#(and also because i'm not too concerned with Truth as a concept)

[muniimyg]

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹ bbydaddy!jk (7) ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹ *nsfw*

series m.list // taglist request closed

note: i literally can't take myself seriously with this concept LOL where have my morals gone? lmk if anyone remembers classic kimi fics where smut was nonexistent HAUWHAUA 😭

🏷️ permanent taglist: @joonsjuice @pamzn @defzcl @maryy1300 @whoa-jo @taetaecatboy @jksusawife @un06 @firesighgirl @rrosiitas @butterymin @parkinglot-nights @musicjournalsjdb @kissyfacekoo @jkslvsnella @vampcharxter @bloopkook @somehowukook @bbystarcandykoo

//

jungkook has been looking over revisions for the past three hours. the promotion was more exciting when he worked for it... now, he feels way too overworked and honestly? for what?

the truth is, he only chased after the promotion because he knew it would be something you'd be proud of him for doing. you've always been the type to chase after things greater than yourself and wished for jungkook to do the same. well, this is it. this is jungkook doing just that for you. he hopes you can see it. he hopes you know it.

currently, he feels like his eyeballs might roll out of his head. he's bored and might lose his mind if he goes through one more slide (he has at least 200 slides left). irritated, he pushes away from his desk and stands up.

he stretches, trying to wake himself up a little more. then, he stares at the view from his office window.

the city is beautiful but he would much rather be looking at you.

suddenly, as if the angels heard him, his phone rings.

it's you.

he picks up immediately.

"hello?"

he doesn't know why, but he feels nervous. you never call. you always text or facetime... a call? what the fuck could be going on?

"hi... are you busy?" you ask, a little quiet. you sound tired.

he raises an eyebrow. "uhh... what's up? everything okay?"

a small laugh escapes your lips. "yeah. why? do i sound—"

"a little sad," he cuts you off, concerned. "___, what's wrong?"

you stay silent for a moment.

"nothing.”

he doesn’t believe you until he hears you sigh in relief.

continuing, you vent; "i just... i think i'm just stressed. i don't know. i wanted a break and suddenly i picked up my phone and called you. s-sorry. i... you're probably busy with the new promotion and—"

"i'm not that busy—"

like perfect timing, jungkook's office line interrupts. "mr. jeon, your 2pm meeting is being pushed back so you have time for lunch today."

jungkook clears his throat and thanks his assistant.

"new assistant?" you ask, letting curiosity get the best of you. "she pretty?"

"she's fired if you want."

"shut up!" you laugh. "i could care less—"

"oh, you care..." jungkook smirks. "hey, i'm glad you called. you can always call. i'm here for you when you need.. i don't want you to think anything else."

"okay.." is all you say.

jungkook takes a deep breath in. "did you eat today?"

"i ate. did you?"

"been busy—"

"you said you weren't busy!"

"hey, i'm not the lawyer!"

"still... i... listen, i'll let you go. i should probably get back to work or something—"

jungkook panics. "i'm cancelling my 2pm."

"what?"

"y-yeah... i'm looking at their revisions and i haven't even gotten through half of it. it's also shit so i'm just gonna tell them to redo everything. will i be the most hated boss? we'll find out."

on the other end of the line, you snicker.

"you can't blow off work."

"i can."

".... c-can i confess something?"

jungkook gulps, feeling sick to his stomach.

"what?"

you fidget with your fingers, unsure if you should continue.

"honey, what is it?" jungkook asks softly. "whatever it is... i'm here for you. you know that."

"i... uhm... i called because i was stressed..."

"... yeah?"

"jungkook," you pause, biting your bottom lip. is it too much to say this? at the same time... it's not like he has ever denied you anything. you might as well... "i need to relieve some stress. like, i need to focus on something that isn't work or our son. you know what i mean? everything is fine, honest! i just... i want to be focused on something and be present. i feel like i've been mindless for a hot minute... i just... look, if you're going home... is it okay if i come over? can i suck your dick or something?"

jungkook rushes home.

he changes his bedsheets and runs a quick shower. it's not like he needed to put in this much effort (it's literally the bare minimum) but it's the first time in a long time where you needed him. having sex and initiating was more so 50/50; but this was different. you need him.

he's your relief.

and also... it's a little funny, is it not? it's only 2pm on a random wednesday and you need him.

when you arrive, jungkook takes a few deep breaths before opening the door. his studio apartment is definitely smaller than your place (aka the place you two shared for 4 years), but it's okay. it's only temporary. he knows in his heart that he'll be back home with you in no time. this afternoon proves exactly that...

if today you need him for his body and tomorrow you need his heart; he'd give it.

"wow... i hate this already." you take a minute to laugh at yourself. you feel so beyond stupid and embarrassed... it's practically indescribable. though you and jungkook fool around and have always had an active sex life... right now felt different. right now felt... weird? but if it was ever going to feel weird; at least it's with him.

before you even step foot inside his place, you're turning your heel. "you know what? i should... uhm, this was stupid. sorry—"

jungkook grabs your arm and pulls you inside.

you stay still as he leans towards you face. he pokes your cheek and chuckles. "come on, honey. i said i'd be here for you. let me be here for you."

squinting at him, you move his finger off your face. "you just want your dick sucked."

"you offered," he snorts. "so pull through."

in hindsight, jungkook should've been more prepared than this.

but he isn't.

he fights to urge to spill himself all over your pretty hands every time you pump his cock. it's toe-curling the way you drag your wrist up and down. he throws his head back so much, it's beginning to get sore. leaving him with no option but to fucking watch you give him the most life changing blowjob of his life.

"are you okay?" you ask, batting your eyelashes at him. "you look stressed."

"i am stressed."

"what? why—"

"no! f-fuck, don't stop." he growls, not liking the way you suddenly stop. you purse your lips, catching on that he just feels edged out.

already?

... okay.

you continue to pump him, gripping on the base of his cock and moving your way up. his skin is so soft yet he's so hard. like... so fucking hard you know for a fact you don't want to fuck him right now. it'd hurt too much.

"you're so hard already," you utter under your breath. "and i swear to god, it's like your dick gets bigger every time i see it."

"i love you more every time i see you that's why."

"damn," you hiss. "can you... just let me do this? i wanna focus on... wanna focus on—"

"shut up."

you laugh, reaching up to place a kiss on his lips. he leans forward, gladly meeting your lips. when you pull away, you plop yourself in a more exact position in front of him. jungkook feels his balls get heavy as you kneel, part his legs, and begin to tie your hair up.

he helps you.

gathering your hair, you give him your hair tie. he quickly ties your hair before leaning back and trying to catch one last good breath.

he fails.

his breath hitches as you kiss his tip.

"w-wait—"

you don't.

you lick his length, dragging your tongue down to his base. there, you suck his balls and use your hands to pump. jungkook gulps, watching you do this. he doesn't know what to do. usually, he's really into it but there's something different about right now.

right now, he's in a trance.

he's mesmorized at how much your touch changes all the chemistry in his body. saying you send electricity throughout his body is an understatement. butterflies don't mean a damn thing either. it's captivating and everything but sweet.

it feels twisted in his stomach. it feels like he's on the edge on a cliff and the only way he can ease his fear is by jumping off.

he has to give in and let his body react to you.

he has to let you have this and from the looks of it (and feel of it); you've giving him everything you've got.

just then, you snap jungkook out of his thoughts as you attempt to take him inside your mouth. you make an effort to look up, eyes teary from holding in your gag. he's so big. there's no other way to explain it and there's no way you're going to stop thinking it.

he's so fucking big.

like what other choice do you have but to slobber all over it? you just have to. not to mention, he always tastes good. his cum, yes, but just his dick in general... is that weird? who cares.

jungkook's dick barely fits in your mouth. but you try to make it work. you want him—all of him. as you bob your head, easing your way to his full length, jungkook lets out a loud moan.

you look up and see his chest rising and falling. his abdomen twitches and so does his dick. you like the way he looks right now. as you suck, his breathing intensifies. soon, he's panting and you're near gagging.

you take a moment to catch your breath.

pulling away, your hands continue the show. jungkook brings his attention back to your hands and watches as the tip of his cock turns angry. god, it's getting bigger?

you practically drool.

jungkook leans over and wipes the access saliva around your lips. then, he shoves his thumb into your mouth. happily, you suck on it. bobbing your head, shutting your eyes, and letting out little moans; jungkook feels like he's losing his mind.

you look so fucking pretty.

when he takes his thumb out, you dive back to his dick. this time, he holds you by the back of your neck and guides you through it. jungkook pushes your head slowly but surely. then, he stops moving it. he keeps it in place as he lifts his hips and rolls them.

before you know it, he's fucking your mouth.

rolling your eyes back, jungkook moans at the sight. of course you're taking it like a slut. of course you're enjoying it too.

"you like this, huh? you like having your face fucked?" jungkook hisses in between breathy pants.

you gag in response.

jungkook pulls his dick out and slaps your mouth with it. his veiny member feels so good against your lips. you want it back in your mouth.

"answer me."

"mhmm," you whimper. "i like it so much. put it back in—mmhph—"

"fuck yes," he shoves his cock back into your mouth. "so pretty, honey. the absolute prettiest."

suddenly, he lets you go. it's then that you take the liberty to give it everything you've got.

you twirl your tongue around his tip, suck his length in every way possible. your hands pump to compliment your oral skills and jungkook can't help but think he's the luckiest man on earth.

then, it happens.

you feel his dick twitch. he instantly thrusts himself more aggressively to chase the climax. you behave and take it. then, squirts of his cum escape his tip. he cries, pulls out of your mouth, and aims at your face.

you shut your eyes, feeling his cum hit your cheeks and lips.

he lets out a moan of relief.

after a moment passes, you get up from your position and sit on his lap. wrapping your legs around him, he offers you a tired smile. then, he lifts his hands to wipe his cum off your face. opening your mouth, he gives it to you like icing.

you swallow and he feels like he might need a fucking minute.

then, you let out a little giggle when you notice how sweaty he is. you push his hair back and begin to laugh.

