.

If she only gave that favor to her close friends, it could have led to resentment and anger among the other people of Lumière. If she offered it to everyone, the demands placed on her would have never ended.

Even in Lumière, death, mourning, and farewell should be part of life. And Maëlle herself could have withdrawn – with the possibility of returning to that world again and again.

Both of these endings would have depended on the grace of the Painters. And most importantly, on the hope that no one would destroy the canvas.

Which brings me to the next point of my meta-interpretation:

V – Are the Painters gods?

[fauslayer]

ive just been thinking about stanley a bit recently idk. especially because ive been thinking a lot about mmv2, and im very dissatisfied at their inclusion in it. i think stanley brings out a lot of the worst of the "horrorbrew" sect where they want to claw whatever idea of a Scary [X] it is they have in their head out of other people's stories and by god they will butcher whatever they need to to get it to Work. i think this happens so harshly because classified probably didnt go the direction that many people wanted it to.

but yes, stanley is a malignant psuedo-gore-filled body horror nightmare man, that's surely what classified was about. their misery in the face of their own purpose is not to be respected, their tragedy is to be boiled down into a fandom digestible form or picked apart by "explained" videos by people who are not content with any Feelings a story may place within them. all of these meta multimedia aspects are so confusing, why is all of this so vague? stanley should just be property of the Consumer instead, where they will be forced to dance forever yet unable to beg for finality without it simply being an eye-catching, surface-deep reference to their concept.

I also think it was funny that they made the Wario Apparition.

[tonydaddingham]

I mean this in a gen way, but saying Crowley avoids responsibility feels incredibly unfair, bc as far as I can recall, of the two he's actually the only one who has ever apologized for anything?

hi anon!!!✨ more than happy to explain (as best i can, anyway) where im coming from on this!!!✨

so to my recollection, crowley has essentially said he's sorry twice in show canon; s1, when he tries again to get aziraphale to leg it with him, and s2, with the dance. however, imo, i think it's questionable as to how much he means either of these.

s1 apology to me is worded in such a way that, at worst crowley is purposefully inauthentic in his apology, and at best, just simply doesn't know what he's apologising for - but in both cases just wants to get aziraphale on side so they can escape the apocalypse by fleeing to alpha centauri:

the key part here for me is, "whatever i said, i didn't mean it...", because to me that feels an awful lot along the lines of 'im sorry you feel that way', rather than accepting responsibility that what one may have said may have caused the upset.

now look, i realise crowley is under a lot of pressure in this scene - he's come straight from being directly threatened by hastur, and that makes the rushed, poorly worded apology understandable - but id personally argue that, regardless, it's not a genuine apology. the argument itself isn't brought up again, it isn't discussed, and it isn't resolved. (once again, the plot doesn't really allow for a heart-to-heart to occur, but i doubt it was ever addressed in the interim between s1 and s2. that being said, i can only go based on what we're actually shown, as opposed to any supposition of what did or did not happen/was or was not discussed in the missing four years!)

as for the apology dance; i think it's fair to summarise that crowley walks off, out of the bookshop, believing that he's fully in the right. he might later regret how the whole argument went down, but with the context of gabriel's words from s1 in mind, it's fair that crowley would consider that he doesn't have anything to apologise for. arguably, neither of them have anything to apologise for (from aziraphale's perspective, he's also in the right - essentially, the argument isn't as black and white as that!), but when crowley then learns of the BOL threat, it's then that he comes back to the bookshop.

again, look - im perfectly prepared to accept this entire exchange, the wording within it, as one big shared idiosyncrasy, and one that works for them. but there's a couple of things that make this not quite ring true to me.

the way crowley says the first line, offering an apology, suggests that if he were to say sorry, he wouldn't mean it. says it in a way that's very guarded, but also seems snooty and lofty, like he's above the act - and that it would be a reluctantly-given gesture

when aziraphale states that that's in fact what he wants, an apology, crowley doesn't actually say sorry. he admits that aziraphale was right - but that doesn't take accountability for his part in the spat, and even then he says it again like it pains him to say the words

there was a marvellous meta (by @esthermitchell-author!!!) that summed it up, that i'll link back when i get my hands on it, but the way that aziraphale says 'with the little dance' suggest that the dance is additional to an actual apology, that they're not one and the same. now, i personally see the dance's meaning a little differently - maybe? - that the dance is the thing to break the tension (ridiculous concept altogether but that's another post). in that context, crowley only does the dance, not the apology. that being said, aziraphale seems to accept the dance as the apology, so maybe that's that and nothing more to be said

