#I do realize that no matter my intentions i still made a bad decision and I admit I was wrong

[callofdudes]

Those who do know what I'm talking about I would like to apologize. I've taken the post down because I do realize it was in very poor taste. I never wished to come off how I did, and I realized it was not my place to step. For anyone I've offended, I'm hoping we can move forward from this as I genuinely didn't understand that what I had done was so offensive or more than a joke. I know now that it was a place I shouldn't step in and yet I did it anyway and that was very poor judgement on my part. I'm not going to do anything like that again, and I promise it was not out of any malice in my heart, but my extremely poor judgement and misunderstanding.

I realize that now it wasn't a joke and even if it was, I would have had no right to step over that boundary like I did. I've been made aware that what happened was poorly received and I'm committed to moving forward to improve from this lesson that I've learned.

I know people may resort to calling me things I'd never wish to be labeled as. All I can do is realize that I didn't make the best decision today, as every human will do. I've done what I can in removing the post and apologizing, and that's all I can do. I'm very sorry for how my careless actions affected people.

[littleprince612]

Lies of P - ENDING EXPLAINED, THEMES & FAQ

MAJOR SPOILERS MAJOR SPOILERS ENDING SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

By the way, this is not a lore analysis at all, this is a discussion on the thematic ideas in the story, and I refer to the player character interchangeably as "we" or P/Pinocchio. This is also all just my personal interpretations on the story, and is subject to inaccuracy.

Please enjoy my spark notes-esque analysis on Pinocchio souls!!

Was Carlo evil?

My answer is no. This is a bit complex, so I’ll try to answer within two questions.

In one of the endings, P surrenders his heart and Geppetto then uses it to revive Carlo, his biological son. Carlo then ends up killing everyone in the hotel if we choose to "save" him. He steps out into the rain, looks at Geppetto, and smiles (something that P doesn’t do), seemingly confirming his newly found humanity.

This does seem like a happy ending at first, doesn't it? By submitting to him, We/Carlo may win the purely conditional love of our father, but this comes at a cost. He has surrendered a part of himself in obedience. He no longer has any agency. Thereby making him a puppet in the ideological sense:

The game has a meaningful mechanic where our hair will grow during the duration of the game. Carlo's presented with short hair, but he's also wearing the same outfit (white blouse) we had in the train station; This is the version of ourselves from the beginning of the game. Like showing all that development we made is now gone for submitting to our father, we're right back to where we started, even as a "real boy”: a non-realized being who is at the call of someone else, a (Gasp!) puppet.

Why does Geppetto sacrifice himself instead of calling the attack off?

Let’s say instead of giving away the heart, we refuse. Geppetto, disappointed, then opens the suitcase he’s been carrying since the first trailer. He reveals the unnamed puppet boss, raises up the unnamed puppet on strings, and attempts to take the heart by force. 

If you survive the first phase of the fight, P is able to slice the top his head off. There's then an animation of the "strings" around the nameless puppet being cut, becoming more ethereal.

The fight goes on as it does, and then something strange happens. The nameless puppet seemingly defies Geppetto, and nonsensically attacks the heart Geppetto so needs in the first place, at which point he is so desperate for Carlo's revival that he dives in front of us.

Geppetto asks, shocked, "Were you trying to destroy Carlo's heart?"

What’s in the box?

Geppetto opens the suitcase we’ve seen him carrying since the first trailer, and raises up the nameless puppet. In the other ending, we can see that the body in the suitcase is indeed Carlo. 

I think that Carlo/Nameless puppet regained some amount of sentience after being damaged. After the "real boy ending", Geppetto has him kill the rest of the people in Hotel Krat. Carlo being revived would mean Geppetto still has absolute control over his son. 

Short answer: He lost control of the puppet in the second phase and it either sabotaged him or acted purely of its own accord to end the fight. I think the implication was that even Carlo knew being brought back was a bad idea. Damn :(

[note: people online have pointed out: It’s implied that Geppetto seems to have heavily neglected Carlo, and Carlo may have hated Geppetto in reality ("I don't care if an old man like that kicks the bucket!"). This reinforces the idea that the Carlo we see at the end is just a pawn.]

Is Pinocchio = Carlo?

I think this is one of the more interesting points. This is either ambiguous or left unresolved by the game; but I think it's probably true that Pinocchio and Carlo are virtually the same person. If Geppetto had just accepted our/P's decision not to surrender the heart, he may have still gotten the son back that he always wanted anyway. But for all intents and purposes, the game seems to answer that it doesn't matter. Antonia's final letter to us rather profoundly chooses not to answer the question.

Why Antonia is a real one

This is Antonia's final message to us, contrasted with Geppetto's role with us as a parent in our final battle. [emphasis mine]

To the wonderful gentleman who gave my precious time back to me, That time I met you was light itself. Whether you're that child or not, I think you're a kind, precious child. Thank you for giving my joy back to me in my last moments. To the young gentleman who resembles Carlo, Antonia Cerasani

[Remember, these are Antonia and Geppetto’s respective last words to us]

To be very fair, Geppetto was Carlo's actual parent; Antonia was not. But this seems to contrast with Geppetto asserting to us during the final boss sequence that we are just a puppet. The word "precious" is also very particular, as it's a word that Geppetto uses to refer to us near constantly ("Always remember that you're precious to me"/"it pains me to send someone so precious into such peril"). But while it could be read that we are only precious to him for ulterior reasons (because we carry the organ needed to revive Carlo), Antonia asserts that we are precious regardless. I see that as a truer, non-possessive love.

[also: Carlo's eyes are very noticeably brown (also seen in the painting), Our/P’s eyes are blue. Eyes, nearly always, have quite the symbolism! "The window to the soul", remember? While P and Carlo may have had a near-identical shell, I think this might be the game telling us that P and Carlo weren't truly the same. ]

Who’s a good boy?

Geppetto calls us "good boy" quite a lot. It's been fun watching various streams of this game, and whenever Geppetto calls us a "Good boy", I remember the chatroom filling up with messages of disgust, like: Good boy has real "Would you kindly" vibes! and: I squint my eyes at him every time he calls us a good boy like a dog.

It really reminds me of Mother Gothel! When Mother Gothel calls Rapunzel "pet" and consistently dresses her in undersized dresses, she's infantilizing Rapunzel to take away her agency. Cleverly, each time she tells Rapunzel she loves her, she seems to be directing that love to her hair! She's also constantly touching and caressing it. She isn't interested in Rapunzel as a person, but in the functional idea of her. Geppetto also expresses discomfort seeing us age (our hair growing), in contrast to Sophia's honest and enthusiastic interest. It's symbolic of his disdain towards our growing self-autonomy (growth into an adult).

[Even in the last hug with P, it’s a basically a ruse to grab the heart, and he never gives P a second look when he collapses for dead on the floor.]

[To be somewhat sympathetic to Bad Dad Giuseppe (I'm not defending him), it's also probably because we are now growing past the age that Carlo died. Essentially, we're starting to outlive him, and Geppetto has to witness the growing that Carlo never got to reach. That's got to be hard to bear.]

What does P actually stand for? P stands for Puppet, Not Pinocchio

People have noticed since the demo that we are never actually, explicitly referred to as "Pinocchio". The NPCs seem to dodge around saying "Pinocchio", opting for words “like Geppetto's puppet" or “child” instead. Given the story's inspiration and the game's title, however, it could be inferred that our name is Pinocchio. Why not just call us by name? 

Well, the doylist interpretation is that maybe they just didn't want to stir up some kind of trademark trouble with a certain Walter Mouse. But the game does something clever with this, lore-wise. After our "betrayal" at the hands of our father, I think the big reveal is simply that we are unnamed. Giuseppe gave us no name, showing he didn't view us as a true autonomous being.

Why does Geppetto apologize in the alternate "good ending"?

Both the endings are near identical, but when Geppetto is beginning to curse Pino, he apologizes instead. The beginning of the end cutscene is the same as the second “good ending”, where Geppetto tells us that we’re “just a useless puppet”. He's beginning to say this, except for when he sees the tear fall, at which point he seems to relent.

I think it's supposed to imply, seeing Pinocchio seemingly mourning for him, that in the very last moment Geppetto understood that either 1. Pinocchio was truly Carlo or 2. that he was sentient enough to be his tangible son anyway.

Is Pinocchio still alive? (+ Collodi's journey to Adulthood)

I think so!

If you've taken certain paths, you unlock the third ending, which is like the second ending, except with an additional scene where we can see P returning to the Alchemist's tower to look at a peaceful Krat. P then uses the ergo from Sophia into a puppet replica, at which point he collapses, seemingly from exhaustion. Sophia cradles him as he sleeps and serenely tells us it's good to see us again.

