#collecting and dissecting a method

[shibaincubus]

Dissecting the glow up pyramid

This post features an approach to apply Pyramid 1 (and Pyramid 2 combined to use their maximal potential to guide you for glowing up)

Credits for Pyramid 1 @prettieinpink

and Pyramid 2

idk who created this Pyramid

combined to use their maximal potential to guide you for glowing up.

Categorising the two Pyramids:

Well begin with the second Pyramid

Pyramid 2:

As you can see this Pyramid has 5 levels

Basic Health: Diet, Fitness, Sleep, Hygiene, Environment

Basic Grooming: Skincare Make up Fashion Hairstyling Shaving/Waxing Nails Accessorizing & Teeth Whitening

Professional Grooming: Manis/Pedis, Airbrushing; Waxing, Laser Hair Removal, Lash extension/lifts, Microblading, Brow Threading, Cosmetic Tattooing, Facials, Tanning, Hairstyling/Extensions/Coloring

Non Invasive Treatment: Cosmetic Dentistry, Threading, Botox Injections Filler, Laser/Peels, Cool sculpting/ Body Contour

Plastic Surgery

This Pyramid features basic and advanced methods of archiving a glow up without going into details especially in the two basic tiers

Pyramid 1:

This Pyramid also has 5 Levels but these Levels focus more on the basics and not the advance stages.

The Levels:

Health: sleep, exercise, oral health, healthy eating

Style: hair care, skincare, lashes&eyebrows, body-care, lips

Fashion: outfits, hair-styling, make up

Personalities: body language, posture, eloquence

Mind: mindset, mental health

Overall the two Pyramids are focusing on two aspects/levels of glowing up without going in great details on the other aspect/level

Here is a Pyramid with both aspects combined

How to apply the Pyramid in your personal glow up journey

The ground principal is working yourself up. Also the Levels work together to archive your glow up, If you did everything in Level 4 well but did not do everything in Level 2 good the glow up isn't as strong as when you worked your way up.

The first Level - Basic Health

This is the foundation of your glow up. You should not slack off in this tier, because they don't give you fast results like a facial for example because if you e.g want to try cool sculpting and you don't have a good diet and a fitness plan and you may not even reached your weight goal if you are overweight so the benefits are 0 and you've thrown your money out of the window.

The first step is it to access every point on a scale from 1 to 10. Be real in the rating. Maybe you are a 10 in oral heath but just a 4 in your mindset and so on. From there I would create a priority list with the things you have to focus the most. If you have many holes in this are I would try to just focus on these ones specifically but not let the other points out of your mind and sight.

Personally I would start with cleaning and organising your environment. A clean environment uplifts your spirit and also motivates you to accomplished your tasks.

If you think that you master the first level you can go to the second level

I advise you to really level up if you get a score of 7/10 but in the first Level you can already incorporate things from Level two but I would use discernment and be realistic.

The second Level - Basic grooming

Like in the first Level I would access every point on a scale from 1 to 10 and create a priority list and use the strategy like in the first level

you have to experiment with your makeup and make a data collection about things that work for you in this tier. These could be skin type, hair type and make up techniques that work for you and everything related to the points in the second level.

Example:

Hair type - oily ( On my Hair so und so Practices work do not work)

Hair porosity - normal … explanation

skin type - (Things that work on my skin)

Shaving doesn't work on my skin

etc.

If you can archive a score of a minimum of 7/10 you can Level up.

Final Thoughts on the Basic Levels

The first two levels are the foundation of attractiveness

You've already levelled a lot if you are in 8/10 in the first two levels as a whole.

Not maintaining the first two levels can negatively impact your attractiveness

The third Tier Professional grooming

These actions are like the icing on a cake to elevate your appearance to the next level.

In this tier you should pick 2-3 things which you think can 100% bring to the next Level. For example manis and Lash-extension.

The actions in this Tier can help to lessen the burden in the lower levels.

For Example if you do a Laser Hair Removal you don't have to spend as much time with Shaving/Waxing anymore.

I would also data collect treatments that work facials that work for you.

Disclaimer

The thing you can do in this Level and higher have a lot to do with your income and time but you have to remember that the first two Level alone can glow up from a dishevelled 4 to a confident 7 and these are just the icing on the cake

The fourth Level Non Invasive Treatment (NRI)

The vibe of this Tier is: 'you look Incredible but I do not know what to do'

It's about subtle changes and no drastic ones

Do not use the methods in the fourth Tier if you have no good foundation in the first three tiers.

Example: You are overweight and you are dieting and trying to loose weight and decided to make your face slimmer with Botox and fillers. When you loose the weight you face automatically gets slimmer and the filler can potentially change your face in a way that you don't like so loose the Weight first and then decide if filler is needed

The fifth Level Plastic sugary

It's self explanatory. But use your discernment. And look at the tips in the Pyramid

[greyphilosopher]

The Pale King in his workshop

[narcissistichedonist]

she thought she knew herself

but i knew better

watching, studying, dissecting every little tell, every shift in her breath, every glance that lingered a second too long. mapping out the contours of her mind the way my delicate hands mapped out her the curves of her body : thorough, patient, methodical

i let her think she had control, that she was just indulging a sweet fantasy, dipping her toes into the dark waters of surrender. but she was already mine. i had already freely rewritten the way she thought about pleasure and pain, yet more importantly about her very self

a well-placed word, a knowing smirk, a slight pause between my demeaning commands. it didn’t take much. the moment she realized that i knew exactly what she needed before she did, that i could unravel her with nothing but a whisper, was the moment she crumbled

trembling, stumbling over her own thoughts, her own words. nothing made her wetter with arousal than the realization that i had been watching her, collecting her secrets, crafting her undoing with meticulous precision

so when she lay before me, bare in more ways than one, her luscious lips parted in breathless anticipation, her pretty pupils blown wide with something close to fear, i only smiled knowingly

"you don’t have to tell me what you want, darling doll, i already know."

and when i devoured her, when i reduced her to a sobbing, pleading mess, when i left her ruined in my welcoming arms, shaking and spent from one too many orgasms, she finally understood what it meant to belong to someone who knew her better than she knew herself

[i-am-a-fan]

I saw a post talking about how there’s a deep mischaracterization of Mk in the fandom specifically about his monkey form and I’m here to dissect it. (WIth doodles!)

Tldr: Will Mk end up hurting his family in season 5 due to his new Monkey form? Most likely no, but it is possible that he indirectly hurts them by not understanding the limits of his power.

First things first let’s collect a list of attributes that we know Mk has from past seasons. This will serve as a spine or checklist to see if certain actions are possible. A thing to keep in mind though is the ranking of each attribute as the writers of LMK wrote there are characters as complex and sometimes abandon certain character values if their center value is threatened. 

Mk’s character value list (in my opinion) is as follows: 

-Family 

-Strength 

-Freedom 

-Dependability 

with family and strength being so close to each other, so sometimes strength ends up as Mk’s main concern. Of course, all of these end up mixing at times and in the first seasons we see the mixing of these values gets him in trouble 

Desiring the freedom of choice over listening to Wukong (Pig Pong Panic). Wanting to be dependable but overestimating his strength (Duplication). Wanting to be strong but forgets his family in the process (shadow play). Eventually, he gets his priorities in check and has ended up sticking to this list for most of seasons 3 and 4. 

Now his flaws (in no particular order): 

Impulsivity 

Forgetfulness 

Stubbornness 

Blind devotion 

He’s overcome a lot of these when he was forced to learn them in season 3. His stubbornness to not tell anyone what was happening with the LBD got people hurt. His impulsivity with his actions ended up crashing the ship, and almost sold his family to a goldfish demon.

(Text: Mk's Fault, Good Intentions, Trying mentor)

So he’s had to come up with methods of working around that. Mk’s blind devotion to Wukong almost got Mei killed, and we see how he changes because of it. At the end of season 3, Mk doesn’t explicitly say that he sees Wukong in a new light but he heavily implies it with the metaphor of a bowl of noodles. 

So… Will Mk go crazy and end up hurting his friends? 

I highly doubt it. While I toyed with the idea, Mk is a lot smarter than the fandom usually gives him credit for. He knows Wukong is flawed, and he still trusts in him because he knows Wukong is trying. Mk has faith in Wukong’s strength and the fact that Wukong also heavily values family, even if his isolation makes it a lot harder for him to do so. Just rewatch the ending of season 3 where Wukong apologizes to Mk and watch as Mk comes to the realization that Wukong is trying so hard to make up for his past. (They also drive this point home in season 4 with how disappointed Wukong sounds at himself for not finding Mk in the scroll in the season finale.) 

(Text: He's flawed and trying, Has to accept harsh reality, Dissociating Coping mechanism)

So what about Mk’s impulsivity? I doubt that’d be something that directly harms his friends. He’s worked on his impulsivity by working with others (Redson in season 3 and Mei’s planning in season 4) to help fill in the gaps in his plans. In order for his impulsivity to harm others, you’d have to break that family value first or raise that value of strength and freedom. Most likely this flaw can manifest in Mk overdoing his Monkey form ™  and sending a shockwave that accidentally hurts the people around him.  Probably manifesting either in training or while having fun with Mei (think about how Mk was in the Bad Weather episode). 