"w-what?" he worries. "why are you laughing at me?"

"you're sweating? as if you did any work—"

"i was literally fucking your face!"

"yeah but you're not the one that's gonna have sore cheeks for like three days or bruised knees!"

he shuts up.

you roll your eyes at him and continue to play with his hair. you feel his dick calm down under you. thank god. that fucking beast is scary when you're not in the mood...

"what time is it?" you ask, breaking the silence and breathing in the smell of sin.

jungkook shrugs. "dunno. also don't wanna move. stay like this with me."

you huff. "should i take my panties off or something?"

"why?"

"wanna cockwarm me?"

seriously...

he just might be the luckiest man on earth.

jungkook clears his throat as you straighten up your posture. "wait, i'll just put my panties to the side like this—ahh, mmhmm... y-yeah. like this.... feels good."

by now, jungkook's soft cock is inside you.

you like the feeling and so does he.

suddenly, you rest your head of his shoulder. he wraps his arms around you and holds you. kissing the side of your head, he asks; "you feeling better? relieved?"

"mhmm."

"good." jungkook tightens his lips, as he brings his hands to your hair. he runs them through and you take a deep breath in. you like the way he feels right now... so intimate.

"hey... did we talk a lot during sex?" he asks.

"don't remember."

"oh, okay..." jungkook looks around his studio apartment and suddenly feels embarrassed at how messy it is. "can i come with you to pick zion up today?"

"sure."

jungkook tightens his hold on you. you laugh and tell him it's too tight. he stops squeezing you and asks for a kiss. you give it to him. against your lips, he mummbles; "am i talking too much? i think i'm nervous or something—"

"then shut up."

"hey—"

you pull away and cup his cheeks.

"i feel your dick rising inside me. i don't have the energy for round two. either make the boner go away or i'll get off."

jungkook gulps. then, he shuts his eyes and thinks of every possible un-sexy thing ever... and it works. his dick softens again and you thank him with a kiss. jungkook takes his chance and intertwines your fingers together. you let him do so and his heart soars. something about him being inside you makes you feel so whole. there’s no denying that… and you love it, really. you love him, truly.

for a few more moments, you two stay like this.

you two are together.

[end-orfino]

THE WEBSERIES AFTER DREAM BBQ

While I don't think I'm making a breakthrough here, I wanna compile this info to be in one post. Dream BBQ introduced us to the concept of Doors, but they've been with us before.

As the game outright points at, Auction Day was most likely happening in a door. I'm not really sure what this means considering that this is a state we saw the Lonely Door in only when its world was slowly falling apart and 'dropping the facade' to reveal the truth (STRONGLY paraphrasing what the King on robotic legs says to you when you interact w/ him there). Maybe this is just what doors look like when they're about to close? Or maybe it WAS the Lonely Door. I don't know. Not the point of this post.

Then, Extinction Party also happens in a door. This is way clearer simply bcs of what the entrance to it looks like. The Extinction Party inside could maybe also be similar to the Purge Event maybe? (Although I didn't actually...have time to play that route yet. But the idea of "event inside a door that people wish to attend" still sticks)

Then Temptation Stairway is a bit more puzzling to me. After the final cutscene of Dream BBQ it's pretty clear that the Holy Code we see in the Great Runas's place is related to the doors, and the immediate thought is, TS was happening in a door as well — and it makes sense! It could even easily put The Great Runas as its genie! Rowan404 made a video on Youtube theorizing that the lady in the blue dress that Ena 'falls into' IS the Divine Door. This makes sense, especially after someone else replied to my concern of her not being fully blue with the fact that the door from the tutorial scene isn't fully blue, either. So all of that tracks. The only issue is that the Divine Door, in that case, seems like it has a much larger role than the other doors? Only appearing once in a while instead of always being available, people having to fight to try to get in, generally organizing this whole event outside of itself, parading this giant structure around. Also, having the Holy Code around even though it doesn't seem to be close to breaking. It feels like while in the case of the other doors, the Code is the hidden foundation of them, in the Divine Door it's intentionally showcased. So maybe the Divine Door is somehow "greater" than the others? But also, maybe not. Maybe something else is going on. I don't really want to add the idea of...set regions into the ENA lore, because it feels too abstract for that, but Froggy mentioned not knowing what Doors ARE, so maybe there are...some places in this abstract world where the doors aren't as frequently seen. Maybe the Divine Door is the only one around for some area, and that's why it's so cherished? Because it has no competition? This last part might make no sense because, again, we're trying to figure out the lore of a VERY abstract story. There's a thin line between reasonable theories and trying to add too much structure to this world that, at the end of the day, requires a lot of suspension of disbelief.

EDIT: I FORGOT TO MENTION POWER OF POTLUCK BUT YES! OF COURSE!!!! ITS A DOOR TOO!!

TLDR: ITS ALL DOORS BABEY!

[likethestarsatnight]

Xenia: how to help immigrants as a minor

Hey gang what's up, America is a shitty mess rn, it's worrysome, it sucks, and it can be hard to swallow at times. And Xenia, as you know, is a very important concept in our religion. If you don't know/don't fully understand, Xenia it refers to the hospitality shown to guests, including foreigners and immigrants.

Now I've seen posts that speak out about the bad shit ICE is doing and speak ill of helpol people who aren't doing anything to help. But those posts didn't say HOW to help and people underestimate how many minors are hellenic polythiests, and to be honest that kinda PISSED ME OFF. So I said fuck it, I'm gonna teach people how to help, specifically minors.

So here's how to help immigrants as a minor- from a minor who has to help on the down low because of MAGA family members.

1. Make a post:

If you don't have to worry abt maga family members seeing your posts or want to make a 2nd account, then making a post like I'm doing is a good way to help. Share your opinion, share your outrage, do research and share your findings, and teach others how to help. It doesn't seem like much, but in a world where social media has ingrained itself into world culture, it helps a lot and can let people in other countries be more concerned with what's happening in America. This is also the only way I can help, so don't feel bad.

2. Talk to immigrants

If you have immigrant family members (who aren't Trumpies that will shut down your thoughts) encourage them to learn all of their rights and to be prepared if they ever have to talk to the police (sit down with them and help them research so you can learn too). Also, giving them comfort is a great and important thing to do. Don't try to carry all of their sadness on your back though.

3. Volunteer (only if you're able to)

If you are 16, have a car or can use a car, and you're family will allow you, research ways to volunteer in your community that will allow minors to help. There are many ways to help online too. I know at The Immigration Center and The Immigration project, people can volunteer to tutor and organize stuff, but I'm not sure if minors can volunteer to do that. I recommend that you reach out to the organization you want to volunteer to directly via email or other ways to contact them and ask if you can help.

4. Just be kind

Just be nice to people in your town/city. If you don't suffer from social anxiety, talk to people more. Chat with your cashier. Compliment people, especially POC. Make someone's day better. Let yourself be a safe space for any immigrant you know.

That's all I have to say right now, I'm currently reaching out to other people to get ideas on how to help, so this post may be updated. Don't feel ashamed if you can't do any of these other than be nice. Remember YOU ARE A MINOR. The truth is, not many of us can do a lot to help without a very supportive family. Most of the posts shaming people for not doing enough are aimed at adults, but Ik empty-brained goobers exist. Shaming kids for things out of their control isn't cool or progressive, don't do that if ur an adult reading this, and if you come at me in the comments I'll put u in a pan and turning you into stirfry. Also No, the gods won't smite or plague you for not doing big things in the name of Xenia. The little things are just as important.

Hail Lord Zues!

[therobotsarestuckinmyhead]

I think that if the Optimus from Transformers One were to ever meet a human, it would be perfect for him to have a child as a guide or companion on Earth — like Spike, Sari, Sam, and so on. Someone with the wonder and kindness of childhood, who wouldn’t be afraid of Optimus and would want to learn more about him. That gentleness could help rekindle the war-weary spark within Optimus. I just want to see him holding an adorable little boy in his hands 🥺🤲💙

☆ Optimus w/ a human child || drabble

funnily enough i'm already working on a request very similar to that haha. i do mostly Cybertronian reader but i'm not giving up on an idea i find intriguing. i jus gotta disagree with you on sam witwicky though cause he was... a very, very strange teenager but again, most humans in the bayverse are insane.

i get what you mean— Optimus in general is father material. no matter which continuity so i can definitely see TFO Optimus doing the same. it would be absolutely adorable to see him care for a human kid or even adopt one. also, i'm pretty sure he could because Star Saber has an adopted child in TF:Victory so its not a totally new idea to Transformers.

it would be the most wholesome father-child relationship ever. i can imagine Optimus learning more about humans through the kid, understanding human culture and what it means to be human. and i feel like Optimus would absolutely LOVE answering each and every question his little guide would have for him. the curiosity sort of reminds him of how he used to be back in the mines. ah, good(?) old times of being exploited by a treacherous Prime.

he's chuckling as they ask him what he adds to his petrol to make it taste better. but then panicking a little when he realizes the kid's tasted petrol before otherwise there's no way they would've known it tastes bad. they gotta explain themselves to him now.

also, i think the only group of people who wouldn't freak out when seeing a giant alien robot would be children; more specifically, children who are into mecha shows. so it would absolutely not feel very absurd to a kid. hence why i kinda like how its mostly kids who are a transformers human companion in most TF shows.

bonus if they make OP watch mecha anime with them. Optimus has a lot of questions. he'd first be so concerned and think its the Cybertronian equivalent of gore with how the mecha suits open up but then the kid explains it to him and he'd just go "oh.".

