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plounce · 1 year

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ryne as the personification of the first

emet-selch goes on about how the source is the only shard that really matters, that the other shards are dimmer and of less value, that the shards are meant to be sacrificed for the sake of being rejoined to the source, blah blah blah (with the source and its current peoples eventually being de facto sacrificed to bring the ancient world back to an unsundered state) (all of this to foil hydaelyn, whose major aetherial aspect is light)

ryne is one in a century-long line of little girls who were valued only for their ability to channel the source's minfilia, being subsumed by her soul and then dying horribly in a neverending war against the light. minfilia explicitly compares herself to an ascian when explaining the situation to thancred (one of the most underrated bonkers lines in shb, imo)! the sacrifice of one person's individuality is worth the contribution to the larger crusade... but also because those with more power in the situation want the person THEY loved to return to them (see also: gaia).

but despite being told she's weak and would be better off giving in to her fate (either directly by ran'jit, or indirectly via neglect by thancred's bad parenting), ryne values the free, colorful, unique life she has lived and the love she has created with the people around her. even though all of it is difficult! even if it hurts! even if she has to struggle against sin eaters, even if she is pursued by an entire nation-state, even if her guardian hadn't gotten to the end of his character arc yet! it sucks, but she isn't going to go gently into that good light, even if it would be the more "practical" and "effective" path to take (see: the ancients summoning zodiark). she struggles forward, because she wants to keep living and keep struggling and keep growing. she started out never knowing a room beyond her cell, barely knowing anything except that she was doomed. but she worked and she learned and she struggled and in the end she chose to survive. ryne chooses to fight for her own right to live.

the first already had their apocalypse. 90% of the entire planet was destroyed. they are confined by giant walls of light. light is the aspect of stagnancy. eulmore has given up - to quote gaia, the past and future don't matter, it's only the present. giant monsters ravage the countryside! you have to watch your loved ones mutate into those monsters before your eyes, and often have to put them down yourself! the old world and its nation-states have been wiped away, leaving often fragmented and murky histories behind. the ecology got all fucked up, and i can't imagine the world being euled by stagnation is great for the birthrate. it's bleak as hell! but people keep living and adapting. we arrive on a first that has created new cultures and communities. it is not by clinging to the past and trying to restore the kingdoms of voeburt and nabaath araeng that the first survived: the first survived because it journeyed on into the future. "where one world ends does a new begin", etc

the exarch brought the scions to the first for a reason. only by saving the first can we save the source. but that isn't the only reason we fight to help the first, and honestly not even the primary reason: we help the first because we meet the people there and we care about them (see: the 5.3 dungeon, with all the npcs we met coming to help us). we help ryne not because we want access to her powers: we help her because she is a vulnerable child who needs our help. if ryne did not choose to live, if she chose to die to give us access to full oracle powers, shadowbringers would have veered into a gutting pyrrhic victory rather than the bittersweet one that it already is. ryne is the future. live for the future, even if it doesn't seem as "good" as what you idealize the past as, and struggle onward.

thancred gets to live past his fight with ran'jit because he has to welcome ryne back and tell her he loves her and that he's glad she's herself. that's his character arc. that's the narrative. he defeats the poison of nostalgia, he and ryne both live and get the chance to improve their relationship, and they work together to defeat the ultimate nostalgia-driven, grief-ruled monster, emet-selch.

(side note: fascism as an ideology is hugely driven by the belief that society should "return" to its "purest" "best" form. emet-selch invented fascism in garlemald. he uses a lot of fascist rhetoric to justify his actions. ffxiv's insistence that you must move past nostalgia and move on into the future goes hand in hand with its antifascist themes)

and in the end, ryne has to stay on the first while her family has to leave her. it's a bittersweet end to her coming of age story, but she uses the tools giving to her by her predecessors and loved ones to fight for her and her loved ones' futures (see: end of eden). it will be hard for her moving forward, but she has already conquered the excruciatingly struggle of choosing to want to live when it seemed like the whole world was telling her she's better off doomed. it'll be sad, and it'll be hard, but she'll be okay.

#chirps #ffxiv #ffxiv spoilers #ryne waters #my sweetie pie. my pookie bear. my leetle lesbian. i am driving her to girl scout meetings

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littlebitsalt · 7 months

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The Tale of Catfish

Yandere mysterious creature? × (female) reader

Summary: you fall for a mysterious creature.

drawing(the one at the top)

She had interest for non-human creatures rather than humans. Being a daughter of a adventurer's daughter, she herself loved to observe creatures from nature. Her favorite species was eleves, who even her father haven't met still. When she went out playing in the wods she would always search for elves.

Her father often told her stories about creatures he met throughout his journey. He told tales about dwarfs, fairies and other mythical creatures. He sometimes told her a old tale about so called 'demons'. How demons pry people's attention and desires, thoroughly make plans to trick humans, and try their hardest to make someone miserable. Stories about demons made her worried that she might get tricked by one of those wicked demons, but her father comforted her by saying only people with neverending thirst gets fooled.

Years passed, and the adventurer's daughter started working as a herbalist in town. She got to meet creatures she heard as tales while searching for herbs. She befriended all creatures she met and enjoyed their presence.

One day, she asked one of her goblin friends,

"Have you ever seen an elf?"

Her friend shook his head.

"I wish to meet an elf before I die. I have only seen them in books. I want to know about them so bad."

"If you're desperate, I recommend going to the deepest part of this forest when fall comes. Some elves tend to come here to appreciate the colorful scenery."

"Won't they run away if a human comes near?"

"They would, if they think of you as a threat. So I don't recommend rushing at them without any indication. You know how elves react, right?"

She nodded.

She waited patiently for the green leaves to get stained red and brown. When time came, she got ready to travel into the woods. She packed a some snacks just in case she's hungry, and a few papers to writed down any information of elves.

After walking for some time, she arrived at the center of the forest. There weren't as many trees as other areas, and sunlight came through and touched her skin. She hided herself in bushes, waiting for elves to come. She waited until the sunlight soothing her skin got weak. However, she couldn't she any elves enjoying the forest.

It was almost dark, and she decided to try again tomorrow and packed her bags.

She came again for days. She waited until the sun set, and went back home when it got dark.

One day, she packed more than snacks and papers to the forest. She had a lamp, a small tent, and dinner packed in her huge bag. After sunset, she took out her tent and placed it close to the bush she was lurking in. Then she started a fire and cooked food she prepared earlier.

"Hey."

She looked around, slightly frightened because of the sound. She quickly got back to making dinner when she found nothing around.

The smell of her food spread all around. It was sure that she was making some kind of stew. It smelled really good, like she put some of her special herbs.

She ate her food quickly and got into her tent. It was a shame not seeing her more, but she's better in her cozy sleeping bed.

Morning came quickly, and she got out of her tent with her hair bushy.

She looked around to find someone outside her tent.

"Who.. who are you?"

She asked.

I turned around, to show my face. She looked shocked.

"Are... are you an elf?"

I nodded.

"Really..? You look so.. wonderful."

She couldn't take her eyes off me. She asked if I'm the only elf around, how elves live together, what elves do in a daily basis, and if I come here regularly.

"Will you come tomorrow?"

She looked into my eyes.

"Of course. Are you going to stay today?"

She nodded.

She talked how she's always wanted to meet an elf. She was fascinated with long ears and perfect blonde hair. She talked about how it was her life long dream to see a elf and how she cherishes every kind of creatures.

"What about demons? Do you think they are a threat?"

"Um.. From the stories I've heard, they seem dangerous. But I won't be tricked by demons. I doubt demons will ever get interest in me. I've never stolen or lied just for my greed. I've never done anything that could attract a demon."

She came to visit her friend at the center of the forest when she had no work to do. She described how her life was in the village, peaceful but quiet, nothing much to do in a small town. Although she loved her friends and family, there was something whispering in her to go and adventure the world.

Her elf friend, Garrett, always listened to her attentively even though the things she say would be so typical compared to an elf like him.

Garrett rarely talked about his personal life. When she question him how he spends his time, he would often tell her how normal elves do in such situation.

