#'my road of good intentions led where such roads always lead'

[aka-catnip]

jayce and viktor are so glinda and elphaba actually

[bookishbrigitta]

Had friends that ended up staying late 2 nights in a row, now my weekend is 90% fucked. Adulthood!

[adastra121]

Touchstarved Romance Themes (Musical Version)

I like musicals, so I paired each Touchstarved LI x MC pairing with songs from musicals! These will probably be inaccurate since I'm going off of vibes from the demo. If you guys have other musical songs that you think would fit, please feel free to reblog or comment (I always like to find new musical songs!).

Kuras x MC

“All I’ve Ever Known” (Hadestown) — I associate Kuras with sunlight and devotion, and this song has both. There are a lot of lyrics that remind me of his path in the demo.

"I was alone so long I didn't even know that I was lonely. Out in the cold so long, I didn't even know that I was cold."

"You take me in your arms And suddenly there's sunlight all around me Everything bright and warm And shining like it never did before And for a moment I forget Just how dark and cold it gets."

"I don't know how or why Who am I that I should get to hold you?"

"Suddenly the sunlight, bright and warm Suddenly I'm holding the world in my arms."

“No Good Deed” (Wicked) — Can you imagine Kuras healing us to this?

"Let their flesh not be torn Let their blood leave no stain Though they're beaten, Let them feel no pain. Let their bones never break And however they try to destroy them, Let them never die."

"My road of good intentions Led where such roads always lead No good deed Goes unpunished."

“The Hill” (Once) — I think it would be interesting if, as a foil to Vere, one of his flaws is that he doesn't actually see us as a person? MC is either a path to redemption or another tragedy.

"But where are you my angel now? Don't you see me crying?"

"I'm on my knees in front of him But he doesn't seem to see me. With all his troubles on his mind, He's looking right through me."

Leander x MC (sidenote, there are so many musical songs that fit this guy why is he so musical-coded, also why are so many musical songs terrifying when you imagine it with Leander? XD)

“All I Ask of You” (Phantom of the Opera) — To be fair, I guess this song is also still unsettling in its actual context, too, if you know the story. XD

"Let me be your shelter, Let me be your light. You're safe, no one will find you, Your fears are far behind you."

“Something Wonderful” (The King and I) — From MC's perspective, Leander being toxic af.

"The thoughtless things he'll do Will hurt and worry you Then all at once he'll do Something wonderful."

"He has a thousand dreams That won't come true You know that he believes in them And that's enough for you."

“Only Us” (Dear Evan Hansen) — This is the sweet song that is mildly concerning when you pair it with him.

"What if it's you And what if it's me And what if that's all that we need it to be And the rest of the world falls away?"

"I never thought there'd be someone like you who would want me. So I give you ten thousand reasons to not let me go."

"We can just watch the whole world disappear. 'Til you're the only one I still know how to see. It's just you and me."

“Our Love is God” (Heathers) — The Heathers songs are here because I cannot listen to these without imagining Leander anymore.

"They died because God said they must The new world needed room For me and you."

"I worship you. I'd trade my life for yours They all will disappear. We'll plant our garden here. Our love is God."

“Meant to Be Yours” (Heathers) — Leander outside the room he gave us.

"Those assholes are the key! They're keeping you away from me! They made you blind, messed up your mind But I can set you free!"

"You were meant to be mine. I am all that you need. You carved open my heart, Can't just leave me to bleed!"

Vere x MC

“Natasha & Anatole” (Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812) — This song is unsettling but there are so many lyrics that remind me of Vere. And I guess the unsettling vibe suits him well, it does feel like he's putting you in a trance before he devours you.

"And I never remove my smiling eyes From your face, your neck, your bare arms."

"And looking into his eyes, I am frightened There's not that barrier of modesty I've always felt with men I feel so terribly near I fear that he may seize me from behind And kiss me on the neck."

"Look straight into my eyes Nearness Tenderness Smile at me Gaze straight into my eyes There is no barrier between us There is nothing between us."

“Take Me or Leave Me” (Rent) — A more lighthearted song, and I think it suits his unapologetic attitude.

"Take me for what I am Who I was meant to be."

"A tiger in a cage Can never see the sun This diva needs her stage baby, let's have fun!"

"You are the one I choose Folks would kill to fill your shoes You love the limelight too now baby So be mine, And don’t waste my time."

Ais x MC

“You Matter to Me” (Waitress) — This song feels very straightforward and true and quietly comforting, like companionable silence. So it feels a bit like Ais's path in the demo.

"Come out of hiding, I'm right here beside you And I'll stay there as long as you let me."

"You matter to me, Simple and plain and not much to ask from somebody."

“Sunrise” (In the Heights) — Since one of his likes is learning new languages, I thought this would be a cute song with him and an MC who knows another language teaching him a few words. The lyric "promise me you'll stay" makes me think of the end of the demo where Ais asks MC not to choose the Seaspring so quickly.

"Calor. Heat. Anoche. Last night. Dolor. Pain."