Optimus would definitely carry them around in his giant servos and show them around a Cybertronian Starship. he'd be too scared about the little kid being crushed by giant mechanical parts.

it would be a reminder to him that no matter how bleak the war gets, its all worth it because he's fighting for all sentient life, for all the good and innocence in this world. despite the harsh brutality of war, there's always innocence and goodness on the other side.

Optimus asking the child to stay put while he goes kick Decepticon aft while the kid peeks to watch the fight with absolute awe and wonder, it's just like the videogames. cue a slightly flustered Optimus feeling unsure on what to feel about a kid idolizing him and bombarding him with questions.

the wholesomeness would be diabetes inducing.

but it would be tragic too cause when Optimus finds out about human lifespans and how quickly we grow up as compared to a Transformer who can only grow up, mature in a mental sense which in and of itself takes thousands of years— it would be spark-breaking.

i also think that oppy would be very intrigued by the concept of childhood given Cybertronians don't exactly have a childhood. what is it like to be a child? to be innocent and free? Optimus will never know. closest thing he can imagine is how he used to be liked before finding out that his entire world was a lie, when he found out the truth about Sentinel Prime.

the concept of school would also be interesting for him but your classmates are more interested about the cool red truck which comes to pick you up from school because your parents are absent for plot reasons, imagine the kid flexing off Optimus' alt mode to all of their classmates like: "heh, yeah! this is my ride home." with the most smug smirk to have ever been smug.

i think at some point, for the safety of their guide, some of the other Autobots might make something similar to Coby-Bot from TF:Cybertron— a human piloted mecha suit so that the kid would walk around the Starship safely.

in short, Optimus is the dad who'd step up!!!

and i will die on that hill.

also, make sure to keep him away from the internet or else someday, he's going to ask what skibiddy toilet is

the funny part is that he wouldn't even realize he's being like a dad until someone points it out because again, Cybertronian don't exactly have parentage so they don't really have the concept of a dad, the closest i believe they would have to a 'father' in the traditional sense is a mentor.

anyway, that's just my thoughts though

[starlightafterastorm]

Ok i am SWAMPED right now but I've gotta share the concept of an angsty plot bunny with the kingdon fandom because The Pitt is invading my brain and distracting me from my other hyperfixation.

(I also have so many thoughts for a non-angsty very fluffy sweet plot bunny but this one is running around in my brain non-stop right now)

Have a very long outline after the cut

Concept:

Med School AU

Where "she fell first" Mel and "he doesn't know he fell until he realizes he's already fallen harder" Frank have a drunk one - night stand after Frank broke up with his girlfriend (Abby???). Next morning, Mel is in the kitchen making breakfast, Frank comes in and asks if Mel got him home safe because he doesn't remember kissing Mel and sleeping with her. He woke up in bed alone. He thought it was a dream.

EX GIRLFRIEND (ABBY???) SHOWS UP. Asks Frank to get back together. Mel excuses herself.

CLICHE PREGNANCY TROPE. TRAUMATIC MISCARRIAGE.

(Between med school and Becca and parental trauma Mel wouldn't have chosen to keep the baby anyway but it's still an incredibly emotionally and physically complicated time)

Yolanda in med school with them??? Yolanda is the one who drives Mel to the clinic and helps her with the aftercare??? The only one who knows the full truth??? Which partially fuels Yolanda's complicated feelings of "Langdon's a great doctor and kind of one of my closest friends but also I kind of resent him for this situation so I'm going to snipe at him any chance I get"

Angsty conversation where Frank is majorly concerned about Mel's health and finds out she's recovering from a miscarriage. He doesn't know the baby was his but he's mad cuz the guy Mel slept with should have been more careful with her and Mel tells him it's ok. She knew what she was getting into because he "only wanted her because he was drunk". It drives Frank crazy because who would ever treat Mel like that?

Mel/Frank drift apart. Because of Abby? Becca? Covid? Issues with money and Mel's mom's death and whatever's going on with her dad? combo of all of those things? Unclear right now.

SMASH CUT FLASH FORWARD.

Past The Pitt season 1 and Mel/Frank reunion.

Past rehab.

Past divorce.

Past rekindling the friendship and codependency and solid ground and Mel being adored by Frank and the Langdon kids.

Frank tells Mel that she's beautiful and he's so in love with her. Mel says "that's not possible. you've only ever found me attractive when you're drunk and you've been sober for over a year now"

“I love you.”

“…I don’t know how to believe you.”

And that hurts more than anything Abby or Robby has ever said about how much he’s disappointed them.

Cue Frank crying on his therapist's couch because Mel straight up refuses to believe him, Yolanda shaking her head and laying down the truth to Frank after all these years, Mel just like "I thought we settled this matter years ago? Why are you stirring up my hurt again??"

Mel knows what it's like to love Frank without being loved (knowing she's loved) in return. That's normal to her.

Poor baby compartmentalized all her feelings and she doesn't know what to do if that dynamic changes.

Meanwhile Santos is on the side with no idea of any of the history or context at all of what's going on with Frank and Mel and Yolanda somehow refereeing the two of them but she's ready to throw down at any time.

"Do you want me to castrate him for you?" the scalpel is already in her hand

"No thank you, Trinity. He just reminded me that i'm not the kind of woman who is meant to be loved or wanted in the typical way that a man wants a woman"

"... Did he fucking say that to you??? Where's Garcia??? She'll help me hide the body. Dana will too."

long aggrieved sigh from Mel. "No, Trinity."

This obviously ends up happily but I need the 50k angstfest of Frank rethinking every conversation he's ever had with Mel with the knowledge that she was in love with him and he was in love with her but he didn't know he was.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Why would I disrupt our friendship? I'm clearly not your type and then you entered a serious relationship. My feelings were my burden to carry."

I could probably add more to this just sitting here right now but I needed to get this out.

The angstttttt

[dotthings]

Congrats to the fans of the wee woo show. I don’t go here but it makes me happy to witness how this arc for Evan Buckley got to bloom and I’m happy because I hope this reflects another shift in the TV industry.

For some media commentary context for you: ABC network is owned by Disney. Fox network was owned by Rupert Murdoch. So I can see how the network change for 911 can easily be a factor on how this got greenlit, after years of creator Tim Minear’s intention to work in hints, on the off chance he could take it there. (I don’t go here, but I did my reading). Oliver Stark who plays Buck also revealed he's been for it and couldn't say anything, until he was sure they could do it, until it aired and was out there. (*steeples fingers*)

For further context, Bob Iger—with George Lucas’ vocal support—just fended off a right wing coup on the Disney board from the kinds of people (like Peltz) who complain “why do we need so many female leads” “why do we need movies with all Black leads.” While it doesn’t mean Disney is no longer an evil megacorp, I’m pointing out that its CEO defended inclusive Disney brand content to the shareholders and the board, as well as dismantling the idea that it can’t be entertainment while being diverse.

The ripple of this goes outside of the wee woo show fandom. I’m seeing the joy on my dash from people who don’t watch the show or don’t watch it regularly, as well as from people who have been watching a long time and noticed things and realized there was a progression and it was there all along, and I know how much this must mean to a lot of people. With the world being how it is, with what people are facing inside the US from the far right, in their real lives.

It’s very hopeful in general for inclusion levels on a major network TV show, owned by a big evil megacorp. Representation matters.

Also I'm aware the wee woo show already had a queer couple, plus it's already an intersectional inclusive series, that’s great.

There shouldn't be limits placed on inclusion though. “But you already have X” shouldn't be weaponized to tell people to shut up. There is no “enough” or “too much” when it comes to inclusion. While I'm not for undermining the inclusion that's there, I've seen that weaponization used with a series that hasn't been great on inclusion, and I've seen that weaponization used for 911, which is. It's a sus argument.

Indirect and unintentional as it is, also bi Buck shut down every concern troll, every gaslight, every denial, every rationale I've ever seen people deploy against bi Dean. Everything from people who don’t understand what bi actual means—“but he likes girls so he can’t be bi”—to “but he wasn’t declared bi from the start of the show so he can’t”—yes he can and the wee woo show just did. On one of the original big three networks. Or people who say it would "ruin the character." Really? “But he’s an action hero”—so what? Evan Buckley is a hero, Dean is a hero, both badass action heroes. “People who see this as canon are delusional”—Evan Buckley went O RLY? Not so delusional now, is it.

Evan Buckley avenged bi Dean.

It’s self-evident. It’s right there. Different show, different network, but the concepts are familiar, the situation has a certain familiarity. This turn of events on an ABC show didn't just make bi Dean fans valid. bi Dean fans were always valid, the bi Dean reading was always valid. But I appreciate how much what happened on the wee woo show bonked people with a truth stick, about self discovery, character arcing, queer readings, queer coding, and the validity of merely noticing things.

[dorkydegeneracy]

Aren't we so honored to have Sam and Jacob as our Lestat and Louis!

They just have such a deep understanding of their characters, which is in part because of the amazing writing and the writers who do such a good job at explaining the narrative, but also because of their commitment to have a deep personal understanding of Lestat and Louis respectively.

Jacob's comments regarding the true scene of Claudia's turning and his being adamant on not kneeling was just so. . . it was perfect. I'm not an actress, but I imagine that trying to portray a character who, as a vampire experiences emotion to a heightened degree, is pleading with the one person in his world who can to do him this favor is challenging. But I think all of his hesitations about kneeling are actually ever single reason why kneeling was perfect. Even if nobody asked Jacob to do so. Even if everything in Jacob's fibre told him it was wrong. Because it absolutely was wrong. But it worked for this dark tale.

