#oof... this took me a while

[mimzy6bunny]

my attempt at a human au ->

knight and greg are both human , and also brothers in this au, they get caught in the bomb explosion and knight is pretty much just 100% dead by the time they get to him

greg though,, he's alive but his body has been mostly lost to like, severe burns, his face especially being a total goner

cue the brilliant decision to do a face transplant between the two.

it's a success but the weight of everything that happened causes greg to kinda lose his mind and start acting a bit 'off' earning him the nickname dogman

he's still a supa cop nonetheless so its all ok

he doesn't speak anymore bc of damage to his vocal cords.

none of this is taken seriously at all. its silly just like canon idc for drama

also dm is the youngest brother :]

now abt the kitties... LP is still a clone. yeah... hes pretty much the same

Petey has a limp from an injury as a kid, it's mostly non noticeable but sometimes the pain flares up and he has trouble walking bc of it

instead of stripes petey wears a lot of tacky prints and patterns..... bc i like drawing those

[gwinver-art]

Drew this right before the new year- last year was very rough, and I was hoping the new one would be more clement for me ;v;

[tides-that-bind-us]

Moby Doll

This last week of prompts are all about real orca. I want to preface this with a warning that some of these stories were pretty sad. I had to take a few breaks myself because I broke down crying. These were particularly long so each one will be under a cut.

Moby Doll is I think the second orca brought into captivity, though that was not going to be the original plan. In 1964, Vancouver Aquarium commissioned an artist named Samuel Burich to catch and kill an orca whale so they could use it as reference to make a life size model for the aquarium.

Samuel went to Saturna Island located in British Columbia's Gulf Islands, and when a pod of orcas appeared he harpoons a young whale. But to his surprise it doesn't die. There were reports of how two other whales from the pod came to the injured orca's aid "pushing it to the surface to breath" The injured whale struggled and made shrill noises that people said they could hear above the surface of the water 300 feet away. Samuel pursued the whale to finish the job and fired on it with a rifle but the orca still didn't die. He lost his nerve, realizing this was not the monster he expected to "fight" so he calls the director for advice on what to do next.

The director of the aquarium, Murray Newman, decided they should save the whale, and flew in by sea play to join Samuel. Still attached to the harpoon, he and Samuel towed the whale back to Vancouver which took 16 hours. The orca was put in a makeshift pen at a place called Burrard Drydocks and the whale becomes an immediate sensation.

Back then killer whales were not well known. People considered them ferocious man-eaters and vermin that were shot on sight. Mistaking them for a female, the whale was named Moby Doll, and scientists and the locals all came to get a close look at this mysterious creature. This became a turning point between humans and orcas. Moby Doll surprised people by how docile and friendly they were. They later found Moby Doll was a boy but Newman and his associates said stating that it was a female would garner more public sympathy.

Moby Doll was eventually moved to another pen as the dock waters proved to be too polluted (and was distracting ship workers who wanted to look at the whale) so he was moved in July to another quickly constructed pen at Jericho Beach. Unfortunately since their capture, Moby Doll refused to eat. They didn't eat for over 50 days until Samuel Burich, who was trying to make amends for what he did, tried to communicate with the whale by offering them fish.

Murray Newman was named Man of the Year by Vancouver Visitors Buerau and was even planning to help in more orca captures for other aquariums. Further studies were conducted on Moby Doll such as recording their calls. Then sadly on October 8th, Moby Doll passed away. The cause was a fungal infection in their lungs as the result of their confinement and the low salinity in the water. They took their last breath, sank, and drowned

Since the capture and confinement of Moby Doll, this changed public opinion of killer whales, and what also started an "orca gold rush" since aquariums wanted to monetize on their popularity, which devastated the orca population. Within ten years their numbers declined by 40% and the backlash was so great the public issued a moratorium in 1976 that remains even today.

