#i just need the knowledge base before i make any other judgements

[autistic-shaiapouf]

Mystery bugs in my home and I don't recognize them! I've seen a few around at this point and might make a more formal post about it tomorrow but, mystery bugs below the cut if anyone wants to take a shot at helping me ID them:

Not the best pics but it's got an abdomen with clear markings that make me think either roach or earwig, but photos of the nymphs of either don't seem to be matching up; granted I only looked for maybe 5 minutes and mightve missed something obvious but this guy's not ringing any bells for me

[blazefirefox]

BEHOLD, MORE ENA OCS

I was rewatching the Dream BBQ announcement trailer when I noticed one of the spinning ENAs had the exact same colors as ThEna, just swapped, so I got the idea of making ENA OCs based on the other ENAs seen.

Here are my first three, the spooky siblings (based on color scheme), Enette, Enalise, and RegEna (left to right). I created GEna to complete the trifecta lol

Individuals + their "serial numbers"

Extra Info:

This group of sibs work with the ENA seen in Dream BBQ, under Froggy. They're pretty much the closest things she has to friends in her workplace, and they enjoy her company (GEna doesn't show it much tho)

Enatte (ENA-8532-01):

Orange - Efficient; the oldest ENA of any batch is expected to excel and be an example for their sibs, but this was driven into 01 more, as her batch was the first completely functional trio of ENAs that were created for a while. Unlike her sisters, 01 fully enjoys her job, even respecting Froggy a great amount. Her voice headcannon is Ben Balmaceda (specifically Kaveh from Genshin Impact, mostly just Ben himself).

Saffron - Mischievous; after years of conditioning to be a golden example for all Worker ENAs, her desires to be free and do what she enjoys culminated in her troublemaker side, which 01 does a good job repressing until she's off from work. The most important thing her siblings know about this side is that she usually goes along with what shenanigans they do. Her voice headcannon is Brianna Knickerbocker (specifically Hu Tao from Genshin Impact).

RegEna [GEna] (ENA-8532-02)

Purple - Haughty; she loves her older sister, she really does. But 02 hates how seriously she expects them to take this stupid job. Before they matured, 02 was known for her mean streak, often taking out her frustrations of the world on younger ENAs that were unfortunate to come her way. It wasn't until she accidentally hurt her younger sister that she started calming down. Now, she just a normal asshole. Her voice headcannon is Ryan Sean O’Donohue (specifically Demyx from Kingdom Hearts).

Orange - Guilty; when the sibs were assigned to work under Froggy, 02's siblings noticed that her other side became more downcast and self-deprecating, bursting into tears and continually apologizing for how she acts when her dominant side is in control, especially to 03. The youngest ENA in question does not know how to feel about this. Her voice headcannon is Erica Mendez (specifically White Lily Cookie from Cookie Run: Kingdom).

Enalise [Lisa] (ENA-8532-03)

Saffron - Thoughtful; unlike her older sisters, who either love or detest their job, 03 usually doesn't pay any mind to it, and does an average job. She actually is drawn to the oddness of the world around her, what secrets they hold, why things work like they do. She can't help but feel envious of Scholar ENAs since they have the access and knowledge 03 so desperately wants. Her voice headcannon is Khoi Dao (specifically Albedo from Genshin Impact).

Purple - Judgemental; experiencing 02's behavior before their full maturity shaped 03's annoyance into a need to reprimand everything she does and to communicate what 02's problem is in her own way, thus her snappy, but kind of well-meaning side. 03 is less shameful of this side than others think she should be, as the youngest ENA believes that "she was made the way she was, and she's going to let what emotions slip through happen." Her voice headcannon is Brittney Karbowski (specifically Mio from Ghost Stories Dub).

Next is Enaline, based on the ENA in the second picture on the right!

Alt. Outfit + her old Worker look

Extra Info:

Created as a Worker ENA, Enaline would become a Runaway after her other sibs went "missing under mysterious circumstances" and she "saw something she shouldn't have", as she puts it. Not much is known about her past other than this, as she soon becomes unresponsive after giving up too much information. She's mostly seen hanging out in the Karaoke Bar AthEna (ThEna) works at, and is very social, depending on which side is dominant.

Enaline (ENA-7450-03)

Sky Blue - Carefree; after experiencing The Horrors™, Enaline decides that she won't let her past and regrets tie her down, so she up and leaves the Sector she grew up in and ended up settling in the area overseen by The Clown. She is very jovial in this state, being more of an 'act first think about the consequences later' kind of ENA. Her voice headcannon is Kieran Regan (specifically Shikanoin Heizou from Genshin Impact).

Salmon - Existential; despite her attempts, Enaline can never fully leave behind the cause of her upturned life, and when she thinks about that, she becomes unpleasant (at least that's what she thinks). The former Worker feels a constant dread tugging at her in this state, something she can't remedy no matter what she does. All Enaline can do is not think about all of that while she's Carefree, and everything will be fine! Her voice headcannon is Monica Rial (specifically Momoko Koigakubo from Ghost Stories Dub).

@anniewuubelike 👀👀👀

[luxlightly]

Reading comprehension and literary analysis 101: Interpretation vs Intent vs Readings

So, after making my post about the two headed calf poem, there's been pretty extensive argument in the notes about whether or not "all interpretations are valid". The main issue causing the argument is that what we're taught (at least in the American school system, which is what I have the most knowledge of) about "interpretations" is extremely lacking if not outright false. Here, I'm going to break down what an interpretation is and how it differs from author intent, opinion, and "readings".

The first and most important thing to remember about discussion of basically any field of study is that it is meant to have a use. We learn things in the American school system to answer questions on tests, not to utilize the knowledge.

It's a bit like learning how to hold a screwdriver but never being explained that you can use it to tighten screws. You use tools for a purpose, be they physical tools or intellectual. Sure, you could use a screwdriver to hammer in a nail, but it's not going to be as effective and may even hinder your progress.

Literary analysis is also a tool. We use it to extract meaning from works and to expand our understanding of topics, of other people, of ourselves, and of the world around us. An analysis that gives a false impression of these things is, like the screwdriver being used as a hammer, not helpful and even actively hindering.

Understanding that, we should understand these facets of literary analysis, using the short example story.

"Steve eats 10 apples every day. Bob hates Steve."

1: The text

This is the exact words as they appear. Many times, the only thing we are presented with when we read a piece of literature is the text itself. This can limit our understanding significantly.

2: Context

The physical, cultural, emotional, and historical circumstances in which the work was written

3: Intent

What the author, at the time of writing, intended for the audience to understand the piece to mean

4: Interpretation

A deduction about what the piece means, what can be gathered from it, and what significance it has, based on evidence from the text.

5: Reading

A reading is an interpretation of the text through a certain cultural lens (ie: a queer reading, a feminist reading).

6: Opinion

A purely subjective judgement of the quality of a work based on individual preference

So the text of our piece is "Steve eats 10 apples every day. Bob hates Steve."

From only that, we can make any number of interpretations, supported in varying degrees by the text.

Interpretation 1: "Bob doesn't like that Steve eats so many apples." While the text does not directly tell us that Steve's enjoyment of apples is related to Bob's dislike, it's a reasonable jump of logic to make since his eating of apples is mentioned just before the statement about Bob's dislike for him.

Interpretation 2: "Bob hates apples". This is more of a jump from the text than the first, but could still be defended. We know Bob hates Steve and we know Steve eats apples. It could be argued that it's the apples Bob really hates.

Interpretation 3: "Bob likes oranges". This interpretation isn't supported by the text at all. It doesn't help us better understand the text. As a tool, it serves no purpose. Is it "valid" in the sense that you're allowed to believe it's true? Sure. But it doesn't function as the tool it's intended to be and therefore isn't useful to discussion of the piece.

Which brings us to Context.

Let's say this piece was written during the Great Apple Famine where only the very richest people could afford apples and we know the author grew up very poor during this period of time.

This changes how we understand the piece. It would be understood instantly by those reading the piece at the time of writing that Steve must be very rich to afford so many apples. It would not have needed to be stated outright in the text because the context in which it was written was the same in which it was being read.

Knowing that now, it changes what our interpretations may be. Bob may hate Steve because he is wealthy. Bob may hate Steve because he is jealous of his wealth or of the apples themselves. It could be a statement on greed. Or it could still just be about apples. But our toolbox for understanding and gaining meaning from the work has expanded significantly.

Intent:

We rarely get to know exactly what an author's intent for a work is, especially an older work where the author is no longer alive. Many interpretations, therefore, are attempts to understand the author's intent. However, they don't need to be and, in fact, can often be more useful when they are not.