"Promise me you'll stay beyond the sunrise I don't care at all what people say beyond the sunrise."

Mhin x MC

“Falling Slowly” (Once) — It seems to have a lot of yearning and a bittersweet ending, which I got from their demo path.

"I don't know you, but I want you All the more for that."

"Falling slowly, eyes that know me And I can't go back And moods that take me and erase me And I'm painted black."

"You have suffered enough And warred with yourself It's time that you won."

“What You Mean to Me” (Finding Neverland) — To be honest, I put this here mostly because they like stargazing. But I think it does fit Mhin when they don't have the words to express their feelings.

"I won't lie I'm a little bit frightened."

"Every star that's ever fallen Knows the way to where we're going Now I really know just what you mean to me."

Elyon x MC

"Epic III" (Hadestown) — I'm basing this off of the short description of him searching for the one thing money can't buy.

"What has become of the heart of that man Now that he has everything? The more he has, the more he holds The greater the weight of the world on his shoulders."

"He's grown so afraid that he'll lose what he owns But what he doesn't know is that what he's defending Is already gone."

Sen x MC

"The Next Ten Minutes" (The Last Five Years) — I feel like her ultimate goal being her own death adds another layer to this song, making it less about a proposal and more about treasuring the time you have together.

"Will you share your life with me For the next ten minutes? For the next ten minutes, We can handle that. We could watch the waves, We could watch the sky, Or just sit and wait As the time ticks by, And if we make it 'til then, Could I ask you again For another ten?"

"There are so many dreams I need to see with you. There are so many years I need to be with you."

*******Bonus********** I'm sorry

Ocudeus x MC

“Hey, Little Songbird” (Hadestown) — Okay. So, in all honesty, I think this could fit Elyon, too, but I thought this was funnier. Also Ocudeus using bird nicknames because Ais does that, like a petty eldritch horror. XD So. Ocudeus trying to convince MC to drink from the Seaspring.

"You'd shine like a diamond down in the mine. And the choice is yours, if you're willing to choose, Seeing as you've got nothing to lose, And I could use a canary."

"Strange is the call of this stranger I wanna fly down and feed at its hand. I want a nice soft place to land. I want to lie down forever."

[duchezss]

Once in four years mcsm hyperfixation is back baby, and on this most recent rewatch some interesting patterns popped up for me. Honestly this might not be a new conversation, but I had no idea the fandom was still so lively. I've loved this game since it first came out and I really love that so many people still talk about it. Anyways, disregarding S2 for a moment (my opp), I think it's so intriguing the way the writers set up S1 and the art of history repeating itself.

The Order of the Stone were (supposedly) the greatest group of heroes that every lived, but they started out as something so much simpler. They were just friends who wanted to go on adventures and maybe make a difference in the world. Of course their trajectory and outcomes were much different from the modern crew, but in many ways they're still similar. I'll get to the in a sec, but I wanna talk about the originals first.

The original Order kinda breaks my heart, because frankly I think their intentions were good, they just lost their way and got caught up in the glory, not the adventure. They all make it seem like they've known each other for a lifetime, so it's easy to assume that even if they hadn't seen each other in like a decade, they had still known one another for practically twenty years. Soren describes their first adventure like a shot in the dark, and how they were so young. So my guess is they met in their late teens/early twenties, the same age I assume the modern crew is when their story starts. Yes they're all bitter in the main story, but their history seeps into every interaction. Magnus called Ellegaard, Ellie, and it might feel malicious at first, but he still uses it after she dies, which leads me to believe it started out with affection. Then there's Soren and Ivor, who were constantly fighting and at each other's throat. This makes me feel like there might've been a point when they were the closest. Magnus and Ellegaard seem almost relieved to see Ivor, even after they know what he'd done. The command block had led them to great success, but it also ruined the one real thing they had, their friendship with each other. Honestly I think the most heartbreaking thing is they were so close to reuniting again, but Magnus or Ellegaard dies, and Gabriel doesn’t have his memory. Then when the dust finally settles, Soren is gone. Ugh just tragic friend group save me, they are the ones that made me realize how much I love the niche trope of a friend group "haunting the narrative". Their friendship and fallout is what causes the events of the entire story, and thus thrusts Jesse into action. If they had never been friends there would've been no Wither storm, their actions led the modern crew to where they are now. Anyway mini rant over my fault, but how does that effect the crew? Well honestly it felt like they were doomed to repeat the same mistakes.

There's Jesse, the fearless leader who always has the answers and a plan for that matter. Caring, direct, and motivated, she begins the story feeling like she is destined for more. She would do anything for her friends and she's a quick learner in a life she doesn't fully understand yet. Soren was likely the same, he was trying to herd three maniacs and a genius together, and something tells me the leader role wasn't his original goal. He thought the command block was helping, when he was really just fighting his friends battles for them. Soren's life became one of solitude and guilt, one I think Jesse was perhaps destined to as well. The courageous leader doomed to isolation and doubt, unable to comprehend the road that led to their downfall.

