#actually come to think of it I wonder how much of emotional intelligence just came from hanging out with Clark

[bombusbombus]

Obsessed with the idea that of the batkids everyone has like. genius level intellect and extreme murder skills and powers and stuff. And then there's Dick Grayson whose main strengths are being bendy and having emotional intelligence. And the emotional intelligence thing frankly makes him OP among his family

[takemebacktowheniwassane]

I would kill to have you overanalyze everything about Falsettos. Hope that didn't sound too threatening, I was joking, I'm just really into your analysis of the chess game :3

omg! I would love to analyze anything for you, man! 💗 I've pretty much picked everything out of a lot of the songs─ lil surprised I don't have my own corkboard with red twine commemorating my insanity on this musical lol

Looking through the album, the first option that came to mind might've been The Thrill of First Love but I think I'll take a break from toxic gays for just one moment and give you a strangely written analysis on Marvin at the Psychiatrist: A Three-Part Mini Opera, because of the different character pov's (i.e., Mendel, Jason, somewhat Whizzer, and of course, Marvin─ and I know Whizzer only announces each section of the song but hear me out, the theories are crazy and I'm obsessed with them and this song definitely factors into them aswell).

Basically, we'll start off with a quick look over Jason's lines, as he is the first character to speak/sing in the song. Right off the bat, we have him showing a HUGE disdain for love because of his father pretty much ruining his home life with the illusion of it. Well, maybe disdain is strong, but you get what I mean─ he's very reluctant to accept romance as an option for himself at all at this point because the wound is still very fresh from Marvin blowing up their family life, but yeah, also, he's a little preteen boy so it also makes sense for him to object to liking anyone just because of immaturity.

As we progress, Jason does a joint-therapy session with Marvin and they talk about outings and father/son bonding time gone badly wrong. He lets us in on his hyper-observance with his reaction to Marvin saying the pitcher they saw at a baseball game was handsome, and makes sure the audience is well aware he has some pretty conflicting emotions about his dad and his dad's sexuality. Especially given My Father's a Homo comes directly after this song, and in turn, also directly after this moment, so we know his feelings over Marvin and Whizzer (being that he enjoys Whizzer's company, seeing as Whizzer is the only adult who actually treats him like a kid and not like a victim or a baby or an average adult, like- but still) and their messy relationship.

It really makes me wonder on how it is when he's meant to go over to their apartment, since it's canonical that they live together and that Jason sees him regularly. And if they act terribly in front of him still. I assume Whizzer wouldn't allow that, another trait that gives Jason reason to side with him, because he seems like he really just doesn't want to completely, for lack of better words, fuck up Jason's whole childhood experience by being a part of it.

Now! Mendel isn't a complicated perspective, per say, just very eccentric. Especially assuming he asks MANY intrusive questions to a man who just openly came out as gay about his ex-wife and her sexual habits and such. This is where we tell him to go to horny jail.

(That's not the whole analysation, I swear─)

Mendel to me seems like he probably takes the initiative to not relay any of his clients actual info to other family members, but this song pretty much just proves he's incapable of brain-thought when he's horny. Which, yeah, that's hilarious that the only straight man is just thirsting over a woman to this gay guy. William Finn, you've done it again.

Anyhow, Mendel is pretty vital in this song. We get to see his psychiatry techniques, and with that, understand exactly what kind of situation Marvin's been, in taking therapy from him this whole time. The first part of the song is probably the best way of analyzing, since he's actually intelligible and giving Marvin advice. Well, that advice consists of telling him to ignore Whizzer's flaws and love him regardless, you can actually sorta see that at work in some aspects of the musical, even if he's constantly condescending to Whizzer throughout act one.

But generally, Marvin tends to take the exact opposite path that Mendel gives him, and basically just uses him as a venting device. Then again, Mendel is not to great at giving advice, as a neurotic little man who has like four mental breakdowns in the course of act one and two.

Next, Whizzer, of course. Short but sweet, or.. angsty? I've heard a few people theorize that Whizzer narrates the story ("Marvin at the psychiatrist, a three part mini opera, part one." "Part two." "Part three." "Psychiatrist, returning, returning! Five sessions later..." "A day in Falsettoland─ Doctor Mendel at work.") because after he dies, it sort of becomes his story of finding a true family and lover and son and being actually happy and knowing he lived well before he died really, tragically young, at least.

I'd like to take it a different direction, because I hate angst, and only sometimes tolerate it.

I've realized that Whizzer only actually narrates Mendel's shenanigans, which makes me think, especially with how he still does in act two, he gets to HEAR about the sessions. Whether it be from Marvin, or Jason, or Trina. Or even Mendel himself (this one's more act two based). It may introduce a new side because Whizzer doesn't go to therapy (shocker), but the people he's around all see this one guy so maybe he hears about the sessions and can relay them because he knows this one person's aspect of the story each time.

It wouldn't make a lot of sense for him to hear anything from Mendel in act one assuming they weren't close (at least not in the revival), and he doesn't marry Trina until Marvin and Whizzer are broken up, basically. But it would make more sense for him to get it from his boyfriend who absolutely loves to complain about any minor inconvenience in his life. I just think this could be an interesting perspective, because I've only ever seen that first theory and although somewhat fitting, I need less angst and more cool little headcanons in this fanbase please and thank you.

Finally, we go to Marvin. The star of the show, our princess with several disorders (we all know who our real queens are *stares directly at Trina and Whizzer*).

Throughout the entirety of this song, we see him barely entertaining Mendel with information. He's very vague, which probably stems from a life of secrecy and sneaking around. Although I presume he told Mendel about the affair while it was happening, or a few months in? Or Mendel just knew? Just by the general air of it, and how it seemed well-known by that point even though him and Trina only just divorced.

Marvin definitely keeps to himself, and waits for Mendel to butt in with something. Not so he can take his advice, but moreso so that he can kinda just. Have it, on hand? Or maybe so he can prove to himself that therapy is a hoax, because that certainly sounds like a Marvin thing to do.

Even while going through events with his son, he only states that eventually their interactions just go back to being stale and that they SHOULD be closer, without ever trying to actually make an effort (he assumes making an effort is taking Jason on outings even though they both prefer to stay inside, on their own. This definitely comes from his parents not doing anything with him as a kid, it's internalized so he pushes going out in public and doing what would be father/son outings onto Jason. It's something he never got to have, so he thinks that means he's fathering Jason better than average).

Not much to be said about that middle factor, besides the point of Marvin not knowing Trina was withholding love from him, which is interesting. Her character and lines definitely prevail that she was fed up with Marvin, but it could have just come out as indifference during their marriage. In I'm Breaking Down, she does make a point to state that she only wants a man to love her, so that could've been an overwhelming point in their marriage that Marvin remembers more vividly then her drifting away.

He did seem genuinely surprised when Mendel brought it up, so there is something there for sure.

But now, my dear silly, it's time for me to say adieu, because it's semi-late and I gotta update a fic draft :) but thank you sm for asking! made my day, it was so sweet. my inbox is always open for any suggestions, I'm really glad you like these little rants lol.

I'll try to post more soon 🫶

Goodnight!

[cottonundiestf]

You know what, Layla? Let's give you your break. We're going to give you a delightful life and you are going to be aware of every change I make!

Let's start with your Charisma, I think a small boost to this would be lovely for your career and social life, so let's bump that up to a 16.

In this new life I'm giving you I don't think you'll need much strength, so we can drop that to a dainty 9. I'm sure you'll easily find strong ladies and gentlemen to help you when needed.

Let's drop your intelligence down to a solide 7, not to dumb you down, but to brighten you up! Can't overthink yourself into a depressive state if you can't overthink! It is clearly a favor.

Next, we are actually going to give you a solid bump in Wisdom to a big 18. This bump isn't in everything, though. You aren't going to be streetwise, or home remedy wise, no. You are wise when it comes to people, whether that is cheering them up or, if you are feeling malicious, manipulating them into doing or feeling what you want.

We are also going to generally increase you ibero-american beauty. You are going to be putting Sofia Vergara to shame when I'm done with you. Silken, jet-black hair; glowing, bronzed skin; glistening caramel eyes; and a body to die for! Hourglass curves with grippable hips, a waspy waist, and the most perfect tits a girl could ask for; all atop sculpted legs that go on forever.

All of this adds up to your new career as a world-renowned escort for only the wealthiest of clients. They don't hire you for ensure of a carnal variety, no, they enlist your services to elevate their emotional well-being to a higher state. Through your new satin accent and charming personality, all you have to do to satisfy a client is be in their company for an amount of time. You are now an emotional support human for the rich and famous. Enjoy.

It was a change I felt overnight. One day, I woke up and all my social interactions just smoothed out. Baristas were flirting with me and bosses gave me plenty of leeway. I felt the softening of muscles, but it wasn't like I was getting into fights; I'd just talk my way out of trouble if worst came to worst.

Even when it hit me how much my thoughts had slowed down and knowledge seemed to just vanish, I didn't stress. Something assured me I'd be just fine, dummy or not. Life was about understanding people, and I was suddenly so insightful with others, it felt like cheating. It was like being a mind reader who could see the feelings in someone's face.

It was the next day when I woke up, looked in the mirror, and saw an ideal version of myself. Everything my Portuguese roots offered, I had unlocked overnight. My pale skin was perfectly tanned and taught, pairing with this new stunning hourglass figure. I ran my hands over my chest, full and almost unnaturally perky. When I spoke, I even heard the familiar accent of my overseas family on my tongue.

Between my looks and my charms, it wasn't long before I started my new career, body doubling with wealthy clients in emotional turmoil. I was right; I didn't need brains for a wonderful life. I just needed to listen.

And an amazing pair of tits didn't hurt.

[ovwechoes]

heyy! love your headcanon lists- was wondering if you could write some for bapweaver? been thinking about them a TON and would love to read more hcs about them because we are in a drought... sfw or nsfw idc either way!! tysm

BapWeaver / Baptiste x Lifeweaver Headcanons (SFW) I'm happy to write for em! I love them so much and I wish I saw more content of them, so I hope you enjoy these - they're under the cut, and thank you for the request c:

What is their relationship dynamic? Honestly, you can't tell me that they're not ‘idiots in love’ with one another. They're both incredibly smart people, and are intelligent when it comes to healthcare and medicine - HOWEVER, the minute they're around each other, their heads are empty with each of them sharing a braincell. It's sweet how puppy eyed they go around one another, and they enjoy not having to use their intelligence as a shield to protect themselves when they spend time with one another. They enjoy being able to ask silly questions, and not have to worry about how they come off when asking them because of their professions. There's definitely been times where Baptiste's asked what pita bread is, and Niran's had to think hard about how to word an explanation for it, or when they've gone to a restaurant together and they're both stumped as to how to pronounce one of their wines so they turn to google to figure it out. It's silly, but they enjoy being able to not have to always worry about how they might seem to other people.

