#The fascination with such simple things

[shayminlucario07]

I've just had a really dumb idea

So, I was watching HalfBreadChaos' video on "What is in the Closet Dark World", and when I saw Spamton Neo, I got hit with a realization.

The Mettaton NEO shell that Spamton wears looks a lot like it's made of paper. Specifically, it reminds me of the little dresses drawn on and cut from paper that we used to make for paper dolls in elementary school. (Niche reference, I know, but they're pretty self-explanatory- basically just mannequins made/folded from paper. In my classes in particular, we made versions that were folded paper cups or frogs. It was weird, and also cute.)

HalfBreadChaos, in that video, suggested that the plan for the Mettaton NEO body- which most of us have accepted to have been created by the ghost who became Mettaton in Undertale, Napstablook's cousin (The one we jokingly(?) call Hapstablook)- may have been something drawn on paper, as opposed to a deleted/forgotten file from a paint program, or something along those lines, which many of us thought in the past.

Well. If it WAS something tangible, as opposed to a file from a paint program... it would probably be a drawing on paper. And as HalfBreadChaos suggests in their video, if the basement of the castle is the space between the cabinet and the floor, this drawing, or plan, may have been slipped under the cabinet.

Why is that important?

The only other papers in that room (Aside from the books that Berdly and Noelle brought with them) are the printed-out emails in the trash, which are almost certainly spam emails. And that trash can is the trash zone, where Spamton makes his home. He does sleep in a dumpster- and hides in the dumpster to give us the Thorn Ring for Noelle. So, perhaps the reason he prizes the Mettaton NEO body so much is because, in the Light World, it's the only paper in the room that isn't in the trash- still discarded in a way, possibly even forgotten, but not thrown away; not labeled as valueless.

Does this mean anything? Probably not. But it's a thought I had and I wanted to share it.

[im-getting-help]

AND THE THING ABOUT OLIVER AND BOUNDARIES!

Is so obvious to me that his parents were party at fault for his lack of boundaries. Not because they we're malicious and intentional about it, but because they loved him so much they tend to cross his limits.

(Kinda like what Oliver did with Felix, but less obsessive).

From my experience it's something relatively normal about the relationship between parents and their children. The first time we really understand boundaries is when we enforce them to separate ourselves from our parents expectations. It seems to me that Oliver never learned how to do that. He's constantly molding himself to appease and appeal, and when it becomes to much, he flees.

Let's go back to the little things Paula and Jeff share with us in that brief birthday scene.

"He always wanted to be an only child, always beetling off by himself"

"He was so clever, that's why he found it hard to make friends, they were jealous".

"It's been hard not seeing him. But it must be a lot of pressure being the top scholar and being in the rowing team, and the union, and the plays..."

Let's start with the lies.

How long ago Oliver started lying to his parents to make space for himself?

Cause the lies don't necessarily feel like something he used to impress them. It seems to me like the Quicks already thought Oliver was exceptionally smart "he was always so clever" and he's just keeping appearances.

But the amount of things he said he did. The plays, the rowing team, the union, the work of studying to maintain the "top scholar position" like reading, doing work and essays and projects, assisting to classes, lectures and tutorials, it's a lot!.

"It's been hard not seeing him". How many times Paula called just to be ignored or quickly dismissed? with an excuse like "sorry i have an essay due tomorrow" or "im going to practice for the play". And why Oliver wanted to separate himself so much from his family?

"He always wanted to be an only child, always beetling off by himself" why would Oliver wanted to separate himself not only from his parents but his siblings too?

The Quicks said that "We go to to Mykonos every year. Well, not anymore. Not now that the kids are all grown up". That makes me think that Oliver sisters are older than him. Oliver doesn't seem to have a close relationship with them either. Was it because of the age gap? How much older were her sisters? Maybe they had to babysit and that created a second-mother kind of dynamic?

It sounds like he was being smothered by them. And again, i'm not saying it was intentional, but maybe Oliver needed much more space that what the Quicks were able or willing to give. And he didn't know how to ask.

And maybe (only maybe cause i don't really have good foundation for this) Oliver learned that the best way to get space from them was saying he was occupied, specifically studying. So maybe it started at school, him saying that he had to finish homework or read a book or do project, and maybe these were the only times he'll be left alone. Maybe that was the perfect excuse to explain why he didn't have many friends too.

