#[[ I'm laughing bc this used to be me

[skrunksthatwunk]

actually i'm still thinking about the moral orel finale.

he has a cross on his wall. do you know how much i think about that bc it's a lot.

a lot of stories ((auto)biographical or fictional) centering escape from abusive/fundamentalist christianity result in the lead characters leaving behind christianity entirely. and that makes complete sense! people often grow disillusioned with the associated systems and beliefs, and when it was something used to hurt them or something so inseparable from their abuse that they can't engage with it without hurting, it makes total sense that they would disengage entirely. and sometimes they just figure out that they don't really believe in god/a christian god/etc. a healthy deconstruction process can sometimes look like becoming an atheist or converting to another religion. it's all case by case. (note: i'm sure this happens with other religions as well, i'm just most familiar with christian versions of this phenomenon).

but in orel's case, his faith was one of the few things that actually brought him comfort and joy. he loved god, y'know? genuinely. and he felt loved by god and supported by him when he had no one else. and the abuses he faced were in how the people in his life twisted religion to control others, to run away from themselves, to shield them from others, etc. and often, orel's conflicts with how they acted out christianity come as a direct result of his purer understanding of god/jesus/whatever ("aren't we supposed to be like this/do that?" met with an adult's excuse for their own behavior or the fastest way they could think of to get orel to leave them alone (i.e. orel saying i thought we weren't supposed to lie? and clay saying uhhh it doesn't count if you're lying to yourself)). the little guy played catch with god instead of his dad, like.. his faith was real, and his love was real. and i think it's a good choice to have orel maintain something that was so important to him and such a grounding, comforting force in the midst of. All That Stuff Moralton Was Up To/Put Him Through. being all about jesus was not the problem, in orel's case.

and i know i'm mostly assuming that orel ended up in a healthier, less rigid version of christianity, but i feel like that's something that was hinted at a lot through the series, that that's the direction he'd go. when he meditates during the prayer bee and accepts stephanie's different way to communicate, incorporating elements of buddhism into his faith; when he has his I AM A CHURCH breakdown (removing himself from the institution and realizing he can be like,, the center of his own faith? taking a more individualistic approach? but Truly Going Through It at the same time), his acceptance (...sometimes) of those who are different from him and condemned by the adults of moralton (stephanie (lesbian icon stephanie my beloved), christina (who's like. just a slightly different form of fundie protestant from him), dr chosenberg (the jewish doctor from otherton in holy visage)). his track record on this isn't perfect, but it gets better as orel starts maturing and picking up on what an absolute shitfest moralton is. it's all ways of questioning the things he's been taught, and it makes sense that it would lead to a bigger questioning as he puts those pieces together more. anyway i think part of his growth is weeding out all the lost commandments of his upbringing and focusing on what faith means to him, and what he thinks it should mean. how he wants to see the world and how he wants to treat people and what he thinks is okay and right, and looking to religion for guidance in that, not as like. a way to justify hurting those he's afraid or resentful of, as his role models did.

he's coming to his own conclusions rather than obediently, unquestioningly taking in what others say. but he's still listening to pick out the parts that make sense to him. (edit/note: and it's his compassion and his faith that are the primary motivations for this questioning and revisal process, both of individual cases and, eventually, the final boss that is christianity.) it makes perfect sense as the conclusion to his character arc and it fits the overall approach of the show far better. it's good is what i'm saying.

and i think it's important to show that kind of ending, because that's a pretty common and equally valid result of deconstruction. and i think it cements the show's treatment of christianity as something that's often (and maybe even easily) exploited, but not something inherently bad. something that can be very positive, even. guys he even has a dog he's not afraid of loving anymore. he's not afraid of loving anyone more than jesus and i don't think it's because he loves this dog less than bartholomew (though he was probably far more desperate for healthy affection and companionship when he was younger). i think it's because he figures god would want him to love that dog. he's choosing to believe that god would want him to love and to be happy and to be kind. he's not afraid of loving in the wrong way do you know how cool that is he's taking back control he's taking back something he loves from his abusers im so normal

[milkbreadtoast]

o yeah btw i liked these guys from the latest crk update..... detective gays.... macaroni and cheese....🤭

[stirdrawsandreblaws]

you are already booped

[haruichi-mamiya]

if you can't handle me at my

then you don't deserve me at my

[thepandalion]

help I'm going insane over deltarune and Undertale stuff again

[altschmerzes]

listening to my mom on the phone and she's telling me about how she's listening to some podcast about how sometimes people will use writing as a way to process things, especially things that happened to them in their childhood you know, like, processing and grappling with difficult things that happen to them and boy maybe i'll find that interesting to hear from that perspective because, you know, "you're a writer and all!" and i'm like [looking into the camera like on the office] do they now. is that something people do. in writing. do they now.