For example, there's an interesting message in our example story about how the excessive displays of wealth of the rich leads to resentment from the less wealthy and how scarcity is a constructed state. These interesting interpretations help us better understand the world and other people.

But let's consider, then, that, shockingly, the author's actual intended message was "Bob likes oranges", something we've established is not evident in the text or particularly useful to discussion of the work. The author is just not good at writing.

In this case, we actually come away with something more meaningful and useful to us when we do not focus on the author's intent. Intent gives us more context for the piece, but is not the end goal of literary discussion.

A reading often entirely and purposefully discards author intent and instead identifies and recontextualizes the text through a specific lens.

For example, let's do a quick religious reading of the text.

"Apples are symbols of original sin in the Christian Bible. We can therefore read Steve as representing one who frequently engages in sinful activity and Bob as being distainful of him for his sinfulness."

It's important to remember that readings like this often are fully aware they are not the intended original meaning of the work. They're just another tool. For example, this reading might help us understand how, even without meaning to, the author may associate apples with sin or negativity. What does that say about the use of that symbolism in our society and how inescapable it is? Or maybe it wouldn't help with that. But the point is that, whether or not it succeeds, it's a tool for better understanding or world and the people in it.

As for opinions, they can't be wrong or right because they are subjective. They aren't judged on any real metric. They can be somewhat helpful in judging a work but ultimately are just a personal feeling. They, unlike interpretation and readings, are not tools for understanding.

So what does this all mean in relation to the two headed cow poem?

If the author's intent is to show how life is precious, even if it's fleeting, does interpreting it as "mankind is cruel to things that are different" really help us in understanding the work and the world around us? If the interpretation contradicts the intent so completely that it's entirely lost, then this new message is what we have to judge and does "mankind is cruel" really tell us anything true about the world or the piece? Or is it just needless pessimism? What does "valid" even mean or matter in the context of literary analysis?

At some point, certain interpretations become counter productive to discussion of the piece. No one can stop you from interpreting something a certain way, but at some point you're using a screwdriver as a hammer and you're just putting holes in the wall.

[vitaminseetarot]

PAC: Lunar Eclipse - General Messages

Sup y'all, I'm back for the second round of my PAC marathon happening before the end of October! I wanted to pull some guidance from this lunar eclipse season, especially since it's felt very energetically heavy since the last full moon. All three piles are going through some stage of great transformation taking place -- just in time for Scorpio season.

To assist me, I've consulted three red dragons, known in the deck as Watcher dragons, to help you choose your reading. I like Universal Dragon oracle as an "energy" deck by embodying the traits each dragon represents through meditation practice, and these red dragons specialize in guiding through important life transitions. If you prefer to choose intuitively by color, I've also added three gemstones for your piles below:

Pile 1, Knowledge Dragon + Cherry Quartz Pile 2, Awakening Dragon + Lepidolite Pile 3, Emergence Dragon + Lapis Lazuli

Pile 1: Knowledge Dragon + Cherry Quartz

Supermoon, 21. Venus, 5. Heart Healing, Alcalb: Poison and Medicine, 4 of Cups, 2 of Wands, VI Lovers, King of Pentacles, XX Judgement

Please be gentle with yourself at this time, pile 1. You're in need of a soothing kind of support. This could be a turbulent time to deal with purging out any negativity from your past. You may get reminders of some old issues which return out of nowhere to grab your attention. Even if occasional, you may need to remind yourself that you will be okay.

Be open with giving yourself comfort, or letting others baby you a little bit when you're feeling down. The King of Pentacles could be you or someone else, but this is the profile of somebody who is generous and aims to please. Embodying Venusian energy, this King wants you to feel at rest and does not mind offering tasty fruit or a warm blanket to cheer you up. Sitting next to the Four of Cups, it may be emphasizing that you need to allow yourself the chance to receive this care.

If your issue is related to a partnership, going out and spending time with friends or even on your own may be a better way to take it easy, instead of trying to work out anything now. This is not the exact time or place to be settling out bigger issues in your relationships unless it's urgent. They'll show up on their own time anyway. This reading wants to focus on maintaining your emotional well being. If this is not relationship but involves a situation in the present, then step away as much as you can and be as kind and patient with yourself as possible.

The key here is to maintain self awareness when these strong emotions move through you, that's what the Knowledge dragon wants you to know. "Knowing is half the battle." There may be a strong pull to making the kind of choices that can lead to major growth in your life path, but although new events and alliance are waiting ahead of you, the lunar eclipse is a golden opportunity to just purge and completely release whatever trauma based feelings are trying to hold you back.

You could be particularly affected by the phases and placements of the moon. Check your natal chart to see and compare the transiting moon with yours, see how the moon makes contact with other planets as it moves through each of the signs. If you're interested in brushing up your studies, whether astronomy or astrology, this is a very good time to glean a lot more insight than normal. It's easier to learn lessons when you're in a state of ease.

(extra note: I see multiple fruits in your pile: the apple stained glass, cherry quartz, pomegranate, and the berries the blue jays are holding. Fruits can be a reference to eating healthy snacks, or an emphasis on romance. These mood swings may feel intense, but they will yield fruit for you. Please take it how it resonates for you.)

Pile 2: Awakening Dragon + Lepidolite

Full Moon Sagittarius, 15. Retrograde, 6. Freedom, Aldebaran: Destruction and Rejection, Knight of Wands, 6 of Cups, 8 of Wands, 9 of Swords, 8 of Swords

Hey pile 2, you picked one of my favorite cards in this dragon deck! I love how the light in the tree hollow resembles a portal. The energy of the Retrograde card looks to be the very opposite: all the colors of nature are drained, and all that's left are structures of near perfect symmetry and order. It's almost like you're the figure in the Retrograde card who's actually looking back and choosing to leave behind the old structure for the new and unknown with nervous enthusiasm., but not without wistfulness.

This is something you've likely sensed would happen and now that the predicted situation is at hand, things must change quickly to adjust. It reminds me of movies where the character is watching something like a building fall or a ship sink, but they have an escape pod where they can be safe with family. In these movies, the character always takes another look back to remember all the good and bad times that made it so special. The character wants to stay in that space forever until the others shout "c'mon! Hurry up!"

It's understandable that when we sense a big change is underway, we take time out to appreciate the good times had. There's a difference, though, between simply being nostalgic by enjoying memories, and the fear based resistance of walking towards whatever lies ahead. You may have recently gone through a deep shadow work period where some of your anxieties were brought to light and dealt with. You're nearing the end of this difficult cycle, however, so give yourself the chance to breathe a little before moving on.

When the next chapter comes, it may happen rather quickly. That's why the Six of Cups and Lepidolite want you to take a step back just a little and heal your more gentle, imaginative, fun loving side. Read an old comic book or bake cookies, surround yourself with familiar things. This will allow you to be more flexible and resilient about encountering anything that comes next, instead of feeling worn out.

You're at a place now where you're ready to let go of an old cycle, one that kept you feeling a little stuck in the dark. Some balance is needed. Enjoying pieces of the past does not mean getting mired in it and unable to progress. If anything, sometimes it's necessary to take a step back to move two steps forward, like when we watch a movie twice and see new things we hadn't noticed during the first watch. Bring the best from the past with you. When the time is right, don't be afraid to not run, not walk, but to step carefully into the portal.

Pile 3: Emergence Dragon + Lapis Lazuli

South Node, 8. Scorpio, 2. Understanding, Atlas: Guidance and Discovery, XX Judgement, VII Chariot, 4 of Wands, Knight of Swords, XV Devil

Overwhelmingly, pile 3, I'm seeing that you're getting the green light to go ahead and embark on your next path. Notice all the teal color in your oracle cards? It's a popular color in hospitals as it provides a gentle contrast to healing that could be painful and frightening for patients. I initially imagined someone wading through a dark sewer only to approach the light of the other side. In the Understanding card, you can see that the hooded figure is walking over the stream and not in it. It's as if the bridge appeared out of nowhere. And the water looks pure and flowing smooth.

Something in your external world may be pushing you along to your next journey, whether or not you're entirely ready. What is it you would like to do, or where is it you would like to go next? I feel with the Judgement card, it's talking about a specific issue or event in your life. It's less a case of throwing darts to see what will stick and more of following the path that aligns with your true self. Your life is leading you to your life path with two thumbs up.

It's as if Judgement as a card represented an intersection, where many roads of various directions diverge into one area. You must put your turn signal on and indicate where you plan to proceed next. The sooner you can get clear on which road to take, the faster your next chapter will roll out. Just make sure you're using the right signal.