(and i wonder why a kid with no sense of boundaries would have a hard time making friends 👀)

And why Oliver keeps lying?

After moving to Oxford, he could've just draw back and create that space without making an excuse. But he didn't, because he cares, he likes that his family thinks he's intelligent and capable. But he doesn't care for spending time with them.

I don't think he said all those lies to look especially intresting or important, but he did choose to "be occupied" by being a good student. Not in a "i won an award for best performance" but a "I'm too busy to talk, i have tutorial"

And look at the way the Quicks react to Oliver saying he has to go, is very interesting.

Paula just gives up instantly. She offers a compromise, and when rejected she's obviously frustrated but she just lets it go. On the other hand Jeff tries to reason with his son a little "your mother spent all morning doing lunch" but they seem very accustomed to this situation. It's not the first time Oliver escapes a conversation.

So, to me, is obvious that Oliver's parents knowingly or unknowingly contributed to Oliver's lack of healthy boundaries.

He never really draw the line with them, he just made excuses to avoid and elude and ultimately flee when the situation got out of hand. And they never picked up on it, they kept repeating the same scenarios multiple times without having a conversation about it.

I feel like his parents never really confronted him about anything. Maybe because they didn't sense anything was wrong, maybe because, same as the Cattons, they didn't know how to approach the situation or maybe because they know Oliver gets really fcking upset whenever they tried to have a conversation about it, who knows.

So at the end we have a 20yo dude who never learned how to enforce a boundary or why is healthy to have them and has absolutely no idea how to perceive and not cross others limits.

[i-literally-cant-with-this]

A/N ::: Literally, I'm not gonna tell you what I was doing when I though of this 🫣. But uh, my god, dude. Stick a fork in me cuz I'm super, super done.

C/W ::: Just like, gross lovey dovey shit. Fingering, teasing, um, I don't even think this has language. So yeah. If you hate romantic stuff, mushy stuff, this is not for you.

WC ::: 646

Song Rec

Kafka laid down to your right, next to you on your bed. He thinks it's a lot like you: Warm, soft, and he never wants to leave.

And for the last 45 minutes, he's been kissing your neck so slowly and gently that you feel like you're either going to cum from the tension that has been racking your body or crawl out of your skin.

His right hand has been drawing tiny circles on your belly. His thumb rubs the parts of you that you wished he'd never notice. Never pay attention to.

Still kissing you, he slips his hand just below the elastic on your probably too-casual-for-the-occasion panties. He just looks down at you, locking eyes, and smiles that loving smile that he gives you when he knows something you're not quite privy to.

Your brows furrow, hips jutting upward as a nearly inaudible whine slips from your throat.

But his superhuman hearing caught that and the way your heartbeat increased dramatically as he sought out your wetness. His fingers danced further down with every intention of filling you. But at the last second, he withdrew his destination.

He put his middle finger into your mouth and tipped his chin up at you, silently reminding you that you know exactly what to do right now.

You obliged and let it slip passed your lips, sucking him in. You swirled your tongue around him, tasting yourself. Eyes rolling uncontrollably at how utterly sexy this man is right now and always.

Kafka had a way of making you feel like you were the only thing he needed in this world. The way his eyes dilated as you sucked on him made you feel like the only thing in his world his sights were set on.

His voice was barely a whisper as he asked, "Is this what you want? Is this what you need?"

He knew the answer already, but he loved hearing you say it. You wanted him. You needed him. You were his. He was yours. And right now, all you could focus on was him making you cum with his fingers, his mouth, his dick, or any combination thereof.

And so, he put his middle finger back in your mouth and took his index finger back down to your pussy. He spread your wetness over your clit. Your breath hitching in your throat as you felt his touch getting heavier.

He pressed down on it with a gentle but firm touch, and you melted into his embrace. The feeling of his hands on your body and his breath on your neck made you feel like you were floating.

Your orgasm was coming on quick. You couldn't help but wrap your arms around him and grip onto him like he was the only thing keeping you tethered to the earth.

With every kiss and stroke, he carried you closer to the edge. Your hips bucked as you felt the pressure building even more inside of you.