Who confessed? How did it go? I can imagine that Niran did - he's very in touch with his emotions, and he can handle rejection well if it comes to that. Was he anxious about it? Obviously, he's still human and still wants to be loved back so it's hard for him to imagine the worst outcome possible without shaking in his boots about it. It's something he had to do, though, as he couldn't help but find himself flirting with Baptiste more often than not, with Baptiste happily flirting back. It was leaving him with too many questions, his feelings growing from the flirting and he couldn't live in the grey area of what they were to each other any longer. It would've happened organically, with Niran asking if Baptiste is flirting or just joking with him, to which Baptiste would wholeheartedly say something like ‘why wouldn’t I flirt with a handsome man like yourself?' in an attempt to make it clear he likes Niran without actually saying so. It was a long conversation, with them talking about their feelings and asking one another where they came from, what started them, and what they want to do about it. Niran definitely went into it thinking Baptiste was just joking with him, half expecting the next day to be filled with Niran trying to move on from him - so, he never expected to end the conversation with a boyfriend that was already planning and talking to him about restaurants he wants to go to with him. Their mutual pining for so long meant that they had time to make up for, and Baptiste was definitely going to make the most out of the confession and draw out everything he was curious about in the past out of Niran.

How do they show love and like to receive love from one another? Baptiste likes to be shown love through quality time, but not for the reasons you'd expect. He enjoys building his bond with Niran through time together, of course, viewing it as a bonus to the real reason why he loves it so much. In reality, he likes quality time because it makes him feel included somewhere, like he fits right into their life. He never wants to be a burden, never asking if he can come with Niran places or do things with him that's on their itinerary, so Baptiste finds it heart-warming when Niran offers him a place in his time, asking him if he'd like to join him. It makes him feel seen, too, as though he's not just a forgotten bracelet on the wrist of his partner, left in a jewellery box for a long time until remembered about. It's important for Baptiste to feel like he has a place somewhere, like he matters, and Niran does this perfectly by including him in his life and activities. On the other hand, Baptiste likes to show love to Niran through words of affirmation - he's a hopeless romantic and he likes to tell his partner how appreciative he is of them, how much he enjoys their opinions, how handsome they look, etc. whenever he can. With Niran, he's coy and likes to play into them and drag more compliments out of his partner, which Baptiste's always happy to do for him. It makes Baptiste feel as though he's actually making a difference in Niran's life too, and that he's more than just a lingering person by their hip but a full fledged partner who's words matter the most to them. It's something he'll always enjoy, and he loves the way Niran's cheeks darken when he's given especially sensitive ones. Niran likes to receive love through physical touch, and likes to be complimented on his physique. He's a handsome man, and he knows this, but sometimes he struggles to feel as though he's anything more than just that. But, when Baptiste touches places like his lower back, or dances his fingers over the moles that scatter across Niran's thighs and stomach, it makes him feel as though Baptiste sees a beauty on and in him that isn't apparent to others. Niran especially loves when Baptiste points out new things he's noticed about Niran's body in a heart-warming way - like how his smile lines make him more handsome, and how he's thankful to have a partner who's not afraid to show their happiness. It reminds him that Baptiste isn't with him simply because he's muscular and tall, but because he sees a beauty in him that others simply glance past because of the former things mentioned. On the other hand, Niran likes to show his love to Baptiste through quality time. He finds that words alone cannot tell his partner how much he loves them, and understands Baptiste's concerns about not feeling included or involved in his life. So, whenever Niran can, he always includes Baptiste and makes sure that he's involved, actively enjoying himself, and is spending time with him. It's something important to Niran too - he finds that time together makes the heart grow fonder and stronger, and uses the time together to understand Baptiste more and more, learning as much as he can about him.

What was their first date like? It felt natural for them both, as they walked arm in arm to the most expensive restaurant that they could find in the area. They would've shared a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon together, as they talked about their relationship more (things like boundaries, deal breakers, what they want to have come out of the relationship). It was reassuring, and they loved the relaxing way they felt comfortable to share things with one another without feeling judgement or ridicule. They're both very open minded, and used whatever they could as talking points for one another to understand their individual perspectives and desires properly. They would've stayed until after the restaurant closed, using all the time they could together to keep the night going. Afterwards, Niran would've asked Baptiste if they wanted to share a room together, or if they wanted to go their seperate ways. They wouldn't have minded either way, but it was Niran's sneaky way to see how Baptiste sleeps and if the rumours are true that he talks in his sleep. It was a sweet night, filled with comfortable but necessary discussions that left the both of them hopeful for their relationship together. The bill definitely broke Baptiste's heart though, as he was the one who won the argument about who would pay for it.

How do they cope with long distances that keep them apart at times? They already knew that there would be long distances between them at times because of the nature of their work, and how they would need to figure out the best ways to go about it. It's something they're both okay with, often finding the time apart to be more of a lesson about each other as individuals rather than a reflection of the strength of their relationship. With Baptiste, he found it the hardest to cope with at first - he missed Niran more than he ever thought he could, and found himself craving him desperately but wouldn't communicate this out of fear of being seen as needy. When Niran finally pried it out of him, they decided to make sure that with each day that came from the long distance, they'd send at least one picture of what they did that day and talk about what they would've done together if they were both there. It reassured Baptiste to know that Niran didn't judge him or ridicule him for feeling this way (which was partly because Niran felt the same way). They like to have late night calls, recapping their day, and when they can't call Niran will always send voice messages from the comfort of his bed, rambling and ranting about his day to his partner's willing ears. When they have the energy and time, though, they like to facetime or watch something together online, using sites like Hyperbeam. It usually is just silly comedies or horror movies, but they enjoy the time together nonetheless with the night ending in Baptiste falling asleep on call, rambling into his pillow, with Niran settling himself down to sleep with the call still going. 

Where do they like to go on holiday together? They both have an appreciation for countries that have historical importance, especially in the medical field. It's important for them to explore places rich in history, discussing the impact they had on the country and society as a whole with their own little facts sprinkled into the conversation. They're the type of couple who has a poster in their apartment with all the wonders of the world listed, a box next to each for them to mark off when they've finally gotten to see them for themselves. One of the first they ever went to was the Taj Mahal in India, with Baptiste eagerly listening to Niran talk about why it was built, the romantic connections around the building, things of that nature. Baptise would've practically begged Niran to recreate the British royal family's iconic pictures where the couples would sit on the bench in front of it. It's one of the only things Baptiste's aware of when it comes to the Taj Mahal, and he always wanted to find someone who was willing to recreate it with him.

[drones-of-innocence]

With the Mario movie still on my brain and that reunion scene melting my heart that I now have fallen down the rabbit hole. Do you think you could you do some headcanons with Mario and Luigi with each? Their relationship is just so pure 😭😭

Sure!! I adored the bros' relationship in the movie, and I love writing about them too 🥺 Here are a few of my headcanons about them, some are well established in my writing and others I've never really mentioned. Some will be in my upcoming WIP 👀

I like to have Mario and Luigi lean into the Italian part of their Italian-American identity, so in my head they speak with more of an Italian accent than a Brooklyn accent like they do in the movie.

That being said, Mario speaks slower than Luigi and has a little more trouble with correct grammar in English, which he's a bit insecure about. Contractions in particular are hard. But in Italian, he's a much more rapid and animated speaker. Luigi is pretty clear in both languages and is very comfortable with both.

I adore Mario calling Luigi "Lu" in the film! His nickname for Luigi in my stories is "Coniglio," which means rabbit. Italians use "rabbit" the same way that English speakers use "chicken," so it's affectionately teasing Luigi for his skittish demeanor. It's a childhood nickname that just stuck.

In the same vein, Luigi's nickname for Mario is "Capo," which means boss. It reflects how Mario is the one "in charge" between them, but also it's sort of teasing because often when Mario makes decisions on their behalf, he almost always heavily considers and goes with Luigi's preference/advice, so it's like Luigi is making the decisions anyway.

They both have high anxiety, but for different reasons. Luigi is a people pleaser by nature and will do anything to mediate and keep the peace, even if it means sacrificing his agency or energy. Mario is a giver and provider by nature, and often frets about not doing enough, so he overworks himself in trying to protect/feed/care for others and doesn't really know how to stop and let himself be taken care of.

Coming to the Mushroom Kingdom had the effect of easing Luigi's anxiety; it's a less chaotic world and a (mostly) peaceful place to call home. There are rarely emotional conflicts that he feels responsible for regulating, and it's overall better for his health. His stress went down significantly despite the occasional heightened dangers. Coming to the MK unfortunately only escalates Mario's anxiety, though; now he is thrust into this protector role with an entire Kingdom relying on him for its security.

Luigi (being the more emotionally intelligent one between the two of them) clocked the exact moment that Mario fell in love with Princess Peach. He knew it before Mario did. And though he was hesitant to fully trust her at first (being that she's a gorgeous woman in a position of great power and he doesn't want his brother to get hurt), he eventually learns her nature is truly kind and gentle, which he comes to admire her dearly for. And he figures out that Peach reciprocates Mario's feelings pretty quickly, too. He leaves it unspoken, but he teases each of them with nudges and meaningful looks when the other isn't paying attention.

Mario had no idea that Luigi was in love with Princess Daisy for a while until Luigi started showing more obvious signs of a crush, but the thought occurred to him after meeting her for the first time that she would be a wonderful partner to his brother. He came to this epiphany when Daisy was able to beat him in a competition, and he was so amazed and impressed that his immediate thought was that a tough lady like her is exactly what Luigi needs. He considered her to be like a little sister even before it was ever a possibility that she might actually become his sister-in-law. It was a conversation with him that sparked Daisy's romantic affection for Luigi, listening to Mario speak so tenderly about him.

