#my theory is on other places they mainly make them ironically

[parme-san]

when i got all my music recommendations from instagram fancams of various blorbos i straight up think i had more fun listening to music

[ryuichirou]

How do you imagine the Scott Pilgrim characters interacted with the twst characters?

Anon, this is such an interesting but complicated question, and I, as always, took it way too seriously lol Both TWST and Scott Pilgrim have so many iconic characters, but it would be impossible to talk about every possible combination. So you know what, I’ll go through the cast of Scott Pilgrim, since it’s a bit smaller… Although I did ended up missing a bunch of them anyway because I didn’t have anything to say or because I simply forgot about them lol

Also, while the image of the characters in my head is all over the place right now with 3 different versions of the story, I’m mainly thinking about the anime version.

Alright, sooo.

The easiest one to talk about is unsurprisingly Wallace lol We like to joke about him enjoying his time at the Mostro Lounge and being a regular customer there. He is loved by the staff and especially by the Tweels and Azul, because he pays well, knows a lot about cocktails, doesn’t bother anyone (he could’ve if he wanted to, but the place is chill, so he behaves even when he gets drunk… just don’t tell anyone that the Lounge has alcoholic beverages now lol). They love him so much that whenever he visits they prepare his favourite spot at the bar for him. They love him so much that they named a cocktail after him lol They also love to gossip- I mean, exchange information with him (there is a sketch on our ko-fi with Wallace at the Lounge…)

Wallace would also probably enjoy spending time with Lilia, I feel like these two are quite a dangerous mix. Are they going to tease someone together or flirt with each other aggressively and end up having sex for some reason? Both, but the order is unpredictable.

But ironically, when it comes to romance and stuff though, I feel like out of all the twst guys the one that’s closer to Wallace’s type is Trey. Trey is such a Jimmy it hurts.

Now, Scott… I look at him and my mind is blank, I feel like he would just be freaked out by everything that’s going on, because this whole thing is too harry-pottery and weird; I can’t really imagine him befriending someone or someone being interested enough in him to even hang out… but at the same time, I feel like Scott will end up fighting all the housewardens for whatever reason. He’ll have more luck with some of them (Riddle, Kalim who didn’t even want to fight) than with the others (Vil, for example), but ultimately everyone wouldn’t know why this fight is happening. Ramona certainly doesn’t know – she is too busy hanging out with the first years, asking them questions about this world. A part of me wants to say that someone would get a crush on her, but these boys are too gay for that…

Stephen would find himself in the light music club, being bullied by the club members (mostly Lilia). They tease him, they torture him by not telling if his music sucks or not… Playing with them is unusual, because his own band’s energy is quite different, but it’s fun overall. If only they didn’t bully him like that..!

Kim is at the light music club too, quietly wishing to disappear and not witness this clownery. But unfortunately for her, Kalim would try to talk to her and just wouldn’t shut up. He just feels like since she seems so quiet and upset (angry??), maybe he could cheer her up by talking about the drums and stuff. In general, he only makes it worse, but surprisingly talking to someone so genuinely good-natured would be a refreshing change.

Matthew is a theatre kid, so sticking him to the Pomefiore people sounds fair in theory (and he would’ve definitely have a delightful conversation about music theatre with either/both Rook and Vil), but I feel like Kalim would’ve invited him to hang out… which means that Matthew is Jamil’s problem now. At least Jamil expected him to be a problem, but he was actually much less obnoxious that Jamil expected him to be, so it was a nice “huh” moment.

Lucas… he is such a Savannaclaw bro, and yet for the most part I can picture him surrounded by the first years, especially Epel lol Oh how much Epel would love him. He would really want to learn some skateboard tricks, and Ace and Deuce too… But I don’t think Lucas is really interested in teaching them, he just flexes for the most part lol

Oh, Cater skateboards right?? That’s perfect, considering he would also try to hunt Lucas down to take a picture with him, but probably wouldn’t succeed for some reason: Cater isn’t really lucky. Floyd would also be around (because Azul sent him to stalk big celebrity that arrived at their school for some reason) but wouldn’t get all the hype. He would be very into the whole skateboarding thing though, he’ll absolutely try to steal Lucas’ board to try it himself. Which means they’re going to fight and Epel is going to watch in awe…

Todd and Envy would also be stalked by a) Cater (he really wants his damn picture); b) one of the tweels (it’s Jade this time). Cater wouldn’t succeed again, this poor guy, but Jade is just unnoticeable and quiet enough to hang around creepily and learn some info for Azul. He also would invite them to the lounge at some point.