In the book, Pinocchio, after travailing to support both his ailing father and the sick blue fairy, falls asleep and dreams that he is visited by the blue fairy. The fairy, now whole and healed, tells him he hasn't been the best son, but that boys who support their parents are "deserving of great praise". When he wakes, he is a human boy, and his puppet form lies lifeless on a chair. It isn't Pinocchio showing pure obedience that makes him into a real boy, but the selfless act of caring for his father (the reversal of the parent-child structure). In my interpretation - her final message is this: That he was never perfect, (and perhaps he would never be perfect), but the bottom line was that he loved his father, and that was enough to make him human. [I think there's something in my eye!]

(Easter - The Resurrection of Christ, Rebirth, Death and renewal, Spring) 

In case you don't know (I didn't btw), the statue in the Exhibition is actually Michelangelo's La Pieta. Its inclusion in the game not only alludes to the novel's Italian origins, but also serves as a central visual motif as it's representing Jesus's death in the arms of Mary. This visual motif is revisited by P and Sophia at the end of the game in the “true” (canonical) ending. Symbolically, In the selfless act of reviving Sophia and at the end of his journey, he has transcended and broken the "egg shell of his puppet body" into a true adult (a human being). 

Does lying make us human?

At the centre of Collodi's Pinocchio is a father-son relationship wherein underlies an unconditional love. But this game has quite the different father-son relationship. When puppets are made, they are meant to follow under the laws of the Grand Covenant, and our father is the father of all puppets. Namely, each time we lie, this is in defiance of our father figure. Remember, the rule is that a puppet cannot lie. Lying doesn't have the connotation it has in the book or in popular culture adaptations of Pinocchio. Rather, lying in the game seems to infer choice and not deception.

It isn't just the act of disobedience (Self-agency) that gives us our autonomy ("A man chooses", mirroring Bioshock), In many cases in the story, we are asked if it’s better to comfort someone with a lie than telling them a truth that maybe wouldn’t serve them. In that way, you can also view lying as the selfless act of taking a burden.

Again, this adapts Collodi's psychological ideas in the book on the growth of the self-interested nature of the hedonistic, narcissistic child into the empathetic "adult" that works to serve others. [I know I might come across as harsh here, but bear with me, I’m just trying to speak in literary terms.] But while Collodi's Pinocchio focuses on the selfless nature of a parent, Lies of P focuses on the self-agency of an adult. 

So why is Lies of P so dead serious about Pinocchio? Well, it's an elaborate metaphor for self-autonomy.

In Conclusion…

Does Lies of P have an identity issue in of itself? Great soulslike? PuppetBorne 2.0? But it's also a beautifully rendered Pinocchio adaption. Quite unusual, perhaps, but there's a quote that bizarrely enough comes to mind when I think of the audacity of a Pinocchio themed soulslike - Talent is hitting the target nobody else can hit, while genius is hitting the target nobody else can see. I think there is a reason why the tale of Pinocchio persists and persists.

[apinkheartinmiddle-earth]

I was watching The Two Towers again recently and I realized something about Eowyn. Many paint her as this strong badass woman who doesn’t take shit from anyone, which is still true in a sense. However, people tend to forget that she is still a flawed character and has a long way to go in the story so far.

This was probably the intention of the scene, but when she was complaining about having to be with the women in the caves, it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. The women of Rohan tending to the children and finding food is still an important task, after all. Eowyn was practically looking down on them because they weren’t doing the badass stuff assigned to the men. More so because she couldn’t be able to join the men in battle. She fails to see that someone needs hold the fort so that the warriors have a home to come back to. Without those staying at home, Rohan would fall apart.

It was good on Aragorn for calling the women’s duties an honorable charge because he knows damn well that their role is just as important as those in battle. I love how he holds them in highest respect for it and calls out Eowyn for how she talks down on them. Aragorn is calling out Eowyn for her internalized misogyny, basically.

Now, I am not going to drag Eowyn and call her awful (why the fuck would I, I literally love her). I’m trying to look at this from a place of understanding at how she could have possibly got this mindset in the first place. It just suddenly struck me that one of the reasons she probably thinks this way is because she didn’t really grow up with a significant mother or female figure in her life whose duties involved the home. She was raised by a man whose job was to command armies. Therefore, she has never truly understood why these women chose to hold the fort instead of going out into the trenches. Tending to the house and taking care of the children is an inherently thankless job but a very important one nonetheless.

Eowyn putting down these women and their duties was perhaps because of her lack of understanding, not because she held any resentment towards them. In fact, she probably wanted them to fight alongside the men like what she desired for herself. But it bears repeating that what she fails to see is that someone has to take care of matters at home. It would be amazing if the women of Rohan had the opportunity to go into battle, but alas, they have to stay there since they have little say in doing so. Sexist? Quite. But the women are still doing their job at home the best they can.

Weirdly enough, that scene of Eowyn complaining to Aragorn actually made her character development all the more meaningful to me. Remember by the end when she decided to become a healer and love all things that grow? Yeah, some people didn’t fuck with it because they thought Eowyn was going to become dainty and submissive. However, I rocked with Eowyn making that decision.

This was the turning point in Eowyn’s story when she realized that war fucking sucks and that her worth shouldn’t come from how many enemies she can slay or how traumatized she can get from the horrors of war. She finally chose to prioritize love, kindness, gentleness, growth, and happiness. That’s about the most badass thing someone can do, to be completely honest. As a result, Eowyn has surely grown from looking down on the mothers and other carers in Rohan.

This is in no way trying diminish her typical badass heroine characteristics, but to show people that she still really had a long way to go in spite of her obvious strengths. It’s just that her battling capabilities and desire to fight with the armies don’t necessarily make her better than those who are just trying to keep their families safe and fed at home. I love how she grew from this mindset and chose instead to be empowering in her own way without the need to put down other women who obviously had important jobs to do.

[acknowledge-reigns]

Apologies (Roman Reigns x OC)

Angst/Fluff.

Description: Roman wants to apologize to Jey for the way he treated him in the bloodline but struggles with expressing his feelings of remorse.

Kayfabe compliant, this is story about Roman not Joe.

You can find my other stories here.

And you can read more of Roman and Lilith specifically here.

Exhausted. He was emotionally exhausted. Lilith gave Roman an encouraging smile as she offered him the glass of Bourbon she'd just poured up for him. Roman's gaze barely leaves the the notebook in his lap. He could do many things. He could spear men twice his size, he could lock in a guillotine in a manner that's practically inescapable, he could break record after record - But to apologize? No. That's different.

"Let me hear it again." Lilith prompted supportively.

Roman sighs and begins to read from his notes, "Jey, I really could've handled things differently and I see how I treated you was unfair..." Roman trailed off, "I can't say this, Lil. I did everything I did for HIM. To elevate him. For our family. Our bloodline. Life isn't fair." Roman said.

"Ro, do you want to fix your relationship with your little cousin or not?' Lilith questioned.

"Of course I do, but I need him to see my side of things too." Roman said.

"Do you think you're struggling to verbalize your emotions because you're afraid of being perceived as weak?" Lilith asked.

Roman thought for a moment, unsure what to say. "I guess that's possible." he shifted uncomfortably. Putting his pride aside wasn't easy. Admitting he could have been a better Tribal Chief at times wasn't easy.

He went through years and years of harassment, of borderline abuse from the WWE Universe before he finally snapped and took what he and his family deserved. Last time he was this vulnerable, the people who were supposed to cheer him on kicked him while he was down.

Seth betrayed him. Hit him in the back with a chair and busted up the shield. He lost his brother that day. Not his friend. His brother. Dean left not long after. Another brother gone. Years pass, he grows fond of Sami Zayn and what does he do? the same thing Seth did. Not just that but in Roman's mind, he successfully turned his cousins against him.

Everybody leaves. No matter how hard he tries. No matter if he's the good guy or the bad guy. That's why he's chosen to simply be THE guy.

The only person he trusts with his heart is Lilith, and even so he's been known to lose sleep wondering if it's a matter of time before he decides she isn't good enough. If he loses the title will she leave? if he's knocked off of the top of the mountain will she still be there?

That's part of why he's so dedicated to extending an olive branch to Jey, even if he feels he's making an absolute fool of himself. He has to be a better man. For Lilith.

"What if you write him an apology letter instead?" Lilith asked.

With that, Roman spent the afternoon penning a letter to his cousin with Lilith by his side soothingly rubbing his broad shoulders for moral support, He sits down at their dining table, a pen in hand and a blank sheet of paper before him. The room is dimly lit, with the soft glow of a candle casting flickering shadows on the walls. Roman begins to pour his emotions onto the paper. He takes a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the flickering flame of the candle, and begins to write his apology.

"Dear Jey,

I hope this letter finds you well. I've been wrestling with my feelings and regrets, and I find myself needing to express them to you. First and foremost, I want to apologize for my actions and the pain they may have caused you. I may not fully understand your decision to team up with Cody Rhodes, but I realize now why you've decided to leave the bloodline.

