#my dumb self legit thinks that maybe

[cosmic-ghost-hermit]

What animal do you most resemble and why?

So just so yall know before you go to your piles. The animals in the pictures might not be the creature that you most resemble. I am using the Untamed Spirit Animal Oracle in this reading. Please take what resonates and leave the rest behind but always be open to new perspectives about yourself.

_________

PILE ONE

Astrology: Pisces, Sagittarius, Aries

Song: all i ever wanted by Mazie

Vibes: 🖤💙🔭✈️🕷🦋🕶🎓🐾🌏🌊🫐🍙🧊🎧♟🦽💎⛏🛋📘✒️💤♿️🔊♠️🏁

Cards: Lion, 5 of Cups, 7 of Wands, The Void, Karmic Relationships

Hi, pile 1! Welcome. These cards tell me you look most like a lion. I can see some of you have prominent noses that make your face very lion-like. All of you have the most piercing fierce eyes. I also see you have soft hands and nice nails that you probably get done regularly. You are legit gorgeous and you have this extensive hair routine you do almost every day. You might wear a bonnet to sleep or you have a silk pillow case to protect it. I can also see you are surprised by these compliments. You have some self-esteem issues that frustrate you a lot. These beliefs you have about your physical appearance are built around the opinions of others. First off, they only shit on you cus they are jealous. These cards have a weird undertone of relationships so I think maybe you had a partner at one point who was SUUUUPER jealous of how beautiful you are. Wow, they are pressed about it. They probably said some extremely mean things to you about your appearance that stick with you even though it doesn't look like they are around you anymore. I hear them saying you have RBF or something. You have literally nothing to feel insecure about my dear.. Like you complimented yourself in the mirror around this person and they like immediately tried to knock you down a peg. Dude, that person is SO ENVIOUUS. Don't listen to their words. You need to see through their words to the true emotions behind them. Don't let these jealous people dim you light, girl!!! Their words are not based on reality. It is distorted by their emotions. Just know when they look in the mirror all they hear is their momma tellin them they're ugly as fuck. They were just projecting their insecurities, baby.

PILE TWO

Astrology: Taurus, Leo, Aquarius

Song: Body Talks by The Struts, Kesha

Vibes: 💛🧡❤️💙🎁🧿💰🌅🏖🚦🚚🚎🎯🎭🏅🍹🫐🍂🌊🌈🌏🍁🐠🫂🤖🥶😰

Cards: Badger, 7 of Pentacles, 5 of Wands, The Seven Star Sisters, Jump In

Hey there, pile 2!! You have such an interesting energy. The animal you most resemble is the Badger. So from what I'm reading from the other cards this is less of a physical resemblance and more of an attitude resemblance. The way you hold yourself is like you do not give a fuck what anyone thinks about you. You had many people around you growing up who were considered "conventionally attractive" and for a long time, this bothered you. I think sometimes it does still bother you but you have grown your self-esteem a lot since you were little. You got tired of fighting for attention real quick. You realized how dumb the competition of appearance is and began to explore your expression more for fun rather than to fit in. You have a unique way of expressing yourself, especially with your make-up. Dark eye shadow is your signature look. It makes your already really unique eye color pop like nothing else. You dress very alternatively compared to your siblings and/or friends. The style does have a touch of whimsicalness to it too. I see some of the people who picked this pile have a curvy body type. You keep your hair short for the most part because it's easier to manage while short. You truly have such a fantastic head-turning style. I really do love your energy, my dear. Like, wow you are fucking awesome. I would have looked at you as a kid and wanted to look like you so bad.

PILE THREE

Astrology: Scorpio, Libra, Gemini

Song: The Middle by Jimmy Eats World

Vibes: 🤍🖤🔎🖋🧷📓🩺🔬🔌📷📼🎥🎹🎼🎤🎧🎬🌪🐚🪨🐇🕊🦢🐈‍⬛🕸🐰👟

Cards: Toad, Fox, 8 of Swords, 2 of Wands, Double Mission, Deep Cellular Healing

Oh, pile 3. This is gonna be a kind of shadow work-y kind of reading so just be prepared to be called out okay? Trigger warning for SA. You make yourself ugly on purpose. You hid your beauty from yourself. I dunno exactly what you do to hide it from others but I see you wearing clothes that keep your shape a secret. You do your make-up in a way that accentuates the dark cycles under your eyes. You make yourself look sick and dying. You force yourself to believe you resemble a Toad. I don't blame you, my friend. You went through something truly terrible that made you feel ugly so you express it outwardly constantly. You believe you are ugly because of what happened. What they did to you didn't taint your beauty, homie. You aren't dirty. You aren't hideous or unattractive naturally. You are so scared of what happened, happening again. It makes you put up these defenses in-order to feel safe. My friend you are already safe without these defenses. You might be doing way more harm than good, my friend. If you stopped hiding your true beauty from yourself, you would more resemble a Fox. These cards are encouraging you to heal from what happened to you mentally. Your reaction to what happened isn't wrong but you shouldn't destroy yourself because of how others treated you. You are stunning and so naturally gorgeous. I hear you saying that your feelings about what happened don't matter. That is a lie you tell yourself. That is a lie someone else told you. What happened to you was truly awful. What they did to you was disgusting but it doesn't make you disgusting. It makes THEM disgusting. What THEY did is disgusting. You are beautiful. You are so drop-dead, star-struck glamorous! You aren't a toad. You are a fox. Please embrace your authenticity because you deserve to feel good. You deserve to see your body for what it truly is.

PILE FOUR

Astrology: Cancer, Capricorn, Virgo

Song: Honey And The Bee by Owl City

Vibes: 🤍💖💛🦦😜👄☀️👟🐁👙👑🎂🐱🐻‍❄️🌙🦭🌸🌼🍣🍰⚾️🎗🎟🎲📿

Cards: Otter, Queen of Cups, The Well, A New Earth, Called

Pile 4. You are so fucking cute. Like so cute. Like I feel your energy and all I feel and think is "Awwww~ What a cuuutie!". You most resemble an Otter. Which in my opinion, ARE SO FUCKING CUTE!!! I see you like to color your hair in pastel colors and it's SUUUPER long. Like you have been growing out your hair for a while now. You have this cute little button nose and these super pretty dark eyes. Ohmygods you have no idea how much I think brown eyes are the prettiest eyes. You put a lot of creativity in your outfits so you always look so snatched and dolled up. You like the long flowy dresses and shirts that billow in the wind. They make you look like a fairy. You always smell like incense and sea salt. You probably love swimming or surfing or some kind of sport you play in the water so you are very lean. I see you might be pursuing some kind of profession in the beauty industry. Either that or you just look like a model and people think you are one. You wear these pretty flowers in your hair that give you this gorgeous halo of lavender. You have been absolutely blessed by Lady Aphrodite. She loves you like her child. She blesses you with fashion sense and soft features.

[kissingraine]

love love LOVEEE your Bayverse Starscream, by any chance will you ever decide to write about BV Jazz? thanks for hearing me out!

ofc!! although i dont really write for the Autobots—not that i have anything against them, im just super Decepticon-centered cus villains are more fun to write lol. BUT!! i will absolutely write for their shattered glass versions. evil autobots? *chefs kiss* (thank you for asking anon i now have a legit reason to do sg versions of bayverse😝)

18+

In for the Kill — SG Bayverse Jazz x f!Reader

• The whole thing had been a dare. Ironically, you found it funny and went along with your friend's suggestion. Scripting out what you wanted to happen in an alternate universe was half-assed. The rules were the important bit, because experts mentioned that pain was very much real while shifting—and dying—was a territory they wouldn’t even think about crossing into. Your friend calls it cowardice; you call it self-preservation. So you wrote: painless, indestructible, and undying. Two hours of useless research because it’s the summer—so who cares what you do for the rest of the season? And then, the safe words.

“Safe words?” You quirk a brow at your best friend. “What is this? BDSM?”

“Failsafe, dumbass.”

She’s lounging on your bed, head dangling off the edge before giggling at you. “It's so you can just shift back outta there whenever you want. Real convenient. Makes poly drama easier to escape from. I picked mine from my TikTok username.”