Sadly, men like Newman showed no regret for their actions. As he was quoted saying capturing Moby Doll was the best thing they've ever done. Only Samuel Burich, the man commissioned to kill Moby Doll in the beginning, showed regret and shame for removing him from the wild.

The Times of London gave the whale's obituary a two-column heading, the same size given to the outbreak of World War II. "The widespread publicity --some of it the first positive press ever about killer whales--marked the beginning of an important change in the public attitude toward the species." (source)

[pinkytoothlesso11]

Reasons why Jinx is alive– A fully comprehensive evidence analysis

Right. So I've seen a lot of people with conflicting views on if Jimx survived at the end of Arcane season 2, and I have been itching to do a meta post on the subject, so here it goes!

The first piece of evidence that I found particularly noteworthy was the explosion itself. By going frame by frame it was possible to see this:

It's a blink and you miss it kind of scene, but this is right after the explosion, and you can see the clear pink line going into one of the vents. Now why is this important? Well, it's simple, it's the shimmer effect that happens when Jinx is moving very fast! I know that Warwick was holding onto Jinx, but in a explosion its perfectly plausible for her to get out of that grip using the explosion of her monkey bomb.

Then we have the scene where Caitlyn is inspecting the plans for the Hexgates.

There is literally no reason for her to look at these plans. Not unless she thought there was something she missed...

There's no dialogue here, so it's really just based on what she does and how she reacts. Most notably what she's holding.

It's the head of one of Jinx's notorious monkey bombs. What's more, it's clearly damaged and singed. So likely this is the very same monkey bomb Jinx used in the Hexgates. This also suggests that Caitlyn might have been searching for evidence of Jinx's dead body... and clearly didn't find it for her to be holding Jinx's bomb head and then searching on the plans. Which brings me to the focus changing to this:

The vents we see the streak of pink shimmer light go inside correlate to the plans as shown above. The vents connect to the air ducts which connect to the outside. After this, the camera goes back to Caitlyn and we see her look at the monkey bomb head and then smile.

Then we get to the most telling piece of evidence that Jinx survived and left Zaun and Piltover behind, which is definitely a controversial choice on the writers part and does come across that they just want the option to bring in Jinx whenever they want in later stories taking place in Noxus, Ionia and Demacia. Which is very Marvel like lol. This is namely the air blimp at the end shot of the show.

What I find interesting is the fact it mirrors exactly the very first time we see Powder in episode 1 of Arcane season 1 when we see one of these air blimps.

The difference in these shots is that the one from season one is going TOWARDS Piltover, and the one from end of season 2 is going AWAY across the sea. The only difference in the ships themselves is the streak of blue you can just about see on the side of the hull. Maybe a further hint that Jinx is indeed on board that blimp.

Obviously it is what Powder says about the air blimp in season one that truly gives some solid evidence Jinx escaped on the air blimp heading for the sea:

Well, it seems Powder was right about that... the shots being so similar is clearly not a coincidence.

This is made all the more evident with the very last seconds of screen time of the show. It ends with Jinx's signature scribbles taking over the screen for three seconds with the words 'The end' written across.

Some people I've seen commenting on the fact the letter E on 'the' is reversed, but I think that's just a style choice in line with Jinx's graffiti so far. What is significant here is the fact it's so evidently Jinx's mark straight after the air blimp that resembeled the one in the first episode of Arcane season one.

Annnnd there's just one more thing now. I promise I'm almost done lol.

The lyrics to the song Wasteland that plays during episode 8, when Jinx is about to try and end her life are as follows:

This world is a wasteland where nothing can grow

I used to have strength but I ran out of hope

I know it’s my fault that I'm here all alone

This world is a wasteland

Please let me go, go, go, go, go, go, go

But then the lyrics change in the last chorus, they go from Jinx preparing to end her life for good, to THIS:

This world is a wasteland where nothing can grow

If it weren’t for you I’d be here all alone

I know in my heart this is where we belong

This world is a wasteland

Don’t let me go, go, go, go, go, go, go

Don't let me go

I feel it's likely that the line 'if it weren't for you I'd be here all alone' is referring to Ekko. Because it's Ekko who stopped Jinx from killing herself. And then of course the biggest change, from 'please let me go' to 'don't let me go' Jinx isn't ready to say goodbye. She wants to stay living. And I think it's this that plays in her 'sacrifice' scene with Warwick. It's not her giving up on life, it's her accepting that her life has changed and she needs to break the cycle by moving on. Not for anyone else, but for herself.