The brothers have a very playful relationship. There's banter, teasing, and sometimes even a little roughhousing. They have inside jokes within inside jokes that no one else could possibly understand. Even times when they were very deeply hurt in the past, the other brother finds a way to reframe it so they're both able to look back and laugh at the things that hurt them. It's easier now that they're in the MK; Mario was beginning to lose some of his spark in Brooklyn.

The movie never specifies that the brothers are twins I don't think, though that's usually a pretty common understanding. I personally HC them as two years apart just so I can bring out that older/younger sibling dynamic a little bit more.

They are inseparable 🥺 Both of them will do anything to make sure the other is content. But both of them also can never shake the feeling that they can't possibly give the other everything he wants and deserves. Nothing Luigi does will ever be good enough for Mario in his own view, and Mario can never do enough to assure Luigi's peace and security in his view. They might never admit it, but on some level they know and try to compensate anyway.

Their tempers are scary. Both of them are extraordinarily patient and understanding even to the most frustrating people and situations, but there are limits. Mario's end point is more easily reached. Where his anger is often fiery and passionate like in the heat of a fight, his unhindered rage is sharp and cold. He speaks quietly, never raising his voice except to be heard. It's scariest when he's moved beyond words into dead silence. It is Luigi's pure rage that is loud and aggressive, but it is much harder and rarer for him to reach his boiling point.

Firebrand and Thunderhand!! Their powers manifest in many ways that they've adapted to their practical lives. It wasn't easy learning how to control them, but once mastered, they almost couldn't imagine their lives without them. Mario's Firebrand makes him a very comforting presence (exuding warmth 😌) and able to traverse many different climates without problem due to his ability to control his body's preservation or release of heat. Luigi's Thunderhand regularly halves the time spent on his various engineering projects, as well as being potentially medically useful.

Luigi doesn't quite have Mario's strength or control, but he is much more meticulous and observant. He's more likely to come across the secret passages or hidden objects that can be helpful on the journey. Mario's more likely to fixate on the objective (e.g. Rescue the Princess! Save the world!) and do whatever it takes to accomplish it as efficiently as possible due to his imperative to serve, even if it sometimes means missing some details.

The movie characterizes Mario as a kind of misunderstood visionary, and he's a bit like that in my stories as well. He has some big ideas, but his motivations are purely based in the comfort and safety of others. He just wants to help people. Luigi is the one who can really assist and realize Mario's ideas, and he often has several projects going on because of how fast Mario can jump from plan to plan.

[joesalw]

I sent these quotes to another blog a while ago and thought it would be a good time to bring them back here. Because a lot of people say they don't understand how or why people like Joe and that we don't know him and only like the person Taylor painted in her songs. A big reason for this is that these people never really saw him as much more than a pawn and Taylor's boyfriend or tried to get to get to know him beyond that. You're not required to do that ofc, but once you make up lies to fit your story that's other thing. My point is these are just a few things people who actually interacted with Joe up close and personal have said about him. Mostly all different people, because everyone who works with him has something good to say about him. Even people who randomly meet him seem to get enrupted right away. So this is to show what people who know him (co-workers, directors, his school teachers) say as opposed to the shitty stuff swifties say without even being in the same room with this man for 5 minutes to make people believe he's some kind of monster. I would even say there's a few things being said that are not very common for people to compliment in a man.

"He's just so gentle and sincere. I felt very safe with him."

"Joe isn't nearly as reserved as Nick, but it's a tendency to let others have the floor. He just tends to be more interested in everyone else, what they're saying, which is a lovely quality"

"he's so sensitive and thoughtful"

"there's something very soulful about Joe as a person. He's very introspective. He's exceptionally kind, as a person. There’s just something gorgeous about him, as a person, and that goes into the acting. He can do uncertainty brilliantly and he can do vulnerability brilliantly."

"Joe’s instinct as an actor is always to push away from the obvious and into ambiguity. He’s very quietly spoken. He’s not brash at all. He’s a gentle, intelligent guy. "

"Joe is such a naturally kind and warm and welcoming human being,”

"I don’t think people will be surprised by just how much everyone loves Joe Alwyn, how much everyone fell in love with Joe Alwyn… he’s a true English gent. I completely owe my heart to Joe Alwyn.”

“Yeah Joe Alwyn does come in and steal the hearts of everyone around. He’s just like the most genuine, kind, present human. Funny too! Real funny.”

"I know Joe a little and like him an enormous amount. Such a phenomenal talent and wonderful human

"He has to be one of the nicest people I have ever met and I know it might sound like I'm saying it to ease everyone's mind, but no genuinely he was the sweetest and he was super worried about me all the time"

"I really liked acting with him. He's really a gentleman. A sweet guy. He's really focused and cares a lot about his work"

"Joe is tremendously warm and winning"

"There was just something very subtle about his reading. You could feel the tenderness inside of him. He just felt real."

"I'll say he is perhaps the top notch talent I ever witness in a reading. He was so directable, so talented, and ofc the look is gorgeous. Like a gift dropped from heaven"

"He has a disarming humility which appears both on and off screen. I spoke to Joe recently and found that the experience of starring in a Hollywood movie had not changed him at all. He will continue to be the person he is."

"Very cool impressive actor. After meeting him I had the opposite thought: Can she keep him?" (This came from a movie director who seems to be a Taylor fan, after meeting him once)

“He’s really nice. Really, really friendly, really good dude.”

When Joe first arrived at the school… “He brought a maturity and intelligence that was of immense benefit to the group. He also had a passion for the work and a conviction within his own artistry that was an inspiration to some of his younger colleagues.” By the time Joe was approaching his final year, he had become… “completely fearless.”

"A brilliant natural actor, especially gifted at quiet emotion"

"He's an absolute pleasure to work with. I became very close to him. I think everybody did"

“He can carry a movie on his shoulders—he has the height, the looks, obviously, the voice, the ability with accents; he is versatile,”

“Joe was gentle and he wasn’t overly pushy, because he knew I’m not good at mushy stuff,” she says. “Boys age differently, they’re f—ing idiots until they get older. But he’s a kind man with good manners.”

“When you’re speaking to him you feel like he’s only listening to you,”

“He’s got…the greatest head on his shoulders,”

‘That very first scene between the tree, he was worried the entire time like, “Are you OK? I don’t want to hurt you. Shall we do it like that? Is this easier for you?” The entire time trying to find out if I was OK, he was so sweet, so gentle, that I knew that I would be safe with him"

'He's very hardworking, very down to earth, very diligent and very gregarious. A very nice spirit to be around.

'Joe was always deeply committed to his craft. He was often very moved by the massiveness of his vocation. 'He saw acting as a necessity. He was serious about it, very committed. He was exceptional in that regard. He's a thoughtful man who cares beyond the frivolity of putting on a show. 'He sees performance as a powerful gift that he has, and that he hopes can change things for good.'We always hoped that this poetic soul would find a place for his vision.'

wow this was such a precious thing to read, he's really such a nice individual it makes my heart warm 🥺

[cosmicjoke]

hi there !! thank u sm for answering my ask about the whereabouts of the scouts hq! i guess it's open to speculation of the location prior to the fall of wall maria ( or as i'd liked to call it "free real estate" lol ). anyways, i have another question for you if you don't mind! i love your analysis on levi and how emotionally intelligent he is and how he's in-tune with his emotions. i was wondering, do you think levi is the type to outwardly grieve at all? perhaps in privacy of his own quarters? we seem some subtle moments like when og levi squad dies as an example and we never see him fully cry until the finale. aside those small, yet very impactful moments, do you think he shows his grief in a more expressive way? if so, how do you envision it?

personally, i dont depict levi to be the type to showcase anger through his grief ( i guess unless zeke is involved lol ), but i feel like some days would be extremely difficult for him as he carries around the weight of his dead comrades and friends, especially at night when he's alone. i don't think he cries often, most likely due to growing up in the underground and kenny's "parental teachings", but as i said, i believe there are rare days where it's just too much, ya know?

regardless of my opinions, i would like to hear your thoughts and viewpoint on this !! thank you <3

Hi there!

Thank you for the ask, and I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help with your first! But this one hopefully I can give a better answer, haha.

We do have one, clear instant of seeing Levi express his grief outwardly, of course, and that's when Furlan and Isabel died. And Levi very much did express his grief through anger then. I would even say Levi was enraged, which we never really saw from him again. Even when Zeke forced Levi to kill so many of his own comrades, after turning them into titans, Levi's anger afterward was very controlled and measured, though still apparent. Maybe the closest we see to Levi becoming angry before then is the first time he takes Zeke down, in Shinganshina, after he cuts him out of his titan. But nothing really comes close to the outpouring of intense despair we see from him with Furlan and Isabel.

That probably has something to do with the fact that they were his family. I always say Furlan and Isabel were probably the two people who were closest to Levi in his life. The only two people who understood where he'd come from, because they came from there too. And also because they were the first, two people he really lost to the titan threat. He'd only seen one other person eaten by a titan before then. A soldier whom Levi likely had no relationship with at all. We have to remember, when Levi first joined the SC, he, Furlan and Isabel were outcasts. Nobody liked them, and nobody really talked to them or treated them kindly, outside of Erwin and Hange. The others he saw killed by titans, he only saw the aftermath of. But with Furlan and Isabel, he actually saw them directly eaten, right in front of him, and for all his great strength, he was powerless to stop it from happening.

For all the criticisms I often see lobbed at the anime adaptation of "No Regrets", I won't ever forget the raw emotion we hear in Levi's voice when he kills the titan that killed him family. We never hear Levi like that again. So enraged he sounds like he's on the verge of sobs. That was Levi losing the only two people he had in his life. His chosen family. His two first and best friends. That was Levi losing his whole world. His rage at Erwin afterward was also a manifestation of that pain. He was overcome by his grief in that moment.

I think, after that, Levi was able to form other connections, and other bonds. Especially with Hange and Erwin, and of course his own squad. And I think he felt the pain of their loss just as keenly as he did Isabel and Furlan. But by then, in order to keep moving forward himself, in order to keep fighting, Levi needed to learn to control that grief and keep it locked away. To not let it consume him or distract him. It's never been that Levi doesn't feel every loss with deep, genuine emotion, or that he's unaffected, or removed from the feeling of loss. He's always been, I think, more deeply impacted by the loss of life than anyone. He just learned to control that feeling, and more for the sake of others than for himself. He wants to stay strong so that he can do his job of protecting and fighting for others. He doesn't allow himself to wallow in his grief because he thinks it might compromise his duty to others. And that's Levi's selflessness again.