I want you to know that my love for our family, our bloodline, has always been at the forefront of my decisions. Every step I took, every move I made, was with the intention of protecting and upholding our legacy. But in doing so, I failed to see the impact it had on you, my cousin, my brother.

I am hurt, Jey. Hurt that you chose to align yourself with Cody Rhodes, someone who I perceive as a threat to our bloodline. It felt like a betrayal. I am hurt that you attempted to take my position as tribal chief. I'm hurt that at every turn whether is be with Sami or with Jimmy or even with Cody you failed to choose my side. But looking back, I realize that family is more important than any rivalry or personal agenda.

I want to mend our relationship, to rebuild the bond we once had. We've faced countless challenges together, and I believe we can overcome this as well. Let's set aside our differences and find a way to heal the wounds that have come between us.

I am committed to making amends, to listening to your side of the story, and to understanding your perspective. I value you, Jey, and I want nothing more than to have you back by my side, fighting alongside me in the ring and in life as my right hand man.

Please know that I am here, ready to talk and listen whenever you are. Let's find a way to move forward together, for the sake of our bloodline.

With love and remorse

- Your Tribal Chief, the head of the table, your cousin.

Roman Reigns"

Roman finishes writing and reads the letter aloud, feeling the weight of his words as he fights back tears. He refused to cry. Lilith reaches out and places a comforting hand on his, offering support and reassurance. She believes that this heartfelt letter will serve as a catalyst for their reconciliation, hoping that Jey will see the sincerity in Roman's words. She knew this was far from easy for him.

Roman takes a deep breath, feeling a mix of vulnerability and determination. He knows that this letter is his best chance to convey his true emotions to Jey, to show him how much he values their bond as family. With Lilith's guidance, he revises a few sentences, ensuring that his apology is genuine and heartfelt.

Once satisfied with the final version of the letter, Roman folds it neatly and tucks it into an envelope. He seals it and places it on the kitchen counter, ready to be delivered to Jey.

"You did good, Ro. You should be proud of yourself." Lilith said.

Roman gives a small, appreciative smile. Her words bring a sense of comfort and validation to his anxious mind. He takes a moment to let her words sink in, feeling a glimmer of pride and gratitude for her unwavering support.

"Thank you, Lil," Roman replies, his voice warm with sincerity. "I couldn't have done it without you by my side."

Lilith reaches over and gently squeezes Roman's hand, her eyes reflecting a mixture of pride and affection. "You've shown true growth, Roman. It takes strength to acknowledge our mistakes and make amends. I believe in you, and I know that your heartfelt gesture will make a difference."

"The bloodline means everything to me, family means everything to me. I want nothing more than to have Jey back by my side, fighting together."

Lilith's gaze softens as she listens to Roman's heartfelt words. She understands the depth of his desire to mend his relationship with Jey, to restore the unity and strength of their family. She reaches out to gently brush her fingers against his cheek, offering him a reassuring smile.

"Your sincerity will shine through, and I believe that Jey will see it too. Trust in the bond you share, and give him the time he needs. Remember, apologies are just the beginning. It's through actions and consistent effort that true healing and forgiveness can be achieved."

Roman takes a deep breath and nods allowing Lilith's words to wash over him. Her presence and guidance have been instrumental in his journey towards growth and reconciliation. With newfound determination, he sets his sights on the future, ready to do whatever it takes to rebuild the bond with his cousin and bring their family back together. Roman gives a small smile and leans in for a kiss.

Lilith kisses him back with love and passion, "You've got this, Ro." She said.

[kitchenisking]

Its Sunday! we've now made it to the end of the weekend so to make the pain of going back to the real world and little less, here's one more fic😘

Inevitable You by Red_City - (Rating: Mature, Words: 22261, sterek)

"I'm Derek's mate," Stiles gets out, breathing hard. There is silence in the room.

As he looks around, he realizes that everyone else knew.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered by TheVoiceofWrath (meet_your_fate) - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 20653, sterek)

Derek's soul isn't worth anything. Can't be, right? Not after everything. It's an easy decision for him, then, to offer it up in exchange for his sister's life.

If only the demon he makes the deal with weren't so intent on hanging around until Derek's contract is up...

Cursed Playlist by drunkunicorn - (Rating: G, Words: 1672, sterek)

And then there it is. Almost at the bottom of his playlist list with a simple wolf emoji. Stiles lets out a breath that is supposed to signify amusement and opens it. No description, no cover, just a wolf emoji and 5-hour play time. He looks through the songs and feeling slightly better than before clicks on a song he doesn’t recognize.

It starts slow, the voice is quiet and slightly whiny, piano in the background that almost makes Stiles cry again. So, he lets it play. And then another. And then another. And then he recognizes one of the songs that started this whole thing, and it just clicks for him.

Derek.

No Putting a Werewolf Off Your Scent by nakatas_cat - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 3811, sterek)

Stiles forgets his Adderall. Derek's affected.

show you what all that howl is for. by doctorkaitlyn - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 21847, sterek)

It's been months since he first touched Derek, when he affirmed that he was real and not going anywhere, but the fact still hasn't really set in. Truthfully, he doesn't know if it ever will. He thinks (and hopes) that, for the rest of his life, he is going to be continually surprised (and thankful) that someone so wonderful is in his life, and all it took to find him was for his dog to run away.

(or the one with shameless domestic fluff, where everyone is happy and everybody owns a dog.)

The Power of Pumpkin Magic by princecharmingwinks - (Rating: T, Words: 1893, sterek)

"If you don't want money, I'll buy you a pie. I just need you to be my boyfriend for the next five minutes." 

---

Stiles just thought it was another day of working on his thesis at his favourite bookshop. What he didn’t count on was the power of pumpkin magic.

Sharing Food by aussiebee - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 9564, sterek)

"Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly." ― M.F.K. Fisher

Or

Derek is pretty much absorbed into the Stilinski family, one meal at a time.

Softly by IntoTheAbyssWeGo - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 25217, sterek)

What's Stiles supposed to do when he hears someone crying in the bathroom stall? Comfort them, of course! Too bad he never found out who they were. On a completely unrelated note, why is Derek Hale staring at him? No matter what Scott says, Stiles is sure he didn't do anything to piss the most popular boy at school off!.... At least he's pretty sure...

Hic Sunt Hormones by KaliopeShipsIt - (Rating: G, Words: 9570, sterek)

Five times Derek and Stiles didn't pregnancy so well - and one time they did.

Nothing You Could Say by SylvieW - (Rating: Mature, Words: 13606, sterek)

Stiles’ second year of college is not working out as he planned. He rarely sees Scott, his job is exhausting, and to get home after his shift, he has to walk at three in the morning. Nearly getting mugged is the icing on the cake, but luckily a gruff stranger is there to rescue him. But now Stiles can’t seem to shake the feeling that he’s not alone in the dark.

[cinefairy]

I want to talk about instant manifestation and intention !

at the beginning of the week, there was a kpop group concert in France. (LOONA !!! stan them <3)

I bought pit tickets, and to be front row you “had to” camp really early [5 AM 😐 be fr] and get a number btw 1 and 200. <how to spot limiting beliefs : they look stupid>

I never gaf about any of those rules and arrived at the venue at 5 PM (the concert started at 7:30). I just came in with the intention that I was going to be front row w/o any effort and knew that this was the only issue for me, no matter what.

During the concert, I was a bit in the middle but could still see very well (I’m tall !!) and I kept thinking “I’m going to be front row” but not like an obsession and not like “omg why am I not front row NOW” ; but like it was an evidence. Even before, I kept announcing it to everyone and my friends were like “but how ? when there is —limiting belief— and —circumstances that do not matter— ??” I never wavered from the state of mind that I was gonna be front row.

And guess what happened ? an event (someone fainted, we had to make them seek assistance!! dw they’re much better now) made me go from the middle to the front, and I spent the rest of the concert with the moon girls right in front of me !

plus, that’s not it.

right after the concert, there were a meet & greet + picture event. Remember, I only paid for the pit, I did not take a VIP ticket and all that jazz. But, right when the organizers where closing the doors of the venue to keep those who paid for it inside, one of the doors stayed open and I was able to recognize an opportunity. So I had two choices : go see my fav artists or stay outside and let my chance pass.

guess what I choose.

and immediately after I choose to go to the m&g, w/o even worrying about the how, it just happened :

originally, I went inside to pee (true story, my ladder was abt to pass away)

then, while coming out the toilet I saw a friend of mine with their group so I stayed with them

(the enitre venue was CLOSEDT I had literally no way out anyways)

the staff started giving away masks & gloves in preparation for the m&g

I didn’t have the wristband and all, but they didn’t check it when the line moved and when we arrived in front of the moon girls SO

I got to shake hands with LOONA (😭😭😭) AND take a picture with them (AAAAAH I still can’t believe it) w/o having to pay a single dime or have a single VIP ticket.

and what really seals it all for me is :

at the end, the staff distributed photocards and a signed sumn sumn that I didn’t really want

I tried to get one tho bc why not (stream why not by loona lets pump it up)

and because I didn’t truly want it, I did not receive it, even by “forcing it” (I tried to make it seem like I “lost my wristband” that I never had in the first place ; and it was not cutting it for the staff so they just dismissed me)

conclusion /

You are responsible for everything manifesting in your life : the good, the bad and the indifferent. With just one decision, + the acceptance of this decision as a fact for you ; and the deal is set. You don’t need to do anything else. Nothing and no one can get in btw you and your manifestation.