You grimace. “For real? You're going to shout Mikkelsen's-raggedy-cumsock every time you want out?” She laughs again at your dead-serious tone, ending in a wheeze. “What universe are we even shifting into, anyway? Is this shit even real?”

“Like I said, the specifics don't matter since we're just doing this for fun. Harry Potter’s most common,” she reminds you, holding up her phone to show the YouTube video currently playing—your reference for this dumb dare. “See? Proven and tested. You won’t get stuck.”

Not sure if you trust her after the last time she switched out your shiitake mushrooms with the chemical ones. You swear you can hear colors now. She sighs, “C’mon. It’s literally impossible. Everyone always wakes up.”

• That’s what should’ve happened. That was the deal. You should have woken up in your bed—or on the ratty couch in your garage. You did everything right: fell asleep, focused, followed the script to a damn T. Get eight hours in your desired reality and snap right back—no consequences. Just a lucid dream with fanfic flavor. But this? This wasn’t dreamlike. This was wrong. You’d hit the pavement hard enough to knock the air out of your lungs, and the world that now surrounded you felt too real. The gray sky hung low, thick with soot and smoke. Empty skyscrapers loomed like burnt-out spires. Somewhere in the distance, something huge screamed. The sound of twisted metal—like a machine dying slow.

• Heart pounding in your ears, you push yourself up with effort. “It’s just a dream,” you whisper, comforting yourself. “This is my desired reality? Whatever. I’ll wake up soon.” You hope. Glancing down, your hands are bleeding, though the pain is practically nonexistent. It’s the wind biting your skin that makes you hug yourself closer. And when the ground begins to shake with three consecutive booms, you know something has gone off-script. Was this even still Chicago? The buildings look like they were at war with something bigger than nature. A few signs are in English, but mostly cracked and faded—one hanging by a single rusted chain.

PEACE EARNED THROUGH SACRIFICE.

• Maybe you should’ve just gone with Harry Potter after all. Bet your friend’s having fun annoying the emo teacher. There’s a symbol spray-painted in crimson against the side of a dilapidated grocery store—looking exactly like the Autobot crest. Until it feels like it’s leering right back at you. And now you’re stuck hiding behind an overturned truck, praying the footsteps nearby aren’t Autobot patrol. Because the first six hours in this hellhole version of Earth haven’t exactly been pleasant. And the first time you’d seen them—the graffiti on the walls that called them heroes—you watched them raze a downtown district for noncompliance.

They weren’t Autobots. Not the friendly Transformers. Not really.

It was like someone looked into an inverted mirror that didn’t flip left and right, but good and evil. Familiar silhouettes performing unfamiliar sins the Decepticons never managed to achieve.

“I was wonderin’ what smelled so different.”

• The voice comes from above—smooth, languid, almost amused. And you freeze as a black shape looms, crouched on the truck’s undercarriage like a panther made of chrome and metal. Obsidian plating. Crimson piping. Matching visors. Sharp metallic teeth that could only belong to a grinder—or a paper shredder, but bigger and dramatic. You don’t move. Can’t, actually. Thinking that maybe if you stay still long enough, this guy’ll think you’re trash and go away. He looks familiar, though. Swear you’ve seen him on a billboard somewhere, after their leader started working with the military. His name’s on the tip of your tongue. A band—no, a music genre? What music do saxophone players play again? Jazz?

“Jazz.”

What surprises Ricochet isn’t the fact that you knew his old designation or that you’re just wandering around without the engineered fear Ratchet built into your kind at the sight of an Autobot. That’s part of it. But it’s your tone. It wasn’t awe. Or fear. More like he was a speck of dirt you were tired of wiping off. Disappointment? How dare you.

He’s bored. Bored out of his damn processor. And it’s not the kind of boredom that comes with peace—that kind never existed on Earth anymore. It’s the gnawing, bitter kind. The kind that sets in after the fiftieth execution of the week, when the targets all start begging the same way. Same cries. Same oil spatters on the wall. Even his favorite screams are like looped static on a busted record.

“Please, I have a family—”

“Please, I didn’t know—”

Please. Please. Pleas.

Ricochet’s heard it all by now. That’s what happens when someone like him masters perfection. It’s his fault for being such an excellent enforcer, really. He’s thought about picking a fight with Soundwave just for the static-shriek it’d cause. Or planting a bomb in Goldbug’s bunker again. But Prime had been on edge lately—more than usual—and he liked his joints right where they were. So he left the boss alone to broadcast about enforcing peace that week.

He twirls a loose bolt in his claw, flicking it upward, catching it again. One of his own, maybe. Didn’t care. Was it so hard for Primus to give him something new? Something unexpected? He deserves a reward for performing with such refined artistry!

Then, a scent. Faint and wrong. It makes him stiffen, his visors flaring. It’s not energon or exhaust. Definitely soft. Alive, in a way the locals stopped being vorns ago. Organic. Off, yet human.

The cycle is finally breaking.

And he can’t wait to break this one open too.

[tillythemenace]

What's your fave episode of rtte?

Oh I have so many! I wanna go by season and maybe I’ll do 2 episodes per season! ����

Season 1:

Imperfect Harmony, I just think it's the perfect episode specially to show the actual start of their adventures. The humor is IMPECCABLE, I adore everyone here, I love how Hiccup figured out how to save everyone. 9/10

and a Tie between Gone Gustav Gove, Dad Hiccup... Just dad Hiccup. It just hit every single button on my body. I adore it so so much idk what to say. It's not even that I love Gustav loll no, It's more about Hiccup and his leader persona and omg he's such a dad it's amazing to watch. 8.5/10 And the Next Big Sting. Idk I just ADORE Speed Stingers and the gang working together, I ADORE this being the first intro to Hiccup's flightsuit and his nerd ass self I adore him so much he's at his BEST here. 9/10

Season 2: (I can't CHOOSE AH it's my fave season)

Night of the Hunters Parts 1/2: I adore Astrid here, i ADORE all the gangs interactions here, I love how they come up with plans to escape so much lol and I ADORE Snotlout and Hiccups lil side quest. Everything about it it's amazing. 10/10

And Maces and Talons 1/2 for OBVIOUS reasons. VIGGO, his whole intro and how he fooled Hiccup and how uch of THREAT he actually was. Amazing. 100/10

Season 3:

Ok first a tie between Buffalord Soldier and Stryke Out. Buffalord mostly cause I just adore that dragon, it's so FUCKING CUTE!!! An dyeah I do appreciate the Hiccstrid fluff ngl (altho I was getting a lil tired Astrid was always in need of rescue over and over) I'm nothing if not a useless fangirl that ate that shit up sadly. 8/10 Stryke Out because I adore the lore? like idk Dragon fighting? it should've been a concept that should've been explored more. I ADORE Hiccup here and his dragon training abilities are so cool so see in such an organic way AND Snotlout ahh he was so worried sobs 9/10

Family on the Edge: Mostly cause I adore how Dagur's arc was handled. And even Heather's inner conflict I liked (I mean I have alot to say about how they treat her and her relationship with Dagut i the show especialyl in the last seasons... but I liked it A LOT here) 9/10

Season 4:

Fuck... I really wanna say Blindsided but I DO NOT like how they mixed Astrid being blind and Hiccstrid happening on the same episode... like Astrid was AMAZING this episode from top to bottom. She's amazing and I love how it's shown that she's indeed more useful and competent even blind than other in the gang lol 8/10. BUT I think Not Lout made me almost cry like legit I just love every single Snotlout episode so much. Hi anxieties, his request to be a leader to Hiccup, his ADMIRATION towards everyone and his doubts and self image,those things just hit so hard home I adore him so much I can't stress enough. 9/10 So I guess it's a tie.

