#he definitely committed crimes that don’t even exist

[bipanicoverthegravessiblings]

hello! that other anon’s idea gave me another idea! ashley and andrew x a younger sister/sibling reader instead who’s basically the opposite of the older sister reader! a quiet little sister who’s been desperate for any sort of attention from her siblings, even if it involves being a little silly and committing some crimes

i can already imagine ashley pretending to be a good big sister but mostly just using it as an excuse to manipulate her younger sister, while andrew struggles to be a good big brother and balance ashley’s neediness with their younger sister who is, well, less needy but definitely could use the attention

little sister reader is stuck between her unhinged older siblings, but can’t speak up because she’s afraid of being alone and has to go along with ashley and andrew’s antics! sorry if this was long, i just got hit with a bunch of ideas-

Don’t apologize, the longer ideas give me more to work off of!

Andrew and Ashley Graves x Younger Sister!Reader

The Graves Parents were neglectful, but with you it was a whole other level

At least with Andrew and Ashley they acknowledged their existence, you however…

You were just…there to them

You never acted out like Ashley did, nor were you independent like Andrew

You were just…there

Someone who was so easily overlooked

And to be honest, you didn’t really care about if they remembered that you existed

Because there were two people who never forgot you

Your older siblings

The bestest older siblings on the face of this earth!

When mom left you at grocery stores, it wasn’t her or dad who came back to get you- it was Andrew.

When you had to stay after school and catch up on schoolwork to up your grades, Ashley made sure she was staying there with you (normally through getting in trouble, but it was still sweet)

Point is, your siblings made you feel more loved than your parents have in your entire life

And you love them so much for it

Your legs kicked over the edge of the metal bench you’d been sitting on, the sound of rain pelting the awning above you having been droned out a while ago. The LED signs of the corner store illuminated the darkening skies. You should be heading home, but walking by yourself at night was dangerous.

This entire situation your mother carelessly left you in was dangerous to be honest.

Waiting inside the store with a bunch of grown ups you didn’t know, most of which already looked like caricatures from a Stranger Danger PSA, was dangerous.

Standing outside by yourself for any fast handed killer or creep or both to snatch was dangerous.

Walking home where you could be jumped or get lost was dangerous.

And even with being aware of these dangers, you were surprisingly calm.

Mainly because this isn’t the first time this has happened. And normally, your saviors always came to save you.

“Hey Y/N.”

Speak of them now.

You perked up, looking at the two slightly older kids standing just out of the awning. The boy carried an umbrella, his black hair swooping over his emerald eyes and his sweater barely clung to his shoulders. Hanging off of his arm was a girl, slightly younger, with similar black hair that was a mess of hair clips. She beamed looking at you, giving you a toothy grin as she waved.

“Found youuuuuu!”

She said it like it was a game of hide and seek. And perhaps her nonchalantness to these things rubbed off on you. You were becoming more like her every day.

Your older siblings. LeyLey and Andy Graves.

Andy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Just- get under here. Let’s go home before one of us gets sick.”

You nodded, rushing to huddle next to him under the dingy umbrella. The three of you began the trek back home. Three unsupervised children was no safer than one, but you knew they’d protect you.

LeyLey grinned at you from Andy’s other side, “Hey Y/N, did you snag us anything from the store?”

“LeyLey!” If Andy’s hands weren’t full, he would’ve smacked her.

“Whaaattttt, I just wanna know!” She clarified, “So- did ya? You know if you did you have to share! It’s the rules!”

“Since when?..” you tilted your head.

“Since now!”

“LeyLey she didn’t steal anything…” Andy gave you weary glance, “…Right?”

Looking right up at Andy, you reached into your pocket and pulled out a candy bar you stole when you started to get hungry. You didn’t eat it yet, in fear of mom showing up for once and getting mad at you for shoplifting. Andy groaned. LeyLey beamed.

“Sweet! Let’s split it!” She tugged on Andy’s arm, daring him to say no, “Come on Aaaannndddyyyy, you know you wanna!”

Andy simply gave his younger sister a tired expression before sighing, “Fine…but I get a piece too!”

You split the chocolate bar between you and your siblings, LeyLey demanding to swap with Andy since his piece looked bigger. They bickered, tussling with their halves while you ate yours- smiling happily.

You wished you could go back to when shoplifting was the worst of the crimes you committed with your siblings…

You all had been quarantined in your apartment, something about parasites in the water

And the wardens eventually stopped bringing you all food

Mom and dad left near the start

So it was just you, Ashley, and Andrew

Rotting away in your coffin of an apartment

Until some demon shenanigans happened and the neighbor croaked

“That’s a lot of meat…” Andrew muttered. You could practically see his mouth watering staring at the body. Ashley stood next to him, sizing your dead neighbor up. You had knelt down to check if he was still alive.

“You think we should?…” Ashley made a chopping motion with her hand, her pink eyes already telling you and Andrew that she’s made up her mind on eating the neighbor.

“Can we even?- I mean-“ Andrew was trying to rationalize the decision in his head, “Won’t we get in trouble?”

“What do you think Y/N?” Ashley looked down at you, your attention turning from the Cultist to your older sister.

You opened your mouth to speak, but your words were interrupted by your growling stomach. You clutched your abdomen, face twisting in discomfort. Ashley made an “awe” sound as she knelt down, cupping your cheek.

“You poor thing,” she cooed, “Andy just look at her! Our poor baby sister is starving and we’re not doing so hot either,” she stood up, “So, let’s do it! What’s the worse that could happen?”

“We could go to jail!” Andrew threw his hands up, eyes widening in frustration towards Ashley’s lack of realizing that fact.

Andrew’s face fell, though, as his eyes landed on you. He felt a pang course through his chest as how starved you looked. He was your older brother…he was supposed to protect you and…here you were rotting away in front of him. He turned his attention to the cultist’s body, debating with himself what to do before he sighed.

“…okay. We’ll do it..”

“Yes!” Ashley hugged Andrew’s arm, “I knew you’d do the right thing!”

Your older siblings planned this out, Andrew instructing Ashley to find him a cleaver and grab some plastic bags. All the while you stood back and watched silently.

You never got to tell them that the cultist still has a pulse…

[critterbitter]

HELLO HI ID LIKE TO ASK WHAT PROGRAM AND BRUSHES YOU USE CUZ IM LITTERALY EXPLODING EVERYTIME I SEE YOUR ART

actually actually... *pulls out whole stack of paper*...I have. a FEW,, a good few,, questions to ask. they are not many I swear 😇

OK SO FIRST OF ALL HOW DO YOU DRAW SO FAST???? everyday I log onto Tumblr I always see something new from you and I get very very happy. But then I start to question my own existence because not even I CAN SPEED RUN ART LIKE THAT. AND SO SPECTACULARLY TOO

Last question! how do you color and make it look so well?? just. How. I need to know. This is a CRY FOR HE-

anyway thank you for being one of my favorite artists that always feed my brain rot, pls keep making amazing art because like a little yamper I will follow behind and stay updated.

(Stands there)

Response and thoughts under cut!

First question! What art program I use!

Mostly procreate, along with a handful of brushes! (Specifically the Jing Set and some custom stuff, which is really just a circle brush with the shape changed to a square.)

Second question! How do i draw so much!

Okay so. I am. Ahhah. Unemployed,,,,? No, I do freelance illustration, but hmm. A studio job would be nice.

i graduated college last year and I’m very used to eight hour art shifts. The body sort of remembers to keep working, even though I no longer have storyboards or visdev homework to do.

Also. The hyperfixation is a deep vast tunnel I STILL have not seen the end of the light to, good golly. (I have dreams now about the kids committing shenanigan crimes. I wake up in cold sweat and write them down in a journal. It’s like being the mouthpiece to an angry god.)

So the overall gist is: I was trained to be a storyboard artist with a visdev background, and I’m using that higher education to draw funny muppets because my brain’s funny.

I also DO have a queue, and I’ve been treating this as a sort of inktober project. I am definitely going to slow down soon though! Maybe. Hopefully. Ah… (sheepishly drops my kofi here)

Third question! How do i color!

I. I, uh. I dont know man the coloring demons have a grip on my soul and i just go along for the ride. But also, if it helps, i prefer to limit my pallets to only a few colors at a time. Lighting is king, so if you can figure out if you want to focus on either on your lights or shadows, you’ll have a much easier time composing. That, and symbolic colors— idk, something hits different about art drenched in gold with a tiny hint of a man staring into the blinding horizon, or a green leafy environment with a single dot of artificial red. I also like using blue and purple for shadows, and I’m a big fan of muting colors with only one or two that pop— one of the reasons why I was so attracted to submas in the first place is because from a design aesthetic, they’re both super funny muppet men AND really cool train guys that have a limited pallet and thematic apparel.

Overall response! THANK YOU SO MUCH. This goes out to a BUNCH of people who sent me inbox queries— sorry for not responding, it’s a tad overwhelming because some of them are story questions even I don’t really know will go yet, and others are words of praise and I’m selfish and like scrolling through the inbox to look at them when I feel down. I am more of an artist who sits in the corner and sprouts like a potato rather then a branching vine who socializes, but I really do see people’s responses and they make me go :)))))

Okay ramble over. Thanks for coming to the soapbox, and good luck on creating!

[alwritey-aphrodite]

Tarnished But So Grand

Pairing: young!Coriolanus Snow x reader

Warnings: death, violence, planting the seeds of Snow’s toxicity

Word Count: 2.7k

Author’s Note: there are some moments where Snow definitely is ooc and others where he is indeed still very much toxic - don’t date toxic boys irl

Before this year, you could have counted the amount of times you’ve snuck out of your house on one hand. Now, though, most nights of the week find you shimmying out of your window and scaling the side of your house, dropping into the waiting arms of Coriolanus Snow. You’re sure that you could have just asked your parents to spend time with the boy, but you liked having something all to yourself, and you liked breaking the rules for once in your life.