The biggest hurdle to overcome will be the ever present comfort zone. A comfort zone is not something to be fought. It's a necessary part of keeping up with the body and mind. Imagine constantly taking in novel material? That's what babies do, and they speak in gurgles 'cause they can hardly stand that everything is so new! It can be overwhelming.

People aren't always meant to push themselves to miserable exhaustion like Atlas just because a life of being more relaxed and certain seems boring and less fulfilling. But at the same time, we must learn to expand past what we know and love to something fresh and exciting. Whatever goal you're seeking to start or resolve, the light is green and you have the right of way. Spend time getting clear on your choices. But don't hold back anymore!

This reading has not been evaluated by the FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or infection. Please ask your physician before going online.

2023, @VitaminseeTarot ™

[lightning-storm-studies]

No-stress Summer Learning Challenge 🌞

Where did the idea of the no-stress summer learning challenge come from 🤔?

I see do many posts about summer studying, that it makes me worried. People spend their time studying during summer holidays, already preparing for the upcoming semester/school year. It's your free time and, as someone, who already has a full-time job (and is trying to finish her thesis to get a master's degree), I can tell you, that you probably won't have that much free time in the summer once you start working. Yes, it's sad and unfair, but unfortunately, it's real 🙁. So please, take your time, use it for something else, than worrying about exams, preparing for school and getting stressed and burnt out before school even starts. Don't waste your energy sitting in front of your PC/laptop, or with a course book, learing stuff by heart, while the sun ☀️ is shining outside, children are playing and other people are going out with their friends and families. And if you already work full-time, but also are still a student, don't use whatever free time you have on summer to study even more. Unless you absolutely have to, of course (I'm in this kind of situation, I have to write my thesis during summer, because the deadline is in September), but even then, don't use all your time for schoolwork. Although I consider summer studying an unnecessary stress factor, there's a difference between studying and learning. Studying is for school, learning is for yourself 🙂. I'm not telling you to be lazy the whole summer, but to consider learning something, that doesn't include schoolwork. It may be related to what you're studying in college/at school, or it may be something totally different. It may be something about technology 🔌 (programming, robotics, electronics...), art 🎨 (drawing, painting, embroidery...), nature 🌱 (gardening, foraging, birdwatching...), music 🎶 (singing, playing an instrument, making electronic music...), foreign languages 🗺️, sports ⚽, cooking 🍲, baking 🍩, kintting 🧶, sewing 🪡... the list is endless. So, as an alternative to summer studying challenge, you can start a no-stress summer learning challenge.

The main rules 📑

The main purpose of this challenge is to find motivation to learn for yourself 😀 again, so no exams, no homework, no grades, just you and your goal .

You're free to choose what you're going to learn, based on your own passions, dreams and ambitions 😍, without worrying about other people's judgement and expectations.

It's supposed to be stress free 😌, so there are no fixed schedules or deadlines. It's up to you to plan your learning and decide, how long it's going to take you.

To stay focused, please choose one topic and stick to it. It doesn't mean, you can't learn anything else. Actually you should, because staying concentrated on one thing for too long can make you burn out quickly, but have one main goal 😎.

Remember to take proper breaks 🥱. Learning all the time will only make you sterssed and tired. It's not school, so you don't need to worry about any fixed due date or preparing for a test.

Don't be too hard on yourself and remember that mistakes are a part of learning 😯, not a failure or shame.

Preparing for the challenge and completing it 📚

Think about, what do you want to learn this summer. It doesn't have to be very specific at this stage. For example, it can be something like "I want to learn about cats 🐈", or "I want to learn to draw 🖼️", or "I want to learn about tea 🫖".

When you know, what you want to learn, do your research, to be able to set a more specific goal. Read about this topic, watch some videos, maybe try to find people, who have more knowledge about it, than you, and talk to them. Let the "I want to learn about cats" become "I want to learn proper cat care 😸", the "I want to learn to draw" become "I want to learn to draw manga 🎏" or the "I want to learn about tea" become "I want to learn, how to brew various kinds of tea 🍵".

You've done the research, so now it's time to find your "why", because to stay motivated, you need to remember that you're doing it for a reason and that this knowledge is useful. The "I want to learn proper cat care" becomes "I want to learn proper cat care to make my cats healthier and happier 😻", the "I want to learn to draw manga" becomes "I want to learn to draw manga, because I'm interested in art and Japanese culture 🌸" and the "I want to learn, how to brew various kinds of tea" becomes "I want to learn, how to brew various kinds of tea, because I like tea and I want to make it even better 🍃".

Once you find your motivation, look for the learning resources 💻. It can be an online course, internet articles, scientific papers, books, YouTube videos, TikTok videos... whatever, depends on what you're going to learn. You can also contact someone, who is na expert in what you're learning, and ask them for help. While learning from blogs, videos, etc., remember to check the sources, to make sure the person, who created this content, knows what they're talking/writing about.

When you know your resources, plan the whole thing ahead 📝, considering your other summer plans (like traveling or going out with friends), to make sure, that you have enough time for learning and that the time you're going to spend working towards your goal is fairly evenly distributed to avoid stress and burnout, but remember to make your schedule flexible, so you don't have to worry about learning at a fixed time. Again, it's not school.

You've planned everything, now set reminders in your phone 📱 and/or write it down in a planner 📔 or on some post-it notes 📄... whatever works best for you to remember about your goal and the time you've decided to spend learning.

To minimize the risk od procrastination, divide the tasks into smaller tasks. You can write to-do lists ☑️ (either digital, or on paper), so you can see your progress and know exactly, what needs to be done.

To avoid getting burnt out 🤯, step away from what you're learning once in a while. Don't overwork yourself, you're not preparing for an exam.

To ensure you have enough energy ⚡, take care of your health, both physical and mental. Take breaks, sleep long enough 😴, go out with your friends, stay hydrated 💧, exercise 🏃🏻‍♀️, spend some time in nature 🌲.

Last, but not least: remember to post regular updates about your progress on your blog. It can be every day, every three days, once a week... you decide. It can include photos, but doesn't have to. Just make it regular and tag it with "no-stress summer learning challenge" or "no-sslc" 😊.

[too-destiny-panda]

Wyllvember Day 7: Free day/Father

A/N: And so, we come to the end of Wyllweek, but we are most certainly not done! The rest of Wyllvember is ahead of us, and I plan to do my best to complete it. Special thanks to the lovely @commander-yinello and tehir friend for posting the prompts of Wyllweek and for always taking the time to read my works. As always, credits for the the rest of the Wyllvember prompts go to @sagscrib, whose creativity will continue to accompany us through the rest of the month.

WC:757

Ulder Ravengard made many important decisions in his life, all with deep consequences, be it good or bad. Like when he decided to leave his hometown, leave his father’s smithy, and join the Flaming Fist instead. When his squad’s leader fell, and he had to make the difficult choice whether to retreat or make one final assault when he was a mere cadet. When he became responsible for numerous teams and had to decide which ones would be the best fit to send out on possibly deadly missions. When he decided to marry his wife, and although it was short-lived, it was the best time of his life. The only thing that made him happier than being able to call his beloved ‘his wife’ was calling her ‘the mother of his child’. That came crashing down as she whispered her weak words of love to both him and his newborn son before her life faded away and her smile froze on her lips.

From that day on, he took up the difficult and long task of fatherhood alongside his endless other responsibilities. He was firm and strict, but also did his best to make sure his son didn’t grow up with a stick up his ass. He read stories of heroes to him (the legend of Ansuur and Baldurian were re-read so many times he stopped needing the book at some point), taught how to fight, how to be kind and just, how to enjoy life. He regaled him of tales about his mother, showed him the wishing tree she never had the opportunity to show him herself. Each mistake was corrected and solved, each shenanigan his Wyll took part in was chastised with a spark of amused pride deep in his gut. He was by no means a perfect father, he knew this, often forsaking quality time for some of his duties, but he tried. And he couldn’t be prouder of the young man his son was growing up to be. In his mind, nothing Wyll Ravengard did could make him forsake him. Or at least that is what he thought.

The day he came back from Elturel to find a devil perched on his son’s shoulder, a stone eye replacing one of the original brown ones, was the day he felt at a loss for the first time since the death of his beloved. He didn’t want to believe, couldn’t believe, his son would make a pact with a devil out of selfishness, out of competitiveness or ambition. But as Wyll didn’t say a word in his own defence, as he led him to a clearing void of any indication of battle, any proof that he made a pact out of necessity rather than his own gain, doubts started to cross his mind as to the integrity of his own son’s spirit. The Grand Duke was a no-nonsense type of person. When faced with overwhelming facts pointing to something that disproved his earlier opinion, he had no choice but to make a judgement based on that knowledge. And in this case, that was banishing his son.