Okay, what if Mk is tricked into it like he was in Season 4 (back to the flaw of blind devotion)? Mk has spent every season backstabbed by someone he trusted. We see him snap at Azure after he finds out that he was going to keep Wukong in the scroll. He snaps at Macaque in season 4. It’s safe to say that he’s learned, at least partially, to not trust others so blindly. Mk is also supposed to have gotten the “skill of self-reflection” in “Revenge of the Spider Queen” but his reflecting has mostly just impacted the other flaws. 

(Text: Side note, Monkey Mk doesn't have a nose)

But there is one possibility I toy with, bottled up emotions. Mk has extremely big emotions but hates showing any emotion that can be seen as negative. He loves being happy and he’s not afraid to show it, but as soon as those emotions turn to doubt, anger, or sadness he bottles them up fast. He knows he can rely on his family, but he’s stubborn and thinks that his emotions aren’t worth that hassle. Take the ending of season 3 where Mk states that “he tries not to think too hard” about his own place in the universe, which could be due to a fear of losing the value of freedom if he has a specific role to play in the universe.

(Text: Guys He's so avoidant, forced to think about his identity, 18-early 20's and Identity crisis)

It’s worsened by the fact that every. other. character. avoids. their. emotions. No other characters in this series are open about their emotions except Tang and Sandy. And from season 3 (and a bit of season 4) we know that Mk doesn’t view Tang in an extremely positive light.

Not exactly negative, but his admiration lies more on the rest of the team. Macaque points this out in season 2 stating in “Shadow Play” that Mk should talk out his insecurities, but no one else does that. 

That being said Mk isn’t entirely forgetful either. Macaque was a season 1 villain with his betrayal going through season 3. Mk’s high value of family, and flaw of blind devotion, make him want to give him a chance as Macaque’s past is connected with Wukong’s. HOWEVER, Mk is also stubborn and hasn’t forgiven Macaque’s actions. That’s why he snaps, plus the fact that Macaque is terrible at direct communication. Like I said before, Mk won’t directly hurt anyone he cares about, but if his monkey form is highly connected with his emotions (as most magic tends to be) having those bottled-up insecurities might accidentally cause Mk to unleash more power than he means to.

(Text: Normal, Fed up Meter, rage (on jar))

I have no idea where season 5 is going to go, but I’m so excited about the possibilities. 

(Text: Terrified of his actions hurting his family. UNSTABLE!!!)

[bluecheeseinmyoffwhites]

I just saw this post from a year ago recently (regarding RWBY allusions) & I'm currently bowing to the every little nook and cranny in these detailed explanations for their allusions. A lot of these I picked up on just by the sheer fact that I read most of the Brothers Grimm stories as well as The Wizard of Oz novel by L. Frank Baum but the other details and the parallels you provided are just so spot on. Any chance for a power point or flow chart of this? The info needs to spread like wildfire

Hey, thanks for reading!! A lot of people ask me about how I’m able to dissect the show so intricately. It’s actually a collection of factors. I’ve been wanting to talk about this in detail for some time now.

I love fairy tales, grew up on Disney, had a bunch of fairy tale books, etc. Once I found out RWBY was based on fairy tales I did research on their references. I learned about tales I wasn’t familiar with, like Joan of Arc. I also learned more about tales I was already familiar with. Prior to watching RWBY, I did not know there was more than one Wizard of Oz book. Turns out the Wizard of Oz SERIES is the fundamental reference story for the show.

I’m probably not supposed to be saying this but I grew up around stoner anime geeks & they introduced me to RWBY during one of our smoke sessions. Since then it has become one of my favorite shows to watch, sober or high, but when I’m high that’s when the magic really happens. I start thinking really hard about the plot & characters & try to make things connect.

One episode completely altered my mindset when watching the show, Beginning of the End. This chapter featured probably the most perfect merging of fairy tales the show has ever done: the Pyrrha death scene. Prior to Volume 3 I was already familiar with Achilles & Cinderella, but after learning about their allusions, I did more research in their characters. I learned that Cinderella got her name because of cinder ashes that blow on her face from sleeping in front of the fireplace. This inspired Cinder’s fire theme. I also learned that Achilles was made divine by having his mortal body burned away. Then the episode airs. Cinder shoots a glass arrow at Pyrrha’s ankle, representing both Achilles heel and Cinderella’s glass slipper. Then Cinder turns Pyrrha to ash, representing Achilles’ cremation and Cinderella’s ashes.

Watching this scene & immediately understanding what it was referencing, witnessing the seamless merging of stories in one of the most unique death scenes I’ve ever seen on TV, it felt weirdly euphoric. Since that point I’ve been hyperfixated on character allusions. I’ve hunted down stories to explain every single thing that happen in RWBY: what they do, how they fight, what they look like, who they interact with, where their stories go. I’ve found characters that weren’t as obvious on who they were based on, like Ilia, Vernal, etc. I also go into deeper explanation for characters who only seem like surface level references, like how there is much more to Yang being Goldilocks other than her gold hair and her beef with grizzly bears. One of my favorite uses of this method is the Brothers Grimm being the Gods of Remnant, as they are the real life authors of many of the fairy tales that RWBY is based on.

RWBY is about fairy tales gone dark, but technically it’s accurate. Most fairy tales had much darker themes in their original versions. These tales get washed out and replaced with more child-friendly elements. This perfectly reflects RWBY’s storytelling as well. It starts off as a happy-go-lucky show with an overall light tone and moderate stakes. Then Volume 3 & beyond has evolved the show into mature grounds. Death is to be expected every Volume now. I watch RWBY as a Shakespearean tragedy play about war featuring fairy tale characters: the game.

I actually have a Google document that lays out every character base/sub allusion. I don’t know much about project organization other than these blogs, so it isn’t really put together well. Because of this ask I might tidy it up & post it on here or something. You can check my #rwbyallusion / #rwbymeta to see more character specific analysis posts.

I also feel the need to shoutout @aspoonofsugar possibly the only other mutual blogger that understands the show as much as I do. They go into MUCH more details about the literary themes surrounding the characters & honestly just so interesting to read. If you like my blogs you’ll surely like theirs. There are some other bloggers on here that are really good at dissecting elements of the show like this as well.

I’m currently working on some more analysis leaning more into the show’s themes, so be on the lookout for those. Thanks again for enjoying my posts.

[ryuzakemo128]

Free the Titty, Protect the City

Pairing: Dave York x Italian! Serial Killer! House-Wife! Female Reader

CW: Serial Killer! Female Reader, Reader is described as: Italian, Curvaceous, plus-sized, and taller than the average woman, swearing, assault (Not Dave). Smut implications. Wife lover Dave. Age Gap (Reader is 36 and Dave is 43.)

Masterlist

Word Count: 3554

Divider Credit: @cafekitsune + @strangergraphics

Summary: “Cuore mio. I would never.” you cooed softly, trying to ease his temper into a lull. 

Your secret basement lab was off-limits to all, which Dave found amusing. Initially suspicious of his intentions, you feared he'd uncover your sadistic leanings when you began dating. Keeping him in the dark seemed best. You didn’t know if you had a future with him then. How would you know?

When he assumed you were cheating on him with another man? You were confused. Baffled. Cheating? He thinks you are a cheater? A strange pull to your heart strings which you couldn’t quite grasp. “Cuore mio. I would never.” you cooed softly, trying to ease his temper into a lull. 

You never cheated on any of your previous partners or thought about cheating on them either. It was a moral line you, ironically, never crossed or finding yourself wanting to. His accusation was absurd to you. But for him? An anxious man who’s been cheated on by his first wife? 

Had you not been a dutiful wife to him? Where did the suspicion come from? Who hurt you to react this way? You wanted to know. Not like in the movies, where the man or the woman coaxes him into answering the question. You weren’t the type to want answers.

Attracted by your physique, they ventured into your psyche. Your distinct humour and literary choices unveiled your 'non-conformity', leaving them scared and retreating with 'it's me' excuses, knowing you're the one who spooked them. Indeed, your innate nature has always been to avoid attachment easily, especially since empathy eludes you.

Dave noticed your absurdist book collection, taxidermy in the bedroom, specialised kitchen knives, and the deadbolt-secured doors, including the basement's charcoal-painted, keyhole-less entry, reflecting your preference for simplicity and obscurity. You wish your methods were obsolete, like the forgotten ancestors. But your job was never done. Never finished. Never completed.

He noticed your odd meat-handling, three pet bunnies with a complex living space, and your surprisingly quick dissection skills, until 'Señores Whiskers'' death revealed your deep emotional bond. 'Never again', you decided. Oddly comforting for someone emotionally, mentally disconnected from feeling empathy for people. Animals. Innate, utter purity in innocence.