I'm certain there's been many, MANY moments in which Levi felt an overwhelming despair. I just spoke about this, in my post about how Levi more often looks sad to me than stoic. I think, when he's at rest especially, we see Levi's grief manifest on his face and in his body language. When there's nothing for him to channel his grief and despair into, it shows plainly on him. So I wouldn't be surprised if, when he had moments alone, he did give into it, if only a little. Levi doesn't strike me as much of a crier. I have a hard time picturing him really openly sobbing, for example. But he is capable of tears, and he may indeed have shed tears in private moments, when he felt sure it wouldn't negatively impact anyone around him.

There's of course something deeply tragic in that. In Levi feeling the NEED to hide his grief. To not let it show for fear of it somehow affecting others. That he feels his grief is less important than his duty toward protecting others. That he shouldn't be allowed to indulge in it. And we know this is an attitude with Levi only holds for himself. Because he never scolds anyone else for giving in to THEIR grief, and in fact does the opposite, providing them with what comfort and reassurance he can. The first time we meet Levi, he's comforting a dying soldier who's crying, wondering if he'd done his duty, holding his hand and telling him that he's done more than enough. Or with the soldier who lead the titans to them after the disaster with the Female Titan. Instead of scolding that soldier for allowing his grief to endanger the entire unit, Levi gave him Petra's patch, and told him it was his friends, just to comfort him. Or when Eren begins crying when they're all trapped in the cavern underneath Rod Reiss' estate, and while everyone else is yelling at him, telling him to man up, Levi doesn't yell at him at all, despite the peril they're all in. He instead tells Eren he's sorry to have to ask for his help again, and after Eren is able to save them, he's the only one to thank Eren and express his gratitude by telling him that it's thanks to his efforts that they'll be able to retake Wall Maria again. Or when he tells Erwin thank you, after Erwin confesses to his own grief and guilt. Instead of scolding Erwin for showing weakness in the face of catastrophe, he tells Erwin that it's thanks to him that the SC was able to get as far as it had. He tells Erwin he's been a great leader.

Even while Levi denies himself the comfort of his own grief, he never denies it to anyone else. And once again, that's Levi's selflessness manifesting. And it's heartbreaking to realize, because again, I think Levi probably feels things more deeply than anyone. I think he's more hurt by the loss of his comrades than anyone. But he won't allow himself to really process that hurt, or find any solace by giving in to his grief.

[mlobsters]

supernatural s5e13 the song remains the same (w. sera gamble, nancy weiner)

sometimes forget they banged in the impala, but then i'm like why is dean being so soft and familiar with her? oh right. anyway, kind of sweet this little interaction in dean's pg-13 stripper dream.

when he wakes up, there's a little chime that sounds just like a doorbell that's been muffled (in my house specifically to try to keep it from waking up a sleeping infant). anyway, the sound design on the original score is rarely very creative, kudos to them. startles the shit out of me every time, but good job on something interesting

ANNA Sam Winchester has to die.

this surely is going to end well for all parties involved.

there was a boy in my high school who had a fucking gorgeous late 70s black pontiac firebird trans am, god the rumble on its engine was delicious. i think i somehow got a ride somewhere with him at one point. he was a cute and smart boy but honestly the car was it.

DEAN So, what, you're like a Delorean without enough plutonium?

CASTIEL I don't understand that reference.

tell him, cas! i just complained about the number of references they use in this show a few episodes ago

cas sure folded like an ugly tan trench coat. "i should go alone" dean: "🥺" ok zap

SAM He's breathing. Sort of.

the line about buying microsoft stock reminds me when i was in middle school i think? there was a project where you had to "buy" a stock and then track its price in the newspaper over some number of days/weeks. imagine that. using the newspaper to check stock prices. ~it was the 90s~

all right so wasn't cas's point back when dean met mary to begin with that you can't change destiny? so isn't this all moot? when does #TeamFreeWill become a thing

JOHN Shut up, all of you! Look, not another word, or so help me, I will turn this car around!

DEAN Wow. Awkward family road trip.

SAM No kidding.

just like home, right, guys?

he reminds me of a combination teen wolf derek (tyler hoechlin) superman (henry cavill variant). one tv superman+one movie superman=young john winchester

SAM Pretty much forever. My dad raised me in it.

JOHN You're serious? Who the hell does that to a kid?

SAM Well, I mean, for the record, Mary's parents did.

JOHN I don't care. You know, what kind of irresponsible bastard lets a child anywhere near—you know, you could've been killed!

SAM I, uh...came kind of close.

JOHN The number it must've done on your head...your father was supposed to protect you.

laughing out loud. i'm sorry sera and nancy, i will always appreciate any and all john winchester shade, and especially unknowingly delivered by john winchester -- but i believe 0.00% late 70s generic straight white man has the emotional intelligence for this thought process / willingness to speak on it / willingness to talk shit about someone's father (a stranger no less) to their face

and i do not appreciate that it caused sam to come rushing to john's defense. gross child neglect, bro. y'all wrote this story and you gotta live with the consequences of how horrifyingly awful of a parent you made him be. just say no to the rehabilitation of john winchester

DEAN You have no other choice. There's a big difference between dying and never being born. And trust me, we're okay with it, I promise you that.

have they talked about this? they're both totally chill with never existing??

DEAN Team Free Will. One ex-blood junkie, one dropout with six bucks to his name, and Mr. Comatose over there. It's awesome.

oh, well. there you go

MARY Ohh...quite a kick there. Troublemaker already. It's okay, baby. It's all okay. Angels are watching over you.

so did michael scrub her brain but also leave some pro-angel bias in there? she said there's no such thing previously about angels. just how much did he scrub? i wonder how much is retcon and how much was actually planned. i imagine i could find the answer if i looked but i kind of like consuming this show in my little bubble the way i do. also, effort

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Raven, helloooo i’m doing a runaround tumblr to showcase my admiration for my favorite writers on tumblr, and you get one~!

Can I just start off by saying you're incredibly insightful and intelligent?? Your ability to grasp onto character qualities and understand each of them is incredible! Your characterization is always on point. I'd think you are a script writer from the original! I love coming across any of your theories on a character, analysis which always seem canon, or your writings! Romantic or just daily shenanigans between characters all of it is so amazing!! I love each of them! Your writing style is so smooth and fun to read! Its both detailed and telling, but also shown and displayed with the characters actions. You give them life and I love that!

You're also so incredibly patient with your audience! Your willingness to learn is also endearing and I think in general you're a really good person I enjoy seeing come up! Your content is very re-readable in my opinion and I think your blog is wonderful aesthetic wise too! It gives a sense of curiosity and liveliness. Also I adore your oc too~ I love seeing the content of her!

To conclude, I really enjoy seeing any and all of your content and keep up the wonderful work <3 be sure to take breaks as well!

For some context, I recieved this ask towards the tail end of TWST’s third anniversary (around March 18th). Back then, I was very stressed between writing Sebek’s birthday one-shot, alt!dorm headcanons, and general irl business… so the timing of this ask was coincidentally perfect 🥺 It was a nice little pick-me-up to help me through that mentally demanding period, so I’m really thankful that it came when it did!! (If I seem a little more emotional than usual, that’s why 😅)

The next thing I want to say is thank you very much for the highly detailed feedback!! 🙏 I appreciate it when my readers let me know what they think of my work—and while I’ll always like seeing a “good job” or a “you write well”, it’s the very explicit feedback that I enjoy the most. “You did a good job with X! You wrote this well!” It lets me know what specifically my strengths are, and gives me ideas on how to improve in the future or where I may be lacking or not as strong.

I’m glad that you like my works (creative writing, theories, analyses) so much!! TWST has become my hyperfixation these last few years, so I’m grateful that I have a space where I can just shout about it and overanalyze it to heck and back. It feels so therapeutic to be able to share this passion with others!

dhscuwxnks It’s an honor to be told that my stuff seems canon or that it makes you think I’m actually a writer on the dev team 😭 I feel like it’s usually hard for fans to see how much time and effort content creators put into their craft; they just see the end product, consume it, and then wait for the next product to come out only to repeat the cycle. It’s really nice to know that people notice all the work I put in to tru and capture the essence of the TWST characters and their canon. I basically try to wiggle into their mind spaces 😳

We hold TWST near and dear to our hearts, and I want to have others experience that same fondness when they read my works. The smiles and the sobs we’ve had with the NRC boys are universal experiences; I’m glad that I’m able to share such a thing with my readers. I think people sometimes underestimate just how much forms of art can touch us at our very cores; they can be so memorable that someone reading your fic or looking at your art can remember exactly where they were when they first consumed your work. Creations can leave an impact on the world and the people who look upon it!

Sometimes I’ve been told I’m too patient 😂 but I’m relieved that it seems like my patience is seen as a virtue?? I’m used to giving advice and being the voice of reason to others, so I guess that extended into my fandom life. If people find that useful, then I’m happy to be of help and that I didn’t step on any toes! I want my words to guide others into making determinations that feel are right to them, not tell them how they “should” feel or think.

I like to learn because I realize there’s a lot I don’t know. Just as I give knowledge and advice, I’d also like to receive it 🎵 If I think about it… the patience makes me one part Trey, and the curiosity and willingness to learn makes me one part Lilia?

Not gonna lie, I’m still struggling to find that “perfect” blog theme for me… but I’m happy that you also like the little technical things like how the blog is laid out and looks. (I’m very invested in my blog’s theming and Alice in Wonderland motifs!! 💪)

I’m also working on getting more comfortable with sharing content of my OC 🥲 I’ve mentioned this before, but I feel guilty when I mention Miss Raven because some part of me realizes that most people are here for general TWST stuff, not her. Even though this is my blog and I can do whatever I want with it, this still makes me feel like I’m somehow being selfish… which I know is a ridiculous way of thinking, so I’m trying to combat it!!

Once again, thank you for this valuable feedback, I hope you didn’t mind me rambling 🥺 I’ll definitely be looking back on this to reflect!! And I’ll try to take breaks, but no promises in case I can’t keep it—

[calekinnieplus]

Would you look at that? Another update? So soon? Well, it's to be expected after WHAT I've read today hahah... 3 ½ hours of losing my mind, definitely worth an update! Reached chapter 1177 thanks to the desperation to reach a safe spot!

God, there's so much to talk about. I have to restrain myself from just endlessly talking about how much I love Klein Moretti rn. Like. So much. I will definitely be sprinkling my love for him in this post. A lot. I'll do that a lot.