Kneeling demonstrates how much of a low point this was for Louis in a visual sense. He feels as if he has no control over his life. That he is beholden to Lestat. And that not only has domestic connotations, but it also harkens back to the ever present racial themes that season 1 did not shy away from. Which I suspect is one of Jacob's main concerns.

But I also think that it is a demonstration of love and trust. He can be on his knees, and bare his soul to the love of his life because he is the only person who could possibly understand him in this moment. There is desperation, but I think part of Louis knew that Lestat would not refuse him.

I don't even know if that makes any sense. But, I do think that this show is one which has not, and frankly cannot work by shying away from challenging and provoking themes. And I think all of his hesitations justify why it was the right thing to do. It was beautifully uncomfortable.

And Sam's beautiful reaction to the kneel also influences the interpretation of the kneels significance.

Beautiful work!

Sam's interview was so intriguing to me due primarily to his struggle to navigate the questions without revealing too much about the upcoming season. Which, Sam has always done such a good job giving us enough information without giving anything away, such that when I revisit his comments after seeing the final product, it adds so much context.

One area where I think his omissions (or lies. or maybe he just doesn't know because it hasn't been written yet) were most profound was when he was asked again about why Lestat was at the trial. His PR answer stating that Lestat is there because "he has to be" is not satisfying. And I am 1000% sure it's not satisfying because there is a reason that he can't reveal yet because it would ruin the story Rolin is building.

But there are two key differences about his repeated answer this time around.

First, before he's even asked this question, in answering the previous question he revealed that in season 1, when he questioned Lestat's actions and motivations, Alan Taylor (director and EP in S1) told him to "do what serves the story." This was due to the show's constant play with the concept of memory, and unreliable narration, and "truth." Early on in season 1 the viewer could not grasp that because it was the very beginning of the story where the inconsistencies were yet to be revealed. Logically, this made it difficult to understand what appeared to be uncharacteristic actions or motivations from Lestat, especially with Rolin's departure from the source material. Only upon seeing more of the story do we begin to comprehend Lestat's motivations and actions.

All of that is to say, Sam is basically saying that he was dissatisfied with Lestat's reasoning for being at the trial when he read and performed the script. And likely still is perplexed. But he relied on Alan's great advice given all the way back in the early episodes of S1: trust the story. In order to get Sam to trust the story, Hannah had to write him the actual trial script, which obviously helped him give a career defining performance, but doesn't answer the question as to why he was there to begin with.

Second, Sam reminds us that the book gives us an explanation as to why he was there, but makes it clear that in Rolin's adaptation that rationale may not be the same. This is pretty damning. That is not to say that Lestat won't have a similar reasoning, but there is no way that the exact book reasoning is what Rolin is going to run with. Because honestly, that reasoning doesn't really work very well within the context of this adaptation imo.

Sam also harkens on the monstrousness of Lestat and his fellow older vampires. This leads me to believe (I am in full spec mode from this point on ig) that Lestat is not healed after his "death" by Armand's blood, but that he convalesced using Akasha's blood or some derivative of some sort.

To be fair, this isn't some brilliantly thoughtful answer. Lestat explicitly told us this in 8x08. And I suspect the reason Rolin felt comfortable doing so is because 75% of viewers have no idea who TF that is (again, Lestat called y'all out) or that Akasha is even a being and not some magic potion or some shit. And those of us who did know assumed Lestat was referring to their initial meeting as told in TVL. But maybe he wasn't.

Granted, I am not a book expert myself. I have only read IWTV and TVL. But I am a glutton for spoilers, so I've picked up some important tid bits. Not all of them tho.

Here is where my speculation really goes off the rails, due to my lack of knowing the source material, although Rolin isn't following it exactly, so that shouldn't be too much of an issue!

For my Akasha theory to work, Rolin has to jumble up the timeline a bit. Because Lestat first meets Akasha shortly before going to New Orleans. It is then where he drinks from the fount. In the book, Lestat needs an extra shot of old vamp blood to fully recover. Maybe Rolin has Lestat seek out Akasha instead and adds an additional meeting between the two before the trial in Europe.

But this theory complicates why Lestat was at the trial. I don't think that the coven, nor Armand are able to control Lestat. Imo, post-war Armand is not as powerful as post-war Lestat. There has been nothing to suggest that as of now and Lestat has the blood of Akasha coursing his veins, unlike Armand. I think Lestat is in Paris (1) to ensure that Louis survives the trial (unfortunately at Claudia's expense), (2) as part of his centuries-long beef with Armand, and (3) a secret third thing that I have yet to figure out yet.

Because Lestat knew that Louis and Claudia were in Europe, and his love for both vampires would surely compel him to seek them out. And when he finally always apprised of the situation, he would get involved without hesitation.

I think the secret third thing is going to involve several ancient vampires that we will meet in season 3. I doubt that we will get a full glimpse of the more overarching, and existential machinations at work (the stuff that happens in Body Thief, Memnoch, Prince Lestat, etc. Again, I don't have a full understanding of those details, but I do know that it involves Those Who Must Be Kept and other supreme vampires).

I do think that the tower fight between Armand and Lestat happens though. Because Armand thinks he's tough shit. Lestat definitely gets sent back to NOLA with his tail tucked in after the Gremlin successfully manipulates the love of Lestat's life to despise him.

So yeah. This took me two days to write. I hope somebody can make some sense out of my rambling.

[midnight-in-town]

Hey, what are your thoughts on the recent chapters of Ao No Exorcist?

Hey Anon ! Good ask, sorry I've been rather quiet about AnE lately !

To be quite honest, I never really care for the stereotypical Shonen battle type of arc, but more for its many outcomes. And since Kato-sensei is publishing slowly, I'm aware it could take some time to reach more interesting (to me) chapters.

But since you asked ;) I loved Lucy vs Iblis and it emphasized with yet another example that demons ought not to be considered too different from humans (in that example, because they share the concept of "dreams").

Afterwards, Egyn vs Beel taught us that the bonds between the Baals are more complex than the simple explanation provided by Mephisto a long time ago. It's not...

but rather

...

I'm just kidding.

Or am I ? :) But actually, since AnE is extremely family-oriented in its themes, I really found it cool to finally see it also applied to the Baals.

I mean, Lucifer and Mephisto can claim grand things like, "it's about siding with or against humanity", but in reality, all Baals' ego awakening meant they all refused to abandon their corporeal reality centuries ago, making them all more human in their reactions, feelings and dynamics.

It's why Iblis treated Egyn like a child, or why Beel was angry that Egyn would choose to hurt her rather than hurt Iblis...

and why Egyn collaborated with the Illuminati, because he felt sorry to witness the other Baals' powers destroying their corporeal vessels:

Mostly, Egyn vs Beel showed that long sibling rivalry can be solved (*winkwink* Rin & Yukio, Shima and his siblings) and also that this whole conflict (like every conflict) comes from different truths..

...bringing us back to Rin's ambivalence towards Satan.

As for the latest chapter, well, it kind of convinces me that the reason I don't really care for this typical battle arc is because I think it's a red herring by Kato-sensei. Or, to be more accurate, that it's definitely not what's really at stake here.

I mean, let's get this straight, Shiemi sacrificing herself and dying ? When we don't even know what's up between her and that creep Jeremiah ? No way.

In fact, Shiemi is likely to be the character with the biggest plot armor after Rin and Yukio and "losing to Amaimon" is definitely making me believe that this battle is not what we should focus on. Rather...

...alternate realities make for a better subject to ponder on. :))

After all, isn't it how this one big battle arc started ? With Satan's unleashed literal hell destabilizing Mephisto's powers ?

Space and time becoming unstable triggered a future that we witnessed, "two years later", with most people being dead, Paku being forced to work as an exorcist and Rin being the Demon King of the faction opposed to the Order.

Supposedly Mephisto fixed it before the battle began, but...

I'd never trust Mephisto "having some fun", like, ever :

Especially not after Beel explaining that this conflict between the True Cross Order and the Illuminati goes both ways,

And specifically not when I still have my doubt about Mephy being the big bad (and not Satan), as far as the Okumura twins are concerned.

In other words, with Amaimon saying that Shiemi beat him in a different reality so "it doesn't count", or Shiemi saying "there is no freedom" in this world, it makes me suspect that we should see further beyond the plain "one side fights another". Especially when, at its core, AnE illustrates that the more power one (person / being / organization) has, the more corrupted everything around them becomes (see the Baals, Satan and their many deteriorating vessels).

So, rather than trusting in Mephisto's fun, I'd rather trust in Rin, who's trying to get a better understanding of what Satan meant :

Because look, I may despise Satan since he's an abusive asshole, self-obsessed being who declared himself a God and who treated Yuri wrongly, but he wasn't necessarily wrong when he called out Mephisto's bullshit.

Truthfully, I think AnE is an excellent and quite unique Shonen series and Kato-sensei generally tends to subvert writing tropes [X][X], which is why I'm waiting for the reveal that this one generic battle unfolding chapters after chapters is not what matters.

Rather this battle being metaphorically won in as many alternate realities as possible is what matters, but it won't happen until powerful entities (like Mephisto, the Uzai family, Satan, Lucifer, Illuminati, the Order, etc), stop treating demons and humans like they're nothing but their pawns. Otherwise it's nothing but doom ahead.

TL;DR let's try to see beyond this Shonen battle, this isn't what Sensei depicts that matters, but addressing the circumstances and the guilty party that led to it, still lurking in the shadows.

