#antithetic records

[spiribia]

My sky cotl ideas 🔥

- New recurring event: massive whale encrusted head to tail with darkness fungus rolls to an arduous stop at a station. Players scramble over it to burn away the darkness blooms, gaining a ton of wax. When squeaky clean, the whale will call out in gratitude, flooding you with additional currency and refilling your light, before departing. You get to be a cleaner wrasse.

- Seasonal event: during in-game night at a high point in Aviary Village, possibly for a winter month, you can fill floating lanterns with candles and cast them off to "make a wish". Other players around you in your instance can see your released lantern drifting up. A random other player who has manually opted into this program can later receive your lantern, get a free candle, and maybe read a wish message if you set one

- Historian spirit: asks you to log light imprints of ancient wall art pieces at key locations. When you return to them with your findings, they will pull up an image of each scene, prompting you with selectable options to describe what you think is being depicted. There are no wrong answers, and the images depict an original enclosed side story rather than tie into 'major' lore. At the end of the questline, the spirit will decorate the wall behind them with an original interpretive mural based on your responses (answers could maybe funnel down to 3 possible 'conclusions', which the murals will be based on), look it over, and nod with satisfaction. A reference to the lore philosophy of the game. The historian introduces a research projector, in which you can record and view crisp holograms of murals you have logged, organized into sections by the map you found them on.

[icepoptrio]

Will be interesting to see how Denji the world's horniest character interacts with the personification of the fear of death

[stairs-feooff]

I should be paid to listen to crust punk

[musical-chick-13]

Once again asking myself if I should maybe just scrap this whole entire story and never finish it so no one ever has to read it, including me.

[rxvenhairedprincesss]

updated tags:

∘°∘♡∘°∘ you're on your own kid ; OOC

∘°∘♡∘°∘ Can I ask you a question? ; answered

∘°∘♡∘°∘ We team up then switch sides like a record changer ; Promo

∘°∘♡∘°∘ Argumentative antithetical dream girl ; Self promo

∘°∘♡∘°∘ Dear reader ; Queued

[meanbossart]

ASK COMPILATION: LORE, CHARACTERIZATION, AND THE ONE IN WHICH I RUIN A BUNCH OF PEOPLE'S FUN

As usual, this is far from all of the asks in my inbox but I'm trying to catch up 😩thank you everyone for your patience!

For the record, if your ask isn't being answered, that most likely means one of three things:

I am saving it as a possible art prompt.

I sincerely don't have a very interesting or good reply for it yet!

It's a question I have been asked multiple times/the answer is in my pinned post.

Glad you like them!!

As much as I don't limit what I draw to canonical events, vampirism is so antithetical to DU drow's character journey that I couldn't really envision it, to be honest, but who knows! Maybe I'll cook up some Ascended Astarion scenario someday that is kind of a role-reversal of the Bhaalist DU Drow AU I have going on in tandem to the story.

I'll be honest, this is one of the rare times where I'm really not sure which aspect of DU drow's weirdness this is in reference to. Do you know something I don't? 😅

His masochism is very... Classic, I guess? He's in it for the pain and for the emotional connection, and the process of being pierced wouldn't cut it whatsoever, it's too subtle. The body modifications he has are an incidental result of it, but they were never really the goal.

Also having stuff dangling off his face or body would just irritate him, he specifically only does rings because all other types of jewellery get in the way too much. Pre-tadpole Bhaalist drow obviously wore them by the ton, but only as a symbol of status and because he had a permanent new-money complex🤷 so yeah not a piercing-type of character at all, sorry!

He's smooth from the eyelashes-down and profoundly weirded out by body hair LOL

I don't personally think that whatever Astarion had for a home before would bear my resemblance to it after 200 years - having probably gone through several owners, remodeled, if not completely lost to the destruction of the end-game. I do HC that he used to visit it whenever he could as an enthralled spawn to read his mail, but he stopped after his father passed.

THANK YOU, I THINK? I can't say that isn't a passionate description at least!

I'm honestly surprised that this comes up as often as it does LOL but it's just an stylistic choice on my end!

The latter - for sure. He figured that them dying at each other's hands at the end was a given and took that assumption entirely for granted (and I'm sure daydreamed about it often while Gortash went on and on about political strategy during their dinner meetings.)

;))) way ahead of you and by "way ahead" I mean "eventually and whenever I can figure out when to do it alongside the other 30 ideas I am currently juggling" (but I really do want to make a little comic out of it!)

He used them! Not immediately, but he grew to trust the guardian after some initial suspicion and happily gobbled up those squirmy little things alongside Astarion. Because I made his character on a whim and without any planned backstory, I didn't really put any thought into his Guardian's appearance either, so she's just a human woman with a Joan of Arc look going on who's of no significance to him or his past.