He found your peculiarities fascinating, not frightening, especially your secret lab. You liked his non-invasive curiosity; it was charming, hinting at his own hidden secrets. To this day, he remains rather…..tight-lipped about it all. Though, his ex keeps interfering, claiming Dave's relationship with you is just to spite her.

“I had a visit from your ex-wife this morning.” you mentioned offhanded. “She had a few lovely words about my work. Said you were wasting your time here and to, and I quote, ‘Wasting your time here. You can do better. You know you can.’ What’s her problem with me?”

Oddly bemused by her audacity at the time. Amused at her bravery to lurk in the depths of your domain like the sweet smelling prey she is. Taking a sip of your tea each time, she made the excuse of, ‘you are not woman enough for a man like Dave’. 

“Her words just entertain me,” you said with a smirk. “Fortunately, she lost interest quickly, gave a strained 'goodbye', and left shortly after my mail was returned. Strangely, she accused me of conducting sex work in the office—quite the precise allegation. Not quite sure what of the reaction she wanted.”

“I told her. I’m certain Dave would have a few lovely words to say if I decided to take up a second career. Especially one so…..involved as that. She says, ‘Dave wouldn’t notice if you were to take it up as a hobby rather than a second career, big money to be made there for someone built like you’.”

Her blunt comment on your sex work potential, both before and post-marriage, was inappropriate. Dealing with the constant chest ogling is tough. Dave's change was surprisingly welcome, as it was really your past performance remark that swayed him. You knew his cheating ex-wife wouldn’t have taken the divorce laying down. 

Despite the fact she took her co-worker’s dick laying down? The irony wasn’t lost on you.

You knew his wife had a thing for stirring up trouble however she could. Blaming it on the ‘lack of affection’ and the ‘distance’ in the marriage. She had a gut twisting knack for putting words into people’s mouths and twisting them into a reality she found joy living inside. You would be turned on by her insistence if it weren't for the fact she tried forcing herself on your husband the other night.

A pity you didn’t know she’d be at that dinner party, let alone invited to it, and if you did know? You would have warned him prior. He would have been prepared for her presence, and he would have known just what to do to stay far away from her. 

You would arrive in time to take him further away from his ex-wife’s grasp, straight into yours. Like a warm embrace. A hopeful lullaby. A sworn promise to keep her where she belongs. Outside looking in. seething in jealous anger. He wouldn’t take her back again. He wasn’t foolish enough to make the same mistake twice. Especially when his kids to his ex-wife turned out not to be his in the first place. Years of being a father to children which weren’t even his to begin with.

Years of lies and torment from a woman he thought loved him. Her excuses for what she had done didn’t deter him from his decision to divorce her a year later. His life was in pieces before he met you. His mentor died, his marriage ended, and his daughters weren't his.

You frowned hearing his car pull up late one night, you pulled on a dark brown bathrobe and charcoal bunny slippers. As the doorbell button was pressed half a million times. At least it sounded like it was. 

Dave had returned home with a bruised eye and a torn shirt. He didn’t say much, but the rage in his voice spoke volumes. He had always been a gentle giant, but something about his ex brought out a side of him that was eerily similar to yours. It was almost as if you both had a beast locked up in a cage, only hers was desperate to break free and ruin everything.

“Who touched you?” you asked, pulling him inside. “Who hurt you?” 

Dave looked into your eyes, before he could say anything else, you asked another question “She didn’t touch you, did she?” 

“It wasn’t her.” he answered gruffly, his voice strained. His eyes not meeting your own.

You ran him a nice hot bath, while you made him a mug of tea as Dave recounted his night in the bar. He was talking to the bartender one moment and the next he was pulled into an alley way in the back of the bar. Her new boyfriend is pummelling a new hole into his face. 

You remarked, “Cazzo. I didn’t think her new boyfriend would be so violent. Let alone so willing to feed into her ……delusions. She’s got him wrapped around her finger tighter than a bow on a wedding present or a noose around a neck.” 

Your hunch is telling you. Screaming at you. ‘She’s becoming too much of a problem’. The senses, your intuition, is rarely ever wrong about these things. Serving to keep you from getting caught for this long. You had to put a stop to this. Long before you lose Dave to death or worse, get you caught.

"It's okay, Dave," you murmur, caressing his bruised cheek. A surprising warmth fills your chest, a protective urge likely born from shared pain or fear of losing your newfound joy to her. Scared to lose a loving home life you lavishly maintained with all your efforts. 

Mind racing, calculating, listening. The urge to act on your urge to silence her gnawed at your gut, insides and right down to your very core. “Let me take care of it.” you whispered. The tone of your voice, steady and storm-calming, could also veil the darkest intentions. But Dave? 

Dave wasn’t content with just letting you waltz off into the dark by yourself. In this case, literally, grabbing you by your waist into your bedroom, peeling off your crimson red silk blouse. Revealing your floral bra beneath.

“You’re not going anywhere, you’re not getting involved with her again,” he says sternly, his voice a mix of fear and anger.

“But she’s not going to stop pestering you.” you respond, your frown deepening, feeling his grip tighten.

Dave's gaze met yours as the storm in his eyes calmed. "You're right. I'll handle it. Let me talk to her," he said gruffly, determination seeping into his voice.

"If it were anyone else, I would say no." you whispered, caressing his bruised cheek, the warmth beneath his stubble comforting. His weary gaze spoke volumes of his burden. With a sigh, you yield to his desires for the moment, the fear of Dave's potential harm chilling your thoughts. “Promise me, you'll be careful.”

“But I’m not anyone else now, am I?” Dave says, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips despite the bruise darkening his eye. He pulls you closer, his arms wrapping around your waist and squeezing gently. “I can handle her.”

He unhooks your bra, the fabric gliding off your shoulders like a whisper. His fingers drifting to your neck, leaving a trail of warmth as he kissed you. The fear, anger and the frustration momentarily melting away into a quiet lullaby.

You both knew it wasn’t a good idea to let her get under your skin. To let her dictate your moves. But she is a persistent bug. A fly buzzing around shit, never realizing how much of it she’s swimming in. Until hopefully she figures it out and backed off. 

But, like a resilient bug, she is. You doubt she would take the hint easily. A strong word might shake her a little. Make her go off course and into a different path, or it could just as easily make her headstrong. Either way, it meant some kind of trouble. You just didn’t know how much trouble it would be until it actually happened.

As Dave bathed in the master’s bedroom's ensuite, you were on your laptop looking up her background to figure out what kind of woman her ex-wife is. You weren’t getting involved? Sure. But he didn’t say you couldn’t do a background check on the woman to know who you were dealing with. 

And as much as you would have loved to have the cold steel confidence your husband possessed in spades. You knew it would have been cause for you to tread far, far more carefully now. Double down on your own efforts in keeping up appearances. 

‘Avoid trouble or there is going to be trouble’ is what your older brother would tell you. 

But trouble was your middle name. You thrived on it, like a plant thrives in the sun. You liked to stir the pot, watch the chaos unfold. But it was different when it came to your family. Your heart, your soulmate. You couldn’t watch him be torn apart by someone who had no right to even look at him.

Her name is Rachel Greaves MacDonald. A while ago, she was Rachael Greaves York. A part-time consultant for a law firm near the diner you used to work at. Her history came out clean in the years prior to her marriage to Dave. But it shifted slightly in the year before they were officially married.

One assault charge, two charges of petty theft, a restraining order against a former partner she was seeing while she was dating Dave, and a history of manipulation that could put a seasoned politician to shame. Rachel Greaves MacDonald had a past that was as murky as the waters of the Mississippi. You felt a chill down your spine as you read through the articles and police reports. Her ability to charm and deceive was almost admirable. Almost.

Rachel had a past, but it was the present that had you worried. You felt your heart sink as you read through the details. The ex-wife had always had a vendetta against you, but now you were seeing her true colours. The kind of person who didn’t just stir trouble, but revelled in it.

You printed out a copy of her details and placed into your filing cabinet at the end of stairs by the basement door. Easier to store files pertaining to’ people of interest’ there rather than inside a basement where you took lives. Especially when you promised not to get involved personally. 

Easier said than done when your mind is whirling out of control, your husband is assaulted in the back alley of a bar and your temper skyrockets because you know for a fact the police won’t do anything because it was a ‘civil matter’ before. 

Now, Dave could have him on assault charges, but that won’t help him deal with his ex-wife now, would it? It would only ‘strengthen’ whatever amount of resolve the woman might have. While you continued to ponder a way to get back at them without stepping over the boundaries your husband laid out for you. Calculating what kind of risk it would be to contact a private investigator to look into Rachel’s boyfriend. 

Any amount of dirt on him should be worth something, right? 

You weren’t the one for gambling and despite your uncanny amount of luck, you didn’t find joy in being right about something or anything related to deep dark secrets or dark familial ones either.