She met Garrett at the forest again. She prepared some herbs and fruits for him to enjoy.

"Has anything been bothering you lately?"

Garrett asked.

"Actually.. I want to leave town for a bit. Not like escaping from reality, more like um.. traveling. I've been struggling to tell my family and friends that."

"I thought your father was a traveler."

"He was. But now he prefers his loved ones living close to him. Apparently, he's now 'done' with adventuring. And I assume that he'll never let me go alone on a trip outside of town. He'll faint if I ever ask him that."

"Then will he allow you to go if there's someone traveling with you?"

Garrett moved closer. She could feel the tip of his fingers touching her hand.

"Depends. If my dad trusts whoever's coming with me."

"What about me? I can go with you."

"Really? You'll do that?"

"Why not? I have nothing to do anyways, and traveling with you seems like a good idea."

Surprisingly, her father allowed her adventure. He wasn't curious about the man who will be with her for some time. He didn't question a thing about the person her daughter trusted.

She packed her bags and got ready for her trip. She said goodbye to her friends and told them she would be gone for a few months maybe years. She thanked her goblin friend for telling her how to meet an elf. Her friends encouraged her to travel lighthearted, and made sure she's at her best condition until the trip.

She met Garrett outside of town. His blonde hair was brown, and his sharp ears was changed into a human one.

"Can elves disguise themselves? I didn't know that at all."

She said.

Garrett explained that elves tend to disguise themselves as humans or other creatures because they do not want people hunting or staring at them.

"Have you thought of any places to go?"

Garrett asked.

She shook her head. She didn't have any exact plans ahead, she only thought of meeting new people, new culture and fascinating nature.

"Then can I lead the way? I have a place I have in mind. It's a remains of a city. I heard that there are remains of things used by elves."

She nodded. Garrett was someone to trust. She could acknowledge that he was very discreet, careful and clever even though he never bragged about it. He knew so much; from ancient cities to evolution of creatures, which is hard to learn unless you're born in a venerable family.

She followed Garrett for hours, walking through the forest and high hills. The sun was slowly setting and her legs were shaking. Garrett encouraged her to keep on walking a little longer since there was a small village nearby.

"We can sleep in an inn close by. It's close. We just have to walk for a few more minutes."

Even though Garrett's words gave her some kind of encouragement to walk more, she couldn't help but get slower every minute. She haven't walked a long distance in a long time. The only time she wandered around was when she walked through the forest to meet Garrett. Noticing her fall behind, Garrett held her hand and led her to the village.

The sun was no longer in sight when she and Garrett reached the inn, but the light was shining bright inside the inn. Cheerful music was playing in the background, and people were drinking and dancing with each other.

Garrett booked two rooms and gave on of the keys to her.

"Are you going straight to your room?"

She asked. She was still holding his hand.

"Those people might do something dangerous. We'll never know. It's better to stay inside, both of us. And weren't you extremely exhausted?"

Garrett tried to drag her to their room, but she resisted.

"I'll hang out for a bit and go to my room."

"Then I'll stay too."

"No, it's okay. You should rest. I won't be here much, I just want to find out what music they are playing."

"Alright then. Let's meet tomorrow."

She wandered around watching people dance and sing along to the joyful music. She was just sitting there when a man approached her.

"You're not from here, aren't you?"

You nodded.

"I'm Alfred. Are you here alone?"

"No, I'm exploring this country with my friend. My friend went straight to bed."

"Oh. Do you want to dance with me? You won't be having much fun alone."

"I want to, but I promised my friend I'll go to my room as soon as possible."

"Your friend won't know if they are asleep. You won't be experiencing this kind of music and festival anywhere else, so.. you should give it a chance."

She accepted his offer after some considering.

She didn't regret taking Alfred's offer. He was a nice guy with wit. Very different from Garrett. Alfred wasn't the smart type but he really had talent to make people laugh.

Alfred eventually told her the best places to go in an adventure. Turns out, he was also an adventurer. He was living in this village for some time to make money for his next trip.

She said farewell to Alfred and went to her room. She fell asleep in a few seconds.

Next day, she told Garrett about Alfred. She told that Alfred was a really nice guy to talk with. Garrett didn't say much about that, which was surprising to her. She thought Garrett liked new friends.

"Let's leave as soon as we're done having breakfast."

Garrett said while eating his bowl of breakfast.

"Why the rush? You said we had plenty of time yesterday."

"I had a change plans. We can reach the remains faster if we take the boat going across the river."

She was not feeling good because of leaving the inn without a single word to Alfred. But Garrett seemed to be perfectly fine, even acting more energetic.

She followed Garrett along the road and before lunch time, she was able to see boats on the river.

There was time left before their had to get on the boat, so she and Garrett went to explore the town.

Shopkeepers were selling goods they got from other cities and counties sailing along the river. She was amazed to see such fascinating things.

A vibrant colored accessory caught her eye. A flower she seemed to not recognize was embroidered neatly at the top and pink strings were made into a ribbon. She bought two, and gave one to Garrett.

"Here. It's a present. It's not much compared to the things you did for me, but I hope you like this accessory."

She noticed Garrett's cheek getting color as he was smiling. She smiled also as she was relieved.

The boat ride was uneventful, and most of the time, Garrett and her spent time talking to each other. Talking to Garrett made her feel like there was nothing but him in the moment. He had this aura that keeps her eye on him.

Garrett still did not talk much of his past. It was a little skeptical that he wasn't telling anything about his past. But what can she do? She had no idea how to prevail his past and she trusted him anyways.

However, such behavior was causing her a great deal of problem.

This man, who looks like an elf, was nothing like an elf. He was full of lies in every way possible, and his words were full of sweet lies.

If only she realized that.

Garrett sent her back to her room(somewhere in the boat), and he waited her to get asleep. After he was certain that she was deeply in sleep, he opened the door to her room.

Garrett looked around the room to see if she had something from 'Alfred'. Alfred caused Garrett distress in the morning. When Garrett found out he was having fun with her, he couldn't bear to stay in the inn more.

Garrett liked her attention. Her way of treating others(especially animals) challenged him to get her to treat him nice like she did to others. He did not want any man stealing her attention away from him.

Garrett paced around the room. It was his first time making someone desire for something other than money or honor. Greed was easy. There were plenty of people ready to take action to fulfill their greed when he said something that would encourage them.

She already desired to meet an elf. Actually, as Garrett thought of it, it all started with her wanting to meet an elf. Garrett noticed her in the wood in search for an elf, and decided to trick her by disguising himself as one. But after time, Garrett wanted more desires from her. He wanted her to desire him not an elf.

Spliting her from her loving village was easy. Humans only needed some lies to let her go on an adventure. Even her father couldn't stand against Garrett's powers.

Garrett sat beside her. She was sleeping quietly.

When they reach the 'remains' all of this would be over. He wouldn't have to care about other things interrupting them. His final lie would be over.

Night was long. Garrett watched her sleep for some time and went back to his room.

She shivered as he sat beside her. What was he doing, entering her room in the middle of the night?

She slowly opened her eyes without moving her body. She could see the silhouette of a man pacing back and forth. She remained still until he went out of her room.

The next day, Garrett knocked on her door.

"Breakfast is ready. Change your clothes and come out to eat."

She changed her clothes and went out to find Garrett getting breakfast the sailors brought.

She say down with Garrett on the corner of the boat.

"Hey, did you come into my room last night?"

She asked without hesitation.

"You.. you weren't asleep? I'm sorry if you were uncomfortable, but I only wanted to surprise you with a jewel."

"A jewel?"

"I got it from my hometown, and I decided it would suit you since you're my most precious being."

"That's.. sweet, I guess.."

She was still suspicious, but she felt a little bad for doubting him. After all, he only did the best things someone can do for you. It would be a shame to doubt someone like him.

A couple of days went by fast. Garrett lead the way, and she followed. In the 10th day, she began to see structures peeping through bushes.

Garrett set up a camp while she prepared dinner. Like before, nothing much happened and small talk went by.

Garrett insisted she should sleep beside him. He said it was too dangerous for someone like her to sleep far away from him. There were too many threatening creatures was what he thought.