OK, FOR A THOROUGH DISCUSSION, I'll pick up the chat from the ending of volume 5. Which means I'll talk about like... 20 chapters? Hm. They definitely felt more than 20 in number.

Amon kidnapped Klein after Klein successfully destroyed King George III's ritual, so he was exhausted and spent. Perfect opportunity for Amon, ngl.

The subsequent time spent together was full of ups and downs. Amon gave Klein hope that was barely in his reach until BOOM the reveal that it wasn't an avatar, but the actual true body! Man, wasn't that stressful.

That also came with the realization that Amon can't bear the risk of stealing Klein's destiny just like that. Win! For now...

We reach the destination that Amon was going for (in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, btw!! God, what a crazy place...) and there, ANOTHER motherfucking bomb gets left at our door.

Fucking Chernobyl. Fucking- it's Earth! It's always been Earth!

(That was spoiled in a partial manner to me. Like, I saw someone mention "Chernobyl" in relation to LOTM and I was like "wait what? No way- AH, NO THINKING ABOUT IT. IT'S SPOILERS" but inevitably I connected some dots.

Like, I distinctly remember how Roselle attempted to bring forth the industrial revolution, but when he searched for oil and such fuels, he was unsuccessful. Which made me think about the Chernobyl thing and wonder if the previous humans used it all up and eventually perished, but then another civilization rose and that's the present.

But uh. I didn't know about the fact that the ancestors of vampires and elves are ALSO humans?? Like wow. Incredible)

Paired with that comes the realization that Klein can't go home. Technically, he IS home. Just... not in his era :') AGH I cried. ESPECIALLY when he conjured the silhouettes of people dear to him that have long since perished. IT WAS SO SAD WBSJJDJD Man...

After that dreadful discovery, Klein doesn't let that stop his desire to escape Amon, implementing Another escape attempt, helped by the Evernight Goddess. Gosh, his escape attempts were so creative! And the interactions between him and Amon were so funny after them too lmao

Anyway, after Chernobyl, Klein digested the Scholar of Yore potion successfully AND escaped to Sefirah Castle after committing suicide (what an ODD way to escape).

And next, we have Klein thinking of ways to get back on his feet AND analyze his experiences. Which brings us to the NEXT big thing!

The third "transmigrator" is in fact the Evernight Goddess!

(Ok, I got fully spoiled on that. Booooooo...)

Still! She's taking such good care of Klein <33 what a lovely lady <33

During the Tarot Club, he put in motion his plans: collecting what he needs for the Miracle Invoker potion and strengthening the Tarot Club.

And thanks to the combined effort of Pallez, Derrick and himself of course, he successfully revived in the City of Silver and ran away! Yay!

That's where I am right now. But Man, the road to getting here was emotional.

Poor Klein... hunted from so many directions, no home to return to, friends and family to protect.

And let's not ignore the fact that Klein successfully escaped Amon!!! I mean, SURE, Amon was "playing" with him in a way. But that doesn't mean he wasn't taking Klein seriously, he just had a different goal than killing Klein, which was to take ownership of Sefirah Castle.

Klein is so resourceful, so determined, so intelligent. I adore himmm! Ahhhh and sometimes, he makes me sad, but he keeps going and that's just... hah... admirable.

Praise the Fool! Can't wait to read more, but definitely not tonight. Finally reached a point where I can close the book with a light heart, I'm not risking starting another stressful arc hahahah...

[artsygirl0315]

i would like to hear more about your ocs

(I didn't know which ocs you specifically speak of so I'm gonna do all my KND ocs and just make them fun facts or just some background about them)

Melancholy Burnham:

-She oficially became a KND operative after the incident that caused her little sister's life and after that she cut all contacts with her mother. I was going to make her apart of Sector Z but I scrapped that idea considering the timeline, But instead she was put into Sector V and have only ever heard of Sector Z by stories or books she's read about them.

-She was raised by her dad and his side of the family "The Burnhams", The family consists of a Grandfather, Grandmother, Two uncles (brothers) and two aunts, Mella's father is the oldest son, the middle son has 5 children, and the youngest son has 2 children. Total of 7 cousins for Mella.

-All family members have a specific silhouette suit that reference the emotion or negative feelings triggered by a specific traumatic or life changing event

Ex: "Melanconly" was the name given to her because of her melancholic state after her sister's loss.

-Mella is supposedly the youngest Burnham, for her being around 10-11 years old.

The Wonderful Kids From Across The Street:

-The WKFATS are a similar group to the DCFDTL as well sharing only a father figure but their lives are more happier and free.

-All kids have a different personalities and traits yet they are inspired to be like the Delightful children from down the lane, The difference is that they have the ability to talk individually but it takes them along time to separate from each other.

-They are the adopted children of Dad, A man who owns a multimillion company but the only reason he kept working was because he cared about his children and their future.

-Their nicknames for each other are either what their shortened names or 'dear brother/sister, brother/sister dear'.

-The children are inspired to be the different taste buds of a human actually,

Caleb: Sour

Celine: Bitter

Phoebe: Sweet

Lucas: Salty

William: Savory

Diamantes Siblings:

-Very inspired to by the Diamonds of Steven Universe. Blue, Yellow, Red and White.

-No one really knows where they came from or how they got to the neighborhood but people still welcomed them like they were new neighbors.

-They were mostly seen as the 'sophisticated' family and were often looked at as rude and prissy rich people at first but they were actually the nicest neighbors! They were an energetic family that revolves around love and protection and won't hesitate to help a person in need.

-The oldest child; Colton (Colt) was inspired to be like a General. He was strong, courageous and most of all skilled at the battle field, when it comes to his sisters he always protects them and does only physical harm to his enemies.

- The middle child; Beatrix (Bebe) was inspired to be like an Entertainer. She was cheerful, energetic and very social, She won't hesitate to destroy someone's spiritual values and make fun of their existence making her enemies think too deep about their value with enough time so her brother dunks them.

-The youngest child; Amelie (Amy) was inspired to be an Empath. She was emotional, kind, gentle and more leaned to logic and intelligence. She uses her enemies' emotions against them, either to make them feel bad for her or degrade them to an emotional breakdown so her siblings can handle the heavy work.

-Of course they only fight when necessary, They aren't really much harm to people unless provoked to or at least one of them gets hurt.

-Their mother had passed away due to an accident and was gone for the majority of the children's life yet still lives on by their father telling stories about her.

-Their father was a busy man but will always make time for his children, he trusts them enough to let them out of the house on their own or let them stay out passed curfew but only with his knowledge.

-Their father was a man who learns people's mentality for his gain but only when strictly necessary, he also protects his kids with his life.

-All siblings were abnormally attractive by kid's standards and would often be mistaken as models by many, Their dad was a big shocker to many people as well.

(And I think that's it, I hope this is what you were referring to! Thank you for the ask and I hope this is much of a satisfactory answer. Don't hesitate to keep up with the questions!💙)

[freerangeranger]

//I just gotta say you do a fuckin AMAZING job writing honey!!! She's such an interesting character and

//honestly her during this whole arc has been pretty relatable in a way jdhdndg

//can't imagine how hard it was to like , explicitly show all the way up to this where everything had been let loose that she was still just so angry at him underneath it all, even if she was still having fun and making fun of bell light-heartedly and I've never seen anyone really just .capture that before especially in such emotional accuracy

Ooc:

So when I read this yesterday you gave me the equivalent of human zoomies for an hour when I was supposed to be going to bed. Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm blushing. This is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to meeee. (⁄ ⁄•⁄v⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄

I go over my 'breakdown' of this arc below the break, but please know that I love all of you and thanks so much for enjoying my gal. She means a lot to me. I'm glad my mental process comes through in her words and actions.

Also If you want more lighthearted stuff - I have a few more Amy roasts to go through so Do Not Worry we will flambae this man yet.

I am also gonna write this warning here as well - Content Warning for death, implied suicide, abandonment, animal abuse, pokemon abuse and generally uncomfortable topics to think about.

Honey could be charitably called a 'self insert' - although she looks nothing like me and we do have differing opinions on a lot of topics. From my experience with TTRPGs and running them for 7 years I find the greatest advice I can give to anyone both old and new is to put pieces of yourself into your oc's. This is two-fold for importance.

1) It fleshes them out and makes you like them. If you have a character with similar morals and goals to yourself it is much easier to relate to them and makes you actually want to continue - you know - playing them. Honey has many traits that I don't. But we do share a deep love for people (and pokemon but her love is much more tangible than mine). She has a strong sense of fair play and is stubborn to a fault, which is something a lot of people can relate with. Her flaws are the same as her strengths and that makes her feel alive.

2) The second part is - in my humble opinion - more important. You know how they Feel. Emotions are a fickle thing in roleplay. You have to be very good at separating fiction from reality. It helps a lot when you are in constant communication with the people you are creating the story with.

When I was writing Honey over the course of this arc, I noticed that I started getting agitated - not from myself - but when I put myself in Honey's shoes. And after some contemplation I could realize why. This whole situation reminded me of those "Don't Drink and Drive" TV ads where the owner of a dog leaves, promising to come back. For a few moments you get a horrible sinking feeling because you know that this is an ad for drunk driving. But the dog doesn't. But after a few shots the person returns! All's well that ends well. You get your catharsis because that's a bit too dark a subject for daytime tv.

But I always wondered what would happen if the person never came back.

Dogs and cats are pretty smart all things considering. But how would this sort of thing affect a creature that has a higher level of intelligence? Little kids don't have a super great grasp on death - and I assume that most pokemon (there are exceptions to the rule) have the emotional and mental capacity of around a 3 year old. But you can also verbally explain death to a child when they are old enough. How do you explain to a ratatta that their trainer passed away?

This has never been stated explicitly until recently but Honey does have a slightly longer relationship with Amy than is immediately apparent. Especially with his pokemon. She cares about them and understands them to some degree. She knows roughly their emotional intelligence and ability to grasp abstract concepts. Honey has no illusions that Maxx, Beetroot and a handful of Amy's other pokemon are smart enough to connect the dots if he up and vanished. Some of them might even hold a grudge or mourn his loss.

But she knows there are also many pokemon in his care that aren't smart enough to understand. Bruno in particular - who is arguably the pokemon Honey is most emotionally attached to. Bruno is a strange case because he has a very good memory. He remembered Honey at the wedding by smell alone; a solid 3-5 years after they first met. Honey had a decent impact on his life but her influence is nothing compared to how much he cares about Bellamy.