Petra's pessimistic and sarcastic nature defines her a first, but it's clear that she's so much more than meets the eye. She's determined, chivalrous, and sometimes (overly) reckless too. Above all she strives to be a protector, of people, of her friends, and of her ideals. That's what keeps her from laying down her sword even though she longs for a life without battle. History says Gabriel was the same protector, even if we truly know him to be different, but this isn't about reality right now. Regardless of this they were seen as the fighters, with the only enemy too strong to beat lying in their imagination. The brave warrior doomed to die and lose their self in battle, interpreting life as nothing more than a fight to be won or forever lost.

It's hard to say what else describes Axel but bluntness. He's an out of the box thinker who can perhaps be slow at times, but he makes up for it when it really counts. He holds his friends close, and views others in a hostile matter (for better or for worse), and at the end of the day his hard exterior is easy to see right through to those who matter. Magnus is spunky and edgy, and rolls his eyes at the mere mention of the others, yet like Axel, it's simple to see right through him. His love for the others is something he shields, and it's clear he does this by pretending his life is perfect the way it is. The maverick doomed to surround themselves with a false sense of community and leadership, forever unaware of all that lies out of their reach

Olivia is intelligent, innovative, and practical. She usually prefers a simple solution but that's not to say she can't also have fun. She's compassionate and curious, and enjoys going through hypotheticals just to be extra prepared (or simply for a easy pass time). She's amiable and while her skills aren't exactly adept, it's clear she has a desire to learn. Ellegaard is a similar, and although she's jaded and has far more of an attitude, it's not hard to believe she used to be similar in her youth. It's also very likely they would have the same coping methods, focusing on red stone is far easier than focusing on others. The brilliant engineer doomed to surround themselves with their machines and inventions, who instead distance themselves from any real connections.

And finally there's Lukas. Selfless, kind, and impeccably loyal, in some ways he's the glue that held them all together. His intense desire to meditate got them out of a few fights, even if his presence initially caused them. He's the resident worrier of the group, and his only goal is to make sure his friends are safe and sound. Glory and adventure are the furthest thing from his mind, they're just a welcome bonus. Ivor clearly cared very deeply for the group, because he was the most hurt by Soren's secret. Even after his anger at them, it's evident they were never far from his mind. He tried so much to get them to see reason, but it was all for nothing. The permanent outcast, doomed to try the best they can to save the group, but who will inevitably be the one to ruin them all.

Of course those fates didn't really fall on the old order, that was just what people expected of them. Soren understood very well what he did wrong, Gabriel lived on, Magnus or Ellegaard died, and Ivor didn't ruin them, he just exposed them (even if his wither storm did kill one of them, but that wasn't really the point). Yet what truly happens in history, versus what we've been told or come to expect are quite different. I just think it could've been interesting for the writers to play into this predetermined fate the group already had, perhaps they would accept it, or maybe they would run from it so fiercely that they end up right where they feared. Or maybe their friendship was enough, and they never got wrapped up in the greed or the glory. Obviously that's not where S2 went at all, but it's was just something interesting to think about.

[antianakin]

In response to your previous post, why do you think people still love Anakin despite all the selfish and violent things he has done?

Just for archival sake, this is the post I assume you're responding to.

I love when you guys force me to drop the bitter old hag act and be more legitimately analytical about characters I dislike lol.

The somewhat less analytical response to this post is that people like him due to protagonist bias, Hayden Christensen being considered attractive, and Darth Vader having a lot of nostalgia from the OT.

However, while I think those things are always a major aspect in why people like the character, the more analytical version is that Anakin is a character created to be relatable. He's got flaws that most of us can look at and recognize in ourselves and even though he does become a monster because of them, he is also capable of saving himself in the end and doing something heroic despite that, he is allowed to get better and stand next to confirmed good guys like Yoda and Obi-Wan as what seems to be equals, he is capable of being loved by someone as kind and good as Luke Skywalker DESPITE his many flaws and heinous choices. And like... that's an impressively compelling character journey, to see someone become the worst version of themselves it is possible to be and still be loved enough to make the choice to be better.

And it's not like I haven't enjoyed my fair share of selfish characters who do heinous things in my day, even within Star Wars itself. Some of my favorite characters include people like Saw Gerrera and Luthen Rael and Cassian Andor and Reva Sevander, ALL of whom made some pretty nasty choices or acted selfishly at some point or another. Reva is literally built to be a parallel and then foil FOR ANAKIN.

So it's not like I don't necessarily see the appeal of Anakin as this massively flawed character with sympathetic motivations for his immensely awful choices, someone who wanted to be good and, for a little while, WAS good, but who was led towards a dark path that he knew he shouldn't take but took anyway because he let his fears control him. Anakin making the mistakes he does is literally a cautionary tale, you're SUPPOSED to relate to him and see yourself in him, the story kind-of doesn't work if you don't in some ways.