It was the hardest choice he has ever made. His heart shattered into million pieces as betrayal put it back together, and all he could muster was one word.

“Go.”

He could practically feel his wife’s spirit begging him to reconsider, his own soul was cursing himself for that choice. But his rational mind convinced him he had made the right choice, driven by facts and evidence. When it came to devils, one couldn’t afford to speculate. Even if it concerned the only family he had left.

This was the one choice Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard never truly, personally, recovered from. Even as the tale of the Blade of Frontiers reached him, knowing by description that it was his son, he forced himself to stop calling him anything remotely familial. Wyll’s room remained untouched, dusty, white fabrics draping over the furniture and paintings within. And Ulder’s most prized memories of his son, until very recently his everything, were locked away in a vault he resolved to never open again.

And when he was kidnapped, dragged away to the fleshy underbelly of Moonrise towers, as he kneeled in front of the monstrosity that would march on his city and as it forced a parasite into his skull, for just a moment, deep down, in a repressed part of himself he didn’t even know about, he secretly felt relief that the weight of his choices wouldn’t weigh on him any longer.

[fairy-switchblade]

sorry if youve addressed this and i havent found it yet, but i was reading your post about stone butches transitioning out of stone. i am a femme coming to terms with the possibility i may be a stone femme and i was just wanting to hear others thoughts about what transitioning in and out of a stone femme identity might be like. maybe this doesnt make sense and im overthinking my identity somehow since im already thinking in terms of leaving it before ive even accepted it. as i am now i dont have any reservations about accepting the identity of stone besides somehow hurting or misrepresenting the community by viewing it this way. i wouldnt want to rush leaving stone behind either your post just sparked me to think long term what i may feel and be like. sorry this was probably unreadable, thank you for reading anyway if you did! it was nice to even write it somewhere at all. thank you 🙏 🩷

Hey there! Sorry about the late reply, it’s been an intense few days at work placement.

First of all, no I have not addressed this yet, there’s no need to apologise. The idea of ‘transitioning’ in and out of stone identity, either butch or femme, is an interesting one. It’s a way of acknowledging that accepting and taking on of this label is a process that takes time, as is the release of that same label.

I believe this is a fairly unique process to each of us, as individuals. Heads up I am not stone, but I am partnered to someone who is currently negotiating with their own use of the term. Much of what I can share on this is based on discussion with them, and is drawn therefore from a stone butch experience, not a stone femme experience. I would strongly recommend you reach out to other stone femmes for further support, if you feel confident doing so.

That being said, I feel that considering the ‘lifespan’ of your own stone identity is not an unreasonable thing to consider. This is something which you may feel differently on at different points in your life. It is important to extend compassion to yourself, not judgement, as you navigate this. Some people might arrive at stone identity feeling soothed by it, and more secure within it, more able to function, or be themselves. Other’s will arrive at it with mixed feelings- there is self-knowledge and empowerment in the term, and yet also for some, exhaustion and hurt, and a need to rely on it temporarily. You will know in yourself whether stone feels like a temporary shelter, or home. It is okay if it’s home. I feel like I can’t really stress that enough.

You can know in yourself that you might want to leave stone behind one day, even as you are just embracing the term. It would hurt if you were discussing stone as something that can be ‘cured’ or something that’s wrong with you that you need to get rid of. But it seems clear to me that is not what you’re doing.

I’m really glad you were able to share these thoughts with me. I hope they provided some release, and I sincerely hope my prior post was helpful to you. Good luck with everything, and remember to take your time figuring all of this out.

[alyjojo]

The Person On Your Mind in January 🏔️ 2024 - Scorpio

Whole of their energy towards Scorpio: King of Wands

Feelings: 4 Pentacles

Intentions: The Chariot

Actions: The Emperor

Probably romantic or at least that’s the intention, one of you sees the other as a charming fkboy/girl with a million options and no real substance. You feel they are no good, they feel they know the truth about you and are holding grudges against you based on what they feel they’ve uncovered, you seem to be mirroring each other in this aspect. One of you may have treated the other person like an option, or you both did, and you’re both pissed about it. It’s possible other people got in this relationship and this person told that one this while the other person heard xyz and it’s snowballed into…two people with an issue, and a lot of excess bs.

Their intent is to see you or at least talk to you and probably lash you with judgement & harsh verbal vomit, biting your head off, or they have truths to speak and things you need to hear. What they’re actually doing is acting maturely towards you, setting boundaries, letting you know what they will and won’t put up with, period. They feel they have every reason to stand their ground when it comes to you and they won’t tolerate whatever passionate but inconsistent or charming bs they feel you’ve brought their way, it’s a no. This could be a parent too with that energy, and The Emperor, maybe a boss, landlord, someone you owe money, could be something like that too. You like each other and at the same time, they’re not putting up with “your bs” whatever that means.

Messages:

Their side:

- It’s not that DEEP 😳

- Curvy boy/girl

Your side:

- My senses tell me you are NO good 💯

- I value our bond.

Possible signs:

Heavy Leo, Scorpio, Cancer, fire & water 🔥💦

If you’re dealing with:

Queen of Wands & The Star, this can be a Twin Flame 🔥 sort of connection for someone, or they may be a different kind of soulmate and this progresses somewhere beautiful, who knows? You do show up as the Queen to their King, you do match them, you seem to mirror them, any issues you have with them it seems they have with you too. Being Queen of Wands is an attractive, confident, ambitious & action taking energy, you’re seeing the future (and your people) with confidence and optimism.

Aries - overcoming issues they’ve had with money, repairs, work problems, or just being obsessive over work, they’re either being rewarded, recognized, or winning something

Taurus - over any heartbreak they’ve had and making fair decisions, cutting people off, there’s no regrets, dealing with an ending attached to this

Gemini - has a wealth of knowledge to share, could be training, teaching, or informing a lot of people about upcoming changes, feels like a really long work email or training video 🙃

Cancer - doing well financially, independent and feeling good, nostalgia gets them in their head a lot though, and may make them sad, or they go back and forth between the two

Leo - a backstabber, something they’ve done has really hurt you - could involve friends or others

Virgo - jumping into a brand new beginning they’re really excited about 😁

Libra - work, work, work, cue Rihanna 🎶 cuz that’s all they care about rn

Scorpio - waiting around for some kind of information or results before they can move forward, but that’s the plan when it comes

Sagittarius - you’re their wish come true 💙

Capricorn - angry you just gave up, did nothing, no effort, no give a fuck

Aquarius - has no choice but to do something however they’re doing it and you can like it or get in line they can’t care right now

Pisces - doesn’t want it to be Death but isn’t going to put up with snide behavior or mean bs either so pick your desired lane with them

[the-pale-goddess]

Book 3. That one scene with that one particular preference of Ethan. I know almost no one HC this but if your Ethan would have approached it in the same way canon Ethan did, would it be a dealbreaker for your MC or taint their relationship? Would she say yes or no? Would her answer depend on the situation more than the act itself? (Assuming this happens between 2 people in a committed relationship instead of the shitshow between those 2 from canon).

Thank you so much for thinking of me and E&T, dear! I really appreciate it ❤️ Yet again, I’m terribly sorry for the late reply!

Welcome to my OH talk kshskhskdb

Before I answer your questions, I feel the need to clarify my stance. Since the third book is nothing but an ooc AU fanfic to me, where the writers had no knowledge of respect for the source material or basic understanding of the characters they were writing for, I refuse to acknowledge OHTY Ethan as the Ethan. Are they trying to convince us that the man who was slightly confused by MC proposing whipped cream, ice cubes and a bow tie JUST a moment ago has suddenly transformed into a BDSM king collecting gear for his sex dungeon? I’m not buying this bs. It’s one of many inconsistencies that made no sense to me, so I treat Book 3 Ethan as a completely different person—an evil Ramsey twin jsbksbsksb 

In addition, the introduction of BDSM was wildly inaccurate and disrespectful and PB included that scene solely for profit. I abandoned the game after this chapter, but I’ve read all the scripts and there was no further mention of this very particular preference, which only proves my point. 

Coming back to your asks! Let’s assume that Ethan was indeed hoping to try bondage with Tiffany and wanted to present his case at some point, but ended up approaching her the evil OHTY twin style…Given the circumstances, my girl would say no. She would draw the line at using her as some sort of anger/frustration relief; such encounter would make her feel used and Ethan would easily fall victim to another bad coping mechanism afterwards, so even though she would be eager to explore the offer, she would refuse to do it during his emotional crisis. The right way to deal with his, uhm, dark mood is to address these feelings on a therapy session. Tiff would be supremely supportive, but she wouldn’t let her partner’s issues cloud her judgement and rush into such a complicated sexual relationship for the sake of his temporary high. 