This is further proof that manifestation is instant and that the 4D is the only reality. It takes one single decision in your mind, for it to materialize and for the Universe to bend over backward to make it true for you. The 3D is NAWT your enemy, it is part of YOU (4D = 3D) 😭 I swear manifesting is easy, it’s natural, it’s simple, it’s a lifestyle, it’s part of yourself.

I really want y’all to realize you are already everything you desire to be and manifesting is as simple as thinking “I want something. woop ! thank you [Universe/God/wtv] for giving it to me <3”

you can live in your desired reality constantly and it is not burdensome ! it’s easy and funny I swear ♪(๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)♪

YESSSS I LOVE LOONA AND IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!

[outrunningthedark]

Right there with ya on the way people label the Buckley’s grief as wrong! Yes, impact does matter, but sometimes you have to take into account intent. This doesn’t mean the Buckley’s haven’t done anything wrong and there is no reason for their kids to be upset with them. There is. There are many reasons for them to be upset. But it also doesn’t mean they can’t be forgiven. They can’t do better. Or that Buck and Maddie shouldn’t want them in their lives. Maddie and Buck both realize this. They both realize why their parents were the way they were. It’s even been said, they weren’t bad people BY MADDIE. It’s like these people just want Buck to kick his parents to the curb and say “ya know what, fuck off and fuck you.”

[TL;DR. This always happens with this story line. Oof.] It’s like these people just want Buck to kick his parents to the curb and say “ya know what, fuck off and fuck you.” - This is the heart of it, for sure, and I can definitely understand the fandom (made up of younger viewers compared to the GA) wanting to have their own complicated feelings towards their parents validated; there's plenty of people who have that "I'd cut you if I could, but you're my ____ and it's not that easy" mindset - myself included! Being physically disabled means *having* to depend on people that didn't/don't always like me. But the redemption arc isn't the problem. It's that Kristen didn't follow up on that family dynamic for TWO YEARS. She didn't accidentally come to the conclusion that the Buckleys should to be better the next time around. She made a deliberate choice not to even give them a mention for TWO YEARS so the audience could get a status update and be more prepared for the version of the Buckleys we would see in 6x10. Her explanation was that 4x06 (the therapy detail) clued us in to the effort happening off-screen: "They've spoken on the show about Buck and his parents trying to do some therapy. And so we just wanted to revisit those parents and see how that relationship with their children has progressed." I don't know what's going to happen with the Buckley parents a year from now, but if even Oliver has no current reason to assume things are gonna go to shit (and he's gotten all the scripts) - "Just because their relationship has been so fractured in the past doesn’t mean that there’s no room for reconciliation, and certainly seems to me like they’re on a path moving forward now where they can slowly start to build a really healthy parent-child relationship" - then I'm sticking with *my* current belief that this story line isn't about the parents as much as it is a (definitive) shift in the story and a lesson on not taking time for granted: - Buck and Maddie are no longer those little kids trying to live up to their parents' expectations, trying to do everything "right" to earn their approval. Holding onto that pain is not going to help them be the best versions of themselves. Buck cannot fully embrace self-love and self-worth if he still dwells on whether his parents regret his birth. Maddie can't raise a daughter to the best of her ability with Margaret's voice in her head making her second-guess her capabilities/decisions. These are their lives and they're finally taking control. - What Oliver said relates to my second point, that the show makes a habit of using the parent-child relationships to say "It's never too late to change." You don't have to hold on to grudges. You don't have to keep hate in your heart. And you certainly shouldn't act as though there's "no point" in reconciliation just because the thought of confrontation or showing vulnerability scares the crap out of you. If mending fences is important (as it appears to be for the Buckley sibs' peace of mind) then...take a chance before there's no time left. (Buck forgiving his parents NOW is because his subconscious feared he was dying. It might have been his only chance.) And ftr (because I feel like this is also part of where the annoyance stems from) I'm gonna repeat that unless the Buckley parents become mains - which they won't! - the standards aren't changing, and this episode told us that. Buck forgave his parents in an episode where the father-son dynamic between he and Bobby was on full display. That's still who he's gonna go to when he needs advice because Bobby is a CONSTANT presence, Bobby will ALWAYS be able to understand Buck in a way that Phillip cannot because of the years that family lost to trauma. Choosing not to revolve his life around the ways his bio parents did him wrong/influenced his behavior does not and will not in any way lessen or alter the already-established bonds he's created with the 118. It just means he's READY TO LET GO.

[kieransometimesthinks]

Fuck it, I’m feeling spicy enough to stop vague posting and actually complain about something.

Legal disclaimer before I continue because I know some of y’all won’t listen to a single word I say before hearing this:

Genocide is bad. We’re on the same page here. I also don’t think Israel should be doing what it’s currently doing and I am also mad about it.

But whenever I complain about virtue signaling reactionaries forgetting that nuance exists, I am specifically talking about shit like everyone calling the Green brothers Zionists.

Unless I’m missing something, the entire argument for them being Zionists is that they A) made a factually dubious video attempting to explain the Gaza situation 15 years ago and B) haven’t really made videos about it since.

And from the bottom of my heart, y’all need to touch grass if that’s the entirety of the “evidence” for them supporting genocide. Because the context really fucking matters here.

They’ve publicly said that they don’t want to make vlogbrothers videos attempting to explain global conflicts. They’ve also publicly expressed that they don’t think they ever should have ever even attempted to do that in the first place. Because they’ve also publicly said that they aren’t experts and really shouldn’t be platformed as if they are experts whenever it comes to very heated global conflicts. And this exact situation is why they made the decision about a decade ago to bow out and leave things to people better equipped to not turn this into an even bigger shit show.

They’ve made so many videos talking about how influencers both knowingly and unknowingly contribute to misinformation and majorly affect the world around them for better or worse. They’ve made so many videos talking about how influence and power create ripples in ways that are difficult to predict and how that often creates problems. Is it really so hard to understand why they might not want to make an updated video on Gaza?

They drew their line in the sand a decade ago, why are you so surprised that they won’t cross it? They have a guiding principle of staying in their lane and they’ve decided that this is pretty solidly out of it.

And it’s not like I’m just putting words into their mouths. John has actually put out an official statement on his thoughts:

You’re allowed to disagree with their decision. You’re allowed to disagree with how they use their platform. But for fucks sake, actually criticize their goddamn ideas instead of choosing the most brain dead option of “they made a video 15 years ago and won’t do the virtue signal I’ve been harassing them to do!”

If you’ve ever been more than a casual viewer of vlogbrothers then you should know that they absolutely do not support genocide. I don’t think it’s asking too much for you to assume good intentions from people who have been pretty openly delivering on all their claims for decades now.

Harassing postpartum mothers of chronically ill babies off TikTok because they don’t talk about Palestine enough or don’t talk about it in the way you want them to doesn’t actually do anything to make the world a better place. (This isn’t a hypothetical example by the way, it’s something that literally happened.) Changing your profile picture to “raise awareness” won’t actually accomplish anything either. Your senator is old and doesn’t know how to use the internet. But you want to know what does make the world a better place?

Treating other human beings with actual empathy and understanding that only children view the world in black and white.

Prior to reading John Green’s statement on Palestine for the first time today, I had no clue that Hamas had committed the single largest Jewish extermination event since the holocaust. And while I still don’t think it warrants committing genocide and literal war crimes in response, it did make me realize just how much more complicated and messy the world is.

So maybe instead of being a dick online to prove to our friends how woke we are, we should try to remember that the people actually living through the consequences of this conflict (both Israeli and Palestinian) are terrified, in pain, and utterly powerless to stop the war machine grinding them into paste every day. And maybe we don’t have to comment on things we don’t fully understand.

[autumnslance]

In your answer to an ask (and just to say it, I LOVE Aeryn and Thancred!), you wrote the following that really stuck out to me:

I can't find it, but at some point I've noted that characters that seem to "do their own thing" are really just our subconscious taking the wheel; we are responsible for our characters' builds and their choices, but for me, a "successful" character who unfolds like I'm discovering them and their life, who surprises me with choices and actions, is cuz I gave them a solid enough grounding, know who they are...and my unconscious goes from there, usually cuz my conscious is holding myself back due to all the usual fearful, imposter-syndrome-laden reasons.

That really resonated with me, especially considering the various discussions I had about that with pretty popular fanfic writers who have never understood how a character surprises a writer.

