#even though its something that i... cannot control and am not even aware im doing??
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positivelyadhd · 1 year ago
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sending my love to people with slow processing speeds.
you should be allowed to take your time to do things and I am so sorry if people have ever made you feel like you can't.
you and your contributions are just as worthy as everyone else's, the speed in which you do them should not impact that.
I am so sorry if you ever been made to feel like you weren't good enough because you "couldn't keep up".
you are good enough. you are trying enough. there is nothing wrong with you and it's not your fault.
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disruptivevoib · 1 year ago
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Long Ramble about CCCC and my overall feelings on what the album means and such
Something I find important about CCCC is like.
The fact that all three of them are, in some way, trying.
Heart is emotion, he is prone to himself and being reactionary, in the moment. Prone to the past of learned behavior and trauma. Reactive and rapidly changing. He isn't going to make pure sense because he isn't based in logic or in societal ideals or views. He is an instinctual response to the environment and circumstances. His manipulation is not intentional. He has very little control of himself in the end. Its why Mind talks about claiming to relish entropy yet clearly needing help. But, Heart in earnest wants them to be okay and safe. He believes that Mind's control will drain the life from them. It will make things monotonous and the same. Too much order.
Mind in turn, believes Heart is manipulative with intention. He wants to control Soul or wants to just drag them all down with him into this depressive state. Mind is logic, he is the reasoning out of your emotional instinct. Your inner critique, and when unchecked, that inner critique goes from a guiding hand for your emotion to one that debates and bullies it. Invalidating its responses. Ultimately, though. Mind just believes he is helping. He is doing what must be done and telling the "hard truths" to Heart. And that Heart is being the petty child. Which- I mean. Sort of sure. But Mind is definitely fucking petty and childish. He's stubborn! Prideful! So ofc he is. Admitting you're wrong? No.. why would he EVER do that.. nuh uh.
Which is what makes Light so crucial. Mind asking Heart for help- but also. There is Soul.
Who while ambiguous in purpose, is mostly that background voice. Your inner narration. If Mind is Logic and Reason then Heart is Emotion and Instinct,, Soul is all that lives between it. And he is constantly silenced or spoken over or around. He does not get a word in edgewise until TSE. He may show up in the background occasionally but as much as Heart and Mind claim to want to keep him alive and help him, they also fail to actually acknowledge what he says.
Which is that they both are right and wrong. That this fighting is doing directly what they both feared it would. Soul is desperate by the end. He is angry and resentful because.. well. Self hatred due to intense self awareness and reflection is rather ig. Common. Im not a professional here but from personal experience, you get so tired of rehashing the same shit with yourself over and over. It all feels pointless.
The only out, by the end of it all to Soul is that if they cannot be Whole, whats the point? He is desperate. He does not want to die but he feels theres no other solution.
And. About Whole, Soul throughout the album seems to want that. At the beginning, to be Whole or Harmonious is to be mentally healthy, maybe even "normal" by society's standards. To be able to put a mask over your problems and be, again, "normal". It takes the entire album for Soul to realize that this:
1. isnt possible
And
2. There isn't anything evil or wrong with him for that.
Mental health is a struggle. But you are not evil and should not be othered because you struggle. You also do not need to be fixed for being a little different and people's opinion of you is not what matters most so long as you are happy (and not hurting others. Lol).
Thats what Two Wuv is entirely about as a song. Its a "fuck you. Fuck this! I thought I needed to be this! But I DON'T. Stop telling me who I am! How to be! I'm gonna be me!"
His entire arc is parallel to Heart and Mind's and is crucial in the culmination of becoming yourself again and accepting yourself.
But, as mental health will always be, this period of respite and self acceptance is not always forever. And as life continues or as you lapse back into a depressive episode.. you cannot help but forget what it is like when you're not this way- and hell! Vice versa too! Some people have this disconnect between the periods. Where the things from the depressive state seem dramatic or obtuse to you while you are doing better. And from the other end, you just want to be happy again.. but you get so lost in it all you can struggle to feel like you've ever been happy.
The album is about the human experience. It is about self-sabotage, mental illness, self-hatred and reflection and it is, maybe more importantly about self-acceptance and healing. Having a bit of mercy on yourself. Accepting that you are imperfect and that this is okay. And whatever flaws you may have that need to be mended or worked on, can be. And that who you are, for example, if you are queer, is okay. And no one has the right to take that identity from you! That the internalized ideas of how someone should be are not always correct or right. Not for you, at least. Stuff like that.
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the-heart-of-a-monster · 2 years ago
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PUTTING THE NEW PAGE INTO THIS ASK AS WELL FOR GHE FIRST TIME BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT TO TALK ABOUT WITH THIS PAGE SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME HERE
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Ima start with the first panel because there’s already so much in that one single panel and it is gonna drive me nuts!
So first up, we have “Secret” Chaotix meeting room. Yes, this place is apparently being kept a secret from the public eye. This could be due to the Chaotix having to handle a bunch of super deep and disturbing cases that, if allowed to spill out into the public, would be catastrophic! Not in the sense that it would destroy the world or anything like that, but it’d certainly ruin their reputation as detectives! Don’t detectives irl have these kinds of cases too…? Or maybe I’m thinking too hard on this and it’s just the place they meet with their friends whenever Eggman does something stupid? Who knows.
I do know though that it looks beautiful and it looks like they’re actually in a room which, as an amateur artist myself, can only dream of achieving!! It looks so cool! I just… I adore your backgrounds and I can tell you put a lot of love and effort into making them, so please give yourself a pat on the back!
And maybe I’m reading too much into a single panel.
But that’s not all that we get to see!!! (No I’m not talking about the Chaotix even though I REALLY wanna talk about the Chaotix cuz they deserve more love and I’m so glad they’re here THANK YOUUUUUUUU) YEAH THAT’S RIGHT, SONIC IS FULLY CONVERTED TO DARK GAIA SONIC LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Well not fully converted, but we can clearly see that it’s taking a huge toll on his body! Not only are the markings now visible on him during the day, but it also seems to be siphoning his energy…? Kind of…? I mean, Sonic has been out cold since “Killing” Omega, and usually he wouldn’t be so out of it otherwise. And I can see a little tiny X over his Gaia eye, so… I’m not too sure, but what I am sure of is that this is BAD for Sonic. The poor guy is gonna have to deal with not only being corrupted during the day, but also at night, and that cannot be good for his psyche. It was bad enough when he had to be in a completely new body for just the nighttime, but now it’s for both day and night in its own way, and… Gosh, this is gonna be torture for Sonic once he wakes up.
Okay now onto the actually lore panels because there is so much to uncover but BEFORE WE GET INTO THE LORE PARTS OF ALL THAT LEMME JUST POINT OUT HOW PISSED SHADOW LOOKS IN THE SECOND PANEL BRO LOOKS LIKE HE WANTS TO PUNT CHIP INTO THE SUN FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER AND HE IS JUST SO OVERPROTECTIVE OF SONIC IT’S NOT EVEN FUNNY I LOVE THIS ANGSTY EDGY BOY SO MUCH BUT I WANNA KNOW WHAT IS GOING THROUGH HIS HEAD RIGHT NOW WHY IS HE GLARING DAGGERS AT CHIP WHAT DID THIS LITTLE CREECHUR EVEN DO TO YOU SHADZ
Okay back to the lore-
So, im still gonna call Light Gaia as Chip because I still see a cute adorable fluffy fairy in those big brown eyes and I think he deserves a real name. Anyhow, Chip now is aware of him being a literal god. He says he regulates the day and Dark Gaia regulates the night. This kind of makes sense. Chip handles the sun and DG handles the moon. Think Luna and Celestia from MLP. And similar to those two as well, Dark Gaia got out of control like Luna did and created an eternal night. But this doesn’t really explain the planet splitting into a million giant pieces. (Not literally a million) Nor does it explain Chip losing his memory. Chip claims that whenever one of them falls out of line, the other will be there to pull them back together. Does this mean Chip or Dark Gaia have lost their memory before? Have the events of Unleashed happened before? How do they reign the other in?
These questions are probably gonna get answered in the next page lmao what am I doing-
Everything else is kinda sorta spelled out to us which I think is a good thing, since Chip is, in the story, explaining all of this to a group of people who had no idea about any of this for their entire lives. The poor Chaotix just got roped into this, they just want their pay. So with that in mind I don’t know what else to really cover…? Maybe I’ll notice something later on and just start spamming you with questions, who knows. For now I’m SUPER DUPER EXCITED FOR THE NEXT PAGE LET’S GO THIS IS GONNA BE SO FUN CANNOT WAIT FOR NEXT WEEK
hell yeah do look out for the new page on monday :3 i love ur little big analysis its always the highlight of my week to see one
btw this goes out to evecryone but the whole scene has a lot of moments for everyone else than sonic and shadow so we are winning
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pixlpxie · 1 year ago
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Heeeyyy. I have a question. (SA trigger warning)
Do you think the desire for cnc stems from previous sexual trauma? I've seen an anon here say that she wanted to be full on tortured and held down by, was it Yunho or Hwa, I don't remember. I didn't even sense the consent in her ask. And I was like, I'd be down, and then I was like huhhh???? I would?????
I was almost sexually assaulted by an agemate when I was 14. Back then, I felt horrible. Like, I really went through it. Asking myself why I was even there in the first place yk? Blaming myself, and so on. I was also sooo against any form of non-consent, even if it was consensual. But now that I look back, I'm like, ugh I was over reacting and if I went back in time to that moment I would just tell my young self to shut up like it wasn't even that bad. (My morals do prevail and I know that any kind of SA is not acceptable. If it were anyone else, I would NEVER say this.)
But now I am so very willing to participate in cnc, 100%. Even take part in various kinks. I think I just grew up and became more self aware and honest with myself, but I would like to know if you think my previous experience contributed to this.
Also, you don't have to answer this if it makes you uncomfortable. I love love love your page, like it constantly reminds me that I'm not odd for liking the things I do😭🫶🫶. Thank you so much. You're a blessing to many of us, and some hATERS (cue annoying people) cannot even seem to understand that. Talking about lists and all that. Ew
Such topics do not make me uncomfortable, don't worry🤭its literally my job atp (im a psychologist now so I mean it)
First of all before I get into it, I want you to know that you were never the blame. Its not your fault that you had to go through something like that. I'm so sorry for what happened and I hope you are better now. And you feeling bad about non consensual plays for some time is totally normal, don't think that you had to enjoy this kink right away.
Honestly I had to research quite a lot on this topic before because even though I knew it was a perfectly normal kink, the reality of r*pe makes you doubt yourself. So I wanted to find out if there was something wrong with me or not because no one around me irl likes cnc. They think its extremely weird. It turns out nothing's wrong.
There are many reasons why a person can be into cnc, involving extreme versions of it. You can already guess some of them, which is that it's a really strong roleplay for power dynamics. Whether you are the agressor or the victim, you give in to the most extreme level of domination or submission. It's also primal. It can easily bring out your animalistic sides. Many people enjoy this. So for example if you like being the victim it can simply mean that you like not having control. Its a good way to relieve stress and release adrenalin too.
The other reason is that CNC can actually work as a coping mechanism. In fact, kinks and role plays are important for human psychology. They can help you resolve or at least deal with unresolved issues in two main ways. The first is that you might have experienced something related to the said kink/rp. In this example, you might have actually experienced SA. It's not easy to accept a reality like this and it can easily damage a person's identity and self-perception. It can take so long to get better. So you need to find a way to cope with this and resolve it. So over time you can start enjoying CNC as it would give you a sense of control that you couldn't have during the bad experience. You can control, change and alter the way the role play can go. This can help you to accept what's happened in a less damaging way, assuring that you are in control. It can also help you relive the experience over again, although this can sound bad, you can become insensitized to the situation.
The second way is that these unresolved issues don't have to be anything related to the roleplay. Meaning you don't have to experience SA to enjoy CNC. Such symbolic roleplays can help you deal with repressed emotions and help your subconscious to process the material there. As such roleplays also have clear cut archetypal figures, they can help you deal with deep-seated symbols, personas or narratives. Do you know why they say people with daddy kinks don't have a healthy relationship with their dad? Its not true all the time obviously (bc its so common now) but it's a good way to show you what I mean.
