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bitumz · 3 months

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Title: A withered Rose still has its thorns

Pairing: Cooper Howard / Lucy MacLean

Word count: 4k+

Rated: T [angst, depictions of past violence, hurt/comfort, mentions of death and loss, happy ending]

A/N: this was written for the incredible @valeriarts for this beautiful fanart they made me, and was heavily inspired by this insane Beauty and the Beast Ghoulcy Fanart they entered into the Ghoulcy Atomic Blast Event! As such, this responding work is absolutely riddled with BatB references, but is lovingly set in the Fallout canon world because I am an absolute goon for the old music and wasteland setting. A tale as old as time... Ao3 link

~~~~~

One year has passed since Lucy pulled the trigger on her own decayed mother, withered away and rotted from the inside out by the inevitable cruelty of the wasteland. A necessary evil she still tries to console herself with on such a gruesome anniversary, though these days the grizzly voice chiding her in her mind doesn’t sound like her own anymore. And Lucy thinks she's starting to realize exactly how decay feels.

One year of failed leads. Shattered expectations. The growing pains of being remade into a woman more familiar than she should be, even well beyond the reflection of a mirror.

The old shopping center she and Cooper find themselves in that evening is almost painfully similar to the Super Duper Mart, old clothing and clocks, and half burnt candles and varying arrays of other decorative knick-knacks scattered about like hastily flung debris across the rotting floors. But unlike the mart, high walls divided large sections of the space, reminding her even harsher of the vault rooms back home, centered just so by a long, splaying hallway that seemed to go on for miles into the shadowed corridor. An old mall Cooper had called it, but to Lucy that meant nothing.

She'd done what she could to keep her distance from him that day, him never being one to appreciate her foul moods, and instead of calling out the blood curdling hypocrisy of that whole idea (and the inevitable fight that would follow), she bit her tongue and did her best to sulk alone, in only the company of a few blessedly silent clothing displays and dusty bedroom furniture.

One of the former caught Lucy’s attention more than the others, a headless mannequin donned in a flowing silk gown, royal blue cut through the middle with a bright yellow sash that drew in the curves of the waist and cascaded floor length at the rear with the rest of the flowing hemline to trail like a river of molten gold across the moldy tile.

Her mother had always disliked her in dresses. And Lucy can't help but remember the hazy bits and pieces of her fifth birthday. Of her father presenting her with a beautifully boxed up gift. Her mother's disbelieving scowl over at the man as Lucy held the soft floral material up against her chest and beamed at her own reflection in the vault bathroom mirror. They way her father twirled her around the room in it for many a birthday after that, with only Norm, a few aging Cooper Howard movie posters, and blinding fluorescents overhead as audience, pride already flashing even brighter in her father’s eyes as every year she grew more and more into the perfect daughter she was expected to be. And though Lucy had been too young to consider yet just where that gift could have come from, those memories now scathed in the shadows, somewhere deep beneath her bones like a bustling city of thousands of people being blown to nothing more than ruin and ash.

And at this point, after fighting through all the many foul factions of the wasteland for just over a year and searching for a sense of fairness and freedom for so long before, she was so so far beyond sick of monsters masquerading as man.

It was why slipping from the confines of her vaultsuit and stepping into the rolling blue and gold layers of silk felt something like lying. Like putting on that ill-fitting wedding dress again and continuing to do as she was told. Adding her name to the list and filling the role set upon her from the very moment she came out screaming like a wild beast into her mother's arms and a carefully crafted existence.

She tugged her own suit up the slender plastic hips of the mannequin in trade. Zipped it securely closed with the final brush of her hands tenderly across the shoulders.

The worn leather slacked too big around the petite figure, and Lucy felt her own muscles clench the slightest bit in her newly exposed chest and upper arms. Her time away from the vault had made her only stronger. She could feel it in the easing of their long days trudging through the sand and restless nights with Cooper beneath the stars. In his harsh lessons and even harsher truths. But looking back at her mother’s last little hand-me-down gift as it sat wrong on the headless figure before her made her feel a bit like a child again; lost and alone in a world that was still so very much too big.

So she did just as she would when she was little. Turned the oldies station on low on her Pip Boy. Sat cross legged upon the cold dingy floor. Sought out her mother’s advice.

“I’m not exactly sure what I’m supposed to do here.” Lucy said, eyes falling to her mismatched fingers in her lap. She curled them loose into the soft pile of golden fabric. “I wasn’t so sure I was going to make it through mourning you the first time around…” she admitted soft, swallowing at the pain rising heavy in her throat. “But this… now… knowing everything I do… I- I understand why you left. And I’m sorry I couldn’t help sooner… I’m so sorry…” And Lucy had long run out of water to waste on tears so she only clenched her fists tighter over her thighs. Waited quietly for a reassurance that would never come again, receiving only silence in answer apart from the lilting voice of Skeeter Davis softly reminding her from her wrist that the end of the world had already long since passed.

Lucy could only blame her time above for being able to sense him well before she heard Cooper’s spurs clanging softly up the hall. And had it been even just a few months ago, she would have moved. Rose from the ground and stuck on a fake sunshine smile to avoid his prodding. Stood tall and still in the shadows like a predator in wait. But if he was going to continue to track her down every time she sought out solace, he was going to get what he got. Real and raw and just so very tired.

“There ain’t shit for supplies,” his rumbling voice started before rounding the corner, “but I did find somethin’ interestin’ you may wanna have a look at wh…” Cooper stilled like the dead in the shattered frame of the once glass door. Rendered entirely silent, though she could feel the burn of his eyes across her newly bared arms, the curves of her shoulders, her dark hair falling loose and wild down her back. “What the fuck are you doin’?” He finally managed, sounding much farther away than he actually stood.

“Oh you know, just talking to my mom.” Lucy spoke flat to the mannequin, unmoving. “You’re interrupting.” She added in dismissal after a long dead-silent moment, but she only heard his boots close in closer behind her.

So she held her breath and waited for the snide response to drawl from his lips. Something like ‘radaway’s losin’ its touch huh?’ she imagined first, or ‘Rose musta not took all the crazy with her when she left that fuckin’ vault...’

But as the pair of taunts grew hotter in her temples, nothing of the sort actually came from him... Which was odd enough in itself to make her finally look back over her shoulder.

What she found was a world weary man who looked as lost as she felt. The darkness of the decaying building clinging to the protective cloak of his duster like a long drawn curse that was pained to let go. He carried the weight of his own deep in the lines of his scalded face, wearing his own many anniversaries of suffering in scattered jagged scars, jaw tense as if he fought not to set free a rising snarl at the sight before him, browline drawn beneath the shadow of his hat like she’d spoken a foreign language he couldn’t quite grasp.

He eyed her hallowed vaultsuit as if personally affronted… Looked back down right at her, dark eyes sparking with something near that impenetrable mask of anger he so easily slipped on as they trailed slow down across the gathered yellow silk she fidgeted with at her waist, to the elegant tendrils of blue haloing in a wide puddle around her on the floor, shielding nearly as much of her body as the suit had, but still leaving her feeling so incredibly exposed to his studiously searching eyes.

“What is it?” Lucy asked after a moment, unable to take the scrutiny any longer, heart rate rising as she shifted where she sat.

And Cooper blinked as if hearing her for the first. “What’s with the getup?”

Lucy forced the breath from her nose, long and heavy. Tugged a bit of the fabric up in a false curtsy. “Oh this old thing?” She tried to tease but fell flat. “I've never had a dress of my own, you know? Always something borrowed… and Mom used to say blue was my color.” Lucy smoothed the silk back down over her hips, missing the way the claim struck Cooper’s expression like the hail Mary of a well aimed brick. “My eyes, I guess.” She shrugged away.

“No.” Cooper disagreed low after a long beat. “It ain't your eyes.” Then he took the two last steps to stand near her side. Reached down a hand. “C’mon I wanna show you somethin’.” And for a moment Lucy sat unmoving, glancing away from Cooper’s gloved offering up to the plastic shell of her mother one last time. “She ain't goin’ anywhere.” Cooper promised soft after a while of watching her struggle, in a way Lucy now knew that only he had every right to vow. And it's what finally drew her hand out slowly into his.

“Alright,” she breathed. And she rose.

—

The shop Cooper led her into was stacked floor to ceiling with disheveled shelves of books. Old wooden tables and chairs lined the front walls. Rows of cabinets had once cut lines through the center, now tipped and scattered by previous scavengers who must not have appreciated the incredibility of the rare bounty before her. But Lucy, however, was already mentally sorting through the contents of her pack and deciding what could be left behind to make more space.

It was the candlelight that eventually distracted her from the task. Lit aglow and sparsely set across the floor and on a few of the sturdier looking bookshelves all around the room, burning just bright enough to clear the murky darkness from the space…and it was the consideration of such a thing that emptied her chest, had Lucy steepling her hands over her mouth and gaping wide eyed all around her at the beautiful sight, the sheer number of books alone putting the vault’s ample collection to shame. But it was the man stood behind her in the darkened doorway that stopped her eyes. Silhouette framed in the soft glow of fire, features hidden almost entirely from view, but like the constant pull of the moon on the tide she could feel the weight of every ounce of his attention on only her.

“Cooper,” Lucy called low, letting her hands fall slow to her sides. “This is incredible. I've never seen so many books in my life.”

And he ambled forward at his name like a bloodbug drawn to the life pumping quick through her veins, sharp features softened by the warm glow.

“Really?” He drawled in that way that preambled the rudeness she'd so long been awaiting. Downplaying the situation every time it got too close to - something. And he was never one to disappoint. “I thought all that Vault Tec propaganda down there would at least rival a two bit bookshop.”

Lucy raised her eyes and turned away. Took another look about the room. Made her way to the closest shelf of books and let her fingertips brush lovingly across the dusted spines. Stacked a few aside that she had every intention of not leaving without.

“It wasn't just propaganda,” Lucy informed, his jab unable to reach her properly through the soft flickering of flame. “Vault distributed media was delegated and traded by the overseers.” She sought him out again with the turn of her neck. “And as you know, ours was particularly fond of fairytales and cowboys. Villeneuve and Wister. That sort of thing. Not to mention the movies…” her smile was mean, a brazen curve of her lips.

And Cooper said nothing in riposte, instead simply closing the space between them with slow, lazy steps. Rested a hand against the shelf on either side of her head as she turned to face him, closing in and casting his shadow across her in a way that once would have made her feel small.

Lucy only raised her chin, held his eyes above with the fire flickering hot in her own.

“Is that really what you wanna be doin’ today?” He asked her, a near growl as it rolled so close from his chest. “Defendin’ your daddy?”

And the reminder twisted in her ribs like a spike, aimed and true; memories of laughter and life and being twirled around in loving arms slowly, agonizingly morphing into something more fowl in her gut like her father's guiltless eyes as he'd finally confessed aloud his many many sins down the barrel of a gun… Her mother's meatless corpse sagging gaunt in a chair nearby…

“Dance with me.” Lucy blinked, only truly registering the words as they settled skewed into her own ears. The violins dipped and drew out the start of Billie Holiday's, Crazy He Calls Me from her Pip Boy between them like a taunt and there was no better title for the way Cooper’s sharp eyes searched her face.

“Do what now?”

“Dance with me.” Lucy repeated, just as unshaken. “You're right.” She nodded in truce. “I'd rather make new memories today than dwell on the old ones and my options are you or the mannequin.”