So I think a lot of people who like him probably just see a lot of themselves in him, both good and bad. They project onto Anakin and sympathize with his motives and his struggles and, even though they know he's a screw-up, they root for him. They want him to get better because if someone like Anakin can get better, then so can they, so can we all. Anakin is a cautionary tale saying that even those of us with the best of intentions can lead ourselves down a road of selfishness if we aren't careful about our motives, but he's also a hopeful tale saying that even the WORST of us can lead ourselves back to a road of selflessness if we're willing to put in the effort. So you can feel sympathy for the first half and take strength from the second half of his story, depending on where you are in your life.

This is obviously all sort-of said in like the best faith interpretation of why people might like Anakin. There's plenty of people who like him as a power fantasy, people who see Anakin as this impressive strong character who takes down his abusers and takes control of his narrative by defying the prophecy and killing the Jedi. And, you know, everyone gets to take what they want out of stories of course, but boy do these people and I take VERY different things out of Star Wars. I curate my internet experience so I never have to have anything to do with these people, but they absolutely exist.

And at the end of the day, all of that is wrapped up in a character who, in one trilogy, is played by a very classically attractive actor who gets to kiss Natalie Portman and is occasionally funny, and in the other trilogy, is represented as this cool-looking villain in an imposing black costume with a skull helmet and cape and some memorable quotes. So while the deeper reasons for people's enjoyment of his character definitely exist, the surface-level ones are still there and can enhance that enjoyment a lot.

And I'm sure there's any number of other, smaller things that impacted people's reactions to Anakin. He was introduced as a child in TPM and so people who were expecting this young adult character already in the throes of darkness might've ended up seeing him very differently and relating to him on a whole different level. People might've ended up rooting for him because the representation of the Jedi was so far away from what they THOUGHT Jedi would be that they ended up liking Anakin simply because he's pitted against the Jedi they didn't like. Maybe some people didn't like him until TCW and they really appreciate THAT version of Anakin quite a lot, maybe especially his relationship with Ahsoka. Maybe some people just really fell for the doomed romance plotline with Padme. Maybe some people like him because Obi-Wan and Luke like him and those dynamics are intriguing to them.

But for me, Anakin has just never felt all that compelling. I was introduced to the Prequels first as a kid and I was far more invested in Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon (who were way funnier than Anakin ever was) and Padme (who had really pretty costumes). I didn't HATE Anakin by any means, but he wasn't all that funny, he didn't have the cooler action scenes for the first two films, and the romance plotline didn't hook me. I didn't mind Anakin as an accessory to Obi-Wan, but that was about as far as I went.

As I got older and more into the fandom, though, I started learning a lot more about the Jedi and why they WEREN'T the true villains of the Prequels the way everyone said they were and what Lucas's messages had actually been intended to be, and the romance with Padme just kept aging like milk, and my investment in the Jedi often meant defending them AGAINST people who saw them as no more than Anakin's abusers at worst, or a repressive society that unintentionally led Anakin to darkness at best. Arguing FOR the Jedi usually meant arguing AGAINST Anakin and pointing out all of the places HE was wrong and selfish and why the Jedi were RIGHT not to trust him. And the more passionate I got about defending the Jedi, the less and less I ended up liking Anakin. I wasn't overly invested in him in the first place, so it wasn't hard to take me from neutral to decidedly negative. Had I enjoyed him more as a kid, either in the Prequels or the Original Trilogy, maybe I would've landed in a different place with him, but I didn't. It didn't feel like any great loss to decide I didn't like him that much anymore. By comparison, I liked Padme a lot more as a kid and so even though I often find her just as selfish as Anakin, I like her a lot more usually.

So I get why people find him compelling, I really do, but he just doesn't speak to me. I highly doubt he ever will anymore.

[mudpuddlenl]

Idk if I will ever write it so I’ll put the idea out here so I’ll maybe get some more motivation

So I was listening to the wicked soundtrack as one does and then No Good Deed came on and I got Claudine feels. Because like her religion tells her to help people and she wants to shelter them in the church but she can’t because that’s where her father is. So I wanted to write a oneshot examining her over the years. From the first time she tries to help someone (by letting them in) and her feelings on the aftermath, and then how she tries to help in other smaller ways over the years, some successful some not. So uhhh yeah

(I was specifically inspired by the lines “No good deed goes unpunished / no act of charity goes unresented”, “my road of good intentions / led where such roads always lead” and “sure, I meant well / well, look at what well-meant did”)

[the-knights-who-say-book]

the beast in the belly // an El/Orion playlist

reposting playlist because i made some updates for AO3 posting, but have to take it down from AO3 now as it’s too much quotation

I. a wall up round my dignity

Natural - Imagine Dragons That’s the price you pay Leave behind your heart and cast away Just another product of today Rather be the hunter than the prey

Need Nothing - VÉRITÉ Oh, I’m sorry I’m so condescending The pride on my shoulder, it keeps me standing And I’d call out an ending If you’d hold it against me

Daffodil - Florence + the Machine There is no bad, there is no good I drank every scar that I could Made myself mythical, tried to be real Saw the future in the face of a Daffodil

Icarus - Bastille Look who’s digging their own grave That is what they all say; you’ll drink yourself to death Look who makes their own bed, lies right down within it And what will you have left?