See, my couple is pretty wild and I HC that they often get really freaky (I mean, Conquest and The Tape serve as a tiny glimpse into their sex life), so if we ignore that terrible and toxic execution of the topic, Tiffany would be 100% down for the act itself. They definitely sway to the rough side sometimes and love to experiment. But before they indulge in any dom/sub fun, they make sure to agree on something they’re both comfortable with. Though they know one another’s limits and trust each other immensely, it’s vital to create a safe space for mutual pleasure when trying something extreme, especially if it happens for the first time. That’s another reason why I can’t accept OHTY evil twin because the Ethan I know would never force anything even remotely sexual upon MC or put them in such a problematic situation. 

To sum up, I don't have issues with the preference itself because E&T are kinky enough kjskgjdkg I just hate the way it was portrayed and can't accept it in this form.

Of course that’s just my interpretation based on the source material, not the bad coding PB offered at times.

It got too long, I apologize ksjkjskfjsfkg

[gunsli-01]

I want to ask some questions because I've only been riding this train for 5 days.

Why was Haruka voted Innocent in the first place? I would have honestly voted Guilty both times, his crime (particularly the animal m*rder) is just unforgivable, no way to slice that.

Where are you voting with Mu? I'm likely voting Guilty because the outlook she's developing shouldn't be endorsed.

Is there anyone in particular that you believe is hiding too much to make a proper judgement? I feel that way with Mahiru and Kazui, especially the latter.

Mikoto and Kotoko both despise each other and are the biggest threats to Es. Would it be reasonable to use one of them to neutralize the other (1 is Innocent, the other Guilty)?

Well, I feel like a broken record at this point but when I got into Milgram @apatchworkstar introduced me to it and gave me a rundown on how the fan base was responding to the prisoners at that time. So, before answering question one I must implore you to look for opinions regarding that time and decision outside of just mine because what I think could be skewed and is only one side of the story. But luckily, I can answer one and two together.

Haruka Sakurai

1. To my knowledge Haruka was voted innocent because he had been heavily coded as having a learning disability/neurodivergent. The most common speculation being that he had autism. The lyrics in his song combined with his character, description on the Milgram website (you can vote here but you need a twitter or line to do so), and his mannerisms within the portal timeline seem to directly support this interpretation.

His Description as it appears on the website-

2. Though I brought it up in question one but I like to keep things orderly. For anyone interested in voting, it can be done on the Milgram website specifically at https://milgram.jp/judge . Fun fact there's also a QR code in Futa's second trial song that leads directly to the voting page. It crashed the page upon its release.

A young and quiet prisoner who tends to keep his gaze towards the ground. In the beginning he only replied to Es' questioning with very few words and confusion stating that he was unable to answer or understand what was being asked. Through continued communication via their meetings the number of words Haruka understood gradually increased. When solid communication is finally accomplished his personality will become more apparent. He has a gentle temperament and does not show any dissatisfaction towards being in Milgram. He attempts to talk to Es and the other prisoners, but since there's a gap in communication between them, they don't get along too well.

3. I don't think we have enough information about Amane, Kazui, Mahiru, and Futa's crimes at this point. Since their videos have not shown them directly commit them. Yuno also falls into that category. However, in her first trial song Umblical some of the gifts on the staircase have inverted colors which could be alluding to her killing the clients connected to said gifts which is more than these other four have. So, we at least have an inkling she killed someone.

Plus, it's weird that Futa says at a point "The one who spread it wasn't even me anyway." but he continues to focus on the outcome of the doxing in both songs as if he's clinging to the results of that to justify something else, he may have done. Like yeah, he feels guilty about being involved in it, but I don't think that's all he did in the slightest. I think the quicker we get past the smokescreen the faster we'll figure out what he actually did. There's even a line where he asks why we're focusing on that. Sooo.... Kazui is just being vague but I'm pretty sure he did something messed up but I'm bias in his favor so hell if I'll figure out what it is I'm sorry i'm weak to strong shoulders.

Though I suspect he might just be playing house (hah ha get it cause his song is performed like a play where he's the led actor) and never been in a relationship at all but just wanted to be with someone to that extent. I think Mahiru might have poisoned someone given she's a florist, discusses herbal remedies in her interrogation, and the focus on cocktails in this is how to be in love with you.

With Amane all I know for sure is she bludgeoned someone with a metal pipe like Mikoto did with his bat. Because we see her wielding it in Undercover.

Look at them go. If they spent more time together Mikoto could really help her with that swing of hers. Kids truly need proper guidance.

So, it's a bit too vague for me to come to a decision on all of them. Because well they're the best liars here. Like the only thing stopping Yuno from being up there is she wants to be caught. She wants us to figure out what she did and is annoyed that we're turning a blind eye to it when she put that shit on easy mode.

4. Oh, that's a tough one Mikoto has really grown on me, and I enjoy the idea of keeping him as a wild card of sorts. So, I personally would lean more towards voting him Innocent and Kotoko guilty this round. Kotoko states in Harrow that she doesn't care if people attempt to make amends/apologize she'll go after them anyway. That and she's shown to have gone after people who'd already stood trial and were given a slap on the wrist.

So, I'm uncertain if she'll stop attacking people who were voted Guilty last round just because they're voted Innocent this round. It feels like her whole I held back to give you a chance to decide if this is really what you want to do thing is bull and she's just testing Es' resolve if anything. She's already shown disdain at Es' decisions stating they didn't vote enough people guilty for her liking.

This is a case of who's working for who here at that point and at least both Mikoto's respect Es' authority as long as what he's doing isn't detrimental to them. So, even from an objective standpoint I'd rather deal with the guy who has told me how to avoid having issues with him than someone plotting to usurp me as soon as I don't fit their needs. Mikoto will mind his business if we let him, but Kotoko is minding ours and I feel that's overstepping. This is something she's been doing since Mikoto's interrogation.

She broke into the interrogation room, briefly watched Es get folded like laundry, brokered a deal with us afterwards. I bet if we said no and both her and Mikoto got voted Guilty she would've teamed up with him. Because it's not about us agreeing with her it's about her being able to do what she wants. Which literally Yuno tells us that Kotoko is the type to form an opinion all on her then act on it.

That in my opinion is more dangerous to Es and us since Es is our proxy. But when it comes to using one of them to neutralize the other I think we don't have to vote for that to happen. Given Mikoto tried to wish her happy birthday last year to which she responded and I'm paraphrasing here that something like him didn't deserve to exist he definitely would never be voted innocent and once he was voted guilty again she would finish him off. Something, she's incapable of doing while he is unrestrained because he was the only one to successfully push her back when she attacked.

This means Kotoko is banking on him being voted guilty so he will finally be restrained and unable to defend himself. So, she can kill him. Cause she's a coward who likes jumping people who are already defenseless with multiple weapons like a police baton, steel toed boots, and iron knuckles. So, honestly if you want to go that course and pick a side...

Well, I really hope it's Mikoto's because I don't know... I still hate police brutality even when it's done by women. I might be crazy but maybe more people in 2023 should too. Instead of going oh yeah girlboss moment maybe more people should go oh whoa hold on that's a narc. That's the person who disobeys authority until they become the authority at which point, they can never be wrong.

Like the shit she's doing and saying right now is fucked up regardless of how you feel about the other characters this is disproportionate punishment. Given the fact the fact that there is already a punishment system in Milgram and she's blatantly trying to replace it with her own form of punishment. That's a coup, that's disrespect, she's already stepped into our jurisdiction and she's just waiting to see if we roll over and say it's okay. After which she's going to kill someone and then say we told her to if she's voted innocent like fuck that I'm not about to be an accomplice. The other Mikoto that jumps us just wants us to stop stressing him out, something that we have direct control over, so I really don't understand why we just don't stop doing things that cause him to show up. Though I'm also an asshole with characters I like so people could be nice or make his ass worse either way I'd still be eating good.

However, Kotoko is a problem for everyone in Milgram and it'd probably be great for her to be told no by someone who can actually enforce that decision for once in her life. Especially given this line of hers, "From the beginning, I never asked for your understanding! My actions, one by one, are bringing the earth closer to peace. Useless weaklings should just shut up and let me protect them!" When you girlboss so hard you become a girldictator.

Sorry, if this is a long answer but there's just so many interesting variables. Given Mikoto's personality it seems like if he is voted innocent he wouldn't really go on the offensive unless Kotoko attacked him. Which she just might do anyhow since she seems to fucking hate him. However, I wouldn't want anyone here to die to her of all people...so it's really hard to give a definitive answer on.