But DU drow did trust her, again not immediately but eventually. It was honestly a big kick in the gut to him when the Emperor revealed himself and it definitely set their relationship up to fail from the get-go.

This is also why he didn't ascend to the next stage of Ilithid power, he just stomped the thing dead right on the spot LOL

LMAO I think Gortash is too proud to chase a tail he can't catch like that

He was probably very overwhelmed by the sudden realization that OH, THIS IS ALL HAPPENING BECAUSE OF ME which naturally didn't come across whatsoever to anyone present since he immediately bottled it up and tucked it away out of sight. However, as the story progressed and DU drow helped his friends get out of their respective pickles he was probably able to justify it to himself as it having been for the greater good - since it led to Astarion being freed from his master and Shadowheart to defying the Sharrans.

As for all of the rest of the ensued destruction and death that resulted from it? Well you can't make an omelette without cracking some eggs, or whatever is the wizard version of that saying. He has essentially turned the entire situation into a net-positive in his mind and sleeps great at night because of it.

[theafterglow83]

RECLAIMING THE MUSE

To anyone who thinks that Karlie Kloss was PR to cover for Diana (or Lily- who like Dianna -has been out of the picture for years.)

What ? Are there 7 photos combined of both of them (and 2 of them aren’t even Lily)

please seek help.

Karlie Kloss has had gay/ bi rumors circulating about her since …forever.

It was kind of known /unspoken knowledge among her inner circle and folks in the industry.

She’s been connected to Toni Garrn, Jourdan Dunn, Leigh Lezark among others before she was involved with Taylor.

Karlie Kloss and her androgynous self is definitely a woman’s woman if you know what I mean.

She’s never really dated men

Her best friend Derek is gay.

Derek introduced her to Josh

Josh was rumored to be involved with Mikey Hess…it goes on and on

Let me remind you of one of Karlie’s hilarious early slips of the tongue and gay panic that followed…

…”my exxxxxxx, well SHES a top manicurist now”

Now please tell me why Taylor Swift and her PR machine would get a rumored gay woman ( kk) to cover for the fact that Taylor was gay or involved with another woman.

Hiding a secret gay relationship with another secret gay relationship?

ARE YOU FOR REAL?

It makes absolutely zero sense not to mention how in most of Taylor’s discography the songs are clearly about Karlie.

If that was PR they need about 7 Oscars awarded to them.

AND…

New York City wasn’t screaming Diana’s or Lily’s name nor are they “tall and handsome as hell” or” fit like a daydream.” Or the West Village” “Argumentative, antithetical dream girl” “ the one I was dancing with in NY” Gold Rush” etc …

Karlie Elizabeth (Betty) Kloss

Who else besides Karlie Kloss had a garden gate ????

I could go on but you get the point

Seriously whoever “thunk” this one up needs a day or two off.

STOP TRYING TO REWRITE HISTORY BECAUSE YOU DONT LIKE KARLIE.

ITS ALWAYS ANYONE BUT KK WITH THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LITERALLY ACCUSED HER OF MADE UP WAR CRIMES WITH ABSOLUTELY ZERO EVIDENCE.

My money is on “Karlie Kloss is a better human than most …” Taylor actually told us…”Dreams of your hair and your stare and sense of belief in the good in the world”

And for the record I’m not saying Diana ever happened. Of course it did but it was over before the 1989 era began.

You can not make up lore or change the timeline. Stop creating a false reality. That’s called delusion.

Karlie Kloss. Say her name

[bombermanga]

Open Call: Translating Bomberman Video Games

What up, bomberbutts! It sure has been a hot minute and a half. Unfortunately, I have no updates regarding any of Bombermanga's projects (except that nothing's abandoned, just backburnered). What I do have for y'all is a potential opportunity for folks to get involved in someone else's bombertranslation project — one in which translation skills aren't necessarily needed!