There’s something about being with Coryo that just makes you come alive, makes your heart race and your breath come faster. It might just be the thrill of sneaking out of your bedroom window while your parents are fast asleep, but you’re starting to think it’s just Coryo, the way he looks at you and talks to you and holds you. Now, he grabs your hand, and the two of you rush off to the little park you’d decided was your safe haven, a place where only the two of you exist.

“My parents are having dinner with the Creeds tomorrow night,” you mutter, whispering your death sentence. Your parents have grand plans for you, plans that involve marrying rich and having lots of children. You’d been trying to convince them to wait until you’d attended university, until you believed Coryo could make a name for himself, because you simply couldn’t imagine your life without him by your side.

“It’s a big day for everyone then,” he responds, grabbing your hand and trying his best not to look disgusted at himself. He might be able to fool his classmates, but the parents could see the truth, the dark, penniless truth.

“Don’t act so nervous, we all know you’re going to win the Plinth prize, I can’t even think of anybody we know who’d even come close,” you try and lighten the mood, but even under the dark lamplights you see the disbelieving look he sends your way.

It’s no secret that you’re intelligent, and it would be a crime if your parents refused to let you attend university, but you didn’t need the Plinth prize, not the way Coryo did. He tried to hide it, all his struggles, and he’d been successful until you stopped by the penthouse to bring over an assignment he’d left at the academy. You didn’t mind, not even a little bit, but Coryo never fully believed you.

“Maybe we should just run away,” you change topics, leaning into his side and resting your head on his shoulder. He leans his own on top of yours with no hesitation, wrapping an arm around you and drawing you closer. You close your eyes, savoring the moments you know are fleeting because as much as you fantasize about it, neither you or Coryo would ever have the guts to run away.

Trying your best to commit every second you spend together to memory, you listen to the rise and fall of Coryo’s breath as he sits next to you, a shiver running through you as he lightly strokes the exposed skin of your arms. You stay like that for what feels like hours, and even though you’d be more than happy to spend eternity here with him, Coryo stands and kisses you goodbye, needing sleep before the ceremony tomorrow.

Watching him go, you can’t help but mourn what’s right in front of you, can’t help the despair that twists in your chest when you realize that life won’t always be this way. In a few months, there’ll be no more sneaking out, no more secret meetings, no more gentle kisses hello and goodbye. You’re living on borrowed time, and you can’t help the tears that well up as you watch Coryo’s retreating form.

——

Even the mere sight of Festus Creed standing in the academy’s entrance hall is enough to make bile rise in your throat. You almost want to turn and run, but you see Coryo across the room and a smile works its way onto your face and he sends one back, over the heads of all of your classmates. You’re so distracted, so enamored, that you don’t notice that Festus is now standing right in front of you.

“Coming to dinner tonight?” He asks, trying his best to appear charming but all you want to do is scratch his eyes out.

“No, just my parents, I have plans of my own,” you tell the boy, feeling much less cornered when you catch the sight of your savior coming towards you. As easy as breathing, Coryo slips his hand into yours, squeezing once without breaking eye contact with Festus.

It’s a display of ownership and power, that much you can tell, as if Festus wouldn’t possibly respect your own wishes for him to scram and you needed Coriolanus to step in for you because he’d be respected. Even though an act of peacocking like that would typically make your skin crawl, you’re just grateful that Festus has slunk off to bother someone else. Squeezing his hand once before letting go, you turn to talk with Coryo for the first time since you watched him leave last night.

“You look very nice,” you tell him, brushing imaginary lint off his shoulders just for an excuse to touch him. He smiles at you, the soft sort of smile that he only shows to you, but it crumples when Arachne and Clemmensia approach. Your own hands fall from his shoulders, as if you’re not allowed to touch him in a friendly manner, and you turn to face the group and listen to their discussions of the Plinth prize.

The rest of the day passes by in a blur of confusion and despair; not only is there no Plinth prize, but you’re being forced to become a mentor for one of the 24 tributes in the Hunger Games. You’re assigned to Bobbin, a little boy from District Eight, and as evil as it seems, there’s a part of you that hopes that he passes away in his sleep before the games begin, to spare him from the horrible end you know he’ll meet otherwise.

Curled up on top of your bed, all you want is to have Coryo wrap you in his arms and stay there for the rest of eternity. When the time comes, and you shimmy out of your window and down the side of your house, you all but fall into Coryo, his arms the only thing keeping you upright. He doesn’t say a word, just pulls you closer and holds you tighter, knowing exactly what you need.

The two of you stay like that for a while, until you feel sufficiently human again and the worry of your parents seeing you starts crawling forward in your mind, so you grab his hand and start the familiar walk to your park bench.

“Why are we doing this?” You ask, still feeling despondent and your thoughts running a million miles a minute.

“Doing what?” He asks, confusion clouding his voice, and you can tell his brows are all furrowed even though you’re staring at your intertwined hands, “this?” He gives your hands a gentle shake, and he sighs when you nod.

This is a conversation you’ve had many times before, and no matter how many times he reassures you, you know you’ll just ask again in a few weeks. If Coryo knows the two of you will never end up together, not if your parents have a say, why would he spend all this time with you? What’s the point in a midnight rendezvous if he knows nothing real can come of it?

“Because I love you,” he answers the way he always does, letting go of your hand to wrap his arm around your shoulder and pull you impossibly closer, “and because I know that your parents will change their minds.” That part is new, a testament to Coryo’s need to be the best, to his determination to win. To him, having you marry Festus would be the same as losing to Festus, and he’d never let that happen. He loves you, you know he does, but you wonder how much of his desire to marry you is love and how much is pride?

Before you can spiral, the conversation turns to Lucy Gray: her chances of winning, how likely she is to trust Coryo, how Coryo can increase her odds in the Games. There aren’t any discussions of Bobbin, even though you’ve been tasked with keeping him alive as well, and it’s as if Lucy Gray is all that matters at the moment. And, in the lead up to the Games, she really is all that matters to the majority of the Capital, everyone is so enamored with her it’s as if none of the other tributes should even try because while they might be more skilled, none of them have captured the hearts of the Capital the way Lucy Gray has.

Walking into the academy on the first morning of the Games, you’re full of a sick sense of apprehension, something deep inside you that wants to turn and flee and never look back. You don’t, instead taking a seat next to Coryo and craning your neck as you look for Sejanus. Dean Highbottom had said something cryptic about the boy when you and Coryo entered the room, and you can’t help but think he’s been hurt in some way.

When he enters, he looks well enough as he can be given the circumstances, but that all changes the moment the cameras turn on. Bloody and beaten, Marcus is strung up in the center of the arena and it’s unclear whether he’s alive or dead. It doesn’t matter to Sejanus, who stands and screams at everyone before storming out. The rest of your peers snicker, but you’d do the same if you were in his shoes. Even now, the sight of Marcus and the knowledge of what’s to come makes you want to throw up, but you manage to control yourself.

Bobbin and Lucy Gray both manage to survive the bloodbath, sneaking off in opposite directions as Coral and her gang begin to terrorize anyone they can catch. Even though the Games have just started, you’re already praying for them to end. You’d rather sit through a ten minute bloodbath and have it all be over than have to sit and watch for hours and days on end as the number of tributes dwindles down to one.

That night, you leave with the rest of the remaining mentors, with the exception of Coryo, who’s determined to watch out for Lucy Gray as long as he possibly can. Your parents have the Games playing on their television when you return home, but you ignore it in favor of curling up in your bed and wishing for an end to the violent spectacle. For the first time in months, you don’t bother to sneak out, knowing Coryo won’t be there to break your fall.

At some point during the night, the feeds are cut and when they come back on, Bobbin has been slaughtered. This information isn’t shared with you until you return to the academy with the rest of the mentors, and you’re beyond devastated.

“No one knows what happened to him,” you explain to Coryo in a frantic whisper before Lucky Flickerman kicks you out for having a dead tribute.

“It could have been any of them,” Coryo gestures towards the screen showing Coral and her gang, and you know he’s right. No matter what you do, you won’t bring him back, and you’ll never find out who slaughtered that poor boy. You give Coryo’s shoulder a squeeze before you hurry away, devastated at the loss of such a young life but glad you won’t be forced to watch the Games anymore.

When the dust settles, Lucy Gray is the last tribute standing, even as Coryo has to forcefully ask, again and again, to get her out of the arena. The last thing he needed was everyone knowing he cheated, twice, and taking away everything he had worked so hard for.

They did anyway.

Despite Dean Highbottom’s explicit instructions for Coryo to go straight to the station after gathering his few meager belongings, he knew he needed to make a quick pit stop before he left forever. It felt strange to be knocking at your front door instead of waiting underneath your window, and anxiety coiled around in his belly as he waited for someone to answer. Luckily, it was you who swung open the door, and just seeing your face sent a pang of longing through him.

“What are you doing here?” You ask, not unkindly, as you step outside and shut the door behind you. With the Games, you hadn’t seen Coryo in days, and it’s been the longest stretch in months that you slept a full night in your bed.

“They’re sending me to twelve, to be a peacekeeper,” he explains as quickly as he can, leaving out the fact that he’s deciding he’s going to twelve, not anyone else.

“Twenty years apart,” you place your hands on the side of his face, trying to study it and keep it in your memory forever.

“Twenty years,” he confirms, much less urgent than before. He can be a little late, he’s already being sent to hell, but he needs to just look at you a little while longer.

“I’ll be married to Festus by then,” you know that even if your parents let you attend university, there’s no way they’ll wait twenty years before selling you off.