Your moans grew louder and louder until finally, you couldn't hold back any longer. You came, cursing any deities that were within range of hearing you. And, finally, a sigh. You were left feeling like your body was going to explode from the sheer pleasure of it all.

Kafka held you through it all, his fingers never leaving your clit, until you'd completely released every ounce of energy he'd made your body stockpile.

He held you close and kissed your forehead gently. "You're so … I love you so much."

You knew he meant it. You knew he loved you more than anything else in this world. You just wished you knew why. Why did he choose you? How did you end up with someone who was so perfect for you?

As he lay next to you, Kafka gently nibbled your earlobe and whispered, "I'm never letting go."

@supersecretsaga @kazutora-kurokawa @katkusuo

@witchy-scribblings (I hope it's ok to tag you?? I figured if you love him as much as I do you want to see everything ever written for him lol. Let me know if you don't want to be tagged and I'll cease and desist! =) )

@darkstarlight82 @arlerts-angel @bakubunny

@viburnt @reiners-milkbiddies @southside-otaku

@trevengersprincess (Sun-Ray? Do you want to be tagged in this stuff? Lmk! =) <3)

[doomedlemur]

Thoughts on the character motivations of secret relationships in AU fanfics...

I've been reading a lot of fanfiction, a lot of AU fanfiction, and something I've seen a few times now is Aziraphale wanting to keep his relationship with Crowley secret because it could potentially jeopardize his career if people knew. (Usually he's in the closet, but maybe there's something about Crowley specifically that makes it scandalous (or both).) This invariably leads to angst until Aziraphale decides to come out after all, and then they live out and proud together, happily ever after. Which, great! But—

I've just realized why this trope kind of bothers me: It isn't true to Aziraphale's character.

Because wanting to stay in heaven's good books isn't his primary motivation for keeping his friendship with Crowley a secret. I mean sure, obviously he doesn't want them to know, but his bigger worry has always been for Crowley and his safety. What if his side found out?

Look at him in the Globe scene, looking at Crowley with such fear: "If Hell finds out...they'll destroy you."

That the secrecy is all just to keep his own public persona clean? No, it doesn't fit.

I have my quibbles with Shotgun Wedding, but this is something it got right, that the relationship is a danger to both their careers, and more to Crowley's than Aziraphale's.

Tangentially, another fic I was reading got me thinking about Crowley's role in this setup. Usually there's strife due to Crowley not being okay with being Aziraphale's dirty secret (which tbf is a legit understandable stance, and a great catalyst for Aziraphale's journey to self-acceptance), but in this one, while Aziraphale had the thing thinking that being with Crowley would ruin his career, Crowley's role was subverted. Instead of Crowley stepping away, Aziraphale pushed him away, assuming Crowley wouldn't want to be his secret, that it wouldn't be fair to him. Until eventually, Crowley snaps, calls him an idiot, and that he doesn't care if Aziraphale is in the closet or not! That he's okay with being Aziraphale's secret. (I hesitate to name the fic because this is a spoiler for the climactic revelations in it, but it is on my fanfic master rec list and if you like I'll tell you in DM.)

That blew my mind. It was so opposite to the other characterizations and yet felt so right for Crowley. He never cared that he had to see Aziraphale on the DL, so long as he got to see him, and he wouldn't dream of trying to make Aziraphale compromise his standing for his sake. "I'm not going to tell anybody. Are you?"

Anyway, all this to say that while I understand the plot setup and why it's used, looking past the surface level, it doesn't actually fit for either of these characters.

[finexbright]

.

[queen-scribbles]

So Alderaan went well... >.>

[aro-culture-is]

Aro culture is being pissed off when you are on a colleges website completing their "fun" little quiz that reccommends what majors you should look into and HALF of the questions are about romance or dates and you are just sitting there wondering how on earth this even slightly relates to what you want to study

.

[goldensunset]

man ‘understandable’ is not the same as ‘justified’

[moe-broey]

WHY THEY DON'T FUCKING TALK ABOUT IT.