She couldn't sleep that night. Her heart couldn't stop beating.

She stayed still when she felt something moving beside her. To her surprise, it was Garrett. Garrett wasn't sleeping. In fact, he wasn't asleep in he first place.

She remained still while Garrett was moving around.

She shivered when Garrett got close to her. He was creepying her out. Again.

She could feel him getting closer to the point she could feel his breath.

She did not know what to think. Garrett was definitely acting strange.

She closed her eyes and prayed that he would go to sleep.

Garrett assumed she knew by now. He knew she's dull, but the things he had done was definitely enough for her to notice.

It didn't matter though.

Today was the day.

Everything about him that she knew was made up. He was never an elf. Actually he was the very opposite.

Garrett held her hand. She seemed surprised, but he didn't care.

Garrett took her to the remains. Garrett held her hand harder.

"Garrett, is this the place you told me..? I don't think this is where elves lived."

"It's not."

She seemed surprised of Garrett's words.

"Can you let go? You are holding my hand too hard.."

"No."

Garrett started dragging her to a what seems like a temple.

"Garrett, what are you doing?"

Instead of answering, Garrett dragged her harder into the temple. She tried to resist, but his grip was too strong.

"Let me go!"

She shouted.

"It's too late. Give up."

"Where are you dragging me to?"

She was now scared.

"Somewhere far from here."

"No..! I don't want to leave.."

She tried hard to resist. She tried to kick him and hit him, but nothing worked.

"You are too dull for this world. What did you expect, an elf to magically appear in front of you? Follow me, and I'll take care of you."

Garrett held her hand and took her somewhere no other creature can find.

Note: i think my fics are getting repetitive. I'll dig into more yandere stuff in my next fic😔 thanks for reading this

#tw yandere #yandere male #yandere oc x reader #yandere oc x you #obsessive love #tw kidnapping #yandere #yandere fic

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silverdune · 6 months

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..humbug | prologue.

"please.. forgive the intrusion of us three festive spectres.."

minors dni. ageless blogs dni. blank blogs dni. you'll be blocked.

..humbug masterlist | next ->

character(s): choi seungcheol, yoon jeonghan, joshua hong as the ghosts of christmas past, present and future (ft. you as scrooge, mentioned ?? svt member)

tags: retail worker!reader, reader doesn't like the holidays, 95z are sarcastic and they sorta break-in(??) (it'll make sense), banter, mild suspense, ghosts, reader gets freaked out and questions their reality, retail stores during the holidays, stress, food (eating), christmas music, past relationships/breakups, crying, angst, explicit language

word count: 4.0k

summary: you come home, stressed from your christmas eve shift and three people have shown up in your apartment. they claim they're the ghosts of christmas past, present and future, but a christmas carol is a work of fiction.. right?

a/n: i didn't expect the prologue to be this long haha but here it is. hopefully i can get the rest of this up by christmas, if not, just after?? anyways, i hope you enjoy;

Christmas Eve.

It's always dialled up to eleven on the last day before Christmas. The speakers are only playing holiday music, you've got to wear the tacky sweater and your stress levels are indisputably at their highest.

This isn't your favourite time of year by any means.

Every chance you get, you eye what seems to be the only clock in the entire store. It rings an hour before closing time, and you've got to spend a further hour clearing everything away and shutting up shop before you can spend two blissful days in solitude.

The queue for the checkouts stretches as far as the eye can see. As you pass by to take a stack of baskets back to the entrance, you can't help but take a gander at everyone's trolleys, filled to the brim with their last minute buys. It truly makes you wonder why anyone would wait until the last second to get everything in for the holidays.

The journey is slow as people go back and forth across the aisles, trying their best to gather all the stuff they could possibly need and want. Your mind is ticking over, wishing and waiting for your shift to be done with so you can go home and eat.

The stack of baskets finally end up back in the holder, and you're immediately called away to jump back on tills.

An hour becomes forty-five minutes, to half an hour, to fifteen minutes, to shutters down.

The speakers are turned off and you glance at your co-workers with a heavy sigh. One of them remarks that it's another Christmas Eve over with!

You snort to yourself and say beneath your breath, "Ain't I glad for it."

You get to work wiping down the tills, making sure everything is tidied away, and helping a few other staff members replace leftover stock from customers who could not stomach the neverending queue. Soon enough, it's time for you to go home.

You had exchanged gifts with the rest of the staff throughout the week, and as you head to your car, you wish everyone a happy holiday and new year. They shout back with more energy than your sleep deprived self could manage, and you climb into your car before starting the engine and driving home.

You keep the radio off. You had heard enough Christmas music on this day alone.

Pulling into the tiny driveway of your house sometime later, you clamber out, collecting your bag of presents from your friends at work as well as your shoulder bag. Eventually, you get it all to the front door, and upon entering the code, you almost fall into your abode and haphazardly shut the door behind you.

The bags hit the floor. Your shoes are the first thing to come flying off, followed by your hat, coat and scarf. It had started snowing recently, though thankfully none had fallen so far tonight.

Stepping into your house, you take a deep breath in then turn on all the lights. You then decide to head to your bedroom and get changed into your pyjamas. Much better.

It's almost 10pm when you start preparing dinner. Nothing too fancy or elaborate, just a quick bite to eat before you inevitably get into bed and fall into the deepest sleep imaginable. Slumber had been slipping away for days, you know you'll be thankful for the first good night's sleep in ages.

The house is quiet and still, save for the sounds of the hood fan above your stove, the clacking of pots and pans, the faucet turning on and off as you wash your hands, and the timer on your phone letting you know your meal is done.

As you plate your dinner and toss the pans into the sink, the wind picks up outside. It howls at your kitchen window, startling you a little, before you notice drops of something fall in front of the nearby streetlight.

Immediately, you think it's snow, and a quick poke of the head outside your front door confirms that theory. You hum, then go back inside before your dinner gets cold.

You take the dish into the living room and place it on the table before taking a seat on the floor. Without a second to waste, you tuck in.

The wind gets stronger with each passing minute. You figure the snow could only be getting heavier. Perhaps it's cold enough for it to stick.

Thoughts pass absent-mindedly through your head as you eat. Gotta call parents in the morning. Make sure dinner is prepared. They're coming at around 2pm. I need to tidy up a bit before they get here too.

Finishing up your dinner, you get up to grab your phone from your bag. It lets you know it's just past 11pm and your eyes widen in surprise - has time really gone that fast?

As you re-enter the living room, you ensure you have an alarm set for 9am the following morning, then pick up your plate and take it into the kitchen.

The wind grows rather fierce outside, and the howling becomes.. eerie. A blizzard hails and you wonder when it's going to calm down, if it will at all.

You clear everything up and put everything back, then wipe the countertops down. It's an extra step before you can go to bed, but you know you'll be thankful for it in the morning. Once you switch off all the lights, you head into the bathroom and brush your teeth.

The baying wind causes a noticeable raucous outside as you splash your face with warm water and turn off the faucet. The nature of it is almost otherworldly and it brings you to a halt.

Never before have your hairs stood on head at the mere appearance of a gale force wind.

You pick up your towel to dry your face, now slightly perturbed at just how forceful these gusts are.

You won't lie, it's making you feel uneasy.

Setting the towel on the side, you hurry out the bathroom to switch on one of the floor lamps so you can feel comfortable turning off the bathroom light. You're not sure why the weather is making you feel like this, but the way it's picked up in the last hour is genuinely starting to scare you.

Your mouth is a few seconds ahead of your brain when you call out, "Hello?" You shake your head slightly, unsure of where that exclamation came from.

What, do you suppose there are ghosts here?

A chuckle escapes you - surely not. It is just an incredibly powerful wind, coupled with snow. This has happened hundreds of times before, this is nothing new!

Exhaling, you turn off the bathroom light, turn off the floor lamp, then go into your bedroom. The clock reads just shy of midnight.

For some reason, this makes you pause.

A lump forms in your throat that you promptly swallow. Nothing to fear, you think, and get into bed with the promise of a wonderful night's rest.