Shell Shocked 1/2: I think it was an amazing close to the season (it was supposed to be the LAST but oh well) I loved Viggo here (al tho his stupid ass move with Astrid was so DUMB ugh) and I liked the action. I think Viggo and the Dragon eye should've been gone for good but I love him too much soooooo Hell I even enjoyed Hiccstrid relationship here, I liked the lil period when it's just them knowing, like I WOULD SEE WHY they chose to keep it that way again fangirl in me.... 9.5/10

Season 5:

Well This season was mixed even tho I enjoyed these episode they're far lower on my GENERAL ranking of episodes:

Wings of the War part 2: Yes only part 2 cause legit I hate how this whole conflict started... but I guess I enjoyed it enough we had Berk, Stoick which I always adore to see, AStrid leading the riders, Hiccup using his brain. Overall good things. 7/10

I guess another tie with A Matter of Perspective and No Dragon Left Behind. A Matter of Perspective because I LOVE DRAGON LORE. I ADORE that dragons have their own rituals and traditions, like I NEED MORE OF THAT (and yes it contradicts httyd3 but fuck that movie I prefer this), I liked that it was supposed to be a sacred place and Hiccup wanted to maintain it that way (tho the twins did piss me off a lil bit lol) 8/10. I really liked No Dragon Left Behind, ALTHO I HATE SLITHER WINGS I HATE their deigns so much..... idk I just hate it BUT It's an Astrid Episode where she DID gave up her life for Stomrfly so nice bonding love to see (even tho she didn't need it and needed rescuing AGAIN lmfaoooo) 7/10

Season 6: (I'm not yet done with this Season lol so I'll just give the ones I liked so far) AND that's it, I WILL make a Season 6 review but so far it's mostly ok :3

NO BARK ALL BITE! god I CANNOT STRESS enough how much I ADORED this episode. It was a SUPER nice surprise given it's in SEASON 6 lol but STOICK AND HICCUP! just THEM. I think this might just be easily be ONE of the best in the entire series just because I LOVE how we get to see their different leading methods. Like I stated here, I ADORE to see Hiccup's chief like qualities and how they clash with Stoick's it was such a treat. Seeing them come together at the end and act like the two leaders they are is SOOO AHHHH MY ENTIRE HEART! 100/10

AND AS MUCH as I HATE the concept and existence of the Wingmaidens (and their weird ass designs UGH so uncanny).................. Chain of Command is a Snotlout episode where I think he shines the MOST out of all the series and I ADORE to see. Like, holy hell I knew Snotlout was amazing but watching this episode I was like HOW CAN HE GET ANY BETTER! His EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE!?!? His advice? His whole ass speech? Hic plan and his support towards Minden??? 9.9/10 omg... I adore you Snotlout you deserve all the praise.

EDIT: OK FORGET ABOUT CHAIN OF COMMAND I REALLY LOVED TRIPLE CROSS MORE! Fuck i think Viggo should've been used more these past 2 seasons and I wish we got to see more interactions with Hiccup and him after his "death" I'm sad this was the only and last one. We were ROBBED of Hiccup and Viggo being allies more ahh it was sucha treat watching them work together ahhhhhh I adoreu Viggo.

So yeah, I think I could put I liked more episodes in one season (2) than most of another but I wanted to be fair and do it per season :3

[raggedyflowers]

Op man reacting to you being mean to yourself

okay so… maybe this is a little self indulgent because i used to be so mean to myself and I wanted someone to be gentle with me (and now I’m my biggest fan, even if there still are some bad days!)

character: sanji, law x reader

cw: a little of angst, but mostly fluff

world count: 453

Sanji:

You were never good with the kitchen stuff, but Sanji asked you to help him and – really, you could never say no to him. Even if your boyfriend was guiding you and telling you what to do, you felt a little nervous about messing up all of his recipes. and then, maybe for the anxiety, you did really mixed up salt and sugar. “Y/n, wait —!” Sanji tried to stop you, but the mistake was already done. You looked at him and then at the plate now ruined. You shook your head “Sorry, Sanji” you cried. “I am so dumb”. Sanji looked at you for a moment and then he grabbed your hands. “Love, you are not dumb” he told you, fixing your hair behind your ear. “Do you know how many recipes I have ruined in the years? It’s not a big deal. So do not talk about your self like that, you are the greatest”. You nodded lowering your eyes for hiding him your tears. “Thank you, Sanji” you said shyly. “You are my perfect angel”.

Law:

It was so fascinating hearing Law talking about all the things he knew. He knew so much about so many things and even he was a little nerd, you loved him every more when he started rambling on about all the stuff he liked and he was interested in. It was already late night in the Polar Tang, but you couldn’t just go away, not when Law was talking you about the last book the read. You were smiling and – maybe – staring at him a little too much. Of course he noticed, stopping talking to look at you back. “What?” he asked you. “Nothing, Traffy” you smirked to him. “I was just thinking that… I don’t know, sometime I wish I was smart like you”. Law tilted his head. “Why you always say things like that?” he asked you again. “Like what?” you didn’t understand. “Like you think you’re not smart enough, or less smart than us”. You didn’t know what to say. You never noticed you do that. “I — I don’t know” you said. Law shook his head before grabbing your waist and making you sat on his laps. “You are so smart, y/n-ya. Maybe not in the same way as me, but in so many different ways”. You could just nod to him, trying not to actually cry in front of him. “You are so bright, I’d like you to see me the way a see you”. Now you were legit crying, so you hid your face in the crease of his neck. “Shout up, Traffy” you blabbed and he hugged you tighter.

[rapunzellovesbooks]

I just wonder why all the blame is constantly put on Luke? Since June 13th I have constantly seen the narrative of Luke being the superficial asshole who only cares about having the typical hot girl on his arm and who rejected Nicola and hurt her. Has anyone stopped and thought that maybe Nic is the one who hasn't wanted anything with him? Bc idk maybe I'm crazy but all I have ever seen is Nicola friend zoning Luke and him clearly lusting over her. I'm sorry but I just can't see Luke as a villain he's done nothing wrong. And I can say with my full chest that man would NEVER do anything intentionally to hurt Nicola. Nic's behavior has not given rejected woman, she has had nothing but kind things to say about him since that tour ended.

And not only her, but like everyone he has ever met. From Jess, the showrunner, to old theatre mates of his, to so many of the cast members, on page, on film. Johnny Bailey would certainly not say he loves Luke on camera and even comment on his posts (when he himself is very little on SM) if Luke was the asshole some people paint him out to be. Hell, Luke still follows his exs sister and she said she texted him before interviewing Johnny for Wicked.

It is again, self-projection of the worst kind. If Antonia was not thinner than Nicola (nothing wrong with that), this discussion would not be happening in this way, but it would still be happening. The same happened with Jade, they found things to hate about her too. No one knows the timing of shit, for all we know Nicola dated someone while filming too or after or who knows.

The only consistent thing is that Nicola and Luke love each other and are very close and there is actual proof of that going back to season one.

What irks me the most is the assasination of character. People then started to look for reasons Luke was bad based on Antonia being bad. Now, I do not know this girl and I have never even looked at her SM. But people started saying she is a zionist, she worked for MAGA, etc. There is legit no proof of any of that or, at least, everyone keeps shouting about it but there is never any actual evidence, only MAYBE that her parents did dubious things (again, not her).

There is no way in HELL that Luke would even be associated with someone that awful and still have been this lovely person all along. People do not change that quickly and, specially not him. You still have months after that day, Nicola and JB and other cast members praising him and liking and commenting on his posts. He keeps loving Netflix UK posts and sometimes even interacting with them.

It bugs me so much that people paint this girl to be the devil incarnate to then throw it in Lukes face. Cause then you have to throw it in the rest of his friends and co workers faces as well. It is a snowball and it makes absolutely no sense cause it aint real.

You do not have to like Antonia´s dancing or whatever. But to make up that big of a lie to justify your hate... just say you do not like her and move on. Cause all you do is then paint a horrible false picture of Luke and THAT does affect his career.

And, yes, how do you know that Luke rejected her? Cause Nicola would never reject him? What if no one rejected anyone?

In my opinion, there are feelings there but never outspoken. And, you know, I do think they are endgame and things take time. But to coax them into them is insane. They find themselves cute, like with the edits of their friendship and bond, but people take it too far.

I also think they have never spoken about it and tbh I´d much rather them be unhinged besties forever than get together at the wrong time and then break up and not be able to work with each other anymore. I just want my dumb Polin ship captains back.