So you have a perfect storm - A pokemon smart enough to remember people and has object permanence but not smart enough to understand the possibility of death or the idea that their human - who they love more than life itself - is never going to come back home. Thinking of that mental image - Bruno sitting alone at the door waiting for Amy forever - is basically the sole reason for her anger.

There is compounding issues of course. Did Amy even think to put all his Pokemon in his will? Would his current funds allow each of them to live in the lifestyle they are accustomed to? How many of them could stay together? Would they all have to be adopted out to other people? How many of them are at risk solely because they were the Pokemon of TV icon 'Professor Wild Days'?

Maybe Amy has plans in place for if that were to ever happen. But Honey doesn't know. She thought Amy was more prepared than that but the fact he just marched into the Cold Storage with no plan and without any proper backup has seriously shaken her faith in his ability to consider the longstanding ramifications of his actions.

So when Honey says 'I am pissed' what she really means is 'I am scared that you don't care about yourself enough to realize that your family is still here and depends on you. I'm scared that you aren't living for them. And that makes me angry on their behalf.' This is something I also deeply care about. The greatest thing that helped me in my darkest periods of my life is remembering the creatures that depend on me. Not the humans in my life; but the pets and animals that need me because if I disappear I don't know what will happen to them.

... That's pretty dark and serious. But it's also a damn good reason to be angry.

[carewyncromwell]

“Hold your head up, though no one is near --

Someone's waiting for you.”

x~x~x~x

HPHM Cardverse developed by @ariparri​​​​​ ❤️ // student showcase concept courtesy of @dat-silvers-girl​

x~x~x~x

Winter was just about everyone’s favorite time of year, in the Kingdom of Hearts. Not only did people look forward to taking time off work and school so as to spend more time at home with their loved ones, but the yearly Passion Ball was an event all of the Kingdom’s citizens greatly looked forward too. The same could be said for Diego Caplan and -- to everyone’s surprise -- Carewyn Cromwell. Although she was from the Country of Spades, the exchange student who had recently become Queen Rosalie’s newest “favorite” had been in very high spirits, as wintertime approached. Her classmates were taken aback by how frequently they’d hear her sing through the halls -- even when she’d walk to the train station to meet Chiara Lobosca on her way to the capitol, she’d be singing like a songbird happily flying south.

“Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen, When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even; Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel, When a poor man came in sight, gathering winter fuel...”

Diego was just as surprised as anyone by Carewyn’s mood, but pleasantly so.

“Why, our dear Miss Cromwell has always been so serious, since she’s come here,” he would tell people amiably. “I for one am glad she’s found a reason to smile -- beautiful ladies are all the more beautiful, when they’re happy. And they sound all the more lovely, as well!”

But however happy Carewyn sounded as she sang those first few weeks of winter, her singing came to a very abrupt halt the day of the Passion Ball. It was so sudden that just about everyone noticed -- including Diego. And Carewyn’s silence, combined with her abrupt absences from Music class over the next three days, prompted some concern out of him.

When Diego followed up with his professors and classmates about the matter, he didn’t gather much -- merely that no one had seen or heard from Carewyn since the day of the Ball. And yet just about everyone agreed that she had not attended the Ball, nor had intended to go to it in the first place. One rumor even flitted around that Queen Rosalie herself had requested Carewyn’s presence there, but she’d actually declined that invitation.

“But then, I suppose she has always acted like she’s better than everyone else,” one particularly haughty classmate said scornfully. “To think she’d feel the same way about our very Queen!”

Diego strongly doubted this. Carewyn certainly kept to herself a lot, and yes, her perfectionism and stubbornness was so over-the-top it was almost comical...but she’d actually always come across to Diego as quite modest on those few occasions they were able to interact. She rarely got up to dance in Music class like many of the others, but her singing was always precise, warm, and full of emotion -- and yet, just as when he’d first met her, she seemed incapable of accepting any sincere compliments for her talent. She instead always seemed much more comfortable encouraging other’s work and advocating for others than promoting her own skills. It almost made Diego wonder if, somewhere deep down, the brave, intelligent, stoic, proud, passionate exchange student from Spades was actually a bit socially awkward.

Whatever had made Carewyn go quiet couldn’t have been social awkwardness, though. Something had to be wrong -- and once Diego followed up with Carewyn’s only known friends at the university, Barnaby Lee and Chiara Lobosca, he got a much better idea about why.

Diego had known that Carewyn had emigrated from the Country of Spades to attend university in the Kingdom of Hearts -- everyone knew that. What he hadn’t really thought to piece together until then was what her family dynamic was like. Some might immediately assume that Carewyn leaving home to attend school could mean that she wasn’t close to her family, or perhaps that she even wanted to get away from them for whatever reason. But that couldn’t be further from the truth -- according to Barnaby, Carewyn spoke very frequently and affectionately about her brother Jacob and mother Lane, and according to Chiara, both of them were set to join Carewyn in the Kingdom of Hearts as soon as it was feasible to do so. Chiara even mentioned that the reason Carewyn had turned down the Queen’s invitation to the Passion Ball was because her mother Lane was set to arrive by train that very day, and Carewyn wanted to spend the entire day at home with her. 

This detail in particular troubled Diego greatly, and he wasn’t the only one: Chiara was too.

“I went to check on her, but when I knocked on her door, there was no answer,” she said, her soft voice shaking with anxiety. “Barnaby’s said he’s seen her open her door, and she ate some of the food I’ve left, so I know she’s there, but...whenever I try to talk to her, she won’t answer.”

Diego’s eyes grew a little darker and grimmer.

“Don’t worry,” he assured Chiara. “I’ll get to the bottom of this. You and Barnaby just keep an eye on her in the meantime.”

So Diego, while visiting his family back home, took some time out of his own holidays to ask around about the state of affairs across the border in the Country of Spades. Unfortunately it seemed information was suddenly very scarce. From what Diego could gather, the Ace of Spades -- Patricia Rakepick -- had been leading things ever since the previous King, Coby McQuaid, had been killed by person or persons unknown. It also seemed that the Jack of Spades had also recently been assassinated, and that in response, Rakepick had disposed of formalities and officially taken on the mantle of Queen of Spades. One of her first acts as Queen had been to shut down all transport in or out of the Country of Spades, for the sake of “national security.”

Was this what Carewyn was so upset about? Diego wondered. The fact that her mother and brother were now trapped back in Spades and wouldn’t be able to join her in Hearts? He had to admit, it made some sense: he knew he himself would be heartbroken if he were ever separated from his parents and siblings. Certainly Carewyn was much more of a loner than he was...but Diego had to think that Carewyn’s joy earlier that winter could only have been in response to the thought of being reunited with her mother -- and so this sudden, unsettling silence could only be grief in response to that dream being dashed.

At one point Diego discussed the matter with his father, after he’d noticed how oddly distracted his son was during dinner that night.

“I admit, I do not know her that well...and I don’t think she would consider us friends -- she seems to think anything nice I say to her is completely insincere, for some reason,” Diego said moodily. “But, well...she seems to be kind, despite her eccentricities. It just seems sad that she’s condemned herself to be alone in this time meant to be shared with friends and family.”

Mr. Caplan’s expression softened. “It is indeed sad...but perhaps understandable, under the circumstances.”

He patted his third-oldest child on the shoulder.

“Say, I know -- why don’t you bring some of our family’s wine back for her, as a gift? Perhaps enjoying a glass or two with a friend might raise her spirits.”

Diego frowned.

“Mm, probably not...it’s a lovely idea, of course,” he added quickly, “but...well, Carewyn Cromwell isn’t much one for socializing -- she’s never been to any parties at school. She didn’t even attend the Passion Ball.”

Mr. Caplan raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Really? My, your friend must be a shy one. Well, then, why don’t you go through some shops at some point tomorrow, then? Maybe there’s something there she’ll like better.”

So Diego went into town the following day with his grandmother to look through the capitol’s many shops, all indulging in post-Passion Ball sales. At one point Diego ended up inside a store that was selling a line of diamond and emerald jewelry made by the infamous Diamond Empire Cromwells. Diego’s grandmother asked him if "his friend” was related to them, and he had to confess he didn’t know.

I sincerely hope not! Diego couldn’t help but think to himself, recalling the rather unpleasant blond-haired jeweler he’d encountered while traveling with his father on a business trip to Diamonds. Mr. Caplan had once said that the founding member of the Cromwell Clan Jewelers was a man he was very glad he didn’t have to do business with.

Ironically enough, though, it was in this store that sold Cromwell Clan gems that Diego eventually found his gift for Carewyn. The shopkeeper was very enthusiastic about the gift, when Diego brought it up to the sales counter.

“Oh, wonderful choice, Mr. Caplan,” she said, beaming. “I just bought a whole stock of those from the Diamond Empire -- they’re very popular there, you know. I actually intend to bring a set of these along to the King later today, so that he might pick one for the Queen’s birthday...”

Her brown eyes sparkled.

“May I presume this gift is for a similarly special lady?”

“No -- well, yes, she is special, but not in that way,” Diego explained. “She’s simply going through a difficult time -- she’s having to spend the holidays alone without her family this year.”

The shopkeeper frowned. “I see...well, I’m sure she’ll appreciate the gesture! Here -- why don’t I box this up for you? It’d more secure than a simple shopping bag.”

The shopkeeper put it in a rather elegant white box with a fancy red velvet ribbon. Diego’s grandmother commented that they could wrap it in something more colorful when they got home, but Diego ultimately decided to leave the box as it was.

“Miss Cromwell has never thought I mean it, when I give her compliments,” he told his grandmother. “And well, I’m not trying to woo her or anything -- I just want her to know that she’s not alone -- that things will get better. Perhaps if I keep this gift simple, she’ll better sense my sincerity.”

When Diego returned to the university, he went up to Carewyn’s dormroom. He gave it a knock, but even though Diego could hear some movement inside the room, Carewyn didn’t come to the door, no more than she had for Chiara.

“Carewyn?” he called. “It’s me, Diego Caplan.”

There was no response.

“You don’t have to come to the door,” he said quickly. “I merely...wanted to drop this off for you. It’s just a small gift, in honor of the holidays -- my grandmother and I picked it out for you, in the capitol.”

He swallowed.