You close your eyes, knowing you'll be off to sleep in no time..

Thud.

You jolt upright.

"What the fuck?"

You heart picks up speed. You place a hand on your chest as you try and take the deepest breaths possible.

Your shaky hand reaches out to turn on the bedside lamp. Slowly, you pull back the duvet and get out of bed, grabbing your phone in the process and switching on the torch.

Inch by inch, you trudge out of the bedroom and head in the direction of the kitchen, where you assume the noise came from. It sounded like a clattering of pans.. you don't even know what would've caused it.

But more than that, you are chilled to the bone to discover you can.. fucking hear voices?

Coming to a stop in the middle of the hallway, every sense is on high alert as you point your torch to the floor. What the fuck is going on, and who the fuck is in my house?

Assuredly not what you were expecting in the early hours of Christmas morning.

Nobody had entered the house as you were getting ready for bed. There was no break-in, no disturbances other than the loud wind, and certainly no sign that someone had managed to find another way to enter.

This is truly something else.

And what gets to you more than anything, is that as you start treading carefully towards the kitchen again, the voices become more distinctive.. and there's three of them.

Usually, a more graceful entrance through the chimney would be in order.

But where no chimney exists, the next best option is.. the oven.

"Damn it!"

"Good one, Joshua.."

"Don't look at me, Jeonghan. I'm not the one who decides to get thrown down- or I guess in this case out- first." Joshua picks himself up off the ground and dusts down his jacket. Jeonghan follows suit, then moves to brush off Joshua's shoulders before getting shooed away. "And Seungcheol's going to get a lovely entrance, I bet.."

Much to their shock - and joy - Seungcheol flies through the open oven door and lands with a thud against the kitchen island opposite.

Jeonghan and Joshua both guffaw as the latter closes the oven. "Ah, I'm almost glad I spoke too soon."

"Bastard," mutters Seungcheol beneath his breath, rubbing his head as he scrambles to his feet. "Could've helped me.."

Both Jeonghan and Joshua - whom Seungcheol unabashedly nicknames The Bothersome Brothers - look at one another then turn to Seungcheol in mock sympathy. For dramatic effect, Jeonghan gently covers his mouth with his hand as Joshua shakes his head in shame.

"Oh.. we are so sorry, forgive us, dear elder.." Jeonghan drones, hand now on his chest to feign sadness.

Seungcheol fixes them a less-than-pleased glare and rolls one shoulder back at a time to relieve some tension. "I will roast you both."

The pair fake a gasp simultaneously. "The horror!" says Joshua.

"Couldn't imagine!" follows Jeonghan, back of hand on his forehead.

"Alright, enough you two. We need to figure out where we are and who we're assisting."

The two drop the act and instantly shift into gear. "Well.." begins Joshua, putting his hands behind his back and taking a walk through the kitchen, "we're in a house.."

Jeonghan snorts. Seungcheol does not have the patience for this.

"Seriously?"

"What?" Joshua exclaims; Seungcheol's raised brow says it all. "..Fine." Out of thin air, he retrieves a large, ancient book that he opens to about the halfway point. He recites the information within back to the other men. "LN.FN. Late 20s-early 30s. Retail worker. Reason for hating the holidays.."

Shriek.

When you wander into your kitchen, you let out an earth-shattering scream.

You abruptly reach for the nearest light switch and turn it on, revealing three men standing in front of your oven, one of them fumbling to hold onto a giant book as it nearly slips out of his hands.

The flashlight on your phone gets shut off. You stare blankly at the trio, unable to fathom just why they are currently standing in your kitchen.

"Who the hell are you? What are you doing in my house?" you yell, hoping to God this is either a very realistic nightmare, or that if it is real, one of your neighbours understands there are currently three intruders in your home so they can come and help you.

The man furthest to the right takes a step forward. They are all noticeably just as freaked out as you, and it befuddles you since, you know, they are the ones in your house.

"Our sincerest apologies.." He says it so intently and it's disquieting. "We did not mean to frighten you."

The man in the centre continues, "Please.. forgive the intrusion of us three festive spectres.."

The man holding the book completes the sentence, "You must be N." He smiles, and now you have to try and wrap your head around the fact that he just said your name. "It is very nice to meet you."

You are at a complete loss for words. Everything goes still as you try and make sense of all of this.

You try again with asking questions. "..Please tell me who you are and where you came from." The words leave you in a controlled yet urgent tone.

"Bizarrely, of the two queries, the latter will be the more difficult to understand.." remarks the man in the centre.

What in the- "What in the name is that supposed to mean?" you ask.

Bookkeeper answers, "What he's trying to say is that our method of arrival was both unconventional and incomprehensible."

Your head is spinning irrevocably. The walls feel like they are closing in. Everything about this is wrong and you just want to wake up from whatever sordid dream this is.

"Okay.." You try again, this time with a shaky voice. "I am going to politely ask you- in fact, no, I am going to demand that you leave my house this instant or I will call the police!" Your voice quickly reaches its peak volume and the trio are taken aback.

The first man to speak to you tries to de-escalate the situation. "We can explain why we're here!"

"And how!" says the man in the middle.

Good God, is this nightmare over already?

At that moment, the three men form a line. One by one, they introduce themselves.

"My name is Seungcheol. I am the Ghost of Christmas Past."

"My name is Jeonghan, I am the Ghost of Christmas Present."

"My name is Joshua, I am the Ghost of Christmas Future."

They bow in unison.

You laugh.

They glance at one another as they lift their heads, then look over at you. Both arms are tucked across your stomach and you are fully bellowing out laughter.

Their backs straighten. Joshua tucks the book under his arm. The three exchange another glance before they turn back to you.

Once you have finally calmed down and wiped a stray tear, you come back to the room and say, "Holy shit, that is the funniest thing I've heard all year."

Jeonghan goes to speak, "Um- we're- we're afraid that it's-"

You continue chuckling, effectively interrupting him. "That is quite the cover story."

"Beg your pardon?" Joshua cocks a brow.

"All fun and games, huh? Thought you'd get a last minute steal in, and if I found you, you'd pose as the three ghosts of Christmas from the Dickens novel." A snort involuntarily escapes you at the ridiculousness of it all.

The trio perk up at that. Jeonghan mutters to them, "That author's name again!"

Seungcheol gazes at you. "Um, excuse me? Did you mention.. Dickens?"

You stop. "Yes? His famous novel, A Christmas Carol has three ghosts that show up in it: Christmas past, present and future.." Their bemused facial expressions are not lost on you. "Surely you.. must have heard of it if you're referencing the characters and literally introducing yourselves as them." You are still in disbelief over that.

"Well," Joshua begins, "to be honest, we've only heard of the novel through other visits we've done.."

"Yes, literally everyone we have interacted with has brought that story up in connection to us but we have no knowledge of it!" Jeonghan explains.

"Some have even gone as far as to say we are actually from that novel and we've come to life!" says Seungcheol.

Frozen solid to the spot you're standing on, you take a good look at three men in front of you. They are all wearing similar attire of a vintage persuasion: suits under long trenchcoats with slacks. Their hair is styled in a way reminiscent of the 40s.

This is baffling to say the least.

Festive spectres..

"Jeonghan, is it?"

Jeonghan eyes you. "Yes?"

"You mentioned you were.. festive spectres.. Is-" You cannot comprehend the fact you're going to inquire about this. "Is that.. legit?"

Jeonghan smiles. "Undoubtedly. And if you want to know the answer to your other query.. We entered through your oven."

Your jaw drops.

That's enough.

"Okay!" You enter the kitchen and go to stand behind them so you can escort them out of the house. "Thank you very much for your company, but-"

As soon as your hand brushes Joshua's shoulder, you squeal and step back.

He is frightfully cold.

The men pivot and see you standing on the other side of the kitchen, back pressed against the sink with one hand covering the other.

"Oh!" Seungcheol understands. "Yes, we are.. quite chilly." The other two catch on and nod in agreement.

Your pupils grow three sizes. "Quite chilly?" you scoff. "You're a damn glacier, fuck.."

"Again, apologies," Seungcheol quietly laughs. "Comes with the territory."