And I mean, I get the argument - as you said, we as the writers are controlling the character and the story. And still I get surprised by my characters, even if I deliberately bring them into a situation with an intended outcome - suddenly, I'm in the middle of a scene and go "No, wait, they wouldn't react that way / do that actually."

I never really had an answer to counter the "I control everything, I never get surprised by characters", but I think your point about having given them a solid enough groundwork and the subconscious drawing from that is very, very true.

Thank you; I'm still always a little surprised when people like my shippy nonsense! You'd think I'd have accepted that by now and yet.... 😅

And yeah, we know how we, the writers, respond to things and can want a scene to go. But if we are "listening" to our characters--to ourselves and how we built them, and trust those instincts, then the characters seem to take that "life of their own." We let go of our own inhibitions and what we know are the "right/correct/etc" choices and let the characters be themselves--be who we made them to be.

If I made my character to be impulsive, then she ought to be; while I deliberate over an action, to make sure it's the "right" one (optimal, moral, whatever)...am I writing what I know is the "best" choice, like choosing a particular path in a video game to get a specific ending, or am I being true to the personality I created, especially when my deliberations are hung up on "the character 'wants' to make this choice but..."

Because I made that character, with these personality traits and backgrounds informing her life, and if I am writing (or roleplaying) true to that then she can seem to "make her own decisions." But it's really decisions I pre-made in deciding who she was to begin with, and sometimes we slip things in there without realizing--like, for instance, an enjoyment of snarky, emotionally complicated, disaster rogues that for my dear WoL daughter turned into a romantic interest when consciously, I had no intention of a pairing. But the choices I made in creating Aeryn, and how playing/writing her to react to the story based on those creation decisions, made that interest the correct choice for the character when confronted with it. Then it became a matter of convincing myself to just roll with it, and figuring out how it would work--mutual or one sided pining, everything fine, disastrous attempt(s), etc. Based again, on how I made my girl, and how I saw and wrote for That Damn Rogue.

Anyway, the step after that is learning to let go, trust your own character creation and writing, and lean into that. Let the character make those choices, good or bad (sometimes the "bad" choice leads to more/better story, besides). It is all our own choices and control as the writer/player, it's just when did we make those decisions: in the moment, or ahead of time when deciding who this character is to begin with--and realizing how we sometimes make some unconscious choices that we can lean into, rather than fight against.

-----

Now in a RP situation, one might have to bend or wrangle the character more to not entirely screw over the party/scene partners; a little mayhem and bad choices can be good, but not to the point of being a disruptive dick about it with the excuse of "that's just my character!" That either means the character has to (relatively quickly) grow and change as a person with their player considering how that will best work...or the character (or maybe the player) is not suited for that group/situation. Depends on if everyone's cool with it and having fun, or whether someone's trying to spotlight hog in a shared group setting, or just didn't make/bring a character appropriate for that group/situation/setting/etc.

RP characters should be made with a mind toward being somewhat team players, even if not outwardly. Otherwise the player isn't going to have too good a time trying to get into social situations--or especially at a closed game, if not taking their group and the GM's story into account. I saw it a lot at our LARP back in the day, and have seen it too at many open social events in MMOs; someone makes a mysterious loner who hangs at the fringes, doesn't have much reason to be there, and the player is bored or even upset no one's interacting with their uninvolved character (Edgy broody loners can be done, but I think often requires a little experience in knowing how to balance that with the needed social interaction aspect--and also already having some OOC connections that can be relied on to play off of and form connections with IC to draw those characters in).

So it again comes down to choices made early on, and how that will affect the "yes and..." situations once actually roleplaying them, and letting those early choices, conscious and subconscious lead the way, but with a little more deliberation and consideration for the other players.

[a-tale-never-told]

Honestly, this anon is personally starting to wish the character of Hiyoko Saionji had never been created in the first place. And it's not even because of anything the character actually did, I just share your frustration on how "parasitic" some fans are. I don't run any Danganronpa story blogs myself, but if I did, I would take a leaf out of your book and just "not use the character at all". Not because I hate the character or anything, but just so I wouldn't have to deal with her fans.

//Looking back in hindsight, and with the recent developments we've just faced, it probably was the most solid decision I've ever taken, when it comes to discussing anything relating to the Hiyoko situation, and that's honestly surprising when you take into consideration just how vocal I was about the entire issue, since it's inception during the Mod Freeze dilemma.

//Personally, I usually tend to avoid engaging in controversial discourse, because it's a stream of vindictive toxicity that often criticizes other's beliefs and opinions unless it involves a particular character that I'd really enjoy or a sensitive subject matter that needs to be addressed. Because once you finish talking about it, you come to the realization that it's all pointless melodrama surrounding a character that, for all intents and purposes, doesn't deserve the amount of hate she gets.

//Now, saying that Hiyoko shouldn't exist as a character in the Danganronpa franchise, mostly due to the controversy around her fanbase, is kinda excessive to me, because there's clearly a bunch of positive character traits she has, both in the main storyline, and in the Free Time Events, with her concern for her father, the only family member that she values and cares for in her life, and her sincere friendship with Mahiru and how it's generally nice to see Hiyoko actually have somebody to relate to when it comes to parental issues.

//Still, I do get why you're frustrated about this whole thing, and believe me when I say, that the majority of the Hiyoko fanbase, at least the ones with a sense of nuance and those who aren't willing to go into emotionally charged rants about why Hiyoko's a great character, instead of plling together a co, seems to be generally against these absurd claims of justifying Hiyoko's behavior towards others, at least from my perspective.

//If anything, I've made my stance on the whole situation pretty clear from the get-go, and so far, it hasn't been significantly changed throughout the number of times this issue has escalated to a breaking point, but it's a pretty massive issue, one that requires an in-depth analysis of Hiyoko's character and why she's so divisive, to begin with.

//Other than what I'd just said earlier, I don't really know what else to offer, other than it's a difficult and tough affair when it comes to writing compelling or satisfying moments in storytelling and dealing with unwarranted or toxic criticism, especially if you're writing a scene where a major character that a large portion of the fandom loathes ends up getting their comeuppance in less than satisfying ways, and it often leads to disastrous outcomes as a result.

//Yes, there's gonna be people who'll hate you because of your writing how you've treated their beloved character in their fanbase, and how you are as a person no matter how much you try to please them, but that doesn't mean that you'd have to let these types of people dissuade you from the type of story you want to convey. Is criticism an overall bad thing? Absolutely not, in many cases, it's actually been proven to be quite helpful in terms of progressing the story, but there's gotta be a barrier between providing constructive criticism and constantly punishing others when they're down and acting like petty, parasitic, idiots who've probably never heard of the actual meaning behind constructive criticism.

//It's okay to disagree with somebody's perspective on a character, but you can't actively pressure and gaslight them into accepting your viewpoint and personal opinions, because nobody's gonna feel comfortable about discussing anything about that topic around you because they'll know about how you'd react to such an obviously sensitive topic, and it'll often foster deep-seated feelings of paranoia and a general incapability of continuing on with what makes them happy, because what's the point of even continuing on anymore if everybody's mad at something you did wrong, even if it really isn't your fault?

//This sort of irrational, vitriolic, rhetoric is actively dissuading people from continuing on with what gives them enjoyment and comfort in life, and it's honestly depressing to see that it's only getting worse.

//Instead, as a piece of genuine advice cherish those who are willing to be supportive towards you and provide constructive advice to help improve your self-confidence and your positive qualities as a person, while proactively blocking out those who'll just leave a negative influence on you in life, both in terms of internet and real-life problems. I promise you

//Yes, it's a difficult process to handle, especially if that toxic influence is a personal friend of yours, or a dedicated fan who's been supporting the blog since its creation, but it's honestly for the best that you cut ties with these people because people who constantly resort to guilt-tripping you over some minor misunderstanding, making you severely doubt yourself about whether or not you're actually a good person, and basically use manipulation and violent, intimidation tactics to silence you when they dislike how you'd portrayed a certain character, and attempting to psychologically break you by spamming hate each time you update a new chapter.

//As someone who's witnessed stuff like this before, it's abundantly clear to me that it's being perpetuated by a group of sensitive bullies who don't understand the very definition of what humans are like, and that, contrary to what we'd think, humans aren't devoid of empathy or compassion for others, as everybody might assume at first glance. The human mind is a fascinating, complex, treasure trove of knowledge, and we often tend to neglect just how much potential we have to accomplish incredible things in life, not just from a historical or writing perspective, but also from a human perspective as well.

//Humanity is capable of showcasing cases of empathy, positivity, kindness, and a plethora of other beautiful things about ourselves, but we often take those promises for granted, and that doesn't change the fact that we have an inherent tendency toward being self-destructive and violent, as history has pointed out over the years. We are our worst enemies, but that doesn't mean that we're all inevitably doomed to fail as a civilization and never progress as a species in terms of showing love and compassion toward others.