“I know the sound of that pacing dear,” Dave called out to you from the bathroom, he knew what you were thinking about doing, and he knew how your mind worked by now, “You’re thinking about going after Rachel again, aren’t you?”

“No….and yes. I’m actually thinking about the guy she’s dating, something about the guy just doesn’t sit well with me.” you answered, placing the nail of your thumb between your lips as you bit down a little in frustration. “It feels too convenient for my liking. Before you ward me off. I’m not going to do anything.”

“I’m half tempted to hire a PI to look into the guy.” you added in, sitting back at your desk in the master bedroom. The place where you wrote your letters to your mother and your father. And until recently your friend, a private investigator who looked into people you were suspicious of. 

While you were busying yourself with writing a letter to your long time friend, Dave? Well, he wasn’t idle, either. As it turns out, he had every intention of confronting Rachel himself. “Spread ‘em.” he whispered into your ear as his hands and his finger worked their way to your skirt’s belt.

Spread your legs? Well, don’t say more, you’re willing enough already. He didn’t even have to repeat himself. “Look at that, wet for me already?” he whispered into your ear. Caressing your plush velvet soft thighs like they were dough needing to be kneaded. 

You weren’t slim, slender nor were you, petite or dainty. Your body, in its curvaceous, shapely, well-endowed and rubensesque. Wide hips, a voluptuous arse, buxom chest and a mythic waist. Not tiny, mind you, but it was still surprising how quickly he could have you bent over the desk, your skirt hiked up, and your panties shoved aside. His hand was rough, but firm and steady, like he knew exactly how to handle you.

It was a body that could crush men like the very bones you studied and dissected in your basement lab. Yet, it was a body that could also cradle the love and warmth of a man like Dave, who had seen the worst in humanity and still found a spark in you.

“Mm, I knew you'd be like this,” Dave murmured as he kissed down your neck, his breath hot against your skin. You felt a shiver run through you, the anticipation of his touch making your body respond in a way that was entirely foreign to your usual cold demeanour.

You leaned back into his embrace, his strong arms wrapping around you, his hands moving to cup your breasts. His thumbs grazed your sensitive nipples, sending jolts of pleasure straight to your core. Despite your best efforts to maintain your Stoic façade, a soft moan escaped your lips.

Dave's touch was surprisingly tender, a stark contrast to the fiery rage he had shown earlier. It was as if the heat of your passion was the only thing able to melt the ice queen you had become. The room grew hotter with every caress, and your thoughts of Rachel and her antics grew dimmer.

You let out a gasp as his hand slid between your thighs, his fingers finding their way into your wetness. You hadn’t realised how much you needed this, the distraction from the dark thoughts plaguing you. His other hand slipped into your hair, pulling your head back as he kissed you deeply, his tongue exploring your mouth.

Your body responding eagerly to his touch, his caresses, his everything. The desk creaks as his cock fills you completely, groaning under the pressure of the combined weight of your body and his. As he continues to thrust inside your sopping wet cunt. Feeling alive, in completely total bliss, if there was a hell. Then you must be in heaven. 

The passion between the two of you burned hotter than a furnace and breathed life into what was your cold existence you have lived in long before. Your body gave way, letting him control the pace, you loved when he took control like this. It set a fire to your insides and made you feel much younger than you were.

To take control, a rare surrender for someone like you. Your hips moved in sync with his, the slap of flesh echoing through the room, a rhythm seeming to pulse in time with your racing heartbeat. He was about to put his child inside you. Make you too busy to even think about Rachel, her boyfriend, or anyone who wasn’t important enough to keep inside your life.

The chaos they bring with them wasn’t worth the amount of love he’s giving you. Not even half of the deposit of your house level of worth. Your resolve slowly, yet surely slipped far away into the quiet night and the thoughts you had about Rachel? Muddled. Churned. Washed away into the deep void of forgetting and misremembering. 

It was a drug which hits you harder no matter how much you didn’t think you needed it. The pent-up energy released in ways which kept you coming back for more. Each thrust, each gasp of pleasure, each bead of sweat rolling down your back. All of it felt like a silent symphony playing to the beat of your racing heart.

You were going to be well-bred like the soft rabbit he pictures you as. Despite the soft bunnies hopping around the yard. Which were innate in purity. You cared for them because, who else would? They were the closest things to having children for a good while. Which Dave admitted being slightly strange, but he also knew it wasn’t the same as human children.

But when you explained your track record of previous relationships as the reason why you got them? His eyes had lit up, a spark of something you hadn’t seen in a while. Hope? Fear? You weren’t quite sure. But it was a spark nonetheless.

They were small, defenseless creatures, and you found them because a child got them for Easter or something. Decided they didn’t want them anymore and threw them out into the alley, where you found them, half-dead and starving. You were having a bad day when you found them. But your heart broke more than you thought when you saw them. 

You softly muttered in Italian to the bunnies, ‘Non lascerò che nessuno ti faccia del male’. I won't let anyone hurt you. 

Dave knew they were important to you from the moment you spoke of them on your first date. How you were adamant on taking care of them, spoiling them like they were your human children, and how much it meant to you when he helped build their fancy hutch outside.

“I’ll be careful. I promise.” he murmured into your ear, his hand slipping away from your neck to trace the curve of your cheek. “But you know I can handle myself. I’ve seen worse than her.”

You knew that. Of course, you knew he had. You wouldn’t be who you are if you didn’t worry about his safety now would you?

But as he said that, the sound of his cock slapping into your wet cunt grew louder. You couldn’t help but let out a soft whine, your walls tightening around his length as he continued to pound into you from behind.

“You’re mine,” he grunted into your ear, breath hot and ragged, “MINE.” His words, both a declaration of war and proclamation wrapped with a bow of passion.

The kind you weren’t going to give up.

Ever.

[altocat]

Was there ever a time when Sephiroth came really close to something similar to the Nibelheim incident?

One incredibly insomniac evening, Sephiroth takes to wandering around the lower bowels of the science department. Since Hojo isn't awake at this time of night, Sephiroth supposes now would be an amazing time to go snooping for classified information, if only to satisfy a niggling bit of curiosity before it's time to sleep for real.

This innocent inquiry quickly spirals into full fledged agitation when he happens upon an old collection of experimental video logs, each tape depicting various trials, surgeries, and testing scenarios performed on a very special young boy. Unsettled, but hungry for potential answers, Sephiroth snatches the collection and retreats to his room to view the tapes, knowing full well that he might relive the trauma all over again but too invested in Hojo's private findings to stop himself.

It is worse than he remembered. Far, far worse. Seeing himself, so small, so frightened, is bad enough. Hearing Hojo's various anecdotes on just how unique and durable he is... it's a whole other level of disturbing. And yet Sephiroth watches everything, every violation, every brutal breaking of boundaries. There are even things he was not conscious for--intense dissections, methodical reconstruction, stitch by precious stitch. Watching his tiny fingers twitch on the gurney, watching the fragile rise and fall of his little chest. Sephiroth watches until his eyes burn, until the room around him begins to jerk and sway. He's sick. He cleans himself. He's sick again.

And he doesn't stop.

Angeal and Genesis come to collect him days later, nervous and uneasy at the sudden disappearance. Genesis would normally jump at the chance to rub it in Sephiroth's face that he's now on probation for so many absences...but this feels different, almost dangerous. The room is cold when they enter, finding Sephiroth pacing, the scattered line of tapes torn to plastic scraps at their feet. Sephiroth is wild-eyed, disheveled, muttering incoherent nonsense over and over again, scratching at his arms. He refuses to let them touch him, nearly ready to fight them if not for his evident exhaustion.

The sight of him like this is so incredibly abnormal that Angeal has to push Genesis out into the hall before he has a panic attack. Angeal manages to coax Sephiroth back to a feasible level of understanding, taking his arm and gently guiding him into the bathroom. Genesis anxiously hovers outside the door, listening to their muffled voices in the stillness. They remain there for a long time, the faucet occasionally running, Sephiroth's voice gradually easing back to its normal stoic calm. When they exit the bathroom, Angeal orders Genesis to help him guide Sephiroth along to the medical wing, the two friends neatly and efficiency prodding and coaxing Sephiroth step by step.

Sephiroth remains there for several weeks, his treatment classified behind closed doors. Angeal and Genesis hate the silence but continue to wait for him day after day. By the time Sephiroth is back on duty, he is more detached than ever, seemingly uninterested in his surroundings thanks to the steady supply of tranquilizers laid out for his private use for the next six months.

All remaining intact tapes are subsequently confiscated and destroyed.