You can do nothing but stare at them; this all well beyond you at this rate.

Joshua opens the book again to the same place as before. "Your name is N.. Late 20s-early 30s.."

"Hang on a minute!" You point a finger. "How the hell do you have that information?"

"Oh! When we are assigned folks to visit during the early morn of Christmas day, we're given a basic information log on who they are and their reasons for disliking the holiday season," says Joshua with a grin on his face.

That last part throws you off. "My.. reasons for disliking Christmas?"

"Yes! A few are listed here actually.. The music, working in a retail store, putting up with distant relatives, commercialisation, consumerism, etc, etc.."

The list is all accurate, but something stings in the back of your mind. You ignore it. For now.

"Right and as the self-proclaimed ghosts of Christmas whenever, you're here to try and make me less of a Grinch?"

"Grinch..?" Joshua furrows his brow in confusion.

"We had a few people mention The Grinch, remember?" says Jeonghan, trying to poke at Joshua's memory. "He's a cartoon of a character who hates Christmas so much he tries to steal it."

"And eventually his heart grows three sizes and he learns to love the holiday and be more cheerful," you finish explaining. Now your head is spinning much faster.

It eventually registers with Joshua, "Ah! Yes, I do remember that story now. Not mentioned as frequently as the other one."

"I mean.. no surprise there, you are literally telling people you're three of the characters from that story." You rub your forehead in exasperation. Quite frankly, you're tired, stressed and just want to go back to bed.

"So, I think with all that settled, we should get to the bottom of what really upsets you about the holidays," announces Seungcheol.

Your eyes split open. Huh?

"Excuse you?"

"The real reason for your hurt at this time of year," Jeonghan informs.

"Yeah, I got that part, but the fuck?"

You are yet to find a good explanation for anything occurring right now and these three "ghosts" want to unpack all the problems?

It is still unclear if they are even telling the truth!

Joshua closes the book and sighs. "I listed many reasons, all of which are perfectly valid and understandable, but there's something much deeper."

"It has been troubling you since well.. last year," laments Jeonghan.

"And only when you confront it, can you learn to move forward," Seungcheol affirms.

Your legs nearly turn to jelly and you have to prop yourself up on the side of the sink just to remain steady.

The something much deeper?

The thing troubling you?

The thing you must confront?

You have to turn away from them.

Staring out of the window, all the memories come flooding back.

You had spent three Christmases together.

Everything was going so well. You had considered moving in together up until late last year.

That was when things got worse.

You grew ever so distant in the weeks leading up to Christmas. It was to be your fourth together and yet, by the time December rolled around, you both decided it was best if you broke it off.

No closure. No final words. No cards or gifts or well wishes from either of you.

Truly a lonely holiday.

You had of course spent it surrounded by family, but after almost four years together, it hurt to have an empty seat beside you at the dinner table.

Even waltzing around your own house reminded you of everything you shared. You'd often stay the night at each other's places.

Now it was your second Christmas apart, and despite all the time that has passed, it could still bring you to tears just thinking about it.

You often wonder what he's doing. If he ever thinks of you. It crosses your mind that he clearly hasn't, otherwise he'd pick up the phone, but the hypocrisy would be so loud, and it never stopped you from thinking about him.

With a heavy weight on your shoulders, you take a deep breath in. It occurs to you that the three ghosts have been standing behind you this entire time, and you brush a tear away before turning around.

"Sorry.." you whisper. To them? To him? To yourself? You don't know.

"It is more than okay. We are only here to help," says Seungcheol, gently.

"And if you'd like us to, we can guide you through these three different times," follows Jeonghan. "But it is up to you."

"If you wish us to leave, we shall," Joshua vows on behalf of all three of them.

Something uncanny twists in your stomach. You are unsure of when or how the atmosphere shifted but, you find yourself unable to do much else but choke a sob. They watch on sympathetically, unable to conceal their sorrow.

"How do I- kn-know that you're really those ghosts?" you sniff.

"Well, aside from the temperature, does this help you?" wonders Joshua, before he levitates the book above his palm before throwing it into the air, causing it to vanish.

You blink. "W-Wow.."

"And perhaps.." Seungcheol backtracks out of the kitchen, subtly guiding you towards the standing mirror in the hallway. You follow, and once you're standing in front of the glass, it reveals zero reflection of the man beside you.

"Oh, shit-" You can't see, but Seungcheol smirks behind you. You lift a hand to the mirror and gulp. "Okay.. So.. How would you plan on guiding me through these times?"

"I answer your question with another: who do you see before you?"

".. Not you," you joke. The trio chuckle. "But, seriously.. myself, of course."

"Yourself, when?"

"Now. Today."

"And what year is it currently?"

"..2023."

"Correct. Now.." Seungcheol lifts an arm, then moves his hand in a circle motion, causing a spiralling ripple effect on the mirror.

Your mouth gapes open and a gasp escapes. This is insane, how is this even real?

Seungcheol eventually lowers his arm. "..What do you see?"

The picture clears. You say what you see. "Christmas lights.. That's the front of my house! It's snowing.. There's someone laughing-"

The words get caught in your throat.

Wonwoo.

Your ex.

"That's.." You struggle to say his name. It's like you haven't said it in years. "..Wonwoo."

The name tastes of salt on your tongue. Or maybe that's the tears that have since started shedding with reckless abandon.

"Your ex-boyfriend, correct?"

You swallow thickly. "Y-Yes.."

The picture starts to change. It becomes so much darker. The tone is shifting. It was only a vignette of the past and yet you wish you could hold onto it for dear life.

The world becomes foggy. The words are mumbled and the voices are not defined. You shudder in your own living room, wiping your cheeks free of tears.

Seungcheol stands before you and holds his hand out.

"I stood you before the mirror, as while it does give you your reflection at present, it can also reflect so much of what has been left in the past. It acts as a window to everything that has transpired to make you who you are."

You look at him, then the mirror, then back at him.

"Take my hand, if you wish to revisit the past."

Pushing your shoulders back, you take a moment to consider whether this is a good idea.

In seconds, your hand ends up in his.

He guides you through the mirror, and as the door closes, your living room is shrouded in darkness.

Jeonghan nudges Joshua, "Admirable."

Joshua nods. "I do hope this brings them some much needed closure."

× tristeetconfus (ave). do not repost. ×

#seventeen scenarios #seventeen imagines #seungcheol scenarios #seungcheol imagines #jeonghan scenarios #jeonghan imagines #joshua scenarios #joshua imagines #words.(ave)#fic: humbug

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thewertsearch · 1 year

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Asks Comp - 16/4

I literally did not know The Baby Is You was a thing. To be welcomed back into the comic like this after four months is very on brand for Homestuck.

... and wow, its outro really does match the end of this song, doesn't it? That's even funnier than if he'd snuck some of Megalovania in there.

Ooh, that's another liveblog I'll want to check out when I'm done! I've never actually seen a Worm liveblog before. Adding it to the list myself!

Nothing's really changed since I've been gone! I make a conscious effort not to do much Homestuck analysis off-blog, since I want my journey to be fully documented here.

It's good to be back! I'm looking forward to a full reread when I'm done.

Would you believe I didn't even know there was a book?

I also didn't know the movie had two (allegedly) terrible sequels, which is very funny. Neverending story indeed.

Thank you! I can't take too much credit, though - most of my tagging system has been crowdsourced from askers!

At some point, before we reach the end of the comic, I'm going to have to formalize my approach to liveblogging Homestuck's side content.

What I'll probably do is give each of them the 'lite' treatment initially, but if they turn out to be more canonical than I thought, or particularly interesting to liveblog, I'll 'zoom in', and analyze them properly. We'll see how we go!

Could you imagine the relationship dynamics in your average troll soap opera? The shipping web for a single season would make our heads explode.

It's a fun question. What sort of object symbolizes everything?

The first thing I'd try would be a star chart, Dave's magnifier and a literal planetful of Grist.

Added to the list! Not until later later on, though - I'd worry that the opinions and theories of another liveblogger could interfere with my own, especially if they're talking about it with someone who's already read it!

I would find it hard to disagree.