//Sadly, these so-called "fans" have no storage of kindness or empathy in their hearts, only existing just to relentlessly intimidate those who are really sincere and great people, into submission, because that's how they derive their power, bullying others out of a sense of blind devotion, and sadistic desires because that's what the majority of those haters are, and it's a definite example of parasitism and bullying

//Apologies if I've ranted a bit about this situation quite longer than what I'd originally hoped it would be. It's just so exhausting having to deal with all of this, so I hoped that this post managed to bring those who were targeted by those miserable excuses for fans some semblance of comfort. I seriously don't wanna discuss this topic any further than it should've been, because aside from what I'd just stated, there's not much to it, other than the controversy and discourse surrounding Hiyoko has gotten far worse than what I expected, and from where things stand as of late, it's not going away anytime soon.

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers LOST EDEN ー Ayato Maniac [09]

ー The scene starts in Kino’s manor

Reiji: By the way, Ruki. The current situation strikes me as awfully odd. 

You were the last person I would have expected to go against Father’s will...

Ruki: ...Well, I can understand that. I’m even surprised by it myself. 

While spending time at a gradually decaying Eden, I constantly beat myself up, thinking ‘should I let this happen...?’

Although I made my final decision when I received word of Ayato destroying the Sakamaki manor for the second time...

Reiji: ...Judging by your wording, you must have had some sort of other reason besides his concrete actions as well? 

Ruki: ...To put it simple, I believe I might have been jealous. Of the man known as Sakamaki Ayato who was chosen by that man.

Reiji: ...Oh? I did not think you would reveal your true intentions so easily. That is not like you at all. 

Ruki: What is the point in hiding it still? I have always lived harboring a certain degree of resentment towards Ayato. 

Not only is he simple-minded, but he acts before he thinks. 

I am fairly certain that anyone who looks at him could see that he simply is not cut out to be a King.

However, Karlheinz-sama chose Ayato regardless...

In the end, perhaps I was simply unable to accept that...

Reiji: ...I see. 

Ruki: Will you criticize me now? 

For letting personal feelings sway a decision which could impact our whole clan...as well as the entire Demon World. 

Reiji: No, not at all.

After all, I was thinking the exact same thing. 

Ruki: Hooh, interesting...

Reiji: It seems like in this case, for the both of us...

We cannot claim to have made this decision with a heavy heart, or as the result of being swayed by the immediate issues at hand. 

Ruki: ...Seems like it.

*Flap flap flap*

Reiji: Oh dear, a Familiar...

Ruki: Seems like it’s here for me. 

I asked my younger brothers to keep a close eye on Ayato’s every move. They might be contacting me in regards to that...

*Flip*

Ruki: Oh...

Reiji: ...? What is the matter? 

Ruki: No...

ー The scene shifts to the Chamber of Time at Eden

Ayato: ...

...Oi, Old Fart! You can hear me, can’t you...?

I bet you knew everythin’ from the very beginnin’, didn’t you?

You knew that I’d ultimately end up all by myself like this...

Yet you chose to give these powers to me regardless, right? Hey, why did you do that...?

...

Feignin’ ignorance again, huh? You never change...

You get everyone involved in your mess, but when things start lookin’ bad, you’re nowhere to be seen. 

You really are one failure of a dad...God...

Oi, you realize what’ll happen, right? At this rate, everythin’ will go to shit...

This Eden you created, our family, all of it...

...Answer me already!

*THUD*

Ayato: ...Haah.

What am I even doin’...? He’s no longer here...

Fuck...

ー The scene shifts to the hallway at Eden

Yui: ( Ayato-kun... )

( He’s inside this room, right? Maybe I should try reaching out...? )

Selection

→ Reach out

Yui: Ayato-ku...ーー

( ... )

( I might actually only get in his way by doing this... )

( I’m sure he has decided to lock himself in here because he wants some time alone... )

→ Leave him be (❦)

Yui: ...

( I think I’ll leave it after all... )

( I’m sure he’ll come out if he needs me... )

( I should probably give him some space now... )

Yui: ( I’ll go back to my room... )

Monologue

Ever since, Ayato-kun has been staying cooped up in the Chamber of Time (刻の間) this whole time.

I do not know what is happening in there,

but I believe that he might be talking to Karlheinz-san. 

Even though he knows that he will never get an answer,

he still cannot help but want to reach out to him. 

After all, the only person capable of sympathizing with him,

would be that man, 

as he once possessed those exact same powers...

Even though Ayato-kun is suffering right in front of my eyes,

there is absolutely nothing I can do for him. 

That made me incredibly sad (悲しかった). 

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

[twist-of-art]

Willing to start anew again & giving self-care a chance

⚠️ Please do NOT continue reading if you might get triggered by certain "sensitive topics" including mental illnesses, toxicity, mentions of s*****e, etc. ⚠️

As someone out of many people who are struggling with depression, other mental disorders and trying to find their place and happiness in life I've been often reaching the point where I was ready to give up. I've always been a severe pessimist who quickly saw no point either in things that I started to like or do or life in general, especially during bad days, moments of disappointment or random relapses. These struggles hit me hard once again lately and after so many years of this "broken record" repeating itself, I decided to take a drastical turn in my life because in all honesty.. I slowly grew tired of this entire nonsense and I don't feel like I have the energy to deal with these things anymore after already witnessing them for God knows how often in the past.

I would like to share my experiences with you because perhaps some of you might be in a similar situation and I want to show you that you're NOT ALONE with this!

I'm no therapist nor someone who tries to tell anyone what's right or wrong. This post is only showing MY VERY PERSONAL experiences, struggles & decisions in order how I started step by step to change certain things in order to learn and get a different perspective in life while keeping on fighting my mental illness and trying to seek + find my own happiness.

So let's give this a shot 💪🏻

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• Awareness & acceptance

Have you ever caught yourself denying that things are difficult for you or where you intentionally ignored certain struggles, pretended things are fine or where you merely avoided specific topics because they made you feel "hurt", "annoyed", "triggered", etc? Being in denial is venom to you and your recovery or way to change and it doesn't help you at all, it rather throws stones on you path + makes things even more messy.

Fact is: Denying or avoiding your struggles or immediately blocking off when being confronted with specific things or issues (maybe even your own behavior?) isn't going to work out forever. Many people are afraid or can't accept the truth that they might have a problem and believe they can run but in reality they may run, but can't hide. And yes, TRUTH HURTS. We all know how hellish it can sting when being confronted with nothing but the hard, merciless truth..

In my case however, this was one of the things that helped me to realize that what I've been doing so far wasn't enough. I also tried to ignore it for a long time and ended up being oh so certain that I've already done anything in my might but man.. How wrong can someone be, lol. No matter how old you get, there's ALWAYS a way to improve, learn & to change. You just need to take your time to realize, accept and then make the first step in order to change something but the most important thing: YOU are the one who has to be willing to take this first step. Nobody else can do it for you and if you're not ready to do it or even don't want to do it, then it's simple -> Don't complain + expect things to get better for you. 🤷🏻

Life isn't easy nor is it always fair but don't be an a$$hat. There are for sure unfortunately people in this world who have bad intentions, did us wrong, treated us badly, etc. but keep in mind that despite all of those horrible things that may have happened to us, WE are as well still human. We are no saints either and we also tend to make mistakes or, hell even being d1cks, no matter if intentional or not.

It's way too easy to always dump the blame on somebody else because admitting mistakes or other flaws is hard, especially when it comes to certain mess-ups where we may have hurt someone close for example. Fact is, nobody of us is perfect and we all f*ck up. Regularly. But instead of complaining all the time how terrible everything is, how much you hate everyone or everything and how cruel or mean the world is to you, please give it a brief try, step in front of the mirror and ask yourself: "Am I maybe here and there making things unnecessary harder for myself, because I've been an a$$ in certain situations? Am I always fully innocent?"

Being aware of your own flaws and mistakes + being able to recognize and admit them is as well one of the first steps to improvement. Because no matter how hard we try, sometimes it's US who are the ones spreading bad energy, being unable to control our emotions, letting our frustration out on other people or maybe even being toxic. I myself have f*cked up big time in my past and this guilt is still haunting me till today + I even went far enough to try and take my own life because I couldn't handle the fact that I made mistakes like these, hurt people who I usually love, and and and.

The truth here is: We will probably all have moments in life where we mess up once again. Being human means to have flaws but there's a clear difference between making mistakes and being a jerk. Don't be afraid to admit your mistakes, apologize, learn from them and grow in order to prevent it from happening again.

And I kid you not, NEVER use a mental illness as an excuse for douchebaggery! I know how hard and exhausting it is when your own mind is being nonstop at war with yourself but as long as you're still sane and having common sense it's still YOU who's responsible for your actions and choice of words. Relapses and slip-ups may happen because we're no machines but this should never be a typical excuse for regulary hurting others or being straight forward "trash".