Let me know in the comments or reblogs your thoughts on this! And thank you for reading if you got this far lol.

[gloryundimmed]

who does Kai love most?

Ajdshfads this is sort of a crazy thing to ask, but sure, I'll bite.

Kai doesn't have just one ship that is his "main ship" or anything. I'd say that more than having one partner he loves most, he is in different phases of relationships based on my writing with the other muse/mun. Every relationship has a different dynamic, so it's impossible to say who he loves "most."

That said, I do have some ships that have lasted for years upon years. He doesn't necessary love them more, but he knows them better, and they know him better, too. I think his oldest ongoing ship is someone who isn't really on tumblr anymore, @nihiliszm's Seikin, but there are plenty that are still here even after a decade (or just about that long) of shipping with Kai! @elganac's Ali, his delightful and wholesome wife who gave him the support he always needed to turn his life around falls into this category, as does @argentuminmortalis's Adolf, his beloved omegaverse mate with whom he has two children.

Some ships have been going on for a good few years, but not quite a decade. These include @crimestruck's Bomi, who he's utterly addicted to an infatuated with despite the struggles they've gone through together due to their occupations, and Loni (idk what blog she's attached to rn), his boss and lover in many AUs even though they drive each other nuts.

A few of his newer ships, which have been going on for about a year, are also very important to him. @astarab1aze's Loux matches Kai's freak, violent nature, and need for physical touch, which made them a iron-clad ship almost immediately. @lured-into-wonderland's Nunnally is someone with whom his ship is still unfolding, but the way she gives him attitude and romantic interest in equal measure never fails to intrigue and amuse him. @ryogai's Nix is his master in an FGO AU in which he feels extremely protective of her and her selfless ferocity as she saves humanity.

His newest budding ships that have taken shape within the last six-ish months include @un1awful's Kurama, who he is simply obsessed with because he is so his type and because his attitude challenges him in the best of ways. @incandescentia's Tsuyuko, who he's technically just fuckbuddies and friends with but cares for her in his own way regardless because she's so fun and up for everything. @shishitoren-vc's Togame can kick his ass and he'd thank him for it, and he's very interested in the guy behind "Shishitoren's Second in Command." @aeternxm's Takeshi might be a different brand of unhinged, but Kai fucks with all kinds of unhinged, so he can't help but gravitate toward him.

Thanks to everyone who has shipped with Kai and me and hasn't grown tired of either of our dumb asses yet. I love and appreciate all of you!!

... And even though he has many current/evolving ships, I'm always open to new ships with Kai! He is, after all, my main muse on this blog, and I love shipping with him because any relationship with him is going to be dynamic and complex, no matter who its with!

[viperwhispered]

Just thinking of Emi at some moment of weakness / anger being all “at least you actually exist here” to Jamil.

Like, I’m sure it’d go over so well 🙃 Indentured servitude and trying to free yourself from that, totally so much better than being undocumented.

Maybe it’s close to the end of Jamil’s year three, Emi’s year two. Jamil’s been making plans for his internship and perhaps for things beyond, and Emi’s privy to both his worries and dreams at this point.

And as supportive as Emi wants to be, she can’t help being worried too. It’s hard enough finding time to spend with Jamil sometimes, even while they’re on the same campus.

Now, being reminded that Jamil’s about to leave, that they’re going to be potentially apart for the better part of two years – first Jamil’s internship year, then Emi’s. And who knows what’s gonna happen after that.