Do people think Act 1 is pointless?

I mean, it is the slowest Act in terms of pacing, but slow pacing isn't always a bad thing. You sort of have to take it slow when your readers have this much to get to grips with.

...okay, maybe we didn't need quite as many Sylladex mishaps as we got. But we still needed some. Homestuck has a lot to introduce you to.

I always pictured an English accent for Hass - although, interestingly, I didn't picture one for Jade. As a headcanon, I like the NZ one better.

Where did Grandpa grow up again, actually? He was raised by Fake Mark Twain, who was from Missouri - but I don't have a clue what a Missouri accent sounds like, let alone one from a century ago. I have a funny feeling that it's not the accent I'm imagining coming from Jade.

Now that's a ship I'd never have seen coming. Props to Hussie for coming up with something more controversial than my Feferi<>Equius.

All four kids, with four endgame weapons, might be able to challenge Jack's current incarnation - but they're not going to get the chance. You've hit the nail on the head - he's semi-perfect Jack for a reason.

I have several theories for Jade's prototyping, and every single one of them would make Jack even more dangerous than before. It's just barely possible to challenge him now, but things will only get worse.

Read the room, Serket!

Would Vriska have tried to negotiate? She feels like the type of person who'd rather take a beating than admit they're outclassed. Plus, I'm not sure how much she'd have to offer Aradia, who seemed entirely motivated by revenge (and, possibly, secretly motivated by timeline stuff).

All that said, I would have loved to hear Vriska trying to worm her way out of this.

I love it! Please send in the completed house, if you get the chance. That's going to look so cool with a moving meteor.

And they're both easily distractible! This feels like two people who might actually get on surprisingly well, if they were in, say, the same high school class.

It's hard to say what's a rarepair, since I don't know what ships are rare in the fandom - although I'd have a few guesses about the most common ones.

If we're going for a ship with very tenuous connections, I will submit Rose x Feferi for your appraisal. They're both fans of the Noble Circle, and their signature colors are pretty close.

You know what, I'll just review all of your ships. Tavros/Gamzee - PB&J - is pretty cute. [] I'd recommend Miracle Child for a number of reasons, but it does include a well-written Gamtav. Jack/Droog is more <> to me than it is <3. Like One Sundered Star might be influencing that? I'm not really sure. Somewhere I think I saw a Jack<>Droog. Your pre-shipping chart post isn't in the chrono; also, I'm pretty sure the A6A6I5 ask is one of mine. Gamzee/Eridan is a rarepair; I've seen it, but not often, and it's a <> in the fic I'm referencing. Kanaya<>Terezi and Feferi<>Vriska are strange enough that I've never seen them anywhere, really. [] And finally, Vriska and Tavros. These two are the textbook example of why the ashen quadrant needs to exist, and they're a perfect pair for it. [] ~LOSS (8/1/23)

I don't even know if Carapacians have moirallegiance - but those two would definitely work if they did.

Out of all my ships you flagged as rare, I think my favorite is Feferi<>Vriska. I just think they'd gel weirdly well together!

#asks #full liveblog #act 5.2

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just-another-busy-fangirl-writes · 10 months

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Journey, Sterek, 100w x 3, teen [AO3] @sterekdrabbles theme week: Journey 7/24/23 (bone, callous, thick) 7/26/23 (weak, pleasant, cycle) 7/28/23 (respect, quiver, normal)

Life since Derek Hale had been a roller coaster, to say the least. Thinking back on the journey of the past decade of life, Stiles knew the moment he and Scott met Derek in the preserve was the moment his life changed forever.

Of course, that was only partially because it spurred his bisexual awakening.

But more than that; meeting Derek led to a million good moments - and a thousand bad ones. Broken bones, fallen friends, horrible situations - Stiles would take all of the callous comments from homophobes through the years for the beautiful moments he and Derek had shared.

At the beginning, Stiles was a weak human - and Derek hadn’t hesitated to remind him that, over and over. The neverending cycle of insults between them circling around to one saving the other’s life had been all Stiles thought he’d get from Derek for a long time.

Then, somehow, things had shifted for the better.

There were fewer moments of anger and insult, more moments of pleasant conversation and learning about each other.

Stiles couldn’t pinpoint when exactly he started thinking of Derek as his best friend, but eventually Derek was the werewolf Stiles went to for everything - not Scott.

The friendship between them settled, a bond of trust and respect that solidified until Stiles knew it would never be broken. College came, and Stiles left, and while they always stayed in contact it was upon his return that their relationship shifted yet again.

Stiles had fallen for Derek so slowly over so many years that loving him just felt normal. Derek was his whole world, his best friend, his partner.

Lucky for Stiles, Derek had fallen the same way, and their first kiss had Stiles quivering in anticipation of their future and where life would take them - together always.

#sterekdrabbles

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papastarion · 5 months

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Me, to myself: I don’t know…am I giving Thea and Astarion too much of a happy ending too fast by giving them their first (biological) kid before the end of the canonical timeline? Is it too easy?

The “easy happy ending” in question:

•Thea and Astarion immediately have to say goodbye to their adopted daughter, who goes with Karlach to Avernus.

•Astarion is a true vampire! But he still can’t walk in the sun. Thea is plagued by guilt because she feels like she should be able to Science her way into a solution for sunwalking.

•Astarion spends a month in Avernus before being forcibly separated from said adopted daughter and sent back planeside by Zariel herself.

•Thea gets into a fight then is killed by Bhaal (don’t worry, she gets better!)

•Thea gets kidnapped and held hostage by Auntie Ethel, who wants to turn aforementioned dhampir baby into a dhampir hag baby. (Don’t worry, she, Astarion, and the gang are going to promptly kill Ethel. Again.)

•Karlach’s engine gets fixed and Team Avernus gets to come home for good! Said adopted daughter is Deeply Messed Up, joining her adoptive parents in the neverending journey of healing from trauma.

•Thea gets ambushed and stabbed by a Bhaalist she once took under her wing, who viewed her as a mother figure, and now has to decide whether or not it’s safe to stay in Baldur’s Gate while she’s pregnant.

•With special guest appearances by: the city’s in shambles and expects the people who saved it to have all the answers, Bhaal-induced nightmares, Cazador-induced nightmares, Zariel/Mizora-induced nightmares, body dysmorphia, heroics-related trauma, and Surprise! You’re Going to Raise Your Ex-Husband and His New Wife’s Tiefling Baby They Tried to Kill!

Me, to myself: Mh. Yeah, too easy.

#I constantly look at my own canon and go: Can I make this Worse?#Thea #Durge #Astarion #Durgestarion #bg3 #otp: for better and for worse

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compassionatereminders · 6 months

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Hey, I hope this won't drag down your own mood or anything. Thank you for providing a place where people can air out their hearts and minds when needed. I just wanted to let you know that first of all.

Secondly, I have been struggling for a few months now to actually confront the roots of everything that I have been struggling with in my life. Relationships, my own self esteem and the finding ways to cope with life since everything has been so overwhelming for me. I know I'm not the only one so I don't want to sound like I pity myself. But it's hard to keep myself motivated to find the balance to continue with healing so I can figure out who I am and what I really want. Because I feel lost and I have a hard time figuring out what I actually want out of my life.

I've lived my life as a people pleaser for so long, masking myself so I could focus on others and their needs. And I completely abandoned my own to the point of not really knowing what I actually need myself. So I feel confused and insecure all the time. I feel even guilty for being so messed up inside my head because I don't know what I am here for. I want to learn to fall in love with a life that I want to live. But I just don't know what I want besides wanting to live a peaceful life where I am not self-doubting myself constantly. I know my own thoughts are my biggest enemies and I know where they all are coming from. But finding ways to learn to live with them, to learn to accept them as part of me instead of trying to chase them out of my system, it's so damn tough.

I'm tired. I'm so damn tired to desperately find ways to keep myself motivated to keep working hard on myself. But whenever I feel overwhelmed and just tired because of everything that's been going on, I feel so incredibly hopeless and defeated.