II. they were saving me, and i was going to save them

Machine - Imagine Dragons I’m not scared of what you’re gonna tell me No, I’m not scared of the beast in the belly Fill my cup with endless ambition And paint this town with my very own vision

For Good - Wicked And now whatever way our stories end I know you have re-written mine By being my friend

You Cannot - Erin McKeown You love me, because of this This wildness, this tenderness With every bite of my teeth, I’m showing you best How I love you back, without bitterness

I’m Not Your Hero - Tegan And Sara Sometimes it feels like the side that I’m on Plays the toughest hand, holds the longest stand Sometimes it feels like I’m all that they’ve got It’s so hard to know I’m not what they want

III. the only right thing i’ve ever wanted

Tongues & Teeth - The Crane Wives Abandon all your stupid dreams About the girl I could have been, my dear ‘Cause in the night I know you burn with feelings I cannot return, my dear

F.N.T. - Semisonic I’m surprised that you’ve never been told before That you’re lovely And you’re perfect And that somebody wants you

As Long as You’re Mine - Wicked Just for this moment As long as you’re mine Come be how you want to And see how bright we shine

No Light, No Light - Florence + the Machine You want a revelation You want to get right But it’s a conversation I just can’t have tonight You want a revelation Some kind of resolution

Kiss Me - Dermot Kennedy So kiss me the way that you would If we died tonight Hold me the way that you would For the final time

IV. you're dead, but stay anyway

No Good Deed - Wicked My road of good intentions Led where such roads always lead No good deed Goes unpunished

Hunger - Florence + the Machine At seventeen, I started to starve myself I thought that love was a kind of emptiness And at least I understood then, the hunger I felt And I didn't have to call it loneliness

Rotten - Missouri Surf Club So when you gonna tell him? That nothing grows in corpses, There's nothing he or anyone can do When you gonna tell him? Your skin can't hide black insides, Oh, there's nothing left There's nothing left of you

Innocence and Sadness - Dermot Kennedy I would have waited for you all night to talk for a minute I'll sing into the cold dark night 'til you listen People spend their life heads down, souls hidden I'm trying to be who you need me to be

The Great War - Taylor Swift We can plant a memory garden Say a solemn prayer, place a poppy in my hair There's no morning glory, it was war, it wasn't fair And we will never go back

[coochiequeens]

Yes this is from an anti-choice site. But anyone should be concerned that a surrogate mother wasn't even allowed to say goodbye to the baby.

As surrogacy and egg donation continue to remain popular methods of artificial reproductive technology, more women are speaking out about how donor technology methods like these lead to women being treated like commodities and their children experiencing trauma as a result.

Recently, in an article published by The Federalist, a woman who has twice acted as a surrogate expressed her discontent with the process as she grew to feel as though she were nothing more than a womb to be rented.

Gloria Ruiz said that while her first experience as a surrogate wasn’t a negative one, the second left her scarred. She was forced to attend medical appointments more than an hour away from her home and felt uncomfortable after having interactions with the intended parents who had hired her. After a traumatic birth experience, Ruiz recounted that the new parents refused to let her say goodbye to the baby. She experienced complications for months following the birth and then had to fight for medical compensation for her ordeal.

Ruiz admitted that though she decided to become a surrogate with good intentions, she now believes that the entire process is traumatizing and should be avoided.

“From the beginning, there’s going be trauma in those babies’ lives. I think that they are ripped apart from everything they’ve ever known from the beginning,” she said. “I do think that they have a rough road ahead of them because they are now going to be raised by strangers… And I would never, ever, ever encourage any other woman to do it.” 

In another instance, a British woman who used an egg donor to conceive shared with I News that she felt “imposter syndrome” after her child’s birth. Becky Kearns said she didn’t feel like a “real mum” when her daughter was a baby. 

This fear began as she started the process of finding an egg donor; she said she felt threatened by the idea that her child would someday find the donor and feel more of a connection with the donor than she would with her. This led her and her husband to use a donation clinic in Prague, where donors are guaranteed complete anonymity.

“My fears that I might one day be replaced by the donor meant that, at the time, I felt comfortable with anonymity and distance,” she explained. Kearns said she now recognizes that her children now have no way of connecting with their biological past – a loss of connection that many donor-conceived children have discussed publicly. 

Kearns’ story underscores one of the many problems with donor technologies – namely, the children are left struggling to find their identities, as their biological parents remain unknown.

While Ruiz and Kearns tell different tales, they contain a common thread: reproductive technologies like surrogacy and egg donation always carry risks and a certain level of trauma for the child conceived, and often the women as well. 

[music-in-my-veins14]

No good deed goes unpunished No act of charity goes unresented No good deed goes unpunished That's my new creed My road of good intentions Led where such roads always lead No good deed Goes unpunished!