And at the SAG Awards, I do hope they make an entrance to remember together cause all these people spiraling is bc you think there is some diff vibe between them when there is zero evidence of that.

Anyway, rant over. Haters gonna hate no matter what, but if you are, do it with actual proven facts.

[idontmindifuforgetme]

don’t know if you’ve already shared (or if you wouldn’t like to) but i’d love to hear about your resolutions and goals for this year!

Hi so sorry for how late this is!! I have quite a few!

Ins —

Being more decisive. Trusting myself w calling the shots. Just making a decision and sticking w it.

Financial literacy

More reading. Just more.

Attacking things I’m uncomfortable with instead of shying away from them.

More silence. I don’t need to have my earphones in all the time

More time w family!!! I need to put in as much effort to connect w them as I do w my friends

Green tea every night

More pictures. I have a serious problem of just not being incentivized to take any

More scientific literature for fun!!

Piggybacking off that point—making it instinctive to apply things I study to real life situations. This is a niche one but it just helps me process stuff faster and I just think it’s a super dope learning technique

Pushing myself harder. It’s just not my preference to be mediocre.

Nourishing myself w my own affirmations. Cutting out my need for other people’s validation

Educational documentaries

Making more of an effort to connect w my Arab heritage

Being my natural self. It’s okay if I’m not bubbly all the time. Sometimes I just want to chill

Whole foods

Less phone time (I say this every year but like I want 2024 to be the year I’m truly disconnected/using my phone in a healthy way)

Body oils!

More tennis dates w friends!

10k steps a day

Sticking religiously to my hour by hour schedule

Keeping promises to myself as ardently as I keep promises to others

Being more bold w fashion!!

Hitting the gym 5 days a week

Reading more literature in Arabic and French

Learning how to cook. I cannot live off Siggi’s for the rest of my life lol

Exploring more music genres

Learning the piano!!

No longer feeling guilty for withholding information. Privacy is not a bad thing.

Getting more and more independent!!

Becoming the friend I want to be. Other people need to show up as well, but I can’t hold people up to standards I myself can’t reach.

Outs —

Centralizing luxury brands. Thinking that price equates to quality. The fact of the matter is quality equates to quality. Price is irrelevant.

Relying on snap judgment responses to situations. I need to learn to wait at least 15 minutes. I can be impulsive asf

Jumpiness. Nervous energy. I just want to be more calm and controlled in how I carry myself. I want to exude self-assuredness

Checking my phone first thing in the morning!!

Drinking less than 3 liters of water a day

Being available all the fucking time. If someone has an issue w me for being busy, maybe they’re not someone I want in my life in the first place.

Being too forgiving. Not immediately allowing someone back into my life doesn’t make me a bitch. Immediately running to fix things w someone doesn’t make me selfless. Being the bigger person in situations where I was nowhere near in the wrong doesn’t make me mature. It’s just symptomatic of a lack of boundaries.

Consuming dumb shit in the name of “keeping up w pop culture.” I don’t care about celebrity controversy #7282727. I don’t care about celebrity selfie #827226. It doesn’t elevate my life in any way. I legit just don’t care. And this goes for real life gossip w friends too

Taking too long to text back!! A day is fine, but sometimes I take longer and I think that’s a shitty trait to have. I can absolutely afford to respond to people faster.

Too much chocolate!! I’m a sweet tooth but I must preserve my skin/overall health

Motivation over discipline. I need to be attuned to discipline always.

Control freak antics. I can’t control people. It’s not my responsibility. They’ll act how they act. All I can do is control my reaction to it

Rumination/unhealthy venting. When I’m done w something, I’m done w something.

Overcompensating for other people’s shortcomings. It’s not my responsibility to coddle others. It’s okay if something is too much for me.

Having no boundaries w others. People aren’t entitled to private information. It doesn’t make me deceptive to withhold things—it just makes me selective. People need to earn private details about me.

Curating things I like. I simply like what I like. It’s not that deep.

[babys-breath-and-blue-roses]

"Why are you selfshippers so uncomfortable with queer ships of your f/os but you never complain about the hetero ships of them" (actual post I saw bc ofc)

First of all that's not even true. Most of my complaining-about-ships posts are about a hetero ship I despise.

So there's that.

But second, specifically mlm ship enjoyers don't know how to fucking behave and I say this as someone who ships several mlm pairings.

The moment a mlm ship gets popular in the fandom and G-d forbid gets within thirty feet of being canon, the fandom becomes a nightmare. I saw it in EVERY fandom I have ever been in (at least it feels that way).

There's a pair of male characters. Almost always, both parties are white and conventionally masculine/attractive.

They can share one scene/less than that or they can have every interaction you'd expect from legit love interests, it doesn't matter, the result is the same.

The fandom crumbles.

Any other love interests/shippable characters are demonized or ignored. Pray for the safety of their fans, and pray harder if they/the characters are women or poc because you better believe that's playing a role in the degrading comments made about them.

Tagging systems? Forget about it. A post about them and only them will find its way into the tags of every other character, the show itself, and the tags for every sexuality you can imagine bc these bitches think everyone on earth needs to see their unoriginal post about their bland, sterilized interpretation of an already mediocre ship.

If you ship either of those characters with anyone else you had better hope they never learn you exist bc they'll never leave you alone about how homophobic it is not to ship Blorbo with Blarf or whoever.

If you selfship with one of these characters, you had better hope they never learn you exist bc they'll never leave you alone about how homophobic it is not to ship Blorbo with Blarf or whoever.

If you are focused on a woman, a character of color, a wlw ship, the plot itself, or have an interest in the source material that has nothing to do with that ship, you had better hope they never learn you exist bc they'll never leave you alone about how homophobic it is not to ship Blorbo with Blarf or whoever.

Anyone not on the most obnoxious bandwagon ever slowly gets harassed out, leaves to avoid getting harassed out, or eventually loses interest bc of that environment. Meaning the only people left are the assholes. It's an irritating self-fulfilling prophecy.

It never fucking ends.

You're not even safe if you actually like the fucking characters either, because they get mischaracterized to shit. Every mlm ship becomes "the smart/hot/whatever one and the dumb idiot twink" and it's boring.

But if you think that you had better hope they never learn you exist bc you get the point.

And not to be all "back in my day" bc I'm not actually older than these people and also I wasn't supposed to be online back then, but pre-2020 slash enjoyers had some manners. They used relevant tags, didn't use irrelevant ones, didn't make nuisances of themselves at every opportunity, and just generally behaved themselves.

The new fandom tourists (who also tend to be allergic to fandom etiquette in general) are the cause of this and they've enabled a new level of assholery.

I hate them, I really do.

You know who hasn't done that to me?

Mxf shippers in those same fandoms.

Maybe there's just less of them or they've been bullied into being super chill idk but they have generally minded their own fucking business.

And if you're reading this and going "but it's not all of them/what about x ship/you're being mean about it tho/mxf shippers can be assholes too/yeah well you ARE being homophobic by hating it when fans of gay ships act like clowns" then I hope for both our sanity's sake that you block me

[ijustreallylikecaptainamericaok]

Tbf St*'cky really is a dying ship. In the last few months I've seen several viral tweets dragging the ship. S*mbucky seems to be way more popular nowadays, especially among newer/younger fans. And I hate to say it because I used to enjoy the ship but a lot of S*mbuckies loathe Steve. They write fic about him being abusive, call him racist and accuse him of victim blaming Bucky and treating Sam unfairly. Some of them honestly believe he never loved Sam and Bucky, so I wouldn't be surprised if that confession was genuine.

In my experience the B*ckynat shippers are not as bad as the S*mbuckies, but I do remember when Cacw came out they called Steve toxic and a bad friend. At the end of day it's all just dumb ship wars and I wish people would just leave Steve alone.

Keep in mind that I spend the vast majority of my fandom time on Tumblr and AO3, so that could impact how I view a lot of this.

So.