I just hope I'm going to be okay. In the short run but also, eventually, in the long run. Because I don't want to give up. I don't want to stop getting better. But I'm so tired and it sometimes feels like a neverending limbo of trying to force my own knees to bend lower and lower so I can barely get underneath that bar of expectations that I keep setting lower (metaphorically speaking).

So I really hope I can get better. But at the same time, I wish to just rest. Like- actually rest. Because even that, I still am not able to get. Proper rest from it all.

I really want to learn to love myself. To be okay with who I am. Because I don't want to beat myself up for the slightest of fuck ups that I keep making. I just want to be okay with it all. Find that inner peace that I feel like I have been missing out on for so long.

Anyways, thank you for providing me a place where I can put down my emotions and thoughts without filtering it through. It helps, just like your blog is helping out others.

Take it easy and take good care of yourself 🫂

And again- thank you.

It sounds like you're being too hard on yourself, even in your efforts to heal. Healing is an important journey that I hope you keep investing in, but beating yourself up about not having all the answers and judging yourself for not being there yet and needing breaks where you don't have to actively work to get there won't heal you faster. So try to turn down your expectations and perfectionism a bit, and Healing might feel less like a failure ❤️

#chat with kat

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hashtagloveloses · 2 years

Note

Been meaning to watch Neon Evangelion, any recommendations of where to start??

ok so i just finished it for the first time i was advised by several friends here is what you need to know:

watch the original series on netflix. the netflix version is remastered and includes the director's cuts of the final few episodes. it is a new dub but i like it better than the old dub (yes and as a new fan i know this is controversial). unless you like subs better - in general for all of this i suggest dub, but with english SUBTITLES (not cc unless you need it) on, because sometimes things are translated differently. one thing to note is that the closing credits songs are not the originals because netflix couldn't get the rights, look up all the different versions of fly me to the moon on youtube.

watch the "end of evangelion" movie on netflix. same deal, new dub voice actors, etc. the TLDR here is that this show has three different fucking endings because of running out of budget, fan outrage, etc, and this movie was the creator's FUCK YOU to the fans who didn't like the original ending. it is...extremely jarring but very important. there are a few other movies like death true and death and rebirth but these basically were theatrical releases of pieces of either this movie, or the final few episodes, mashed with recap content, so they're not needed.

watch the 4 rebuild of evangelion movies, the directors cuts, on amazon prime (you don't need to buy them, they're included). the dub here is the original dub VAs so you can get an idea of what those were like, and i suggest the english subtitles (not cc) here too. for additional context, these four movies were made throughout the 2000s and 2010s so the creator (Anno) could build the story as he originally intended, without network or budget or time constraints, and it starts out the same but then changes the ending dramatically. again, the three endings all layer on top of each other, the experience of evangelion is a metatextual one. the films are, in order: Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone, Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance, Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time.

content warnings: body horror, many MANY references to christianity, suicide, sexual assault and harassment, weird underage shit, abuse of various kinds, depression - this show is VERY VERY dark, but with some very hopeful messages, so please go into it carefully and well prepared, especially if you have traumas yourself.

I would suggest at least SKIMMING these 4 articles (maybe dodge around some spoilers) before watching to get an idea of how the text speaks to itself and the audience. while every piece of media is influenced by the audience, this one especially is a LOT:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/06/27/how-evangelion-opened-my-eyes-my-depression/

it does seem like a lot but unlike a lot of classic anime it really is not that long, it's like 26 episodes plus the four movies so, i finished it in a week lol. once you watch it you can read more about it and see how it influenced (and was influenced by) SO many other things you know, it's a very cool experience!

#evangelion #neon genesis evangelion #happy watching or...maybe not so happy #ask

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astrxlfinale · 29 days

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Caelus centric thoughts under the cut.

Keep in mind this is HEAVY in the spoilers department. So please genuinely look at this warning here, no setting yourself up, no speed scrolling or spontaneous clicking.

You get your Read More's here always. Let's get cracking.

I really wanted to just dip into the perspective of what Penacony's bigger lesson is for Caelus. The sort that isn't merely told as some island in the horizon, it's shared (a shore stepped upon), experienced (days and nights lived within) and carried (time taken with the people and lands itself) with the countless alongside of him. Those well before him, either in age or in death.

Not to mention the future, where even his final hours will come knocking like any other entity's within this universe. Being able to truly hold the weight of Legwork's past, his undying hope for the future, this faith forged from what influenced and pushed them onto such a path.. His understanding ignited in a way that couldn't be done alone.

Nothing grand in his journey will ever be done in such a way. He's no Aeon, never intends to be. An imperfect tomorrow will be a proud mantle he'll always carry.

For nothing should forever be set in stone. How do people live like that?

Choice will always be grasped by him.

Being before the Paradise that'd be orchestrated with the remnants of Order, he doesn't ignore the true, cruel and beautiful value that comes with life. Paradise in his mind is a haven that can only be found with growth, and it's a neverending journey of keeping yourself and others responsible.

Simplicity involving the united answer under 'One' will lead to a thread of humanity he can never support. Weakness is coddled, growth can never be found. While he can certainly feel for those who struggle, never in a 1 for 1 scenario, but knowing it's there, it further fashions the reason why the real goal isn't to blind all by a dream, it's to make this beautiful hellhole they live a lot damn better.

Eternal bliss would be utter disrespect to the flames they all carry.

So many of his companions hold their demons, they're living a fight day by day, and it's feel with horror and uncertainty. Being met with an answer that could destroy all of that shows the annihilation of self of Caelus. Escapes are fine for a momentary, everyone needs to breathe and their time to collect and find clarity. In a ton of ways he's genuinely no different. The removal of choice that allow their souls to shine so gallantly is a future he can never take.

He could never take that for himself as well. Just as peace is an inspired goal, he holds a firm sight that conflict is also an inevitably constant. The resolve forged alongside people he give a damn about, those who risk their lives, those who struggle and the idea of them becoming enslaved to bliss is too horrific. Things do need to get better, he'll never not agree to that. The effort to reach such a point needs to be discovered by all life out there.

The price of it being a grueling trial he believes to be worth it.

Understanding that you will one day die, never means to forsake living as a meaningless endeavor.

Creating that very meaning alongside countless others is a gift insurmountable. In the context of a beautiful dream, what has been 'lost' can one day be rebuilt if memories cannot keep the bridges. Emotions will always find their way to those that truly matter, and above all else? Knowledge holds no candle to the Experiences you take firsthand. This right here resonates so powerfully with the Trailblazer.

Once upon a time there were scattered answers, lost in the vast ravine of possibility.

That is endless expanse of possibility has been carved into a blade of Fate he'll contently carry along.

In reflection to a lot of this within the current point of the quest. The concept of people truly fighting for their lives in itself is beautiful. Everyone holds it, can hone it, and that same resolve is also an element he witnessed within Sunday. A guy, in his mind that really needed something to believe in.

Genuinely? He can't bring himself to hate him. Resolve like that in his perspective is respectable even if the Trailblazer's life and all his friends were on a perilous line.

Fighting for the future is something built within his soul and blood.

That said, another precious gem taken is a more heartfelt weight in fighting for the Past as well. At the end of the day, don't the voices of countless struggles all wish for that better tomorrow? By taking the hat of the late Legwork, he intends to fashion another weight upon his cross. Caelus intends to not only blend deeper in the realm of understanding, but a vow is made to become that unshakable force to leave things a little bit brighter.

As a human, as a being infused with the Stellaron, this is a wish he intends to grip even with bleeding or torn hands.

#| OOC Musings #| HCs #I have my good share of feelings here #but a lil caelus yelling is good for a literal caelus blog #so y'know!

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afilins · 1 month

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Ultimate Ongoing Rofan Favorites in No Particular Order

((ongoing as in unfinished. some of these are on hiatus etc))

These are titles I've enjoyed from start to finish with no inhibitions and the ones I without fail always find myself looking forward to. People who are into rofan manhwa probably already know all of these, but I still wanted to put them in one place (:

1. A Stepmother's Märchen

What is there even to say anymore. Absolutely incredible story that does so much justice to all its themes and characters and that is drawn PHENOMENALLY. If you somehow still haven't read it PLEASE do. You won't regret it. Personally I think it doesn't get better than Stepmother's Märchen in this genre.