I just feel it'd be easier and safer to vote Kotoko Guilty given she's already attempted to take Es' job multiple times. Plus, we can't guarantee where the writer will go with the verdicts especially given other innocent parties can and will probably intervene. Best course of action in my opinion is to vote Mikoto and Kazui the two people capable of handling her innocent and her Guilty. If you're concerned about Es' safety and ability to do their job. But like Jackalope said we could also just vote them all guilty but then we might have a prison riot.

[hyacinthuspetals]

I desperately hope this does not come off as preachy, these are just my thoughts regarding some stuff I've seen! I am not trying to vague anyone or talk about any specific individuals, it's something that has circled around this space for a while and I just want to share my own personal feelings and what I want to avoid before a problem actually starts.

For a good while I've seen some posts floating around about Apollo's portrayal in online spaces and how many newer, less informed people tend to view him. People are concerned that he's not being treated with respect or being seen as himself, and that he's kind of been treated like a character or "blorbo" in many cases.

I think that they're right! There's a lot of his depth and complexity that gets lost like we're all playing a really long game of telephone. Worshipping the gods without delving into their history and context can be tricky (example the BLOOD SACRIFICE TIKTOK DEBAUCLE GOOD LORD) and there needs to be a good foundation and understanding of the gods if you're going to worship them. We don't see a lot of him being portrayed as Slayer of Python, god of plagues with his silver bow and his love for knowledge.

That being said, I hope this doesn't turn into something where people who do worship Apollo are seen as like, fandomifying him just because of what gets seen on their blogs? People's worship may go way deeper than what we see from their online presence. I post some goofy stuff about him and some of the others from time to time with their permission.

My "cowboy Apollo" doodle was a silly inside joke between the two of us about his story with Hermes taking his cattle. I don't want to be constantly worried that someone will see that and immediately judge me and my relationship with him, assuming I'm treating him like an OC or not taking him seriously. My relationship with the gods I worship is very friendly and often informal (depending on my kharis with them) because that is what brings the most comfort to me based on my own negative experiences being forced to grow up in a Catholic home. I'm so thankful the gods are understanding of my situation and are willing to meet me in the middle. Apollo especially has brought me so much comfort, and I talk to him the way I would talk to any person I'm close to that I respect. I tag him in memes that remind me of him, I draw silly doodles of him, and I laugh with him. From the outside, someone who stumbles across my blog and doesn't know me or the relationship I share with him may scoff and brush me off as someone who is "treating him like my blorbo'. That makes me really sad, and quite paranoid actually. It makes me feel like I have to censor myself and my relationship with him in order not to be labeled as someone like that.

People are absolutely valid and right to be concerned about the way he may be portrayed, and I've seen this concern about Dionysus as well. I don't think they are wrong! It's a shame that what's happened to him has put some people off from worshipping and appreciating him, and I do not want anyone to think I am discrediting them, their feelings, or frowning at their opinions. I agree with those opinions wholeheartedly! Apollo is amazing, he's my world, and I love him so much. I want people to love ALL parts of him, not just the bright and happy parts.

I just hope that as we criticize this reduced version of him, we try to avoid making snap judgements about others based on what we see of their relationship with him. It hasn't been a major problem from what I've seen, but I wanted to put in my two cent before it even gets to that point. I hope that as a community, we practice Xenia and show our fellow polytheists kindness and help educate them rather than rolling our eyes. There are a lot of very dedicated, kind, and wonderful Apollo worshippers on here. Moving forward I want to help educate and help people who may not be as informed to understand how fantastically diverse and complex he is!

Again, I truly hope this doesn't sound preachy, or like I'm angry or trying to start something with anyone in particular. I have so much respect for my fellow Hellenic polytheists, ESPECIALLY reconstructionist worshippers. I've learned so much from the amazing people on here who devote their time and energy to sharing their knowledge FOR FREE, that's so great! All of us have a lot to learn from one another, and no one's practice will be exactly the same as someone else's. I think that's beautiful.

Hail to Apollo, the Far Shooter, Protector of Roads, Healer, God of Plagues, and the god who helped save my life. 💛

[somehowmags]

i love rook the most but he also deserves everything bad that happens to him thus i would never defend him HOWEVER the way people misinterpret the relationship between rook and vil has me galloping straight to heaven like. my lips are trembling my eyes are watering the very image of both rook and vil are evaporating before my eyes.

the one thing i see people primarily take issue with is rook commenting on vil's weight gain in one of their lab vignettes. now, i've never personally read through it so i dont know the log line for line. but i do have a basic gist of what happened.

like.... you've got to stop interpreting the meaning of this line with such shallow knowledge. though im sure for many people this is an extremely insensitive statement to make, you have to keep in mind who it is said to, why it is said, and who says it.

sure, if rook made this statement to literally any other student, rook could be rightfully criticized for it. but do you not remember rook's role as vil's vice housewarden and right hand man? rook is known to never mince his words, despite their flowery and ostentatious quality-- much more so when he's speaking to vil of all people, who prefers upfront and straight to the point critique.

rook, for all his intrusions onto people's boundaries (see; rook commenting about ruggies fur being used in an fur based item), is also very purposeful about what he says. he's very purposeful about everything. in most cases, you can likely categorize the intent behind his words as either to gauge someone's reaction (whether for personal satisfaction or other means) or to provide advice.

so when he says things like this, it's not because he seemingly cannot grasp the concept of boundaries. he very much does. he's incredibly observant and the thing that he does not know, and thus seeks out, is how people react to the possibility of their boundary being tested. not the actuality of it.

the point is that he also very much understand vil's boundaries. he understands what makes him tick, what gains his approval, what he needs, what he wants, what his approach would be.... etc etc. that is because they've been extremely close friends for the past 3 years. rook would not say these things to anyone else but vil-- just like how you'd bully your close friends, but not acquaintances, because there are different rules of what is socially acceptable between these different relationships. in all these years rook has known vil, rook has come to understand that because of vil's current status in the entertainment industry, he needs to mirror vil's standards with himself if he wants to genuinely help vil.

it's why he's called vil's mirror-- because he's observed him closely the most, so he can provide an accurate and objective judgement on vil. that's the point. it's what vil needs and what rook provides; accurate, without bias nor filter. if rook wants to see vil thrive, he has to help him keep in shape and maintain vil's standard of perfection when vil cannot because he knows vil would appreciate having a likewise, external aide.

vil keeps rook by his side because of rook's extremely eccentric honesty. rook doesn't care much for what would be conventional behavior but he is sensible enough that vil can entrust certain duties to him. one of them includes being the one to check vil over. use his watchful eye to never let vil falter in a way vil would despise.

you also have to consider vil's reaction to what was said about his weight gain; he did not object, he did not rouse in anger, he did not argue. why? because vil considers the seemingly harsh criticism and assesses it's verity and how he could use it as improvement. i don't remember what happens in there, but it's likely he accepts it.

vil isn't a pushover. he would probably fucking beat rook to death if he so much so made an out of line comment about vil's looks-- something he takes deep pride in. he's capable of it. the thing is that this isn't out of line in the context of vil's career and rook's responsibility. they're quite literally in pomefiore regardless of vil's career, where the housewarden should be the shining example of diligence in looks and strength. rook has mentioned the reason he takes such a backseat isn't only because it's in his nature to most often simply observe rather than actively contribute, but because vil is so strong willed that anything else other than verbal suggestions, constructive criticism or praise would be struck down. he'd have been met by his 13 cm heels and rook finds no issue in that. he has to say things in moderation in order for vil to accept them in face of his tenacious nature and he knows that. vil is heavy on improvement and rook is a surefire way to gain insight on his next step towards it.

regardless, as much as i love rook, i also understand why people would be off put by his hypocritical tendencies, his less than conventional moral code, and his other eccentric traits. however, the weight gain statement very much lacks any real reason to be used as criticism against rook when you consider that it's being said to his best friend of 3 years and the housewarden with big dick energy vil schoenheit. i need people to STOP thinking vil lacks a spine in this situation when his spine could literally be used as a baseball bat. besides, rook met vil by spouting his head off about vil's performance. if vil was hurt or off put by rook's nature, he would not have talked with him for hours, even as it snowed.