“And then when I get back, I’ll steal you away for good,” you let out a watery laugh at that, the tears unsurprising but unexpected, as you hadn’t even realized they were falling.

“You could steal me away now,” you whisper, pulling his head closer to yours and resting your foreheads together, “we could run away, and then they’ll never find us.”

Coryo entertains the thought for a second, imagines what it would be like to live in some hovel in the woods with you, before pulling back.

“I have to go, if I don’t show up, Highbottom will hunt me down,” he says, in that soft voice he keeps just for you, before leaving you with one final kiss.

The next time you see Coryo isn’t in twenty years, but less than one. Your parents are throwing a party, trying to come up with as many social gatherings as possible to get you and Festus together, but even as you speak with your supposed betrothed, you see a familiar face out of the corner of your eye. His hair is different, and his clothes are nicer, but there’s no mistaking Coriolanus Snow.

You’re not listening to a word Festus is saying, instead hoping that Coryo will find you through the crowd. Across the room, you lock eyes, and it takes every fiber of your being to restrain yourself from running to him. He smiles at you, a charming smile that can fool government agents and parents alike, and you go weak in the knees.

While you don’t run, you do give a mumbled apology to Festus before turning and making your way through the crowd, all but pushing people out of the way until you can wrap Coryo in your arms. He responds immediately, pulling you impossibly closer and holding you tightly against his chest. You can hear the pounding of his heart, and you wonder if yours is any less erratic.

“Well, look at you, Officer Snow,” you say with a grin, settling your hands on either side of his face because it seems impossible that he’s standing in front of you. He laughs, and pulls you closer for a quick kiss, barely a graze of his lips against yours but he just couldn’t help himself. Compared to the twenty years you were supposed to be apart, one year is nothing, but it still felt like a lifetime to the both of you.

“Come on, I want to hear about everything,” you grab his hand and lead him away from the party, up the stairs and towards the room you’d sneak out of just to meet him. Those nights seem like a decade ago, but you’re so unbelievably happy to see Coryo again, it doesn’t matter how long you had to wait.

Tags: @andr0medafallen @hopefulromances @chmpgneprblem

[genericpuff]

I simply don’t agree that Aphrodite sleeping with zeus was coercion. Eros was rightfully going to be punished for doing the same crime as persephone. Aphrodite was the one manipulating zeus into sleeping with her again to lessen his punishment. (And they had a previous relationship/fling considering Eros is his GRANDSON and Aphrodite definitely hurt Hera in that process as well) if Eros was innocent I would understand the viewpoint but Zeus was doing his job and he is scummy for being so easily swayed but Aphrodite was perfectly scummy as well using sex to get her son off the hook.

I don't entirely disagree with some of the points you raise (that Eros had committed an act of wrath that led to this whole thing to begin with). That said, I think that more proves the point that Rachel's framing could have been more clear, as it's why the debate of "is it coercion or not" even exists in that scene. Yeah, she was totally attempting to get her son off scot-free from committing an act of wrath, but then the plot expects us to also root for Persephone to get off easy, who still gets a trial. It might not be a fair trial, but the implication with the Eros / Aphrodite / Zeus scene was that Zeus was just gonna go straight into punishment without even bothering to give him a trial to plea his case. And unlike Persephone, Eros didn't go to insane lengths to hide it from Zeus and Hades (which was more why Zeus took such offense with Persephone's Act of Wrath in the first place - he didn't care that she killed people, he cared that she killed people and then hid it from him and his brothers.)

Apparently Artemis and Apollo were outright celebrated for committing an act of wrath.

(notice how Zeus shifts the goalposts from it being about the death of 300 mortals to it being about Eros harboring a mortal?)

In the original Greek myths, acts of wrath were common. Poseidon would drown sailors at sea, Aphrodite and Eros would toy with the emotions and lives of mortals who had wronged them, and Demeter has created an entire dang season that resulted in the starvation of mortals en masse.

So in LO, which is it? Are acts of wrath something that need to be taken to trial? Or are they not that big a deal and Zeus is simply an asshole who picks and chooses who he punishes? Because when taking how he treated Persephone's act of wrath into context - as well as Artemis and Apollo's - then him deciding to punish Eros right then and there seems a little unwarranted, I don't blame Aphrodite for trying to think on her feet. I'd like to think if he was willing to offer Persephone a trial, he could do the same for his grandson, but evidently not. He didn't even know Apollo and Artemis were his kids yet back when he rewarded them for murdering people, so his relation to them can't even be used as a "well clearly he's biased towards his kids".

If it's meant to highlight how unfair of a king Zeus is, then flipping the script from Aphrodite to Zeus offering sex as a bargaining chip would have made the intention a lot more clear. That said, I do still agree with the notion that Aphrodite was clearly backed into a corner here knowing fully well that her son was about to be unfairly punished for something that wasn't even being given a fair trial or route to defend himself. That's why I argue that Aphrodite is still a victim of coercion, even if she's the one who "offered first". It says more about Zeus that Aphrodite even felt the need to go that far in the first place IMO.

[scoobydoodean]

the thing about emma vs amy is they’re literally not comparable at all really!! one HAS KILLED PEOPLE WITHOUT REMORSE (arguably, it’s been a while since i’ve seen the episode) and the other… HAS NOT! a comparison i have never seen people make that is actually so much better, so much more interesting? emma and that dude in metamorphosis, the rugaru. both are supposedly “monsters” who will inevitably kill somebody and thus deserve to be killed as a preemptive measure (even though they haven’t actually hurt anybody yet), as argued by sam about emma and dean/the other hunter about the rugaru. the difference? DEAN DECIDES TO TRUST SAM AND TRY TO HELP THE DUDE. sam on the other hand disregards dean’s wishes and any possibility of emma making the right choice.

i’m convinced that the only reason people compare emma and amy is because “dean admits he was wrong to kill her” (which isn’t actually what he says but people don’t really care about the exacts). if they were to look at any other episode where the definition of monster is argued, they’d see that sam is usually on the side of “give them a chance” (and ftr dean is too almost all of the time) UNLESS it’s a “monster” associated with dean… why are sam’s morals different for these people? for emma?

sorry i know that’s a long rant, but every time i see the emma vs amy debates it boggles me that metamorphosis dude is never brought up too! also i hope this all makes sense haha

Emma and Amy aren't even remotely comparable. In any way. Emma and Amy's son who Dean didn't kill? Yep. They are directly comparable. But Amy and Emma? Get outta here! Jack Montgomery (Metamorphosis) and Jack Kline (two Jack's!) can both be interesting Emma parallels. Especially when comparing how desperate fans are to coddle Jack Kline from so much as experiencing a negative emotion when he's brainwashing people from the womb, bursting out of his mom's body like something out of Alien, and actively strangling innocent black store clerks to death.

Contrary to the belief of people who don't watch the show but are always making wide-sweeping claims about what happens in it, Sam and Dean have a long history of trying to protect "good" monsters (including from other hunters!) from 2.03 "Bloodlust" and onwards (2.03, 2.17, 4.04, 5.06, 6.02, 8.04, 12.04, 12.16). There's a weird disk horse that's opened up in the last several years that Sam and Dean are always indiscriminately killing monsters who don't deserve it all of the time because "supernatural power bad" and that just isn't true. Like. Actually look at the cases they go on? Sam and Dean kill murderers whose crimes are committed supernaturally which is going to allow them to get away with it and/or continue doing it. They don't kill people just because they're "different"—in fact, the entirety of season 2 is about not killing people just because they're different, or because of some alleged inescapable dark destiny.

I've spoken before about how "Bloodlust" is treated by fandom as an episode where Sam stands on some sort of moral high ground from the beginning about the existence of good monsters, but that isn't what actually happens in the episode. Sam ends the episode with zero remorse about any previous hunts John ever took them on while Dean thinks back and wonders if they hurt people who didn't deserve it at some point (no questionable hunts in season 1 FYI—and the majority of them are ghost-related).

The way that Sam can compartmentalize/let go of his past actions and move on is useful in their field of work, but in contrast with Dean's tendency to feel eaten alive by guilt, it often results in fandom disk horse where fans follow Sam's lead by compartmentalizing and burying and excusing his actions as if they never happened, while putting everything Dean does under a microscope because his visible guilt implicates him in the eyes of fans. Because Dean spends several episodes feeling bad after 7.03, he must have done something super duper bad and horrible and is the worst person alive, and Amy didn't deserve to die. But because Sam doesn't ever show a single shred of remorse after 7.13 and Dean doesn't ever talk about it again, Sam must have been in the right. It's actually bizarre when you think about it—Sam's lack of guilt ought to be chilling to fans, but instead, it's often used to absolve him of wrongdoing... and for all their flaws that everyone is always harping on, I do think Bucklemming intended Sam's actions and his attitude after to be chilling. They don't intend him to be seen as "in the right".

Dean buries what happens with Emma down deep, and it's obvious why. He can't take another hit like this in season 7. Not after Cas and Bobby. He buries it deep down like he buried Lisa and Ben deep down. In addition... if Dean wanted to bring Emma up, who the actual fuck would or could he have talked to about her? Bobby's dead. Cas is dead. The only person left in Dean's life is the person who killed his daughter, and Sam made it very clear that he didn't give a shit how Dean felt about her being dead. In fact, he lectured Dean for hesitating to kill his own biological child, and said she "wasn't really his". Then when Dean disputed that claim, Sam immediately called him crazy and acted like Dean's actions (trying to push a monster kid who hasn't hurt anyone off a terrible path) are out of character when they ARE NOT (2.03, ALL OF SEASON 2, 4.04, 5.06). Even 7.03 itself supports Dean's actions with Emma as in character, because the ACTUAL Emma analogue, Amy's son, is not killed by Dean. So yeah. Who the FUCK was Dean going to talk with this about? Given Sam's long and storied history of behaving as the thought police, if Dean had so much as looked too sad in his presence, Sam would have lit into him all over again, and what fucking good was that going to do?