2. I Stan the Prince

This story brings me the most joy. I would say out of all of these I Stan the Prince has the best romance, i.e. dynamic between the two leads. I can't get enough of them and watching their relationship grow so tenderly is wonderful. Catch me giggling and kicking my feet alongside Angela, the protagonist, who by the way is incredibly lovable, it's impossible not to be fond of her. The art is another thing entirely - it's so obvious how loved this story is by how alive and full of endearing little details every single panel is. It just makes me feel warm inside.

3. A Wicked Tale of Cinderella's Stepmom

Best mom award goes to Mildred, my favorite rofan protagonist. She's in her forties, she's a dignified and wise noble lady, she was fully and seriously prepared to kill a man for hurting one of her daughters. I like the male lead but I'm also bitterly jealous of him because that should've been me. This is a story about women being awesome, and not in a superficial way!

4. Catherine’s Key to a Happy Life

I can't fully articulate why, but this series makes me think about Howl's Moving Castle. None of the characters are particularly similar, but something about the atmosphere makes me enchanted in the same way. I think Catherine could be a Ghibli protagonist.

Mysterious and lovely with an intriguing storyline. Chezare is one of the most charming male leads I've seen.

5. I Raised My Fiancé with Money

This one is new, but I can already tell it's most likely going to continue being very good. I don't have too much to say. The art is lovely and so is the very endearing male lead whose journey of overcoming his insecurity and low self-esteem is the center of the story right now. This manhwa's fashion game is on another level - Ilya never fails to look immaculate, and her throwing her seemingly neverending money around never gets old.

6. The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine

Rofan with action! It can be silly and funny at one moment and thrilling at the other. The next season is looking to be amazing, taking everything that the series' been building up and realising it, and the story is already very fun and engaging. The "tower-regressor-S-class hunter" genre of manhwa has been little by little meshing with rofan lately and I think this is the peak of how well that can be done.

7. Loveless Heroine

Thai manga!!! Now THIS is what I call a historical romance. Loveless Heroine interacts with its setting constantly and is very thoughtful about the way it represents the time period it's set in. There are also some queer themes which I absolutely love! This story feels mature and grounded, and I can't get enough of it.

8. Surviving as a Maid

This series has such a soft, melancholic feeling to it. At times it's empty, a little sordid, but it's also full of beautiful moments that you remember for a long time after reading. There's a lot of longing for many different things and I would say quite a bit of grief. Ash is a very unique and relatable protagonist with her own fears, flaws and dreams, and I like how both big and small her life is. Surviving as a Maid also feels very grounded, but in a different way from Loveless Heroine.

#rofan manhwa #romance manhwa #manhwa #historical romance manhwa #romance comics #rofan manhwa recommendations #manhwa recs #romance manhwa recs #romance manhwa recommendations

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theramblingsofadork · 6 months

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🎵~Starpoint Squad AU and OC Character Themes~🎵

Updated: 5/21

I wanted to compile a list of the themes that represent my Sonic OCs and the Starpoint Squad AU.

I’ll be updating this whenever I find better fitting themes or add any new characters, so this is a good place to come and get a vibe for the AU and all the players involved. :)

Also—yes, a lot of these are RWBY songs. XD Although I don’t watch the show much, they make some banger tracks that just fit really well with moments and scenes. 🤘

Starpoint Squad Arc: RWBY - Touch The Sky, RWBY - Indomitable / RWBY - Guide My Way

If the Starpoint Squad Arc had a theme song, it would be Touch the Sky. It encapsulates the quirky and goofy vibes of the whole arc. Dynamics and interactions between characters, clashing personalities yet also times of joy and having fun. The good times between the Starpoint Squad.

Indomitable encapsulates the first half of the AU as well, though sung from Rivet’s perspective in a sort of reminiscing kind of way. The soft moments, she remembers, the relationships and connections that form between Starline and the group, the triumphs they face together, and the moment that ends up being the cruel turning point for everything.

Guide My Way plays during the final event of this act. A theme for the battle to save Aethos.

Downfall Arc: RWBY - Fear , RWBY - For Every Life

Fear encapsulates the Downfall Arc, where everything falls apart and friendships become fractured. Starline’s dreams are reached and battles are fought between former friends. Betrayal, regret, pain, and despair run deep. Can any of it be fixed or salvaged?

For Every Life would be the theme song for this arc.

Restoration Arc: Porter Robinson - Look At The Sky / Porter Robinson - Wind Tempos

Look At The Sky and Wind Tempos encapsulate the Restoration Arc as a whole, focused mostly on Starline’s journey of redemption as he recovers, learns to accept forgiveness, and works to fix the things and relationships that got destroyed. The soft moments with him and Rivet, and the confrontations and reconciliations he has with the Starpoint Squad. Pushing forwards to a new start and a better future.

~OC Specific Songs~

Rivet: Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity - Un-gravitify / Across the Spiderverse - Self Love / Arcane - Goodbye / Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars

Rivet was first and foremost a Rider from the start of her creation as a character. Un-gravitify encapsulates her love of the ride, the technology involved, and is also a nod to her roots, since this was the song I originally created her to. ✨

Self Love would be Rivet’s self-narrating piece where she tells her story through all the arcs, much like Gwen does in the movie. It fits her general vibes while working with the team, her moments of warmth and softness with those she loves, as well as her somberness of being lost and having to reflect on and accept the weight of events that have transpired.

Goodbye is her regarding... everything she’s lost. A song of regret and sorrow.

Chasing Cars is her and Starline’s theme. Their soft moments, the unsurity between them, their battles, and their eventual reunion at the end of it all. The highs and lows, the good and the bad. All wrapped in one lovely song.

Charge: NF - The Search / RWBY - Quiet / Rooster Teeth - Death Battle: All-Consuming

The Search reflects the side Charge doesn’t talk about as often to anyone. It signifies his inner thoughts and captures the epitome of his stress and fear over his nightmares.

The other two enter major spoiler territory that I’m not ready to share about yet. So for now, I’ll let you imagine what they represent. ;3

Hex: Shadrow - This Hell / Shadrow - Shapes / Sonic Frontiers Remix - The Finding of Your Flame

The first two represent Hex’s neverending struggle with being ignored. Of being teased and pushed down by people who don’t take him seriously because of how young he is, and those who refuse to even give him a chance because they’re jealous of his skills. (Also, he’s a big video game kid, so the chiptune fits well.)

The Finding of Your Flame is both the final battle theme for the AU, as well as Hex’s victory theme. Where he finally does break through all of that and proves himself to be just as capable as the rest. 🔥

Cello: Hatsune Miku - LeftBehindCity (Torinoko City)

Torinoko City reflects Cello’s isolation and strained relationship with her father. The contention she feels that he doesn’t support her dreams, and her wish that he would just be proud of her.

Lug: Ghost Trick - The Imprisoned

While I’m still struggling to find a true song that fits him, I feel this one captures his overzealousness to help, to encourage, and to support Hex. It also has the vibes of him being a big dumb brute. (We love him for it 💖)

Professor Yew: I Expect You to Die 3 - Cog in the Machine

Yew is an nature lover and environmentalistwho dreams of a better world for everyone. Although it starts out as an innocent dream, through the course of certain events, she slowly descends into villainy. This song is a love letter to the people who brushed her off, and highlights her determination to do what needs to be done for the greater good. Viewing everyone around her is a ‘cog in her machine’ to success, if you will. ;p

Zeroth: Yuki Hyashi - Let’s Dance with Me, Here in Hell / The Promised Neverland - Existence of an Insider / Dawko - Behind the Mask

An ancient creature of darkness and the puppetmaster of many events. He may seem like no threat when he first opens his mouth, but whatever he utters will bring about nothing but destruction.

#sonic #STH #sonic idw #sonic ocs #Character Themes #Sonic AU #Starpoint Squad AU #Playlist #rivet the cat #charge the cat #hex the rat #lug the dog #cello the firefly #professor yew #Zeroth #character info

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