Specifically about ch156, I don't think we should care that Shiemi "lost" to Amaimon or fell somewhere, but rather we should think that she won't win anything until she's confronted Jeremiah and the Uzai family who have been upholding a system in which she has no choice to make or freedom to have about her own future.

Somehow I hope my rambling makes sense ? Haha, but as always don't forget I can be absolutely wrong !

Have a good day Anon ! :))

[our-queer-experience]

(1) I'm about to go to my top surgery consult and am very excited

(2) I just finished up an email response to my uncle's response to my coming out email

here is a few excerpts I'm especially proud of that lack any personal info:

Him: “As a God-fearing Christian, it would be wrong for me to hate anyone or be prejudice. I may not like someone or their decisions, but hate is a strong word. If I might not like someone, I’ll avoid them. I judge people by the content of their character, not their skin (Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.).”

Me: "I do appreciate your position on hate as a concept, but I don’t personally think avoidance is a perfect solution. In my opinion, understanding those who are different from you is the greatest thing you can do to guard yourself from becoming prejudiced. As Martin Luther King also said, 'People with good intentions but limited understanding are more dangerous than people with total ill will.'"

Him: "My questions are these: After all of the OUTWARD changes, after the mutilation, operations, procedures, drugs, etc, etc. Do you believe all of this is going to satisfy what you’re chasing? Are you going to be satisfied with the end result ??? Once you go down this road, you can’t come back. What is the end result you are chasing? These are questions only you can answer. I don’t ask these questions out of anger or hostility; I ask out of concern. Has anyone asked you these questions and can you answer them (to yourself) honestly?"

My response: "Well in truth that's not really something I can answer. For one I wouldn't say that I'm 'chasing' anything. I'm making informed choices about what I want today. Part of the information I take into account is if I might change my mind later in my life, but that is all I can do. As for the end result, I don't think there will ever really be one. People never stop changing and growing, not until they're gone. So I can't promise that I'll be happy with my choices 5 or 10 years down the line because I'll be a different person then. I can however make an educated guess based on who I am today and the things I know would make me happy now, and that's what I've been doing.

"And I can say that it's been working. Since I've socially transitioned, I haven't felt as though I've been drudging through life anymore. I feel lighter and freer, even more so since going on testosterone. The more changes I experience, the less I want to crawl out of my skin. I cannot conceive any reason as to why I'd want to go back."

Him: “Are you sure all of these outward changes are going to satisfy you? Your soul and your mind are not going to change because of any of this. What happens when you get to end of the road and you don’t like where you’re at ??? You can’t go back.

That absolutely worries the crap out of me.

You are [Full Legal Name*]. God has sent you into this world as [Full Legal Name]. Although you might be able to change the outside, you cannot change the inside.”

*I should note that I do not have a dead name otherwise this would be significantly more fucked

Me: "You're right, at the end of the day I'm still going to be me on the inside, but the outside is going to better reflect who I am. I am [Full Legal Name], I am a guy, and that isn’t going to change. Your concern is touching, but it's not necessary. I know who I am and I know what I want. This journey is mine, but as a prominent masculine presence in my life, as my Uncle, I hope you’ll be here for it."

despite everything going on outside rn, life keeps going, I keep going. ig I just forgot that for a second but today is a nice reminder. I'm going to keep going until somebody stops me, and probably a while after that too. to all of us: don't hide, don't shrink away, show them what you are. if they don't stick around, if they refuse to learn, that's their fault. we've seen time and time again what happens to those who are intolerant. and if we know anything it is that history repeats itself. thank you.

man you handled that really maturely. congrats on the consult and i hope things improve 🫂

[tryingahandinholdingapen]

thanks to a pretty equal combination of @.doveywovy's posts about tobiizu, and one particular fic which I keep meaning to write a rec for on account of it permanently changing my understanding of the ship (currently my favourite blog and fiv respectively ngl. I'll link the fic in question too),,,,my favourite depiction of izuna x tobirama is absolutely yandere4yandere

I firmly believe though that they absolutely don't take the same approach to their respective insanity. they're both freaks yes but not in the same way, that would be far too simple. often in ways that complement each other! which is why they (sort of) function as a ship,,,but not the same way

for example let's say there's a depiction of them with yandere type characterisation right and specifically looking at that trope of like "only I can have you" right?

I'm pretty sure that if we assume they both held that as something important to them, Izuna would approach it differently to Tobirama

Izuna would be like "only I can have you" <- mandate reinforced with bloodshed

Tobirama on the other hand would be like "only I can have you" <- law of the universe, more difficult to disprove than gravity

and this would influence their behaviour because it would mean that Izuna would be more of the stereotypical yandere in that he reacts with threats, considerable violence and even murder to anyone he THINKS may have even considered Tobirama in a romantic or sexual light for 0.0001 seconds. He considers that type of behaviour from others to threaten his own relationship with Tobirama, which of course is not acceptable in any form. "Only I can have you" is a mandate that Izuna reinforces with bloodshed, and frequently at that. So far, by some miracle, nobody's made a problem of his behaviour (surely its not been completely unnoticed? maybe people are too scared to bring it up or maybe Izuna's strengths are so far outweighing the drawbacks still? who knows, who cares. Not Izuna)

Tobirama on the other hand cares considerably less about the potential for anyone else to for example flirt with Izuna - or even vice versa - than can be considered normal for a serious, exclusive+monogamous relationship. Like most people would probably be upset if they were in a monogamous relationship and saw their boyfriend snogging someone else but Tobirama does not care at all. This is because in order for Tobirama to feel upset or threatened by the idea of Izuna cheating on him or potentially breaking up with him, he'd first have to ACKNOWLEDGE that as a possibility and he just...Doesn't. Tobirama is Izuna's only partner and the only person he has ever or will care for in the same sense, and as far as Tobirama is concerned this is a truth more fundamental than gravity; "only I can have you" is a simple fact of life. Someone has definitely tried to mention to him before 'hey I think I saw your boyfriend on a date with someone else yesterday...Doesn't that bother you? That he might love someone else? Might break up with you to be with them?' and Tobirama has just stared at them like they're the most stupid person alive. Complete incomprehension of the concept. No, obviously he's not worried about that, same as he's not worried the sky will suddenly turn green or gravity will decide to reverse itself. It's not a physical possibility so why worry about it? That would just be a waste of time and effort

Izuna constantly reinforces Tobirama's understanding of the world by the way. Because Izuna is very pretty and he will absolutely flirt with people or even have sex with them BUT he also not infrequently kills them afterwards, and basically always returns to Tobirama bitching about how inferior that other person was to Tobirama in x and y way and how Tobirama is so much better at z but hey Izuna got such-and-such information out of that person, or managed to secure such-and-such from this person via seduction, so he did it anyway, and Tobirama had better appreciate what he does for him. So Tobirama's there like 'as I said. Izuna doesn't give a shit about anyone except me. He's just very good at manipulating others for his own benefit and it's very sexy of him tbh'

This overall leads to a very weird dynamic where all three things are true

1) Izuna and Tobirama are in a closed monogamous relationship, theoretically?

2) If you breathe in Tobirama's direction for too long, or god forbid, make eye contact, Izuna may kill you for making a move on his man

3) You could have three rounds of sex with Izuna right in front of Tobirama and Tobirama would be v smugly watching like look at my boyfriend go he's gonna wring this moron of every resource they've got I'm so proud

[jozor-johai]

So do you think Dany and Jon are just two Heads of the Dragon? and if so, who do you think is the third? my money's on Bran as like, the Ice Representative to balance out Dany's fire and Jon's Ice/Fire dealies.

Thank you for this ask, sorry it took ages to respond.

Say that we know (or we think we know) that two "heads" of "the dragon" are Jon and Dany—insofar as we even think we understand what that phrase is supposed to mean (an assumption that I think is worth questioning as well, but that's not a task for now).

Here's what I love about this question—the issue of "who/what is the 'third head'" comes up as a literal question in a religious sense when Arya is talking to the Sailor's Wife in Braavos. There's a statue to the god Trios, and the Sailor's Wife can't tell us the purpose of one of the heads:

Three-headed Trios has that tower with three turrets. The first head devours the dying, and the reborn emerge from the third. I don't know what the middle head's supposed to do.

GRRM is definitely referencing the concept of the "three headed (dragon)" when he invented Trios; the imagery is too central and too specific for that not to be the case. What's fun, of course, is that we're all asking ourselves the same thing—what (or who) is that middle head?

I like your suggestion about Bran. It's a pretty unorthodox idea, because most people assume/expect that the three heads of the "dragon" must be Targaryen or at least Valyrian... but I don't think one needs Valyrian blood to ride a dragon, so as far as I'm concerned Bran is an option. He's a cool idea, too, because of his attachment to the North, the far North, and maybe even the "Ice" concept, like you say. Bran's also a powerful skinchanger—or, in training to be one—and there's not a doubt in my mind we're going to see some dragons get skinchanged. GRRM has been asked about that idea before and he's gleefully dodged answering it.

That would also be interesting because it's worth remembering that Jon is technically not canonically a Targaryen (yet), or even a contender to be a "head of the dragon" (yet). We think we've figured it out (and we probably have) but it's still technically a mystery. In that sense, then, if I was going to lean on the comparison with Trios, I would say: perhaps by now we should have met the first "head" —the "death" head—and we should have met the last head— "rebirth" head—so we should be missing this middle head whose purpose we don't know. However, we think we've figured out that Jon is the marriage of Ice and Fire, so maybe he's the "unknown" middle head—and then Dany is, on one side, the "rebirth" head (of fire?), and we should have met the "death" head (of ice?) already, but we don't know who it might be. Perhaps it's Bran!