So no, not all people who enjoy CNC experience SA or similar events. But if you had, it can help you cope too. But kinks and fetishes are way too deeply rooted in your subconscious and they are madly complicated. Most of the time you will end up feeling so lost when you try to find out why you have a certain kink/fetish. So you're not really supposed to know why you like the things you like. You should let your psyche and subconscious deal with them. As long as theres constent and they dont hurt other people, you can enjoy anything. Its ok. Don't let people make you feel bad for enjoying CNC. Trust me, people who like this kink are actually really nice and care so much about their partner's well being. Meaning the agressor roleplayer don't actually want to r*pe anyone irl. That's what I've seen.
Overall, in your case, it might have contributed. And it's ok. Keep enjoying your roleplay and let it help you resolve your trauma.
And thank you so much I hope youll keep enjoying my blog and i was able to help 🥺🥹💖💖
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damnfandomproblems · 1 year ago
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Posting one compilation of replies in regards to Fandom Problem 5203, and ensuing replies.
Anon:
Re: 5203 some of you are have quite the “piss on the poor” moment. That anon was literally harassed, a commissioner asks for their oc to be drawn, anon said no, commissioner proceeds to tell everyone anon is fucking fatphobic. Learn to read. Also dying at 30-40 when you’re like 500 lbs is just unfortunate reality.
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Anon: (in response to this ask)
No it doesnt but do you wanna count how many fat positivity activists have died around that age because they've convinced themselves its okay to be obese and that they shouldn't try to be healthy or lose weight, or should i? And I don't feel entitled to peoples money. I was confused as to why they commissioned me of all people in the first place. Go ahead and give someone else your money. You cant guilt trip me into drawing fat characters with the "they exist and people draw them" argument. I am very well aware of that fact due to the fact that i have been fat before. Not just chubby, but literally over obese. You don't get to make me feel guilty for not wanting to draw something i view as harmful, something IVE LIVED THROUGH, just because you want to feel justified in harming yourself. I hope you get better and treat yourself better instead of giving up and allowing yourself to wallow in misery.🫰
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Anon: (in response to this ask)
No ones saying you can't have an unhealthy lifestyle when you are skinny, being under weight and not taking care of your body's needs is not healthy . Most of your weight is probably muscle. Not all fat is bad and if your are doing sports you need a bit of fat or else its gonna eat at your muscles. The human body cannot live without fat. But only having fat? Being a hundred pounds over? two hundred pounds over? And its aaall fat? Look I don't agree with a lot of weight loss culture. It's greedy and predatory and often has unrealistic expectations. But just watching your portion sizes, cutting down on fatty meat, eating more veggies, and filler if your body can handle it, cut down on sodas and candy and just taking a 3 mile walk every day you can, fix your sleep schedual, will do so much to improve your health. You may not lose all your weight and it will be hard at first, but you will feel a difference. You just feel better as a human being when you are taking care of yourself. The biggest reason people give up on weight loss is because they want instant and lasting changes. And you cant have both without keeping up with the effort. You didnt gain all your weight in a few months, so you cant expect to lose it in a few months. You have to put in the effort to find a lifestyle that works for you and that you can keep up with. It takes years and patience and self control. And its hard work. A lot of people arent used to living like that. Its legitimately life changing. You have to change, you have to change your life in order to lose weight and keep it up. Its the same for underweight people too. Its hard on them too.
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Anon: (in response to this ask)
I am the one that said im skinny now. Skinny does not mean unhealthily underweight. I'm not skin and bones but I don't have much belly chub now(some people can't help that though due to genetics). I walk a lot so my thighs have a lot more weight to them. I can move around freely and have more strength and stamina and honestly feel better than even when i was a child. I'm not starving myself to the point i can barely keep myself alive okay.
Anon:
"Lack of attraction towards fat people stems from nazi Germany" Just gonna point out that it's not a good look to say this, then have a post on your blog (among other things) that say "Turks deserve to be called donkeys." I dunno. I just see a bit of hypocrisy there. If you're not trolling and you legit think all this stuff, pleeease get offline and find a means to scrub it from your brain.
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corruptbot · 1 year ago
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collecting my thoughts for anyone who cares to read - i know i never really talk to anyone on here anymore, which is partly because ive got that shadowban thing where i literally cant reply to posts or dm people thats been going on for years and i just keep forgetting to email staff and see if it can be fixed, but there are people on here i still care about and think about often and i hope some of you feel the same about me, even though i rarely make personal posts at all anymore - but this is not a vent, hardly negative at all, but a very big development in my mental health
so, i used to think i was the kind of person who could never lie to myself, or convince myself of something i knew wasnt true. i know im capable of being wrong and simply having false beliefs, but i never thought i could believe something i knew wasnt true. this is, in part, backed up by "facts" in a way - it's not just that i thought i was too smart, but its actually the way my brain works. its been a while since ive been into self diagnosing or bothering to look into my mental health without the aid of a professional, but since the last time i visited a psychiatrist i was completely dismissed, ive started to rely on myself again. all this to say, im quite certain i have OCD. id never considered it before because i had a huge misunderstanding of what OCD actually is. i have no problems with cleanliness or hygiene. i dont need things to be organized, though i do enjoy organizing. but i have textbook definition intrusive thoughts. when i'm alone i imagine (important distinction: i don't actually see them, it's not a hallucination and i'm aware it's not real) creatures following me or hiding, always behind my back where i can't see them, and the more i try to ignore it or tell myself it's not real, the worse it gets, and i have to constantly look behind me and barricade the room of my door. that alone i'm pretty sure is grounds for diagnosis - its an obsession and a compulsion. but on top of that, i have insane levels of moral scrupulosity. i say all this to say: when i try to forget or ignore something, the intrusive and punishing nature of OCD will not let me. the harder i try, the more i am forced to think about it. so when i hear other people say they just pretend a bad thing didnt happen, don't let themselves think about it, or willfully dissociate - i cannot do that. if i tried to do that, whatever im trying to ignore would get infinitely worse and i would end up thinking of it way more than if i had just accepted it. this is literally how my brain works.
but it's still not necessarily true that i cant lie to myself. maybe not about something obvious - but i have come to realize, initially due to a reality check by my counsellor next week and then an intense introspection/internal monologue that lasted an entire 6 hour shift at work, that my brain has found a way around this. unfortunately, not in a useful way i can use to escape intrusive thoughts. but if i believe something is true - for example, i fully believe that each person is solely responsible for improving their own life. its absolutely not fair that thats the case, and there are circumstances where a person cant improve - but it is always true that, to improve, they must be the one to make change. and there are absolutely systemic structures to blame for why so many people are suffering. & by all means, having help and support is wonderful and will make it easier to improve, but it remains true at the end of the day that no one else can fix your life for you. you have to take control of things to have the life you want. you cannot just let things happen to you your whole life and say there was nothing you could do to. this is not intended to be victim blaming at all. im not talking about traumatic events you cant avoid. im talking about perpetuating cycles that you have the power to end.
another thing i fully believe is that, to make something good happen, you have to have faith that it will happen. if you expect something to fail, it will fail. & another thing: i believe that, even if its hard and stressful and it might not work out, it is always worth it to try to improve things for the better. even if it fails, it was worth the effort, and now you can use your experience to improve your approach, and try again.
i truly believe all these things are true. i always have. i tell these things to people all the time, tell them to never give up because they have the power to make things better and only they can do it, and they must try and try and try until it works and never give up. i believe this. if i tried to tell myself "this isn't true", my brain would not allow me to say "okay, i accept that. none of this is true". i couldn't.
so then why, for nearly the past 10 years, believed that these things are true and gave people advice and encouragement based off it - but never applied it to myself? i knew better things were possible. i had been telling myself that, it's true things can get better, but in my case, they wouldn't. or rather, it wouldn't be worth it to try. i had convinced myself to accept that i would work a minimum wage retail job forever, because trying for something better would simply be too hard and stressful, and i don't handle stress well, so it was best not to try at all. i told myself this was simply being "realistic" and that i was saving myself pain by not hoping for something better only to fail. i would NEVER had advised anyone else to do what i was doing. so why was i doing it myself?
i also knew that medication is not a cure all for mental or physical health problems, and therapy and upkeeping good habits was essential for success in good health. i still dont believe that being overweight is a "problem" i had to fix - but i do believe being active is good for your body and mind. so why had i convinced myself that, nothing i did would fix my sleep disorder, and my only hope was increasing the dosage on my stimulants until they made everything perfect? why did i believe there was no point to exercise, just because i made a few half-hearted attempts and it hurt or gave me a headache or was too stressful? why did i believe that i didnt have to change a thing about my lifestyle to improve my health problems?
all this to say, i have realized now that it is up to me to fix these things. i'm not going to stop taking or trying new medication, and i'm not going to become a gym buff and try to become the picture of health. i'm not going to stop searching for a therapist who can do extensive, life-long trauma work with me. but i am aware now that i have in fact been lying to myself about all of this, convincing myself that i had no agency or power and it was up to my doctors and therapists to fix me. that is not true. i have to be responsible for myself. i have to make an effort. i can't give up on something because it's hard and then convince myself it would be better for me to not even try.
i'm trying now. i'm not letting myself sleep 12 hours, even though it feels like i need it - i've seen proof that i don't. i'm easing myself into going outside and walking. i want to start stretching. i'm going to take care of my body. it's not about losing weight. it doesn't matter if i do or don't. i just want my body to feel good. to not hurt. to not be tired all the time. i'm making an effort to actually get work done with my counsellor, even if she can't address the trauma that is the root cause of everything, she can still help, and it's up to me to seek that help. i'm going to look into jobs other than retail. i really, really want to do social work. not all of it requires a college degree. i have connections in the field. most importantly, i would actually enjoy it. i'm going to actually try to do things that make me happy, even if that leaves the potential for being disappointed. disappointment with moments of true happiness is better than nothing but pure apathy. i can see that now. i know it's true.
and, thanks to the way my brain works - there is no going back. i am certain i will backslide and lose progress and fall into depression again. but now that i know this, i can never again convince myself it isn't true. i won't be able to. i will always be able to pull myself out. this is the end of giving up. i know this more than i know anything else: this is all up to me, and i have the power to fix it. i will never again allow myself to do what i have spent the last 10 years doing: believing i am powerless and there is no hope for anything. i have hope. i will never let go of it. i am capable of failing, but i will never again fail that badly. from here on, it will never get worse than it has been before i realized all of this.
and i know the ultimate goal in therapy, is that i will continue to believe and do these things until i am doing them because i value myself, because i see myself as worthy of the effort. that will take time. a lot of time. but until then, i have a strength i can always rely on. throughout my life, everything i have ever cared about - art, relationships, careers, happiness - i have given up on at some point. even if i picked it back up, there has been a time where i have lost faith in all of these. but in all my life, i have never, ever lost faith in justice. in kindness. in compassion and love. in doing the right thing. in being a good person. in some ways, this is not healthy; my OCD goes overboard with it and it results in intense guilt and shame and fear. but i do know that its not just a mental disorder for me. i know that this passion for caring for others is an intrinsic part of me that will never go away and is completely true and genuine. so while i may not be able to do all of this for myself - i can do it for others. giving up and accepting a shitty, unfulfilling life is literally what capitalism wants. it is the right thing to do to fight that. as long as i believe that helping myself will help others, by giving them strength or support or inspiration - i can do this. i will never lose that passion, and so i know i can always fight for better. i can always fight for happiness. i will never give up again.
this is a major turning point in my life. things are different and can never go completely back to how they were. i am the same person, but i've changed. this is the start of my recovery. this will be a moment i remember forever.
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totallycooldebtmedicals · 2 months ago
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@oripoke @bo-beanies
Have you ever been tortured? Have you ever been abandoned and left for dead on the roads without food or support or money? Have you ever been hated and cursed abd betrayed by people you trusted. Have you ever been discarded like youre garbage and sent to abusers they knew fully about. Have you ever lay dying and wait for something, starving, that never comes. Have you ever been abused and assaulted, and the people you trusted fed you to the wolves without a word. Have you ever been sent to the ER again and again, but nobody cares about your suffering, and you're left there alone
I believed you with all my heart. That friends were there for you during hard times. You encouraged me to fight back. I did. Then you took everything, and left me on the roads to die.
You are constantly redrawing the line in the sand so im always on the other side of it. Only members of the garden are allowed to have human value. If I tell the truth im not believed, I end up in the ER. If I lie im tortured, i still end up in the ER. If I reach out for help, I dont get any. If I do things alone, I mess everything up.