ive said it before, but the way aziraphale rattles off the years where he's done it, and crowley immediately says that he 'doesnt do the dance', suggest to me - and pure speculation here, admittedly - that aziraphale has historically been the one to always apologise. we could see this as aziraphale having always been the one that's in the wrong... but i somehow doubt that to be the case. instead, it seems to be that aziraphale is pissed that he's always been the one to bend, to apologise, to keep the peace, to break the tension, and this time crowley can 'bloody well do it'. the way aziraphale performatively straightens his clothes and cocks his head suggests that crowley doing the dance is a novelty, and he's going to savour it... but i digress-

all of this to me feels that crowley, again, is dancing around accepting any accountability or responsibility for his part in the argument, and therefore the apology - if we conclude that aziraphale does accept the dance itself as an apology - isn't completely meant. take into account the context of why crowley flies back to the bookshop, it can also be seen that crowley will do whatever he needs to ensure that he can help aziraphale shelter/hide gabriel, and therefore protect aziraphale in the process; a means to an end, essentially.

(now of course anon, if there is an apology ive missed or something i haven't taken into account, please come back to me - these are just the two instances that i can recall off the top of my head, and my personal interpretation of them!!! but im always open to thinking about things differently).

there are also other instances where he's... rather poor at accepting his own accountability, but tbh it's LWA that's analysed and summarised this better than i ever could, so definitely worth having a root around in those asks too, for some extra reading!!! (link in my masterpost)✨

[borzoilover69]

(tampers with the gas) dirkjake for the shipping bingo

as you can see my thoughts on them are varied and i can write entire essays. a gas leak made my obsession with them hit an entire level i didnt know was possible. They're everything and nothing to me and i dislike most of fanon abt it and i hate this ship but also i have never cared this much about a ship in general for the doors it could open into messy straight relationship type bullshit with they give me the mic. I find myself often looking thru the tag just to see what people say on it because either theyre completely annoying and wrong or relatively right it really depends.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS EXTENSIVE RAMBLING ON A TOPIC NOT MANY PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN:

i will both simultaneously defend this ship with my fucking life but also i will take any chance to shoot those two fuckers dead i genuinely wish jake english and dirk strider ill they are teens with attachment issues and i think the demonisation of it w/o looking at it as just a relationship that sort of is messy sucks and i think fanon should leave them the fuck alone. if given the chance i would kill both of them simply so i wouldnt have to see them at all but also i wish there were more meta writers for dirkjake bcus i find it so hard to find people that extrapolate at length abt it because its so wild to me the guilt and the feelings and the way they tear and grate at each other is so interesting to me.

every relationship is worse with them anyone that gets caught in the crossfires and tries to sort it out is basically doomed because whats probably going to happen is that dirk and jake are going to gang up to either a.) try to use the person as a weapon against the other or gang up to hurt this mfer theyre essentially doomed but in like a way that everyone is partying and those two are stuck together with awkward air.

im. not going to check over this ramble im just going to keep going. i have so much shit to say.

i hate the villainisation of dirk i hate the villainisation of jake they both suck in the way that teens and most young adults will theyre both at fault i hate the "jake never felt anything towards dirk because hes aro" yes he fucking did aro people can still feel levels of attraction and its very fucking obvious how tied up in each other they are and there are like a million and one reasons i could name it if you gave me a day and 15 pages of text.

i hope they both kill each other the idea of them being happy together is endearing but i dont want that for them most times unless im feeling especially sappy the fandom sort of ruined dirkjake for me heres my big old fuckyou to OD anyways heres a few song lyrics that make me think of them

They would literally be the subject of so much fucking talk in publications because theyre never over not even close theyre stuck together theyre going to be doing this dance for fucking years and either end up as the strangest but happiest freaks in some janked up mansion with a million different things that the normal person would think is fucking weird and strange and unnerving but which they think is completely normal or theyre just going to end up killing each other and nobody is going to be safe in the crossfire theyre going to key each others cars and send pipe bombs and poke at every single hole and flaw in the others facade blah blah blah.

people who just focus on the good parts of dirk and jake dont get it people who focus on the flaws only dont get it i think there should be more discussion but also the idea of being exposed to someone who doesnt get it is hell for me ive read their pesterlogs like so many fucking times and ive written extensively abt their selves and what flaws they have and i could prolly kick the shit out of them anyways mic drop im done.

[the-most-humble-blog]

<div style="white-space:pre-wrap">

<meta post-type="BLACKSITE LITERATURE™ :: INSTRUCTOR FILE :: WRITING TECHNIQUE BRIEFING"> <script> ARCHIVE_TAG="CADENCE_INSTRUCTIONAL_001::READER_WAKE_PROTOCOL" EFFECT="attention hijack, scrolltrap awareness, engagement restructuring" TRIGGER_WARNING="authorial dominance, literary manipulation, emotional disruption" </script>

🧠 A BLACKSITE LESSON: HOW TO WAKE UP THE READER

Here’s a truth no writing course will tell you:

Readers don’t read. They skim. They zone. They slip into the scroll coma.

And if your sentence doesn’t snap them awake— they’re gone.