And yeah teehee Sam doesn't want Dean to have too many friends. More than one often-dead close friend is too many.

[easybrainrot34]

✨Short lil random headcanons✨

Enjoy :)

Also, I can definitely see some of these headcanons having multiple characters to them, and I could always expand on those later.

Characters : Bokuto, Sakusa, Tendou, and Kageyama

Bokuto prefers a thick gal. Not in a “ya I’m so different I like thicc girls” and then it’s like some girl with a little thigh. No. This man likes the girls with roles, the ladies with stretch marks, the girlies that blow out the inside of their pants on the thigh and then gotta go get the iron on patches bc hey those r the good jeans that fit just right!! U can’t give up on those!! (maybe I’m speaking for personal experience…ANYWAY)

Sakusa has an addiction to sugar free redbull. He is convinced himself that sugar-free makes it not bad for you. He’s to the point where Meian yelled at him bc he almost dropped in practice and when they checked him, his pulse was sky high. Now he acts like a fucking alcoholic the way he is hiding that he is still drinking it. I mean like putting it in a travel mug and refusing to let anyone touch that shit.

Tendou is a true crime bitch. I mean he has a Netflix account solely for the true crime documentaries that come out. Don’t think he’s a creepy one tho, he will go into a 2 hour rant about how disgusting the true crime fans that excuse or even romanticize people who commit horrible crimes r disgusting. He just finds in interesting how these monsters could exist.

After high school Kageyama developed a lactose intolerance. Idk y I think this but it makes me laugh so hard to think about. With the way this man loves milk and then finds this out?? He is absolutely devastated 💀💀 but it’s ok! He ends up being able to, as he says, “coexist and tolerate” vanilla almond milk. He doesn’t care when it comes to food tho, he will suffer just to have pizza.

[cosmerelists]

Impressions I Got from Tumblr Before I Starting Reading Cosmere

I started reading the Cosmere books because of tumblr--people I followed suddenly started posting about it nonstop, and I was like, “Huh! This seems like a fun series.”

But I also got some...interesting impressions about what the stories and characters were like, based on the tumblr posts I was seeing. Here are a few things I remember thinking that I knew!

1. I thought that Kaladin was guarding a bridge.

I knew that a guy named Kaladin was part of something called Bridge 4, which was a group of men that everyone was really invested in. I just assumed that they were a company assigned to guard a bridge, and that they lived out there, and that it must be really remote and dangerous because it seemed like being a part of “Bridge 4″ was a death-sentence. 

I NEVER would have guessed what it actually was.

2. I was CONVINCED that Elend was not a main character.

I clearly remember saying to my wife, “I’ve seen posts about ALL of the main Mistborn characters but no one EVER talks about Elend. I’m pretty sure he’s not going to be a main character.” 

Going back to check the tag later, there are definitely plenty of Elend posts. I don’t know why I was so very convinced that he was a nobody, but let me tell you, I was BAFFLED that Elend just kept on being a character.

3. I thought that Dalinar was a war-crime-committing tyrant who was sexually harassing Navani...but that everyone liked him anyway.

Okay...let’s break this down. I remember seeing jovial posts about how Dalinar’s war crimes could not destroy people’s love for him. I also saw at least one post that talked about how Dalinar saw Navani as such a dangerously alluring and sexy woman even when she was just vibing. In my head, this meant that Dalinar was some kind of whiny tyrant who thought Navani was leading him on by existing while beautiful (what a jerk!), and that he also did war crimes but nobody cared. I assumed he was some sort of poor little meow meow.

I wasn’t totally wrong.

4. Someone named Adolin was a huge horse girl.

I saw that one a lot. This one was pretty accurate, although there wasn’t as much horse stuff with Adolin as I expected, based on tumblr. I thought he’d be, like, braiding his horse’s mane each and every morning or something.

5. I knew Kaladin as “classic fantasy hero whose dad still wishes he were a doctor instead, ha ha.”

I recognized Kaladin’s name immediately when I started reading the books, and I knew he was going to be the hero (honestly, there were more main characters than I expected; I thought it was just going to be Kaladin). And my impression of Kaladin based on tumblr was pretty accurate--it is true that Kaladin is a big damn hero whose dad still grumbles that he’s not a doctor instead. But my read on this was that it was, like, funny and not equal parts tragic (he actually wanted to be a doctor!) and frustrating (I want to slap Lirin whenever he starts monloguing about what a monster Kaladin is).

6. Everyone’s favorite character was some stick.

Oh man, I saw SO MANY Stick-related posts during that period. I was so hype for that stick to show up.

I was NOT disappointed.

[klaineccfanficlibrary]

Hey do you guys have any fics where Klaine are spies or like criminal master minds? Or separately maybe like a mafia story but where they BOTH come from mafia families? I don't know I'm in a bad ass klaine mood. Thanks!

Here's a list of various fics. ~Jen

Here is our mafia tag.

And of course this one!

A Mafia Romance by @yadivagirl [WIP]​

Blaine is the son of a powerful crime boss. He has no intentions of joining the family business, especially since he finally has a gorgeous boyfriend named Kurt, but everyone else has other ideas. When Kurt gets caught in the middle, Blaine’s true nature is unleashed. Like father, like son. Dark!Blaine. Features sex, violence, drug references, and heavy BDSM themes.

~~~~~

An Unrefuseable Offer by Aki and Tenshi

Mafia AU. Blaine is a jaded crime lord interested in Kurt, a singer at a speakeasy. Kurt is desperate to take care of his ill father. Blaine makes Kurt an offer, trade himself for Blaine’s money and influence to get Burt the best medical care. And then there’s Sebastian, who runs a rival mob. Angst, drama, and a dark, kinda romantic story

~~~~~

A Dangerous Game by dreamcatcher (darcangell23)

The year is 1924 and Blaine Anderson, son of the most notorious mafia boss in the east, has gone to his favorite speakeasy where he sees Kurt for the first time. It’s got to be love at first sight but falling for a mafia baby so a dangerous game to play. But is Kurt exactly who Blaine thinks he is? 

~~~~~

Spy fic:

Trigger Warning by @inkystars (on tumblr)

Blaine Anderson is one of the top international spies in the world, but is very insistant upon keeping his husband, Kurt Hummel, in the dark about that matter. Which ends up being a bit of a problem when Kurt is kidnapped

~~~~~

Criminal Klaine -

An Unwritten Life by GlassParade

An adaptation of the movie “The Brothers Bloom” – Blaine and Cooper are brothers and con artists, committing crimes worldwide with explosives expert Santana in tow. But Blaine wants out of the life, while Cooper wants to pull off one last con – and for his mark, he’s selected reclusive automotive heir Kurt Hummel. With Coop’s promise to finally let him go in hand, Blaine sets the hook and reels Kurt into a madcap global adventure in lies, violence, death…and love.

~~~~~~

An Honest Man by BlurglesmurfKlaine @jinglejavey

For nearly the past decade, Kurt Hummel and his best friend Rachel Berry have made their living swindling unsuspecting bachelors. Which proves to be pretty easy on his conscience, considering he doesn’t believe in love anymore. As they always say: “You can’t con an honest man... Good thing they don’t exist.” But their mark for their last con before they go their separate ways—Blaine Anderson—may just prove otherwise, and restore Kurt’s faith in love in the process.

~~~~~

FBI/criminal:

Catch Me If You Can by @afterthenovels

In the end, catching Kurt Hummel is definitely not what Blaine expected.

Special Agent Blaine Anderson catches con-man and art thief extraordinaire Kurt Hummel twice, and on the second time they strike a deal. They’re supposed to just solve white collar crimes together, but they might even end up solving each other in the process.

A White Collar AU.

Note: There are 9 more stories in this verse HERE.

~~~~~

In Spite of all the Darkness by wishesonfallenstars

When the bodies of teenage girls start appearing next to dumpsters over New York City, the NYPD calls in the FBI. Because Serial Killers are always stopped easier when there’s experienced back up on speed-dial, and with bodies starting to pile up, they need to move fast. (warnings inside)

~~~~~

Hidden in the Deep by LauGS @heartsmadeofbooks

Kurt Hummel’s only concern was getting the perfect role in the perfect Broadway show. But when one night he witnesses a real nightmare, Kurt’s focus shifts from saving his career to saving something much more important: his own life.

~~~~~

Mr Congeniality by ifinallyfoundsomeone

Miss. Congeniality!AU

Bomb threats are being sent to the newly made Mr. America pageant and FBI Agent Blaine Anderson has taken up the position of being an undercover agent to save the pageant. With some extreme grooming and guidance from his pageant consultant, Blaine infiltrates the world of Men’s pageants. Making some interesting friends, and maybe he even winning the heart of his slave driver pageant consultant, the gorgeous and fascinating, Kurt Hummel.

~~~~~

[bisexual-panic]

there are people already hating on Mobius’s possible wife (it seems like he has a family) because it once again stops their ship

i’m praying for the actor/actress that plays his partner because the fangirls were horrible to Sophia di Martino in s1 (even though she is the cutest person to ever exist)

i’m hoping that mobius has a partner and kids because he gives such a dad vibe and Loki and Sylvie are their aunt and uncle that show up sometimes and definitely teach the kids how to commit crimes but that’s just in my little fantasy

i want mobius to have a husband because it would make some lokius stans go mad (i say some because their definitely really sweet ones out there) as they would finally have to admit they don’t want representation they just want to straight white men two kiss

my theory though is that Ravonna and Mobius are married, at the end of s1 we see that she is working as a school teacher and Mobius seems to sell jet skis (of course he does) and that definitely could be a pairing

[unclewaynemunson]

Hello!