If I talk about myself, im being selfish. But if I talk about rory, im being obsessive. When bean did something abusive and traumatizing, it doesnt matter and they are forgiven, "because it was a long time ago and you need to get over it". When i also have a panic attack because of a disorder, ages ago, its held over my head forever and my cries for help go ignored. Unlike them, i don't even get a chance to explain anything at all
If your friends make a mistake, you gather and support them, and see the best in them. If I did what bean or pea did, you would hate me instantly without trial. But, they get hundreds of chances, understanding, and care. Where you see the best in them, and understand they are human beings who make mistakes and make effort to be better. When i do the exact same things, you only see the worst in me and punish me for it, even though id do everything, EVERYTHING you told me to do, when it hurt. When I got meds and therapy, I was abused even worse for trying
When I was worried and overprotective and had a panic attack, from disorders I could not control. i am still a bad person despite it, you cannot "trust me on the merit of im just like that." But with pea, who does the same thing and causes someone extreme harm, your excuse is they are being overprotective and "are just like that." The exact opposite of me. I could go on like this for hours, but if I talk about it, Im guilting you. If I dont talk about it, I end up back here, in the hospital or on the street.
You didn't abandon them for making the exact same mistakes. I only got worse after 7 months of this abuse and torture, a fact you steadily ignore. You even mocked me for my illness, going lmaooo, you couldn't even last a single day!!
If I tried to talk to you, I was breaking your boundaries and smothering you. If I offered to disappear and never talk about it, then I was isolating myself and being hurtful to others. If bean mentioend "this is what a good friend would do," they are being kind. If I do the same thing, I am being manipulative
There was never a right answer. Ive tried to ask you what the right answer is for months. But I've been abandoned, hated, isolated, and tortured for events that were not my fault and not under my control. For the things that were, i apologized, made real effort to change, but it didnt matter and I completely lost it. Have you ever been tortured? By people you cared about? Can you give me back my cat? My home? My life? My savings, my job, my bed?? You took everything from me and told me it was my fault
If im angry, its exaggerated out of context and shared to everyone. If im in dire pain, its completely ignored and irrelevant. You told me I could always talk about problems, but then you completely ignored the messages or didnt acknowledge them, instead of communicating it wasn't okay (you are aware i have autism, if you dont tell me, I will not understand.) If I talk about my illness or my autism, im using it as a shield. But if I try and ignore it, it cripples me.
In private, you expressed you liked being called a girl. When I call you a girl (out of habit, and yes, because i wanted to upset you) during a fight, you call me transphobic and spread this misinformation to everyone you know. Im a trans person. Do you know how much worse it feels to see you use my dead name, to frame me for real criminal activity i did not do, using my dead name, too? im the only one telling the truth. Even if its embarassing or hard, i am the ONLY one who has been telling the truth, and that hurts the most.
You told me you enjoyed my curiosity, my questions, and my general interest in learning about the world i had never before been able to know. Now, the same behavior is called stalkerish and unacceptable. Im told to stand up for myself, like not being told who to date, or to stand up to my brother's abuse. I told Bean "no" they dont get to control who I date and how i dress and who i speak to. But when I did, my life was destroyed, and my abuse at home increased. I fought because of you and what did it give us?
When bean is emotional, it isn't their fault, its their illness, they are just scared, and its okay. When I felt the exact same thing and got therapy and meds the exact same way, it was my fault for being born that way, and the only support I recieved was Peas verbal abuse, and more hate texts.
This line is constantly being redrawn by you and everything is always my fault, no matter how hard I tried or what I do. Even when I have one foot in the grave, im belittled, yelled at, ignored, abandoned, gossiped about, despised and left for dead. My hospitalizations and your police calls have real consequences, and you don't even have the decency to allow me to talk about it like an adult, in private. Youve caused real harm to a real persons life, but i was just an anime doll, a toy that doesnt matter when you finished playing with him.
When they do something for you, like get you something, its a kind gesture. When I do the same thing, even if its all the money left I had, its seen as malicious and im "lying" about my wealth. You never had any interest in my platform or my fans until you could use it as some story that im evil and *chose* to have these illnesses. That i tried for 7 months to stop, until I couldnt take it anymore. I really could go on but this is already so long, and im being repetitive. I just wanted the pain to stop. I just wanted to speak with someone who cares about me
Nothing matters, and nobody cares. When i try to explain it really is like torture, that my disorder is the most painful in the world, and just like schizophrenia I can't just "get over it." When I explain that, im "lying and faking for attention." Despite photos and medical records showing clear as day its not. Things ive sent in private during attacks, you have exaggerated and escalated as literal crimes i did not do. You think im trying to take down your blog or something. When I've literally just been trying to stay out of the ER. Im trying to survive, and you take them as personal attacks against yourselves
You are constantly redrawing the line in the sand so I am never on the right side of it. It was OK for bean to use, abuse, control and manipulate me, but, but it was not okay for me to express the trauma they caused me or to have a panic attack about what happened. Nothing I do matters, and every answer is always the wrong answer. Im not even mentioning the abuse and immense suffering you did to me explicitly because believe it or not i care about your privacy. *you* put me here. You'll never understand the absolute hell I've been through on the streets..and its because of you
To the random people seeing this lengthy message; yes, im aware its spam and this isn't how you handle interpersonal relationships. Ive tried to handle it privately, 100+ times. Just block me
Tumblr media
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totallycooldebtmedicals · 2 months ago
Photo
@oripoke @bo-beanies
Have you ever been tortured? Have you ever been abandoned and left for dead on the roads without food or support or money? Have you ever been hated and cursed abd betrayed by people you trusted. Have you ever been discarded like youre garbage and sent to abusers they knew fully about. Have you ever lay dying and wait for something, starving, that never comes. Have you ever been abused and assaulted, and the people you trusted fed you to the wolves without a word. Have you ever been sent to the ER again and again, but nobody cares about your suffering, and you're left there alone
I believed you with all my heart. That friends were there for you during hard times. You encouraged me to fight back. I did. Then you took everything, and left me on the roads to die.
You are constantly redrawing the line in the sand so im always on the other side of it. Only members of the garden are allowed to have human value. If I tell the truth im not believed, I end up in the ER. If I lie im tortured, i still end up in the ER. If I reach out for help, I dont get any. If I do things alone, I mess everything up.
If I talk about myself, im being selfish. But if I talk about rory, im being obsessive. When bean did something abusive and traumatizing, it doesnt matter and they are forgiven, "because it was a long time ago and you need to get over it". When i also have a panic attack because of a disorder, ages ago, its held over my head forever and my cries for help go ignored. Unlike them, i don't even get a chance to explain anything at all
If your friends make a mistake, you gather and support them, and see the best in them. If I did what bean or pea did, you would hate me instantly without trial. But, they get hundreds of chances, understanding, and care. Where you see the best in them, and understand they are human beings who make mistakes and make effort to be better. When i do the exact same things, you only see the worst in me and punish me for it, even though id do everything, EVERYTHING you told me to do, when it hurt. When I got meds and therapy, I was abused even worse for trying
When I was worried and overprotective and had a panic attack, from disorders I could not control. i am still a bad person despite it, you cannot "trust me on the merit of im just like that." But with pea, who does the same thing and causes someone extreme harm, your excuse is they are being overprotective and "are just like that." The exact opposite of me. I could go on like this for hours, but if I talk about it, Im guilting you. If I dont talk about it, I end up back here, in the hospital or on the street.
You didn't abandon them for making the exact same mistakes. I only got worse after 7 months of this abuse and torture, a fact you steadily ignore. You even mocked me for my illness, going lmaooo, you couldn't even last a single day!!
If I tried to talk to you, I was breaking your boundaries and smothering you. If I offered to disappear and never talk about it, then I was isolating myself and being hurtful to others. If bean mentioend "this is what a good friend would do," they are being kind. If I do the same thing, I am being manipulative
There was never a right answer. Ive tried to ask you what the right answer is for months. But I've been abandoned, hated, isolated, and tortured for events that were not my fault and not under my control. For the things that were, i apologized, made real effort to change, but it didnt matter and I completely lost it. Have you ever been tortured? By people you cared about? Can you give me back my cat? My home? My life? My savings, my job, my bed?? You took everything from me and told me it was my fault
If im angry, its exaggerated out of context and shared to everyone. If im in dire pain, its completely ignored and irrelevant. You told me I could always talk about problems, but then you completely ignored the messages or didnt acknowledge them, instead of communicating it wasn't okay (you are aware i have autism, if you dont tell me, I will not understand.) If I talk about my illness or my autism, im using it as a shield. But if I try and ignore it, it cripples me.
In private, you expressed you liked being called a girl. When I call you a girl (out of habit, and yes, because i wanted to upset you) during a fight, you call me transphobic and spread this misinformation to everyone you know. Im a trans person. Do you know how much worse it feels to see you use my dead name, to frame me for real criminal activity i did not do, using my dead name, too? im the only one telling the truth. Even if its embarassing or hard, i am the ONLY one who has been telling the truth, and that hurts the most.
You told me you enjoyed my curiosity, my questions, and my general interest in learning about the world i had never before been able to know. Now, the same behavior is called stalkerish and unacceptable. Im told to stand up for myself, like not being told who to date, or to stand up to my brother's abuse. I told Bean "no" they dont get to control who I date and how i dress and who i speak to. But when I did, my life was destroyed, and my abuse at home increased. I fought because of you and what did it give us?
When bean is emotional, it isn't their fault, its their illness, they are just scared, and its okay. When I felt the exact same thing and got therapy and meds the exact same way, it was my fault for being born that way, and the only support I recieved was Peas verbal abuse, and more hate texts.
This line is constantly being redrawn by you and everything is always my fault, no matter how hard I tried or what I do. Even when I have one foot in the grave, im belittled, yelled at, ignored, abandoned, gossiped about, despised and left for dead. My hospitalizations and your police calls have real consequences, and you don't even have the decency to allow me to talk about it like an adult, in private. Youve caused real harm to a real persons life, but i was just an anime doll, a toy that doesnt matter when you finished playing with him.
When they do something for you, like get you something, its a kind gesture. When I do the same thing, even if its all the money left I had, its seen as malicious and im "lying" about my wealth. You never had any interest in my platform or my fans until you could use it as some story that im evil and *chose* to have these illnesses. That i tried for 7 months to stop, until I couldnt take it anymore. I really could go on but this is already so long, and im being repetitive. I just wanted the pain to stop. I just wanted to speak with someone who cares about me
Nothing matters, and nobody cares. When i try to explain it really is like torture, that my disorder is the most painful in the world, and just like schizophrenia I can't just "get over it." When I explain that, im "lying and faking for attention." Despite photos and medical records showing clear as day its not. Things ive sent in private during attacks, you have exaggerated and escalated as literal crimes i did not do. You think im trying to take down your blog or something. When I've literally just been trying to stay out of the ER. Im trying to survive, and you take them as personal attacks against yourselves
You are constantly redrawing the line in the sand so I am never on the right side of it. It was OK for bean to use, abuse, control and manipulate me, but, but it was not okay for me to express the trauma they caused me or to have a panic attack about what happened. Nothing I do matters, and every answer is always the wrong answer. Im not even mentioning the abuse and immense suffering you did to me explicitly because believe it or not i care about your privacy. *you* put me here. You'll never understand the absolute hell I've been through on the streets..and its because of you
To the random people seeing this lengthy message; yes, im aware its spam and this isn't how you handle interpersonal relationships. Ive tried to handle it privately, 100+ times. Just block me
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Sambar Deer (Rusa unicolor) and Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta Vagabunda) - Sariska National Park, India 
Photographed by Naveen Kumar Singh‎
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keefiswhoiam · 2 years ago
Text
August 16 - 2023 Wednesday
7:15 AM
My overall confidence lately has been extremely low. Something about not giving myself the respect I deserve. I haven't been doing all my work like I've wanted to. I've felt too weak or lazy for my workouts and sometimes cleaning. For a lot of it I don't see the point, it doesn't feel rewarding to complete the tasks. I do some of the workouts and I wouldn't let anything get too dirty but going above and beyond right now doesn't seem worth it. Im sticking to the bare minimum right now. I think its largely because I don't see myself as being worth anything right now. It sort of feels like treating myself would be a waste of resources. Like if I get anything good, I would judged for being wasteful. That doesn't make sense at all but its just how I feel.
I've learned by now though that I cannot stop feelings. All I can do it control my actions and my attention so maybe the way out of this is to focus on more helpful thoughts. I've been longing for another week where I get every single thing done and then some. That feels good.