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• Not being afraid to turn the page & setting boundaries

As someone who's been always having difficulties with closing certain doors and setting boundaries for myself, this was probably one of my hardest struggles until I literally felt forced to do it thanks to a few incidents where I was shown that I have no other choice if I want to recover and change something.

Fact is: Sometimes we have to close certain doors in our life. Not out of spite, pettiness or oversensitivity but just because they don't lead anywhere anymore. Things in life change, people change, we all grow older and life moves on + eventually one day we may finally realize that it's for example not only our way of how we view certain things but perhaps maybe also some old (bad) habits or even our environment that keeps us away from improving and continuing.

It's an extremely hard process of mind and making this decision isn't anything but easy, but sometimes it's the best way to turn the page and start a new chapter. If you feel that some habits, maybe even hobbies / activities or other things don't bring you joy anymore, rather make you feel drained, empty or give you the feeling that they're all a waste of time, THIS is the right time to drop them and move on. Same with certain people..

Cutting ties with another person used to be one of my biggest fears because even if I knew that someone was either making me feel bad, used me or merely didn't give a damn about me, I always remained a loyal dog and kept on chasing them, simply out of fear of being "the a$$hole" + not wanting to get guilttripped or gaslighted. Fact here is: I ended up in so much unnecessary trouble thanks to those people and I didn't even realize that my mind + even environment were desperately telling me to finally kick those "Energy-sucking vampires" out of my life. I waited way too long with making a decision and the fact that some people simply are nothing but pieces of sh*t, so I should stop trying to change them and just let them rot instead of giving them regularly the opportunity to use me or literally cling to me like a leech, draining all of my energy.

Please know your worth! If you notice a person in your circle making you feel: Terrible every time you interact, doesn't respect your boundaries, only pays attention to you when they're in need, never gives a damn about your wellbeing, uses you as their "emotional toilet" or puppet but in return ignores you when you've hit the bottom of the barrel, trashtalks you + never shares your happiness when you're feeling well or having joy & in the worst case even guilttripps, trauma-dumps or gaslights you when you dare to tell them that you have a problem with their behavior —> DUMP THESE PEOPLE RIGHT AWAY!!! People like that are no "friends" at all and only disguise as those, in order to use you for their own, selfish and toxic needs. Nobody deserves to deal with something like that in their life, so as soon as you notice any red flags like that, don't give them any other opportunity to continue destroying you, so stay safe 🙏🏻

DON'T chase anybody if they make you feel like garbage or you're the one who's desperately trying to keep a "friendship" alive + don't force anybody to stay. If someone wants to walk out of your life, show them the door and even hold it open for them. Simply thank them for being part in your story and let them go.. Nobody's being forced to be your friend and same goes the other way around. I as well left many WhatsApp & Discord groups + had to cut ties with people who turned out to be only interested in me for giving them money, attention or when they could "use" me and as soon as they saw that they have no power over me anymore, they showed their true face by becoming angry, frustrated and even hostile because I showed them that I'm not alive to please THEM. Everybody is responsible for their own life and happiness and if people like that can't deal with it then it's their problem, not yours.

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• Give new things a chance and especially time

Especially during heavy periods of depression, frustration or anger it's hard to remain motivated, particularly when you're trying to focus on new things. You become irritated or even mad quite quickly which can lead to the conclusion that you drop everything, give up and think "Why am I even trying? I suck and it's pointless anyway."

The problem here is that this way of negative thinking won't bring you far and causes more harm to yourself and your wellbeing + confidence than you think. I'm aware that reading this right now sounds incredibly easy while in reality it's not, but please give things time. Have you ever planted a tree and did it immediately burst out of the ground, fully grown with leaves after you watered it? It's the exact same story with trying new things out, returning to activities or hobbies that you may have dropped or with improvement and recovery in general. It's totally ok to be frustrated sometimes, impatient or even sad. But don't expect things to work out immediately after the first try and please don't give up right away if you may experience failure!

Also never forget to take breaks. Trying your best DOESN'T mean you have to push yourself to that degree that you end up breaking down, relapsing or whatever. Remember once again: You are human. It's ok to feel exhausted. It's ok to have days that are trash and it's no sign of failure or weakness if you need a break or cry. Everyone is improving, growing and learning at their own pace, which is perfectly fine. It doesn't matter if someone's path may be longer than somebody else's, don't compare yourself to others! This is YOU and YOUR LIFE. And as long as you keep on working on yourself and reach your goal + happiness in life, that's all that matters.

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Life is already serious enough, so try to enjoy it as much as possible because it could be over anytime.. That's what I've learned.

If you may ask yourself now if I'm happy with my current life: No. DEFINITELY NOT.

I still have a long way to go and work on myself, despite already doing so since my early childhood and slowly walking towards my 30s, lol. But what I can say is that I've learned to view things from a different perspective and not being scared anymore to try myself out or to make certain decisions. I'm trying to focus on things that I used to love, even during relapses or trashy days + I also stopped viewing things COMPLETELY NEGATIVE. I cherish what I have because I'm well aware that there are always people who have it by far worse & even when I'm feeling screwed over by certain peeps or life in general, I'm not allowing this nonsense to mess with me for ages.

My boss once said "Just curse a little and carry the f*ck on."

I'll never forget his words because this is basically what helped me most of the time to remain sane, since I'm letting out some steam if I have to, yet I'm still having other and better things to do than complaining all the time or allowing this to ruin my day entirely.

Thanks ya'll for reading my essay and I wish every single one of you from the bottom of my heart to stay strong. Just because you're struggling right now, it doesn't mean it's going to last forever! You are valid, you are loved, you are trying and that's more than enough! ❤️

[phantomram-b00]

Y’all, I know the Coffee Theory is kinda a mixed bag. But man, I have never wanted a theory to be true in my entire life….buttttttt I think it unlikely for this to be confirm and I’m content with this.

(edit: warning! If you haven’t seen Season 2/1 of Good Omen or just new, please be warn that this does contain HEAVY SPOILERS for the show don’t read this just yet or you can read it, you’re free to do whichever :)) just don’t say I didn’t warn you)

See here the thing, this theory, does sound interesting, it could work within good omen….on paper. Only because, I don’t know exactly how it would work for Aziraphale’s character; considering the more I think about it, the more I am realize it wouldn’t have matter if the coffee was miracle,drugged or anything. Aziraphale is still an Angel, I made a post of it where I’ve mention that Aziraphale, yes, he understand/realized that Heaven is just Hell in different font and colors; he still is grasping onto the hope that hopefully that there still good within them. But also Aziraphale would do ANYTHING to make thing better for not only humanity but for Crowley as that just how hospitable and selfless he is; and it to a fault and that’s what make Aziraphale such a complex character and why he’s absolutely my favorite character (besides also Crowley they both my favorite idiots). He might be good and have good intention but good intentions ≠ good moral. Especially since this isn’t exactly the first time he choose heaven above everything for the sake of wanting to be “good” and not Fall, he literally had a panic of possible falling just because he lied even though Heaven (during the Job episode) and the Archangels treat him like he odd one out (hell, even Crowley had to endure that even when he was aziraphale in disguise in Episode 6 of season 1 when Gabriel said “shut your stupid mouth and die already” and other insult but that one as you see in season 2 really got to Crowley.) this is all Aziraphale’s religious trauma coming to light and also his response to it all; this is him going through a character development and I’m excited for season 3 to see where it goes and just hope he and Crowley get the happily ever after they so honorably deserves like all the couples we’ve seen in this show.

Now with that out the way, I will give this theory some merit/defense: if this theory is true, this could be an interesting move on heaven as it will show…just how far they’re willing to go to make sure they make Armageddon and win this holy war against Hell. So them possibility mind-controlling Aziraphale just show their morals are, but frankly, who didn’t know that heaven is bad? They’re the same people who was going to kill Jobs kids and everything he owned to turn around and say “at least you can get more” with a pat on the back. And you know, this theory does make aziraphale less responsible for his decision which ultimately will make episode 6 of season 2 possible more sadder as this wouldn’t have been Aziraphale’s choice, (then again he didn’t exactly have a choice to begin with.) as well as giving Crowley more justification as why he could never say he 100% good and also maybe give Aziraphale more trauma. But I do understand for those whom want this theory to be true as it could give a reason of the coffee and also a reason to want to write heaven and all the archangel on the death notebook, as i do have those moment to maybe make the situation while just as heartbreaking for both Crowley and Aziraphale also give hope that this wasn’t exactly 100% Aziraphale’s choice. (But also give people who like protective Crowley to rescue Aziraphale, which ngl I can see it whether theory is true or not considering something Crowley said while Aziraphale was in Scotland)

Honestly I’m torn with this, I wanted to rant about this since while I do think the theory can be a interesting plot twist to have though I do think it kinda diminishes Aziraphale’s character and his arc as a whole. But I will say, Crowley would most definitely go feral and deliver his revenge serve cold.