Cooper gauged her expression from mere inches above. Looked as if he awaited the splintering of her sanity beneath his glare. For the flinching call of her bluff as he raised his chin and thinned his eyes in a move she’d watched him use on countless others to sweeten a deal or seal a sentence. But Lucy only popped open the latch of her Pip Boy. Sat it nearby on the shelf. Held her hands out to him palms up in the dwindling space between them…

And Cooper took a step back and away. Squared his shoulders as if she had thrown a fist instead of anything near the beginnings of a dance.

“Mannequin would suit better.” He said in faint protest, stilling only a moment longer to meet her unyielding eyes before sighing, shrugging his duster from his shoulders and draping it over the back of a nearby chair. Pulling his gloves off and dropping them unceremoniously into the splintering seat.

And Lucy felt an altogether new sort of apprehension as he neared this time, sturdy arms straining against the worn fabric of his rarely seen sun-bleached undershirt. His bandolier of hastily crafted bullets glistened like sharp teeth across the visible rise and fall of his chest. He held a single bared hand out to her in offering, allowing her to take either that last fateful step forward or a silent final out…

And the thrill of it all was the best distraction she could ever ask for.

The fine hairs at the back of her neck rose in warning as she took this newest challenge in stride, just as she had the many before. “I don’t doubt it.” Lucy returned, resting a ruined-fingered hand over the solid curve of his shoulder. Cooper slipped her left into his and she couldn’t help but stare at that way her own something borrowed still looked pale and small against the rest of Cooper’s hand, wrapping warm and rough around her own. His other burned like a brand against her waist just as Billie sang of her own willingness to walk through fire and with it they were moving.

Cooper was a startlingly natural lead, sure in step and direction, guiding her along in soft curves of motion as if on instinct alone, whereas she stepped between his boots in thought absorbed angles, and it was a pre-war skill Lucy would not have imagined he cared to retain until that very moment. He’d always spoken so little of that time of his life, apart from Janey. And even if they weren’t spending an evening attempting to forget, she at very least knew better than to outright ask why.

The thought brought her foot down hard on his for what she guessed was the second or third time judging by his growl.

“That supposed to be a two step?” Cooper rumbled over her instead. “‘Cause you’re movin’ like a goddamn sheet of plywood down there.”

And Lucy laughed a breathy thing at the very real exasperation in his tone.

“I’m distracted is all.” She forced herself to meet his eyes, so close and scalding in the candlelight. Reminding her even more of the last time she’d seen him display such a talent. The same way her father had taught her so many years ago… and she just couldn't help herself. “I remember this from the scene right after you killed Joey… Where you went back to town and danced with the widow in -”

“Deadhorse ya,” Cooper scathed in answer, spinning her silent in an almost violent twirl out to arms reach before snapping her back, her spine pressing flush against the buttons lining down his vest so that the “don’t start,” was hissed directly into her ear. It effectively scattered her thoughts and sent gooseflesh rising down the exposed skin of her arms for a much different reason than she knew was intended. But then he stilled them. Kept a forearm wrapped firm across the front of her waist. “Kick them boots off so you don’t take my fuckin’ toes too.” He nodded down over her shoulder, the brim of his hat brushing against her scattered hair.

And she continued to follow his lead, shaking off one and then the other. Turned around again with minimal restraint as he took notice of her intention to face him once more. Lucy filled her lungs with the faint scent of old leather and smoke as his coarse fingers dragged slow patterns across the soft silk gathered at her hips. This time she brought both hands up to his shoulders. Felt his own slide home in a near perfect fit into the soft curves beneath her ribs.

Then they were moving again, easier, a more natural sway that brought him the slightest bit closer. Allowed her to truly see his features painted warm beneath his hat in the firelight. Those most others would deem ugly, the proof heard often enough in wretched slurs and slithered curses from near every small bit of civilization they passed. But here in the safety of their solitude, the candles flickered deep against the rugged hollows of his face and brought somehow more life to his hazel eyes. And though they had always been so incredible to her, those eyes, something about the way the glow sparked in them now, subdued and scorching back at her in equal measure, was almost another distraction worthy of misstep.

And she’d been doing so well until her eyes dropped to the side. Focused on the scattered splotches across his shoulders that proved his threadbare shirt had once been blue…

The music built and curled around them unimpeded by the realization, trumpets joining in with the strings to round out the repeated claims of being insane for all a number of reasons and Lucy couldn’t help but look down at her own feet again, strained and self deprecating as she focused on not stepping down onto his with the way her heart sped and cheeks flushed. His hands flexed at her waist.

“Relax.” Cooper bid low, undoubtedly sensing her struggle in her missteps and the growing tension of her muscles. “I ain’t in the mood for sparrin’ today and my drawin’ hand’s otherwise occupied, so you’re only fightin’ ya self.”

The upward curve of his bowed lips and drawl of his words spoke only truths, something almost sad touching his eyes, and Lucy found trusting in him still came all too easy. She watched as the rise of his browline painted a told ya so look across his face while she focused only on her own breaths and the warmth of his tender hold about her waist, her movements growing more and more fluid between those very same hands that she’d seen reap death and destruction with ease for just over a year now in search of her father and the answers they were owed. Coming up just short on near every lead and tumbling almost as violently into each other's arms in one way or another so often now that it seemed only necessary for survival.

“Perceptive.” She said finally.

But this was something else… It was just so…

It was simply different, Lucy decided, rising up onto her bare toes to press her lips against Cooper’s just because she wanted to. Taking unapologetically in a way that he had been forcefully tearing into her from the beginning. And she softly parted her lips over his unmoving ones. Waited for the beast to surface and rear its fangs or draw its claws. To push her away with a shove or back her forcefully against the nearest surface in a deliciously dizzying coin toss of chance. Because, yes the beast was in there somewhere she knew well enough, but it was Cooper who had pulled her up from the floor of her vigil. Cooper who’d lit the candles that warmed the air around them; of a bookshop of all places. Cooper who still distracted her from her woes now in dance…

And it was Cooper who kissed her back. Took her face into the sanctity of his hands to tilt and deepen it, his lips a hot brand across her own as he held her steady and tasted her slow in languid shallow swipes of his tongue along her lower lip. He parted from her just long enough for Lucy to draw a greedy breath from the shared air between them. Then he kissed her again, another sweet short press of his mouth over hers before he whispered “I gotcha somethin’ else,” near voiceless into the corner of her moony grin.

Then he leaned back just enough to meet her eyes, his own expression sobering like he stood on the precipice of some great divide, and Lucy dared him to jump with the slight tilt of her head in question.

Then he pulled out a drooping flower from the pocket of his slacks. A sun-bleached plastic rose that must have once been red before the end of the world and the crushing hands of time; petals welting and half melted... And her heart did a funny painful pair of skips in her chest at the sight of it held out to her in his own repeatedly scarred and sewn together hand.

“What? It ain't enchanted or some shit.” Cooper said harsh, shifting an inch on his own two feet. A first misstep since they started this new dance. “I just know what it's like to not have a grave to mourn is all.” He tried again. “Don’t read too much into it.”

And what a feint it was to reach for in a room set aglow, filled to the brim with warmth and music; bound leather and parchment...

Lucy’s smile was all straight white teeth.

“Of course not,” she succumbed, taking the rose from him carefully and tucking the stem safely away into the sash of her dress so that her hands were free to reach back out for what she really wanted. “I never really liked reading anyway,” she soothed, wrapping her wrists loose about the back of his neck and looking past him at a few new titles that would be soon added to her pile. “Though my bag has been feeling awful light lately.”

And Cooper chuckled soft, a deep rumble from his throat.

“Fuck the books,” he said, breath ghosting warm against the sensitive skin at the side of her neck. Then his hands slid heavy through the silk pooled low at her back, drew her in close against his chest. “Pack the dress.”

And for a long long while they danced together and forgot.

#ghoulcy #vaultghoul #fallout #beauty and the beast crossover #ghoulcy atomic blast event #fallout fanfic #thou shalt be sidetracked #cooper howard #lucy maclean #cooper x lucy #fallout tv series

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wander-wren · 5 months

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almost escaped the anti-ao3 posts this donation round but of course today i get smacked with a few, so i go hunting for this year’s arguments, which, as expected, touch a lot on palestine.

what i’m seeing here is a shitton of inflammatory language and very few sources, and even fewer sources that aren’t screenshots of That One Tweet. most of the arguments from both sides are made on things that aren’t entirely true. i dislike this. so let’s clear the air a bit, hm?

1) ao3 is a racist/zionist organization

ao3 has had its scandals, including the 2023 management scandal in its full glory, which you can read about at the linked fanlore article. that covers several different areas where ao3 messed up. i will not defend these instances. i will, however, point out that very few of the current anti-ao3 posts mention them.

additionally, there is this fanlore article specifically about the issue wherein a volunteer was told to remove “from the river to the sea, palestine will be free” from their status, which is the singular piece of evidence referenced for ao3’s zionism. it has been spread that the otw banned or kicked out this volunteer, which is untrue; they left voluntarily. the otw also offered to allow the volunteer in question to change the status to “i stand with palestine,” communicating the same message in a less polarizing way.

you are allowed to dislike this decision. i do. but the otw slack is first and foremost a professional space, and they are within their rights to ask for political discussion to be kept out—or, in this case, to a politics channel so it can be opted out of. i am not currently aware of anyone having asked the otw board to ban or otherwise address pro-israel sentiments in the slack server, so i cannot actually make any statements about unequal decisions, because those decisions were not made.

ultimately i do not disagree that otw/ao3 have made poor choices rooted in racism in the past, but i also believe many of these posts discussing it now are performative, inflammatory, and misleading, which is not helpful

2) donating to ao3 during a genocide is bad/selfish/racist/etc

there are always problems in the world. this is literally the same argument as every previous year with new paint on it. people can care about more than one thing.

3) ao3 is a scam/mismanages money/gets more than they need/is horrible for not paying volunteers

here is a post i made last year breaking down ao3’s budget. what’s funny is, i saw a post going on for paragraphs about how they “calculated” that ao3 has 2.8 million in reserves (assuming their 2023 numbers shook out, it is like $1.5 million at best. these numbers are public and easy to find) and that they have “no idea” what to do with it and are deliberately not being transparent about it (they have publicly stated in news posts exactly what that money is for).

one very confusingly-worded post seemed to argue that it is morally wrong to have volunteer library workers, which is the same as ao3? something about master’s degrees? i just thought that was funny because. like. what. do you think the volunteers are the ones with a master’s in library science, friend?

also, people have said it’s a scam because they don’t update the site, and i’m like….what do you want them to update, exactly? i just want more tags wrangled. i suppose that translates to me wanting an update on the servers or whatever bit of hardware is limiting the tag system. otherwise i don’t see why you have to fix a good thing.

4) ao3 hosts evil bad fanfiction

ah, the age-old “child porn” argument. or racism is a big one this year. do i have to get into this one? it’s so goddamn annoying. just read the about page or a wiki article with your eyes. anti-censorship. yada yada yada. also, if you use the phrase “child porn” i do not respect you or take you seriously.

okay, first of all, fanfiction does not meet the definition of csam. it’s fanfiction. it’s fiction. there are tags for a reason. none of it is illegal. most of it has been published in real books for money before. you can hate it, but it deserves to exist, and with the way explicit material is getting deleted off the internet (see: wattpad’s new policies, google drive’s new policies), ao3 is a last bastion in the storm.