8:00 PM
I didn't get things done like I wanted to today. I'm disappointed in myself and upset with how I am in general. Right now I feel very bad about myself and have little hope for anything working out. This is a classic sort of feeling, one that I know will pass. But I can't bank on that, I still want to figure out the underlying issues causing times like this and what I can do to get through it better. I know it's not about eliminating the feelings, it's about doing what I know is best for me despite having them. The thing is sometimes I don't know what is good for me. I definitely don't know where my values are at or what brings me meaning. I'm so lost, it's so easy to succumb to it all. The worst part is I know about some things I can do to foster perspective but I'm so prone to self sabotaging that I don't want to do them. Even though I'm aware of that. Its damaging being like this. It hurts my relationships which I know are very dear to me.
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rin-and-jade · 2 years ago
Note
hi! So I am trans and it causes me gender confusion but besides that… I go by multiple names my deadname, one name, and another name. However… these names I can attribute basically whole identities to. and I get confused on who I am, which one is real, if they’re all one person going by multiple names or separate identities. I have dissociation, early trauma, cptsd. I have those symptoms that make it even more confusing bc those symptoms align w system experiences. but I’m not sure if I rlly am a system or not. does it count as “fronting/taking control” when I go by one name instead of the other bc I feel more like that name (the name having its own kinda identity I guess). it doesn’t feel like I’m being taken control of exactly maybe though? Idk. and I feel scared to be a system or to be wrong about being a system. I rlly don’t get how to tell in the situation. I feel like idk if deadname transitioned into other name or if they’re separate. and if name is separate from other name or if they’re both just normal varying parts of myself.
If you think these signs aligned with system experiences, let me give you my view too on how i see your current situation.
People can have multiple names they go with, commonly used in online places and different friend groups (usually nicknames) and the clearest sign to see if it is you, or not, can be determined by: if you relate to every name that’s made/given, the you are not a system. As a system i 100% cannot relate to our deadname because it feels like it wasn’t me, so i go by Jade for years, the name just felt right and it sits perfectly. Neither the other names our part has too, it’s just,, it’s like a wrong key in the lock.
And to determine if you have signs of these names taking front is by paying attention if you feel something off, when i mean that, i meant the “wait im not supposed to act thay way right” kind of off. It must feel involuntary, not instantly recognized or realized (not for those who know they’re a system) and out of your control,, you might be having a hard time trying to detect some mild shifts in identity but by being aware of it, it makes it slightly more easy. If these names change alongside with other aspects like speech, body gestures, movement, preferences and morals,, then i’d say these are separate identities and not just names you go by once in a while.
Just letting you know, theres nothing bad or wrong about being a system or not, it doesn’t make it more scary or more dangerous for knowing or having it. Though there might be more problems to solve if you were to be one so please check more resources for a bit right now, if you think you need continued help for being a system i’ll gladly do it, just refer me to which anon you were, goodluck bud.
- j
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totallycooldebtmedicals · 2 months ago
Text
@oripoke @bo-beanies
Have you ever been tortured? Have you ever been abandoned and left for dead on the roads without food or support or money? Have you ever been hated and cursed abd betrayed by people you trusted. Have you ever been discarded like youre garbage and sent to abusers they knew fully about. Have you ever lay dying and wait for something, starving, that never comes. Have you ever been abused and assaulted, and the people you trusted fed you to the wolves without a word. Have you ever been sent to the ER again and again, but nobody cares about your suffering, and you're left there alone
I believed you with all my heart. That friends were there for you during hard times. You encouraged me to fight back. I did. Then you took everything, and left me on the roads to die.
You are constantly redrawing the line in the sand so im always on the other side of it. Only members of the garden are allowed to have human value. If I tell the truth im not believed, I end up in the ER. If I lie im tortured, i still end up in the ER. If I reach out for help, I dont get any. If I do things alone, I mess everything up.
If I talk about myself, im being selfish. But if I talk about rory, im being obsessive. When bean did something abusive and traumatizing, it doesnt matter and they are forgiven, "because it was a long time ago and you need to get over it". When i also have a panic attack because of a disorder, ages ago, its held over my head forever and my cries for help go ignored. Unlike them, i don't even get a chance to explain anything at all
If your friends make a mistake, you gather and support them, and see the best in them. If I did what bean or pea did, you would hate me instantly without trial. But, they get hundreds of chances, understanding, and care. Where you see the best in them, and understand they are human beings who make mistakes and make effort to be better. When i do the exact same things, you only see the worst in me and punish me for it, even though id do everything, EVERYTHING you told me to do, when it hurt. When I got meds and therapy, I was abused even worse for trying
When I was worried and overprotective and had a panic attack, from disorders I could not control. i am still a bad person despite it, you cannot "trust me on the merit of im just like that." But with pea, who does the same thing and causes someone extreme harm, your excuse is they are being overprotective and "are just like that." The exact opposite of me. I could go on like this for hours, but if I talk about it, Im guilting you. If I dont talk about it, I end up back here, in the hospital or on the street.
You didn't abandon them for making the exact same mistakes. I only got worse after 7 months of this abuse and torture, a fact you steadily ignore. You even mocked me for my illness, going lmaooo, you couldn't even last a single day!!
If I tried to talk to you, I was breaking your boundaries and smothering you. If I offered to disappear and never talk about it, then I was isolating myself and being hurtful to others. If bean mentioend "this is what a good friend would do," they are being kind. If I do the same thing, I am being manipulative
There was never a right answer. Ive tried to ask you what the right answer is for months. But I've been abandoned, hated, isolated, and tortured for events that were not my fault and not under my control. For the things that were, i apologized, made real effort to change, but it didnt matter and I completely lost it. Have you ever been tortured? By people you cared about? Can you give me back my cat? My home? My life? My savings, my job, my bed?? You took everything from me and told me it was my fault
If im angry, its exaggerated out of context and shared to everyone. If im in dire pain, its completely ignored and irrelevant. You told me I could always talk about problems, but then you completely ignored the messages or didnt acknowledge them, instead of communicating it wasn't okay (you are aware i have autism, if you dont tell me, I will not understand.) If I talk about my illness or my autism, im using it as a shield. But if I try and ignore it, it cripples me.
In private, you expressed you liked being called a girl. When I call you a girl (out of habit, and yes, because i wanted to upset you) during a fight, you call me transphobic and spread this misinformation to everyone you know. Im a trans person. Do you know how much worse it feels to see you use my dead name, to frame me for real criminal activity i did not do, using my dead name, too? im the only one telling the truth. Even if its embarassing or hard, i am the ONLY one who has been telling the truth, and that hurts the most.
You told me you enjoyed my curiosity, my questions, and my general interest in learning about the world i had never before been able to know. Now, the same behavior is called stalkerish and unacceptable. Im told to stand up for myself, like not being told who to date, or to stand up to my brother's abuse. I told Bean "no" they dont get to control who I date and how i dress and who i speak to. But when I did, my life was destroyed, and my abuse at home increased. I fought because of you and what did it give us?
When bean is emotional, it isn't their fault, its their illness, they are just scared, and its okay. When I felt the exact same thing and got therapy and meds the exact same way, it was my fault for being born that way, and the only support I recieved was Peas verbal abuse, and more hate texts.
This line is constantly being redrawn by you and everything is always my fault, no matter how hard I tried or what I do. Even when I have one foot in the grave, im belittled, yelled at, ignored, abandoned, gossiped about, despised and left for dead. My hospitalizations and your police calls have real consequences, and you don't even have the decency to allow me to talk about it like an adult, in private. Youve caused real harm to a real persons life, but i was just an anime doll, a toy that doesnt matter when you finished playing with him.
When they do something for you, like get you something, its a kind gesture. When I do the same thing, even if its all the money left I had, its seen as malicious and im "lying" about my wealth. You never had any interest in my platform or my fans until you could use it as some story that im evil and *chose* to have these illnesses. That i tried for 7 months to stop, until I couldnt take it anymore. I really could go on but this is already so long, and im being repetitive. I just wanted the pain to stop. I just wanted to speak with someone who cares about me
Nothing matters, and nobody cares. When i try to explain it really is like torture, that my disorder is the most painful in the world, and just like schizophrenia I can't just "get over it." When I explain that, im "lying and faking for attention." Despite photos and medical records showing clear as day its not. Things ive sent in private during attacks, you have exaggerated and escalated as literal crimes i did not do. You think im trying to take down your blog or something. When I've literally just been trying to stay out of the ER. Im trying to survive, and you take them as personal attacks against yourselves
You are constantly redrawing the line in the sand so I am never on the right side of it. It was OK for bean to use, abuse, control and manipulate me, but, but it was not okay for me to express the trauma they caused me or to have a panic attack about what happened. Nothing I do matters, and every answer is always the wrong answer. Im not even mentioning the abuse and immense suffering you did to me explicitly because believe it or not i care about your privacy. *you* put me here. You'll never understand the absolute hell I've been through on the streets..and its because of you
To the random people seeing this lengthy message; yes, im aware its spam and this isn't how you handle interpersonal relationships. Ive tried to handle it privately, 100+ times. Just block me
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I had some troubles with my pc, but now it's time to finish all of my abandoned artworks 🩷
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nope-never-again · 3 years ago
Note
im going through a recent discovery of possibly having bpd and im a bit curious about the episodes and more how are symptoms outside of the episodes? is it possible to have minimal symptoms or be able to be in control except when triggered? i think i've unknowingly had it for a while so i've worked a lot on my anger and emotional awareness but relationship things trigger me a lot and then i behave irrationally. do you have any resources you could myb recommend?
I'll start this out by saying I have autism and BPD so the way I process things may not be the same as other people with BPD. Also I've spent 6+ months (total) in in-patient care facilities and years in therapy so the way I address these things is based almost solely on that. I am not a doctor in any way shape or form but I'm happy to share my experiences/knowledge about these things. **this will be long btw, don't say I didn't warn you**
BPD episodes:
I would break these down into three parts, #1 the trigger: many things can trigger BPD episodes but the most common I've seen is already being in a shit mood and something more shitty happens, rejection (real or perceived), arguments, having to leave someone important to you (literally does even matter how long it's for, 10 minutes or 10 years) and even internal triggers, that are usually created/exacerbated by overthinking. #2 the out of control: this is the actual episode itself during these a lot of things can happen depending how how you personally deal with things. The most common I've seen are extreme emotional outbursts (whether they are pointed inward or towards another person is kind of on a person to person basis, for most people), attention seeking behaviors, paranoia, and self-destructive/self-isolating behaviors. Self destructive behaviors can also stem from comorbidities like depression, eating disorders, substance abuse issues and sex addiction. I would call #3 the aftermath: this can look very different for everyone but most people experience the same few feelings, guilt, remorse, regret, self-loathing, anxiety. Usually these feelings are caused by the actions during #2 whether the actions were done to yourself or others doesn't matter, the feelings are usually the same.
Outside of BPD episodes/can it be managed:
Everyone with BPD is very different and mirroring plays a big part in that. Everyone with BPD struggles with sense of identity (even myself) and some find it easier (whether consciously or subconsciously) to mirror other people to find that sense of identity and belonging, especially if they convince themselves that a person will like them more if they have more in common. This is important because this can help with coping in life and functioning better as a human in society, surround yourself with functioning people and you end up mirroring functioning people, without knowing it and then bam you do pretty well for an extended period of time. This is one of a small handful of situations I think someone with BPD could go through life experiencing minimal negative symptoms. Symptoms that cannot be managed simply by mirroring though are, inevitable extreme mood swings (they will happen no matter what), shifting self image, deep fear of abandonment, insecurity, and paranoia. Other than through mirroring, medication and therapy (and even then its not fool proof) I don't believe BPD can be ENTIRELY managed outside of episodes. It is extremely hard to hold yourself accountable with this disorder and people almost always require outside help to manage symptoms.
Other:
Please let me know if I can answer any other questions, I know this is a lot but I felt like I needed to explain things in order to really get into what you asked. Also feel free to DM me if you don't want this public even on anon.