I feel like the only company in the NRC that wouldn’t drive Envy insane would be Vil or Jamil, so anyone who isn’t completely obnoxious and is bitchy enough to complain about petty stuff with. And since Jamil is a bit more secretive about his pettiness, Vil probably works better. Showbiz sucks, and certain annoying people from their lives also suck, so…

Todd would have an absolute journey. He could start by hanging out with Envy and Vil, but then, despite loving him to death and all, Envy would politely ask Todd to please go hang around somewhere else for like 20 minutes. Maybe it’s because Vil wouldn’t be impressed with the vegan talk at all… if only Vil knew the science.

It’s honestly surprising just how difficult it is to think about what Todd could’ve done: Todd works in mysterious ways. He doesn’t casually flex as much as Lucas, but he still might end up having a fight with someone. And knowing Todd’s luck, he might do it with someone who is also good at teleportation, which means… Todd, please don’t be stupid, don’t fight Malleus—This is such a stupid combo but also?? Would Malleus be amused by this foolish man? He might be.

But then at some point he’ll also end up at Mostro Lounge and see Wallace… and Azul would have to think about whether he wants to kick them out (he would’ve if it was anyone other than Wallace) or offer them a nice private room at his dorm. Maybe Azul should consider this as some new business model? Because with these two it worked surprisingly well lol

(Todd would definitely miss the opportunity to show-off his bass-playing skills :( too bad, I would’ve watch him duel both Lilia and Jade)

Julie would fucking hate NRC but at the same time she would instantly figure out who the most important and influential people are in here. So, she’d skip Heartslabyul (after kind of befriending Cater for mutual beneficial reasons), skip Savanaclaw (they have a prince, but he isn’t motivated enough to be useful), befriend the Octa-trio (yay more gossip and bitchiness!), befriend Kalim and probably annoy Jamil by this ‘cause parties, she would try her best to befriend Vil, skip Ignihyde (great, more nerds and virgins) aaand she would really want to get closer to Malleus but couldn’t, but she would still manage to befriend Lilia somehow. This girls works the hardest.

Roxie has nothing to catch at the NRC but at the same time she hangs out with dumb boys with anger issues all the time so maybe this is actually quite natural to her lol but she would still hate it and complain about  this stupid place having no girlies. She’ll definitely kick a lot of ass just out of frustration, but then somehow end up befriending someone very random like Jack for example. I guess she would consider him to be the least annoying, but even then it’s not much of a friendship, they just happened to be at the same place.

Or you know what? Get her to Diasomnia, let train with Sebek and Silver. She would be so annoyed with their dynamic, it would be priceless.

The twins would just go straight to Ignihyde and hang out with Ortho. They would really want to see Idia and discuss robo-mechanics with him, but Idia refuses to go out of his room because just hearing that “there are twins who want to see you” is too terrifying...

And Gideon and Azul are almost the same person, so it they would either join forces (while also planning to backstab each other at some point) or compete with each other openly. The first option works better I think lol And unfortunately, they’ll likely learn a lot from each other.

[myinnerartist]

Meet The Artist & Blog Introductory!

Hi there, welcome to my blog! 👋

My name is Loading-Artist, but you can call me Load! I hope you enjoy what this blog has to offer!

A bit about this blog;

This blog is one of my many side blogs. This one is specifically tailor-made for My Inner Demons, where I'll be reblogging other people's MID related posts & art, and where I'll be posting about My Overhaul/Reimagining of MID!

You can find the MASTERLIST to my Overhaul/Reimagining here! -> [...link isn't ready yet...]

Rules for this blog;

Jumping right into it, starting off with more of a WARNING;

My Overhaul/Reimagining puts a more serious-toned spin on MID, and therefore explores heavier topics/tones that may be uncomfortable for some individuals.

(I will ensure that any posts regarding these heavier topics/tones are tagged appropriately and are spoilered however!)

There also might be some posts that may be suggestive, but nothing explicit! (They will also be tagged appropriately and spoilered)

!THIS IS A NSFW-FREE BLOG!

!!Pls do not Repost my art!! (!!Especially anywhere else!!)

I do not consent to my art being posted anywhere else or reposted at all. If you wish to use my art for pfps or other things, please ask for my permission! If you use my art without permission or repost it, you will be reported and blocked!

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This goes for using my characters &/or art for Character!AI, too.

!Reblogs are appreciated!

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My Pronouns;

He||They||She (I'm fine with any pronouns but prefer he/him!)

My Birthday;

August 15th! 🎉🥞

Other bits n’ pieces;

My Fav color; Purple! & my fav color combo is ironically Blue/Purple/Pink… along with the accent Honey Gold 💛✨️

My Fav Aesthetic is ✨️🔮Stars🔮✨️

I have ADHD & Autism, and I'm AroAce! (Heavy emphasis on Ace) I'm also an Artist…

That means I'm an A’A’A’A’A!