Legato at BombermanBoard (he of the SteamyJimmy YouTube channel, which got nuked after he posted subs for BMJ's Episode 53 drama CD and the entirety of the Bakugaiden IV anime) is looking to organize a group effort to translate several Bomberman games that never made it out of the land of the rising sun. This includes:

Super Bomberman: Panic Bomber W (SNES)

Super Bomberman 5 (SNES, incomplete)

Saturn Bomberman Fight!! (Saturn)

Bomberman Wars (Saturn)

BB-Daman Bakugaiden: Victory heno Michi (GBC)

BB-Daman Bakugaiden V: Final Mega Tune (GBC)

Bomberman Land (PSX)

Bomberman Land 2 (PS2, GC)

Bomberman Land 3 (PS2)

Bomberman Kart (PS2)

Bomberman Kart DX (PS2)

Bomberman Jetters: Legendary Bomberman (GBA)

Bomberman Jetters Game Collection (GBA)

Panic Bomber (PSP)

Bomberman: Bakufuu Sentai Bomberman (PSP)

Bomberman Blast JP (Wii)

The translator for BMJ Episode 53 and both Bakugaiden IV & V is open to working on these games as well, so what legato is primarily looking for are people who can:

Rip text from the games

Put any translated text back into a patch

Playtest for typos, corrections, etc.

Provide additional help checking translations for accuracy

For more information, check out the forum thread here. If you're interested in helping out, you can:

Make a BombermanBoard account and post in the thread about what you can do (which would probably be easier for legato to track but is possibly antithetical to the younger bombs in the fandom), or...

Message this account with a name, method of contact (an email address or otherwise some sort of social media with DM/PM capabilities), and what you can offer for the project so I can post in the thread in your stead

For the record, games that have already been translated (not by legato!) include:

Bomberman GB 3

Super Bomberman 4

Bomberman Warz (PSX)

Bomberman 64 Arcade Edition

[darkmaga-retard]

By Patricia McCarthy

Given everything we know about Kamala Harris by now, it is astonishing that a single American would consider voting for her.  She is clearly way out of her depth, and until she suddenly became the designated candidate of the Democrat party, most people on both sides of the aisle considered her to be unqualified.  She did virtually nothing as Biden’s vice president these past three-and-a-half years beyond casting tie-breaking votes on numerous bills that have led to destructive inflation and trillions more in our national debt.  Most everyone agrees that she was the most radical of leftist senators while she held that office; she is to the left of Bernie Sanders, an avowed socialist.  Harris is, and would govern as, a communist. The record of her political beliefs, going back to her terms first as San Francisco DA and then state AG, proves just how radical she is.  Now she claims she has “changed her mind” on all those annoying issues like defunding the police, ending all fracking, decriminalizing all drug offenses, no border wall, the decriminalization of all illegal entries into the U.S., mandated gun confiscation, etc., and she claims as well that “her values have not changed.”  She wants to have it both ways.

Now we have heard the one and only debate during which the two ABC moderators clearly sought to cover for Harris’s many, many lies. To those of us who follow the campaign closely, just about every word out of her mouth was a lie.  So, one has to assume that those people who support Kamala Harris are wholly ignorant of her plans to complete Obama’s transformation of America into a Marxist nation without any constitutional protections.  If they continue to support her after the debate, then they are so deeply indoctrinated they are unable to think critically.  David Muir and Lindsey Davis both ran interference for Harris. They did not challenge even one of her many prevarications.  For example, the left absolutely does support abortion up to and including birth.  Obama twice voted against Illinois’s infant born alive act.  It is the law in several states that infants who survive an abortion are denied medical care.  Davis was wrong to say late-term abortion is against the law in every state. There was a Born-Alive Infants Protection Act that passed in Congress and was signed by George W. Bush in 2002, but apparently another was needed.  H.R. 26 was passed in the House in January 2023; 210 Democrats voted against it. It has not been passed in the Senate.

Harris was never asked to explain her many flip-flops on important issues — her long-term opposition to fossil fuels, fracking, even LNG and gas stoves.  She was not asked if she still advocates for transgender surgeries for illegal migrants.  She was not asked if she still supports the defunding of police, giving felons the right to vote, and a fully open border.  She is on record over and over again opposing a border wall, but uses Trump’s border wall in her ads!  She does oppose private health care for all, despite her lies during the debate.  She supports censorship of discourse antithetical to the government agenda. Despite what she said, she does support the mandatory confiscation of all guns in the hands of citizens which would insure that only criminals have guns. 

[ingek73]

Celebrity·Posted on Aug 9, 2024

Republicans Voting For Kamala Harris Over Donald Trump Are Sharing The Reasons Why, And This Makes So Much Sense

"Donald Trump is destroying the GOP, and the only way to stop that is to help Kamala Harris defeat him."

by Morgan Sloss

BuzzFeed Staff

Since President Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed his VP, I've seen quite a few social media posts from Republicans announcing that they'll vote for Kamala Harris over Donald Trump.