“...Chiara told me about your mother,” he said a little more softly. “How she was supposed to join you here, in time for the Passion Ball. It’s tragic that you’ve had to be without her -- without her and your brother. I love my family very dearly, and I can’t imagine how lonely a holiday without them would be. How lonely any time off from school would be, without them. You must miss your family terribly, and I’m certain they must miss you just as much.”

He paused, considering his next words carefully.

“I realize that I’ve...come across as insincere to you, in the past...but I’m deeply sorry, Carewyn. I mean it. And I hope you know that you don’t have to deal with your sadness alone. I’m sure Barnaby Lee and Chiara Lobosca would agree. And I sincerely hope things will get better for you and your family.”

He smiled slightly.

“Barnaby told me that you speak very highly of your brother and his intelligence . I hope I might have the chance to meet him sometime!”

There was a silence. Diego looked down at the package in his hands, and then bent down to put it on the floor in front of Carewyn’s door.

“I’ll just leave this for you here,” he said. “Hope to see you in class very soon.”

With this, he left.

Carewyn didn’t fetch the gift until nearly a hour later, and she immediately retreated back into her room, not letting anyone see her. She was really in no state to be seen -- she hadn’t bathed or brushed her hair in quite a while. She’d barely even eaten, outside of what Chiara had left for her. But in the darkened recesses of her room, she held Diego’s gift, her fingers toying absently with the velvet ribbon on the box for a long while. Then, finally, she opened it.

It was a small, but ornate silver jewelry box. Inlaid in the top was an enamel plate printed with a swan, which when opened revealed an intricately crafted bird automaton, which flapped its wings as it twittered cheerfully.

The card enclosed said:

For Miss Cromwell;

I thought you could use something to keep your earrings in. May this bird keep you company when the Bluebird of Happiness eludes you.

Signed,

Diego Caplan

Diego did not see Carewyn the following day, when classes resumed. By the end of the week, however, she had -- Diego found her in the Music classroom sitting at the piano, before everyone else had arrived. In her ginger ponytail, Diego noticed a rather familiar red velvet ribbon.

“I'm always chasing rainbows, Waiting to find a little bluebird in vain...”

Diego didn’t think he’d be smiling so fully, hearing Carewyn sing again. Yes, perhaps the song was sad, but the warmth and strength of her voice was comforting, all the same. He lingered in the door frame, watching her for a moment -- then, after a moment of thought, he actually answered her with a song of his own.

“Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby...”

Carewyn looked up through the glass of the classroom window, finding Diego’s reflection. He gave her a small smile as he sang a bit louder,

“Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, And the dreams that you dare to dream Really do come true.”

Although Carewyn bowed her head, in the glass, Diego could see her red lips upturned in a very small, emotional smile. And for the next line, Diego was very pleased when she joined him, her soft, warm voice resting on top of his much louder, but less trained tone like a cashmere blanket.

“Someday I'll wish upon a star And wake up where the clouds are far behind me, Where troubles melt like lemon drops, Away above the chimney tops -- That's where you'll find me!

Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly... Birds fly over the rainbow -- Why then, oh, why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow...why, oh, why can’t I?”

Diego had made it next to the piano, resting his hand on the piano as he stood next to Carewyn on the bench. Carewyn looked up at him at last, though her gaze rested somewhere on his shoulder rather than his face.

“Thank you,” she said very softly.

“For the gift, you mean?” asked Diego.

“For the gift -- and for caring. I hardly deserve it, and -- ”

“I would say you deserve it,” Diego said with a frown. “Everyone deserves to be happy.”

Carewyn shook her head. “I haven’t done anything to deserve such kindness from you. But I’m grateful, all the same.”

She paused.

“...I’m sorry if I offended you, before,” she said after a moment. “When I said your praise was insincere.”

Diego smiled sheepishly. “Well, yes, my pride was wounded a little -- but it’s all right! Such verbal slings and arrows are minor wounds -- it’s nothing Diego Caplan can’t handle!”

Carewyn bit her lip to try to hold in some amusement at Diego’s overconfidence.

“I suppose it just seemed like you couldn’t have known I was worthy of your praise,” she explained. “You didn’t even know me.”

Diego laughed. “Not for lack of trying! With how few chances you take to socialize or go to parties, sometimes I wonder if I will ever know you!”

“There are ways to get to know people that don’t involve dancing and small talk,” Carewyn shot back very coolly.

“I suppose so,” chuckled Diego, “but we only really share this one class together, where we can really interact at all.”

His expression grew a little more serious.

“...I don’t suppose you’ve heard any news from your mother and brother?”

Carewyn bowed her head.

“...No,” she said quietly.

She paused. Then, after a moment, she explained,

“The night of the Passion Ball, I received a note from Jacob. It looked several days old, and it was in poor condition...but he said that Mum’s work visa to Hearts was abruptly rescinded, supposedly due to the threat her departure posed to national security.”

Diego was startled. “What kind of threat?”

“The trumped-up kind,” Carewyn spat. “Mum works in a museum as an archivist and historian -- the only ‘concern’ she could prompt in the likes of someone like Rakepick is that she won’t follow the party line. Not to mention her relation to Jacob, and by extension our Jack of Spades, Duncan Ashe.”

“The one who was assassinated recently?” surmised Diego.

Carewyn’s eyes darkened as she nodded.

“I haven’t received anything else from Mum or Jacob,” she said lowly. “But I know Rakepick’s trying to keep them trapped there in Spades. I even received a letter yesterday requesting my presence at a hearing on behalf of my brother, back in Spades.”

“A hearing?” said Diego, looking confused. “But isn’t that good news? That would give you the ability to return home -- to see your brother -- ”

“And get trapped right along with him, for my efforts,” Carewyn said coldly. “Jacob even told me as much, in his letters. He warned me multiple times not to return -- if I did, Rakepick would never let me leave again.”

She crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

“I can’t help Jacob or Mum get out, if I’m also stuck on the inside,” she said lowly. “I might hate not knowing where they are...but I can’t do anything, if I’m just as much of a pawn in Rakepick’s game as they are.”

Diego’s lips came together in a straight line as his eyes drifted down to the piano.

“To feel so helpless, in the face of your family’s suffering,” he said lowly. “I can only imagine how much strength and restraint must be required to withstand it.”

He smiled at Carewyn.

“Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “As long as you’re here in Hearts, the Kingdom is your protectorate -- and I can’t imagine the King and Queen wouldn’t want to help, if they heard of your family’s plight. I’m sure you’ll think of some way to reach them.”

Carewyn looked up at Diego, her eyes softer than before.

“Thank you, Diego,” she said, clearly touched.

And from that day on, Diego felt no hesitation in introducing Carewyn Cromwell to people as his friend.

x~x~x~x

Meanwhile, back in the capitol of Hearts, a shopkeeper had come to deliver a second bird-themed jewelry box to the King of Hearts. King Declan was right in the middle of a discussion with the dean of the university of Hearts when he arrived.

“ -- can testify to the boy’s excellent character,” said the dean, his blue eyes sparkling over his half-moon spectacles. “I think you’ll be very pleased with him, if you and the Queen choose to attend the end-of-term showcase.”

“Perhaps,” said the King. “But however popular Mr. Caplan might be with his peers, there’s more to the role than just being well-liked...”

When he noticed the shopkeeper, his expression loosened significantly.

“Ah, Madam Rosmerta -- good of you to come. One moment, please, Professor Dumbledore.”

“But of course,” Dumbledore said with a polite nod.

Rosmerta laid out her selection of bird boxes for King Declan to look over. He was very impressed by their craftsmanship.

“You aren’t the first one to take a fancy to them, your Majesty,” Rosmerta said amiably. “The elder Ms. Caplan and her grandson also quite enjoyed them...”

“By grandson, do you mean Diego?” said Dumbledore. He glanced at the King significantly.

“Oh yes, he’s just started university, hasn’t he? Ms. Caplan mentioned that,” Rosmerta said amiably. “Yes, she stopped in with him the other day -- he bought one of these very same boxes himself, as a gift for a friend.”

King Declan raised his eyebrows, interested. “Really?”

“Yes -- such a charming young man...apparently this friend didn’t have anyone to spend the holidays with. I asked him if this lady friend was someone special to him -- he said she wasn’t, but that she was a special person, all the same.” She beamed. “Such a sweet thing to say...”

“Yes...” said Declan thoughtfully.

His eyes ran pensively over the bird box in his hand before he glanced over at the dean, whose blue eyes were twinkling again. Then the King of Hearts himself looked back down at the box with a smile.

“...You said Mr. Caplan will be at the student showcase, this upcoming spring?”

“Most assuredly,” said Dumbledore with a dewy smile.

“Perhaps Rosalie and I shall attend, then,” said King Declan. “I should like to meet him, if time permits.”

Dumbledore inclined his head in something of an abridged bow as he rose from his chair. “We would be honored to have you.”

[grazinginthefield]

I have just seen the Barbie movie, and I was bawling for 80% of the film. I was wondering why it was making me so emotional.

I had to unlearn all kinds of shaming tendered towards women because of how badly it was ingrained in my head. A woman who shows her cleavage or wear short skirts are supposed to want attention from men, and that they lack dignity for that. A woman who's curvy or fat is not supposed to be pretty or attractive. A woman who speaks up is supposed to be just whiny and irrational. A woman cannot be a leader because apparently, during her period, she cannot be trusted with decisions.

Then in my tweens and teenage years, I got expose with the contents of feminism and women empowerment. It came to the point where I started to have growing distrust in men. All those pathetic ideology were catered for men's pleasure. Suddenly, in my mind, they are only there to hurt us. When I get to start liking someone, I immediately find what's icky about him and how petty he actually is. And it was like that all those years.

But I had to understand that recognizing their privileges does not mean I had to hate them. It does take a lot of strength, because for most who I am starting to appreciate, would then make objectifying statements. It does determine who's willing to be called out and learn from it, from those who don't.

Next for me was the frustration of how we are pitted against each other, how we're programmed to just agree with our husbands or boyfriends. When I was a younger, I had an altercation with a married couple, I looked at the wife, thinking, "You should be on my side. You should know how it is to be a young girl being intimidated by a man." Or when a woman agrees or stay quiet when her man body-shames me... no, we should both be calling him out for it. Don't agree with him.