[katewritesss]

Okay, hear me out:

Imagine "No Good Deed" from Wicked but from Anakin Skywalker's POV during the entirety of Revenge of the Sith.

We have Anakin's feelings when he starts getting the visions of Padmè dying in childbirth:

"One more disaster / I can add to my generous supply!"

And then Anakin's feelings when the doubts about the Jedi Council start sinking in:

"No good deed goes unpunished / No act of charity goes unresented / No good deed goes unpunished / That's my new creed / My road of good intentions / Led where such roads always lead"

We have more of Anakin's thoughts when the Council doesn't trust him:

"One question that haunts and hurts / Too much, too much to mention / Was I really seeking good or just seeking attention? / Is that all good deeds are \ When looked at with an ice-cold eye? \ If that's all good deeds are \ Maybe that's the reason why"

And, of course, the iconic "Fiyrero!" riff but replace it with "Padmè!"

Again, Anakin's feelings when Palpatine starts sinking his claws into him:

"No good deed goes unpunished / Sure, I meant well \ Well, look at what well-meant did"

And then, we've got when Anakin begins to turn to the Dark Side:

"Since I can not succeed / [Padmè], saving you / I promise no good deed / Will I attempt to do again, ever again!"

And then to top it all off, THIS line, because it just fits when Anakin fully becomes Vader:

"All right, enough / So be it, so be it then / Let all of [the galaxy] be agreed / I'm wicked through and through!'

The PARALLELS!?

[make-me-your-animal]

This is what happens when I get bored after a couple glasses of wine. Hope someone enjoys

I was watching my love, rose, run around the back yard chasing and being chased by a ton of kids. She had been at it for hours, and i wondered if she would ever tire out. Probably not. She had the gift of youth on her side. We had talked about the idea of having children. I told her i was too old to have any more children. But sereing her like this makes me want to change my mind. They looked up to her like she was a godess like the world revolved around her. It had been that way since she led me into her childhood home a few hours earlier.

I wasn't so lucky. They were all weary of me. Children and adults alike. Maybe because I was new. They didn't know me. That's what she kept telling me. Maybe it was the fact that I'm over double her age. That would be my bet.

She stopped running for a spilt second shooting me a reassuring smile like she could hear my doubts. The second she stopped a handful of kids ran into her causing her to topple into the grass. Her bare feet flying into the air. I couldn't help but laugh at my rose.

"It's phil right?" A stern voice asked. I turned to find roses father ken. He was a tall man alot taller then me. That must be where my rose got her height.

"Yes sir" I wonder if he is older then me. I doubt it. "Is this the what are your intentions with my daughter talk?"

"Something like that" ken was looking down at me for a second I felt like a teenager again. Not that I was ever really with a girl long enough to meet her parents back then. "Your just the type I've been trying to protect her from for years"

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean?"

"Your a Rockstar Always on the road never home. She deserves someone that'll be around. She deserves someone who will chose her first. Someone who wont be tempted..."

Ah. I've heard this one before. I'm a Rockstar I'm destined to cheat on her. I'm destine to hurt her. If only he knew I'd lay down my life for her happiness.

"That's why I'm going on tour with him gotta keep my old man out of trouble" rose stated popping up from seemingly nowhere. She wrapped her arms around my waist and kissed the corner of my mouth. Her lips lingering a second Before addressing her father "Now sorry to interrupt but I need to steal him away. Mom suggested I give him a tour of the house"

With that she was pulling me away and into to the quaint townhouse. "You are a Saint" I breathe out the breath I didn't Even know I was holding. I'm too old to be this nervous. Why is this so terrifying?

"Mmmm I'm definitely not" she grinned leading me into a room before I could even look around she pushed me back until I was sitting on the edge of a bed. She shut the door before turning back to me. That sinful grin Still playing on her lips. She was all legs. Beautiful tan legs that disappeared under a pair of Denim shorts. Her knees where stained green from rolling around in the grass and her hair was wild. "This was my room by the way" she grinned before straddling my lap and snuggled against me. Her hands slipped under my shirt to rest against my stomach. I glance around. It must not have changed much since the last time she had lived here. The walls were covered in posters of various bands. I let out a chuckle as I find my self looking at my self.

"Oh god" she whispered burring her face into my chest. "I forgot that was even there. Thats embarrassing"

"Nah. I think it's cute. I didn't know you were such a fan"

"Why did you think I'm dating you? Your good looks?" She teased.

"That and my charms" I can't see her face but I know she rolled her eyes at that.

"Thanks for saving me down there" I whispered kissing her hair.

"I had my own selfish reasons for stealing you away" she purred tipping her head back to kiss my jaw. She pulled away just far enough to pull my shirt off before pushing me back so I was laying across the bed.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah"

"Hate to disappoint but I don't think I can make love to you with joe staring into my soul"

"Fuck off" she pouted hovering over me before lowering herself until her breasts were pushed against my chest. Her lips crashed against mine.

I did make love to her. Without protection as per her request. I guess joe and the others witnessed the conception of our child.