I agree that S*mb*cky is the current hotness or whatever you want to call it, but I think there's a difference between St*cky no longer being the ship that's trendy (which does appear to be the case) vs St*cky being dead or dying. Given the sheer volume of St*cky that exists, I don't know how much it could realistically die off. It's basically a self-sustaining ecosystem at this point, even without much canon material to work with in recent years. Maybe I'm wrong there, but like, you don't get to 65k worth of fics without also garnering a hardcore fanbase that will keep the lights on once the fair-weather fans find the next shiny thing. Look at St*ny. That was the big thing back in 2012, so much so that even I knew about it and I wasn't in the MCU fandom yet. Is it the hot thing now? No, and it hasn't been in a while, but they're still chugging along as the second largest ship in the fandom. I don't know, man, but to me a lot of this death talk feels like a combination of recency bias and either insecurity (on the part of St*cky shippers*) or wishful thinking (on the part of St*cky haters.)

And yeah, I'm aware of the anti-Steve sentiment that runs through a lot of S*mb*cky. Apparently a lot of bitter St*ckies use the ship the way a lot of bitter St*nies use Ir*strange, which sucks for a whole lot of reasons. I genuinely feel bad for S*mb*cky and Ir*nstrange shippers who enjoy those dynamics for themselves and not for the Steve hatefest others have turned them into. It fucking sucks. But it's also part of why I have a hard time buying the whole "St*cky is dead" thing, because so much S*mb*cky is just St*cky wangst in disguise. I can't really say I'm surprised to hear that even B*ckynats get in on Steve hate sometimes. All these ships have the common denominator of attracting insufferable woobie stanbases, so they gotta make someone the villain to protect/defend their woobie from and unfortunately, that tends to be Steve. I'm completely with you on wishing they'd leave him out of their crap, but at this point, it says more about their fanbases and their faves that they apparently just cannot.

As for whether or not that confession was genuine, I fully admit that I've got my tinhat in place with parts of my commentary on it. Media literacy being what it is these days and in this fandom in particular, it is entirely possible that it was legit. However, I just can't shake the feeling that it was some sort of troll. The whole "They were never that close. Were they?" seems like such a red flag to me. Not that long ago I watched multiple St*ckies have total meltdowns at the correct assertion that Sam was Steve's best friend in the present and that after a certain point Steve and B*cky ceased to be close. So, again, tinhat theory, while I wouldn't be surprised if it was real, I also wouldn't be surprised if it was someone trying to stir up trouble by spouting nonsense they think non-St*ckies believe. Plus, it's got that trademark diminishing of any relationship that isn't the chosen ship that St*ckies looooove to engage in. So, yeah. Again, I could be completely off base here, but I had to put the idea out there since it was nagging at me.

Lastly, personally, I don't feel comfortable writing off all of the S*mb*cky vs St*cky animosity as ship war pettiness. Same goes for any St*ggy/St*ron vs St*cky animosity, too. That fandom's got a clear, obvious racism problem and misogyny problem and a refusal to stay in their own lane, so I don't blame anyone in those ships who has beef with St*cky/St*ckies.

[theghostbunnie]

Watching more sci-fi stuff recently and it's really funny/interesting how many shows just keep reusing the exact same conflict of "alien species is offended the human officer disrespected them in their culture" and I fear it ONLY actually makes sense in the thought process of: "This whole federation is about peace and respect and planets get highly researched to prevent this sort of thing and yet it seems my culture wasn't as thoughfully studied so you probably think we're less deserving than other species bc you didn't put in the same amount of effort"

Like I don't think I've ever heard a character just point out any obvious reason why they would make such a mistake, like..being literally from a different planet. Like never once "oh sorry, I grew up on earth it's different there"

Like they'll be an angry mob every other plotline over something or a trail or any level of scuffle or disagreement and there never seems to be a native alien to that location sticking up for them either that just goes "hey guys they're literally not from our planet why would they know that"

And maybe it'd be more interesting if the exact same scenario just had more..diversity? In reaction and responses?? Why is every species' social norm just to get upset and angry and threaten violence and why is every protagonists' response always either crude escalation or a really shallowly worded descalation narratively framed like professional level attempts.

Like supposedly high level ranking space officers of ship whateverthefuck have to speak like customer service workers to every last creature they encounter and don't get to ask for respect from anyone other than people in their same work.

Also yeah I'd get it if someone just accidentally said curses to your whole bloodline to die in space hell by sneezing in the wrong octave, bc you have some alien religion where you fully believe or that is actually going to happen if you don't undo it with some ritual but why is like the alien species equivalent of flipping the bird 🖕 always met with a death threat it just makes every other species look unintelligent and unempathetic. Is that intentiona???? Bc typically these shows will always have a message about "despite our differences we should all get along!! Except every other thing different from humans is going to fight you tooth and nail to let you do that and act really, really dumb and mean about it." Like is that intentional?? Is that the point?? Getting along with people even when it's hard to the point of next to no self advocacy what so ever?? Like that can't be it because sometimes they like legit kill some of those guys when the situation can't descalate.

And like again for shows that frequently have the exact opposite message it could sooooo easily be used for xenophobia propaganda but any time I see that exact same plot I literally cannot stop thinking humans are better about that sort of thing. All humans. Globally. I could literally go to any country and fuck up something the same amount as any of these characters and they would not run me out of the country unless I like, broke the entire great wall of China to dust. Like yeah, understandable.

But if someone came to America and somehow learned English so, so so so so so badly they accidentally said "Fuck you I hope you and your mother die" I'd be shocked, confused, upset of course but the second they go "OMG WAIT that's not what I meant to say 😬" at most I'd find it skeptical? Still weird? But I'm not threatening to kill them over it, and if like a whole entire public servant team of them was like "yes they didn't mean that, sorry!" I should probably be painted like the asshole if I still keep flipping tables and saying I'm going to planetary war over it.

Like that's the realistic reaction which I'm aware isn't entertaining to use. You know what else isn't entertaining? If the most EXTREME and angry reaction was the only thing they ever used. OH WAIT.

[horizon-verizon]

They are going to push this dumb Rhaenicent plot line to no end. Alicent is not even the queen anymore yet all the marketing pushing her as such. Her inconsistent writing makes her one of the goofiest characters on the show. So legit what is she even going to do this season ? Sulk, be sad, sulk, be sad, maybe make Blood & Cheese probaly more about her grief than Helaena ? She isn’t politically smart in the slightest no matter how much the actors try to make her seem she’s wiser than she actually is. Alicent spent years believing Rhaenyra is going to slaughter her children, she told them this as well. Now in season 2 is she going to be like “yeah so I started a civil but can you not kill each other even though I told you we are in danger for literally most of your lives ? I still want Aegon to be king b-but I want Rhaenyra to be fwend (she just needs to give up on her claim, her ambition, her sons, and her father’s wishes) I just want what’s best for everybody, I’m a good person”.

It's inconsistent bc they sacrificed a lot to create it & didn't replace what they took with somethings substantial and logical. So they fly by the seat of their pants & write contradictory, writing wise. Goes for everything else on this show, where they rely on spectacle, good acting, and people significantly looking at each other with a few good lines here and there. But also somehow manage to sometimes pale in comparison to the book version's lines.

I think that the show wrote so terribly that the impression of her motive being that she sincerely thought her kids were in danger was conveyed as her true motive. Whereas it was actually always her jealousy regarding Rhaenyra's comparative "freedoms" and her desire for Rhaenyra to subjugate herself to her. Without ambition for ambition's sake or that being her primary motive and then her jealousy coming from Rhaenyra's having been given that which her own father and house denies Alicent, Alicent is duller and less sensical. And they didn't replace the motive towards jealousy with something sensical but with Alicent's supposed love for Rhaenrya, which comes in direct conflict with her jealousy of her being happier flouting the rules she herself seeks to derive social graces, authority, etc. in exchanges for her personal "sacrifices" and suffering.