[kerakitty]

Adam’s Creation and Appearance

So there’s a lot of nitpicking surrounding how Victor made Adam and how Adam should be portrayed as a result of that (e.g. should he have stitches, varying skin color, etc). I find this kinda weird because we don’t actually know how Adam was made. Victor intentionally omits this information when telling his story to Robert Walton for fear of someone managing to reproduce his work.(1)

We do have a few, scant details, but they’re hardly enough to draw any solid conclusions from. Here’s a list of all the facts given about his creation (relevant quotes with page numbers at bottom of post):

Making Adam big allowed Victor to work faster.(2)

It took Victor months to gather the materials he needed.(3)

Some materials were gathered from dissecting rooms, charnal houses, and slaughter-houses.(4)

Victor was able to choose Adam’s features (e.g. hair color and texture, tooth alignment).(5)

The whole process, both gathering materials and actual construction, took a little under two years.(6)

That’s it. That’s all we know. We don’t know how these “materials” were used, we don’t know what caused them to go from inanimate to living, or even what exactly they were. Yes, Victor mentions collecting his materials from the places listed above, but aside from mentioning bones(4), he doesn’t say what exactly he was taking. Were they intact organs? Pieces of tissue? Entire limbs? We don’t know. Confusing things further, Victor mentions that he “dabbled” with graves and “tortured living animals”(7), but doesn’t clarify whether these were additional sources of materials or simply research into the mechanisms of life and death.

General consensus seems to be that Victor used organs and whole body parts from cadavers to create Adam, but there's plenty of evidence that that’s not the case. Aside from the fact that it would’ve been difficult to create an 8ft tall body with proportional limbs out of pieces of humans averaging under 6ft, there are a few lines in the novel that indicate that this wasn’t Victor’s method. Victor consistently refers to the materials he used as “lifeless” and “inanimate”, but never dead. He also consistently speaks of imbuing new life into the materials rather than renewing or restoring life. In fact he outright states that reanimating the dead was, as best as he could figure, impossible.(8) Whether this only refers to raising a dead individual as they’d been in life or to any organic tissue is, like so much of Victor’s research, extremely vague.

So where does that leave us in terms of Adam’s appearance? Well, with not a whole lot to go on. Does he have stitches? Maybe. Does his skin color vary? Also maybe, though probably not given that Victor describes his skin and makes no mention of any variation in tone.(9)

The closest thing we have to a canon appearance for him is probably the illustration included in the 1831 edition of the novel.

There’s no stitches or other scars visible here, but since we have no idea how much (if any) input Shelley herself had on this design, that’s not necessarily confirmation one way or the other.

Ultimately, aside from a handful of details, we don’t really know what Adam should look like. We know he has thick black hair, watery yellowish eyes, yellower skin, straight white teeth, thin black lips, and is 8ft tall with all features proportional to that size.(9) Outside of that, and the fact that he looked ugly but not horrifying right up until he started moving(10), it’s up to the reader’s imagination. And given that the novel was intended to be a horror story, I suspect that’s intentional. In horror it’s often our imaginations that supply the most frightening imagery and any good creator of horror is aware of this fact.

So portray Adam however you want, and maybe don’t nitpick other people’s portrayals of him. So long as neither of you are going against the few explicitly described details the novel provides, they’re probably not any more off the mark than you are.

Source quotes and page numbers below the cut.

All quotes and page numbers are taken from this upload of the 1818 text.

”I see by your eagerness, and the wonder and hope which your eyes express, my friend, that you expect to be informed of the secret with which I am acquainted; that cannot be. ...I will not lead you on... to your destruction and infallible misery” pg 23

”As the minuteness of the parts formed a great hindrance to my speed, I resolved... to make the being of a gigantic stature;” pg 24

“...having spent some months in successfully collecting and arranging my materials...” pg 24

“I collected bones from charnel houses... The dissecting room and the slaughter-house furnished many of my materials;” pg 24

“I had selected his features as beautiful.” pg 26

“I had worked hard for nearly two years...” pg 26

“...I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave, or tortured the living animal to animate the lifeless clay[.]” pg 24

“...if I could bestow animation upon lifeless matter, I might in process of time (although I now found it impossible) renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption.” pg 24

“His limbs were in proportion, and... [h]is yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion, and straight black lips.” pg 26

“I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then; but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived.” pg 27

Side note on that last line: I always felt Victor was rather underselling the creativity of Dante here. Dante came up with some trippy shit. I doubt the Uncanny Valley was something of which he “could not have conceived”.

[simplegenius042]

OCS as Character Tropes

Tagged by @nightbloodbix

Tagging @socially-awkward-skeleton @shallow-gravy @strangefable @adelaidedrubman @strafethesesinners @voidika @direwombat @onehornedbeast @josephslittledeputy @josephseedismyfather @cassietrn @chazz-anova @wrathfulrook @g0dspeeed @corvosattano @carlosoliveiraa @titiagls @turbo-virgins @aceghosts @inafieldofdaisies @afarcryfrommymain @softtidesworld @snake-in-the-garden @megraen @starsandskies @derelictheretic @deputyash @purplehairsecretlair @minilev @la-grosse-patate @cloudofbutterflies92 @skoll-sun-eater @florbelles @shellibisshe @ladyoriza and @thewanderer-000

Will be doing OCs from The UnTitledverse, Life, Despair & Monsters and A Radioactive Calamity Of Love, Bombs & Gore. Quiz can be found here. Results below:

BENNY THE RÉVOLUTIONNAIRE (The UnTitledverse, The UnTitled Ventures & The Ender sagas)

Here's some Eldritch lore! For Benny, this result is more literal than it is metaphorical. Pretty much, the Omniscience (the subconscious of creation itself/the multiverse) created Benny (the seventh-borne Eldritch) to either replace Zachariah (the second-borne Eldritch) as the "Hand at Fate's Table" or to help guide him onto a better path (like many things with the Omniscience, its' intentions are somewhat ambiguous). He is essentially designed with altruism (if a little mischievous in his methods), and unlike Zachariah's callousness, need for control and disdain towards humanity, Benny has a pre-set need to care for humans, give them some level of independence, and see the good of humanity like the rest of his siblings (except for Zachariah). However, Benny's disappearance/banishment (Zachariah's doing) into the Void, led Benny to develop a rebellious attitude, to free humanity from Zachariah's ruthlessness and tyranny. This attitude eventually leads Benny to build up a revolt that will activate when the time was right, and with Joaquin Lockwood's help, they manage to build up a great chance to depose Zachariah. However due to Benny's naivety in his responsibility, overconfidence and gross underestimation of Zachariah's awareness and ability to counter his plans, Benny loses his trump card (Joaquin Lockwood) and his plans for rebellion is set decades back instead of simply a few years. Benny's idealism is shaken, but broken, and in fact, he takes to heart this lesson, reflecting on himself and improving to the point he gets the confidence to try again... this time with a lot more organization and help.

EVERMOND SCOWLZKA (The UnTitledverse and Life, Despair & Monsters)

Doctor Evermond Scowlzka has used the power of silence numerous times, and taken advantage of the opportunities it gave him to continue his twisted scientific pursuits. Scowlzka has a cheerful and friendly demeanor mixed with a calm and collected tone, though this hides his frustration and obsession with what controls humans; the mind or the body? His passion and determination to seek out an answer that fits the answer he wants pushes him to commit many human atrocities; irreversible dismemberment and mutilation of the human body, lead the hunt for Mario Emmet which caused the deaths of the Holmes' family who housed the shapeshifting alien, surgically transferring a young and dying Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's brain into a different body, not to save his life on behalf of Atsuomi, but to create a living experiment that could help him win the "mind vs body" debate, was willing to dissect a teenage Icarus Galatos to goad Hatter out (so he could also dissect the interdimensional plant/fungus creature) and had on numerous occasions attempted or succeeded in child murder (he really hates teenagers in particular). While I don't agree with 'The Tide' as his result in general, I can see where it fits him.

RYDER (A Radioactive Calamity Of Love, Bombs & Gore, Fallout New Vegas)

Ryder is an interesting individual. She's cheated death many times, and traveled the Mojave and Wasteland long enough to feel numb towards the experiences she's faced. She hides her emotions behind various carefully crafted masks that help her get what she wants, and believes that playing all sides of New Vegas will eventually gift her a position of power that will resolve her crippling emptiness. She doesn't want to stay as a nobody courier who moves from one post to another with little to no impact, no lasting legacy. Always tired. Always full of regret. Always wanting more. And her near-death encounter with Benny was almost a wake-up call, and also the slight amnesia was enough to "renew" her into a blank slate, leading her to shape the future of the Mojave. And perhaps with a little help from a half-human, half-interdimensional creature figure wielding magic and a flame sword as well as his arrogant and almost psychotic half-sister who despises authority and harasses the elderly.

[titleknown]

Look, regarding your last posts, I think some of these people are trying to guilt-trip/inflame/goad people like you into doing something extreme. Like doing a Luigi. It's a long shot, but comes with 0 risk to them.

[In reference to this post]

{EDIT} Put this past the break because A) it is long, and B) it was written late at night and emotionally driven, so it's probably worth reading it in that sense rather than any deep statement wrt internationalism.

...I don't think it's that drastic anon, mainly for practical reasons. They'd rather people joined a revolutionary movement, because collective action is generally more effective than isolated martyrdom.