It’s just such a slap in the face for her – like, sure, she kinda knew it was coming, but it still gets to her once it suddenly becomes more real.

And of course it only intensifies the worries Emi has about her own future, about what she could possibly do after NRC – and what she and Jamil could possibly be.

Probably Jamil’s trying to tell her that it’s gonna be fine, but to her his matter of fact way of going about it just comes off as brushing off her concerns and rankles her instead.

Plus like, it’s not like Jamil’s used to Emi getting all sharp-tongued with him (other than the increasingly firm admonishments telling him to get his rest and time to himself). So he’d probably (eventually) figure out there’s some sort of a sore spot there.

At first, though, I imagine he’d just be hurt, missing the understanding & support he’s kinda used to getting from Emi at this point. Suddenly, here she is, diminishing his struggles instead, and for someone like Jamil, I can imagine that being an almost immediate retreat to his shell.

Great times all around, basically 🫠

Tagging the Emi peeps: @scint1llat3 @moonyasnow @diodellet @bibi-cha

If you'd like to be added to the tag list (or removed from it) just let me know!

[mirrorghoststhings]

Not to brag but I was totally the prettiest girl at prom 😌

[moonchild-in-blue]

A minute under the blue 🐟🦈

This is a full minute of sharks, manta rays, a sunfish and loads of cute silvery fishies to bless your dash. Take a break here. Breath in. We will be okay 💙🌊

[anonymous-bastard]

do u think gotham has bad urban planning?

- @underworlds-favourite

I'm not from Gotham & I'm not there a lot so I'm not super informed about the situation.

That being said, here are some pros and cons of Gotham Urban Planning.

I've started putting in cuts just because these are getting quite long.

Pros

The Wayne Foundation does a lot of good work, transforming the Urban Landscape into something better, getting affordable housing build, improving infrastructure, building third spaces, etc.

They are ridiculously good at rebuilding their cities, oftentimes improving it at the same time

In theory one of the best public transport networks in the country. In Praxis, it desperately needs more funding, modernization and it suffers from the frequent Arkham escapee attacks, same as the rest of the country. But it is still pretty good!

Gotham has less Urban sprawl than most American cities, and more high- and mid-rise buildings as opposed to just going straight to suburbs.

Decent rent prices for a city this size (more on that later)

Cons

The corruption in Gotham does not stop for Urban Planning. They don't hesitate to raze poor neighbourhoods into the ground for dick-measuring projects.

Bike and pedestrian infrastructure are still SO BAD in many areas of Gotham.

Compared to other cities, it's really lacking in terms of green spaces.

While housing prices are pretty great, the cheap housing is often complete and utter shit.

But as much as I hate to say it, Gotham's problems for the most part won't be solved through Urban Planning.

In general, a lot of the problems Gotham faces can't be solved with good urban planning. It can help mitigate symptoms, bad urban planning certainly can make things a lot worse...

[ahappyphjl]

can you rec some of your fave dnp from your playlist? :) currently going through some of their older content and always up for recommendations since there’s a lot out there

yess of course, happy to!! my "faves" playlist has over 100 videos and i love all of them, so i'll list the ones i rewatch most often, and ones that just mean a lot to me. i didn't include many of their newer videos or any of the pinofs though, cause they're all so great. hope u find some that u really like :)

both:

a festive day in the life of dan and phil

dan and phil play undertale (the series)

halloween baking - pumpkin spice pumpkin cookies

halloween baking - monster pops (just all the baking videos lol)