The intent of the writers was to present an Alicent who felt this motive underneath a sincerity to find righteousness without bk!Alicent's ambition and flagrant disregard for lives other than her own and her kids. Which means that there is a sprinkle of sympathy they wanted the audience to feel for her AND say that she is a responsible--partly--for a terrible war. To make her less intimidating or seemingly threatening, at least seriously, they removed her political contemplation--or just her ability to use deductive reasoning--and made it more, once again, "doing the right thing", whatever word is for that sort of rule-following sincerity. In both show her/bk!her, there is a certain lack of self-awareness. Because for you to deny some basic customs to reinforce other customs that suit your desires and to then paint that as your "doing the will" of some higher principle which is itself the thing that oppresses you needs the separation from reality.

So at the core, HotD was going off the cool potential bk!Alicent already had, in particular episode 6-7. But Rhaenicent doesn't make any sense bc these two personalities together and staying friends for a long period of time--esp "best" friends-- just didn't make any sense. Yes, even with young Alicent. Esp without showing us how it came to be or how they became attracted to each other above all other possible candidates. Which is why there are no ladies in waiting, for example.

Alicent is void of something I can't really put my finger on but it prevents people from taking her seriously other than to self-insert or to sigh dreamily over. You can ship people all you like, like people shipping Rhaena with Aemond or Aegon with Daemon. But for goodness sakes', don't try to make such ships where you need to destroy a character canon and expect people to totally jive with the claim that it is possible without jeopardizing the entire story!

[qpjianghu]

Just finished the cdrama PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE and my god what absolute delectable chaos. I understood none of the plot but the vibes were impeccable. HIGHLIGHTS:

Takes chaotic bisexuals taken to a hitherto unseen level of lunacy

Lead characters with such staggering levels of self-destructive tendencies that it boggles the soul. My main man Li Wu, traumatized orphan lying liar who lies, just wants to Be Bi and Do Crimes but inadvertantly gets roped into joining the secret police, gets embroiled in a conspiracy, yada yada yada, suddenly he's devoted his whole life to this one guy Lu Zheng, to the extent that he rises through the ranks and alternatively supports and sabotages the whole freakin' empire just to KEEP THE GUY SAFE (???)

Fucked up found families!! you love to see it!!

I can count on one hand the number of m/f ships I love, but this show has such a delightful pairing. Their meet-cute is her (badass assassin ninja Shu Tang) casually walking around trying to figure out where to hide his body while he (lying liar who lies Li Wu) pathetically pleads for his life. At some point she wakes up piss-drunk in a brothel surrounded by like 20 other ladies. No further explanation given.

Shu Tang: "I can't marry you because I have too much shit to do." Mad respect, girl. Go finish up your murders, sweetie.

They end up fake dating to real dating!!! Or more accurately fake dating to ruthlessly divorced, to confused pining, to

Back to the two male leads. How do I even. There are no words to describe their relationship. I can't even justifiably say it's queer coded because they are not so much devoted to each other as utterly and completely unhinged about each other. Every time meet up they either flirt so dizzyingly even THEY lose track of the plot or they get violently and messily divorced. Or both!!! Then in the next scene they're dying for each other. Li Wu cuts off the fingers of like 38 people just to ensure that Lu Zheng.... look I honestly don't even know how the logic tracks but it was fuckin' nuts. Then at some point Li Wu devotes his whole life to making Lu Zheng hates him because he thinks he deserves the brunt of all of Lu Zheng's anger and pain and rage??? babygirl alert

At some point another character just screams at them to kiss and make up, and they're both like No. I hate him. I would die for him. Fuck off.

HE HOLDS HIS HAND WHILE SHOWING HIM HOW TO WRITE THEIR VOWS TO EACH OTHER I CAN'T MAKE THIS UP

So much crying <3 <3 <3

Lotsa stabbing <3 <3 <3

HE IS BABY

SUCH BABY

homies, w h a t

STOP MAKING HIM CRY (keep making him cry)

(I need to gif this scene, he just caresses his chest for like 5 whole seconds)

Bro what if we wrote our catchphrase of devotion on a lantern together and we were both boys

Maybe I should have had more knowledge of what went down in the 25th year of the Emperor Hongwu but I had zero clue what was flying most of the time or why anyone was doing what they were doing or why that random white dude with the terrible haircut showed up but I blame a lot of it on the terrible subtitles, which I honestly suspect were just fucking with me most of the time??

At some point a key character is kidnapped and we legit just never find out what happened to him (OR MAYBE I'M DUMB AND MISSED IT)

Realtalk though, some of the whiplash was probably intentional in the sense that the show devastatingly presents a time and place in which imperial edict was the rule of law and everyone underneath was ruthlessly subjected to higher powers beyond their control. That sense of utter chaos and helplessness was beautifully and brutally portrayed.

You can also still catch me lying in fetal position on the floor because of lines like "I'm not a good person or a hero but I tried to be a good father" and "Do you know why they cut a condemned person's neck? If they cut on bone, the blade will be destroyed" and love declarations like "If it weren't for all this I'd like to just sit and watch the sunset with you" and “I was happy every day before I met you”

The costumes. The aesthetics. The cinematography. The fire motif. CHEF'S KISS.

I have yet to watch a cdrama (or kdrama for that matter) where the music didn't rock my socks off, and this one's no exception. The bromance theme is an absolute goddamn banger and the m/f duet ending theme slays every time.

handssssss

(Anyway, gonna go queue a bunch of reblogs and then go back to crying over Mysterious Lotus Casebook for the rest of my life, probably)

Okay I saved this for the end so I can slap a ****SPOILER WARNING**** here first, though it doesn't actually give away any plot details or anything (because, again, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS HAPPENING MOST OF THE TIME), but this is LITERALLY the last shot of the series:

GOD. WHAT. A CHOICE. ASHDFOIAHSIODH.

[rapunzellovesbooks]

maybe it's me who just noticed this but I feel some of who sending hate are mostly mad that L is dating a skinny girl or like the opposite of N body type because many jakolas who were hardcore lukola quickly turned on him & first stuff they said to excuse the hate they been spread was "they think he is dating A to mock N body" "he rejected N & dated a skinny girl instead" "how they think he embarrassed N by dating someone who isn't fat" ( I have many screenshots of people saying this crap ) Like it's clear some people built this fantasy by projecting onto N that she was big & that a guy like L is secretly dating her so when that idea shattered to them & saw who he was dating they projected more onto N by building this idea that L rejected her because of her body & that he chose to date a skinny woman intentionally to humiliate N basically self inserting onto N & projecting their past rejections on her when we all know that none of these made up stories happened I'm a plus sized woman btw my weight is 100kg so no one twist my words

I have always said this, if A was not smaller than Nicola, folks would not have freaked out like they did. In what world is Luke body shaming anyone, specially Nicola?!! Looking at his exes he legit has no type. Also it is so horrible to think that way about Nicola too… like oh, of course a man would reject her. Wtf

People are so dumb. That man adores Nicola, regardless of romantic feelings. Every person can see that.

[minsu-the-cowardly-human]

Rewatched the first episode of The New Norm and it is so legimately sad how little they acknowledge the lore in the new episodes.

Like Chaz being state mandated, Norm working at the trophy shop, Charlie being his boss, Charlie having a trans daughter, hell even just Chloe liking Chaz. I know they're focusing on current political issues but I want my 4 hour long video essay with deep lore and characters damn it! /j

Nah but fr I legit do hope if they do more with the show they actually explore the whole woke government cult angle that they're going at. Even if it's dumb to suggest that in the real world, from a story telling stance it is interesting. I think it would be funny for either Norm to get Chaz conservative for an episode(& Chloe encourages them to be liberal again) or Chaz getting Norm to be liberal for an episode(& Charlie encouraging him to be conservative again).

I am too invested in this stupid ass show lol. Also I mightttt draw self ship art with Chaz maybee cuz they purrty (/gender neutral). Oh this is random but I did ask under I think the most recent episode or Electile Dsyfunction I asked for offical ages, so maybe they'll respond! It would be nice to know, cuz it's kinda hard to tell for Chaz n Chloe.

Also the wife's name is not Alice..it's Janice I uh forgot lol

[pesterloglog]

Jade Harley, Roxy Lalonde

Act 6, page 6291-6297

JADE: excuse me but did you just "laugh your ass off" at me under your breath

ROXY: ummm

ROXY: yea

ROXY: maybe

JADE: :|

JADE: i fail to see what is so amusing

ROXY: u do

ROXY: seriously?