Resources:
Honestly therapy and social media are my favorite resources BUT here are a few others if you want to learn more.
https://emotionsmatterbpd.org/
https://www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org/
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likeadog · 4 years ago
Text
okay so im seeing people get anons about this and its coming up in friend groups so i think now's actually a pretty good time to tackle the idea of religious (specifically cultic) abuse in media and how we as an audience interact with it
TLDR: dehumanization and sexualization of cult victims furthers the misunderstanding that cults "don't exist now", and RA survivors would feel much safer in fandom spaces if people acknowledged and analyzed the harmful portrayals of cults in media.
cw: discussions of cults, abuse, and sexual assault
also, if you have questions, please shoot me an ask or dm (off anon preferably, though)
let me start this with a disclaimer that i dont think every media that features ra is inherently bad. i think thats a bit harsh and as an ra survivor ive come to terms with the fact that there are going to be depictions of it in ways that maybe dont give it the respect it deserves, and trying to "what about [x]" everything will only lead people to talking in circles with themselves. what i want to address here is how you, as a consumer, respond to and parse out what cultic abuse means in any particular portrayal of it.
*also please don't harass people about their RAS status, like, if you see someone enjoying something with a less than stellar portrayal of cults, don't send them asks or dms like "well are YOU a cult survivor?" reducing the consumption of media to a yes or no game based on identity-- especially an identity that comes as the result of explicit pain and spiritual violation is not only derivative but also degrading to survivors and the people you're grilling. all we want is for people to think carefully about what they spread and portray, and how they think about those situations.
so, i think the first thing to tackle is...what is a cult? This is something that's surprisingly hard to define, especially in fictional settings with fictional cults. For example, (and pardon the use of this example, I don't feel like hunting for others), My Hero Academia has an organization in it that I would say fits the criteria for being a cult, but by and large isn't considered one by fans because it's not explicitly called a cult. (Although numerous cult jokes have been made about it). It also has an organization that IS explicitly referred to as a cult.
So, when you're dealing with how to process what is and is not a cult-- and how to make your presence safe for RA survivors, you have to be able to sift through more than just "did the narrative tell me this is a cult?"
There's a few different models people use; one of the most popular being the BITE model-- but I should clarify that the BITE model is really tailored towards religious and strictly hierarchal cults, but can be applied to other kinds of cults.
(and yes, there are cults other than religious/spiritual ones. corporate cults and wellness cults have been on the rise, and it's good to keep that in mind both when engaging with media and also in the real world.)
However, I'm a religious cult survivor, so a lot of my experience is strictly irt this, so please take what I say with a grain of salt, and know that I don't speak for every cult survivor, every religious cult survivor, or every religious abuse survivor. I am One Guy on the internet.
When it comes to media, I have a few questions I run through in order to figure out if something is A Cult.
1) Fringe Ideas. This one is one of those that most people know-- and often incorrectly use to attribute cult status to other things. However, it is worth mentioning, that you don't become a cult by following mainstream ideologies. BUT. BUT. not every group with weird ideas is a cult! Some groups are just weird and are fine being weird. It's a rectangles and squares situation. All cults have fringe ideas and behaviors, not all fringe ideas and behaviors belong to cults.
2) Hierarchies. Cults always have people in power, at least in my experience. There have been ideas thrown around about "completely decentralized cults"-- but to be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about that concept, and I don't know enough about it personally to say whether or not it's legitimate. If you have any sources, hmu.
BUT. Most cults have a power structure. You're going to have leaders, usually with a handful at the verrrrry tippy top, whose word is law. This can be associated with things like religious ideas (channelling god) or being "a genius", like in corporate cults.
3) Control. I cannot stress this enough; cults are all about control. How you think, feel, behave-- they discourage critical thought, encourage snitching on each other, buddy-group behavior; the BITE model explicitly lists these models of control.
4) Us V Them. Cults will give all those that oppose them or simply don't believe them a bad name. They're uneducated, they're evil-- it varies cult to cult, but you'll see them turning the non believers into a homogenous, frightening group. They want to discourage looking outwards, and they want to viciously isolate members.
Other things of note are extremism, talks of enlightenment, harsh punishments, the cult eating large portions of the member's finances, etc.
However, this post is largely to address FICTIONAL cults. and the unfortunate fact of the matter is that fictional cults are rarely fleshed out in a way that can be held one to one to a model, and, more often, don't even afford the victims of a cult humanity.
and this is one of THE biggest issues you find in cult portrayals. the leader is usually a charismatic, or perhaps menacing, figure, one that usually our protagonists-- who are rarely cult victims, they are typically outsiders (not inherently bad, mind you)-- faces personally, with the hoardes of mindless zombies forming one giant hurdle.
Naturally, this can be...hurtful. There's nuance to who is and is not a victim in a cult (although my rule of thumb is to look at what abuses that person specifically exerts over others-- and you can be both a victim and perpetrator of abuse. to treat them exclusively is lacking all nuance), but the people are the bottom, even if they joined willingly, are people who were preyed upon. Not only that, but many media cults forget that people can be born into cults, and never really had a choice to begin with. To treat these people like they are mindless-- or that they deserve the suffering they are in because they are there-- completely erases all nuance, humanity, and understanding to the cult survivior struggle. Not only that, but it continues to sensationalize and deify cult leaders, which is doing their job for them, really.
The second biggest issue is the romanticization and sexualization of cults, religious abuse, and cultic abuse.
(yes...this is a thing.)
The use of cults as a way to make a character edgy or tragic is one thing, but there's something sinister about using it to project a certain sexual behavior onto that character-- whether it be as the subjugator or subjugated. Sexual abuse is rampent in cults, and ritualistic sexual abuse is used to justify it. To sexualize the idea of a cult(ist) raping and abusing someone is...beyond offensive to anyone who has been in a cult where their sexual safety and autonomy has been compromised. Or, in some cases, the cultist is so naive and sheltered they can be easily coerced and taken advantage of due to their brainwashing.
This is...bad? This is bad. To ignore the fact that these depictions are just as harmful as any other romanticization of abuse is to ignore the real suffering of cult victims.
Really, the larger problem is that people don't really think cults exist, not really. They're all things of the past, or things that exist solely in fiction-- when in reality, every day cults form and continue to grow. If you've ever met a mormon, you've met a cultist. The moment you begin to process and parce the fact that this isn't as bizarre and unusual and fictional as it seems, you take the steps to respecting people who have been in that situation and become better at detecting cults, cult recruitment, and are able to more clearly assess what you take in.
Once again, there's so many bad portrayal of cults that it would be...stupid to call for an immediate disowning of anything with it in it. I personally have come to terms with the idea that I will have gripes about these portrayals in most cases, but rarely do I see people other than fellow RA or cult survivors discussing these portrayals. I'm hoping people can become more aware and willing to discuss cults in a serious and analytical context and criticize how they're portrayed in the things they love.
And once again, cult survivors are NOT a monolith. If a cult survivor expresses they are uncomfortable with something I said here that I'm not, or vice versa, listen to the people who actively surround you and whom you care about.
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anonil88 · 4 years ago
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Malcolm and Marie live blog
I don't usually do liveblogs for movies but yea.
Spoilers ahead!!
I love that its modern timed but very 70s stylized.
A tune indeed.
When you are high and drunk on success and
How the white critic reacts is why I feel like gatekeeping my scripts. At the same time some things I do make are about race or involve.
Marie sitting on the patio smoking is a mood whenever men are talking.
So he's pretentious and unaware.
Whoever chose the music for this, I feel like we would be Spotify mutuals.
Can this nigga stop pacing.
Also can he stop talking;
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Marie is so tired and unimpressed.
Also little booties matter and are to be bitten.
Oooo the tension and the jazz.
Title Card over mac and cheese.
Shitty boxes mac and cheese but still mac and cheese.
Tbh i always wonder if spouses/significant others get upset when their spouses don't acknowledge them during speeches.
John sounds so much like his dad but I really hope his acting style differs from his dad a lot.
Guilty confession?
He did not profit off of his partners backstory and then not even acknowledge her.....I.....
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If that ever happened to me catch me cussing my partner out during the beginning credits, the end credits, in the car, and at home.
GASLIGHTER!
The way I'm excited for Zendaya to give me some, oooo can she work with Regina King. Please on my knees I pray.
Um no that's not your job to coddle your lead.
He's a dick and the type of dick who makes himself look like a good person around other people.
If Sam Levinson is trying to make his viewers more of misandrist, it's working.
I feel like Marie has her flaws probably a lot of them and we will surely see as this continues, but Malcolm needs to learn how to apologize sincerely.
70s vibes! 70s vibes!
Them kissing and talking about criticism and dreams makes me miss a partner. A partner that I've had and haven't had.
Women really are behind every great man.
Yea sir you fucked a happy moment.
Oh visual allegories for looking in from the outside and cat and mouse chasing and looking from the outside in.
She's saying she doesn't feel noticed by you.
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Gas lighter :0 he called her an emotional support dog, bruh.
I would LOVE to co-write or take a writing class held by Sam Levinson. The fights i write are very much in this same realm of reflection and anger and monologue.
Sam.....sam.....are all the sides inside of you doing okay sir?
The ugly side of dating and being in a relationship with someone who struggles with their own demons.
Honestly I could close my eyes and listen to this script being read without seeing these characters visually. Just close my eyes and get a sense of these characters like it was a radio story.
Oh. Oh this is a new wheelhouse of Zendaya acting; a different voice is like breaking through here and her expressions aren't the same we are used to. You can literally hear another character in there....hmm.
Mans is outside really fighting with his invisible demons lmfao.
Selfish ass, how after everything she said you came out of it thinking about your own craft and self instead of how you hurt her.
So she's conditional.
Me: did sam (a white man) say nigga this many times in his script or are the actors adding their own inflections. Not just the lingo used but the topic of race and directing etc. being written by a white writer about black characters is always gonna be a critique when you're writer is a white person.
Alexa play Broken Girls by Saba
He is so hurtful.
A clown nigga a clown look in the fucking mirror you bozo head ass looking like you need some Mehron clown white and a size 16 in clown shoes.
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John is doing a really swell performance and reading of these lines.
He is reading her for her insecurities by bringing up his experiences with other women and that.....is yikes.
Arguments can get messy like this in real life but it takes a lot of maturity and control to either not let it get to this point or have a healthy conversation afterwards.
This film is really shot on some very crisp lenses.
They sitting there like 🚬🧍‍♀️🧍‍♂️.
Leftover Mac and Cheese and unfinished cigarettes.
The nyt etc. pay walls are so annoying, but there is a work around look at the articles on incognito or add a period at the end of the url.
He sounds like his daddy so much here, weird, this is the only part I'm eh on the dialogue it feels real but a bit out of pace in how they are bouncing off one another.
Nail scissors? So the end is not the only part he based off of Marie. 🙄
ITS A GOOD REVIEW YOU DINGUS but also its a full review they are going to critique things. She isn't wrong though he did profit off of a woman's story that was not his own to profit from.
Yes Malcolm because unfortunately all marginalized people look through a lens of life that is inherently political because of the world they live in.
He is so mad and upset and had a lot on his chest. But I think he Malcolm and Sam are talking about something thats an issue and a non issue. Being critiqued for you art is hard but also Malcolm is not super self aware. He's like a stand in figure of for example rich depop sellers who wanna be oppressed so badly they yell at others instead of examining their own personal behaviors and ethics.
Oh Marie, when you know the spark is gone and you pick fights because.
He ain't even ask her to read?
One critic I have for most of hollywood actors is they learn their cry and that is it. A change from this is Margot Robbie, I adore her fluctuations of crying being similar but the crying is carried differently for each character. If I had to say any actor that does a cry scene amazing its this woman right here (Amy Adams)
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You stole her story from her and gave it away, she has a right to be upset and angry and a rubber band ball of emotions.
Citizen Kane, not the cinematography, but the story is it even that good? (Unpopular opinion but meh, maybe in my rewatch it will be better.)
But that is what people want authenticity and whatever authenticity means to them. What is real for one is false for another.
To be honest look at the criticism of Euphoria, well earned, but a lot of people were like this isn't real even though he literally wrote about his own life. People said it was inauthentic like....wtf.
Ahh the smoking is just a habit, he quit and she didn't.
CAST ZENDAYA IN A HORROR MOVIE PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING. Get Lupita and Zendaya and some more black actors preferably less known ones in a horror movie. One with a interesting script and story, directed by Regina King. Please and thankyou.
I love Marie yep that was amazing.
Behind every great man is a greater woman, one that deserves her credit for how she has stood behind. I wonder the stories of those women, what they have sacrificed or not sacrificed. Their thoughts and feelings when the world is surrounding their partner and views them as a plus one. (I'd write a short script about this but I think do I have the time, can I, or am I equipped ?)
He is a shitty person for bringing up his exes, like she even said I don't wanna know any of that.
Imagine being on anti depressents and rarely having a sex drive and then when you do your partner starts talking about their exes and tearing you apart for all your faults.