I think it's that they don't think that anything can be accomplished, especially for the wellbeing of the Global South, without revolutionary government-overthrowing action, and to convince people that it's immoral to try and go through governmental methods because it's poisoned to the root.

I think they sincerely believe that, often related both to the weight of history and painful personal experience, and they're pushing it because they feel alone and like "Why is nobody willing to help me?"

And it's hard not to see their point in our shitty decaying wreck of a system, especially from people subject to our shitty empire.

But they don't do a very good job of convincing me that it's possible, at least not before I'm dead or without my life getting unfathomably worse.

So they beat my view of "A better world is possible" to death with hammers and replace it with:

Like, as an example, everyone loves to remind us of the chain of atrocities that sustains the US Supply chain in that same snide "think about it" way.

But they give no indication of how to allow people to get anything beyond barren subsistence, they give all indications they think that is logistically impossible, and that if you try to engage in a way that might allow for a better world and things that spark joy to still exist, they say you're a part of the problem, a part of a long series of "reforms" that rehabilitate the machinations of empire and are the reason the evil has not been destroyed.

This is the reason computing is such a bugbear to me by the by. It's not a world where my computer would be taken forcibly from me that I fear, but one where servers for the online places I go would go dark one by one as their parts run down and their electricity allocations get cut more and more before the online cord is let to decay for good and even the internet archive is dissected for scrap, and my computer would fall apart in its natural cycle of use and I could not repair it because the parts to do so would no longer be made or feasible to make.

And if I got mad or pushed back against this vast and unfathomable loss, people would at best condescendingly chide me for my selfish chauvinism and say if I really wanted it I'd either go through the ever-shrinking amount of hoops to get at the crumbs left, or at worst put me up against a wall and put a bullet in my skull. That's what I'm afraid of.

Basically everything that's awful about capitalism if you care about anything nonstandard or niche, except somehow even worse, but you have your basic needs met so you aren't allowed to complain.

And I get the feeling that my struggles and the struggles of all my friends up here do not matter, no matter how immiserated they are, because of how the people saying the stuff that brings me despair (Who are often directly in the Global South) have it even worse off.

Coupled with the idea of course, that "things will only get better for us if that revolution occurs, and if you want things to get better for you that means throwing us under the bus."

When I see leftists on here talk about how wanting to work in the arts is bourgeois, or how disabled people using food delivery services or cleaning services is bourgeois (Because under communism nobody will help you), I feel that void of hope growing, this feeling that me and my friends' struggles don't matter, because for those in the Global South they say it's either Us or Them.

I feel like so much of what they say that isn't "Don't forget, you're here forever" is "A better world is possible, but not for you." That is, when they're not flat-out saying "kill yourself you filthy yankee."

Like, I saw this a lot after the election too, people shitting on those who're scared that Trump is going to make things worse for them by saying "Well, under Biden/The Dems, things still got worse for [X], so we have no sympathy."

Which like... doesn't convince me of the necessity of non-electoral revolution, it just makes me feel like things will get worse until after I die, and that if things get better for me and those I care about it will be at the expense of immiserating billions.

Hell, it was a falling out over a related matter between two artists I follow which caused this recent scrupulosity spike, which leaves me feeling like a bad person for still associating with one of them even though I've non-parasocially known them for over a decade now, even if I think they both fucked up on a personal level there.

...I will flat out say, this post is from the perspective of someone from the Global North, in a relatively privileged albeit precarious position from disability, who is in fact constantly beset by those scrupulosity issues, and I don't know of a solution that wouldn't involve shutting those people down who; again; have real problems and deserve to be heard!

It's just... I suppose some sympathy would be nice.

Some sympathy that people stochastically yelling at me over this all the time hurts, some sympathy that they make me feel like my life is going to get worse until I die no matter whether under capitalism or under a truly just communism because they're so fucking shit at being convincing that they can do shit to help people outside of governments or do their revolution before I die.

Some fucking sympathy that my dreams for my life are broken nearly beyond repair and that so many of my friends who deserve the world are struggling with nothing, and that even if other people have it even worse, my friends still matter too!

I'm just... so tired of everything feeling hopeless, and the one movement that should give me hope telling me that hope is something other people deserve but not me, I should just lower my standards or die, because if I don't I'm just as bad as the people hurting me and those I love.

I'm tired of feeling like I'm being constantly judged for wanting things to get better for me and my friends before I die.

[longlistshort]

Lyne Lapointe’s works for Becoming Animal, her exhibition of new work at Jack Shainman Gallery,  natural and hand made materials add dimension to works focused on the body and its connection to the natural world.

From the gallery-

Inspired by a passage in A Thousand Plateaus, written by French philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, the exhibition title recalls the attitude they describe as being essential to the creative process: ‘becoming animal,’ or, an ability to inhabit different material and ontological perspectives. This phrase philosophically expresses a consistent quality in Lapointe’s work, namely her ability to ‘embody’ her materials—whether it be ink or glass beads, coral or abandoned beehives—by allowing them to retain their own specificity while also fully incorporating them into the pictorial spaces of her figures. Just as Lapointe’s materials contribute to the transformation of her figures, so too do they undergo their own metamorphosis as they are integrated into the compositions, a process that reflects the body’s capacity to adapt and change while still retaining continuity with the past.

Over the past four decades Lapointe has created poetic and materially complex works that consider the corporeal and psychological consequences of existing in a world of uncertainty. Her site-specific installations and architectural interventions created throughout the 1980s and 1990s, in partnership with critic and artist Martha Fleming, established many of these essential thematic concerns. At their core was the role that social spaces play in creating and modifying subjectivity, an experience Lapointe has continued to dissect and explore through other media, including the paintings on paper in this exhibition. Together, they demonstrate her consistent focus on the body and its relationship to external factors, whether they be socially constructed or naturally occurring.

Through research, careful sourcing and sustainable practices, Lapointe has expanded her process to include heterogeneous materials and found objects alike. In Beehives Apiarists (2024), the diptych’s beehives have been affixed to the figures while propolis—a resin-like substance produced by bees and typically used for medicinal purposes—has been used to cover the works entirely. In Mother of Pearl (2024), a large shell has been placed at the center of the figure while pearls punctuate the background. In Vitro (2024) brings together blown glass eggshells, hemp and recycled linens. Lapointe’s method of collecting these items, locating additional materials and preserving their respective histories is a process that metaphorically expresses her long-standing desire to use resources that not only describe our world, but that remind us of its innate worth and beauty and thus of our own as well.

By incorporating objects found in nature and the home, Lapointe creates moments that reimagine the body and place it in a point of transition. At times between genders, while at others void of identity altogether, her figures always question the viability of personal expression in our current socio-political context. Though typically characterized by vulnerability and fragility, they also and just as often embody a position of triumphant resistance to a world that seeks to restrict gender expression, categorize sexuality and stigmatize ‘otherness.’ When responding to a world of danger and hostility her figures can don protective armor, as in Black Billed Cuckoo / Magnolia Grandiflora (2023) and Okinawa (2024). In the series The Head and the Body (2024) Lapointe renders each figure in both deep black ink and shimmering gold leaf, suggesting an inner psychological world that the materials merely hint at. This is a world where resilience and radiance take form as proffered by the gold leaf, while tenacity, seen in the deep opacity and outward reaching gesture of the inked figure, takes root.

Though Lapointe’s practice has often centered femininity and womanhood in its many personal and social forms, in Becoming Animal she has gone one step further by creating figures that appear genderless, or which seem to exist outside of such rigid codification entirely. The found objects she uses to characterize these anonymous forms also signify their environmental context and invite viewers to consider the works through the lens of environmentalism. By encouraging each figure to occupy multiple ontological perspectives at once, Lapointe creates both a literal and conceptual connection to the construction of the works themselves. They straddle the line between painting, sculpture and collage, while finding ways to express the body in a fugue state through her singular craftsmanship and mastery of materials—or as Deleuze and Guattari write, they seek to ‘un-human the human.’

This exhibition closes 4/12/25.

[midnight-in-town]

Orphanage of livestock

Alrighty, buckle up guys, time for another very cringy theory. :D Big thanks to my friend @dorkshadows for all our discussions about the current arc; this arc is really making us wrack our brain for ideas. xD

To start, here's a reminder as to where we stand vis à vis bizarre dolls:

UT first used to edit those corpses' cinematic records with fake memories he made during the Campania arc, but it quickly changed during the Weston arc to "longing for the future"...

...which are "incomplete fragments that the dead crave about the future they were to have had". Since UT didn't explain anything new ever since, it's likely that the records are still being edited with this method in the current arc.

Then, with the blue sect arc, we were introduced to the use of blood transfusions as "fuel" for the bizarre dolls' longevity...

...and our!Ciel's side set out to crash these collect operations in order to weaken the Undertaker and real!Ciel's side.

Mey Rin's investigation confirmed the existence of one blood collect site...

and so did Bard's:

However, in Finny and Snake's investigation, while the orphanage did sort the children into 4 groups too, the elder siblings pointed out that...