[anonymouspuzzler]

WOMEN

(thanks as always to @incorrectbugsnaxquotes for inspiring many of these! also, alt text/image IDs under cut!)

[Image 1 ID: A two-panel comic of Eggabell and Lizbert. In the first panel, Eggabell is running down the stairs in a panic, shouting, "Is something burning??" In the second, Lizbert is leaning flirtatiously against the kitchen counter, wearing a frilly "Kiss the Grump" apron, with her hat and a spatula she is holding both visibly scorched and a toaster clearly erupting in flames behind her. She says, with a little heart, "Just my desire for you", while an offscreen Eggabell screams, "LIZBERT THE TOASTER IS ON FIRE".]

[Image 2 ID: A little doodle of Eggabell lying in bed with a quilted eye mask on, one arm folded over her chest, and the text "i sleep." next to her.]

[Image 3 ID: Lizbert sitting in bed, propped up by pillows, holding Eggabell in her lap with a smile. Eggabell is still wearing the quilted eye mask and is drooling slightly, with "ZZZZ" snoring sounds in the air above her.]

[Image 4 ID: A drawing of Eggabell recreating the Ben Affleck Smoking meme. She is grimacing slightly and looking unfocused out into the middle distance, holding a fry in one hand instead of a cigarette, with a package of fries and a glass soda bottle with a straw in it sitting on the balcony in front of her.]

[Image 5 ID: A drawing of Eggabell from the waist up, resting her head against her closed hand, looking exhausted. She appears to be speaking and there is a blank word balloon above her head.]

[Image 6 ID: A two-panel comic of Filbo, the Journalist, and Eggabell. In the first panel, the Journalist, facing away from the camera, is helping a visibly dizzy Filbo up. Eggabell, with a panicked expression, is running up behind them with a first aid kit under her arm, saying, "If it's a concussion, we have to keep him conscious. Ask him questions!!" In the second panel, Filbo is now sitting on the ground looking confused, with the Journalist next to him crouched with their back to the camera, holding up fingers and asking, "What's seven times seven?" Eggabell, opening up the first aid kit next to them, shouts back, "Stuff he knows!!"]

[Image 7 ID: A three-panel comic of Lizbert and Eggabell. In the first panel, they are sitting side by side on a log, staring lovingly at each other. In the second, Floofty walks by behind them loudly opening a soda can, causing Eggabell to look over in concern and Liz to look annoyed. In the third, Lizbert is looking over her shoulder saying, "We're having a moment.", to which Floofty, sipping their drink, responds nonchalantly, "And I'm having a soda."]

[Image 8 ID: A two-panel comic of Eggabell and Lizbert. In the first, Liz is laughing loudly, holding a drink bottle in one hand and shoving a nervous-looking Filbo's shoulder with the other, as Eggabell comes up behind her, places a hand on her back and says, "Lizbert, you're drunk." In the second, Lizbert, looking utterly sloshed, turns around and places a finger on the lips of an amused-looking Eggabell, slurring, "Shhhhhhhhhh. Don't tell Eggabell."]

[Image 9 ID: A simplistic, three-panel comic of Lizbert and Eggabell. In the first, Liz is picking up Eggabell, with a caption reading "1. Lift wife". In the second panel, Eggabell, still visibly in midair, picks up Liz, who has her arms in the air, with a caption reading "2. wife lift me". The final panel shows extremely simplistic renderings of them both lifting off into the sky, with a caption reading "3. flight".]

[bumblingbabooshka]

Live Fast & Prosper

[claudia-kishi]

Elementary || Magnum P.I. (2018) ♡ #i don't even know how to caption this

[sergle]

have you ever been single? are you still single? will you ever be single? when will you be single.

[outlanderalien]

Not sure if I'm sabotaging my relationship or not but I feel like I'm in the right ? Perhaps ?

[anastacialy]

y'know, i keep making a habit of swinging my bat at hornets nests, but i have to say i'm getting so, so tired of people complaining about shows not making perfect sense when they aren't even close to done. we're four episodes into this season of doctor who. we're four episodes into this season of bridgerton. and yet in both fandoms i keep seeing people whine that such and such didn't make sense or it wasn't explained all the way and by god you guys i think maybe explanations might come later in the season. this is something most viewers will recognize as being called a 'plot.'

[kenobihater]

you ever write up a combination of words you're really proud of at the time bc you think it's vivid but it's actually so atrocious that you remember it eight years later bc it's burned itself into your long-term memory? just me?

[p4nishers]

can we actually take a moment and remember swan upon leda? can we actually shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down and think about our lord and savior swan upon leda because i'm tired of doing it alone every single day guys

[emiliosandozsequence]

wow my parents are even bigger cunts than i thought!! i hope they die :)

[yesokayiknow]

cannot believe that in 2007 the eighth doctor adventures writers just decided to put toxic yuri in their show. they did that for me