JADE: .....

JADE: ok i guess the situation is a little funny because of this absurd folder

JADE: and the fact that i woofed at you probably didnt help either

JADE: but im not here to share a good laugh over the old ladys sense of design or her penchant for scrapbooking!

JADE: i am here to make sure that you do as youre told

ROXY: ugh

JADE: now take the file and review your assignment

ROXY: i already looked at it

ROXY: its dumb and impossible and i aint cooperating w her regardless!

JADE: yes you will

ROXY: can we change the subject

JADE: no

ROXY: arent you jakes grandma

JADE: thats what he told me when we were pen pals

JADE: but i think its more accurate to say im his alternate universe biological daughter

ROXY: oh

ROXY: that clears that up then

JADE: yes, it does :p

JADE: now take the damn folder

ROXY: so alt grannydaughter english

ROXY: whyre u part dog + evil lookin

JADE: DO NOT CALL ME THAT!!!

ROXY: what

JADE: my surname is harley not english

JADE: but you may refer to me as jade, or ma'am if you are feeling especially nervous and deferential

JADE: which as it turns out is the way you should be feeling about me, ALWAYS >:B

ROXY: LOL!!!

JADE: lol WHAT

ROXY: jade i am in no way buying that ur normally this pompous and tyrannical

ROXY: the shtick rly doesnt suit you its so obvious

ROXY: why you doin the batterhags tacky bidding anyway

ROXY: she got you under an xtra terrestrial fish spell or

JADE: SILENCE!!!!!!

ROXY: OOF!

JADE: open the file

ROXY: mrphmmphumph

JADE: OPEN IT!

ROXY: fine :(

ROXY: ok i opened it

ROXY: hey look its the same shit as before

ROXY: im supposed to make this weird knobbly spike ball appear out of nothin

JADE: yes

ROXY: ok got it

ROXY: let me give it a shot then

ROXY: ...

ROXY: welp still impossible

ROXY: what now maam??

JADE: it is not impossible

ROXY: is 2

JADE: you are the rogue of void

JADE: dont you know what that means?

ROXY: i dunno

ROXY: means i can turn invisible and stuff?

ROXY: like the blonde in that crappy superhero quartet

JADE: it means a lot more than that

JADE: your true powers are more impressive than those of anyone else in your crappy quartet

JADE: in fact i would say they are almost as cool as mine >:)

ROXY: not sure the ability to make weird spikeballs outta nothin is all that cool tbh

JADE: not just spikeballs!

JADE: imagine that your title is roughly synonymous with "one who steals nothing"

JADE: what do you think it means to be able to steal nothing?

ROXY: it means

ROXY: im like a shitty cat burglar who sucks at her job?

JADE: WRONG

JADE: it means just the opposite

JADE: it means you can steal the essence of nothingness from something

JADE: you can rob nothingness from an idea if you put your mind to it

JADE: effectively allowing you to conjure virtually anything out of thin air

ROXY: omg

ROXY: u cant be serious

ROXY: that is way too much superpower 4 a dork like me 2 have

JADE: grrrrr...

ROXY: oh no

ROXY: pls dont growl @ me dogjade

ROXY: is legit frightening :(

JADE: im sorry, but your remarks of self deprecation made me very angry

JADE: once i was even more of a dork than you

JADE: but now i am one of the most powerful beings who has ever existed

JADE: i dont want to hear any whining about what you think you cant do

JADE: you are hereby under strict orders from myself and her condescension to "clam up" and conjure that orb, do you understand?

ROXY: so im just supposed to

ROXY: sit here and think about this ugly ball

ROXY: and twiddle my fingers or somethin

ROXY: ?

JADE: you tell me

JADE: space is my racket, not void

ROXY: maybe it would help if i knew what the dang thing WAS

ROXY: how am i supposed to steal the nonexistence from a concept when the concept only exists in my mind as "ugly ball"

JADE: its called the matriorb

JADE: it is the key to resurrecting the troll race

JADE: once you create it the empress will hatch it on an uninhabited planet located beyond the reach of her cruel employer

JADE: there her people will have another chance to thrive without the ever looming threat of extinction that comes with his influence

JADE: so you see roxy, there is nothing noble about refusing to help

JADE: once an entire alien race went extinct because of a terrible monster, and you can help give them a second chance

JADE: dont you want that?

ROXY: um

ROXY: in theory sure i guess

ROXY: but ur basically asking me to bring a lot of people back to life so they can be slaves to that witch

ROXY: u want me to help make all these fresh new trolls but then just turn em over to her? like here you go have fun SNORKELBITCH MEGAHITLER

ROXY: i do not actually think i wanna do that??

JADE: yes fair enough, but heres the other thing...

JADE: if you dont i am going to kill you

ROXY: oh noes

JADE: oh yesses!

JADE: a literal plurality of yesses

JADE: seeing as you are a god tier it is very likely you will come back to life

JADE: so i can just keep killing you over and over a different way each time

JADE: maybe i will disembowel you a few times

JADE: i will not even need to use my sharp doggy teeth!

JADE: i will just snap my fingers and your delicious guts will teleport outside your body

ROXY: ew!

JADE: no way more like yum

JADE: i will just keep on killing you again and again

JADE: until you finally get tired of dying and follow your orders

ROXY: maaan

ROXY: evil jade is sucky jade

JADE: i believe you will find i am the suckiest jade there is

JADE: now we are going to be here in this cell for as long as it takes

JADE: i am not going anywhere until you try doing your voidey thing and make something appear

JADE: is that understood?

ROXY: blehhhh

ROXY: fine

ROXY: why u gotta be so awful jade

ROXY: really putting a cramp on us makin choice new friends w each other

ROXY: oh well here goes

ROXY: all twiddlin my fingers and such

ROXY: busting out tha MAJYYXXX! prayin up a storm to the holy wizardchrist they aint fake...

ROXY: alright check it

ROXY: one jank ass space egg coming up

ROXY: ABRACA HAPPEN!

ROXY: this is not a space egg

JADE: no, its not

ROXY: balls

ROXY: guess i effed up my void spell

ROXY: what is this thing

JADE: thats a perfectly generic object

ROXY: its perfectly generic?

JADE: yes

ROXY: dunno about that

ROXY: looks like a green cube to me

ROXY: with like

ROXY: slightly beveled corners

JADE: thats what a perfectly generic object is

ROXY: couldnt something theoretically be more generic than this

JADE: how

ROXY: um

ROXY: i dunno

JADE: exactly

ROXY: :\

JADE: if you want your powers to reach their full potential youre going to need to become more familiar with the fundamental building blocks of ideas and how they translate into more complicated thoughts and forms

JADE: then it becomes a simple matter of using your abilities to snatch those concepts from unreality

ROXY: sounds too hard

ROXY: better start killing me repeatedly and get it over with

JADE: we both know you dont think its too hard, you think it sounds like an interesting challenge

ROXY: dammit!

ROXY: (fucken jakes wily bitch ass grandma)

JADE: this is a very good start though

JADE: with a little practice im sure our empress will have her orb in no time

ROXY: well at least i know i can make a whole lot of these boring cubes if all else fails

ROXY: hey maybe ill build a sick fort outta them

ROXY: hehehe jade tell me that wouldnt be so baller

JADE: it would be fairly baller

ROXY: fyeah

JADE: keep trying for that orb though

JADE: i will return in a while to review your progress

JADE: and remember, dont get any funny ideas

ROXY: but p much all my ideas are funny

JADE: i mean dont try to escape!

JADE: even if you are invisible i will be able to track you down instantly

JADE: my sense of smell is very good

JADE: now if youll excuse me i have some business to attend to

ROXY: what business

JADE: i am still trying to locate my brother

JADE: but im having trouble picking up his scent

JADE: hes using his windy powers to obscure the trail and its giving me fits

ROXY: windy powers eh

ROXY: who is your bro?

JADE: woof!!!