...not only have they never any blood drawn from them, but the orphanage is rather forcing them to attend classes, in order to develop their "aptitude" based on the tests they took when they arrived. Most importantly, when Ginny fledged, the chief of staff said...

...that "the aptitude honed there will make contributions to the world" (as a child with Corgi aptitudes, Ginny's classes were about physical activities "like gymnastics or horse riding").

Investigating Ginny having fledged, that's when Finny, Snake and the elder siblings discovered yet another lab (very similar to the one in Sphere music hall) with evidence of blood collection, but also of organ collection.

So, since this arc with Finny and Snake heavily parallels the circus arc, I was wondering if the purpose of dissecting these poor kids was similar to what Kelvin and the doc did with the kids they abducted:

In other words, whoever is behind this operation (UT is involved, but he might not be the only Shinigami deserter behind this) are maybe killing the kids to collect blood but also many different organs, so that they can probably upgrade their latest bizarre dolls (both in body and record).

Under read more for additional explanations/speculations:

1) the orphanage collects the children's organs to physically upgrade BDs ?

Most likely by grafting new organs or body parts (taken from the orphanage kids who fledged) on bizarre dolls who need them.

For example, considering the Polaris = Joker theory: back in the circus arc, Joker said:

and then Seb cut his second hand. Yet, when Polaris attacked Agni (who was quite strong), Agni noticed that...

...his opponent was very quick and strong. So if Polaris is indeed Joker, then it's likely BD!Joker has new strong arms.

Additionally, crack thought, but we witnessed both Doll and real!Ciel suddenly collapsing, which we automatically linked to needing more blood to keep on functioning, but if they really got new organs from those kids, then maybe...

...the issue we witnessed isn't anemia, but some sort of graft versus host disease? Or both lmao. (I'm totally reaching here)

2) the orphanage also collects the children's organs to gain more sponsors ?

Additionally to the Bizarre Dolls, these organs could be used to gain more sponsors, similarly to Bravat who used to provide blood transfusions to parliamentarians who suffered from kidney failure:

Only rich folks would have enough money to buy organs if they needed it, so they'd make good sponsors for this super expensive BD project.

Of course, the risk of graft v. host disease would be very high as well but, since Othello said "they learnt more than they ought to have" upon visiting the Sphere music hall's lab (ch125), maybe they figured out about how to make a successful graft, on top of blood types ? (Or, most likely, the ones running this clown show just don't care about their sponsors dying once they've gotten the money ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ exactly like Bravat who killed the parliamentarians)

3) the orphanage collects the children's organs for experimentation

This would explain why Finny finds a lot of similarities between this orphanage and the German lab by which he was experimented on for enhanced strength.

Additionally, this would explain Snake's weird comment on "orphanages being terrible places", if he too was also experimented on as a child (which is how and why he understands snakes) :

Lastly, back to the Polaris = Joker idea, Agni mentioned that Polaris had "unimaginable strength". As we know, Agni was one of the strongest characters, so for him to qualify his opponent as "unimaginably strong", it is likely that Polaris has some kind of enhanced strength.

So do they research about enhancing human (or bizarre doll) strength or longevity? Or is it research on cinematic records? Your guess is as good as mine but, as already proved with the circus arc, no one will miss these orphans...

...making this "the best recycling scheme" one can think of. T_T

4) the orphanage assigning orphans to classes based on aptitude tests is used to upgrade BD's records or lack of soul:

The kids are sorted into 4 groups based on the aptitude test they took. Literally quoting the manga:

Mastiff kids learn reading, writing and skills needed to be senior servants managing large manors

Corgi kids specialize in physical activities

Collie kids learn all the skills to make a living as a domestic servant and martial arts

Pomeranian kids (kids who scored the highest on the tests) study latin, maths and games

These orphans are told they are saved and then to envision their future based on their aptitude and what they're forced to learn in their respective classes. This is probably done so that they will develop very specific "longing for the future" which, again, are "incomplete fragments that the dead crave about the future they were to have had".

So, once they fledged and are killed, their "longing for the future" are probably extracted and used one way or another. Since the records are already edited, the goal behind this might be to create some sort of a soul substitute, as hinted by Jane in the Heathfield investigation arc:

and it sure would explain why the chief of staff said the aptitudes can contribute to the world:

That's why something like a change in the afternoon tea menu of the pomeranian kids (from lemon drizzle cake to lemon tart) would actually matter, because taste is probably one of the parameters that can influence the "shape of a soul" or something.

There are 4 groups in the orphanage; in the previous investigations that mostly meant 4 blood types, but this time it might mostly mean 4 star lords:

Mastiff kids for used for Polaris, who defines himself as a butler (he's not real!Ciel's butler tho++) (Joker?)

obviously Pomeranian kids are used for Sirius (real!Ciel)

For Canopus and Vega, it's a bit trickier, but I propose Corgi kids for Vega/Layla, despite her probably being high born, because she worked as a nurse helping veterans with rehabilitation, which looked like this :

This leaves Collie kids for Canopus...

even if Canopus' true identity is really the least obvious one right now. FYI, some Japanese speaking fans have discussed that Canopus is the maid Jane and she indeed worked as a maid and knew how to fight, so it fits (I personally have another theory in mind for Jane, but Canopus!Jane definitely has some basis). If not Jane (or Doll, like some fans keep saying), Canopus can still appear during Seb & Ciel's investigation, so we'll just keep these details about Collie kids in mind.

I'm sure the truth behind Snake & Finny's investigation, as well as the next one with Ciel and Seb, will provide us with more hints about how the bizarre dolls and, more specifically, the star lords are becoming more and more perfect. So far this post is what I can guess with what we were given.

TL;DR in many possible ways, the ones behind this arc (besides UT, I mean) are preying on these poor kids and making use of every parts of them (blood, organs and maybe even their longing for the future).

That's why giving them mistletoe when they reach fledging day is so ironic...

...because they really suck every "nutrient" possible from these kids until they die.

Not gonna lie, it doesn't look good at all for Theo. He's headed straight for real!Ciel... ://

Kudos if you read all that, I hope it was as clear as possible! As always, thoughts in comments or reblogs are welcome! :D

[theflowergothic]

On Self-promotion and Feelings of Inadequacy

Hey guys, it’s Flowergothic. Taking the time here to get a little more personal. I’ve been working on this on and off since last week, and now it’s ready to share.

First of all, thank you to everyone who has watched, shared, and enjoyed the Max/Kelly exposé! I’ve had a blast reading your comments, seeing the discussions it’s sparked, and realizing that, yes, we’re all collectively raising an eyebrow at the same things. The response has been so much fun, and the attention it’s gotten so far is about what I expected, given my channel size, the subject matter, and the general messiness of it all.

But I can’t help but worry that I’m not doing enough to make the videos have maximum reach. I’ll admit it, I’m not the best at self-promotion. Sometimes when I’m sharing my work repeatedly on social media, I start feeling like I’m being annoying or trying too hard. And I know that’s a dumb thought (if I don’t hype up my work, who will?). But it’s a mental block I still haven’t fully shaken.

Part of it probably stems from being told to shut up about my passions and interests growing up (the joys of being on the spectrum), and part of it is that I just don’t know what the best methods are for promoting my work. I see other creators getting their stuff out there so effortlessly, and meanwhile, I’m over here wondering if posting about my own video twice in a week is overkill.

So yeah, I’m figuring it out as I go, but I want to get better at it. Because I know this is a story worth telling. I know there are more people out there who would be interested, entertained, and just as baffled as the rest of us if they found it. But finding them is the challenge.

And in turn, some of this is feeding into my fears of inadequacy. My feelings that I could be doing so much more to make sure the exposé gets attention. My feelings that everything I’m doing isn’t enough. They don’t stem from the video itself, they’re fears I’ve had for a very long time and contribute to how I function as a human being. Because while I am deeply proud of this project and the attention it has gotten, there’s still that little voice saying, “But what if it could be bigger? What if there’s some magic formula I just haven’t cracked yet?”

I also worry about what will happen once I start my other projects back up, once I branch out beyond Max and Kelly. The next video I have planned has nothing to do with them but is something I was working on alongside Max/Kelly when the latter was still in its infancy. I know a lot of y’all found me through Max/Kelly, but I hope y’all will stay for what comes next. Because I have so much more in the pipeline, projects I’ve been sitting on for ages, waiting for the right moment to dive into. A dissection of the second Nina Paley film. A deep dive into House of Anubis. A video on Burning Man that I have a very personal stake in.

At the end of the day, I’m not planning to stop anytime soon. I’m here to tell stories, to deep-dive into the absurd, the overlooked, and the bizarre. But to keep doing that, I need to figure out how to get my work in front of the people who will care about it. I know I have my weird self-promo anxieties, but whether I push past them or trust the algorithm gods to do their thing, I’m going to keep going.