IM SO INSANE ABOUT THEM YOY DONT KNOW!!!! i want to deep fry rook and use vil as a surfboard i love them so much. i love vil because his development is so beautiful and yes seeing him finally realise he can be plain old vil schoenheit in chapter 6 is gold and seeing him be so excited to see epel GRGGARSGSRAHDT IM RIPPING MY HAIR OUT I LOVE THE POMEFIORE FAMILY!!!! funny story i actually used to HATE vil schoenheit and look where i am now. thank you for being insane with me did you know your swag is so of considerable size. love you tumblr user!

ohhh this is also so true. i had to go back and read the vignette (its vil's labwear one if anybody wants to check) and like, yeah, as a fat woman and as someone who has body issues, if someone said that to me, i would want to take off my shoe and start hitting them with it! and indeed vil goes later "wow, that was so fucking rude of him, who does he think he is?" which is imo entirely deserved. that IS a rude thing to say and had he said it to anybody else they would be very entitled to hit him with their shoes and also whatever other objects were close at hand but he DIDN'T say it to anybody he said it to vil. vil is a world class supermodel- much as that industry infuriates me it does mean that part of vil's job is to, well, be skinny. do i like it no do i think its healthy no but unfortunately that is the reality of the situation. it's not something ordinary people like you (assumedly lol) and i would say to our friends, but vil and rook aren't really normal teens. he's not even really mad about rook saying it; he complains to trey later that rook is rude (and he and trey have a nice conversation about sweets and being a vice housewarden in a way that contrasts vil and rook and riddle and trey) but all in all he does appreciate rook pointing it out so he can figure out what caused it.

and you're so right if vil had a problem with him saying this He Would Tell Him. he would just say it. vil is not the kind of person to keep his thoughts to himself! he would just tell him to shut up if he didn't want rook saying that to him!

i really genuinely do not think pomefiore is fatphobic like...vil is not gonna make you lose weight he would just be like "ok cool but are you meeting your own personal goals for yourself" that feels much more in character for him. rook too he finds beauty in literally everything you can't tell me he'd be intentionally fatphobic

and you're also right about rook being purposeful about everything he says and it can at times make him such a menacing character which is so !!! like him saying he'd like to try hunting leona in his labwear vignette or trying to get information on malleus and lilia in lilia's pe vignette like. he Knows how he comes off! he's doing that shit on purpose! it really fits with his huntsman character i love it. its also so funny that he met vil by popping out of a tree to be like "damn this script sucks" to his face i wish i had the audacity tbh! i dunk on him for his awful haircut and being a little weirdo but honestly he's such an intriguing character. gotta put him in the soup pot as well

AND I LOVE YOU ANON its always so fun when people come into my inbox to be absolutely insane about their favorite characters! i love doing analysis but i always have to be prompted to do it so getting these asks is like throwing a meat stuffed pumpkin into my enclosure

[the-somwthing]

Okay double life fic trope I don’t like poppyseed complaining time

I’m all for dl!scarian and dl!scarian angst okay? But I hate when Grian is treated like he’s in the wrong and he’s being a cheater. I accept it in fics where they establish that the players do have memories of like other servers or whatever and scarian were dating before double life. I haven’t seen it but I would also accept it if they established that scarian started dating after finding out they were soulmates. But when I’m left to believe it goes like in canon? I hate it.

Grian and Scar did not, to my knowledge, establish any sort of romantic relationship once they officially became soulmates, unlike some other pairs. You know what did happen tho? Grian trying to take care of his soulmate while Scar didn’t care about finding his AT ALL and just wanted to hang out with Jellies. I’m not saying Grian is totally innocent, he was quite mean to Scar, but he is completely in his own right to try to find a new partner, since Scar never showed any interest… UNTIL GRIAN GOT WITH BIGB.

Don’t get me wrong, Scar is totally right to be upset by Grian going behind his back and replacing him. AS SOULMATES. But when it comes to romance? That’s just Scar feeling entitled cuz he didn’t do anything to win Grian over other than like. Be Soulbound. I’m not saying Scar was BAD but he was entirely doing his own thing most of the series. Grian was a bit too judgemental imo but that doesn’t mean he is a cheater.

Idk it just bugs me. This isn’t to say you can’t write cheater grian DL stuff but please like ESTABLISH SOMETHING because the way it is in canon I do NOT see it as cheating and I think it’s sad that Grian is getting called a terrible person for trying to find someone who like actually cares (or that HE cares about which is fine cuz he and Scar aren’t dating so it’s not cheating)

I WOULD say something about the BigB/Ren side of things but honestly I’m gonna need to watch that POV from start to finish to know wtf was going on LOL and unfortunately many fics don’t touch on that side of things very much.. idk if I’ll make a post on it but I will def watch it.

Okay that’s all, remember you are entitled to your own interpretations and can write whatever you want and I will not stop you from reading this post and then proceeding to purposely craft a fic to annoy me specifically. There’s no wrong way to write and this was just my personal pet peeve!

Sincerely a biggri fan who also likes scarian

(Also disclaimer, I’m sure you all know this is only about the characters not the real people, and also I’m not trying to rag on the characters here, mostly just the way they are in fics. All I’m trying to talk about here is fanon stuff. I just bring up canon cuz that’s what fanon is based on. Also not trying to call ppl who write fics like these awful either.)

[dearweirdme]

So many ex-taekookers and soon to be ex-taekookers are saying the same thing: how they feel like they were in a cult and now scared to admit to their other taekooker friends that they think Jennie is his girlfriend and feel sorry that they were manipulated into hating certain members by being fed manipulated content and false information all these years and missed so much and it's heartbreaking. I wish taekook space wasn't this toxic and full of misinformation because shipping is harmless and it's possible to ship taekook as friends which i'm sure they will but it's not fair. too many fans feel like they need to delete and create new accounts to start over and nobody should be this fearful or pressured into staying quiet and scared

Hi anon!

Fandom is a tricky place to be in under normal conditions, but a fandom like ours especially comes with a lot of difficult situations.

I’ve mentioned this before, because I feel it’s one of the most important drives humans have: always wanting to feel safe. What this translates to in a fandom is that people try to connect with each other and they are prone to take over other’s opinions. Taekook fandom comes with a lot of uncertainty (and uncertainty makes people feel unsafe). So when stuff happens that makes us question our believes (especially when people have little knowledge about how the music industry and pr actually work) some fans are prone to come up with… let’s say… very creative ideas (fantheories). Those theories are usually based on very little and rely heavily on what fans themselves theorize. Doesn’t mean they’re always wrong, but the evidence for those theories is so weak that it will never hold when actually debating it. Although I will look into fantheories on occasion, I never use them as base for my thoughts.. it’s just too unsure. But, a lot of fans will take any explanation they can get, only to feel more sure (safe) in their believes. That is how groupthink comes to be. Fans also like being in a group, they make a little community for themselves… and it’s never a great feeling to out your differing opinions in a group that is very passionate about it’s ideas on a certain topic. It makes them scared of possibly being thrown out of their community. It’s happening now also, some Taekookers are very vocal about leaving fandom and so their closest friends join in the parade. It’s a feeling of togetherness and has little to do with the actual events I feel.

That is where toxic environment begins. If you ever feel that you aren’t able to voice a different opinion, you are not in a great place.I always encourage people to think for themselves, it’s great if we agree on something, but I don’t mind disagreeing as well. It’s natural to disagree on stuff. There’s Taekookers I agree with, there’s Taekookers I disagree with. I’ve had angry asks from both sides. I don’t very much care. I’m here to voice my opinions, and I feel everyone should do the same.

Hating on certain members is so wrong. That is a severe lack in judgement and that is definitely not on Tae or Jk, but on those fans themselves. They have interpreted stuff wrong, they have not given anyone the benefit of doubts, they are the only ones to blame for them feeling this bad now.

Anyone who feels they have to delete or change their accounts is in it for themselves and for the few minutes of social media fame it might give them. It’s not about fandom, it’s about Tae and Jk.

Toxicity is awful. Think for yourself, have polite conversations, and block anyone who isn’t able to communicate (either agreeing or disagreeing) nicely.

[xplrvibes]

So, Hell Week is upon us once again.

Before I get into this, I want to be completely honest with you all- I had zero expectations going into this. ZERO. I wasn't overly excited, I didn't think it was gonna blow my mind- in fact, after the underwhelming mess that the Trilogy wound up being (sorry to any Trilogy fans out there, please read the "opinion" dieclaimer at the front door), I was a bit concerned about how this was going to go.

So, imagine my surprise when I actually came out of this kind of...really enjoying it? It reminded me of some of the better parts of the so-called season 2, at any rate.

I'll put the rambly stuff behind a cut, but in short- solid start.

Remember my disclaimer: Any thoughts, criticisms, or reviews expressed in this post are my own opinions. The definition of opinion is: “A view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.”

This place has a very heavy story- so heavy, in fact, that snc did have to stop multiple times to issue trigger warnings and disclaimers. I do want to say that I think that is pretty nice that they issued those warnings, and that they used discretion in how they were providing the ugly story being told.