Peony: Thinks everything is all fixed now 🥰

Triandra: Too caught up in her self-loathing and agonizing guilt to even consider speaking with Sharena, the only reason she's on speaking terms with Peony IS because of their closer proximity to each other (being alfar/shared background) and Peony's persistence

Sharena: Talks to Peony, Doesn't talk to Triandra????? Sharena is. The Ignorer. Maybe she wants to reach out, but doesn't know how or even where to begin. But honestly I think she's repressing a bunch of shit too. To speak to Triandra would mean having to Unpack All That.

Alfonse: Speaks to Peony and Triandra on business only. Very professional. Very cordial. Yes there's also the harsh self-criticism and agonizing guilt and holding even his child self to impossible standards like this never should have happened. I should have stopped it. I should have fixed it. I should have been Enough to Prevent This. For my sister to have been in the realm of dreams, her peers being abused and left for dead, what does that say? What does that mean? What happened? How could it have happened? It should have never happened. I should have

[theywontletmebeprincipal]

gonna be so honest marcille’s Thing About Death is infinitely more interesting to me than her dynamic with falin

[birdricks]

late night insane post i rlly think birdrick appeals to me partly bc of the alien nature of their relationship… and specifically in how bp kind of bridges the gap between them but in many other ways theyre completely different

[brookheimer]

my boss: write an 800-1000 word piece on the truman show’s 25th anniversary

me: *currently 5000 words into dissecting the history of a subgenre i coined mid-article*

[quietwingsinthesky]

soulless sam was at his best when he was still being written as a version of sam, to accentuate parts of him that normally get held back, and not as 'guess he's evil now'. soulless sam when he's reflecting sam's tendency to lose sight of everything else in pursuit of a goal. soulless sam when he's just kind of rude without thinking about it without his filter on. soulless sam when he's equal parts intent on keeping dean with him and also happy to lie to him and keep him shut out of the things he knows dean won't like so that dean won't leave. soulless sam when he equally recognizes that he is a better hunter now, and also that he probably can't continue to exist without his soul. (you know. before they went along with making him just kind of evil.)

...soulless sam when he's begging for literally anyone to acknowledge his autonomy in this situation and not force him to take his soul back without knowing how much it could damage him and being ignored.

[rukafais]

i think my favourite little horrible (positive) callback in the Generations trilogy is where Drizzt tries to insist that Zaknafein was at peace when he was dead an he was Fine and Okay and you CAME TO ME IN A DREAM AND YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE FINE which is a reference to him having a dream after he rescues Wulfgar from Errtu about his dad, and his repeated ‘i’m really trying to convince myself despite not knowing anything’ litanies of how Zak definitely went to a good place and was at peace after he died because his death has to mean SOMETHING, right, he earned SOMETHING, right,

and Zaknafein’s answer is “I literally don’t remember that. I don’t remember anything. It was just darkness.”

And on one hand I genuinely think Zaknafein getting to Stop Thinking for like a century and it being like no time passed at all, he just went into stasis, was the kindest thing any kind of god or afterlife could have done for him but it also just, doesn’t comfort Drizzt at all. And it’s a really subtle but very interesting underlining of how, even in these basic survival impulses, Drizzt and Zak diverged hard and are sort of mutually ???? about it.

[piratespencil]

“Tonight the children inherit the world.”

I’m obsessed with this theme of parent/child relationships this campaign. I’m obsessed with how almost every PC has a weird/strained relationship with their parents or parental figures and how that keeps being paralleled with how people view themselves and the gods. I’m obsessed with how messy and petty and personal that makes this whole situation. It’s so cool.

[phantastragoria]

do you have a favourite portrayal of a character in the gotg game!! who is it and why <3

Oh I think they're all great honestly!!! Part of why I love the game so much is that genuinely, the whole team + supporting characters are written with such obvious love of the source material and equal attention between them all. When I see comments of people saying who their favorite character was from the game and the answer always being different from each person I'm like!! That's how it SHOULD be!!! They're the Guardians of the Galaxy (plural) the focus shouldn't all fall on a singular character like most other GotG media usually ends up as 😭

The two (sorry I can't pick just one) whom I think benefit the most from the game though are Drax and Gamora because they're almost always sidelined both in-and-out of universe by most of the various writers (especially as of late) and in turn the viewers/readers. I've been told plenty of times that they're the most boring members of the "main" team, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY! The amount of love the game versions get (by the few who've played it at least) proves that 🥺