It doesn’t matter how smart your idea is. If the cadence is flat, the brain checks out. If the structure is passive, the limbic system sleeps.

Here’s what they never taught you:

I. THE BRAIN DOESN’T WANT INFORMATION.

It wants dissonance.

Your reader isn’t here for clarity. They’re here for something to feel. Something to interrupt their apathy.

Give them a predictable rhythm? They’ll forget you existed. Break it mid-thought? You just woke their reticular activating system.

II. THE READER DOESN’T FOLLOW YOU.

They dance with you.

Cadence isn’t style. Cadence is neurological choreography.

You drop a short sentence? That’s a step.

Stack it with an unusual one? That’s a reversal.

Now break the line. Space the beat. Lower your voice.

And they’re reading in rhythm with their own breath.

III. YOU DON’T “WRITE WELL.”

YOU CONTROL PACE.

Scrolltrap isn’t poetry. It’s timing-based dominance.

Break a line right and you trigger memory imprint. Stack repetition and you tap the language loop in their speech centers.

End the sentence on a cadence thud and their dopamine releases without them knowing why.

IV. SHOCK ISN’T ENOUGH.

TEMPO IS KING.

You can drop a wild line— but if the pacing’s off, it fizzles.

But drop it after three tight, grounded lines and suddenly the brain gasps.

This isn’t about being clever. This is about scripting awareness.

V. THE BEST WRITING IS PREDATORY.

Scrolltrap is designed to hunt attention in an environment flooded with garbage text.

You don’t “capture” a reader. You stalk them through syntax.

Use:

line breaks

visual stutters

emotional hooks

question traps

sensory subversion

unexpected reversals

Every post is a trapdoor. The question is— how many do they fall through before they realize they’re not in control?

Want to write better?

Then stop writing. Start directing.

Pacing is a weapon. Cadence is control. Rhythm is how you hijack someone else’s inner voice and make it yours.

🧠 Read more literary weapon protocols and cadence-seizure exercises at: 👉 https://linktr.ee/ObeyMyCadence

🛡️ Scroll psychology. Format warfare. Reader dominance.

🚪 Warning: The next post writes you.

🔐 Full restricted writing protocols available inside the Vault:

👉 https://patreon.com/TheMostHumble

[AUTO-WIPE IN: 00:00:00 — INSTRUCTION LOADED. CADENCE INSTALLED.]

</div>

[horizon-verizon]

TG stans actually use HOTD as a hope to rewrite history lol

I've lost count of how many discussions I've had about "wanting jaehaera alive because it would make the blackfyre rebellion more interesting" like..... hello? Do you guys want to change the story that Martin created? Do you guys think the headcanons you create are better than the author's fucking book?

Again, "interesting" doesn't mean intellectually layered, but "it would make me feel better/the greens were right/the greens at least got something bc the Dance wasn't that much about patriarchal violence against women, children, etc. even outside of war bc it was really most about stupid nobles ruining people's lives and totally unconnected to Daenerys' arc as a rising queen to juxtapose the Targs/Westerosi historical denial of female rulership/power/authority".

So, yes, they do think that. Genuinely.

The Blackfyre Rebellion has been interesting to fandom for years before HotD and before that BluRay episode of the Dance both in how it relates to Dany and the main series AND for the characters involved in that conflrict: Daemon Blackfyre, Bloodraven, Shiera Seastar, Bittersteel, Myriah Martell, the second Daenerys, Daeron II, Aegon IV, Naerys, and Aemond the Dragonknight, even Queen/Princess Daena, who was the child of Daenaera and Aegon III. no green influence or connection to be found! this really, is waht grinds their gears, that Jaehaera's marriage to Aegon didn't bring about true peace for the realm nor propagated any current or important Targs for Westerosi history. What they want is the bragging rights, that is what is "interesting".

I mean, there have been metas about Daemon Blackfyre, Daeron II, and Bloodraven in terms of possible ableism, racism/xenophobia, bastard stigma, and definition of monarchial masculinity having been the impetus behind the 1st Blackfyre Rebellion!:

Bloodraven

Daeron II

Daemon Blackfyre and the Blackfyre Faction

And there have been fanarts for every single one of these characters or scenes of important events pre-. during, post the first rebellion

Obviously people have been loving this section of Westerosi history, and it never depended on whether or not Jaehaera lived.

[weirdmageddon]

thank you for the arquius meta. doing the lords fucking work out here making me appreciate characters i never gave a shit about before. also i do not think you are a lot like vriska but this is a trait you have in common with her (liking arquius)

x i think the reasons i listed would likely also be why vriska likes him. especially the fact that he gets important stuff done for the group while being unabashedly himself

also im so glad to hear it! ive heard this song and dance before about me being able to deconstruct why i like something and incidentally infecting others with greater appreciation merely by talking about it.

potential superpower?