Kamala Harris smiling in a suit next to Donald Trump in a suit and red tie

Andrew Harnik/ Brandon Bell / Getty Images

Naturally, I was curious why so many conservatives are willing to vote against their party. So, I recently asked the Republicans in the BuzzFeed Community and got nearly 600 responses in one day! Here's what they had to say:

1. "Because I'm voting against MAGA, not for Harris. I believe in small government, personal freedoms, balanced budgets, and strong alliances. I used to vote Republican until 2016 when that party I voted for stopped existing. I'm willing to lend my vote to the Democrats for as long as the GOP continues to be the party of forced religion, forced patriotism, forced birth, white nationalism, and isolationism."

—purplesnail73

2. "I’m a Texan, a born-again Evangelical Christian, and a gun owner. I'm also a Navy veteran who proudly served. I cannot and will not vote for Donald J. Trump. His words and actions are antithetical to Christ’s teaching. His willingness to lie and wildly exaggerate is off-putting at best. As a veteran, his denigrating remarks toward senior brass undermine the good order and discipline required for a strong and effective military. His praise of dictators and autocrats is abhorrent."

—ancyghoul56

3. "I consider myself a conservative moderate, but I strongly believe in reproductive rights, so I’ll be voting for Harris. I wasn’t going to vote for Biden though, so I’m happy she’s the ticket now."

—laurieh4d6629bb4

4. "I became a registered Republican when we were in the days of Mitt Romney and John McCain — people who deeply cared about our country, had relevant leadership experience, and seemed capable of reviving and maintaining our economy. I was terrified of the socialist agenda being pushed by Bernie Sanders and wanted anything but that. But I’ve realized that the only thing scarier than the extreme left is the extreme right."

"Being a 'New England Republican,' it’s more about libertarian values (states’ rights and a free market) than social conservatism based in religion. I am not a religious person and do not want my (or anyone else’s) rights dictated by others’ religious beliefs. Project 2025 and the decrease in women’s rights are now some of my greatest fears — along with genuine questions about Trump’s mental state, criminal record, and his ability to work with other nations. I would not only be scared to have him as president but embarrassed, so at this point, I’ll vote for anyone else."

—Anonymous

5. "I am a registered Republican. However, I have never voted for Trump. In 2016, I couldn’t get past the Access Hollywood tape. In 2020, I knew he was only interested in what the presidency could do for him. In 2024, Trump SCARES ME TO MY CORE."

—Anonymous

6. "I am a lifelong Republican. Jimmy Carter is the only Democrat I have ever voted for. I voted for Trump twice because I am a Republican, but mostly because he looked to me to be the lesser of two evils. I just can’t bring myself to vote for him again. He has become the greater of two evils! I’m not thrilled by the Democratic platform or many of their priorities. But Trump is just too divisive, and as a nation, we desperately need to come together and find shared solutions to the problems our country is facing."

—charmingkid887

7. "I consider myself fiscally conservative and feel strongly about smaller, more efficient government, less regulation, and fewer entitlements. Let's be real: Trump's idea of fiscal responsibility is giving more to the 1%. Repeatedly, Trump's government handed money to the rich! Throughout the pandemic, large companies were allowed to reap benefits from the government that smaller businesses did not have the resources to explore. Less regulation and freedom have always been a cornerstone of the Republican party, yet laws were passed regulating what a woman can do with her own body."

"Freedom to Trump and the current makeup of the Republican party seems to be giving your money to the rich. Lastly, Trump is a liar and a convicted felon and belongs behind bars, NOT in any position of power."

—Anonymous

8. "I care about the future of my grandchildren. I’m a white woman, and my grandchildren are Black. I am very proud of who they are. I want them to have freedoms and choices, not hatred and racism. Former president Trump's views do not line with my views; the future of this country depends on us making a major change. I believe in Kamala Harris and what she stands for and our country. As for our gay communities, people's choice to love who they choose is also very relevant to my family. I love them — male, female, or undecided. We are all people; we all bleed. This country has bled enough. We will win. God bless Kamala Harris."

—Anonymous

9. "I am an Eisenhower/Kinzinger Republican with three sons serving in the US military. How is this a difficult choice for any educated, ethical human being? Trump is a horrible person, utterly devoid of any political vision, ethical compass, or personal integrity. He’s a convicted felon. Adjudicated fraudster. Indicted for multiple other felonies. A vocal supporter of the world’s worst megalomaniac dictators. For real? I have to explain why no one should ever support him, regardless of party affiliation? Is that what we’ve come to? That’s what MAGA has done to our country in general and the GOP in particular. It’s elevated crass and criminal behavior to a level of normalcy."

—Anonymous

10. "Trump is a wannabe dictator, and Vance doesn’t respect my existence as a single, childless dog mom! Project 2025 scares the crap out of me, and we need decency in the White House! We are fighting for our LIVES here!"