I've never really liked 616 Drax shifting to being a complete clown during the 90s and such (and even less so when the MCU followed along 💀) So I appreciate the game taking a bit of his seriousness from the DnA run and just making him struggle with nuance and context clues in a less exaggerated way (autistic Drax I still believe in u) and I feel the focus put on him and how losing his original family + the aftermath deeply affected him hits pretty hard here because it's treated very seriously and shown in depth, especially with how his family (wife) gets actual focus. I cannot tell you anything about Yvette in comparison to Hovat, who actually seemed to have had a personality lol (AND she was on their village's council like omg imagine having more to you than just being The Housewife) Though I will say I flip and flop on my thoughts about Heather being disconnected from Drax's life in this universe... The TLDR is that I think his arc here specifically works stronger when he has to come to terms with losing his entire family and accepting the life he currently has with the Guardians. BUT!!! I very much appreciate that Heather is still confirmed to exist within this universe, even if that means her dad issues would have to be dealt with in a different context if we ever get to see her.

Also? Shoutout to the writers actually bringing up the intense paranoia that always kneecapped 616 Drax but having that be a turning point in his backstory here, with that conversation he has with Peter where he talks about how he was becoming so paranoid of everyone being a chitauri/Thanos conspirator to the point of literally turning into an obsessed maniac like Thanos, and realizing that he desperately needed to turn his life around, it's so ough.

Out of the already many great conversations throughout the game, I think the ones with him are the most poignant. My favorite scene in the whole game is Drax and Pete's little moment on Knowhere... makes me go wahhh

(l also love that out of everyone on the team, it's his headspace that we quite literally get to go into. You KNOW that if this was any other media it'd be going into Rocket or Groot's head and likely treated as a joke.)

And oh my god, Gamora...

I find it so extremely refreshing that her role in the plot doesn't revolve purely around the men in her life, and instead, it's nearly exclusively her connection with other women. Or in the most direct obstacle she has to deal with, being how she starts projecting to the millionth degree on Nikki's situation for reminding her of what happened to her and Nebula. I find that infinitely more fascinating as a reading of her character rather than just dating drama or her arc getting completely overtaken by a man's instead.

And especially in her friendship with Mantis, who, despite having all these futures she's constantly seeing and having to navigate, still makes time to do her best to help her 🥺 From saving her life and being the one who put her on the path to healing on Lamentis, to getting her to join the Guardians and still checking in on her when she's able 😭 Friendship between women can be so powerful... u love to see it (🏳️‍🌈)

I also find it nice that there's this emphasis on her recovering mentally, and the comparison between Thanos essentially teaching her to just Deal with the shit in her life through very simplistic meditation versus the priests of Pama actually teaching her something to help soothe the mind :^( and that she still has moments of relapsing essentially. I find that to be a realistic take on recovery because that's just part of the journey since healing is not linear... and I think it's very sweet that she finds comfort in collecting something ---girly--- like dolls. Love to see a person reclaim a part of their childhood that they weren't allowed to experience. And how she's allowed to make BAD JOKES?? Imagine a woman being written to have multiple dimensions, crazy and absolutely unthinkable, I know.

There's this extremely specific theme in relation to Gamora across media that's been rattling around in my brain since first playing the game. When near the end during the revisit to Knowhere, she's about to completely lose it when Peter tries talking -for- her on what she's so upset about before immediately shooting him down, and she explains what happened between her and Nebula and she starts crying. It really struck me right then that she's never given a moment to cry elsewhere (or in the 616's case, the quite literal inability to.) aside from her shedding a Single Manly Tear (Original Sin) or a single moment out of legit fear (MCU 💀) because she's a hashtag Strong Independant Woman who can't be vulnerable etc etc. But for her to cry in front of the people she's come to care about, It gives her a moment of true vulnerability that I don't think she's allowed ever in most other media.

That and all of the above hits hard and is what makes me genuinely believe that the writers cared about her in the narrative and tried to do right by her when every other bit of media really hasn't nor cared to the majority of the time since the 90s :'^/ Brings a tear to my eye that she's allowed to just... exist in the narrative on her own merits and not on what she can provide to someone else's story.