[portalcartoon]

Since my brain can't stop thinking about psychonauts and I'm a theatre kid, here "No good deed" from Wicked but like, Maligula Edition

MARONA!

Eleka nahmen nahmen

Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen

Eleka nahmen nahmen

Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen...

Let your flesh not be torn

Let your blood leave no stain

Though I hurted you

Let you feel no pain

Let your bones never break

And however they try

To destroy you

Let you never die

Let you never die

Eleka nahmen nahmen

Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen

Eleka nahmen nahmen

Ah tum ah tum eleka... eleka...

What good is this chanting?

I don't even know what I'm thinking

I don't even know what trick I ought to try

Marona, are you?

Already dead or bleeding?

One more disaster I can add to my

Generous supply? 

No good deed goes unpunished

No act of charity goes unresented

No good deed goes unpunished

That's my new creed

My road of good intentions

Led where such roads always lead

No good deed

Goes unpunished...

Ford...

My dear friends...

Marona...

Marona...!!

One question haunts and hurts

Too much, too much to mention:

Was I really seeking good

Or just seeking attention?

Is that all good deeds are

When looked at with an ice-cold eye?

If that's all good deeds are

Maybe that's the reason why...

No good deed goes unpunished

All helpful urges should be circumvented

No good deed goes unpunished

Sure, I meant well ~~

Well, look at what well-meant did...

All right, enough~~ So be it

So be it then:

Let them all be agreed

I'm wicked through and through

Since I can not succeed

Marona, saving you

I promise no good deed

Will I attempt to do

Again

Ever again

No good deed

Will I do

Again! 

[depressedskelly]

No Good Player

Okay so first song will be Broadway parody from Wicked No good deed. When Rose finds out that her Mother was murdered by Jack and she starts to go grim dark. Here is No good player and I hope you guys enjoy it! Let me know if you have any suggestions. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(spoken) Mother!

(sung) Ethika majyen majyen

Ahtn ahtn ethika maejn

Ethika majyen majyen

Ahtn ahtn ethika majyen

Let her flesh not be torn

Let her blood leave no stain

Though Jack stab her

Let her feel no pain

Let her bones never break

And however He try

To destroy her

Please don’t let her die

Please don’t let her die

Ethika majyen majyen

Ahtn ahtn ethika maejn

Ethika majyen majyen

Ahtn ahtn ethika ethika ugh!:

What good is this chanting?

I don't even know what I'm saying!

I don't even know which trick I ought to try

Mother, where are you?

Already dead, not breathing?

One more disaster I can add to my

Generous supply?

No good player goes unpunished

No act of following the rules goes unresented

No good player goes unpunished

That's my new creed

was my road of good intentions

Led where such roads always lead

No good player

Goes unpunished!

Kanaya

My friends

Mother

Mother!!

One question haunts and hurts

Too much, too much to mention:

Was I really seeking to help

Or just seeking attention?

Is that all good deeds are

When looked at with an ice-cold eye?

If that's all good players are

Maybe that's the reason why

No good player goes unpunished

All helpful urges should be circumvented

No good player goes unpunished

Sure, I meant well -

Well, look at what well-meant did:

All right, enough - so be it

So be it, then:

Let all Troll’s be agreed

I'm Grimdark through and through

Since I can not succeed

Mother, saving you

I promise no good player

Will I attempt to be again

Ever again

No good player

Will I be  again!

[allwhilewaiting]

Dear Sweet Tia,

I've unearthed you. After about a year of adding new layers of soil to your toxic, codependent casket of shame, I am brought back here to look at you once again.

And I see you're pretty, although problematic. Your intentions are pure. You simply want to be loved well, in partnership, and you were too desperate for that love to fill the voids you are responsible for filling all by yourself.

So what should we do now?

I am a little different, although not so evolved that you appear a stranger. I still know and feel you... As of late I've even heard little knocks at my heart's door to become you once again. I refuse to answer.

But we're here now...you're lying in that pillowed casket of love's possibilities. A true Sleeping Beauty.

And I am standing grounded as our heroine, the one who will protect and love us in all the ways and places that everyone else won't. I am the product of being here to catch us when we fell. I am the one who saved us from ourselves. And not me alone, Divine is our Guardian that has entrusted us with the possibility and privilege to stabilize. God is our Truest Love, always holding and helping and providing and way-making beyond belief. They have simply entrusted me, and only me, to develop that inner strength and tight-knit communal love outside of intimate partnership.

I think in this last flash lesson of loss and learning, I am being led by Divine the Collective to reckon with you. I'm not quite sure how that will work Sleeping Beauty.

You see, it's not that I don't believe in love or it's power. It's not even that I don't want love for myself. I'm just indifferent. What comes may come, and what is absent is still filled with my content presence. I do not yearn for romance. It is a pleasant surprise. I have a sensual nature, but I also have means of self-pleasure.

So how and where are the points of reconciliation between you and me?