14 year old phil's game - dan and phil play: the mark of oxin

dan and phil play cards against humanity

dan vs phil: yasuhati

making a phandwich - dan and phil play: overcooked #2

amazingdan

the tree

a day in the life of dan and phil in london

the photo booth challenge

dan and phil play just dance

dan and phil play the impossible quiz #2

will dan and phil be millionaires

the wardrobe

blindfolded cat face game

something we want to tell you

dan and phil play golf with friends (the series)

what dan and phil text each other 2022

dan and phil play incohearent

phil:

viewers pick my outfits

a static lullaby - toxic (britney spears cover)

meet my mum

reacting to my baby videos

draw my life

draw my life: part 2

i got attacked by a squirrel

the hand - a dan and phil fanfiction by phil lester

coming out to you

trying to see without my glasses

trying to catch and rescue an injured wild pigeon

dan:

trying to live my truth

i nearly blinded myself

our awkward fancy meal

dan reacts to his childhood videos

the urge - a dan and phil fanfiction by dan howell

basically i'm gay

butterfingers (first solo dan vid i watched & which made me sub to him lmao)

dan's diss track - roast yourself challenge

my bahamas travel disaster

we are in a relationship

[asteria7fics]

Hairy!Tattoo!Stan and Gigantic!Kyle are going to mix together for one hell of a Style fic 😁

Aahaha I'm certainly hoping so!!

I'm really enjoying these iterations of the boys. I'm not sure if it's because I've chosen to write from Kyle's POV, or if it's because I'm taking them in a direction I haven't really explored before, but this fic has felt really fresh for me and is a much needed change of pace from what I've been used to lately!

I hope when it finally drops everyone else will enjoy it, too!! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

[hauntingblue]

Robin being scary collection

Kinda love how her eyes turn like mihawk's...

Luffy hitting crocodile with his blood will never not be hard af

Luffy ily part 746

Nami is asking Vivi to come with her and see all the world together.... I know it

Luffy and sanji in here.... Dumb of Ass and Kind of Heart (interchangable)

[killjoy-prince]

aaaaaaaaaaaa my legs are sooooo sore

[moonchild-in-blue]

Sleep Token x The Phantom of The Opera

Spooky season and ST brain rot gave me ideas - this has been on my drafts for quite a while now, and finally I've had the time to finish it. @polteergeistt here as promised! I hope I made it justice! Please accept my humble offering 🙏🖤

[brace yourselves folks, this is a LONG post]

So, for context. We know that Sleep is a deity that comes in dreams (and nightmares). We know that Vessel has been visited by that deity, and offered his worship in exchange for glory and such. I know there are plenty other theories of what is Sleep, but for this to make sense, let's go with this one (the og provided by the band). With this in mind, let's take a look at the POTO's title song lyrics, shall we?

[Christine to Erik aka The Phantom]

In sleep, he sang to me In dreams, he came That voice which calls to me And speaks my name

Hummmm. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Let's proceed.

[Erik to Christine]

Sing once again with me Our strange duet My power over you Grows stronger yet

Oh???? You see where I'm going with this right?

[Christine and Erik alternately]

Those who have seen your face Draw back in fear I am the mask you wear (It's me they hear)

Funny how Christine is the metaphorical mask, or vessel, for the Phantom's music and talents, and Vessel is a literal vessel for Sleep, donning the mask as to signify the connection with Sleep. Both Vessel and Christine bear their phantoms' faces and spirit on their voices - Vessel taking it further and giving up his own identity in lieu of them.

[Christine and Erik in unison]

Your/my spirit and my/your voice In one combined The phantom of the opera is there Inside my/your mind

There we go. It is hard to ignore the Sleep x Vessel parallels in this. Seeing Sleep as a deity that not only inspires, but instructs and maintains a mentoral (?) relationship with Vessel, carefully curating and polishing his talents, and slowly taking over him. Of course, in POTO, Erik doesn't actually comes in dreams - for he is not a phantom but a man -, but in Sleeps case it is very much fitting. Both of them have a deep connection to the dark, the night, the subconscious. In the last verse of the song above, they mention a labyrinth, as a dark place where the Phantom lies. "Thread the Needle" is a perfect companion to it (that whole ep and most of Sundowning in fact)

Thought the musical, both the Phantom and Christine refer to each other as "Angel of Music". For Christine, the role Vessel embodies, she sees the phantom as a supernatural entity directly connected to her voice, to her music, to her father. A real angel in all senses of the word. She also mentions that the Angel of Music is someone who looks after her, who teaches her; someone who protects her - a shelter. In his music, Vessel often alludes to Sleep and/or their relationship/love as a shelter, someone or something that protects him (or should at least - in "Higher" we see that's not quite the case).