So coming into adulthood, I unconsciously started to despise the concept of being a wife, but not of motherhood. I know that's probably ironic but focusing on being a "wife" alone, for me it was all about us being taken away by a man. It is probably more honorable than that. But that's what it is in my head.

I have a very competent, qualified, and intelligent friend, who has so much potential if she only decides to pursue her career. She's very reliable and strong, and she was a student leader when we were still in school. I felt a bit sad when she got married when she was still in her 20s. I know her husband loves her, but it did feel like her potential has been constrained now. And slowly, it has been starting to feel like that. Is the next step for my friends really being tied up to a man? Will those men help pull them up, or set them up to societal expectations of a wife?

I opened this up to my sister, who was very sympathetic to me and helping me find the reason for it. She said, maybe they weren't just getting the support they need for their professional endeavors. Or that's where they just really see themselves and nothing's wrong with that.

But why can a man be a husband and still pursue his professional endeavors?

I struggle with this now being in a relationship.

Watching Barbie made me realize all that, and applying it to myself, first, I should not condemn my friends for doing what they love and believe in. They need to be receiving support and encouragement from me, not these frustrations I'm harboring. Second, I shall not set myself down for my partner and that I have to be certain that the compromises we're making is not only for his benefit nor solely for mine.

[transmissionsfromthebattlefield]

Hard Living

Pussy Gillette are hands down one of the best recent groups in existence. And to think frontwoman Masani didn't first pick up a bass until her thirties and all of their music videos—favorably—look like a straight rip from a thrice-copied VHS tape you would get your grubby hands on from a cool skater buddy in either 1988 or 1998. They are as real and raw as it gets, yet the video of theirs linked above, which just came out a few days ago, has just 312 views at the time of me writing this.

A message of defiant empowerment that pairs big-smile badassery with a great and much needed sense of humor, buried against the tides of internet business as usual. I don't think people are quite ready for Pussy Gillette. They may be "recent", but they bring with them a heady aspiration for longevity that might alienate the general public. The general public is not concerned with artists with guts, just artists with all-caps GUTS. Of course, I speak of America's prodigal girlchild, Olivia Rodrigo, who I cannot believe I am mentioning in the same breath as Pussy Gillette. But I have to.

I voluntarily keep up with Olivia's music as a checking tool since she's just one year older than me yet completely the opposite of me in numerous ways. Here's the thing: when I write songs and make music, I hope to make a—for lack of a better term—ack—safe space for young female artists who prefer not to listen to Taylor Swift. Olivia's music intends to make a hostile space for young female artists who prefer not to listen to Taylor Swift. You see the problem here? We are not very compatible. I will give her most recent video credit for not being a genreless slice of slap-in-the-face curd pie like some of her others—c'mon, it's kyuuuuute.

Olivia is twenty, a baby in the grand scheme of things. Not too long ago she was nineteen, my age. I can attest to the pain and suffering that comes with being a teenage girl, as well as the satisfaction that can come from squishing and pouring those swirling emotions into song (or prose). The truth is is that I am just not as social as Olivia—no wonder she uses the butterfly throughout her branding. I don't really have songs to write about regarding Tyler from history class. I have songs to write about mass media brainwashing's effect on the populace and that scene from The Wall where Bob Geldof is yelling at everyone (which is probably the most accurate depiction of the modern day large scale concert production, by the way). Maybe if that Tyler kid said something that really fascinated/infuriated/both of those things-me I would wring it like a towel and turn the warped, pulsating droplets into a song. But my brain is too skewered and too focused on my studies to do the whole "normal teenage girl" thing that much.

Or maybe that's just the "commercially palatable" thing. Olivia's GUTS are that she is smooth, like intestines in a well-oiled Cuckoo's Nest Combine machine. Our friends Pussy Gillette, however, are rough, jagged, and edgy in a way that is all their own. And boy, do they own it. Yet they are not willy nilly—they share the same focus, awareness, and intelligence that societally powerful artists have, though PG choose cute shock value over cute exploitation of the vulnerable masses. In this I actually see a chance of engagement with a wider, captive audience—they embody defiance and self-assured-ness in a world that needs it. "Permanent Trash" is an ode to self empowerment and self pride. These traits are of great yet controversial interest and analysis to our society. Because of the internet, the self esteem of humanity sits in a perilous state in an age of simultaneous constant comparison to and instant disappointment in other people. We are forced to ask ourselves what traits we can find pride in without alienating others, springing gray hairs like poison darts as we ruminate on how we could be "better".

Never mind that the people pitting us against each other in this manner are so comfortable in their positions of corrupt power that they never even consider these concerns. They know they are bad, and they know they have their fingers on society's pulse. The "influencers" we worship and revile in unison, the milquetoast kings and queens of the schoolyard, guide us towards superficial quests for brownie points that only serve to obscure that they are the real enemy. In a desperate bid for commercial acceptance, humanity cries out, "what part of me is palatable?" Pussy Gillette offer the answer: the whole she-bang, baby. Live with yourself. Live.

But, of course, by the time you're on the "G" in their name when typing it into the YouTube search bar, the suggested results snap away out of fear of Pussy Gallavanting, Pussy Galloping, Pussy Grumbling, or any sort of adorable videos of tiny felines doing cute things, therefore obstructing the culture of cat videos that has been the foundation of the internet since its earliest days.

But all of the best recent bands—PG, cumgirl8, Round Eye, as I was writing this Spotify recommended me a band called DICKFARTBUTTSEX—have eyebrow raising names. I say we usher in a new culture of degeneracy and dignity with the music we listen to. You can't truly spill guts without a little seppuku.

P.S.: A side note: this new wave of porn bots is too good. "ReformedBlasphemy" should be MY username.

[booksandwords]

Cut & Run by Lucy Felthouse

Series: The Dreadnoughts #2 Read time: 2 Days Rating: 3/5 Stars

The Quote: Christ, that cannae be good, can it? Yer settled down tae a quiet life in the country after years of chaos, and the first lass ye meet that truly floats yer boat and she’s likely tae bring endless barrels of steaming, red-hot, stinking shit tae ye doorstep—whether she means tae or not. Talk about karma. — Joshua Greig

Warnings: None of Note

I honestly appreciate the ending of Cut and Run. It is a perfect cliffhanger if entirely unexpected. There is nothing to indicate this option was there. But I love it as a writing choice, assuming that it is used well in Safe and Sound. The plot feels like a typical middle act in a military-style subplot. The weaker party, anticipating an attack, barricades, prepares defences and looks for the enemy's potential weaknesses. I do like the choice of villain, simple, easy and an obvious motive. For a reverse harem that makes a lot of sense, writers need to be careful of the balance between plot and characters.

On the developments in the characters. I want to slap Chastain upside the head and ask him what in the name of all things good he thought he was doing at the end of Search and Rescue. Chastain is just frustrating to me and the way he ends up with Kim was just ugh for me. Hard and fast, something just the like side of hate sex has never been my thing. There isn't much development with Tay and Josh, they accept so much about their new circumstances with grace. Though there are flashes of a more serious side to Taylor. The more I see of Jota the more they remind me of Ezra and Aiden from Michaela Haze's Blood Sugar (a reverse harem I fully recommend to those who appreciate emotional romance btw). Given the execution intimacy with Jota and Chastain it does make me wonder what is in mind for Aiden. His personality type leaves plenty of space for options. I did have a realisation about Kim though. Did we know where in her family tree the money had come from? We do now and it wasn't who I expected. She is a mystery. We know more about them than her. That is a problem in a way it makes me wonder what ammunition is missing, and what could be used against her in the future. But her characterisation does make it easier for readers to window the world.

Have some quotes I liked (this gets out of control a little).

“And what am I supposed tae do, eh? Just sit here, twiddling my thumbs? Waiting by the phone like a fucking golf widow?” — Okay as you can guess by my love for Josh in the quotes I have a serious love for him in this book. Also, I adore this line so much. (Josh)

“We need badass, brainy, computer whizz, scientist Kim. Not doom and gloom Kim.” — I love how Jota build up Kim's confidence. (Taylor)

Can’t blame the lad, really. She might be a bit prickly at times, but she’s pretty enough, and insanely smart. — So it's lines like this that make me think there was a better way to bring Chastain and Kim together. Intelligence is his thing, something Kim has in spades. When I read this line I hoped that he was going to watch her work and have level of scientific and military competence do it for him. Not what we got. I'm sorry I keep coming back to it. (Chastain)

 “No, no,” Joshua replied, holding his hands up in surrender, “there’s no’ a scratch on her, mate. Or if there is, it was there beforehand and nothin’ tae do wi’ me. We didnae drive it there—though Taylor did lift yer keys just in case the alarm went off and we needed tae silence it.” The glower softened to a frown. “So what have you…?” As he trailed off, realisation took over his features, and he actually smiled. “Bloody hell, you carried it, didn’t you?” Looks like the show’s over. — The above popcorn gif is directly related to this exchange. I adore Josh and his superstrength and what he can do with it. (Joshua, Chastain and Kim)

“Smith?” Chastain barked. “That you?” “Of course it’s me,” came the irritable response. “Who else would be answering my bloody phone?” — Do not piss off the overworked and exhausted ER doctor. This is just oddly amusing though. I didn't expect it. (Chastain and Aidan)

And, God help her, she didn’t want it to be. Does this mean I have some kind of male harem now? — Kim and her realisations made me laugh. (Kim)

“Aye, I’m great, thanks. Had the time o’ my life whizzing down here just now. Wi’ no passengers, so tae speak, I can go at whatever speed I want tae—though I have tae be careful on uneven surfaces. Dinnae want tae trip. It’s fucking mental. I’m buzzing!” Aidan chuckled. “I can tell. You look like you’re high or something.” “Maybe I am.” — I cannot imagine Tay high... This made me laugh though, it's a perfect visual for what Taylor looks like after running between London and Greig & Greig Outdoor Pursuits Centre, which remains their base. (Taylor and Aidan)

The 3⭐ rating is due mostly to the scene between Kim and Chastain, they go from zero to one hundred in about two seconds. It feels clunky to me and I think there was a much better way for their attraction to play out. Chastain is attracted to intelligence, something Kim has in spades. If Chastain had been her last bed partner (not uncommon given he is the default leader) their attraction could have felt more comfortable and lasting rather than a flash in the pan. That said it cannot be denied that as the execution of their present chemistry, the way they can brush each other up the wrong way, hard, fast and ruthless on a kitchen countertop does work well. Just not for me.