This post gives an overview of all my writing. All my fics are below the cut, and you can find my shorter ficlets & drabbles that I only posted on tumblr here :)

Normal things, baby! universe:

‘86, baby! (words: 58k) After they all survive Vecna (death? i don’t know her. and eddie definitely doesn’t either), everyone struggles with getting back to whatever “normal” is supposed to mean and new friendships are forged along the way, possibly even developing into something more eventually.

‘93, baby! (words: 2k) From Wayne’s POV, taking place 7 years after ‘86, baby! and reflecting on some of the moments from that fic, but also readable independently from ‘86, baby!

It’s Christmas, baby! (words: 5.5k) Four Christmas-themed oneshots that give some insight in the future after the events of ‘86, baby!

&Currently working on a Ronance-focused one taking place in the same universe :D

Fruity four fics:

Maybe if I was straight (words: 44k) AU based on the movie But I’m a Cheerleader, in which the fruity four meet each other because they end up in the same gay conversion therapy camp. Also, prepare for MANY supporting characters making appearances. And basically everyone is gay so that’s a bonus I guess.

The time of the year that you really need love (words: 14k) Christmas-themed fake-dating AU in which Steve and Robin, and Nancy and Eddie, pretend to be a couple.

Bee mine? (words: 5k) In which Steve and Robin are beekeepers, Eddie is a baker and Nancy a local journalist. The first chapter is all about Steddie and the second one about Ronance.

Steddie fics (mostly one-shots):

Friends don’t leave (words: 20k) In which Eddie leaves Hawkins, goes off the rails for a bit, and Steve continuously refuses to give up on him. (This was originally a one-shot so you can also only read the 1st chapter (words: 8k) if you prefer shorter fics)

It’s buzzcut season anyway (words: 2k) In which Steve finds out that Eddie’s hair is actually a wig.

The gayest chicken in Hawkins (words: 7k) In which a game of gay chicken between Steve and Eddie gets completely out of hand.

Beyond the yellow sweater (words: 3k) In which Eddie goes absolutely feral when he sees Mr. Harrington beating the shit out of Steve.

Basketball night (words: 1.5k) In which Steve is desperate to get Eddie's uncle to like him, and Eddie is just as desperate to get his uncle to like his boyfriend.

All I needed was the love you gave (words: 3,5k) In which Steve introduces Eddie to his parents.

Roses & Sunshine (words: 8k) In which Steve and Eddie meet at Hawkins’ community center. Eddie is there for guitar lessons, Steve for the daycare center. Misunderstandings ensue.

Not my type (words: 7k) In which Wayne meets Steve at a baseball match and wants to set him up with Eddie. Eddie is very much not into it.

Say you, say me (words: 3k) In which Steve and Eddie don’t quite have the same opinion about what Valentine’s Day is about.

The difference between a poem and a love letter (words: 5k) In which Eddie is a songwriter who likes to read poetry to find inspiration for new songs, and Steve a poet who finds his inspiration in music.

I will love your shadow (words: 3k) In which the bat-attack has left Eddie beyond repair and he has to come to terms with living with a stoma.

I’ll bring you flowers (in the pouring rain) (words: 7k) In which Eddie dates Steve without really believing he changed.

Until you face the rope (words: 5k) In which Eddie faces a trial for the crimes he didn’t commit.

Soul Mate (words: 1k) In which Steve and Eddie ponder what it means to get married and whether or not soulmates exist.

Ronance fics:

I’d kiss you if it wouldn’t kill me (words: 19k; inspired by Pushing Daisies but you don’t need to know anything about the show to read this) In which Nancy possesses the power to bring people back to life with a single touch. When Robin dies at the hands of Vecna, Nancy is there to save her. But there are some repercussions. The most important of them? If they ever touch again, Robin will die – and there will be no way back. After Vecna is defeated and Hawkins seems safe again, the two girls have to navigate what exactly this means for the bond they share.

Chamomile Christmas (words: 3k) In which Robin meets Nancy in a coffee shop on Christmas Eve.

The perfect girl for you (words: 9k) In which Wayne sets up Robin with Nancy, but things aren’t going as smoothly as Robin had hoped.

And suddenly we’re Thelma and Louise (words: 9k) In which Robin and Nancy make a roadtrip from Boston to Mexico, guided by a list of things Nancy feels like she missed out on during her college years.

The art of kissing a girl (That’s what friends are for, right?) (words: 4k) In which Nancy helps Robin prepare for a date with Vickie by giving her some kissing lessons.

Others:

I owe you nothing, I owe you my life (WIP) In which Eddie finds out that Karen Wheeler is his mother.

My life in the lines of your hand (words: 17k) In which the soft romance of my most beloved rarepair Wayne Munson and Scott Clarke gets explored through a series of defining moments for them.

[princelylove]

funny thoughts-- deadbeat dad jotaro realising jolyne fucking kidnapped someone.

honestly just goes for any of the jojo parents. imagine your joseph and you visit your daughter's house in japan n there's just a random dude??? there???

holly honestly would just enable it tbh. she'd be all "awwwwwww" while jotaro's being a mf creep as he is.

your ever humorous peon---

🌸 anon

Jotaro doesn’t really have a right to comment, there isn’t a world where that sort of behavior wasn’t normalized in his youth. But a kidnapping charge is an entirely different story- alright. Imagine you’re Jolyne. You kidnap your darling, everything is going well, and then you get caught. You go to prison. Your deadbeat father who you haven’t seen since you were a child comes to visit you, and instead of sympathy, he tells you everything you did wrong and what you have to do to do better next time. We’re fighting, old man. There’s no way around it. 

You know, Bruno kind of expected Narancia to snap one day. His abandonment issues are definitely something that needs to be worked on. But Pannacotta? He doesn’t even ask for seconds when he’s clearly starving, how is he going to hold an entire human being captive? Pannacotta had the courtesy to not hold you in his own house (Like Narancia would have done.) where it’s incredibly obvious that he has someone, sure, but Panna sleeps here! That’s such neglect, if you’re going to have a darling, sleep with them! Looks like Bruno will have to have a talk with him- or take over. 

Poor Tomoko’s heart nearly popped out of her chest when she found you. She almost hit you, too, but for now she’s just clutching her chest like her life depends on it. WHY IS THERE A WHOLE ASS PERSON IN MY SON’S ROOM?????? She doesn’t think Josuke’s the type to do that, so her default is “this person most definitely broke in.” 

Lisa Lisa is… disappointed, to say the least. Her son should absolutely be better at kidnapping someone than this. It’s like he listened to absolutely nothing she taught him. Not a single lesson. She gave him a written down list of things to do should he ever need to leave the country, and here he is! With an entire unwilling person!  Diavolo is as proud as he is ashamed of Trish for kidnapping someone. Her mere existence is a pain for him- and now she’s committing crimes, badly? At least be subtle about it. Don’t drag a body twice your size down the street or get the bodyguards assigned to you involved. Jesus Christ. At least she knew not to do it in broad daylight, and to buy essentials in cash… She takes after her father, just not in the good ways.

[angrylesbianstereotype]

What do you think about Skyler's and Walt's relationship dynamic when they first got together? It is so fascinating to me how much their dynamic must have changed over the years. Skyler got together with a significantly older man with a so far very promising career in chemistry. When they bought their house Walt is clearly still ambitious, driven and confident. Being the one in charge, leading and managing everything while her husband is checked out and going through life on autopilot is something I don't see a young Skyler wanting or expecting from her relationship with Walt.

Okay so!! I read a post awhile back that I cannot find now (pls somebody comment w the link if you find it) ab how the reason we all hate Walter’s gnarled old raisin guts even as we still find ourselves perfectly capable of and even eager to empathize with Gus and Mike, who have committed similarly heinous crimes, is bc Walter is a hypocrite who consistently screws over the people he claims to love and prioritize above all else, whereas Gus and Mike at least do right by the few people they allow into their inner circles. I think this is absolutely correct, but at least for me, this is only half of the reason I hate Walter. The other reason is that Walter doesn’t operate like a drug lord or a hitman in terms of evildoing, by which I mean; he operates like a domestic abuser or a sexual predator. Both Gus and Mike at points attribute their distaste for Walter to his “unprofessionalism” because while both of them attempt to at least maintain the facade of detachment largely preferred by the criminal underworld, Mike by (trying to) keep his personal life and the people in it completely removed from his criminal dealings, and Gus by channeling all of his capacity for emotion into a person who has already passed, Walter has no such reservations. The emotionality that supposedly divides him from the rest of the criminal underworld is ironically what makes him more evil than his mercenary counterparts, because it’s entirely a front and is in reality just him leeching off the emotions of others. Walter will not hesitate to get personal, Walter will not hesitate to bring up the existence of his family to a dangerous kingpin if it means he gets to play Manly Provider, Walter will not hesitate to groom a former student to be his personalized emotional punching bag. More so than any unfeeling pragmatist criminal, Walter has no scruples.

(Hasn’t even mentioned Skyler yet)

I don’t really have a problem with age gaps as a rule if it’s between two consenting adults over the age of 21 (my parents have an age gap similar to Skyler and Walt’s, they met when my mom was in her mid-twenties and my dad his mid-thirties) but if someone makes a habit of courting people younger than them, it’s typically indicative of a predatory nature, regardless of whether the younger parties are of age. Their partners don’t just happen to be younger than them; they are deliberately surrounding themselves with people they can exert power over more easily, people who are less established and will rely on them more financially and emotionally. And while I don’t think Skyler was ever as naïve as Jesse, I do think she took Walter’s persona of choice at face value much as Jesse did. Walter presented himself to her as an ambitious if mild-mannered chemistry genius (he was definitely more sure of himself as a young adult, but is implied to have always been something of a square), and if anything I think his nerdiness appealed to her because she equated academic intelligence with emotional intelligence, and in those early years, he gave her no reason not to. She thought he was a genius, but more importantly, she thought he was kind. She didn’t sign up for a complacent, preoccupied husband working on a teacher’s salary, just as she didn’t sign up for a son with cerebral palsy or being pregnant well into her late thirties. But at the beginning of the series, she’s stressed, yeah, but she’s also happy. And all the Reddit incels took that as her either relishing being the head of house or being indifferent to her husband’s unhappiness, but I think she attributed his passivity to contentment. Because her family was enough for her, Walt as he was was enough for her. And I think the real heartbreak stemmed not from realizing Walter wasn’t the man that she married; she knew that already. But from realizing that she and the life that they had built together weren’t enough for him.