—Betherick85

11. "I’m a former US Marine and was a registered Arizona Republican until 2021, when I switched to Independent. I reluctantly voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, but after January 6, I was done with him. Donald Trump is destroying the GOP, and the only way to stop that is to help Kamala Harris defeat him. A defeat would break Trump’s grip on the GOP and signal a shift in American politics. It would mean that Trump’s brand of politics no longer holds the same influence, which is crucial for the future of our democracy."

—youngpear70

12. "I’m voting for Harris because I like the level-headedness I see in her and Walz. I’m hopeful that she’ll be our first woman in the Oval Office. I detest Trump, who seems to be an unethical, arrogant bully and threatens the progress made in human rights over the last 100 years. It boggles my mind how Americans are cool with his lies and crimes. He has been both a joke and a danger to the world. I vote based on research, not my party."

—heathere4b60bc97b

13. "I have been a Republican since before I could vote, back when I enlisted in the National Guard as a 17-year-old. At that time, and throughout my 23-year military career, I swore an oath to the Constitution, not the president. I believe in democracy, I believe in God, and I believe in a lot of what Republicans say they stand for. But I absolutely do not believe in Trump and his supporters. They have clearly demonstrated that their only objective is power and control, not democracy, truth, or honesty. Oh, and they are weird!"

—Anonymous

14. "I am scared of what will happen to women and the LGBTQ community under another Trump presidency. I couldn't live with that on my conscience if I voted for Trump, and he won."

—Anonymous

15. "Trump is a convicted felon who has turned the GOP into a MAGA cult. He tried to steal the 2020 election. He lies about the legal system and law enforcement. He attempts to destroy anyone not 100% loyal to him. His entire administration says he is unfit to serve. Vance is a fraud. Harris and Walz are normal people who care about America."

—Anonymous

16. "Registered Republican since 1996 at 18, and 2016 was the first year I did not vote for a Republican for president (also did not for him in 2020 and definitely not in 2024). The constant belittling of those who don't like him, the number of blue-collar workers he and his cronies have screwed over the years, and the hijacking of faith (when he is clearly one of the most godless people by his deeds and words)."

—Anonymous

17. "I voted Republican for 40 years. I don’t recognize the Republican Party anymore. Where are the fiscally conservative, free enterprise, foreign policy hawks of the past? All I hear now is hate. And while I fully support free enterprise, we can’t deny the science of climate change and need to find ways to reduce our impact on the planet before it is too late."

—Anonymous

18. "I did not like how former president Trump attacked Vice President Harris’ race. That crossed a line for me as I have a family member of mixed race. I do not see Trump as a sensitive human. I’m seeing hate from the former president, and I don’t think he can control his temper. I like Tim Walz."

—Anonymous

19. "I don't support dismantling the Department of Education. I do not support policies that would limit the ability of public schools to do their jobs. A voucher or tax credit system for 'school choice' is the death knell of a society. Public school serves as a baseline which all other forms of education are held to. Eliminating public schools will lead to the rise of schools with wacky and potentially dangerous ideologies. Public school is the fabric of our society and must be preserved."

—Anonymous

20. "I will be voting for Kamala Harris. I have not and will not vote for Donald Trump. I was raised as a Catholic in a Republican household and taught to be responsible for my own actions. Donald Trump has no concept of personal or social responsibility. Mr. Trump has lied, used, manipulated, and gaslighted everyone in his realm for personal gain. This type of person has no place in a leadership role for this country or any position of management and responsibility, for that matter. Mr. Trump does not understand the concept of accountability."

"My first impression of Mr. Trump was his role in The Apprentice, which was appalling. Mr. Trump's public behavior and lack of ability to address growth and social issues critical to the well-being of the citizens of this country or the world community is unacceptable. The framers of our Constitution must be rolling in their graves!"

—Anonymous

21. "Trump is the worst thing to happen to the Republican Party since Nixon and Watergate! The man is obviously unfit for public office. The only person Donald Trump cares about is Donald Trump. He knows next to nothing about the Constitution or democracy. The way he acted about the 2020 election results was absolutely DISGRACEFUL!"

—Anonymous

22. "I’m raising a daughter in this world, and I would never leave her in Trump's care. That means something to me. I don’t like Kamala, and I’m not happy to vote for her. But if I can’t even trust you around innocent children, how can I trust you to run a country?"

—Anonymous

23. "I haven't voted for a Republican since Trump got nominated the first time, despite being a registered Republican. I am okay with every Democrat and Republican who has ever held the office of president in my lifetime except Trump. I haven't always agreed with them or voted for them, but I respected them and believed they were doing what they thought was right. I think Harris will be similar. I think she knows that her job will be to do what is right. Trump has always believed his job was to take from everybody else. He was never qualified for the job."