I love when you see peaks of Zendaya's cadence in roles.
Tension, what if's and he didn't even bring her up in his speech.
Marie to herself and the audience:
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He is not afraid that he will loose her but as my character says in my unreleased story, "i can't wait til you give me a fucking reason to leave your ass." Malcolm expects everything in order for not even doing the bare minimum and she is only asking him for something as simple as consideration. She just wants him to be considerate. He wants to get married and considers their relationship like rolling down a hill at full speed and he cannot apologize, he cannot be considerate, and he cannot admit his wrongs. He can only offer her I love yous that he probably does mean but he does not back up outside of what he's done for her in the past. The past which was more of her experience than his and he sees his part in it as a burden. He doesn't use his own vantage point of the past to further his career he uses her. He does all of these things without a real apology or thankyou because he is not afraid to loose her.
The restrictions of quarantine and the panorama have made Sam's writing very no frills. I wonder how other films from other directors and writers that are filmed in small contained crews like this will be structured. But this was a very good movie gonna add to my letter box 3.3-3.5
Oh shit this is my song,
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Ratings/overall thoughts:
Script is like a C+, B- : I could go into my heavier big brain thoughts on the script but I don't feel like it. You catch hints of it above it centers conversation on race and privilege, mainly the writers and questions i have that won't be answered but Sam did make me grow disdain for Malcolm over a short time. Which is sometimes hard to do because im one sympathetic person but the sympathy i have for Malcolm is at 0. Maybe a 2 at some scenes but then it quickly goes back to 0. Some parts of the dialogue miss the mark or hit the are off balanced. While some of it like Malcolm's bathroom speech albeit mean is really strong or their conversation when he comes back from peeing really shines for me.
Performances: B+ to A- because they carried the script further than it could of gone with less talented actors. The monologues do well to showcase their current skill levels which are already high af and leave room for anticipation in where these actors go next.
Zendaya holding a knife: A+ with a gold star. That switch on and off and on is delectable.
John being a shitty boyfriend but following Marie like a lost puppy: B+ with a good job written at the bottom of the paper, Malcolm being nervous a frantic dialed up with more realistic nervousness would have sold me completely on Malcolm's anxious waiting.
Cinematography: A and a participation award.
The mac and cheese: A+ for the easy mac. Wish it was like Annie's or Velveeta.
Cigarettes: Participation award and their picture hung up for student of the month. Why the grill lighter? Everytime Malcolm opened up his mouth Marie was like sparks fly.
The music: A++ with a prize. Whoever picked the music probably makes good Spotify playlists.
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mxvladdy · 5 years ago
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Diavolo- True Form
Whoooooooo weeeee! ‘Pologies for the wait on these longer posts. I’ve been hit with a one two punch of house emergencies and sudden costly ass repairs, so my creative juices have been rightly squashed as of late.
Plus side I got my drawing tablet and drafting table back so I can neaten up my blog lay out now (yay!) 
Anyway this one was a challenge in the best possible ways. I really like Diavolo because of how little we know about him so it gave me some wiggle room. Or at least what I know of him- im only on like chapter 23 of the stories. Idk if I did him justice as this is angsty af but I sure had a blast writing it!
Hope ya like! Next up: Beelzebub 
Trigger warning: Mention of blood, and swearing. 
Diavolo-
He'll never show you, so don't ask. His true form is god-like in its own right and such knowledge, such truly raw demonic power in its natural form is not for your mortal eyes.
No matter what your lineage, it would break you. And despite his roles and being the literal devil, he doesn’t want you suffering.
Sometimes when he thinks you wouldn't notice he relaxes his hold on reality, just a fraction. He wants to relieve some of the tension that is always building just below the surface. Like closing your eyes when you have a tension headache. The mental energy he has to exert to keep face is enormous. Regular glamour doesn’t work nearly as well as his own, or Barbato’s magic.
But you see hints during your downtime spent in his company. A ripple in his reflection on the window pane. Unexplainable shadows dancing across his exposed skin. Too many teeth in his mouth when he laughs. Sometimes when you stare into his eyes you see something indescribable staring back behind them. His usually warm and inviting gaze darkening. A barest flicker, a hulking bestial thing kept locked behind in his golden gaze. It's enough to freeze the blood in your veins.
On certain nights when you can slip away from the brothers you stay in his room. Lying  awake, you watch his magic wane and shift as he slumbers. Sometimes you see runes, or at times letters. You are tempted to write them down and ask Solomon. But something stops you each time.
The worst images are the faces. Unknown souls trapped beneath his flesh clawing to be freed. Silent screams fading back into his body as he dreams. Your fragile fingers trace the patterns they leave as you wait for the next day wrapped in his embrace.
Only once have you seen more of his form then he would ever wish. The depths of his strength and mental fortitude were unknown to you so the slip up took you both by surprise. He masks the error well, but the sudden shift in energy in the room couldn’t be suppressed .
You are suddenly so aware of the oppressive weight of gravity on your frame. Your bones grinding together under the force of his aura. You panic, desperate by the need to breathe, but are unable to draw even the smallest bit of oxygen as it is robbed from the room. Time and reality wrapped too, distorting in ways only you thought only Barbatos could do. You knew in that moment the sudden dread of death, how mortally was but a rusty shackle tethering you down.
He collects himself, dispelling the energy and locking his glamour down tight to protect you. But that split second of fury felt like an eternity to you as you sink to the floor. You hiccup a shaky sob and shiver. Your fragile human mind bowing under the strain of what it cannot comprehend. Scolding hot tears fall from your cheeks, before splashing crimson the stone below you.
You didn't approach him again for over a month. No matter how strong you are, some things were better off unseen.
Mini Fic
He didn’t know. For once in his ancient pitiful existence, he had been unaware of his surroundings. It had been for just a moment, one tiny crack in his veneer. The foolishness of Mammon and Belphegor’s actions finally poked the right nerve. He wouldn’t hurt them, for Lucifer’s sake. That prideful demon would never forgive him if he did. But he could scare them. A quick look at his true self; a flash of the deepest bowels of hell. Enough to give them a reminder of their positions and standing in his court. He had expected their whimpers of fear, could taste the acidic tinge of it exuding from their pores. What he didn’t expect though was your blood curdling screams alongside.
Ironically, he would have to thank the second eldest later. His fast thinking is the only thing that saved you from complete damnation. His body shielded yours, taking the brunt of the stronger daemons hellish might for you. What little magic Mammon still had left used to protect you. Though, while your vision was blocked, you could still feel his oppressive presence. It racked your mortal flesh. Diavolo knew what affects his power had on humans. He spent years breaking and consuming damned souls with zeal after all.
The brothers had run from him after that, screaming for Simone. Barbatos following close behind, a look of consternation on his usually impassive face. You had been so limp in Mammon's arms. Diavolo could do nothing, shocked by his own weak will and realization that he might have ruined everything. You had been whisked away so quickly by his faithful servant and the brothers that he hadn’t had a chance to look you over himself. But the brief moment he saw will haunt him for years to come. Your eyes red from the sudden haemolacria, the blood staining your clothes and face. Your fingers digging away at your soft skin, black and purple blotches staining what he could see. Mouth opened wide on a silent scream. He knew what you must have seen. The souls of the damned trapped under his glamour breaking free to latch on to your unmarred soul trying to drag you back with them.
Against his butler's advice he stands at your door now days later trying to see you. He couldn’t sit around and just hear updates second hand. The brothers had been keeping guard most days in a valiant attempt to keep him away. But he could only be waylaid for so long before he used his rank against them.
He had arranged a full council meeting. Every one of the brothers knowing full well it was to get them out of his way. Yet, the order was absolute. This time none of the brothers could reject it. Barbatos would keep them in that room for eternity if he so wished for it. He hated using his age and power against them, but he saw no other way to get to you.
It was foolish now, standing as he was in front of your door. A part of him hoping you would turn the knob and let him in. Let him comfort you for once, instead of the asinine distractions the brothers offered. He could help too. Hells, he wanted to. He wanted to be closer to you. Power discrepancy be damned. The other part of him knowing it was for the best that you didn’t. Your guardian and tormentor all in one. He listens to your muffled sobs for a moment fighting with his feet to stay cemented to the floor instead of heading back in defeat.  
"When my father was still around he took me down to the deepest depths of the kingdom. Where the worst of the traitors and sinners are imprisoned." His deep baritone rumbles through your door during a break in your crying. "It’s a place few seldom go; even now I have yet to return. Back then he told me ‘there will never be a human soul that is undeserving of punishment. Even the ones destined for the celestial realm are tethered to sin.’ At that time I believed him. The things I saw in your realm... " The prince chuckles wearily.
He remembers the ever present scowl on the old King's face. His dark eyes looking out at the sea of damned souls he controlled. Even as a young daemon, fresh into his wings and still sharpening his horns to impress others he could tell how much his father detested his position. How it had warped him, turning him bitter and cold, even to his mate and only child.
Diavolo never wanted to be like that. Not to the ones he supposedly cared for at the very least. "I think that is why he hated the other realms so much.” He continued. “Humans, for their ability to choose which realm they would eventually end up in after they pass. That even the worst sinners could find redemption enough at the last moment to get to the pearly gates. While daemons, no matter how well they served, or the duties they did for the good of their own would never be seen as equals to our celestial counterparts or yours. That this existence is all we'll ever be destined to have. Nightmares and monsters, stories to tell little human children to keep them in line.” He pauses, collecting himself. “I believed wholeheartedly that every human deserved the punishments only my kind could dowel out. But, in this past year I have spent with you, I find myself changing. You are so undeserving of such torment. Somehow you are understanding and forgiving beyond measure to us. You handle our ill tempers with such grace. For daemons such as us, it is staggering, and humbling. I regret that I have hurt you so deeply and have broken your trust. I swear it as the head of this realm I would never intentionally do so." He looks at the door handle willing it to open. " I am so sorry."
Your crying picks up again. Huge heaving sobs that rattle your chest. Great Father, he just keeps making it worse. Clearing his head Diavolo turns.
Rejection of this nature was new to him. No one had ever dared to ignore him, especially such as this. The royal in him- his father's blood- seethed that he would even stoop so low as to grovel to a short lived thing like yourself. Even deeper yet, it demanded another taste of your essences. You little soul kept safe behind your rib cage. He wanted it added to his collection, kept tucked away deep within his maws.
It was sick; it was wrong. He chokes on the idea. The intrusive thought burrowing deep. How deplorable was he? Perhaps the angels were right to keep him out of heaven.
You didn't show to class the following day, or the days after. Unsurprising to him and the seven of the inner council. He figured the other day wouldn’t change anything. But it was utter agony to him. These days trapped in his office only getting short and curt updates on your health from Lucifer. It had been a special kind of torment.
Today he sat once again at his desk staring at some godforsaken bitching of a royal cousin. He knew this whelp. Some backwater thrice removed eons ago. Yet he was demanding an audience? The gall. The ink of their eligible handwriting makes him cross eyed. Would this day ever cease? He looks to his hourglass, the sands within seemingly frozen in time.
"My Lord, perhaps you should take a moment to stretch your legs?" Barbatos moved from his corner. Gloved hand coming to rest on top of the same three lines he had been reading for the past two hours. "This work could wait another evening I’m certain ."
"Did I do the right thing my friend?" Diavolo doesn't even bother answering the question his servant posed. They both knew he wouldn't. "This program. Our human exchange students. Solomon is one thing, but-"
"Your will and path is absolute." Barbatos states. "There are no mistakes within you, merely stumblings onto different paths."
With a gentle push Barbatos moves the hulking demon out of his way to collect and organize the scrolls and letters scattered about the large desk. "You made the right choice bringing them here. Look at what they have done. They are entertainment to you are they not?"
The prince rose knocking his desk aside and descended on his butler. His true form out in all its unholy glory now. His highly condensed magic distorting the study as if he was a black hole. The axis of the room shifts. His priceless collection of books and toys disintegrating from the cold radiation he emits.
It was all for show really. There was nothing he could do to an ancient being such as Barbatos. So he lashed out, throwing a tantrum in the security of his office. The hopeless agitation he felt fueling the flames of his rage. His butler had only added holy water to his already festering wounds.
Barbatos had been by his side for time in memoriam. The crafty bastard had helped raise him. Had shaped him into the ruler he was today. If anyone could break and remold him it would be his oldest companion.