Also important to notice, Christine is as much in awe by the Phantom as she is frightened - she knows something about him isn't quite right; he holds a tremendous amount of power over her, the only one who seems to be aware of his existence; he his as seductive as he is possessive. She later describes his eyes as "eyes that burn", eyes which there is no hiding from, for he sees all. All of these qualities can be applied to Sleep, even more if we consider the romantic and sexual aspect of their relationship with Vessel, and how much more entwined they are in each other. Just like the Phantom is "inside her mind", Sleep resides within Vessel, possibly taking over him at times; possibly having dominance over his mind

For the Phantom, however, he sees in her the pure, bright, untarnished qualities of an angel. She represents the life he always longed; the love he never received; the praise he deserved yet was never offered. "Heaven" in a sense - Erik spent his whole living in hiding, living in the shadows, taking cover in the dark, without any real opportunity to show his talents an his face. Much like Sleep - a being that lives in shadows, in obscurity. An untangible being who has no face, but manifests itself through their vessels. A being who's "eyes like fire" hide behind a literal mask.

Let's look at some of the lyrics from "Music of The Night" (the Phantom to Christine):

Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation Darkness stirs and wakes imagination Silently the senses abandon their defensens Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor

Like I previously wrote, we know how important and symbolic the night-time is to Sleep Token. The night is when God and Worshipper, Apparition and Human, can finally reunite and be with each like lovers. It is also when Sleep's influence and power seems to be heightned. The night represents divine bliss, the moment where, for a moment, Vessel and Sleep are somewhat equals (in the sense that they can at last look at each other face to face). The night is tender, vulnerable, safe. The night comes down like heaven.

Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar And you'll live as you've never lived before Softly, deftly music shall caress you Hear it, feel it secretly possess you Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind In this darkness which you know you can not fight The darkness of the music of the night

If this doesn't scream "Fields of Elation" and "Calcutta" to you, I don't know what it does. I just really love the idea that Sleep is the one who sings their music to Vessel, that they are directly responsible for Vessel's success and "glory". If we take the supernatural aspect into account, we can see this as the moment Vessel truly surrenders to Sleep and becomes "one" with him - he becomes literally possessed by them, thus gaining his title as Vessel.

Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before Let your soul take you where you long to be Only then can you belong to me

Isn't this so seductive? So sensual? So manipulative? Hmm, mmh. Delicious. I love toxic vibes by sexy masked singers. The rest of the song is incredibly sensual, almost like Sleep's version of "Give", "Sugar" and "Hypnosis", or the conversation that led to them. There is however one verse that I want to highlight:

You alone can make my song take flight Help me make the music of the night

In the musical, this is Erik basically confessing how actually powerless he is. As much of an intelectual and musical genius that he is, his talents mean nothing if he cannot show himself and share his music with the world. He needs Christine perhaps even more than she needs him.

However, in the ST lore, I want to refer to all those instances Vessel mentions Sleep's place is, or was, in heaven. Songs like "TNDNBTG" "Levitate", "Blood Sport", "Euclid", etc etc. Could be interesting to think that Sleep had once belonged to a place like heaven (making them an actual angel), but for some reason has been cast away (from Eden? Ooh this is good). And Vessel's worship, love, and devotion somehow helps them get there again? Or maybe heaven is just a metaphorical place to the state of mind they're both in while in love. Not sure, but there's something there right?