—Anonymous

24. "Because Trump and Vance are both creepy. Trump was the worst president this country has ever had."

—c49a679543

25. "I am a Republican who served seven terms as the elected prosecuting attorney of a county in Missouri. I voted for Donald Trump twice. I will never, under any circumstances, vote for him again. I became a Republican during the Reagan years. We were the party of strong law enforcement, tough national defense, and limited government. Neither party was interested in making abortion a criminal offense. Donald Trump made a cult of the party. His reaction to the January 6 riots, his trashing of the FBI, his vow to pardon rioters who violated the Capitol building, and his 34 felony convictions have made it impossible for me to respect him. The only vote I would cast for him would be GUILTY if I ever got to sit as a juror in one of his cases."

—Anonymous

26. "Foreign policy: Stand by Ukraine. Stand by NATO. We can always deal with differences in domestic policy and legislation. Foreign policy is driven by the president, and the current GOP is dangerously enamored with dictators. Trump praises Putin and insults our own allies, making future conflicts more likely."

27. "There are a lot of things to not like about Trump. The thing that really gets me the most is what he manages to bring out in people. I’m slowly seeing people I love and highly respected turn into hypocritical, dramatically angry morons who can’t seem to see past themselves. I just can’t sit by and participate in letting that type of hatred keep growing."

"If I’m going to use my vote, then I’m going to use it towards making history in a positive way. And I would love to be able to say I voted for the first female president. I like Harris a lot more than I’ve ever liked Hilary."

—Anonymous

28. "Christian nationalism poses a threat to my Christian faith, my LGBTQ friends, and to the fabric of our nation. It’s terrifying to see what’s become of my family members who tout Christian beliefs but are posting photos with a convicted felon and convicted sexual predator as a new messiah. Horrific."

—Anonymous

29. And finally, "I will vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for two reasons. 1) I despise Donald Trump. He lacks character, dignity, morals, and empathy. He’s one of the worst humans on the planet and never should’ve been a presidential candidate, let alone a president. 2) I like the message of hope and a brighter future that Harris and Walz are bringing. They are good and decent people the American people can be proud to have as our President and Vice President."

—Anonymous

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

[thefreakandthehair]

⚾️ rounding third, sliding home update ⚾️

chapters five and six now live: here on ao3 feat. art by @oriarts! -> or, start from the beginning!

“I wish I could say yes and that I’m a mastermind but alas, it’s just the best place in the neighborhood. Not that I’m disappointed.” Eddie winks as he fumbles with his keys in the door. He drops them once, muttering something under his breath as he bends to pick them up.  Steve can’t help but stare. A kaleidoscope of possibilities from this angle flash through his vision all at once, and he barely contains himself from just reaching out and—  “Welcome to my humble abode!” Eddie derails his train of thought with a wide gesture ushering him inside the apartment before he lets the intrusive thoughts win.  Eddie’s apartment is nothing like the massage studio.  The bubbling fountains and abstract art from the studio are replaced with various posters held up with tape and an impressive collection of cassettes, CDs, and vinyl records lining shelves in the corner. Crumpled receipts and odds and ends litter the coffee table and Steve spots a bowl in the sink with traces of milk and cereal from what he assumes was Eddie’s breakfast. Everywhere he looks, he learns a little bit more about Eddie Munson and it all just makes him want to know more. To know everything he can. “Excuse the uh, well, the everything,” Eddie grimaces as he glances around the living room, closing the door behind them. “I wasn’t planning on having a guest when I left this morning.”  Steve bites the inside of his cheek and takes a shaky breath, in and out through his nose, before taking Eddie’s hand into his. “I don’t mind.”

@steddiebang @hbyrde36 @steddieasitgoes @sidekick-hero @sharpbutsoft @cuoredimuschio @kkpwnall @starryeyedjanai @scarcrossdlvrs @marvel-ous-m @pearynice @judasofsuburbia @fastcardotmp3 @shares-a-vest @hellion-child @pumpkinspicestevie @delta-piscium @perseus-notjackson @withacapitalp @hereforanepilogue @stevethehairington @t-boyeddie @theheadlessphilosopher @imfinereallyy @hexiewrites @maxineholtzmann @starrystevie @steddieas-shegoes @goodolefashionedloverboi @frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe @hellfiredemon @wynnyfryd @vecnuthy @sungods-healingg @antithetical-dream-girl

[lexical-lushes]

Ink

Where do souls go when they finally fade from this world?