If I'm being honest, I personally haven't thought too much about solving the third head of the dragon issue. It's clear to me that some key piece of the puzzle is being intentionally obscured from our view, so it feels like a fool's errand to be confident in solving it at this point. I realize that's a lame answer, but it's the truth—I try to approach these things beginning with how they work in the story and how they work with the symbolism at play, so without being sure how the "three heads" are even supposed to work I haven't tried to solve this mystery.

If there are truly three people who are going to be the "three heads of the dragon," I think the rules of good storytelling limit our options to characters that were introduced in AGOT. If we limit that to POVs—which is not necessarily a valid assumption, but I think is likely—then that's only Tyrion, Bran, Arya, or Sansa. I'm torn on the common "Tyrion Targaryen" theory... I don't really like it, but it would explain why he's included as a POV in AGOT and why he makes the shortlist for possibilities here (among other things). Bran would be a much more interesting option, though.

The thing is, I'm ultimately not convinced the "three heads" are going to work like we expect. Yes, it's said that Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya were the "three heads," but who knows if the common understanding of that is true? Plus, the person who presents the idea to Dany of the need for "three heads" to ride the three dragons is Jorah... who I don't think knows shit about dragons. So my mind is wide open when it comes to possible interpretations of the "three heads of the dragon."

[lochlogie]

Wait, you think Saxon is 100% heterosexual? I know he can't think of anything else, he is the golden child and is not allowed to be something else... but he comes across as comphet to me, always overcompensating. His psychosexual shit with Lochy also got something to do with that as well.

Sexuality is as much a metaphysical truth about yourself that you have to accept as it is an identity that you have to actively embrace. There are thousands of men who refuse to acknowledge that they're attracted to other men despite fucking other men. Many of them have wives and children. Many of them are actively homophobic. I still consider them heterosexual. If that's how they view themselves, and they clearly want nothing to do with gay people as a cultural and political bloc, fine by me. I don't think being a hypocrite overrides your autonomy.

Plus, we know that most heterosexual men are misogynistic in some way. They have some kind of political opposition to the liberation of the objects of their desire. Or they straight up resent and hate the objects of their desire. A similar thing happens with these DL straight guys. They fetishize gay sex, and often a specific kind of gay partner.

Anyway, all that to say that if Saxon has weird psychosexual shit going on with Lochy... well firstly Lochy is spiritually a girl, so take that into account. I'm actually not kidding lol? But why all the parallels between him and Chelsea, the fact that she is such a people pleaser to her narcissistic boyfriend that she dies because of him, and right after Lochlan wakes up after dying from trying to please his (somewhat) narcissistic brother? Lochlan is Chelsea.

But secondly, is Lochlan the only guy Saxon has ever done sexual shit with, or been attracted to on some level? If sexuality is a spectrum, then statistically almost nobody is perfectly and immutably at either pole. I mean I am, I have never felt anything for women and I'm confident I never will. But Lochlan certainly has. Would that override his gay identity (he's gay in my mind sorry to the haters)? What's the number? What's the limit? How many men would Saxon have to get a shameful boner thinking about before he's "objectively" barred from considering himself straight?

I've really never seen comphet as a concept applied to men, but that's been changing in recent years. I think the lesbian community should be consulted before we recklessly decide their word applies to us too. I don't know if you're a gay man, I'm speaking the royal we I guess lmao.

But yeah, you're right. Saxon is overcompensating, he would never be allowed to entertain the idea of being queer. And it clearly resonates with a lot of viewers: Saxon being a repressed gay loser who's machismo and womanizing are pathetic fronts that he's not even good at. Like, he strikes out with every girl he flirts with. He doesn't even fuck Chloe, and gets off because Lochlan is beating his meat. He doesn't even masturbate to porn that (from the sound of it) only includes women without doing some weird ass game with Lochlan in the room. The common denominator to his sexual scenes is either posturing or his brother. But is it because Lochy is his brother or a guy?

I get how all that disarms his misogyny, but for all the reasons above, it's not enough to get me to consider him anything but straight. Plus, as far as Lochlan is concerned (who is by far the most common POV character in this fandom) he doesn't know Saxon is a closet queen. So he's straight in Lochlan's eyes too.

[stormsbourne]

<presses your mad about modern journalism button again> may I request a rant

Happily though I'm going to try and avoid talking about what happened last night/this election cycle specifically because it's still too raw.

So I graduated with a journalism degree in the late aughts. My specialization/emphasis is in print, the dyingest of all journalism, but to any journalist who gives half a fuck about the concept of the industry, it's clear that a lot of things are fucked. And it was obvious then, too!

Here's the big ones:

24 hour news fucking sucks. It's resulted in a world where even minor issues can get significant coverage and the journalists involved are always scrambling for something to keep people watching. Facts become tenuous in a setting like this and corrections to shit you got wrong become extremely easy to miss, so it turns out you're often just spreading misinformation and the people swallowing it will regularly miss you saying it wasn't true. There was an incident when I was in college of a hobby pilot accidentally crashing a plane into an apartment building in NYC and this got turned into a multi hour story about whether it was another 9/11. This problem has only been exacerbated by things like the advent of social media and the integration of the internet into absolutely fucking everything.

The concept of objectivity is broken. In an ideal world objectivity means that you report the facts without bias or prejudice. Modern journalism has scrubbed the first part of that out with an eraser and highlighted the second part. Climate change, vaccine effectiveness and safety, how COVID functions, it doesn't matter what issue you pick, if you look at how modern journalism covers it, it's all about remaining impartial, not about telling the truth. And this gets turned into representing both sides. Well we've got a climate scientist on. We've also got to have a climate skeptic, right, to remain objective? No, you fuckers, your job is not to get two people on the air to argue about whether it's raining, your job is to look out the fucking window and tell people if it's fucking raining!

Obviously, capitalism. Big money folks have their fingers in the pockets of newspapers and news networks and are using them as hand puppets accordingly. Wapo can't endorse Harris because Bezos wants Trump to be niceys to him. Sinclair sends its networks objectively false stories and requires them to put them on the air or get sanctioned and punished.

The media isn't innocent in any this; they aren't merely a victim of what's been done to the industry. They often go to bat for the upper crust, for the military, for cops. Donald Trump won 2016 (and maybe this year too) off the back of all the free airtime he got because the media could not stop paying attention to the circus, putting the circus on the air, yelling about the circus being in town, talking about how many people like the circus. They repeat false information and hype up studies that don't actually say anything. They often hide corrections or retractions out of embarrassment. Newsrooms have private secret rules about how to cover international politics and what side should be depicted as sympathetic. They post cop pr statements unedited and do shit like go to diners in Ohio to interview racist white guys about their "economic anxiety." Everything that's destroying journalism, they are complicit in, and often happily.

The media in its best form should be a way to examine and dismantle oppressive machines, like how much journalism was involved in helping tear down McCarthyism. But nowadays the media is gleefully complicit in all of it. The revolution will not be televised, or maybe it will be but with a headline of LOCALS CONCERNED ABOUT RASH OF CRIMES.

fuck, man, it blows!

[itsgrimeytime]

Magnolia in May (Part Two) || Rick Grimes (TWD) x Greene!f!reader Regency AU

Part 1...

AVAILABLE ON AO3

Inspiration (in honor of Speak Now Taylor's Version): Enchanted by Taylor Swift

Summary: Your town was small, not the smallest you knew, but anyone of high fortune was the gossip of the week. Predictably, Richard Grimes was a thing of whispers -rumors of a search for marriage among the grassy hills. You weren't one to buy into town gossip, but something about him... just seemed a little too intriguing.

TWS: rumors.

[[ A/N: Also, am I so inspired by this concept that I wrote a second part in a day? Maybe so... 👀👀👀 Anyway, thanks for reading!!! ]]

You realized pretty quickly that you hadn't gotten the man's name, only his daughter's first. It was a bit frustrating, and even more so as your Headmistress continued to ramble on about timeliness and arriving on time.

You knew the lesson, it had been drilled into your head since you'd been late to school once at age six. It only grated on your ears now.

There was a thought there to tell her it was because of a man -she'd be so delighted, her whole rant would be long forgotten. But another part of yourself wished to hold it back -to keep this man and his darling daughter in your brain for no one else to see.

It was a rather selfish thought, but having never seen the two before you assumed they were travelers -they'd be gone soon enough. And without his name, it would be rather difficult to describe to a Headmistress all about social standing. He could be a farmhand for all you knew, an overdressed farmhand, sure, but one no less.

"Y/N," Headmistress pursed her lips -a grainy sort of disgust in her face, "-are you even listening?"

"Yes ma'am," you cleared your throat, moving to cut into your pancake, "-sorry, I was a little distracted, what have you asked?"

Elisa frowned, set deep into her face and you wondered how she'd been so smiley before with how heavily ingrained it looked, "I asked, young lady, what distracted you on your trip? It's not normal for you to take such time! So what happened?"

You paused, quickly eating a bite to buy some time -unsure if you wished to speak the truth. The more you thought about it, you found it rather stupid -the man was surely gone and it wasn't anything to concern them. You were a lady of age, and speaking to a man hardly was anything to talk to your parents about.

"Mrs. Sweets had some new dresses in the window," you lied -carefully dabbing your face with the napkin (you had noticed the new dresses but it had hardly taken any time at all), "-I wanted to look at them closely, and lost track of time, I suppose, I truly apologize."

"Hmm," the Headmistress pursed his lips -seeming to evaluate your words, "-lesson learned, I presume?"

"Very," you replied -simply, wishing for the conversation to navigate elsewhere.

And just as it seemed to (Maggie saying something that the Headmistress just had to dispute), there was a heavy knock on the door.