So if your wings won't find you heaven I will bring it down like an ancient bygone

Just to cement this point, here's this verse from "Stranger Than You Dreamt It" (the song directly after this one, also from the Phantom to Christine):

This loathsome gargoyle [referring to himsef] Who burns in hell, but secretly yearns for heaven Secretly, secretly But Christine Fear can turn to love You'll learn to see, to find the man behind the monster This repulsive carcass Who seems a beast but secretly dreams of beauty

You see what I mean? This powerful, scary deity, who is both seductive and frightening, is not quite so omnipotent as they sometimes look. They too have a weakness, they too want to find (or go back to) beauty and glory; true divinity. Maybe it's because of this flaw, of this desire, that Vessel and Sleep find some sort of comfort and understanding in each other. For Vessel it may mean to become free of his mortal pains, of his torments. Or to atone for whatever his "sins" are. For Sleep, could mean a chance to regain their long lost glory - or perhaps just a convenient opportunity for a power-hungry, sadistic being to feed and have fun. There's a lot of room for interpretation, and if I go there I will never finish this "sHOrT bLuRb" (lmao).

So let's do a time skip and jump to (my personal favourite) "Point Of No Return". At this time in the story, the Phantom is fully unhighed and murdery, and Christine and her boring, wet-rag of a fiancé Raoul (he's so boringgg; who wouldn't want to be with a wet-cat masked goth man who plays music and does magic tricks?? anyways-) are now trying to capture/face him. Not gonna explain the whole plot (because let's face it, if you've read this far, then surely you're as much as a POTO weirdo as me), but basically Christine is still somewhat conflicted and allured by Erik, even though she knows how Not Nice he is, and is terribly afraid of him and what he might do to Raoul.

(side note from one horny yearning op: this whole scene in the 2004 movie is soft-core porn to me: Emmy is SERVING, Gerard is looking Fine in that sluty suit; Raoul is on the verge of tears because he knows he could never be HIM; THAT EMBRACE??? Ai Dios mio, I totally did not just rewatch this scene over and over, no sir)

[Erik to Christine]

You have come here In pursuit of your deepest urge In pursuit of that wish which till now has been silent (...) In your mind you've already succumbed to me Dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me (...) Past the point of no return No backward glances Our games of make-believe are at an end Past all thought of if or when No use resisting Abandon thought and let the dream descend

This to me is pretty much Chokehold and The Summoning from Sleep's perspective. It's them luring Vessel once more, knowing how entwined in each other they are; knowing Vessel is too week to resist.

[Christine to Erik]

You have brought me To that moment where words run dry To that moment where speech disappears into silence (...) I have come here Hardly knowing the reason why In my mind I've already imagined our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent (...) Our passion play has now at last begun Past all thought of right or wrong One final question How long should we two wait before we're one? When will the blood begin to race? The sleeping bud bursts into bloom? When will the flames at last consume us? [Emmy EATS this line on the movie - she's a queen]

I couldn't help but put here most of her verse, because really, this is pretty much ST's whole discography. The man is constantly yearning, and aching, and feeling defeated. Tell me that this doesn't remind you of "The Offering" or "High Water". Tell me those last lines are literally just "Vore".

[Erik and Christine in unison]

Past the point of no return The final threshold The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn We've passed the point of no return

Nothing to add. Let's just apreciate how beautiful and raw these lines are. Seriously, if you haven't heard or seen the musical, or if you just know the title song, do yourself a favour and listen to "Point of No Return". The composers went HARD with this one.

[Erik to Christine]

Say you'll share with me One love, one lifetime Lead me, save me from my solitude Say you want me with you here, beside you Anywhere you go, let me go, too (...)

After this beautiful love confession (suck it Raoul), which ironically is much more fitting to Vessel towards Sleep then the reverse, Erik kidnaps Christine and takes her to his underground chambers. This is where POTO and ST differ the most. Christine is once again forcibly taken and deceived by the Phantom, and wonders if she is there to feed his "lust for the flesh". The Phantom, while someone who was terribly mistreated and misunderstood, is very much a villain (especially book! Erik, the musical does soften him quite a bit), while Christine remains the "pure, kind heroine" until the very end.