If you’ve enjoyed what I’ve made so far, I hope you stick around. I have so much more coming. And if you want to help get these videos seen, there are a few things that really make a difference. Sharing the video anywhere relevant helps so much, whether it’s Twitter, TikTok, Instagram stories, Discord servers, group chats, or even a random comment section. Engaging with the video through likes, comments, and shares also pushes it further in the algorithm. Starting discussions, whether that’s through quote tweets, reaction posts, memes, or even arguing in the comments, keeps the conversation alive. And if you see people talking about Kelly or Max, drop the link! Make more people aware of my work!

Every share, every comment, and every discussion helps push it further, and I appreciate it more than I can say. I also hope that when I branch out beyond Max and Kelly, you’ll still be here. Because this is just the beginning, and I have so many more stories I can’t wait to tell.

Love,

FG

[delusionaid]

@iniziare sent: "Doctor, your penchant for dissecting the human soul under the guise of science is as tiresome as it is abhorrent. I am not Crucabena, and the children are not specimen for your twisted curiosities." (It's time, have Arlecchino to Dottore 😌 Write the man, Min, write the man)

A subtle smile spreads beneath the doctor's mask, one-sided but colored with genuine amusement. The fact that she calls it a guise does nothing but offer a glimpse into her blatant lack of vision and her limited understanding of his intentions and the workings of this world and its rotten societies. As such, standing in a long line of disbelievers and small-minded intellectuals, she represents nothing special. A pity. Young as she is, he doesn't fault her for her shortcomings - not more than anyone else who ekes out their wretched existence in unfulfilled potential.

How simple his life would be - pale and listless, but simple - if sadism was all that drove him and his methods. If he hadn't been accused of the same banal motivation more times than he cares to count, he might have bothered to counter it.

"Indeed you are not, as you keep proving effortlessly." A small sigh comes over his lips, just at the cusp of being bothered - but at the end of the day, it is a minor inconvenience. Warm bodies are not as hard to come by, though it certainly was convenient to have his pick of young and unspoiled specimen at Crucabena's courtesy. Collecting them off the streets is simply more of a hassle, but there's never a shortage of the desperate and the foolish.

"Well, that concludes this riveting meeting, I believe. Should you have a change of heart, do think of me? I wouldn't mind taking any hopeless cases off your hands in the future." If her righteous anger is meant to intimidate him, she has yet to grasp the dynamic that exists between her fellow Harbingers. Perhaps she'll also learn, in time, that making her distaste for his designs so obvious is nothing but a formality.

Perhaps also, in time, she will turn out to be a much more interesting subject of study than her little wards. And if Zandik has one thing, it is time.

[aliensupersyn]

An Ajin Manga Review: Discussing the Art

Part 1: Art Style in Relation to Storytelling

I entered this manga not knowing the first thing about it. I was scrolling through Manga4life after catching up on Hunter x Hunter and came across Ajin on the highest rated filter. I read through the comments and saw the praises for the story. I was collecting a number of different titles to read through and chose Ajin to begin my series of readings.

Why did I choose Ajin as a starter? What stood out to me about Ajin was its art. For many mangaka, the art begins somewhat immature and the artist hones their skills throughout the serialization. For example, there's a noticeable change in Tokyo Ghoul, Bleach, Naruto, HxH, etc. Ajin began with a recognizably polished art style thanks to Gamon Sakurai. The lines were confident and the scenes were already challenging in a way a veteran artist might be expected to execute. I was grabbed immediately!

These two pages are both from the first chapter. Note the details on the folds of clothes, the sneakers, the officer's ear, and his uniform even. I have not come across many manga who's art begins with dramatic detail in the most mundane things such as clothing, at least not in such a way. I'm reminded of how in sports manga, the mangakas take a lot of time to detail a player's shoes, because those have importance to the sport itself.

To clarify, Ajin still went through a maturity in its art. Obviously, there was a change when the original writer Tsuina Miura left. With Sakurai having more control over the story, it's clear his change in story affected the characters and art style as well. For example, Kei Nagai goes from a rounder more doe-like appearance to sharper and straighter lines. His original design fit alongside his character portrayal as an innocent kid unfit for the severity of the story's premise; Kei was perhaps meant to be pitied in the original story.

After Sakurai became the writer, Kei changed into an untrustworthy character who could shift personalities, utilizing both the younger look of the first volume, and the more confident and mature appearance Sakurai had created. Sakurai says that after volume 1, he "tried to move the art gradually closer to [his] own style" (ch.83, pg. 82). I recognize Kei's purposeful tonal changes as a creative method to transition the manga into Sakurai's own style and design changes that he had decided for the story.

Below, this series of pages illustrate first the differences between Kei in volume one and two. Then, the ways Sakurai uses both the softer and sharper designs to convey a transition of his character.

Finally, in chapter seventeen, page seven, Sakurai commits to the shift and reveals this new design and characterization to be the "real" Kei all along. Nakano comes to the same realization as the reader.

Sakurai used Kei's earlier more pitiful appearance to show Kei's softer mask that he wore to hide his true, more cold and calculative nature. After the moment between Nakano and Kei, the later design remains more consistent and total. Personally, I enjoy the later design more than the first and what it implied for the story. Along with a change in Kei's character was a change to the story's tone as well. Sato became more devious, and so did Kei. These character changes, in a way, foreshadowed the extremes in which the plot would take as well.

Though, still I would have enjoyed the closer relationship that was foreshadowed for Kei and Kai. I mean, look at these pages and tell me you don't see a budding homoerotic romance on the rise!

To round out my thoughts, I enjoyed the first premise, but overall enjoyed the second premise even more. In the next review, I'll dissect Sato's character and how he was handled from an authorial point of view. I just needed to discuss the art style change and what it implied for the story, especially Kei, as he plays an important role for the overall tone of the story.

[reidwitchsblog]

My Brian Thomas HC

Warning: 18+ content, dead dove do not eat, dark themes in general.

Author’s note: It was thanks to this man that my obsession for creepypastas came back after 10 years, so he has a special place in my heart. Hope you love him as much as I do.

Minors DNI

Personality

Despite his serious demeanor, Brian has a quirky sense of humor that only surfaces around people that he’s truly comfortable with. He sooooo tells dad jokes when he sees Toby upset.

He has a very analytical mind. He's meticulous in his approach to problem-solving, often dissecting situations methodically before taking action.

While he tends to keep his emotions in check, he is incredibly empathetic. He feels deeply for his friends and often takes on the role of the listener, offering support and understanding without expecting the same in return.

He holds himself to high standards, which sometimes leads to self-criticism. Brian strives for perfection in his work and personal endeavors, causing him to be hard on himself when things don't meet his expectations.

Despite his reserved nature, he has a vulnerability that he guards fiercely. He's careful about revealing his innermost thoughts and fears, choosing instead to navigate his emotions privately.

He has a strong sense of responsibility towards those he cares about. Brian takes it upon himself to ensure the safety and well-being of his friends, often putting their needs above his own.

Deep down, he grapples with internal conflict stemming from the events of the Marble Hornets project. He struggles to reconcile the horrors he's witnessed with his desire for a normal, peaceful life.

Physical

Brian has a defined jawline that adds to his serious and determined appearance. His eyebrows are naturally furrowed, giving him a perpetually focused expression, even when he's relaxed.

He typically maintains medium-length hair, often swept to the side or slightly tousled. It's dark brown, with natural highlights from spending time outdoors during filming or leisure activities.

His hands are notably steady, a testament to his composure even in stressful situations. They bear small calluses from his hobbies, like working on cars or handling camera equipment.

His voice carries a calm and measured tone, but there's an underlying intensity that emerges during moments of urgency or concern. It's a reassuring voice that his friends often turn to for guidance.

Brian's expressions are subtle but meaningful. A quirk of the lips when he's amused, a brief narrowing of the eyes when assessing a situation – these nuances add depth to his character, revealing more than his words sometimes do.

Apart from the scar on his left forearm, he has a few faint scars scattered on his hands and arms from various accidents during his younger years. There's also a small, barely noticeable scar above his right eyebrow from a childhood mishap.

Over time, his fashion might slightly evolve. Initially, his clothing might be more functional and nondescript, but as the story progresses, subtle changes might occur, such as opting for slightly more polished or mature attire.

RANDOM HC

Despite his focus on logical pursuits, Brian has a hidden talent for sketching. He occasionally doodles in a small sketchbook, creating intricate drawings as a way to unwind and express himself creatively.

He has a green thumb and a small collection of potted plants hidden away in his apartment. Taking care of these plants provides him with a sense of calm amidst the chaos in his life.

He has a habit of staying up late, not necessarily due to work but because he finds solace in the quiet of the night. It's during these late hours that he indulges in his hobbies or simply reflects on life.

Despite not being a master chef, he occasionally experiments in the kitchen. He follows intricate recipes he finds online, trying his hand at cuisines from around the world, often with mixed but sometimes surprising results.

Brian keeps a meticulous journal where he documents not only the events related to Marble Hornets but also his thoughts, observations, and sketches. This journal serves as a private outlet for his innermost thoughts and anxieties.

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