In this last flash lesson, I learned that my heart is still very primed for love, and I still have a willful openness to see beyond the surface details to make a spiritual connection. That's usually why my experiences are so intense (and short-lived). They have no backing in the tangible, and we are after all on the earth plane. Love simply isn't enough here.

I guess one could interpret this tapping into my heart space as remnants of you, Sleeping Beauty. The flash showed me that you live on in my heart, so here we are in this graveyard left to make sense of ourselves and how we can live with each other, in peace.

Here are a few ways that we can calibrate:

Seeking: You always sought love. You were desperate to be loved (largely because you didn't know how to love yourself). I will not seek love, not at this time. However, we can compromise by allowing love to seek me. Practically, this means that if someone asks me out and I'm willing to connect, I can just say yes. I can let down my guard of 'I don't date' and just see where the connection leads. I know that I can't be as open and uninhibited with my affections, because that's classic flash behavior. I also think it's important to make that boundary clear sooner rather than later so I'm not leading on anyone who is committed to a particular outcome with me. We can simply connect with no expectations of where it may lead, and a mere friendship with a good human is enough to satisfy me.

Intuition: This has been a hard one for the both of us. I am always aware of the signs and symbols that seem to follow me, but they've never amounted to anything concrete. We both have continued to allow this intuitive curiosity to steer us down roads that did not serve us well. I think we can decide not to read into any symbols as they pertain to human beings, and give the person an honest chance to reveal themselves. If they are lining up with what I intuitively feel, that's great. But we'll keep that to ourselves. We'll continue to follow our body and our heart as the reliable compass for forward movement. Intuition may all make better sense in the end, and if it never does...that's what the afterlife is for [clarity].

Standards: I thought I became a lot more stringent in this area. I was professing to only consider potential intimate partners who made a specific dollar amount that matched mine or exceeded it. Behind those standards was insurance that I wouldn't be taken advantage of (because we're on the same playing field / or at least there is no gain through my financial standards). I also have a particular lifestyle that I want to live, and I do not want my partner to hinder that...I want them to enhance. We've allowed ourselves to be taken advantage of financially before, and I never want that to happen again. In my most recent flash, because of the financial imbalance I was similarly going down the road of financial harm. Although I only did what was in my capacity, I did feel some discomfort. In our reconciliation, I believe we should have some baseline measurements that keep us safe, but also do not commodify human worth:

-financial freedom: I will not romantically partner with anyone who does not have the ability [and desire] to live independently in accommodations that I would realistically choose for myself [to include housing and transportation]. They must be able to afford their living accommodations and keep pace with me in terms of entertainment and leisure budgeting, enough so that they are treating me to a minimum of 70% of the things we do together. If I'm paying, it is simply because I have offered to do so and they've allowed me. I know that naturally I will aim to offer 50%, so my litmus test is that my potential partner does not consent to anything over 30% of my offers. -exposure: I am willing to partner with someone who has a different level of exposure than me, but it must be a bidirectional benefit. They must be willing to expose themselves to what I am interested in doing, and willing to expose me to what I don't know about but can find interest in doing. I am interested in someone who knows the basics of social decorum: not licking their fingers in a restaurant, pronouncing salmon without the L, acting in ways that do not make me feel embarrassed to be with them in public spaces. And if they don't know, they are readily asking beforehand to ensure we're both socially comfortable. They should have that same openness to teach me as I am exposed. -life posture: I don't want to explain to someone why I want to live in X neighborhood, travel frequently, or have certain experiences. If they are uninterested in living a life that I can realistically see myself enjoying, then there is a hard stop for intimacy. We do not have to have the same desires for life, but they must be complimentary. Yielding to each other's visions should mean accepting new opportunities for a joyful life that we did not consider outside of meeting each other. -family background: This might be the hardest standard to define because people can't control who they belong to. Preferably, I would like to see some stability somewhere in their family dynamic. I have the desire to expand community, and I want to be able to commune with my partner's relatives [especially not having a large or tight-knit family myself]. If a partner does not have this (to no fault of their own), my desire is that their family has not inhibited their willingness and proven effort to create a healthy narrative for themselves. They should know how to enforce boundaries and deal with their family members in a way that keeps us both emotionally and physically safe.

There are other minor things that we'll need to calibrate on, Sleeping Beauty, that are a bit more obvious and do not need clear definitions (like basic chemistry). I think these parameters are enough for us to move forward in healthy unison. We'll feel (and talk) our way through it as we go.

So at this time, I invite you to walk with me. There are some things that you'll need to leave in the casket...the toxicity, desperation, codependence, manipulation...but your essence is a helpful and useful guide. I, the more evolved one, will still be steering our Ship with Divine the Collective controlling the weather so we may meet our destination of a joy-filled life.

But there is room for you, too...

My sincere gratitude to the Divine and flash for teaching me that you are worth this unearthed conversation and accompaniment.

<3

[daenerys-targaryen-moved]

time to listen to No Good Deed and try my best not to think of Daenerys

[darknessbleda]

anyways join me in suffering over parallels between elphaba and terra :)