[mystic-headcanons]

hi this is the same anon who just sent the message about the recent saeran fic and then a saeran request, i just saw your jumin autism headcanons, and I LOVE!!! i also have autism and you are right, autism recognize autism and jumin is autistic through and through <3 jumin with an autistic mc would be so cute, he’s so bad at taking care of himself despite how well functioning he seems so someone who understands would be so good for him!! hope you don’t mind the spam lol i just wanted to let you know your writing is appreciated :3

THANK YOU!!! i’m veeeery excited to write ur saeran request 🥰

also i’m using this to push more autistic jumin and mc hcs because i could talk for daaays about them <3

you and jumin can and HAVE talked for hours about special interests. he’ll often repeat the same fact a few times, but it’s so endearing and he is visibly excited when someone listens, so you never point it out.

if either of you collect anything, it’ll be proudly displayed on a shelf that you call the tism corner when jumin isn’t around (definitely not at all based on what my bestie does with me)

the absolute funniest miscommunications happen between you two

jumin is absolutely horrible at taking care of himself, but is really good at taking care of you. he'll forget to do basic self care with himself-- he can and has before gone a full day without eating because he just. forgot.

but when it comes to you, jumin is asking like every three hours if you ate. if you wanted a snack. if there are certain foods you wanted that day.

HATES even numbers. they "have bad vibes" according to jumin

he also hates big utensils for that reason

jumin has a daily routine that he meticulously follows. if it's disrupted, he gets this Look on his face like he's about to commit a crime

there exists, somewhere on his phone, a very shaky video of you vocally stimming. jumin is 100% sure if you ever found it he would probably get murdered

i feel the need to reiterate again that jumin has a personal vendetta against crushed velvet <3

jumin has THEEE best poker face. sometimes he'll fuck with you and you genuinely can't tell if he's serious or messing around

jumin has every single cat statistic memorized

jumin has and probably will again ruin a mood by voice a random thought and then the conversation will spiral until it's been two hours and both of you forgot what you'd originally wanted to do

[psychologeek]

Your defense of Israel murdering or displacing all the Palestinians is disgusting.

You defend the government’s actions over the whole course of its existence and deny is subjugation and occupation of Palestine.

Israel is a colonist nation. Regardless of who your ancestors are from thousands of years ago, you do not get to go to another country and forcefully expel its current population out of some inane sense of birthright.

I am African American. My ancestors were stolen from their homelands, sold to slavers, and shipped across the sea where then endured torture in every meaning of the word for generations. The African American community is still recovering.

But that in no way gives me the right to return to the African country of my ancestors and demand that whoever lives there (and has lived there for centuries) leaves and gives their land to me so I can make a new country. And I’m talking about a crime that happened only 300 years ago, not thousands.

The Israel government is currently committing war crimes at unprecedented levels in modern times. And their only goal is to expel all Palestinian from Gaza (and the West Bank). They don’t care about the hostages, they just want land.

October 7th does not exist in a vacuum. Even if it did it would not justify the thousands of children that have been murdered as a result. Over the course of 75 years of occupation Israel have murdered countless children and other innocents, all far before October 7th.

Antisemitism is an incredibly serious problem in the world. But antizionism is not antisemitism. What right do westerners, regardless of who their ancestors were and regardless of what they have been through, to forcefully claim an already occupied plot of land in the Middle East. The answer is none. If they do so they are colonizers. Just like if I were to forcefully claim land in Africa today I would be a colonizer.

Real nazis exist. White supremacist exist. And many of them actual support Israel because they recognize it as a facist state that kills brown people.

True antisemitism exists and it is being largely ignored so Zionists can attack Palestinians and other Arabs for refusing to give their own land to Western transplants.

You should reflect on the empathy you have for Israel soldiers and the lack of empathy you have for the Palestinian children (the nearly 10,000) who have been blown up, shot, and starved to death of the course of the last few months.

You justify their deaths at every corner and talk about the fear of violence you feel, but not the actual violence they endure.

You have the nerve to write about a complicated middle eastern child like Damian when if he were real, you would be justifying his murder at the hands of western fascists.

Anon,

first of all - I do have to thank u for taking it to my Tumblr instead of the comment section on ao3. I appreciate it.

For those interested - this is the fic anon refers to at the end of the comment, when saying "You have the nerve to write about a complicated middle eastern child like Damian"

TL;DR:

Me (literally was a Middle Eastern child who grew up to be a ME adult, and have a complicated family relationship)

me: writing "Hi, Intifada is actually a bad thing. Bombs are blind, you know" in my A/N of one of my fics.

Anon from the USA: HOW DARE YOU VIOLENT WHITE FACIST!!!!!

me: ?_?

*********

now for the actual reply!

1."Your defense of Israel murdering or displacing all the Palestinians is disgusting."

Where, exactly, did I say I support murder/displacement of people?

(And yes, I mean ANY people)

2. "You defend the government’s actions over the whole course of its existence"

Umm, what?

I definitely disagree with (many many MANY) things the government did. 'over the whole course of its existence' - wow. You really went on with it, huh?

3. "and deny is subjugation and occupation of Palestine."

"subjugation, occupation " - again, what?

And, how do you enslave a LAND?

That is a very interesting claim you're making here.

(Not to mention that, Palestine was the COLONIAL name of the reign. But who cares?)

4. "Israel is a colonist nation."

Do you know what "colonist" means?

I'll give you a hint - it requires having a country in a first place, and expending.

5. "Regardless of who your ancestors are from thousands of years ago"

No, but you see - it DOES matter.

That statement means that heritage doesn't matter. That 'homeland' has an expiring date.

A. Since many of those who consider themselves Palestinians today do it bc THEIR ancestors lived in the reign, it is a crucial thing. And an interesting claim.

B. Does it apply to other places as well? I mean, are you also against "land back" and independence for Puerto Rico (which is, btw, ANOTHER colonial name).

C. There have always been Jews in Israel. Judaism (which comes from "Judea" - you know, the old southern Jewish kingdom? in the Jerusalem area?

6. "you do not get to go to another country and forcefully expel its current population out of some inane sense of birthright."

I agree. I don't support any expel for anyone. I believe there's enough place for anyone that wants to live IN PEACE. About 20% of Israel's population are Arabs-Israelis. I had Muslim roommate in the past, and where I study, about 25% of my class are Muslims.

7. "I am African American. My ancestors were stolen from their homelands, sold to slavers, and shipped across the sea where then endured torture in every meaning of the word for generations."

Yes. So were my ancestors. (Guess who built the Collosum?) And my people are still being harrased and murdered.

7. "The African American community is still recovering."

So does the Jewish population worldwide.

8. "But that in no way gives me the right to return to the African country of my ancestors and demand that whoever lives there (and has lived there for centuries) leaves and gives their land to me so I can make a new country."

There is no demand for anyone to leave.

About the "lived here for centuries" claim :

In the first quarter of the 19th century, Israel population was about 250k (about 25% Jews.)

overall population according to year. origin mentioned.

Then, in 1948, the arab population in Israel was 1,237,000 (67%) and the Jewish population was 608,000 (33%).

for example, main cities population 1860-1946:

Jerusalem (over all, Jews, Muslims, Christians) ,Jaffa (over all, Jews, Muslims, Christians), Haifa (over all, Jews, Muslims, Christians)

Same origin also cites a lot of immigration (mostly from Egypt and Lebanon).

****

[So, you go by the right of conquer? as in "if you live there, then it's yours"? So, do you support the Jewish return to Hebron (Jewish community constantly, until 1929.) and Gaza (same)?]

Of course that you, as a single person, can't do that. May I remind you of decision 181 of the UN? about 2-state solution?

In fact, the first accords, the UN ones? said "we'll give 80% of the land to 70% of the population" (Arabs) "and 20% of the land to 30% of the population"

Jews said: ok!

Arabs said: umm. Nope. We want everything, or there'll be blood.

You can probably read about what happened to the Jews that were left in Gush Etzion and other off-border Jews after Israel declared independence.

[Why am I using the term "Arab" and not "Palestinian"? well, that's what they called themselves:]

Arab leaders like Auni Bey Abdul-Hadi told the Peel Commission in 1937: "There is no such country as 'Palestine'; 'Palestine' is a term the Zionists invented!" During the 1930s, anti-British and anti-Jewish riots were enflamed by the newly created "Arab Higher Committee,"( Arab - not Palestinian!) the central political organ of the Arab community of Mandate Palestine .In 1946, Arab historian Philip Hitti testified before the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry that "there is no such thing as Palestine in history.” In 1947, Arab leaders protesting the UN partition plan argued that Palestine was part of Syria and “politically, the Arabs of Palestine (were) not (an) independent separate … political entity.” In 1947, the UN proposed a "Jewish" State and an "Arab" (again, not Palestinian) State.

9. "And I’m talking about a crime that happened only 300 years ago, not thousands."