When the last memories that tie a soul to firmament are lost, when no words hold record of it’s deeds, when the pacts that bind it are forgotten, what happens?

It sinks.

Souls drain away when you let them, pulled by some metaphysical gravity, and pool in the darkness beneath the world, settle down to the bottom and find peace in stillness, the absence. They slough off whatever remains of their identity and melt into thick, black oil under the weight of ages. They become ink.

My Maker calls it “the Abyss”. A void, a pit, a watery nothing – a place antithetical to identity in a way curiously opposite the perpetual shifting chaos of the Dreaming. In the Abyss, nothing ever changes. There are no dreams. There simply Is, for so long that Is stops having meaning.

I don’t know how to feel when I think about the Abyss. I think it scares me, at least a little, and yet I can’t help but think about how peaceful it sounds to be so utterly, utterly Still.

Perhaps that’s why Dollmakers find it so useful...?

I’ve watched my Maker many times as she’s lowered a bucket down the narrow well that sits in the sunken courtyard of her manor, lowering it so much further than it should ever need to go, down and down and dizzyingly down...

...and then back up again, so much quicker on the return trip.

I’ve seen what that bucket holds, each time.

I’ve watched her carry it tenderly back inside, watched her whisper it encouragements and praise and gentle reassurances.

I’ve even watched her pour it into an empty doll, watched another of my sisters awake to a world too bright and too noisy and too impermanent. I’ve comforted them afterwards, side by side with my Maker, hugs and kisses and soft words. I’ve wiped away their inky tears.

They get used to it, eventually. Their Stillness serves them well in adapting, I suppose.

I wonder what it must be like, to be born a doll after having forgotten anything else.

[theaceofwords]

Like. We do very much all understand that Russia is trying to interfere in all western elections, right? Russia, China, and Iran have ideological and territorial goals which they cannot realise in the existing global status quo.

Russia wants Ukraine (and really I think they want as much of Europe as they can get). They want to own it, stomp out everybody who fights back, and force them all to speak Russian. But they know also that the EU (and, I guess, NATO, the e bugs of the situation) will supply Ukraine with weapons as long as they keep fighting (which I also think is monstrous, frankly, but that's another thread).

China's government wants Taiwan. The US has been one of Taiwan's most vehement allies (which. you know. not always a good thing), but until recently it was taken as a simple fact that any move China made towards Taiwan would get stomped into the channel by the nearest US aircraft carrier.

Iran's leadership wants more regional control--they sponsor a variety of, let's say passionate nongovernmental activists, throughout the surrounding nations, and their current government is pretty strongly opposed to "modern" (Western) values like freedom of speech, human rights, etc. They're also pretty boxed-in by nations which are propped up by oil money, mostly US oil money.

These nations are coordinating. We know this for a fact; in the most obvious example, Russia is using Iranian drones and Chinese manufacturing to supply its ongoing violence against Ukraine. They all understand that their foreign policy objectives are perfectly compatible, and in fact more than compatible, are mutually reinforcing--because the cases of Ukraine and Taiwan are analogous, these industrial/agricultural centers which are not ostensibly part of regional alliances but which have been trying to join the modern world for decades.

But here's the thing. Now we have these hard-right political movements brewing throughout Europe and the Americas. Not by accident--hard-right groups are coordinating and sharing notes in south, central, and north America, as well as in the EU. And these hard-right political parties are not at all interested in the status quo of Western force projection--they take an isolationist, authoritarian view of foreign policy where the great powers do what they like and the small countries deal with it and are absorbed.

Russia, China, Iran, and the smaller, shittier nations that work with them (the governments of which are shut out of the modern world largely for being such shitbag authoritarian despots that even the US can't swallow working with them)--these nations all recognize that their best chance to achieve their goals is to help the hard right win in Europe. In America. Everywhere. Anywhere they can get someone into party who, like Trump, will refuse to honor treaties with Ukraine and Taiwan--who will go on record saying that he doesn't give a shit about Europe, that the US should pull out of NATO.

This is the state of the world. Do you understand that this is the state of the world? This is why Russia/China are pushing such massive disinformation on the internet, why there is so much pro-PRC and pro-Russian brigading on reddit and Twitter and Tumblr. It's not because they're nebulously evil Red Threats that we think are malevolent for no reason. They have extremely specific policy goals which they cannot achieve without a shift in the current world order. This means they have a strong interest in changing the world order as quickly and radically as possible.

These relationships are not the matter of speculation. These are not my personal conspiracy theories, they are facts. The A to B in this situation is extraordinarily clear.