JADE: i mean shoosh :x

JADE: that is enough questions from you

JADE: now i believe you have a space egg to conjure

ROXY: (mumble mumble egg mumble shove it grumble)

JADE: what?

ROXY: (mumble mutter my fat ass)

JADE: farewell roxy

[javierpena-inatacvest]

Surprise self-rec time!!🩵Pick 3 things you’ve written that you are most proud of/were the most challenging to write and share them here, then if you’re so inclined (no pressure) put this in the inbox (anonymously or not) of your fellow writers to spread the positivity and help celebrate everyone’s hard work

Hi friend!!! This is such a sweet idea!! 🥹💛

Whatever My Wife Wants- This blew up in a way that I would have never expected in a thousand years, and it's still very surreal there are so many people who took time out of their day to read a silly little story I wrote and show it show much love. I remember when I first posted it, I saw a tik tok and a twitter post that someone was recommending this fic to literal strangers on the internet, and I remember showing my husband and being like, "am I ✨a famous author✨ now?" (This is completely a joke, I know notes have nothing to do with the quality of writing produced, it was just a cool moment 🥹)

Maybe, Baby? - This was my second Frankie fic that I had written and I just have a really soft spot for this story. I think Frankie is just the sweetest and softest man to ever exist, and thinking about him and how excited he would be to find out you're pregnant (even if it was a surprise) makes me want to melt into a million pieces. I really love the dialogue in this one and it still makes me smile when I read it 🥺

It's Never Too Late- I know y'all are probably sick of hearing about this one, but it seems unfair to not put in the one that started it all. This story means so much to me- It's the first thing I had literally ever written, and the fact there are so many people who have become invested in this dumb little idea I had and followed along on my journey of writing this series honestly makes me emotional. I don't think there will ever be words to describe how grateful to anyone who has read this story, let alone give it the love that they have. I appreciate so much 😭 Also I promise I will finish this series, I am so sorry that it legit has taken a million years (whoops lmao)

Thanks for sending this, sorry it's a million years late, I do such a bad job of clearing out my inbox 😭

[tobiasdrake]

The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan, Episode 12 - The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan, Part 2

This arc has me besides myself in fear and anxiety and anticipation and dread and eagerness and and and and

I always thought Original Flavor Yuki's awkward alien tippy-toe run was a funny character quirk of hers. Here, Factory Settings transcends it into straight-up levitation. Yuki has become a ghostly specter who haunts the concept of literature itself.

(It's funny 'cause this is clearly hyperbolic shorthand for Yuki being entranced into hyperfocus by the library. Using the language of animation to convey that she's been pulled in by the allure of nearby literature and shut out the world. While the tippy-toe run is more literally meant as a silly character quirk.)

Kyon.

Kyon.

Your cute "How We Met" story is about helping her get a library card.

Nice to see he's as bad at following the plot in this reality as he is in the prime reality.

Wait, is THIS going to be the show's version of the Yuki Library Card anecdote? Did it. Has that not happened in this continuity yet? I legit can't remember if it has or not. I think I'm getting my wires crossed.

Right. Because. Like. In Movie Disappearance, Kyon wasn't a member of the Literature Club. He met Yuki in passing at the library just the one time.

I've been assuming that was still how they met in the show. But. Maybe their first meeting was the day Yuki asked him to join the Literature Club? And the library card event is happening right now?

Still appreciate that Factory Settings is developing more personality over time. She's very similar to Original Yuki, much moreso than Escapist Yuki, but she's nonetheless a lot more outwardly emotional all the same. Original Yuki would express a similar sentiment but she wouldn't be caught dead making that face.

Yep, this is the library card event. A universal const--

SORCERY! I CALL SORCERY! THIS IS--

*heavy exhale*

OKAY SO I'M NOT GOING CRAZY

It is Kyon who sucks at following the plot, not me. I thought so. Okay. Whew. That was throwing me.

And there's the actual event. Man, it's nice to see Escapist Yuki again, even if just for a bit.

Can't believe I let Kyon gaslight me. This man is so dumb that his dumbness came full circle and had me questioning my own comprehension of the plot.

Factory Settings in third person watching Escapist Yuki's memory unfold is a beautiful visual representation of her relationship to those memories. She's said that she doesn't feel like those memories or feelings or etc. are hers and this shot of her as an external third party visualizes that through the language of animation.

Similarly, that it took so long for her to remember that she has Escapist Yuki's library card with her is another subtle demonstration of her disconnect with Escapist Yuki's life. She didn't remember that she's done The Scene with Kyon already because, in a meaningful sense, she hasn't.

This scene, this right here, was her version of The Scene. A version that she never got to finish. It was sharply interrupted by the callous reminder that she is an imposter, dressed in the life of a different version of her. That the Yuki that belongs here already did it.

TUG ON MY HEARTSTRINGS SOME MORE WHY DON'T YOU

Factory Settings validating my suspicion that Yuki's essentially catatonic right now. She created Escapist Yuki to be her ideal self in her ideal world. With Escapist Yuki unconscious, she seems to be stuck in a sort of between-state.

Like. She lacks the memory and knowledge required to be her player but she's also lost the personality and emotional range of her character so she's just. Trapped. In the middle. And it's terrifying because she doesn't even have the context to remember that she wanted to be this other Yuki in the first place.

She's Rebellion Story Madoka going, "I can't possibly imagine any scenario where I would leave all of my friends behind and become God. That is not a choice that I would ever make. 0/10 Would Not Happen."

Staring down the existential barrel of being once again subsumed by decisions she can't comprehend that she made in the first place.

Her glasses from the car crash are fixed but she refuses to wear them, instead sticking with the backup pair. Because those aren't truly 'her' glasses, they're Escapist Yuki's glasses. Factory Settings has only ever worn the backup pair. The ones on her face right now, those are 'her' glasses.

My fucking heart.

(That the most visible distinction between them is Factory Settings has a black frame while Escapist Yuki has a white frame isn't lost on me either. Another subtle jab at Factory Settings being the "imposter". She's wearing the Bad Guy glasses. She's the piece that does not fit.)

Um. Yes? What did you think her awakening would mean? A pitched battle in the heart of your soul over who will be the True Yuki? Logically, as Escapist's personality starts to reawaken, Factory Settings will gradually meld into her until she's fully back to "normal".

Yuki's playing the Itsuki card and explaining the plot in great detail but it's the same stuff that's already been conveyed visually. Little by little, Escapist Yuki's identity is going to reassert itself over Factory Settings because they aren't different people.

They're separate personas of a single consciousness, rather than separate consciousnesses. Like when you stop playing your Mass Effect character and switch over to playing your Stardew Valley character.

This is specifically what makes the plight of Factory Settings so compelling. Because she is just a different face. In a sense, she won't exist anymore when Escapist returns. And yet she will still exist; She'll just be different.

The same way Original Yuki still exists, behind the face of Escapist Yuki. (And, in fact, her continuing to exist is precisely how Factory Settings came to be in the first place.)

I love how it's ambiguous whether Factory Settings is developing feelings for Kyon because Escapist Yuki is waking up....

...or if it's that she sees the same qualities in him that Escapist fell in love with. At their core, they are the same person, after all. It makes sense that they'd share the same taste in men.

Technically so is Original Flavor but she's a space robot and also her Kyon sucks so that's two reasons why this never happened to her. Factory Settings may be closer in personality but she nonetheless exists in a very different context from Original Flavor.

She pushed the glasses case to the farthest side of her table as she could.

She is afraid of those glasses.

OH HI THERE ORIGINAL FLAVOR WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT YOU

Factory Settings over here so focused on herself and Escapist Yuki that she doesn't even question Jake Lockley's sarcophagus over there behind her.

Nice reframing of not only the title of the arc but, in a sense, the show as a whole. This entire series up to this point has featured the Yuki we know subsumed within Escapist Yuki.

In Disappearance of Haruhi, the titular "disappearance" was Haruhi's physical vanishing from North High. But Disappearance of Yuki refers to the vanishing of identity. Factory Settings brings that into the spotlight, effectively pointing to it and going, "Hey! Let's talk about this!"

Very interested to see where they're going with this in part 3.