5) you should check out end-otw-racism for more helpful info

honestly i thought this movement was dead by now, but i’ve seen a lot of it mentioned today so i went to check. some things i found, scrolling alllll the way back to august:

a pinned post from SEVEN months ago that is several paragraphs of back-patting from the mods about how much “work” and “goals” have been accomplished and how grateful they are to the community. no mention whatsoever of what those goals were or what specifically was accomplished. also says the mods are going on break for a while, which presumably is still in effect

a few posts about the otw’s board meetings for various months, each rehashing how a board meeting runs and when the next one is being held. no information about what questions or comments the organization wants to focus on for each meeting or specific actions supporters should take

post about substack being a nazi site now (this is the only post i fully respect)

more board meeting reminders of no substance

a post reviewing the board elections, going over each candidate. the post acknowledges that no candidates mentioned the campaign or its specific goals, and instead grasps at vaguely related topics as if to show the volunteers are listening to them and they have done something

more board meeting reminders

a post about an update to the board’s strategic plan for 2023, which also acknowledges that the update does not really do anything end-otw-racism wanted it to do. many instances of “could have been a great opportunity to” do what they wanted. this one DOES finally state eotwr’s “recommendations” for the next strategic plan update, which literally all boil down to “more transparency,” which i suppose is fair enough

absolutely NO mention of palestine whatsoever

post on the weibo scandal, which is fine but generic, and again, not something brought up ever again despite being made in AUGUST

here i will give you a reminder that some of eotwr’s goals, particularly the ones around moderation and censorship, were unrealistic given the otw’s mission. while i believe eotwr started with good intentions, it seems to have rapidly dissolved into something performative and did not have solid enough organization to actually make any difference. their silence on palestine (and they are still posting despite the “break”) also makes bringing them up in convos about otw’s potential zionist leanings very weird.

at the end of the day, support ao3 or don’t. your morals and reasonings are your own. just don’t lie about them in ways that can be easily disproved, mkay?

this discourse also made me realize it’s been a minute since i reblogged a proper donations masterpost for palestine, so i am on the hunt for a good, up-to-date one now. feel free to link me any you know of.

#ao3 #anti ao3 #pro ao3 #otw #otw board #wren wrambles #wren attempts fucking nuance on the piss on the poor website #i’m problem going to regret posting this but fuck it #stop spreading misinformation #and maybe i wouldnt have to

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vangbelsing · 2 months

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Ever since Veilguard was announced, there's been an absolute tidal wave of hate ranging from vitriol for the art style, gameplay changes and overall feel/aesthetic of the game, to outright racism, homophobia and transphobia, as well as attacks on the devs and fans trying to enjoy the game. So I want to just put this out there.

It is valid to:

Not enjoy the art style, as no one should dictate what your aesthetic preference is

Prefer the systems/gameplay of previous DA games

Prefer to wait until the game is out before you buy into the hype

Distrust EA/Bioware due to its past and its current actions/situation

Criticize what you dislike about the game in your own posts

Simply decide that this game isn't for you

I encourage you to:

Speak out against the mass layoffs and often inhumane practices by EA and to elevate the voices of those impacted by them

Speak out against and bring attention to the problematic or harmful things EA/Bioware has/will engage(d) in, do, say, etc, willingly or unknowingly, in the future

Criticize EA, Bioware, the devs/team and Dragon Age itself about the things on which they can improve, as it is not too much to ask for someone/something to do better

Spread awareness of what EA/Bioware have done, what they are doing, and what they do in the future. Let people know the history of these companies so they can make informed decisions and to improve the working conditions for the teams at these studios

What you shouldn't do:

Attack or harass people who are excited for and showing support for the game.

Comment under the posts of fans or official trailers/interviews with the sole intention of hating on the game to ruin the excitement or fun for others. If you don't like it, don't interact with it.

Spread misinformation about the game in an attempt to negatively impact it

What is absolutely unacceptable:

Being a hateful fucking bigot

To all the hateful fucking bigots out there:

I keep seeing a repeat of comments like: "this isn't my Dragon Age!" "Dragon Age is too gay!" "Dragon Age has too many black/Asian, literally any person who isn't a cishet white male or a conventionally attractive straight white woman!" And you know what? You're absolutely correct! Dragon Age is gay! Dragon Age is a space where people of all colors, races, cultures, ethnicities, identities, sexualities, orientations, and all walks of life exist, both in world and in its fan base!

And as for this being "not your Dragon Age", again, you are absolutely correct! This isn't your Dragon Age, because Dragon Age isn't for you. It never has been, and it certainly isn't now. The co-creator is a gay man, the devs have always included queer people and poc, and despite its many flaws and the numerous ways in which it has let down the people belonging to those groups, it is still a space for them, which are created in part by people like them.

Dragon Age will always be inclusive, as it has been from the very first game that you love acting like you care about so much. There are gay, lesbian, bi, pan, trans, black, Asian, and all other kinds of people both in and behind these games! If you can't handle that, then fine! We don't want you anyway!

To the people who actually care about this series and who want this game and team to succeed:

I encourage all of you to let your voices be heard by the devs. Tell them exactly how you feel! Let them know what landed, what made you feel seen, what resonates, what you think needs work, where they stepped out of line; all of it! More than anything, there are real people behind this game, and they've poured years of their hearts, souls, time and talent into this piece, and it seems a lot of them genuinely care for their fans and this game and want to deliver the best game they can to us! And those people matter! They deserve a fair chance to see their work pay off without having to be negatively impacted by people who just want to spread hate and see others fail.

No one is above criticism, no matter how good their intention of how pure their desires are, so when they misstep, speak out! But while we should be sure to let the devs know how much this game means to us and how much what they do matters, let's also push for the fair treatment of everyone who was unfairly laid off or mistreated by EA/Bioware and who are still fighting for their due compensation for their hard work. Let's advocate for them in the months leading up to DA:TVs launch and the months after. And let the devs know how important it is to have those people's names in the credits!!!

And most importantly... Please be kind to and look out for one another!! There's so much going on in the world right now, and there is so much hatred being spread against minority groups, and we need to be compassionate to each other! Let's allow the game to be a thing that brings us together and gives us something to escape into and enjoy!

In closing:

Hate the game or love it, if you are transphobic, racist, homophobic, antisemitic, misogynistic, or any other kind of prejudiced bigot, THIS GAME IS NO PLACE FOR YOU!! NEVER WAS, NEVER WILL BE!!!!

Thanks for your time! Fuck TERFs and racists and all the other bigots!

#absolutely nothing is for everyone and it shouldn't be #anything that is safe for hate filled bigots is not a thing you should want to be a part of #so look out for queer people and poc!!#let dragon age be a safe space for them!#dragon age #dragon age the veilguard #dragon age: the veilguard #datv

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muffinsin · 8 months

Note

Do you have any thoughts on how the sisters would comfort a plus sized insecure s/o? Maybe they’re looking in the mirror undressed when the sisters walk in on them. How would they make them feel better?

My, I do! :) let’s get into it!

Also an encouragement for everybody here to remind themselves they’re lovely no matter what body type, gender (or not gender), ethnicity, etc!🙌

also I’m hoping this is all coming across nicely because I’ll be fair I’m like Cassie, I have no idea how to comfort people in most situations but I shall try my best! XD

Let’s get into it! :))

Masterlists

Bela

Bela has had minor problems about her body once or twice, never something major

Teasing comments here and there about her thin appearance, some that stuck

You’ve never made such a comment, even as a joke, and she’s thankful for it

Things such as is entirely irrelevant to Bela, as such she is confused and a little shocked to see you one day, staring at yourself

She’s just returned from working on some papers when she finds you, undressed and staring at the lengthy full body mirror pushed against her wall

She blinks in confusion, once, twice

“What are you doing, little one?”, she asks, eyebrow raised just as you trace your skin

You jump at her sudden appearance

Bela grasps your hand as you reach for your clothing again

Her question is genuine. What have you been doing?

“Just looking”, you explain, although it only adds more questions

She raises an eyebrow at you

Clearly, this won’t cut it

Upon explaining your small dilemma, the stretches of your skin and the few rolls here and there, the thicker thighs and arms, she feels even more confused

You dislike your body? Because of its shape?

Although she has been there in the past, she can’t believe your words

How could her sweet little human go through this?

Experience such thoughts of insecurity?

How could she shield your pure soul from them?

She smiles widely when she gets an idea, then!

“You know, before your time, people considered more weight as a sign of being well fed and even wealthy! People often portrayed themsel-…”,

Bela winces when she notices your expression. No, that info-dump of hers did not help at all…

Nonetheless, she smiles again, for another idea crosses her mind

With a push of her fingers, and a yelp falling from your lips, you’re sent backwards on her bed

You’re propped up on your elbows as she climbs over you, her thick thighs on either side of your hips

“I think you’re the most stunning piece of art in this castle”, she says, her fingertip trailing across your cheeks

“I like your body a lot. It’s soft, and warm”, she reasons

Your breath hitches when she leans down to place a kiss to your jaw, where too much of a double chin lays for you to enjoy

Bela has no such qualms at all

She presses another kiss down your neck

“You smell and taste warm and delicious. Believe me when I reassure you, little one, not everybody shares this”, she whispers against your throat

Her teeth do not dig in though, only her soft lips flutter against your skin, two, three times until she moves on to your shoulders

“I admire your body whenever I am granted this unique view”, she reveals

She finds your arm, and shushes you when you’re about to make a bad comment about yourself

“It’s my turn to speak, my perfect little human”, she whispers, golden eyes flashing adoringly at you

Perfect

She looks small against you, despite being taller

Her thinner frame pressed against you, she holds your hand as she trails featherlight kisses down your arm

“I find your touch very comforting. You’re able to ground me, and you’re one of the only people that can get through to me”, she says genuinely

You tense when she kisses your stomach

“You look delicious, and set my loins aflame with your touch”, she reassures

This thought has you a little surprised- yes, Bela is attracted to you

You had almost forgotten that when you focused too much on the thoughts of insecurity

You know of her attraction, too

Her soft worship of your body even as she ruins you, her golden eyes following you everywhere, her hands eagerly touching and exploring whenever given the chance

She squeals in surprise when just when she goes to talk again, you pull her up for a kiss instead

She accidentally slips, giggling into the kiss as she’s sprawled out on top of you

“I’m sorry”, she whispers, the blood from her dress now clinging to your bare front

You smile at her. She’s always so sweet and considerate with you

You watch her silently, though confused when she leans back again with a small grin

“Now, where was I?”, she coos

You gasp when her tongue drags over the blood left on your chest

She’s gentle, and sweet, slow and beautiful with her movements

“Ah yes!, you’re breathtaking”, she says all too eagerly. You can’t help but smile happily up at her

Cassandra

You’re standing in front the mirror next to her desk when she swarms into the room

“You have no idea how annoying-“ “Oh~! Are we playing today?~”, she asks, a smirk on her face upon seeing you naked in her room

Cassandra giggles as she swarms to you, then frowns- no, it isn’t that

Still, you feel flattery at her attempt

Cassandra seems to like your body, you reason

She stares at you for a moment, as if trying to figure out whether something is up

“You’re acting strange”, she says boldly

She’s never been too good with her words, but you know that

Cassandra frowns in confusion when you move her in front of you, her frame easily towering over yours

“Hm?”, she asks, a little, nervous and flustered smile coming to her lips when she notices you undress her

“What are we doing, morsel?”, she asks, swarming out of her garments to save you some time

Again, you don’t answer

She shivers as you slide your hands along her body, over her smooth arms and muscular stomach, her slightly arched back

Her face heats up when her ass is cupped, and her thighs are felt up

“You’re perfect”, you sigh

Even Cassandra catches onto your strange tone. You sound- displeased?