The room fell abruptly silent, the only noticeable noises being the slight clink of silverware and the creaks of the old chairs. Your father was the first to stand, making his way to the door with a confidence you'd wished you inherited.

The man who stood there was short, a cap situated on his head and a determination in his eyes, "This the Greene residence?"

Your father answered, a little uncertain -blocking the man's eyes from farther into the house, "Yes, I'm Dr. Hershel Greene, is this about work?"

"No sir," he responded -respectful and quite direct before extending a hand forward, a thick piece of paper exchanged between them, "-your family has been invited to the Ball, come next Tuesday. Mr. Grimes personally requested your presence."

Headmistress couldn't hold back a gasp, as Father took the paper -skimming over it with a heavy sort of look, "Personally?"

"Yes, sir. He insisted I bring it to the residence directly."

You thought back to the man, and his insistence on buying you more -just for the lack of one. Poking around the fruit on your plate, you frowned. He was probably married after all, he did have a child -someone as charming as he was most certainly bound to a wife.

Before you could dive further into your sudden despair, your father joined back at the table -slow and sure steps. Opening his mouth to say something, he didn't get very far before the Headmistress snatched the invite out of his hands.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she skimmed over the words, she seemed to digest it (like it could be a fake).

You furrowed your brows, as she seemed to stall.

"I'll be looking forward to your presence signed Mr. Grimes," the Headmistress read out loud -a grin large and wide, "-he wrote us a note! He must be in search of a wife!"

"Miss Elisa," Father tried to calm her, now sitting back in his spot at the table.

"I'm only thinking optimistically, Hershel," she responded -tone much more controlled but still quite touched in tone, "-wouldn't it be wonderful for the girls to have suitors?"

"I'd rather not discuss speculation," your father leveled with her -eyes set in a certainty that not even the Headmistress could refuse.

And that was where the talk of the invite ended.

Your father was rather stubborn in his restrictions, and starting any sort of rumors about a man he respected was far below his limit. It wasn't even mentioned until that Saturday afternoon at the seamstress.

"Beth, dear," Headmistress hummed -rapting her knuckles on the small room she'd been dressing in, "-how does the blue one fit?"

It was a beautiful blue dress that matched her eyes with pillowing sleeves -layers of fabric heavy on the skirt. The cotton seemed soft to the touch, and you thought it a very good match to your sister -she'd suited it well from what you assumed. Beth hadn't shown the dress to you yet.

"It needs to be tightened," she echoed with a huff -frustrated, "-I can't reach-"

"Alright, alright," your Headmistress responded, her tone calming and direct -as she navigated into the room to help.

With that, you sighed deeply. Rather unamused by the extensive shopping you found yourself currently in, you enjoyed getting new dresses, really. It was just a long process, and for whatever reason, the Headmistress had always focused on you last.

It was rather stuffy in the store, dresses hung up in any corner they could. They were beautiful, truly stunning works of fabric and ribbon -you'd trailed your fingers along some of the layers with keen interest. It was always rather fascinating to study how the dresses were made, each individual stitch had its own purpose and you enjoyed the complexity of it.

Maggie grabbed your attention, motioning to a rather fluffy pink dress -detailed by too many rather large ribbons. She pulled it up to her side, posing like she was prim and proper -a grin biting on her face, "What do you think?"

You smiled, always amused by her antics, "We might need to-"

Your eyes caught on the window framing behind her, and there was someone so familiar there. You'd only seen a glimpse, but it had struck you so intricately, your eyes peered the area looking for whoever you recognized-

And then, you saw him.

He was still rather overdressed, darker button-up detailed by a lovely light blue ascot tied around his neck -it looked satin. Actually, he looked much fancier with a peacoat of a rather deep blue splayed across his shoulders, and hair still a little tussled from the day -brown curls resting still rather perfectly. He seemed content on a bench, Judith not present -as he looked on in front of him, absorbed by something quite heavily. You stilled, he was still here?

With a quick thought, you realized just how close the shop had been to the markets -it was a short walk, and you'd done it often. You had a wonderful view, well... right where he was seated. It was treacherous thought flooding your mind that he might be waiting for you.

"Y/N?" Maggie waved her hands in front of your face, starting to match your eyes towards where yours lay on the window, "What are you looking a-"

She stiffened. You hadn't been quick enough to divert her attention, as her eyes skimmed over the figure without much report. Maggie was a very upfront woman, after all.

"Who-"

"We might need to look elsewhere!" you finished your thought, rather loud and squeaky, as you quickly turned to a few other mannequins, "-what about this one, Maggie? I think the color is exquisite, really-"

"Y/N-" she spoke at full volume before you caught her eyes and made a shush motion -head tilting toward the dressing room.

"Everything alright, girls?" your Headmistress asked, most likely from your tone only a few seconds ago. You'd been thoroughly embarrassed it had even left your lips -so loud and not very graceful.

Maggie, a simple master at her craft, replied -without a flinch, "Yes, ma'am. Y/N just slipped on a skirt."

"Right, yes," you spoke, trying to contain the rather squeaky tone your voice had taken on, "-there are some quite long ones."

Headmistress must've accepted this answer, as she no longer responded -assumedly preoccupied with the dress mechanics, you briefly wondered how it had become so complicated. Before the more pressing matter made itself known.

Maggie was a hair away from jumping up and down right there in the seamstress shop, eager to be in on the loop. She'd gotten that trait from Ms. Elisa, you assumed.

Her voice was much quieter now, "Do you know him?"

"Oh, no-" you answered a little too fast, judging by the mischievous glint in her eyes only gleaming brighter, "-I just think he's rather handsome, that's all."

As if on cue, the man looked in the direction of the window of the shop. You don't know why, maybe the old man on the corner had grabbed his attention or the little boy who was currently chasing a butterfly down the street. It didn't matter, because his eyes neatly settled on you.

As if you were the only one on the street. Your cheeks turned a fantastic crimson at the mere thought-

And then, they shifted -flickering to your side. Where Maggie stood, grinning brightly and waving to the man. You were going to kill her.

With a little questioning look smoothing across his face, he raised his hand and waved back. His right hand, you noticed. (There was no ring.) You bit down the little flutter your stomach had done, bashfully raising your hand to wave as well.

The smile that stretched across his face was incredibly telling.

Maggie grinned even wider, not turning to face you, "You know him, how do you know him?"

"Well-"

Before you could say anything else, the man seemed to falter for a minute -turning to his side and grabbing something you couldn't quite see. He then lifted it, seeming to try and show it to you. It seemed to be a delicately woven basket one with much better craftsmanship than your own. You hadn't known what to expect in it, except-

Oh, he was waiting for you. He had the berries.

Your sister couldn't hold the pose, now fully turning to face you-hands gently taking your arms, "He's got a present."

"It's not quite a present, really-" you started.

Maggie didn't wait, eyes darting to the room where your other sister and Headmistress stayed stationed. Before she seemed to decide something -a familiar determination sparked in her eyes.

"Go," she whispered.

You opened your mouth, "What about-"

"I've got it," she reassured, a sort of warm affection bubbling up her voice, "-I'll lock them in there if I have to."

You rolled your eyes, knowing better than to argue with your sister, "I'll be quick, I promise."

Maggie rolled her eyes and pushed you to the door -scampering off to find whatever distraction she intended on using. God, you truly loved her.

As soon as you exited the shop, the man raised to his feet -almost on instinct. You frantically looked across the street, keeping an eye on oncoming carriages -before hastily making your way to the bench where he now stood.

He was laughing by the time you got there, the sound sent a familiar buzz up your spine, "In a hurry?"

"A bit," you answered -brushing a bit of dirt off your dress at the commotion, "-let's say I'm on borrowed time."

"I could've come to you," he said, so genuinely that you found you had to remember your point of being here. He apparently had a way of making you forget what you were doing.

"You couldn't," you responded, before scrambling to explain, "-wait, that sounded a bit rude. My apologies, it's just my Headmistress would lose it if she saw me so much as speaking to a man. She wants to marry us off, and any living breathing specimen is of enough quality to her."

"I'd hope I was better than a specimen," he smiled, a lilt in his voice that sounded quite close to teasing, "-do you refer to lots of men as specimens, Ms. Greene?"

"Just you," you quipped and he broke out into a sort of laughter -head thrown back, pure joy. You were quite proud of yourself for that one, holding your head slightly higher at the boost -smiling at his contagious one.

"Right, well," he added, clearing his throat to try and regain his composure, "-I'll keep note of 'at. Oh, and before I forget, here's the berries I owe ya."

And then, the basket (which surely was worth more than everything you currently wore) was extended to you. You could already see that it was filled with an assortment of berries, not just the single blueberry Judith had actually eaten.

"Oh, I couldn't, really-"

"I insist," he repeated, familiarly, and you found you couldn't quite fight the man in front of you.

"At least take the basket back, sir," you urged, a bit mesmerized by the handwoven pieces, "-I can't imagine what it's worth."

"Think of it as a gift."

"No," you reiterated, "-this must've cost a fortune. I can't-"

"Ms. Greene," he straightened, blue eyes glazing over your face in a way that almost worsened the crimson stain on your cheeks -something of fond, "-it's a gift, an' I'd be rather honored if ya accepted it."

You sighed, a bit defeated, "Alright, thank you, sir. I have no way of repaying you though-"

"How about a-" he began, fidgetting slightly with his coat -as if he was nervous. Why would he be nervous?

"Y/N," Maggie hissed across the courtyard, a sort of nerves in her eyes -you knew she'd already been cutting it close.

"I'm so sorry," you spoke, trying to genuinely portray it in your voice, "-really. If I see you again, please do approach me. Maybe we can have a complete conversation?"