In ST however, there really is no "evil" one - Vessel and Sleep are both flawed, both corrupt, both toxic. They are consumed in and by each other, hurting each other and themselves in the process. He is never really forced to do anything - coerced perhaps, but it really depends on how you choose to interpret - all of the pain and suffering he endures seems to be by his own volition, often welcomed as a desperate attempt of connection. Of course it's much more nuanced than that, but in comparison to POTO, and to simplify things, he is not exactly a damzel in distress (he is, however, a babygirl).

While the Phantom recognises his shortcomings and ultimately lets Christine and Raoul go, we know that Vessel is the one who is trying to set himself free from Sleep's clutches. He doesn't seem to want to go (Rain and Euclid are very clear in this), and yet he knows how damaging it is, and that he must. Because Sleep is no guardian angel, no shelter, nor do they wish to give him up (The Apparition is the most obvious reference, but I'd argue that the whole of TMBTE is that final moment of taking action and leaving; of change).

The story ends with Erik feeling remorseful and sad about his actions, touched by her choice to show him kindness despite his horrible treatment, and the love and devotion Christine and Raoul have for each other - willing to die or live a life in the shadows for the other to escape.

In ST, as far as we can see, the only one who feels remorseful is Vessel. After all, why would a God ever show regret or remorse? For me, Sleep seems to be imensly arrogant and fickle, a true sadist who thrives and feeds off Vessel's pain (and he is not innocent either). Vessel is still very much a human, no matter how corrupted or entangled with Sleep he might be. Sleep, unlike the Phantom - a man of flesh, bone, and sadness - is no human. I'm very curious to see how ST's next album will fit into this narrative, seeing as the trilogy has a very final, or at the very least decisive, tone to it.

If you've actually read all of this, please know that I apologise for any incoherences and mistakes, and that I am eternally grateful for having someone out there who is as passionate about the Phantom Of The Opera as I am. I'm always elated to talk Phantom Matters™. 🖤🥀🎭

[morimyth]

Don't push me, I'll puke.

[bytedykes]

[ID: A Mob Psycho 100 comic. It's bright and colorful. It begins with Ritsu looking up from his phone, exclaiming, "Nii-san! It's time to go!" Mob, from offscreen, responds: "Ah- I'm coming!" Ritsu says, "Come on, they'll be here any second!" Mob says, "Ok, coming!"

Ritsu glances at his phone as he says, "Do you think they'll have desserts at the-" then he looks up, suddenly with a horrified expression. He's silent for a moment before finishing, "...cafe."

Mob is standing in front of him, wearing a striped long sleeved shirt, overalls with a heart on the pocket, a striped scarf, and a sparkly teal beanie. Overall, his outfit is very colorful and "loud", with sparkles around him. He says, "I'm ready to go!" as Ritsu stares at him in horror.

Ritsu points at Mob's clothes and thinks, "That outfit is horrendous..." Out loud he says, "Um, wanna wear a coat over that?" Mob replies, "No thanks, I'm warm enough." Ritsu continues grasping, and says, "Ok, but... some people may stare, that outfit is... bright. Did you borrow that scarf from Hanazawa?" Mob replies, "Yes, I'm wearing it tonight."

Someone knocks loudly on the door and Mob says, "They're here!" Ritsu reaches out as if to stop him from opening it, and says, "Wait, but-!" The door opens to reveal Tome, Tsubomi, Teru, Reigen, and Shou. They're all wearing bright, tacky, colorful clothing similar to Mob's outfit and smiling. Teru says, "Sorry we're late! Ready to go?"

Mob happily waves and says, "Yes, let's go!" Teru says, "You look great!" Mob replies, "T-thanks, you do too!" Behind them, Ritsu stands in the doorway with a haunted expression. He stares at them and thinks, "I just don't understand fashion..." /end ID]

A short comic I made for the Psychic Style MP100 zine!