With her? No, she’s fairly sure she’s been behaving, more or less

Next, she watches you trace your own hips, as well as hers

Comparing?

She doesn’t understand. You look nothing like her. Why are you comparing yourself?

“What are you doing?”, she asks, and watches curiously as you jump from her question and pull your hand from her

“Nothing”

You know this won’t do. Not at all

“What are you doing?”, she gives you another chance

Even naked, Cassandra is more than just a little intimidating, with her hands on her hips and her eyebrow raised perfectly

You feel tears burn at your eyes. You can’t get over how you feel, the heaviness that clings to you

Cassandra grows even more confused as you cry, but pushes you against her nonetheless

She giggles when you make a comment about being smudged to death in her cleavage

“What’s going on, little lamb?”, she questions. You’ve never seen her look this sincere

Upon explaining your thoughts, Cassandra tries to understand

She really does. She just- can’t

“But you’re perfect?”, she questions- no, says

She says it like it’s a fact and it makes you whimper

“You’re perfect. You do know that, don’t you?”, she questions

Your breath hitches when she kneels down, apparently tired of standing

“What about my thighs?”, you ask, eying their thickness

Cassandra giggles at your silly question

“What about them? I love them! You should know”, she answers, a teasing grin on her ridiculously pretty face

You’re blushing as she smushes her cheek against your thighs, against the numerous bite marks she’s placed on them

“And my stomach?”, you ask

Again, she merely looks up at you in confusion

“What about it? That’s my favourite sleeping spot. You’re so soft and warm”, she answers

Again, she bumps her face against you and it leaves you speechless

You smile, thinking of the many times Cassandra has pushed you down for a little nap on top of you

The dangerous predator nothing but your purring, content girlfriend that will not fail to growl at anybody nearing you while she uses you for a pillow

“And my arms? They’re not as strong as yours”, you add

She crackles. “No one’s as strong as me”, she smirks. She flexes her arms, showing off the few visible muscles she has

“My stomach isn’t flat when I sit”, you at last say, sorrow in your words

Cassandra stares

You watch her plop down and poke her stomach

“Mine isn’t either”, she replies with a small smile shot your way

You can’t help but grin at her. She’s sat on the floor, her legs outstretched and poking her stomach for emphasis

She’s right. Hers isn’t completely flat either

“You’re so perfect, though”, you wonder out loud

Cassandra giggles. She’s never quite going to get used to being described as “perfect”

“As are you, though”, she insists with a smile wide and genuine enough for you to truly believe it

Daniela

You know, Daniela loves you. Unconditionally

Sadly, the same can’t be said about your love for yourself

Daniela swarms into your shared room, babbling about this and that when she finds you in front of the mirror

Naked? Did you forget getting dressed as she sometimes does?

She watches mutedly as you trace your skin, stretching and posing a little

She sees pants on the floor, a part of the inner thigh ripped open. Did it tear?

She swarms out of her clothes, feeling the warm air of the room against her skin

Is this meditation? What are you doing?

At last, after watching you move about some more, Daniela can’t wait anymore

You jump upon suddenly feeling her hands set on your shoulders, having been too absorbed in your thoughts to notice her come in

“Whatcha doing, my sweet?”, she asks eagerly

Maybe you’re playing a new game?

You don’t immediately answer her

At the same time, you’re very aware of her bare body pressed against yours. The thought makes you smile

Daniela has no idea what you’re doing, and yet joins in, undressing as well and staring at the mirror

The thought brings a question out of you

“What do you see?”, you ask. You feel her arms sling around you happily

“Us!”, she answers, just as eagerly. Daniela wonders- is this your new game?

She’s easily entertained, so it might as well be!

“More Detail?”, you ask. Daniela presses a quick kiss to your cheek before she continues on

“Hmmmm, I see you and I! We’re not wearing anything”, she answers

You can’t help but laugh a she wiggles her ass a little and giggles along, displaying her nakedness

Daniela is so- carefree

“What about our bodies?”, you press on

Again, Daniela hums for a moment, considering your question

“Iiiiiiiiii- I see my scar! It’s looking kind of badass”, she answers, flexing her thigh to show off the scar that sits there

“And I see your moles! There’s so many of them! I don’t have as many”, she adds, a wide grin a she meets your eyes in the mirror

Daniela pouts. You look sad

“What’s going on? Did I say something bad? I like your moles”, she asks immediately

You can’t help but smile at your puppy of a girlfriend. Daniela is, you think sometimes, too precious for you

“No, you didn’t do anything Dani”, you reassure her

But you sound so sad! Daniela grins as she attempts to cheer you up

“Hey hey, the night is still young!”, she claims, giggling again. You know, there’s still plenty time for the bratty thing to misbehave, and it makes you smile too

Yet, only for a moment. Daniela frowns. Something serious is up

With a little bit of encouragement from your lover, you at last tell Daniela what is plaguing your mind

She hums, as if she understands

Surprisingly, she does

“It can’t be…easy…around so many people with different body types”, she tries. Daniela beams when you nod

This was right thing to say, good!

“Why don’t you like your body?”, she asks. She looks so genuinely sad by this

“It’s wide”, you answer her

Daniela hums. You gasp in surprise when she jumps into action, spreading her legs and reaching out with her arms, so that she stands in a somewhat starfish position

“I’m wide too”, she argues. “Do you still love me?”

You don’t hesitate. “Of course I do”

She beams at you. “I still love you too”, she reassures

“I still love myself too”, she adds. “Do you still love yourself?”, she questions

You realise, you aren’t too sure in this moment. There is nothing actively bad, nor good

“I don’t like my body”, you reveal

“I like it a lot”, she counters. Then, she grins. “We can change it though, if you want. Humans can do that, right?”

You giggle at her, and nod. You explain workouts and diets to her

“Well, there you go! We can change what you don’t like, if you want to. Or we can work on making you like it”

Your eyes widen when she concentrates, and suddenly there is a small hole missing from her body, right at her ribcage. Instead, flies swirl around her hips.

“I can’t change mine. I’ve learned to love it!”, she adds. “I think you should love yours.”, she says with a smile

She pouts when you smile sadly at her

“I’m afraid it’s not that easy, bug”, you whisper back. You watch in amazement as her flies return to their original position and can’t help but giggle when Daniela throws herself against you

I’ll help you!”, she promises, content that you at last genuinely smile at her

#cassandra dimitrescu #daniela dimitrescu #bela dimitrescu #resident evil village

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goinbhaalistic · 9 months

Text

I've talked about this before but I love to imagine for my Dark Urge that 'sickeningly familiar' feeling about hearing his name is gradual and leads him into obsession. He wants to chase this funny feeling that isn't Normal but doesn't feel Awful and it leads him right into Gortash's palm for a bit because of it. He makes decisions he's not proud of chasing his past with a man he deep down knows he can trust but shouldn't.

(Okay not super because the first time is like they got hit to the head with a bowling ball, but still.) Under cut because it got long oops. I had this sitting in drafts for a bit and suddenly went nuts.

The first time Karlach mentions that name, something finally stirs. He repeats it and it tastes strange on his tongue. Karlach eyes him but moves on. He half listens as he mulls the name over in his mind, enjoying the strange new feeling it brings. Sweet and sour, sickeningly sweet on his tongue but the Urge recoils at. Hisses and spits. The feeling is so new, and he chases the high of it.

That night, over and over to himself he says the name like a prayer. To chase the feeling of his ruined brain finally reacting to something positively that isn't a corpse. Something that is fighting against that sick urge haunting him. It has to be good if that is the reaction, clearly.

It isn't the same - he feels pure elation when he kills but it isn't his. This feels so very different. Something about it is unique. He says it and brings a hand to his lips as if to capture it - to hold on to it longer and draw out this strange sensation. The second time, he lets his thoughts voice themselves. He says it unbidden, without a care until the words have slipped past and the stares he earns make him aware he has said something strange. Again. Shame colours his face.

"Gortash... That name is sickeningly familiar."

Was he Baldurian once, then? Gale asks. It would make sense then why he knows the name.

None of the others have ever seen the Dark Urge before walk its streets - maybe they walked in different social circles. Yes, that must be it. That makes sense.

Karlach eyes him for a while.

He doesn't ask.

But he spends the night in prayer to it again anyway.

The third time, he finds a letter in all too familiar writing amidst a ruined mess of corpses - inside a nightmare made reality as they trudge towards a Chosen of the Dead Three. It was a lot more than he ever pictured having to do so many moons ago on that beach.

The name stood out immediately, and then came that same sweet and sickly feeling in his ruined brain again. He lets a smile fall on his lips as he reads further and further down the page after catching himself; and this time, that warm feeling quickly turns to icy coldness.

Either the others don't notice, or they pretend not to. But he stashes the letter away for later and repeats the name with a newfound vigour in his thoughts as they descend - it doesn't last long as he is starting to piece together what he is. What he was.

Many more times he hears the name now that they are finally within the city proper - but it brings him a pang of anxiety now instead. He needs to see the man. He needs to speak with him. Face to face. Not this imaginary thing he's conjured - he is praying to a ghost.

Who is Enver Gortash?

He hears the name on the streets. Archduke. Savior. Hero.

Others are not so complimentary, and Karlach adds her voice to the chorus without skipping so much as a beat. The others are more tame with what is obvious dislike still, but he barely hears it over the beating drum in his head.

He does not wait long as he receives an invitation through the form of one of his strange walking contraptions - the Steel Watchers.

The man's voice echoes strangely through it, and that feeling returns again. Familiarity. Something like home. Like a honeyed drip directly into his brain. He nods along lazily; and barely registers the flurry of worry around him from his companions.

He's close.

When he finally gets the chance to speak to him, his rotted brain plays the part perfectly. He is dumbstruck. He stares. He sputters. He nearly cries, at one point.

His favourite assassin.

He was important to this man once.

There is a part of him that wants to be again.

May add more to this later because oh god it's long already.

#bg3 #durgetash #enver gortash x dark urge #shoutouts to my dark urge veren who is my scrimbly whom i torture with gortash #i smash them together like barbies :)#durgetash rambling

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tirasamu · 1 month

Note

Whomst from KNY made it to the list?

im so full of love for this show flamey :( i ran to shonen jump immediately and read the manga too !!!! under the cut bc manga spoilers !!

MY NO. 1 IS GIYUU 🤍🤍 my darling boy i knew he’d be the one as soon as i saw him and the further along i got the more i adored him, i just want to cradle him in my hands so gently. ive needed to love on him ever since the “im…not disliked by people” scene but then the story behind his haori just solidified it T^T his heart is SO big i want to spoil him w kisses. THESE PANELS my god !!!! im so happy he got at least somewhat of a happy ending :( he deserves the entire world and more

mitsuri !! i love when they let badass girls still be ultra girly !! the way she moved like a magical girl during fights !! besides her being the biggest cutie pie ever her and obanai absolutely destroyed me :< i wasnt ready to see them both die in each other’s arms like that. ive always been so weak for the ‘in another life’ trope but ive never thought of it in this kind of way where ur both dying and promising u’ll be together if ur given another chance. i feel like after everything else that panel was the one that finally broke my heart into a million pieces

douma because of course that little freak is here, i LOVE him !! i just wanted more of him :< i want to sit in his lap and kiss him all over and maybe clean up his eyebrows a little bit….another one in my long list of evil men who i like to imagine would only be soft for me :< i fear i would join his cult if given the opportunity but i like to think he’d say im too pretty to eat 🙂‍↕️ all that being said seeing shinobu get her revenge and kill him was so satisfying, i cant lie i was cheering !! i was giggling that even in purgatory he was still trying to flirt w somebody HFJDDJ he’s such a loser but thats my type !!!