He smiled, noting before you could leave, "Will do, Ms. Greene, enjoy the fruits. I got quite a wide selection, didn't know what you'd prefer."

"I'm sure they're lovely."

And then, without much of a notice, you rushed back into the seamstress shop -only chancing a look back when you came back inside. When you did, he stood in the same place -eyes intently focused on you, and gently waving his hand.

You laughed, timidly waving back.

Maggie was staring at you as you turned around, the gleam from earlier only sparkling even brighter.

You started, trying to stop the train before it even started, "Maggie-"

"You're telling me everything."

Then, the door creaked open -Beth (still in the dress she came in) as her eyes settled on the basket you held carefully in front of your skirt, and your Headmistress rumbling something about corsets.

"Girls, I think-" she started, before faltering, her own eyes settling on the rather extensive stash of fruit you'd gathered, "Where did you get that?"

The Headmistress was already making her way to you, brushing her fingers over the woven material -much like she had handled the invitation. So delicate as if it was the finest piece of china.

"Just someone repaying a debt," you answered, vaguely.

Ms. Elisa furrowed her brows, glancing at you with a deep, questioning gaze but you refused to break, "An expensive debt, I assume? That craftsmanship could probably pay for three new dresses from scratch, dear."

The Headmistress continued her path to the dresses, calling out to Beth to join her -leaving you stunned in your own path.

"Everything," Maggie reiterated, her tone doused in much of the amazement you'd felt.

"Everything," you agreed.

[minsu-the-cowardly-human]

Just half rewatched Ugly Dolls [listen/watching while drawing] and I have some...opinions. Cut for spoilers for Ugly Dolls n Wreck it Ralph

Firstly, I find Lou so incredibly, incredibly interesting. Just for the fact that he is a prototype at all is a really cool concept and character motivation.

I like the fact that him n Ox had a realtionship before and he was so jealous of him that he had the others harp on him and send him to be killed. But idk how much I believe that last part necessairly. Of course he did send him to the incinerator, but idk he could be super manipulative but in the flashback where Lou is gently leading Ox to it, he looks genuinely caring like he doesn't know what it leads to. Especially since he says something about not wanting to lose him in the fight they have later. Maybe I'm reading him too sympathically idk.

I also think that his program for dolls is actually a good thing! To an extent. Not necessairly pointing out everything but all the technical don't get messy or the washer won't fix u cuz the parents will throw you away is like..an actual issue? Ik some parents would probably let their kid have it as long as they please but ik some parents would definately throw the doll away. So like that's an actual concern. And to throw all that training away feels. Dumb.

Like all that beauty standard shit yeah get outta here. But even then, he is a prototype to teach others how to behave. And even with kids, you do have to look cute n cuddly or you literally won't sell and you might end up in a landfill or some shit like the ET atari games. So. Idk how to feel about that part, it depends on whether you see Lou as a separate entity that's just doing this shit cuz or if he's made by the company yk.

Also for him to compete in the gauntlet at all confuses me so much. Because obviously he had to have known he would have never won in the first place. Maybe he did it to look good, which is possible, just good sportsmanship n all and then when Moxy n friends lost he could be like "see ur just like me a prototype" or something or he thinks nobody would care. But if that is the case, then whyy did he kick the robot baby in the nose? Was he just like "fuck it, I can't win anyways"? Then why even compete? Or was he just losing it? [Or was the writing just bad-]

Also the fact that Lou tells Moxy n friends a bit abt him basically doing it cuz lonely and they put him in a washer n presumably left him there feels really really stupid. And that's not just me being a Lou apolgist rn. But like..if he did it cuz lonely and he wanted to keep his friends there like Ox presumably..and you put him in presumably endless isolation..that feels really stupid!! Like you want him to break out or something!!

Now thinking about it, he feels a little bit like a villainous version of Vanellope if she really was a glitch. That being that she could never leave, just like how Lou can't leave either and be with a real child. If we're going with this Vanellope analogy, it would just be her trying to keep her friends with her as she dies with the game by any means necessary. I know Lou isn't going to exactly die, at least not in the beginning with his school of perfection or whatever but..yknow it's like the curse of being immortal.

Also I loveee that when Nolan is like "when you were critizing me, that's because you love me?" And Lou is like "yeah" *looks to the side* "I love all of you" like I think he likes him. Also Ox x Lou is a thing I like because of its toxicity. :]

I might ramble more later but that's all i can think of for now. Oh one last thing I also love his song Ugly Truth.

[deconstructivesurgery]

I'm on my like tri-monthly random Borderlands fixation tirade tonight, and one of the things I've really got kicking around in my head at the moment isn't a character- but rather, Helios station in its entirety.

A corporate satellite hub orbiting the moon of a major planet, the size of a city or larger- shaped like an H, the pinnacle of egotistical, over-the-top design. Too *good* to grace Elpis or Pandora's surface, keeping a cool professional distance from everything and everyone below it. Allowing the people on-board to monitor the lives of those below on both sides, and to oversee all of Hyperion's endeavors from a distance. Built to give Hyperion express access via moonshot to anything that falls within its Eye's field of vision. If the Eye can see it, Hyperion can send people to it- or annihilate it from a thousand miles away in space.

Hyperion does surveillance really well. It's not something they ever really emphasize throughout the series, to my awareness, but it's fascinating. The first major time we're introduced to the concept of an ECHOeye connected to a Hyperion database, it's through Rhys- a character who can use his eye to see all the bizarrely specific information Hyperion's database has held over the years. Hyperion knows the names, faces, and life details of a stunning amount of people, when you really think about it. (I know this is just because the ECHOeye thing is a fun info-gathering mechanic in Tales, but hey- if I think it's fun to assign it narrative meaning, I'm gonna do it.)

But that's a bit of a tangent. Asides from being an enormous eye in the sky and Hyperion's very own hand of God as far as terrestrial punishment is concerned, it's also fascinating on an internal level.

It's design allows for so many fascinating choices. It isn't a company building alone, it's a city with a PA system. There are rooms you walk into in the lines of the 'H' that are so tall vertically that the endless expanse above you as you walk almost registers to you as the sky. Lines of vegetation- fake or not is anyone's guess- and paved paths make regular hallways feel like courtyards. There are countless windows that face the night sky, and some of them have been given a holographic sheen that makes them resemble a blue sky. People don't commute from Helios to the celestial bodies below on either side- they live here, work here, buy here, and more. There are commercial centers, office districts, laboratories, and more. A person could spend their entire career- hell, their entire life up there, cloistered away from the unruly truth of life on the ground, inventing weapons to fuel the fire of constant conflict outside their company doors. It's fascinatingly huge and terrible, and I wish we'd gotten more time to explore its insides and find out more about what life on Helios really looked like for Hyperion employees.

What we do get that I love is the vaguely haunting (or maybe I'm just way too sentimental) experience of watching Helios rise and fall over the course of a few games. Chronologically, we look up at the sky in TPS and see the half-built skeleton of Helios' limbs, still spindly and unfinished, rattle as the station rains hell onto the moon below. We see it again, finished and pristine in 2- a constant presence on the horizon far above us, completely untouchable from where we stand. Even when we explore it in TPS, Helios feels mostly untouchable. We have to stop the people on it, we know- but we never get the sense that the station itself is fallible or will somehow beget its own destruction. It's as much a part of the Pandoran solar system as anything else.

And then Tales From The Borderlands hits after Jack's death, as we visit what remains of Hyperion in Jack's absence- still putting along in the corporate world despite their retreat from Pandora's surface proper. Nothing's changed much. Nothing does change much, until the Jack AI begets the place's destruction.

Only in that first sequence of TFTBL's Chapter 5 (such an amazing musical sequence, imo, still- I've always loved it) does our perception of Helios as a fixed point in space ever get challenged. Watching it peel up at the corners and spout rubble into Pandora's atmosphere- drawn by the planet's heavier gravity to fall endlessly away from the moon- was enough to make me feel mildly dizzy the first time I saw it. As a pathetically tiny number of safety shuttles make their way away from the collapsing body of a city-satellite down to uncertain fates, we're reminded once again that Helios is an entire city and then some- supporting how many people exactly, who are now being violently spat out into the void of space, or worse, carried down to earth in a flaming wreck? Suddenly this impossibly huge display of corporate self-sufficiency, this giant throne they built in the sky from which to survey the world beneath, seems like a fatally hubristic project. They're not above the violence, chaos, and uncertainty of the world below anymore.

And when all is said and done, its skeleton sits there like a monument to the downfall of an entire corporation- carried to the grave by one man's foiled plans and replaced by a dozen other hungry mouths vying to profit off of intercorporate wars and upheaval. You look up at the moon, or down at Pandora, and feel ever so slightly wrong- like there's a star on the horizon now missing.

In a game series that doesn't often take itself seriously for long enough to deliver meaningful world-altering change as a result of past actions (in a way that isn't hideously underplayed or broken up by irony or a lack of care), Helios is a really subtle major world alteration that means a lot to me. It's a whole corporation we've come to know and despise taken out of orbit for the last time. There's no magical Helios 2. We never see a character turn around and try and make light of the situation with some shitty action-movie quip, or a joke about how 'that could've gone better'. There's just a flaming pile of rubble on the ground where thousands of Hyperion employees died on impact, and the knowledge that the Borderlands corporate sphere has been permanently refaced.

I wish we'd seen more visible change in the world throughout the games like that. It would have been a lot of fun. It's the little things- like a familiar location permanently destroyed, or a character we love dying in a way that actually begets grief and meaningful introspection (rather than just a wuh-oh, they're gone now, what's the next plot point again?) that could have really made the story of these games have a bit more punch. Because it's my opinion that when Borderlands actually *tries* to hit hard, they don't miss quite as often.