Yes. If you want to know why the Jewish population is/was suspicious about living under arab/muslim authorities, feel free to look up the Hebron massacre (and ethnic cleansing - the eareser of the Jewish people in 1929. Also the EC of the Jewish community in Gaza in 1929, several exiles before. Also massacre of Zfad 'what year?' - ALL OF THEM).

And that before mentioning the EC of jews from MENA countries - arab/Muslims countries (there's a nice song about it. Feel free to listen.)

10. "The Israeli government is currently committing war crimes at unprecedented levels in modern times."

Uhm.

The Holocaust? Buko Haram? Hamas? Iran-Balochistan? dam, SYRIA?? Hello?

Funny how EVERYTHING can, all of a sudden, become "the worst thing in modern history".

(There are, probably, war crimes going on. Which is terrible, and should NOT happen, and there's a lot of ppl in Israel calling against it. But just bc you don't like something, or bc it's bad, doesn't mean it's a war crime.)

11. "And their only goal is to expel all Palestinian from Gaza (and the West Bank)."

No, hun. I'm sorry you fell for the propaganda.

Their goal is to return the quiet to the area. Since, you know, we STILL HAVE MISSILES FIRED AT CIVILIAN AREAS as had been in the 20+ last years. Not to mention terror attacks (hi, remember the 07/10?) And THE KIDNAPPED PEOPLE, MOSTLY CIVILIANS.

(Which is a WAR CRIME, btw. In relation to no.10).

12. "They don’t care about the hostages,"

I'm sorry, what?

Right. You say it as... someone who never been in Israel, and get news from Al Jazeera (funded by the same ppl who fund Hamas), I guess.

(Literally some of those who currently fight has family and friends that were kidnapped.)

Though, about the government - idk. I honestly lost any try to understand what the current PM trying to do.

13. "they just want land."

Of course. Which is EXACTLY why Israel has tried to make peace agreements 5 times before, willing to give away land. EXACTLY why Israel had exiled every last jew from Gaza Strip in 2005, during the disengagement. Exactly why, during the peace agreements with Egypt, Israel gave away Sinai (which is about the size of the rest of Israel.)

14. "October 7th does not exist in a vacuum."

Love this comment. Such a great idea.

I bet you'd say the same thing about Floyd, won't you?

I mean, it didn't happen in a VACCUM. That officer felt threatened and I'm sure he was very sad afterwards.🥺🥺

15. "Even if it did it would not justify the thousands of children that have been murdered as a result."

aaaannd we reach the part of PROPAGANDA. I'll be honest, I'm tired of it.

I'll only say - according to international law, and the laws of war (LoW), hiding in civil population is a WAR CRIME. So is using child soldiers, hiding HQ and ammunition under hospitals, religious places, schools, and kindergartens.

16. "Over the course of 75 years of occupation Israel have murdered countless children and other innocents, all far before October 7th.

check your resources about: 75 years. "murder countless children"

Antisemitism is an incredibly serious problem in the world. But antizionism is not antisemitism. What right do Westerners, regardless of who their ancestors were and regardless of what they have been through, to forcefully claim an already occupied plot of land in the Middle East. The answer is none. If they do so they are colonizers. Just like if I were to forcefully claim land in Africa today I would be a colonizer. Real nazis exist. White supremacist exist."

Love that you claim me to be westerner and\or white, as I'm neither. Go back to no.8. Jews ALWAYS lived here. wanting a state, when *all countries in the area started becoming their own countries* isn't the problem. Claiming that only THAT country has no right to exist - yes, it is antisemitic, sorry. Or are you also against Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, etc. as their own countries?

Also - not forcefully. UN decision.

"Real nazis exist. White supremacist exist." - funny how they BOTH agree that Israel is bad. Almost like they have 1 thing in common

(Hint: this isn't a strong urge for world peace)

"And many of them actually support Israel because they recognize it as a facist state that kills brown people."

- Dog whistle!

"Jews are white killing brown ppl" + "jews are the REAL nazis"

"True antisemitism exists and it is being largely ignored so Zionists can attack Palestinians and other Arabs for refusing to give their own land to Western transplants."

"Jews are white colonisers that came to kill all the nice PoC who lived peacefully!

"You should reflect on the empathy you have for Israel soldiers and the lack of empathy you have for the Palestinian children (the nearly 10,000) who have been blown up, shot, and starved to death of the course of the last few months."

- you don't care about the kids!!!!

(Israelis are soldiers and murderous, VS. the Palestinians who are all innocent kids who did nothing.) don't care about the Israeli ones).

"You justify their deaths at every corner and talk about the fear of violence you feel, but not the actual violence they endure."

- YOU ARE VIOLENT! How dare you say you want ACTUAL peace, one that includes NO ONE being targeted by missiles??

[Can you, in your OWN WORDS, say what are "Nazism", "Facism", and "Zionism"? bc one of those isn't like the others.]

"You have the nerve to write about a complicated middle eastern child like Damian when if he were real, you would be justifying his murder at the hands of western fascists."

- Wow. How dare I, a Middle Eastern who grew up in a complicated family, write about a Middle Eastern child who grew up in a complicated area and complicated family situation?

really, SHAME on me!

But sure-

The problem is that I write about Damian, a FICTIONAL CHARACTER, and not that actual, real life, ppl suffer.

The problem is that I dare say "Yo, ppl, calling for Intifada, aka TERROR ATTACKS (that killed EVERYONE - Jews, Muslims, Christians, etc.) is bad and violent. Of course. No matter that rise in violence is destructive and harmful to EVERYONE.

I see you came here through my fanfic. Fanfic that part of it was trying to get more comfortable with my grandma's old culture and language. And the other part was about educating myself more about religion I'm not familiar enough with, and reminding myself that people are people. (Hoping that knowing and understanding would help me coup with my own personal prejudice and trauma, as I keep seeing the faces of the dead I knew and keep dreaming about the baby from the terror attack when I was a kid and keep feeling the ground shaking, even though I'm no longer a child in an unprotected area when all I could do was lay on the ground and pray the missiles won't fall near me)

Let me ask you something -

I was born in Israel, and so did my parents, and so did THEIR parents (except for a grandma who immigrated as a toddler from Yemen. Yes, that country that just exiled the last Jewish family in 2022, current Jewish population: 1. That Yemen.)

And it seems like you have never even been to this continent. Never had to run to shelter. Doesn't have baby photos with gas masks, or know how to find the "as protected as possible" area (since not every place has a shelter) -

so you, a random anon, who doesn't really know anything about an ongoing war\conflict that affects many lives, come and criticise me for calling for no more violence.

Let me ask you something -

What gives you the right?

[feral-mouse]

So sorry for not getting to this sooner 😭. I'm not going to be answering all of the questions yet, but I did wanna still tackle some of the ones that won't be too much of a spoiler. I did appreciate the questions tho and honestly had a great time answering these 😊

I'm going to put the ones I've answered under the cut

What is he planning on doing after with the player in the endings that he keeps them? Has he kept other captives before? How does he treat his captives?

Honestly, I don’t even think Sable knows pdsjfsp. It was really a decision he made on a whim. The player was just too irresistible! He couldn’t just leave them there! MC is the first captive he’s ever taken, so he’s not particularly prepared to keep them, but he’s gonna try 👀💦 spdfjs

He’s honestly going to do his best to keep MC comfortable. You know, besides the whole “keeping their hands tied behind their back the entire time” thing lol. He’s definitely gonna have to buy some more things once the MC gets settled in, as well as a collar so MC doesn't have to be tied up in ropes the whole time. I can see him showering them with gifts. He’s gonna dress them up in so many cutesy outfits and bury them with plushes and blankets. And then sometimes, he will honestly mess with the MC and like, have the urge to torture them a bit just to see them squirm and squeal- but it’s fiiiiiine, they’re fiiiiine. They’re happy :)

What does his social circle look like? What people does he gravitate towards?

Sable doesn’t have any close friends, especially since he lives pretty out in the woods. That’s not going to stop him from venturing out into the city though. He NEEDS social interaction. He absolutely loves talking to new people and tends to gravitate towards people who are sociable like himself. That won’t stop him from talking to other people who are more shy, but generally he’s hanging out with the loudest people in the room.

Has he dated others before? What was/is he like in a relationship?

He has not dated anyone before, but if he was in a relationship, he would be extremely doting and protective. He is treating his partner like his best friend and like royalty. He is going to make sure that they are happy and comfy, even if he has to commit some crimes to do so. Lots of physical affection, loves to spend time with them. Wherever they go, he’s coming with (unless his partner tells him not to follow them, in which case he may just watch them from afar). He’s practically clinging to his partner 24/7.

Does he have obsessive or possessive tendencies and how strong are these traits?

Oh, he is super obsessive and possessive. He would definitely get jealous easily if MC interacts with anyone else other than him. He’ll try to control himself and behave so he doesn’t cause a scene, but if anyone hurts MC? 😬

When he deems someone as his, they are his. They would mean the world to him, and he would want to spend every moment with them. He’d definitely follow them around, and when/if he’s not near them, he is thinking about them, maybe clinging onto an old shirt they wore or hugging their pillow, breathing in their scent. If he could, he would love to just keep them all wrapped up in blankets in his home, but he understands that people need to go outside and that it’s good for their mental health, even if he’d rather not let them go outside lol.

Are animal-human hybrids common in his world or rare?

In my universe, beastkins aren’t necessarily rare, but they’re not too common either. To regular humans, magic and the supernatural don’t exist, including monsters and animal-human hybrids. The general consensus in the magic world is that you should hide these things from the general public, otherwise all hell will break loose. Sable is aware that he’s supposed to be hiding his ears and tail, but he could care less about that and thinks it’s a hassle.

What's his spice tolerance like and is he scared by dolls?