and ofc i saved the best for last….muzan 🙂‍↕️ PHEW. u conditioned me from the start flamey i didnt stand a chance. he had no business being so fine and oh my gosh ?? the scene w daki ?? I HAVENT BEEN ABLE TO STOP THINKING AB IT SINCE I SAW IT he had me blushing into my laptop (づ៸៸៸◟) i wanted to jump thru the screen !! i love how bitchy and grumpy he is always, i want to bother him w affection in the same way i want to bother fyodor hehe >:) also his little runway walk down to ubuyashiki was so funny

but his character was probably the most interesting to me…by the end i felt rlly bad for him, hes tragic in a way i didnt expect him to be (was ab to type ‘ykwim?’ but ofc mrs kibutsuji herself knows !! 🙂‍↕️) i know it could come across like he just wanted to be invincible but the thought of him being so sick as a human, then he becomes a demon and still cant live life normally just tugged at me. and then his last line being ‘dont leave me here’ ughh the desperation !! it hurts my heart T^T

reading / watching this series while grieving made it hit so much harder than i think it would’ve otherwise for me….it meant so much that after every death a past loved one greeted them to bring them to the other side, no matter how many times it happened i just wanted to bawl my eyes out (ㅠ﹏ㅠ) its def something im going to be thinking ab for a long time and going back to over and over again

#these four were the ones i adored but i rlly did love every character !!#except zenitsu. im his biggest hater #valentines

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felixcloud6288 · 5 months

Text

Higurashi: Eye Opening Recap

We've finished the first of the Answer Arcs.

Eye Opening is my least favorite arc if I'm going to be honest. It don't dislike it, I just like it less than the others. I think the reason is because it feels so isolated from the other arcs.

This is an arc focused pretty exclusively on Shion. We learn her past, her motivations, the dark inclanations of her heart. But we don't really get a lot of interactions between her and the rest of the group.

Despite how she's tagged as a main character, she doesn't actually have much involvement and interaction in the overall story, and the lack of interaction with the others in this arc really shows that.

And all the issues she's caused over the whole series are revealed and resolved in this arc with no help from anyone else.

This arc is the Nothing Ending. Shion decided to take matters into her own hand to resolve the curse and avenge Satoshi. But in the end, everything she had uncovered was wrong and all her efforst came to nothing.

As for us, we're now forced to start back from zero. But considering how wrong we've been up to this point, zero is actually an improvement.

Just like how I said Abducted by Demons and Cotton Drifting worked hand-in-hand to onboard the new reader to the series, I feel this arc and the latter Atonement arc also work hand-in-hand to prepare the reader for the finale.

This arc presents itself as the secret truth of what happened in Cotton Drifting only to then reveal how every assumption we've made about the mysteries is wrong. It sets up the new premise of the story going forward that this series of murders and Oyashiro-sama's curse is not some conspiracy by the village, but rather a conspiracy against it. And that will pave the way for Atonement to reveal greater truths on the story.

As part of a three-act play, this is arc goes up to the halfway point of the second act. We've been given some reprieve from all the excitement, and instead of focusing on the bigger picture of the curse and the Disaster, we're getting some time to learn about a character more intimately. But then this part ends with a grand revelation that completely shifts the expectations of the audience.

Dualism was a recurring theme in this arc. The main focus on it was how similar the twin sisters are and how they are halves of a whole.

Throughout the arc, there are comments about Mion and Shion both being the same person and both living two halves of a person's life. Everything good happens to Mion and everything bad happens to Shion. But they would always share everything, both good and bad.

And similarly, Mion is meant to be a demon while Shion is meant to be a human. Shion asked whether demons and humans can live together, and on its surface, the story implies they cannot.

But this is a story about the two halves coming into conflict. Shion became jealous and paranoid of Mion while Mion was completely oblivious to Shion's feelings. They call themselves each other's half but if they do not know what the other is thinking or feeling, they cannot be together.

Yutori Houjou reprieved her art role for this arc and she got to really show off how wild she can actually draw characters. Cotton Drifting is far more tame and down-to-earth than the other arcs so Houjou didn't have nearly as many opportunities to draw the insane facial expressions we see in other arcs.

But she more than made up for it here.

Considering we're seeing everything through Shion's perspective and she hasn't exactly been the most mentally sound, I wonder how many of those monster faces we see throughout the arc are objectively as they appear and how much of it is twisted because of her own perspective.

And after staring at enough of her work, I'm going to guess Houjou's particular technique involves using some drawing software to put pieces of the characters together in layers. I've pointed out multiple instances of image and background reuse and there are a few moments where somethings were slightly off.

I'm never going to stop making fun of how she used the EXACT same drawing of a motorcycle three times in that one image of them getting knocked over and then used that EXACT same panel three times.

It might also explain that one panel where Shion's feet were inverted. Houjou probably drew her legs independently and accidently got them mixed up when she layered them to look like Shion was sitting cross-legged.

And while there are so many crazy panels I could choose from, my favorite panel was this:

With some arcs, I really had to search for something and figure out why I was going to call it my favorite, but I didn't have to do it with this one. The moment I saw this panel, I knew this was going to be my favorite.

Throughout this arc, Mion has tried everything she can to support her sister with her relation with Satoshi, with her family, and to comfort her when Satoshi vanished.

But at this moment, Shion revealed how she hates her sister from stealing her name and consigning her to be Shion. Mion was crying because her heart ached for Shion, but now that compassion and empathy has been thrown back at her because she suddenly realizes it's her fault Shion is suffering.

This is a face of fear and guilt. And Mion has just entered the full mindset of an abuse victim. She can never reach her sister, because her very existence is the reason for Shion's anger. All hope is lost. She can only do what Shion says to avoid harm and hope she's killed quickly.

(For once, Rena is not in my favorite panel)

Now, let's talk about the greater mystery. We've been led to believe that the Sonozakis were responsible for the curse this whole time, only to have that pulled out from under us. In the great mystery of Oyashiro-sama's curse and who kills Rika, we can now rule out two major factors. There is no plot by the village, nor is this anyone related to Oyashiro.

And of those four groups shown in Time Killing Chapter 8, the first two are now erased as suspects, but the third has become somewhat elevated. Those kidnappers were originally thought to be working under Oryou, but now that we can say she had no involvement in that, we should consider this "Tokyo" organization as something of interest.

And let me get to the thing about the dates in the last chapter that I wanted to talk about. This arc and Cotton Drifting PROVE that the Great Hinamizawa disaster is neither a natural disaster nor divine wrath.

And the proof is in the dates for when everyone died. Curse Killing dated Rika's murder to June 21, 1983 and the disaster happened the next day. But in this arc, Rika is killed on June 22 and the disaster never happens. And Cotton Drifting ends on July 3, a little less than two weeks after Rika's death.

So the disaster is not because of Rika's death. And we can argue it's not a natural disaster that coincided with her death because of the timeframe of Cotton Drifting's epilogue.

So that means the Disaster was caused by Keiichi throwing a moped in the swamp something else!

So let's round up everything we know and start discarding bad info.

Bold text is new info.

Character Info:

Keiichi Maebara: He moved to Hinamizawa three weeks ago. He was a generally average student but excelled when he started cram school. However he became frustrated and his father decided to move to Hinamizawa after some things happened.

Rena Ryugu: Birth name “Reina”. She had moved out of Hinamizawa when she was younger. At some point she assaulted three boys with a bat and smashed every window in her school. In her psych evaluations, she frequently talked about Oyashiro-sama as if she is possessed by it. She moved back to Hinamizawa a year ago.

Mion Sonozaki: Leader of the group’s after-school club. She has several misdemeanors due to her actions during the village’s protest against the dam project. She’s the heir to the Sonozaki family and lives with her grandmother. She was involved in several of the past murders. She has a demon tattoo on her body. She was born as Shion Sonozaki but was forced to become Mion when she was given the demon tattoo.

Satoko Hojo: Related to the second and fourth set of victims. She and Rika live together. She had a bad relation with her step-father to the point she falsely accused him of abuse. She relied heavily on her brother when they were living with their aunt and uncle. She believes herself cursed because she had damaged the statue of Oyashiro-sama a few years ago.

Rika Furude: Related to the third set of victims. Rika is the head of the Furude family which is one of the main houses of Hinamizawa. She’s in charge of the priesthood. Rika is believed to be the reincarnation of Oyashiro. She has the power to see the future and foresaw the murders as well as her own imminent death in 1983.

Shion Sonozaki: Mion’s twin sister. Shion lives in Okinomiya with their parents. She’s the manager for the Hinamizawa Fighters baseball team. She loved Satoshi and has been trying to uncover the truth of the series of murders after he vanished. She was born as Mion Sonozaki but was forced to become Shion when her sister got the demon tattoo.

Curaudo Ooishi: A detective with the local prefecture who wants to figure out the cause of all the deaths. He suspects a group within the village is behind the deaths. The villagers call him Oyashiro-sama’s messenger because he’s interacted with every victim prior to their deaths. He has dealt with the Sonozakis in the past and has a scar because of it. He was friends with the dam project manager.

Jirou Tomitake: A photographer who visits Hinamizawa several times through the year. He died by scratching out his throat. Jirou Tomitake is not his real name.

Miyo Takano: A nurse at the local clinic. She’s interested instudying the doctrines of Hinamizawa. She went missing after the Cotton Drifting Festival. She was strangled and her corpse was cremated. Her autopsy suggests she died the night before the festival however. The night of the festival, Takano was driving off the main road with Tomitake’s bike in the backseat.

Kyosuke Irie: The main doctor of the Irie clinic. He is also the coach to the Hinamizawa Fighters.

Satoshi Hojo: Satoko’s older brother. He used to be part of the after-school club. He disappeared a year ago. Prior to his disappearance, he started carrying a bat and practiced his swinging. He also became distant from the club. Satoshi may have been the one who killed his aunt. It was believed that he had been saving money to buy Satoko a doll, but then he withdrew the money and vanished on her birthday. However the doll Satoko wanted had been purchased that day.

Mamoru Akasaka: A police officer from Tokyo. He came to Hinamizawa in 1978 to investigate a kidnapping case. Rika warned him to return to Tokyo and later told him about the imminent series of murders and asked Akasaka to save her. Akasaka did not heed her warnings and as a result, his wife died in an accident. He never returned to Hinamizawa, but later wrote a book about the mysteries about it.

Village details:

Hinamizawa was originally known as Onigafuchi. The residents were believed to be descended from demons and the nearby villages offered tribute out of fear.

Oyashiro-sama is believed to be a god who gave the demons human form so they could live amonst humans

After the war, Mion’s grandfather, Souhei Sonozaki, used black market funds to bring great prosperity to the village.

There are three main houses in Hinamizawa: The Sonozakis, the Kimiyoshis, and the Furudes.

The villagers have a strong sense of unity and will work together to cover up any crimes a villager has done. However, this has allowed someone to slip into the village and commit murders unimpeded.

Murder Mystery details:

Since 1979, someone has died each year during the Cotton Drifting Festival.