[inkofyoonkoo]

Ohhh nooo… I am sorry that you are feeling unmotivated due to the lack of feedback.. but I feel you, you are putting so much effort into your books and then people are not even appreciating it enough…

That just shows how important it is that people show their love and admiration for things they‘re enjoying

Let me tell you, since I am yoongi biased I did read all of your stories about yoongi x reader and ohhh boy You, Amoung The Others is something else. (btw I should also start reading your other stories about ggukie)

While reading it I honestly thought to myself, does the author even realize how good she is at what she's doing? Fanfictions written so well like yours are so rare, at least that‘s the impression I have. There are so many stories on Wattpad that have tones, speaking of millions of views, likes and comments etc. that don’t come even close to the perfection of your stories. It’s honestly not fair. And it’s honestly even a little bit embarrasing to admit how invested I got into YATO hahahha, I was feeling all of the feelings, because you made me. It’s simply great. You’re creating a comfy corner for your readers dear Author.

So…You go Author keep shining..🦋✨. I hope I don’t come of as a creep, but after reading your answer to your last ask, I felt like I need to leave some Love here 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼 Of course it’s only your decision if you want to keep up with certain works but just know that there are still some people much appreciating it, if you do..

I'm probably a million years late with my reply, but hi! Hello!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for appreciating my Yoongi's story -especially YATO. I'm always happy if readers can feel the emotions I was trying to depict through the characters 😊 unfortunately, I don't think that my stories are perfect and I'm well aware that this fandom is so prolific that for sure there are fanfiction that are much more amazing than mine out there; but I'm also aware that my stories might be a source of comfort to someone else, and this is the main reason why I kept sharing and update even when writing was the last thing I wanted to do.

Although I feel deeply bad for leaving my works incomplete and my readers hanging, I've really reached the limit of my patience for a while now, and I'm sad to say that I quit writing about BTS right now -and it's not my intention to go back to it in the immediate future. I'm still writing, but they aren't BTS related and I won't even probably publish them; I'm just doing it for myself, when I want to, and I really needed it right now 😊 I know I'm letting a few people down with my decision -but, well, I think it was just a matter of time since I've always been pretty vocal about the issue and nothing changed.

So, yeah, thank you so so much for this lovely message and for enjoying some of my stories ❤️❤️❤️ but even more important, thank for reaching out and sending me a bit of love and support!!! it really means the world to me 🥰

[otnesse]

Apparently Paige O'Hara got interviewed almost a decade ago about Belle at BoxOffice. Mostly the usual praising of Belle, as can be expected from O'Hara. There were two stuff I took issue with in regards to the interview:

"Princesses get a bad rap as role models, but Belle is stronger than Snow White or Cinderella.

Absolutely, and what doesn't get acknowledged enough is that Belle—really, without hesitating—sacrifices her life for her father. That is just such a courageous moment in the film and I think it's not talked about enough. It's funny, when I was growing up I'd always say to my mom, "How do you know when you're really in love?" And she'd say, "If there was a fire, would you save yourself or the other person? If the answer is the other person, he's the right one." Belle's father was more important to her than herself and I think that's just an amazing quality."

Ah, Belle still had a father who loved her (any parent for that matter), while Snow White and Cinderella were all but stated to have been raised in a loveless environment by their stepfamilies (especially after their fathers died from unfortunate circumstances, possibly suspicious ones entailing the stepmothers I don't know), the former even trying to commit infanticide against her out of spite for her potentially becoming more beautiful. And honestly, she DOES realize she unintentionally implied that Belle doesn't really love Beast OR Maurice with that fire analogy, right? Let's not forget that when trying to save Maurice, her first instinct was to expose the Beast to the lynch mob, nearly getting him killed in the process. And as far as Maurice, she barely even stayed a few hours before she broke her end of the deal by fleeing, which sounded more like she ultimately loved herself more than Maurice (if she truly loved him, she'd do a LOT more than just take his place at the castle, she'd stay there when the going went rough in other words. Let me put it another way: Her actions by fleeing the castle, even if she were to somehow evade the wolves, survive the elements to return to her dad, would result in him being captured AGAIN by the Beast as retribution.). Contrast that with Cinderella, who stayed in the loveless environment until an actual opportunity arose to get a better life rather than flee from the door, or even Snow White, who risked going into a dark forest specifically to get away from her murderous stepmom once she learned of her intentions towards her.

"And in this version, they've changed it so the sacrifice is her idea. In the original, her father forces her to go.

I'm glad you brought that up because that was a very important choice that they made consciously. Linda Woolverton [the writer] said it was a very important decision to make her the strong one. There's so many levels to this movie. I go back a few years later and I go, "Oh my gosh, the writing is so brilliant-they really knew what they were doing!""

Well, they certainly made her more hands-on with that deal, I'll acknowledge that much. That said, however, her father didn't force Belle to become the Beast's bride. Quite the opposite, he specifically wanted to AVOID sending Belle out to be the bride and was intending to be resigned to his fate of being the Beast's prisoner. Belle in the original tale ended up sneaking out of the house a'la Mulan to go to the castle without her father's knowledge. So no, Belle DID willingly sacrifice herself even in the original book, the only change is that she actually formed the deal. And even if she WERE forced to go in her father's stead, it was her SISTERS who forced her to go, NOT her father (her sisters were the ones who refused to go, leaving it up to her). Besides, I fail to see how Disney Belle was even that stronger of a character. Yes, Disney Belle might have formed the deal, but she ALSO was the one who immediately broke her end of the bargain by fleeing the castle when barely a single night had passed, which if anything made it seem as though she's not one to honor the promises or deals that she makes, a bit like Ursula in The Little Mermaid (and make no mistake, the person actually orchestrating the deal refusing to go along with the results of the deal if not in their favor is MUCH worse than the person subject to the deal, not that the latter is much better.). At least the original Belle put UP with staying with a beastly individual for what was implied to be months before being allowed visitation rights.

[stillthesunkenstars]

Heyy, I hope it’s ok to send you a message about this and it doesn’t cause more anxiety or anything for you (and feel free to ignore or delete this if you want, that’s totally fine by me). I know I don’t follow your main here, but I do scroll through it every now and I just did that and saw all your posts about leaving tumblr and the BS fandom.

it’s late and past my bedtime and my brain is kinda fried rn, so I hope this comes out the way I want it to, but all I wanted to say is that I’ve loved your art ever since I first saw it and your drawings are a very big reason why I first started messing around with the DWEU/BS myself. I still haven’t been able to read as much BS stuff as I’d like to, but I do plan to do that someday, and the character and her stories have been a really big inspiration to me over the past couple of years. like the way she keeps being a good person and choosing to be kind and loving her friends and trying to hold her family together in spite of everything the universe has throw at her to try to break her down… that’s meant A Lot to me, and I think your posts and artwork were a huge reason for that. like they really kickstarted my interest if that makes sense.

I’m sorry you feel so alone here, and I really hope you have a better time on other social media sites! we all have to do what’s best and healthiest for us, and social media is a thing meant entirely for our own enjoyment, so if you’re not enjoying this place, then definitely don’t feel bad for moving on!

but I don’t ever want to look back and realize that I didn’t tell someone they mattered when they did, so I wanted to send this message to you and say everything I just said. and also that I think your art is amazing, like not just your DW/BS art, but your whole style and everything is so cool and inspiring to me. anyway, yeah I have to go to bed now lol :’) but I hope you have a good time posting on other sites, and maybe I’ll see you there sometime! and thanks so much for all the amazing Brax art you’ve given us, as someone who also cares about that character it’s always made me so happy to know there was someone else out there who cared about him and that I wasn’t the only one. I wish you all the best! ✨🌟

Hey gurt!! Thanks for this message that is so kind of you to say😭😭 leaving tumblr for a while is kinda an impulse decision because for a consecutive week my mom just decided to trigger me about my art unprompted and it made the loneliness I felt because of tumblr worse in a way? But now that I left tumblr for a few days I really do feel much better, I want to return to make drawings for those of u who also enjoys BS but I know making drawings with the intention of ‘feeding’ other people within such a small fandom is what drained me in the first place so I’m hesitant. I’m going to therapy this week to talk about this (and a lot of other things on my mind I’m not only going to go to therapy bc tumblr lol) but if/when I return I must sort out my relationship with this website. I’m not a very nice person I think and I don’t always act rationally here but I want to just. Take a break for a while on tumblr

And YES BS is just such a good piece of media!! Like for all its dysfunctional family shenanigans like everything everyone ever does is out of love mostly… I like brax for the corpse party esque mindgames horror stuff but knowing that before everything he really started his descent into madness wishing the tragedies like what happened on dellah would not fall upon his friends and thus taking the matters into his own hands is just. The road to hell really is paved with good intentions 😭😭 that being said I don’t think I would quit drawing bs art ever because while it is a hyperfixiation it is a genuinely good piece of media that captures my almost every aesthetic.

Genuinely thank you for this message again, I’m very happy to know you enjoyed my art 😭😭