His spice tolerance is honestly right in the middle of the scale. He can definitely handle some spice, and does honestly enjoy spicy foods, but if something is too spicy for him, he is having a huge reaction lol. He’ll go back and forth between “no, that is too spicy, I can’t” and “well…. maybe just another bite-”. Even though he knows that his spice tolerance obviously isn’t the best, that’s not going to stop him from trying out spicier foods.

Dolls don’t scare him either, he thinks they’re pretty and cute 😊

[givemeanaccountalready]

Points of Origin & Paths to Take (Part 3)

1 / 2 / 3

This ‘series’ of posts isn’t dead. I’m just dragging my feet to see what second trial verdict Amane gets (and because of life stuff). I’m already going to be guessing for Mikoto and Kotoko. I’d like for Amane’s to be more solid. She deserves it.

Content warning for brain death, death of a loved one, and suicide.

Shidou & Mahiru: the Absence of Knowledge

Which will you choose / to deceive or be the deceiver?

I don’t just want to give / both giving and receiving are good things

Personally, these two intrigue me, but they don't ensnare me the way Haruka, Yuno, and Fuuta do. They were actually the pair whose 'absence of' was determined last, because I couldn't find the right word to describe what caused both their murders. Ultimately, I decided on the absence of knowledge.

My friend (the one who introduced my feral self to this fandom) and I actually disagree on Shidou’s crime. And I’m open to any disagreements on what I’m saying, particularly this one, because the absence of knowledge being the cause is kind of weak compared to the first two installments of this series. She thinks that Shidou is a lying liar who lies similar to Kazui, and that he killed patients to feed his God complex. Personally, I think he has more of a savior complex than a God one, and that he only considers himself a killer because taking his wife off of life support made him realize what he had asked all of those families of brain-dead patients to do. Had his wife (or sons) never been injured to the point of brain death where pulling the plug became a conversation he received rather than gave, Shidou wouldn’t have come to this conclusion. As in, Shidou literally didn’t know any better and when he experienced the same situation that his patients’ families were in, the man was crushed from guilt born of his newfound empathy. This theory sprouted from what Shidou said during his second voice drama and from the glitched line from the Trial One trailer:

“Not dead… Yeah, she’s definitely not dead… I finally understand what I’ve been robbing people of…”

I think that his insistence that he’s evil comes from his desire to die (and presumably to reunite with his late family), instead of him committing malicious medical malpractice. I’ve done some poking around and brain death isn’t something that can be healed. It’s beyond a severe brain injury; it’s when all brain function permanently ceases to exist and there isn’t a chance of the person breathing on their own, much less regaining consciousness. However, brain death can be misdiagnosed, even if the physician checks the entire brain. With this information, and I think that Shidou’s dedication to the Flower Person (probably his wife) from “Throw Down” is supposed to represent his devotion to proving that his wife wasn’t brain dead without a shadow of doubt, which may (probably) not be what he did for the patients in his care. Or that he probably pushed her up the line for experimental surgeries to try and revive her. Again, probably not what he did with his patients. It's possible that once his wife either succumbed to her injuries or he did take her off life support (symbolized by the Flower Person falling apart in “Throw Down”), he then fully realized why the families of his brain-dead patients hesitated to do the same and that's when he dubbed himself a murderer. You would think, Shidou’s glitchy line from the Trial Two trailer would dissuade me from ‘local man experiences empathy for the first time’ theory versus ‘manipulative serial killer’ one, but uhhhhhh yeah, let’s look at it:

“Hurry up and die already.”

I have a separate theory that involves that the Trial One trailer are the lines spoken AFTER the prisoners realize what they have done while Trial Two comes at the point of no turning back, when the prisoners doom themselves to committing their murders. Now, if I’m right… good for me, that adds credence to my belief that not only did Shidou have shit bedside manner, but also that he wasn’t doing everything he could to save his patients once he considered them beyond the point of no return. “Hurry up and die,” could have been said to a patient that was wavering between the brain death diagnosis criteria and he’s displaying his frustration with his inability to save someone else by being a callous dick, or maybe it’s his wife that he’s talking to since she’s the one kicking off his journey to empathy, and he’s asking her to die so he doesn’t have to feel the guilt of pulling the plug.

I would love for Shidou’s third video to show what exactly he meant when he said he was doing experiments in the name of science. He’s a relatively young doctor. I don’t think the hospital was letting him reenact Frankenstein. And not to sound flippant, but I think we’re probably going to see his family die in the third video. If the pomegranate/toe tag given to the older son in “Triage” means anything, it most likely will be a failed organ transplant. Maybe that son died on the operating table during a surgery Shidou pushed for. I think that Shidou, with his newfound empathy, will never forgive himself for pulling the plug on his wife and encouraging the families of past patients to do the same. I almost want to give him a Guilty verdict for the third trial, because I don’t think he’ll even heal unless he gets the rebuke he’s searching for. A little self-flagellation for the soul…

As for Mahiru, what does loving have to do with knowledge? By her own admission, she is a sheltered girl, and it wasn’t until the second music video that we got to see her boyfriend and, more importantly, how he ‘handled’ her love. Where Shidou lacked the emotional know-how to give him perspective, Mahiru lacked the practical experience to give her perspective.

I’m split between if this was supposed to be a suicide pact and Mahiru couldn’t go through with it or Mahiru, miss ‘I’ll pick up smoking if my love smokes’, encouraged and/or enabled the self-destructive habits of her boyfriend until he killed himself. Of these two prisoners, Shidou was found innocent while Mahiru was found guilty. Shidou seemed to have a crisis until caring for Kotoko’s victims gave him purpose (he seems to need to find the meaning in things in order to understand them but can’t see past his own biases). Mahiru, on the other hand, has a crisis of faith but ultimately resolves during her second voice drama that a life without love is not worth living.

I think that through all her denial, Mahiru knows she is at fault for her boyfriend’s suicide. In “This is how to Be in Love with You,” we see snapshots focused on Mahiru and what she thought of their relationship (her perspective only). Ignoring the lyrics, her song is a bop and a half and the video is fun and happy. Looking at the lyrics reminds me of what I felt when I read the lyrics to "Pumped Up Kicks” for the first time: concern. Her idea of love isn’t healthy or sustainable, contradicting her initial insistence that it was true and right. We don’t even see her boyfriend until Day 12 or so, and it’s his hand. In “I Love You”, we see him. He doesn’t have a name, but we now have a face to her victim. It’s harder to ignore the fact that her love killed somebody because now we see the effect of it.

The lyrics of her second song definitely have more bite to them compared to her first song. I do love the bridge in “I Love You”:

“Saying I love you, but doing what I did / I know I have no right, crossed and covered in sin / My love it scored an own goal, destroyed my love and me with its weight / Tell me, oh tell me, can’t I just do it right?”

I think this is the bridge. Whatever it is, the beat is great and the lyrics hit in terms of character development. And while I’m upset that Mahiru is in a lot of emotional pain over her verdict, I do think it was necessary. Her idea of what love is needed to be challenged which is what the guilty verdict did. Being in love isn’t just something that Mahiru desires (since her love misadventure is documented in a fashion magazine of a music video in “This is How to Be in Love with You” from her POV only), but something that affects her and another person. We see her boyfriend turn from healthy to gaunt in the blink of an eye. He fed her cake, and when she thinks she is returning the favor with a bigger slice of cake, it turns out that she’s feeding him rats. She now acknowledges that the love they shared wasn’t healthy, and while it was possible that she could have come around to this idea with an Innocent verdict in Trial One, I don’t think we would have seen the flashes of her skeletal boyfriend before the carousel stopped in her second trial music video. I think we would have only gotten an image of his healthy self until the very end when their unhealthy cycle stopped for good with his suicide.

In “This is How to Be in Love with You” Mahiru is in a bird cage when she isn’t in a magazine article. We get to see her clutch the bars of her cage and then turn away (confronting the idea that she could be wrong and then dismissing it). In “I Love You” Mahiru and her boyfriend are on a carousel when they’re not traipsing through the woods or snuggling on the couch in the ruined bird cage (Guilty verdict destroyed that schema). Mahiru’s insistence that it was just normal love falls apart as her shoujo filter flickers out and we see the reality of things. Hence, the cake turned rat image burned into the audience’s mind.

First, we saw Mahiru stuck in her own ideas (the birdcage), and then we saw her deal with the reality of what she has done (the shoujo filter dies and we see the carousel stop despite the best efforts to keep them going), so I think her third trial video is going to involve her moving around a lot as she heals up from her injuries and first trial verdict. She’s not going to get stuck in a mental cage or loop. At least… I’m hoping that she gets to develop the idea that she was wrong but she can get better and heal.

Just to sum things up, Shidou and Mahiru both seemed to have learned from Trial One, although this is more obvious in Mahiru. Their videos are almost guaranteed to get more explicit (or fill in gaps) in the next trial.

Shidou’s death wish is definitely returning come Trial Three. Looking through the lyrics of “Triage”, he is only fine with an Innocent verdict because his medical skills are needed. The end of the third trial means that his work isn’t needed anymore, so he most likely is going to argue again with Es for a Guilty verdict and the death penalty. Flowers are probably going to be in his third music video because they have during the first two, and I wonder if rotten fruit will make an appearance again. Shidou does seem to comprehend the gravity of what he did when he asked his patients’ families to take them off life support. Hopefully, his video will show that. That or prove he’s an unrepentant serial killer.

As for Mahiru, I’m curious as to what imagery she’ll have. Her first music video has a magazine and bird cage imagery. The second has her with her boyfriend in the forest and the ruined bird cage living room and a carousel. I want to say, now that she’ll probably step out of the cage or get off the carousel and then walk some kind of path as she takes us through what she did to drive (or, at least help push) her boyfriend over the edge. Maybe it will have a photo album motif? She could close the ‘book’ and set it down, showing that she realizes what she has done.

4 / 5