The first death was the director of the Dam Project. He was murdered and dismembered by several people. The person who took the right arm is still at large.

The second death was Satoko’s parents. They fell off a cliff. The wife’s body was never found.

The third death was Rika’s parents. Her father died of an illness and her mother drowned herself in the swamp. Her body was never found.

The fourth death was Satoko’s aunt. She was beaten to death. Satoko’s brother Satoshi also went missing around that time. While a drug addict had been convicted for the murder, it may be possible that Satoshi was the actual killer.

The fifth death was Jirou Tomitake. He clawed out his throat after apparently being attacked by several people. Tomitake’s death is suspected of being drug induced.

Miyo Takano was also murdered. She was strangled and then burned.

Every death has a pattern of one discovered death and one missing person. People in the village refer to the disappearances as the person being “demoned away”.

The villagers refer to the series of deaths as Oyashiro-sama’s curse due to the connections to the dam project. However, each new victim is less and less connected to the project. Tomitake had no connection at all, and Ooishi suspects the murderers are just targeting outsiders at this point.

Most if not all the murders were instigated by the Sonozakis to protect the village from outside threats.

Oyashiro-sama’s Curse and other mysteries

Rika Furude was found disemboweled outside Furude Shrine. The reason and perpetrator are unknown.

Poisonous gas erupted from Onigafuchi swamp enveloping the village and killing its residents. While it could be called a natural disaster, there are some inconsistencies that could call that into doubt. Many suspect it to be Oyashiro’s wrath for Rika’s death. The disaster is neither natural nor divine in origin.

Rika predicted the series of murders and her own death. However, she did not foresee the destruction of the village.

Many relatives to the villagers went mad after the disaster and several died under mysterious circumstances.

One speculation is the villagers were infected by alien brain parasites and the disaster was a coverup by the government trying to eradicate them.

The village was closed off for 20 years after the disaster.

back

#higurashi no naku koro ni #higurashi no naku koro ni reread #higurashi when they cry

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terraliensvent · 5 months

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On behalf of someone not in the server, /what/ is the whole myo scandal going on rn? Did they hand out fake myos...? Did they revoke paid myos....? Did staff trade illegal myos to people....??? I'm lost.

OK SO im just gonna give a whole summary of the events of the past few days since it seems a lot of people are confused (also i dont have screenshots EVERYTHING what im about to say, but this is just what i remember from personally seeing it. ill link posts as they come along for context):

the other night, when staff made this announcement regarding coy, shit started to hit the fan pretty fast

this announcement came after almost a full 2 days of weird behavior from staff, like how a lot of them put almost all their terras up for trade and how there was basically radio silence with the staff questions and design concept channels going unanswered. a lot of people noticed how suspicious this was, and this anon was pretty on the money with their theory

so suffice to say everyone was pretty much on the edge of their seats waiting for something big, and after the announcement was made the entire server basically exploded. in the chaos of people trading and running around like chickens with their heads cut off, the mods said they would approve anything submitted to the site. they said they were doing this so they could make the species as bad as possible for when coy took it over, and mods were in the server being very apathetic about it and having an attitude like “idgaf what happens now because we have been getting treated like shit so this is finally the consequences.” this attitude can be seen in the screenshots included here too

during this chaos, people could also ask for myos to be uploaded to their acc for free, which mods would do. so tons of people got “illegitimate” myos. people used their illegal myos and real myos that had been purchased before the downfall to upload tons of characters and some joke characters too, like one that was just a PNG of ellen. during this huge chaos, people were also hating on coy and freely talking about things they disliked about how the species was run as opposed to the chokehold toxic positivity attitude that the server usually had. truly the most euphoric the server has ever been. some coy meat rider was also defending them, and got really aggressive about it and telling people to go fuck themselves (for which they got banned). someone else also made a branch-off server so people could stay in contact with their friends from the terra community seeing as the future was totally uncertain

after a while the “we are approving everything” stopped, and things were a bit more quiet. temul and some mods joined the branch-off server and gave some more deets about the shit coy would do. i also made my Big Post; initially this post was just gonna be positive stuff about how i has a discussion with tycho about suggesting things for the species, but after the announcement was made i was given screenshots to post here by a mod so i just threw it all in the same post. the Big Post made public opinion of coy a lot worse since now there were animal abuse allegations being talked about, but later on with further scrutiny the conclusion was reached that the screenshot was mainly coy exaggerating to try and be funny, but miserably failing. either way, public opinion of coy was and still is totally in the shitter.

the next day, mods put out another announcement that can be summed up as “lol sorry guys everyone get back to business” which is total bs to me considering the shit they were saying the very night before. so now they wanna try and reign in this species when they already did irreparable damage, and now people are switching up and acting like nothing ever happened (i assume its because mods are gonna be looking for new staff soon and they want a piece of the pie lmao)

to fix the monumental fucking issue they created for no reason, they put out another announcement (which i forgot to post here oops sorry pookies)

so basically what theyre gonna do is:

- if you uploaded character(s) that night using illegal MYO(s), you can choose ONE to unvoid (with any changes that need to be made in order to be legal if you have illegal traits and stuff, like for example eyes + mouth), the unvoided terra will be account bound and non voucherable

- if you had an illegal myo from that night but DIDNT use it, or if you didnt get any illegal myos at all, there will be a form to fill out where you can get one free MYO that will create any subtype up to modified (meaning no limited subtypes), the MYO will be account bound until designed. theyre also in the process of figuring out whether theyll give people the choice of using x amount of lim traits or having the terra be voucherable. some of it is still up in the air

- if you used a legal myo to upload your terra, there will be a process a little down the line for you to get your myo and any items back

and this is where were at now, people in the terra server are acting like everythings normal and going along with the toxic positivity mob once more, people in the branch-off server are freely expressing their grievances as they did that night, and im pissed off because i think its a little unfair that people will get to unvoid their lim terras meanwhile other people only get up to a modified. hand out lim myos instead of modified, why are we STILL doing the artificial scarcity youre all acting just like coy

#terras is over party #explanation

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sideblogofawriter · 7 months

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This is an old topic, but one that will never die... unlike [REDACTED].

In the aftermath of og Lesson 16™, there's about a million ways things could go. Besides the lack of closure on the casually written and basically never mentioned again death, the more interesting part to me is the casually written and basically never mentioned again relationship to Lilith. I mean, yeah, it's probably the reason MC has more hidden power than Solomon, but the story doesn't ever focus on it. It's a plot device meant to tie the arc up neatly with a bow, not something we're supposed to dwell on... presumably because it can get potentially weird and uncomfortable if you do.

So naturally, imagining the possibilities and potential implications is one of my favorite things to do.

To that end, two of my favorite scenarios/plot bunnies/i-make-it-worse-before-i-fix-its that have spawned from this are (long blocks of text incoming):

MC (like me) either knew or had a very good idea they were related to Lilith by the time Barbatos and Diavolo showed up and spilled the beans... so they don't let them, for fear it would change their relationship with the brothers. At a subtle shake of the head, Diavolo understands and flips the story to "Barbatos has traced Lilith’s lineage all the way to the modern day, and discovered she has (at least) one surviving descendant." No names are named, Belphegor is convinced enough that his sister lead a happy life to let go of his grudge against humans, life should be good... except the brothers develop an obsession with finding Lilith’s descendant. Barbatos won't share any information for some reason, so they set to investigating themselves. And they NEVER stop talking about it. All the things they want to do with Lilith’s descendant, favorite places they want to go, things they want to show them... MC bites their tongue and smiles, saying they're sure Lilith’s descendant will love the new café. Privately, they're more certain than ever they made the right decision: without even having met Lilith’s descendant (or so they think), the brothers are acting as though their sister herself has come back from the dead, already making preparations based on her own likes and dislikes as if they're the same person. And more than that, isn't it rather hypocritical of the demons - who were acting so apathetic or even disdainful toward humans until just recently - to be putting one they've never met on a pedestal? Even Lucifer, who already knew Lilith survived, is thoroughly involved in the investigations now that his brothers are so invested. And then it slips, somehow, not that MC is Lilith’s descendant, but that MC has known who Lilith’s descendant was all this time they've been searching. All this time MC has been "helping" them search. And isn't that just a rock and a hard place.

MC is revealed to be Lilith’s descendant at the usual time and place. In the weeks that follow, however, between Belphegor’s cuddling up to them and the others' general merriment considering the death that just occurred, it starts to weigh on MC mentally that maybe they're so thrilled to have a piece of their sister back that nothing else matters to them. If only MC could do it all again... or could they? Sensing that things are not headed in a good direction right now, Barbatos agrees to send MC back in time again. But it's different this time: instead of having to avoid their past self, they are their past self, restarting the year as if everything up till now has just been a bad dream. It's a completely blank slate, with only MC's mind intact so they can avoid making the same mistakes. And it goes great... until MC learns that in this timeline, Barbatos is in jail, powers sealed, for messing with time without first consulting Diavolo. And moreover, for some reason, he refuses to share with the prince exactly what he did. So not only are any deaths permanent this time, but there's an ongoing investigation into conspiracies against the throne and student council during this crucial time of the exchange program. It's not long before both MC and the brothers discover - at the same time - that they already have pacts. Pacts that powerful demons have no recollection of making with an oddly knowledgeable human they barely know. And isn't that just a rock and a hard place.

#both can be summed up as 'Barbatos knows things but doesn't share them so chaos ensues'#which is canon anyway so #if i ever decide which of these scenarios i like better i might write it #i actually enjoyed lessons 16-18 #purely in the sense that they spawned so many fanfics that did it way better. just like s3+ of miraculous ladybug #obey me #obey me mc #obey me lilith #obey me barbatos #obey me scenarios #winter posts

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demdems · 28 days

Text

kinda told myself i wasnt gonna post about natlan for a while since what else is there to be said but here we are

so pinocchio, how's that nose growth going

talked about natlan before in this post [written after the first trailer dropped] and this one [written after the 5.0 livestream] if ur one to be curious

i sent smth to my friends and its the basis of this post so for simplicity's sake i'm pasting it here in its entirety then I'm seeing what else i have to add

I think smth that bothers me about this natlan thing [read the comments on some short now I'm cursed] is that an argument is that people are only getting upset about the skin color part of cultural rep which to them reads as shallow but the thing is, people did get upset at everything else in sumeru and natlan like even before the characters got revealed people got mad that hyv was hodge podging several cultures into one fictional culture for those two nations but at most the other nations took inspo from like, two or three, and people got upset about the really poor interpretation of cultural clothing, and they got upset about real life names getting tacked onto white characters. Just is that now w skin color being a debate point, they can use a loud minority of "pale skinned people from these cultures exist too" to support their point

ive seen people actually be upset about more than skin color with natlan & sumeru but it's apparently just much easier to vilify people over wanting dark skinned characters vs wanting characters to be dressed appropriately or wanting characters to not take names from real life figures

Like even outside these two nations ive seen people get upset over more than just skin color but as long as u can slap on the excuse of "other people think it's fine" or something similar, then it gets swept under the rug [like it's been years and i still think raiden & miko have some of the worst designs in inazuma just because visual appeal was overprioritized, but its impossible to critique how inappropriate/disrespectful it was for genshin to effectively sexualize traditional japanese outfits without getting shredded to pieces if u post ur thoughts in the wrong circle]

I digress, back to my main point.

[most] people who are criticizing genshin have their issues run much deeper than simply, i want a character with dark skin. real life cultures are incorporated in many different ways in genshin, but character designs in genshin hugely draw on clothing, names, and skin color [for the very few characters who don't get sentenced to #FFFFFF]. thing is tho, even with all the real life inspiration to draw on, the design team still majorly drops the ball.