The internet is not a neutral ground. There are hostile actors here who have decided that the internet is one of the best means by which to realise goals which are antithetical to free, open, and civilized society. You cannot take information here at face value. You must do your own research, confirm facts across multiple sources with different interests, draw and hold your own convictions and change your opinions when the evidence dictates it.

And above all else, do not be taken in by the idea that the world is awful and nothing can be done to save it. That nihilism is being pushed upon you. If you believe the world can do nothing, there is no point in defending Ukraine. If you believe the world is beyond saving, there's no reason to recognize Taiwan. If you believe both sides are awful, there is no point to pressing for Palestinian statehood.

Apathy does not serve a brighter tomorrow--because the world never remains good. It is made good every day by the effort of billions. The world we live in is the result of centuries of people giving their lives to push the needle further to peace. To international cooperation and understanding.

Get your head in the game. It's the only game going around here. You're playing whether you like it or not, so you might as well know who you're playing against.

[snowonthebeachmp3]

new romantics -> hits different is so good i could jump off a cliff. there is just SO MUCH THERE. we wait for trains that just aren’t coming / like waiting for a bus that never shows. heartbreak is the national anthem, we sing it proudly / oh my, love is a lie, shit my friends say to get me by. baby we’re the new romantics, the best people in life are free / moving on was always easy for me to do, it hits different cause it’s you. we cry tears of mascara in the bathroom, honey life is just a classroom / and i never don’t cry at the bar, yeah my sadness is contagious. we team up then switch sides like a record changer / i used to switch out these kens, i’d just ghost. cause baby i could build a castle out of all the bricks they threw at me / freedom felt like summer then on the coast. please leave me stranded, it’s so romantic / i washed my hands of us at the club, you made a mess of me. every day is like a battle but every night with us is like a dream / bet i could still melt your world, argumentative antithetical dream girl. !!!!!!!!!!!

[86711864]

I have something stupid I need to add to the discourse:

When I was little all I wanted from adulthood was a beard. When I was a twelve I couldn't grow a beard and my face didn't feel right without it. The new body hair was nice but it wasn't on my face, so it wasn't enough.

When I was little I enjoyed the rumbling of a deep voice. When I was thirteen I hated how high pitched my voice could be, and listening to it recorded was almost physically painful.

When I was little I loved dressing up and wearing high heels. When I was fourteen doing anything effeminate was viceraly uncomfortable. I let my sister paint my nails, but only because I was home and hidden.

At the time, I thought it was just being a teenager, but now I recognise the signs of gender dysphoria. I wanted to be a man, and everything felt wrong because I wasn't.

I am now a man. I have a beard, though I wish it was longer. My voice is deep enough, though I would prefer it deeper. I no longer mind effeminate things because I know they do not define me.

I have never taken any hormones or gone through HRT. I just went through puberty.

My facial hair is more central to my concept of being a man than my penis is. What happens if you extrapolate this?

What if you define your masculinity by going to the pub with your friends? Now seeing a woman in the pub causes gender dysphoria, and the only way to affirm your very concept of self is to get her to leave.

How about the golf club, or the gym, or the park, or driving, or land ownership, or the right to vote? Now you have a pillar of misogyny that you cannot remove without destroying the way you define yourself. Now feminism is an existential threat.

What if you define your masculinity by being attracted to women? Now the mere thought of being homosexual violates what you are, and the very existence of gay men is a threat to your existence. Worse, if you are a gay man your own existence is antithetical to your existence, you are not what you define yourself to be.

What if you define your masculinity by your penis? Now trans people are an existential threat. If it is possible to have a penis and not be a man, or be a man without a penis, this worldview is invalid. It is easier to reject someone's existence or worldview than change your own.

What if you define yourself by your position in the LGBTQIA+ community? Now anyone who does not fit your conception of it is an existential threat. LGB because trans people are invalid, as above. LGBT because queers are just confused. LGBTQ because intersex people must conform to the binary like the rest of us. LGBTQI because asexual people just aren't horny. No cis straight men allowed at pride because they are not one of us.

I do not know how to fix this.

No matter how you define yourself, someone will exist in spite of it. This may feel like a threat to your existence, but it is not. It just means your definition of self needs updating to better fit what you are. That is the best I can offer.

[torchdreemurr]

just finished replaying Undertale Yellow to record some footage for a video i'm working on (look out for that), but it has given me one thought independent of said video

I feel like "Someone calls for help... you awnser to the call" has far greater closure for clover's character if it is looked at in the context of referring to clover's mission, and the way that they managed to "succeed" their mission by enacting true justice for Monsterkind despite it being antithetical to their original goal, even though the context of the Omega Flowey fight is clearly what the text is intending to refer to.