The dark haired daemon waited for the waves of agitation to dry up. Moving only when the prince was in his more presentable demonic form. Large barrel chest heaving as he reined himself in. “Are you back to your senses?” He asks coolly, already categorizing the items to replace and furniture to be mended.
"I had not meant for it to go like this."  Diavolo croaks into his hands collapsing back on what remained of his desk. Building a bridge between realms, yes. That noble idea was the greater purpose of this program, but the rest of it. The classes, and dances. The parties where he threw his newest toys about to see how they would react to things other mortals worshiped? That had been for his own curiosity and amusement. Lesser beings navigating a foreign world blind to the dangers that were right under their very nose. Bring a mortal with no magic into his realm? Deep down he knew this was an inevitability. Especially with the freedoms he granted them. He just didn’t think he would get so attached.
“No one believes that you would hurt them on purpose.” His butler cuts off his downward spiral. “It would ruin the program. That is what you are so stressed about, right?” Barbatos eyes him skeptically. Diavolo, himself, and Lucifer had spent many sleepless weeks constructing and negotiating this program. If the Arch Angels heard a mortal was hurt down here it could very well end this little escapade. But the look in the prince’s eyes told a different story.
A warm glow emanated from his cheeks and he was unable to meet the old daemon’s gaze. Ah. "Or perhaps things have changed?" Barbatos smiles coyly up from beneath his bangs. "You are your mother's son after all. Neither of you were ever able to stem your bleeding hearts for long." Diavolo squawked indignantly but didn’t argue. Instead he merely turns a darker shade of red and curses under his breath.
He skipped out on court that evening. Not that he cared much. The other nobles would no doubt use the time to gossip about his whereabouts and uncouth behavior of late. Truth be told, he was avoiding the brothers more than anything else. They had made it expressly clear (some more then others) how they felt about him currently. He wouldn't doubt that Belphegor had a few more brothers on his side now.
Instead he stood at your door once more with a tea tray in hand. He had bumped into Simone on the way. The angel had come to bring you dinner and to check up on the last of your wounds. Celestial magic worked miracles on those who have been touched by the darker arts. Diavolo was grateful for his talents. And, by some miracle, Simone had made it abundantly clear he was not going to bring this to the higher ups on his end either.
Upon seeing the prince slinking up the house's stairwell the other man had simply smiled and offered him the tray. “I suddenly got a message from Luke. Could you perhaps drop this by our friend’s door?” Diavolo had accepted without preamble, large hands dwarfing the platter of little tea cakes and sandwiches. The young cherubs work no doubt. His cooking was a fine treat, and a great incentive to at least open the door.
“Hello again.” He knocks twice. “I just wanted to check in on you. I know I am the last person you wish to see but I was hoping to talk?” Silence greets him. Were you awake? He breathes deeply and focuses on picking up your vitals. You were up, your heart thumping steady somewhere in the room. That was good. “I also have dinner for you. Simone had an urgent matter to attend to so he- for better or worse- entrusted this to me.”
Diavolo searches hopelessly for something else to say. He couldn’t just leave the food and go. He needed to see you. “I don’t plan on staying long today. I understand when I am not wanted, but I cannot help myself but be worried for you. Perhaps this is just me contritioning, because I know I caused this. The amount of times I have been called a ‘ass’ by Solomon over this have been staggering.” He rambles. After another bout of silence from your end he coincides. “I see- I will leave the food by the door and let you rest.” Defeated he puts the food down and turns to leave.
The door clicks open slowly. One bloodshot eye peeking through the crack. “Oh mio piccolo mortale.” He loses his grip on your shared tongue at a loss. You looked- you must have been in the hall longer then he or the brothers had known. Such damage couldn’t be done in a few moments. Your skin was healing as nicely as Lucifer had said, but the deep purple scarring still remained on the surface. The burn pattern of it all was random. Twisting wounds that reflected an oily sheen from the light of the hallway. “I-.”
“I know-” You cut him off with a raised hand. “and I feel as though I owe you an apology too.” Your voice was so weak and shaky. A mockery of your normally strong and jovial tone. Hearing you laugh at school had brightened the dreary halls. He hadn’t realized it until you weren't there.
“You owe me nothing.” Diavolo says in earnest. He watches you contemplate your next words before throwing whatever you were going to say away.
“Would you like to come in?” Your eyes drop to the tray. “Luke always makes more than I can eat.”
“I don’t think that would be wise.” He backs out. All his plans crashing and burning around his feet. His actions had been irreparable.
“Perhaps not,” You open the door wider taking the tray and heading to your side table, leaving him no room to argue. “But then again, being a lamb among such wolves as yourself and the brothers isn’t smart either.” You meant it as a joke but he couldn’t even muster a chuckle. It was true. Gods. “Dia-” You approach him again but falter at the last second.
As much as you wanted to be close to him again the memories were still so fresh in your mind. The cold hell fire of his magic ensnaring you, searing your skin. The whispered words of sinners long since past still echoing in your head, all in languages you’ve never heard before. The worst though had to be the screaming. Lost souls begging for help. Some sounded so familiar…You shutter involuntarily.
You wanted to hate him for this. Curse him for putting you through this pain. But how much could you blame him? Or any of them? They were daemons. Whether he meant to hurt you or not, it truly had only been a matter of time before it happened. It would be hypocritical of you to fear or hate him forever over this. Six of the seven brothers have threatened your life before, and you have forgiven them. Hell, one of them actually killed you. What’s more was that Diavolo’s wrath hadn’t even been directed at you.
Wrong place at the right time; seemed to be your forte. “Please, come in.” You repeat again firmer than before mustering up either courage or sheer human stupidity to order him in. You couldn’t tell the difference anymore. “We need to talk.”  
He enters, following at your heel like a lost puppy. All air of princedom gone as you clicked the door shut. Diavolo fiddles with his hands, old habits from childhood coming with his nerves. He didn’t know what to expect anymore. Yelling? Some kind of beratement? A plea to go home and never look back?  He would let you.
You pass by him, giving him a large berth of space to get to your seat. “Tea?”  
Diavolo jerks his head to you. He had forgotten momentarily the plate of food he had used to get access to you. You smile sheepishly pushing it and a plate of sweets towards him with your unbandaged knuckles. He doesn’t move till your hand retracts back to your lap. You jerk your head to the open seat waiting for him. You weren’t going to take no for an answer.
“I- thank you.” The daemon sits making himself as small as possible in the straight back chair. He takes the porcelain and drinks mindlessly. The scalding hot tea doing little to help the tightness of his throat, but it did thaw some of the ice in his mind.
“Are-how…” He fumbles so unsure of what to do next. “I see you’ve been keeping up with your school work.” Diavolo closes his eyes, wincing internally at his words. That’s what he comes up with? Idiotic.
You smile anyway, eyeing the massive pile of books and paperwork spewn about your bed. “Yeah. I’ve taken to doing my school work with Levi in his room. Mammon and Beel are nice enough to drop it off to the teachers when they are due.” He nods. He knew this of course. But it was nice to hear it from you. But yet, you don’t meet his eyes. Far too afraid to see what hid behind them.
The thought of being dragged back into those dark depths again makes your pulse quicken. You instead stare at your nail beds, finding them more interesting. They were purple now. The nails stained black by the contact with his magic. “Will- will that go away?” He asks. Demonic curses or taints were nigh impossible to remove fully. Disgustingly, he hoped they didn’t. Then your nails would match his. The darker depths of his soul coo at the idea, happy that in a small way every daemon would know your his. Not as good as a pact, but as close as he could get to being a part of your little mortal life.
“I’m not sure.” You reply honestly bringing your hands up to place them on the table. “Simone and Solomon have done what they could. But, it is as good as it’s going to get for now. They say it could fade with time.” You look up at him, eyes gazing to the left of his face. “Luke thinks I should see a stronger angel.” Diavolo winces, the thought stung, and terrified him. “I told him no.”
That surprised him. This was your chance. The celestial realm had been skeptical from the beginning. If they knew, it would be a perfect caveat for them to step in. “Why?” Finally you look at him. The fear was still there. Hesitation evident in your eyes. Yet you forced yourself to look at him, fighting through your trepidation.
“Did you mean what you said earlier? About your father and what you think of me?”
“Of course.” He replies without hesitation reaching for your cold hands. You flinch but don’t move away. It felt-nice. His warmth chasing away the perpetual chill that covered your fingertips. Idly you stroke his strong hands with your thumbs.
“Then, I think we can work on this privately.” Slowly but surely you felt like you could fix this. Not for the program, but for yourself.  
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kaminohana · 4 years ago
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the meme man full analysis
Yeehaw here we go. Analysis of Mikoto Kayano’s video and song, along with some theories about the many themes and symbols in the video. Note: If there’s any other supplemental material for him out there, I haven’t read it. This is just an analysis with the music video we were given. If I happen to miss stuff that was mentioned before, I may talk about it in another post lmao
I was SUPER invested in this video as I watched it and soon realized “Oh shit, I think Mikoto’s plural”. Cuz, you know, I’m plural too (not disclosing what kind) and it felt SO good to see some actual parallels to stuff I go through- though of course not to Mikoto’s degree.
That said, I feel I should make a disclaimer in passing: yes, portraying your only plural character as homicidal ain’t the best representation. But, you know, we’ve seen other cases like that in Milgram so I’m just gonna leave it at that. Personally, I’m not that offended because the execution is SO top-notch. Though, hey, I totally understand how this can be very frustrating to other systems to see plurality depicted in such an unhealthy light- if it’s not for you, it’s not for you.
Keep in mind the point of the Milgram series is to make you uncomfortable in so quickly incriminating someone; if you’re hesitating to determine someone as guilty, hey, that’s probably intended and good! It’s about personal decision, so I’m not going to judge you one way or the other in voting. I just find it fascinating how these videos can put us in such conflict. This is all just my own perspective, BTW, so if you disagree with some of these points, good! I’m just hoping to share my thoughts since I can make a lot of connections. I’m by no means an expert in plurality or tarot, I just have some background in both and decided to try my hand at this analysis, so I really don’t the final say on what’s going on in the video.
Now, onto the actual video analysis.
I’m sticking with the basic idea that Mikoto is split into two parts; his more loveable, gentler side, which I referred to in another post as Softboy Mikoto, and the more violent side which may be acting as a catharsis to his frustrations. I referred to this side previously as the Devil alter, as he is depicted with the Devil major arcana tarot card. I can see how this could be taken badly, so for now I’m just going to refer to him as the shadow alter. There are many themes of duality in the video, most commonly with the symbol of the half moon which appears so many times. Shadow of the moon etc etc. I’ll be bringing this up several times as I analyze the lyrics. I’ll be breaking down the lyrics as evidence to support the idea that Mikoto is plural, and to show how softboy Mikoto (and shadow alter Mikoto) view this particular relationship and how this culminates in murder. Sometimes I refer to Mikoto (as a whole), softboy Mikoto, or shadow alter Mikoto depending on what I’m trying to describe in the below.
First piece: the title. MeMe. Me x2. A dead giveaway, like Umbilical. Also, it can be a meme, which is interesting taking the definition of the word meme in this context: “an element of a culture or system of behavior passed from one individual to another by imitation or other nongenetic means” (Oxford Dictionaries).  HMMMM. I know memes are generally within the context of a community, but I think it’s interesting to actually apply this to Mikoto. What exactly is being passed on? Could we argue that Mikoto’s frustrations from one of his parts is being passed on to the other? Interesting to think about, though it may not be relevant.
Going into the lyrics:
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So from here I’m guessing there was a point in Mikoto’s life where his plurality was not an issue; or, potentially, there was a time before his split. These were the good times.
Playing dead vs. being alive – representing duality. May refer to how, when one side has their way, the other is locked away in the headspace with no control, thus feeling like being dead. In the context of “if only”, perhaps he’s wishing that he just didn’t do anything if only to prevent things from getting this far.
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“If” I could end- I believe Mikoto (particularly softboy Mikoto) is saying “Hey, I have no control over my other side. If I did, would things still be the same? Would I still be ‘letting’ this happen?”
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“Keep it” and “hide it away” I feel like are both representative of his shadow alter and of the desires that alter represents. Many words related to destruction are tied to this alter, so it could be seen as Mikoto trying to hide those urges as well.
“’I’ will save ‘me’”- this is a very interesting line that I think very well encapsulates the shadow alter’s initial motives; he’s saying “hey, I’m going to take care of us,” I believe to try and convince softboy Mikoto to let him out. As far as if softboy Mikoto can actually “let” him out is TOTALLY up for debate.