nahida's white on white on white is a crime against character design, tighnari's palette made me consider dropping art forever so i never have to even attempt to color pick the seven million colors in his splash art, several natlan characters are walking talking fashion crimes who have a severe lack of overall cohesion, dori

people very much did drag character designs apart from their skin colors, and they were justified since the design team seemed very pick and choose when it came to deciding who gets the good design and who gets the not so good one

My point is, there have been people who've had issues with genshin's inclusion/depictions of real life cultures since the beginning and it's been more than just disliking pale skinned characters being the majority in regions that would have more than the two skin tones included in game [white and off white], and anyone worth their salt in this discussion about genshins colorism and appropriation understands that skin color isn't just something to toss into the ring willy nilly to stir debate cuz if you wanna have an actual discussion u gotta know what ur gonna be talking about

These are just my thoughts though, sorry if it's very scrambled i wrote as i went, if i managed to shoot myself in the foot and say something terribly egregious please lmk

#genshin impact #natlan genshin impact #genshin critical #i made a jab at dori but for legal reasons that was a joke. i brought her up mostly bc she was the poster child for genshins appropriation #during sumeru #natlans out in like 2 days and 5.1 drip marketing is a few hours from the time i post this #rn im waiting to see what's gonna happen once the update is officially out #5.0 archon quest please do the bare minimum and somehow not be colorist or racist in some degree #demdems.txt

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zeravmeta · 1 year

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Top 5 things you look for when choosing a new piece of media to engage with

5. Popularity

This is going to sound weird right off the bat but I think a solid initial litmus test for whether or not you want to get into a new piece of media is to take a look at the popularity surrounding it: Are people normal about it? Weird about it (good And bad way)? Is it mainstream? cult mainstream? cult cult mainstream where it has a dedicated army of hidden internet ninjas occupying the most remote forums of the internet for the past 20 years and if you ask a rando on the street they don't know about it despite it being a multi billion dollar franchise (cough cough nasuverse cough)? This is also partially important because this is the likeliest category from how you will find out about this hypothetical media: Maybe it trends, maybe you see someone comparing it to something you like/dislike, etc. Generally this is the least important thing to consider but it IS important to at least think about. You'll need to know if you have a group of people who enjoy it the same way you do, or if you need to blacklist every one of your tags about it and seclude yourself from everyone else whose ever touched it.

4. Engagement

Right off the bat, when you see something new, did it catch your attention? If, in reading that synopsis, you find yourself lingering, then that's that. You've already engaged with it, and it being in your head is not a simple matter of modern marketing practices (sort of): Something in that first impression spoke to you, something that you already feel you might want to enjoy more. This isn't truly all that complex, but a first impression truly does mean everything, and regardless of how someone else might sell it to you, you do need to have your own judgment about a piece of medias initial presentation, be it the summary, first episode/chapter, the whole shebang.

3. Thematics

Ah, the good ol "Why?" of the world. What is this work trying to say? What is the theme of this work? Are these themes things that I value? I pride myself on being able to eat words and then say what those words are (It's the whole damn reason there is a zeravMETA blog here in the first place [well that and. archival issues]), and it's something that I always encourage people to try and develop for themselves: Despite what you may have felt like as a teenager in school, Critical Thinking Is Fun. When entering something new, right off the bat you will be thinking "What does this mean?", and asking and theorizing that question is half the fun. Not only that, but this process also necessitates your actual big boy brain to think (scary) about the media as more than just "These are lines." There are all flavors of media out there, and absolutely not all of them will actually want you to engage with it in a deeply thematic level, but just the act of doing so is fun, and more than anything, being able to identify what exactly a work tries to say bleeds into basically everything else on this list. More than that, being able to identify how serious a work is about its themes also helps in determining how much YOU will care about it. Perhaps you'd want to watch something that does not require much thinking, or maybe you'd like to read something that does challenge you. Use that sponge in your head, I know it hurts sometimes like that scene in Akira but I promise you that it is there to help you.

2. Aesthetic

This may be a weird one to put above thematics, which would be the literal meat and potatoes of a media, but I think it's important to determine whether something vibes with you more than if it is entirely coherent. Of course, you should not blind yourself to the flaws in any work, and it's part of your responsibility as the audience to take the work on its own terms and actually think about it, but beyond that you need to be sure that you actually vibe with the media you will be trying out. Something can be masterfully made, horrifically grotesque, bring out emotions in you that you didn't even know you had... And all of it would go down the drain if it's just not your taste of work. This is incredibly subjective and everyone has their own internal criterion on what types of works they vibe with, and contrary to popular belief that is in fact a good thing: Not everything is made for the nebulous 'everyone.' Different works will speak to and appeal to different people and groups, and recognizing what it is that YOU vibe with in trying to find new media to enjoy is important. Don't make yourself sit through something that you could know, objectively, is good, but you will not like simply because it is not to your tastes.

1. Do you think you will enjoy it?

Throw out everything else on this list. This was the first thing I wrote on this ranking and for good reason: On first impression, do you think that you will enjoy whatever it is in any capacity? You're going into this hypothetical media completely blind, aside from maybe seeing the synopsis, a trailer or two or maybe you saw a mutual talking about it, or maybe you saw a review offhandedly. Right off the bat, you will make a judgment, you just will, we do it automatically as humans, and you'll need to train yourself to ask: Will I Enjoy This? There are so many fandoms and people nowadays who like, refuse to engage with media on its own terms, or give it the type of critical thinking it may need, or who still hold onto medias they hate but still watch it even if it causes acid to bile up into their skulls every time they so much as perceive it: You need to kill that demon. Above all else, you will be engaging with something new, and it is important that at least, in SOME capacity, even in the most double-faced cynical hate-watching way, you enjoy it. Otherwise you will be miserable, Sisyphus carving himself a new stone, and that is something we want to avoid. Maybe you will be engaging with this new piece in an intellectual way, or maybe you love eating the words, or maybe you'll be joke watching it, or hate-watching, or just pointing out all the shit that could have been better, LITERALLY ALL OF THAT hinges on whether or not you enjoy it, so ask yourself: Will I Enjoy This?

->0. Sex Appeal<-

Is there an exaggerated effigy of a human being, a parodied facsimile of reality which activates your neurons? A character of fiction which has spoken to your peculiar proclivities, something awakened deep within you that you yourself never realized? It is said that the ancient Greek Philosophers first identified and called attention to headaches, some theorizing that this is because this was a critical junction of human evolution, where the first ever utterance of "boobs in my mouth" haunted their twisted minds. Know that you shall be engaging in fiction, that which parodies, reflects, and ultimately enhances reality, and why would you not engage with some bitches while you're there?

#zerav responds #thanks!

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thestobingirlie · 1 year

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Hello to start with I was concerned about where u went but then realised oh new username excellent crisis averted...

ALSO the main reason I'm in ur inbox is I need a little shitty steve characterisation vent so here goes:

I keep coming across (accidentally) those characterisations of steve (in steddie context) where he's like "i love to be subby and give up control bc I've always had to be in control and it's a relief to take a break from this." And like. canonically steve is the one whose autonomy is always the most hijacked like he's just dragged along with the major plot decisions everyone else makes - i remember a beautiful piece of meta i read a while back that summarised its point in a line like "steve hasn't made a single decision for himself since he chose to go back in the byers house in s1."

Also i believe you've discussed a bunch in the past (or one of your mutuals did?) that he is very much a take charge kind of guy, taking as an example all the russian base shenanagins and his role in those.

And that plus societal/peer/parental pressure (particularly during 'king steve time') to be a certain kind of guy and live a certain way makes me think in fact he would be the complete OPPOSITE??? In regards to needing to give up control if anything I think he'd want to take it back (both in a life decisions and potentially in Sexy Situations kind of way).

Optional extra point that i change my mind on back and forth, in the particular context of steddie I'd almost put eddie (if you had to place them into this specific d/s retaking/giving up control dynamic which you absolutely don't have to) into that characterisation of feeling relief in not having to be in control, as he's the one always having to constantly push back against society and assert his "freakishness."

Long rant over, thank you for always being the blog I can click onto and scroll if I want to read a salty accurate take about fandom characterisations!!

glad you were able to find me again! honestly it’s still kinda crazy to me that people like… recognise my username and seek me out lmao.

i will always be here for some salty takes. you know that post that’s like, what if my hobby is being a hater? literally me.

oh i love that line! yeah, i think it’s really interesting how steve has increasingly not had any control over the direction that his life is going in. he’s a character that is very much so at the mercy of others. like, thinking about the last two seasons, he was tied up and beaten, then strangled and eaten. even looking at the very way that he’s getting injured, it’s all something that he couldn’t fight against!

getting back on topic tho, yeah, i really dislike the super subby idea of steve that is incredibly pervasive throughout the steddie fandom. it just feels so out of character. like, obviously sexual preferences don’t necessarily have to align with a persons personality, but they just really aren’t writing about steve anymore.

yeah no i agree, steve has admitted that he went along with shit in high school because he wanted to be perceived a certain way, so i think it would make more sense that he would want to take that control back in any way he could, be himself in a way he couldn’t before. also. not to get crass, but steve just seems like someone that really enjoys giving, even in the bedroom. like, he wants to make sure the other person is having a good time. and so, i think it makes sense that he would want at least a little control over that.

yeah, i do not think d/s dynamics make sense for steddie’s relationship, and i think it’s kinda weird that people feel the need to make their sex very restrictive and kinky. but also i agree that i think it makes more sense for eddie to be… the not in control one. i also think eddie would like the feeling of being desired. like, eddie is an outcast, he’s a freak, even if he’s welcomed that role. i think he would definitely enjoy king steve being the one, kind of, reaching out and going after him, in that way.

but yeah, i do not like subby steve, and i think it’s weird the extent to which people have decided that steddie’s sex life has to involve kinks that often directly contradict their characters. obviously, enjoy what you enjoy and have fun writing smut, i just do not like it.

#steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #stranger things #asks #anon

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sixty-silver-wishes · 1 year

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What's your opinion on the funny Bolero man?

okay, I have a LOT of opinions on Ravel, and I’ve actually done quite a bit of research on him. He’s one of my favourite composers, and his life story just… god.

So the first thing I want to say about Ravel is that his music tends to be very easily misunderstood, and this is according to Ravel himself. Ravel is a toymaker, a tinker. He called himself “artificial by nature,” and that’s the key thing to understand. Ravel is artificial, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, that’s part of his appeal and what makes his music unique. Much of the time, he’s not directly seeking to express an emotion, but rather a depiction, an imitation of one. It’s like he’s creating clockwork automatons of living things that are not meant to be lifelike, but to be clockwork. He imitates other composers in “A la Maniere de Borodin/Chabrier,” objects and animals in “L’enfant et les Sortileges,” and the styles of other cultures around the world across his body of work. On the subject of the last one, Ravel does often have a tendency towards Orientalism, which can be sometimes cringey in today’s social environment (“Chinoiserie” and a general fascination with the East was very much in fashion in his day), but I think Ravel’s impressions of Asian, Middle Eastern, and even European music (including Spain; Ravel was part Basque and was very proud of that) can be best understood when compared to Disney’s “Small World” ride. You’re not getting an authentic picture of the world; you’re getting a mechanical fantasy based on it.