That being said- snc clearly seemed surprised by the fact that a hospital run by nuns and priests could be so evil and have such terrible back stories, and that naivety was kind of sweet, but also caused a little bit of confusion for them throughout the video. Trust an old lapsed Catholic who was taught by nuns and priests when I say that this place having bad vibes and being the site of a lot of cover ups and corruption didn't exactly make my jaw unhinge and roll across my kitchen floor in shock.

As far as the paranormal activity that they caught was concerned- I found a few things interesting:

Absolute power, after all, corrupts absolutely.

I had to laugh when the rem pod thing was going off in the beginning and Nate said, "Why don't you move the bag full of equipment, see if that helps?" They moved the bag of equipment, the rem pod stopped going off, and they immediately developed short term amnesia and were like, "Whoa, wonder why this suddenly stopped going off?!"

I'm not always a fan of the robot voice box thing, but I did think it was extremely interesting how many religious/Catholic words came up in this particular place. Random how things like "contrition," "rapture," "thurifer," "oremace," etc. The fact that they've never heard those words before, to my knowledge, until they were in a Catholic place was kind of compelling.

Thought it was interesting that Colby said earlier in the episode that he felt "wobbly" in the nun room, but when he went up there later, nothing happened. He was even saying that he felt like it was residual energy up there, which sidenote- why does he always casually drop little pieces of knowledge like that out there and then never expand on his thought? How did he know it was residual energy? Explain, please.

The voices they were hearing were kind of cool. And robot voice thing going "Yeeessssssss" when they said they heard a voice was creepy as shit lol.

The fog on the camera was kinda cool, but Nate could've just adjusted his hold on it and just breathed directly onto the lens? Idk.

The double Estes Method. I'll admit, I didn't understand why in the hell they would even attempt this at first. Seems pointless and counterproductive. But once it got going up in the chapel, it was actually interesting. Everytime their answers not only synced up to the questions, but to each other- gotta admit, that was cool. It was also cool that occasionally, one would hear something that the other wouldn't, but that it would still match the question being asked. So yeah, I liked that.

I need them to stop with that drawing planchette thing immediately. It's silly. Stop doing it, stop forcing the scribbles to mean something, stop all of it.

As you all know, I'm not a big fan of some of the more...easily debunkable equipment, such as the rem pod and the whacky flashlight tricks. However, I was just thinking about the flashlights in particular, and I wonder if maybe some of what happens with those flashlights is more of their intuitive nature coming out, than these ghosts just sitting around and flicking the on/off button every couple of seconds. Like, maybe they can already sense the right questions to ask, to line up with the flashlights flickering on and off (cause when you set those twisty flashlights up the way they set them up, they can pretty much flicker off and on at will). Maybe we're looking at the power of the flashlights from the wrong end. Maybe it's the questions, and not the answers, that are paranormal in nature.

Or maybe I'm an idiot who ate too much shrimp today. Idk. Could go either way. I'll consult the flashlights about it.

A few more miscellaneous thing I just wanted to call out:

I was a little confused and suspicious of the tourguide right off the bat (even though we never saw him). They couldn't film the tour because you won't show up in camera? Are you fucking Bela Lugosi? What kind of shit is that??

Everyone already pointed out that the hospital is apparently "invested" with snakes, so I won't pile on and point it out again. Even though I really would like to make a terrible joke about an abandoned hospital investing their life savings with a bunch of snakes...I will refrain.

Nate: "lays down in an old grimey dirty coffin" also Nate: "WTF HOW DID I GET FLEAS?! 😱"

They really backloaded the first half of this video with random clips and jumpscares, like chill out fellas.

Colby Brock, Career Ghost Hunter: "I just shut the camera off cause I got scared."

Colby Brock, Family Man: "The only things that really freak me out are nuns, grandparents, and little kids."

They are so polite to these nun ghosts. Lots of pleases and thank yous.

I've been on the internet way too long- when they were joking about them having babies, all I could think was "mpreg is always possible" lol.

The ending was very...abrupt. And not having a preview for the next video was strange to me.

As i said earlier, this was a solid start. I love their chemistry with Nate and Seth, I enjoyed the editing and the pacing and the solid storytelling, and none of the evidence (besides the planchette) pissed me off, so that's always a plus lol. They didn't get too much, but what they did got was kind of cool, kind of creepy, and surprisingly cohesive. Overall, I'd give it a solid 8/10.

Excited for the rest! Let me know what you thought!

[oraclekleo]

Lee Yongsoo (OnlyOneOf) Relationship Role Tarot Reading

Disclaimer:

All readings have purely entertainment nature

I don’t know any of the celebrities personally

Don’t base life decisions purely on tarot readings

I can never guarantee any of what’s said in the reading

Before requesting, read the pinned post and appropriate linked post

Tarot readings are my hobby - I’m not obligated to accept any of the requests nor to complete them, it’s my choice, not duty

Waiting time is long, even several months

If you can’t wait, please, seek other tarot reader

Reading Info:

Rating: 18+

Reading Type: Single - Couple

Requested: Yes - No

Requester: /

Deck: E. A. Poe

Spread: Relationship Role

Questions:

Friend

Boyfriend

Lover

Husband

One-Night-Stand

Celebrity Info:

Full Name: Lee Yongsoo

Stage Name: Mill

Group: OnlyOneOf

DOB: 30.03.1999

Sun Sign: Aries

Chinese Sign: Earth Rabbit

Life Path Number: 7

Masterpost: OnlyOneOf

Ko-fi - Voluntary Tip for Readings

Reading done: 06/03/2022

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗

Lee Yongsoo

Mill – OnlyOneOf

Spread: Relationship Role

Deck: E. A. Poe

╚═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╝

Friend - 4 of Pentacles, XX Judgement

Friendship is a serious matter for Mill. He approaches it with honesty and focus. He’s one of the most loyal friends one could have as he’s not going to back off when obstacles come in the way. He believes in faith and in soulmate connection when it comes to friendship. Often he might befriend people easily like if he knew them for centuries. He’s also going to be a sensible friend, keeping a cool head in stressful situations, always trying to find a good solution.

✮　. 　 . ° ☆ . °¸ . • ✮　 . •

Boyfriend - Ace of Swords, 6 of Swords

Mill as a boyfriend is going to be focused and determined. Here I can sense his thirst for knowledge so it’s possible he might seek a significant other who is older, with more experience than he’s got. Mill is aspiring for self-growth as a boyfriend, it’s possible he might make some minor mistakes in the relationship at the beginning but he’s a quick learner and he genuinely wants to master the dating agenda. Sometimes he might appear even a bit too analytical. He needs to remember to approach his love with more lightness and allow himself to be carefree at times.

✮　. 　 . ° ☆ . °¸ . • ✮　 . •

Lover - 9 of Wands, XVI The Tower

Mill might struggle with the physical side of a relationship at first. His natural perfectionism gives him a lot of anxiety, especially if his partner is more experienced than him. Mill simply doesn't want to disappoint them. He needs to be shown kindness and support. Once he takes the courage to jump into it, his insecurities are destroyed at once and he feels like being reborn to a new life. It’s very likely that he will truly enjoy the excitement and thrill of love making. Mill is likely to be the breathtaking kind of a lover who makes the ground shake.

✮　. 　 . ° ☆ . °¸ . • ✮　 . •

Husband - 9 of Pentacles, 3 of Wands

Mill would be a committed and sparky husband to have, a true companion for life. He’s got both passion and a kind heart. It’s likely he would make an astonishing and beloved father as well. He takes the homely matters seriously but he’s also keen to adventure. He’s gonna leave lovely sticky notes in his spouse’s handbag or write poems with lipstick on the bathroom mirror just to express his love. He’s gonna be generous with his time, affection and finances. Mill’s home is likely to become a fun house full of laughter.

✮　. 　 . ° ☆ . °¸ . • ✮　 . •

One-Night-Stand - Knight of Swords, X The Wheel of Fortune

Our young Mill is an energetic and daring boy for sure and he’s not against one night stands. On the contrary; if the opportunity knocks on the door, he’s gonna take it. And if it doesn’t come by itself, Mill has the charm and determination to create it on his own. While he might suffer from insecurities when it comes to a romantic relationship and it’s sexual side, he’s not at all shy in front of strangers he meets for a short while. The fact he won’t be there to be judged makes it much easier for him.

✮　. 　 . ° ☆ . °¸ . • ✮　 . •

Thank you for reading!

Hit the Like 💖

Comment! 💬

Reblog! 🔁

Follow for more! 💌

Any Feedback is Welcomed ✅