Part of the reason I refer to the other alter as softboy Mikoto is because there are softer words I notice used by him in the song; here’s I’m seeing “snuggle”, so I think this side of him is more vulnerable and soft.
SWITCH, shake up that brain- wow couldn’t be any more obvious here
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This is where the chorus starts. This I think is from softboy Mikoto’s perspective, PARTICULARLY when he’s trapped in the headspace. There are many forms of plurality IRL in which alters cannot simultaneously front, so one or more are “pushed” back into the headspace. This very act occurs several times throughout the song in the weird minimalist vaporwave shadow realm room, where the tarot cards are. During this time, we can assume that is when the shadow alter is fronting. Softboy Mikoto slowly starts to become more helpless and fearful in this space as the song goes on, and this is where he makes his celtic cross tarot spread that quite frankly defines the whole song. I discussed that in my other post.
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Another facet of plurality that is applied here is amnesia, which is common, especially when alters are pushed back to the headspace. Within the headspace, there may be a lack of awareness to the outside world, which Mikoto seems to express in his confused sentiments like the above (in the video, he is also scratching his head, which as a gesture can represent being confused). “Why am I here?” can act as a double entendre, both referring to “Why have I suddenly been pushed to this headspace?” as well as the whole point of Milgram- “Why am I in prison?”. He may not be aware of exactly what he did, hence why he feels it’s a mistake. He may be experiencing amnesia of what his shadow alter is doing, so he doesn’t even know what crime he committed. However, he at least has enough awareness to tell someone else is present in his body doing things, so he begs the viewer “Hey, just watch whatever my body is doing and it’ll all eventually make sense. I don’t have access to this information, but you do.” I thought this was an interesting fourth wall break.
The truth revealing itself could also be the truth coming to light from the particular tarot reading he does in the headspace; note that the cards only seem to be appear in this place and not in the outside world. So softboy Mikoto is trying to figure out what’s going on this way. If he can’t figure it out himself, maybe the cards can give him some direction.
Another duality- “I won’t forgive you if you reveal the truth” vs. “However I know I’m right when I say I’m innocent”. Or he could be right about something else.
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I’m wondering if the breaking here is just reflecting the shadow alter or is softboy Mikoto actually wishing he could end the shadow alter. He at least wants things to change; the way things are right now is not something he’s okay with. Though, it sounds like he isn’t getting help with this and has no idea if he can even arrest full control again. It seems at this point, this has been going on for a while so he’s stopped trying.
In the video, the shadow alter is doing a GREAT job hiding the evidence; while of course probably just trying to not get caught, the shadow alter may also be trying to hide his crime from softboy Mikoto so he’s none the wiser.
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He’s hoping he can be rid of the shadow alter side, but I think he also is dumping all his difficult feelings onto the shadow alter. Maybe he feels its some sort of release, even if he can’t control it, so he feels a lot of guilt over the shadow alter’s existence, even though that alter is serving a purpose as a conduit for those emotions.
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I really really think though that there IS some connection between softboy Mikoto and shadow alter Mikoto. Maybe they are both truly aware of each other, hence the scene where they are viewing each other through the mirror. I think here, softboy Mikoto might be admitting that it feels good to let the shadow alter out, like a hug. The “minus energy” probably refers to the shadow alter.
“Maybe it’s okay that we’re separated like this?” he wonders. There seems to be a sense of feeling alive at least that is conveyed through the shadow alter.
SPLIT IN HALF- yeah, again, pretty encompassing.
In the video, I think this is when we have a switch, as Mikoto’s expression changes in the outside world mirror.
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The chorus again, softboy Mikoto is shoved into the vaporwave shadow realm headspace. He’s asking the audience to investigate him here, but I also like to joke that he’s like “uwu look at me I could never harm anybody, pwease let me out”, which may be true only so far as softboy Mikoto is out.
I wonder if in “I will NEVER forgive you if this is happening to me” is directed at the shadow alter instead of the audience? Like softboy Mikoto is saying “I swear to god if you murdered someone im gonna be so pissed, but I also already kinda know it’s happening.” Just another take.
In the video, softboy Mikoto is THROWN into the headspace, where he is gifted with just one hint of what’s going on: The Devil tarot card.
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You DARE accuse Miette of murder? Oh! 1000 years jail for Milgram viewer!
Now the vaporwave space starts to turn into a bloody mess; perhaps now softboy Mikoto is starting to put two and two together.
“Hurting it, holding it down, it doesn’t change anything, does it”- I definitely understand this being plural, like if your alters are causing problems, you may try and chastise them, or you may try and lock them away deep inside, but that often doesn’t stop them from existing. It’s really cool how that idea is present here. Like YES that’s how it is quite often. So even if softboy Mikoto TRIES to smother or accuse his shadow alter, that’s not going to change anything.
It being the same anywhere he goes makes me think he’s been putting up with this for a long time, that it’s not about what environment he’s in because his shadow alter is with him everywhere he goes.
“It’s like what’s wrong isn’t wrong”- may be referring to multiple things:
-the shadow alter having a different morality (hence why murder is okay for him, his indulgence in smokes and…redbull/alcohol, etc)
-OR, how softboy Mikoto’s amnesia isn’t letting him understand the full picture so everything is okay when he’s out fronting (shadow alter cleaned the place up and stuff, perhaps hiding all evidence of murder)
-“I’m already the fake one”- a very common sentiment for plural folks, worrying if you as an alter aren’t “the original” or if you’re not actually split and it’s something you’re making up, etc. I think softboy Mikoto is having these feelings. Poor boy, wish we could get you some therapy instead :/ (all of Milgram would be very different if only most of these people could get therapy, let’s be honest)
Now, what’s special here is that BOTH alters are in the headpace, with shadow alter Mikoto looming ominously behind softboy Mikoto.
During this next instrumental, just a side note: we see what’s going on through security footage. The security cameras reflecting a third person perspective is kind of neat in context of pluralism, where someone else fronting can feel like a third person awareness to another alter. I may be thinking too much into this one, but it’s a fun connection.
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Another thing many plural folk go through: DISSOCIATION FROM REALITY. Ah yes, my good friend dissociation. Especially like in Mikoto’s case, where the consequences of being split have drastic consequences, he could be running away from the truth which may always be partially concealed to him. Something’s VERY wrong, he knows this for sure, and it may be at this point he really realizes “Oh shit. I just committed murder.” But instead of taking responsibility in any way, he’s trying to imagine that it’s a fabricated reality. I’m not going to say if this makes him bad or not, but it is a known coping mechanism.
I know I mention that the bad habits of smoking and drinking may be the shadow alters habits, but they could also be softboy Mikoto’s own methods of escapism, which definitely fits with the above lyrics. “I need to wake up soon”- but he still realizes that he’s going to have to face the harsh truth of reality soon.
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Now this point indicates a marked change in softboy Mikoto and shadow alter Mikoto’s relationship: I believe there may be a time when softboy Mikoto expects to come back out to the front, but now the shadow alter is starting to take over fully and keep softboy Mikoto locked inside. This is supported by the Outcome card in his celtic cross spread being The Devil. Not only does this card have its own meanings, but here it may mean that the more violent side of him takes over.
Again, don’t know if he’s talking to the audience or his shadow alter in never forgiving this outcome. I believe softboy Mikoto does have a clearer morality in that murder is NOT okay, and if he were to fully acknowledge that he as a whole was capable of that, I think he’d break down. So he’s like “it better NOT be true” because he doesn’t know how he’d be able to deal with that.
Interesting in the video is when Mikoto snaps and the headspace turns red again; I would think this is when the shadow alter is entering the scene and taking over. The snap here is symbolic of the switch.
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Now presumably softboy Mikoto is like “PWEASE WET ME OUT MISTEW OBAMA”, which, again with the double meaning, can refer to letting him out of the vaporwave shadow realm headspace OR letting him out of prison. Both apply.
“That it’s a lie
That I’m right”- a nice duality here. Mikoto is having difficulty separating the truth from reality.
Also NOW he is forgiving. Forgiveness vs not forgiveness (grudge)
I think it’s gotten so bad that he’s like “okay fine. Fine if I committed murder, fine if you’re accusing me of murder, but please help me understand what’s going on. Let me out”. Maybe he’ll forgive the shadow alter if only he fesses up to the murder.
Of note for the scene however is that shadow alter Mikoto is holding up The Fool card, which represents softboy Mikoto in this case. “I’m right” may be the shadow alter’s sentiment.
-THE CARDS AT THE END-
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Then, all the cards show up in more detail, all depicting weapons instead of the standard minor arcana that you might see in your standard Rider Waite tarot deck (which these are based off of). The Wands are baseball bats, the Swords are kitchen knives, the Cups are…poison cans? Acid? The Pentacles are….records but I can see these being rotary saws if you squint. The Wheel of Fortune has car wheels with a snake….GTA time baby (the snake being hidden danger, the devil’s temptation, etc). The chariot is a really weird motorcycle death machine. I was thinking how like, people would drag people along behind them while driving a vehicle as a method of torture so there is that.
Now we see some cards not in the original spread- I think this represents shadow alter Mikoto inserting himself into the headspace and changing things to fit his goals. We see a couple placed in the original spread, but some don’t and are just free-floating, but you’ll see below we have enough context to decipher their meaning.
First, it’s the Page of Pentacles, which has taken over the position of the 7 of swords as the current challenge affecting the issue. This card indicates “Manifestation, financial opportunity, skill development”. I think this means the shadow alter is finally learning to take full control.
Then we see the reverse 2 of swords, which represents “Indecision, confusion, information overload, stalemate”. This could probably represent softboy Mikoto not suddenly understanding why the shadow alter is ALSO in the headspace. Maybe his dual presence in the outside world AND the headspace is indicative of exactly when he learned to take full control. This was NOT in Mikoto’s original spread.
Wheel of Fortune again, which was in the original spread. “Bad luck, negative external forces, out of control”. Yup, that confirms it.
Next, the Five of Swords from the original spread comes up. “Conflict, tension, loss.png, defeat, win at all costs, betrayal”. Softboy Mikoto is now being completely taken over. There is a facedown card on the chair. This might be the one that reads as Death later, so it may be that softboy Mikoto is…KILLED OFF?
Cup of Ace, “Love, compassion, creativity, overwhelming emotion”. I think this one is also meant to represent softboy Mikoto, but it could be that the shadow alter sees it as an act of mercy to take full control for softboy Mikoto. Maybe he feels his alter can’t handle reality and he’s going to take over full time. Or more likely he just has ulterior motives.
Reverse King of Cups. “emotional manipulation, moodiness, volatility”. Softboy Mikoto was lead along, thinking it was okay to leave things to the shadow alter or to exist alongside him. Now we see that isn’t a viable solution.
Reverse Five of Wands. “conflict avoidance, diversity, agreeing to disagree”.  I went over this more in the other post.
Chariot is the last one, WHICH ALSO WAS NOT IN THE ORIGINAL SPREAD. “Control, willpower, success, action, determination”. The shadow alter Mikoto has taken full control. Which is very quickly followed by…
Shadow alter Mikoto drawing Death. Also not in the original spread. Perhaps effectively “killing off” softboy Mikoto and betraying him.
Concluding Thoughts.
Now, I understand I do take most of these lyrics from softboy Mikoto’s perspective, but I’m sure there’s a layer of deception added on by his shadow alter. The Challenge card of the 7 of swords did represent betrayal. So softboy Mikoto’s only context into what’s going on outside may be his headspace tarot reading. If you want to question some of the lyrics, or even think one of the alters is lying, that would add SO much to the complexity of the situation, and I wouldn’t put it past the Milgram team to add something like that.
Common Themes/Symbols:
The mirror, both in the headspace and in the outside world bathroom
The Hanged Man- in a painting in the headspace and on Mikoto’s shirt. Indicative of being wrongly accused or martyred. Softboy Mikoto is likely represented with this, as well as The Fool. The Fool painting probably is there to show that he doesn’t know any better, that he is without the knowledge of what his shadow alter is doing (or doesn’t believe he’s doing anything wrong)
The Half Moon- a light side and a dark side. Pretty self-explanatory. Symbolically, it can also represent life and death. NICE.
Sorry if the conclusions end up being kind of vague. That’s the way a lot of this video is; what’s really going on, as it usually is, is up to viewer interpretation at this stage. I was just hoping to provide a bit of context into the images in the video, plural life, and narrator interpretation. I just really love this video and after this full analysis hope others can at least appreciate the work that went into it.
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