I bring up machines a lot when I talk about Ravel, not just in reference to his music, but also to his life. Stravinsky referred to him as the “most perfect of Swiss watchmakers,” his father was in inventor (who was also responsible for creating a machine that resulted in a fatal mishap, aptly called the “Whirlwind of Death;” look it up), and he had a lifelong fascination with toys and mechanical objects. We see them prominently featured in his opera “L’Heure Espagnole,” the vocal piece “Noel des Jouets” (a little-known piece about the Nativity, except make it steampunk!), and of course, Bolero, which is perhaps one of the most misinterpreted Ravel works.

The thing about Bolero is it’s not supposed to be sexy. And many Ravel pieces are- Nahandove from “Chansons Madacasses” (a cycle which, I should add, also includes a striking rebuke of French colonialism in “Aoua”), Daphnis et Chloe’s Bacchanale, maybe even La Valse. However, Ravel stated that “Bolero should be played at a constant speed from beginning to end, in the plaintive, monotonous style of Arabo-Spanish melodies.” He considered it his only masterpiece, not because of its beauty or virtuosity, but because it achieved what he set out to write- a piece with “no form properly speaking, no development, no modulation, or hardly any.”

I think this is where misinterpretations of Ravel most commonly arise, when his artificiality is mistaken for genuine passion. Famously, with his “Pavane for a Dead Princess,” Ravel disliked interpretations that were too slow, remarking that “it’s a Pavane for a dead princess, not a dead Pavane for a princess.” While slow interpretations may intend to be elegiac, a steady tempo brings another meaning to the title- not that this Pavane would be heard at a princess’ funeral, but rather something that a princess from a past time would have danced while alive. And we can also connect this to the view of death Ravel takes in “Le Tombeau de Couperin,” a work with each movement dedicated to a friend who died in WWI (Ravel served as a nurse and supply truck driver). Despite being a memorial piece, “Le Tombeau” is largely joyful; the “Minuet” displays some sentimentality, but this work is largely dedicated to celebrating life, rather than mourning death.

Another thing to consider about Ravel was that he made his aesthetic his entire personality. And I’m dead serious about that. Ravel adopted the fashion style and philosophy of Dandyism, in which one was to make themselves stylish and presentable, while appearing detached and aloof from the rest of the world, keeping inner feelings private. Ravel was very particular about his personal appearance (he was once late to a funeral because he couldn’t decide which suit to wear!) and hardly divulged deeply personal information in his private correspondence- for instance, while it’s likely he may have been aromantic, as far as we know, we don’t have any evidence of Ravel having any committed romantic or sexual partners (although we do have a few accounts from other people claiming he sometimes saw prostitutes). He kept his passions and fears largely secret, and this is further reflected in his works; while he often dedicated them to friends and patrons, I can’t say I know of anything by Ravel that’s explicitly or otherwise proven to be biographical. As a composer, he takes a “Dandyistic” approach as well, giving us beautiful works while hardly allowing us a window into his mind.

One thing in particular about Ravel has haunted me, and that’s how he died. While he’d been showing signs of mental deterioration in years prior, in 1932, he got into a taxi accident, which likely accelerated what would be diagnosed as aphasia, although we still don’t know what exactly he had. For the next five years, Ravel would gradually become unable to read, write (both words and music), and play the piano, and sometimes had difficulty controlling his movements and recognizing people. Even prominent biographers like Roger Nichols express how devastating this period of Ravel’s life was, as his friends tried to make it, in Nichols’ words, “even remotely tolerable.” During this time, Ravel could compose in his head, but not write anything down, and was even planning at least two major works- an opera called “Jeanne d’Arc,” and a ballet called “Morgiane.” His friends took him on a trip to Morocco and he immensely enjoyed it, appearing to temporarily improve, but afterwards, his mental health continued to decline. Looking at Ravel’s correspondence from this time is devastating, as we see his handwriting get messier and messier, then only typewritten letters, and then nothing at all. At a performance of his ballet, “Daphnis et Chloe,” Ravel reportedly began to cry, remarking, “and yet, there is still so much music inside my head!”

Sources vary on whether or not Ravel was aware of the fact, but his brother Edouard arranged for him to have an operation with the famous brain surgeon Clovis Vincent. Afterwards, Ravel woke up from the surgery, asked to see his brother, but fell comatose, dying in his sleep on December 28th, 1937. Dr. Vincent reportedly did not find ant tumours.

… anyway, this ended up way longer than I expected it to be. but I really like ravel

#maurice ravel #ravel #classical music #music history #composers #composer #classical music history #french music history

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ralexsol · 11 months

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Okay, so I just rewatched S1 of Loki. And since the last time I watched, so many opinions of mine have changed. Instead of focusing all on Lokius and their character arcs, I went into this viewing instead looking at Sylvie, completely throwing my initial dislike of her out the window to be unbiased.

And MAN, am I glad I did that. Because I connected to Sylvie on a WHOLE NOTHER LEVEL.

In my eyes, I see her as a trans allegory. Lokis are usually genderfluid, right? I mean, that's the impression I get - our main 2012 Loki, who's only difference from the Sacred Timeline was escaping with the Tesseract, is classified as genderfluid. And that makes perfect sense, he's a shapeshifter and all that, yadda yadda stuff that's already been said, love it.

But here's the thing. The thing that made Sylvie a Variant, to our knowledge, was that "she is a woman!" So, let's think about this for a second. She's different because she's STRICTLY a woman. Not genderfluid. She/her in her bio. And it finally clicked for me that she's... trans. Literally trans. AND THATS WHAT GETS HER ARRESTED BY THE TVA! She wasn't the right gender, she dared to do something nobody wanted her to. She was different, unexpected... a Variant. And she had to be annihilated because of that.

I know, I know, I'm just stating what all of us already know, we KNOW thats why she was arrested. But you have to actually think past the annoying "oohhh she's the only girl Loki great original idea Marvel" in order to sympathize with her character, because she is VERY sympathizable.

She's literally just a kid, living as her truest self. She's ripped from her family by essentially the government of the universe. She's taken to a trial that nobody walks away from innocent. But Sylvie is different. Lokis are the definition of chaos, the unexpected, defiance. And she's the most defiant of all, because she defied even the preset she was given as a physical person. Nah, she didn't want to be a man or even nonbinary. She was a woman, and they wouldn't let her be. That wasn't allowed. They would hunt her down just for fucking existing in a way that didn't match up with their perception of Lokis.

Her entire life was fighting against a system that wanted her dead. They would rather have order and their precious little clean, easy system (that in reality is harder to maintain than letting people be free) than to let her just fucking exist as she wanted to.

The resentment grows. Of course you want to take down the entire system. Of course you want to burn it all down. Because not only did the government hunt you down, they had already hunted down an infinite number of people just like you. People who didn't find happiness in what was force-fed to them. People who didn't want to tread down the only path provided.

Isn't that what all of us people in the LGBTQ+ community want? To tear the system to pieces, to start over anew? I mean, that's what I want. Because it's flawed right to the very core - at least, where I'm from (the USA), it is. It was made to keep rich, white cishet men in power. A system built from discrimination and power-hoarding cannot be reformed. And even if you tried, it would take too long. It HAS taken too long, and it's cost countless innocents their lives.

You can't undo all that trauma instantaneously. Of course Sylvie would burn it all down. Of course she would kill He Who Remains. Of course she wouldn't want the TVA to keep existing. Yes, there are people in the TVA now that want to change it for the better. Yes, she needs to open her heart and realize burning it down doesn't fix everything. Because you can't rip everything to shreds and not create something new in its place. Fighting tyranny doesn't just end with kicking the dictator out of power - you have to set fair rules to prevent the same thing or worse happening again.

I understand why she didn't want to come back. She had fulfilled what she thought was her only purpose, and finally settled down into the life she utterly deserves. But her story isn't over yet. She can be at peace with having created a new world in which the tyranny is over. In which everyone makes their own choices. In which she can be a woman and never fear time itself imploding. It's just hard to let go of something you've been holding onto for so long. You've been fighting to keep yourself alive and true, and it's hard to accept when maybe... you are winning.

You are not a Loki because you are Sylvie. You broke your guidelines so deeply that you are your own person. There is nobody like you because deep in your very soul, you are the truest Loki to ever exist. You defy. You survive. You and your glorious purpose, to smile and know you are a woman and nobody can tell you any differently. You are exactly whatever you choose to be.

THATS NOT EVEN ALL OF IT THOUGH. THERE'S MORE. And yes, it's about our main Loki and Sylvie's relationship.

I'll come right out of the gate: I've been a Lokius shipper since literal day 1, and nothing will ever change that. I don't ship Sylki and I never will, end of story. I don't see them as romantic at all. What I DO see, however, is looking yourself in the mirror and feeling love for yourself, having survived everything and still more. Let me explain what I mean.

The whole first season, Loki gets to know Sylvie and more of her backstory. And obviously they have the fun dynamic of being two "Lokis" (I hesitate calling Sylvie a Loki anymore) because they're both insanely arrogant and backstabby, yadda yadda. But Loki becomes fonder of Sylvie. Why?

Because they see this other version of themself that went through something so similar yet so incredibly different than them. They are still genderfluid - and bisexual - and they went through that journey of self discovery. They realized they didn't exactly fit the mold, classic trans story. But the difference is that while their family came to accept that and they got to live their life as themself, they see this distorted mirror of what could've been. They see a life where Odin and Frigga didn't accept them. They see the life they were lucky to escape, a life of hardship and a battle they never had to fight.

Sylvie was so brave. But she's been broken time and time again, and she's lonely, and she's never had anyone to care about her. It's you. She's alone and you've just been told by an old friend that you will be alone until the end of time. That you are unlovable. You are the same. You feel so much empathy and you realize something important.

You're looking at this beautiful person. A person who has endured so much pain, and she is beautiful because she is herself. She fought so hard to exist and she has never had a win and she's never had anyone who ever truly understood her. She is you but not you because she is herself.

It's a similar feeling to looking into a mirror and seeing yourseld as a child. Different but the same. Your lives as a whole are completely different. But you still face the same issues. You look in the mirror and the other you is broken. The other you, just like you, thinks they are unlovable.

But you know what they are going through. And you love them more than anyone ever could. You understand more than anyone ever could.

As someone who is on the aroace spectrum and struggles to parse if I'm feeling romantic or platonic feelings (I won't even get into that), I see the Sylki kiss as a complicated but understandable action. The idea of feeling romantic feelings towards yourself is something unfathomable as nothing really can equate to it in our world. I won't get into the morality of it, because honestly, the answer to that is completely based on subjective opinion, since it's an abstract concept. Anyways, my point.

My POINT is that Loki has a lot of feelings and doesn't really know how to express them. Also, like, I'm pretty sure Sylvie only kissed him because she wanted to trick him into letting his guard down to kick him back to the TVA lollll.

As for the end of S2? Well, after the incredible mind-boggling Ep4, I have no idea what way the plot will turn from here. But as for character arcs, I think Sylvie will come to realize that this new TVA can be a force for good. With a new code for keeping the timeline safe from multiverse jumpers who wish the conquer multiple planes - AHEM Kang or others -, and NO PRUNING INNOCENT TIMELINES, why not keep it around? It's a whole different system at that point. It's no longer forcing people to be exactly as intended. It let's them live out their lives however they want to, safe from existential threats.

Sylvie can sit in the back of her truck looking up at the stars in her McDonald's uniform, breathing in fresh air, and thinking about how good it is to be no longer the only one like her.

#loki #marvel #loki spoilers #sylvie laufeyson #loki laufeyson #loki series #whatsupray?#WHEW THAT WAS A DOOZY #Might make a post about Ravonna once I rewatch the first 4 eps of S2

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