• MY POWER GROWS,

MUAHAHAHA!

Important Info;

Pls forgive me if it takes me a while to respond or at all to your DMs or asks! I have really bad social anxiety, so talking to new people I'm unfamiliar with can be really difficult! I'm also really forgetful…

I'm also going through a really rough time in life right now, so I may be busy and/or may be on small-hiatuses. I apologize! 🙇

Tumblr is where I mainly post, I'm debating on Twitter… and I downright refuse Instagram! I will NEVER post to Instagram or even make an account!

If you want to check out any of my other art or projects, then here's the link to my main art blog! [Insert link]

(Oh? Where's the link? Uh… my art blog isn't ready yet. But when it is, I'll link it!)

I don't do commissions due to several reasons; most being personal. But hopefully, one day in the future, when I'm ready.

Are you interested in a place to hangout that's made for any and all MID fans? To connect with others with similar interests? To share your theories, headcanons, ships, and even your own rewrites?

(Said place where you'll get your own two designated channels for your art and writing within the Artist Alley? (If you want them ofc, just ask!))

Well you're in luck! Let me introduce to you;

We hope you enjoy your stay if you choose to join! ^^

[eriksyoudumby]

i was gonna talk about adm as a whole but my brain went KEROSENE BRRRRRRRRRRRRR so here we are

*assumptions about stuff: Misha is not human, Andrei died somehow, Misha can/has been reviving him

Kerosene is REALLY interesting, breaking it down from the start:

SO. We can tell right away the one asking “if i’m ready” is Andrei, expecting to die/be revived again after coming to expect it. “Duet in Death” seems to be how Misha sees the situation, that being two of them coming together from the cycles they experience endlessly (this is very important when seen in contrast with Red Hour). “And with a touch of life” the revival itself, “I’m filled with envy”... this part i’m not too sure about but considering Misha actively wants to die (see engima lyrics for urself) it could be that again. The last part “It feels to me, this time it’s not as easy” is MIND BLOWING bc it implies that the revivals are taking a toll on his health or just becoming harder to do over and over again.

The chorus leans into this,

With “I’m done with saving” referring to the revival, and yet Andrei keeps getting into trouble and needing to be revived again (the asking for more, the “more” is MORE LIVES)... as for the rest, and how it parallels with Red Hour, I’m not sure but it again confirmed that a deal to save Andrei took place and its something Andrei intends to exploit (at least based on Red Hour, I assume that is his intention). 

Although we see some contradictions here, as the last line, “a brand new life is all I need for more” implies that Misha is also doing the revivals for his own gain. What is this? Something that only Andrei can give him, and it’s safe to say Misha isn’t entirely sure what that thing is other than it’s intense like blood, it's addictive, dangerous, and sweet. (it’s love, man doesn't know he’s simping)

Then the line “I don’t need saving” makes me think back to Enigma where Misha sang “I’m not afraid of the way that i’m burning up”, something he did to take the place of Andrei who was originally the one who was burning. “A pity dawn won’t rise over your broken corpse” gives a dramatic setting for Andrei's death, but I think something else happened here. Mainly, I believe that after a certain amount of repeated time, Misha decided to swap his soul and Andrei’s, taking his place in death. This is probably crazy and idk if i’m even fully believing it, but I do think Misha dies at the end of Kerosene to get back at Andrei for being the source of an unrequited love.

Rather than go on fighting against Andrei about why he can’t just be revived a billion times, he instead fucking DIES thinking that if Andrei can’t appreciate him alive, that at least the survivors guilt Andrei gets from watching someone else die in his body will stay in his heart forever. 

(also a little note about what happened in Red Hour, “Fall for me my catastrophe” feels very ironic considering MISHA ALREADY HAS)

And another thing I wanna mention about falling is that it first appears in enigma:

Here it’s described as painful and related to the flames engulfing the corpse. Which makes me think that saying “fall for me” could have a second meaning of TAKE THE FALL FOR ME instead of the romantic falling in love idea. (spoilers for whenever i make my next huge theory post: i dont think Andrei had the take away from Misha's death that was intended)

[patrocles]

ok asoiaf/hotd thoughts…idk if there is even that much to say about this? but like. now that hotd is out and has been watched by a bunch of people and lots of interesting discussions have been had around it (and terrible ones but let’s ignore those for now)…i care even less about dany than i did before. and the idea of her restoring targaryen rule to westeros is The Worst. so now i’m just kind of like…what’s her point in the story??? i guess the dragons could help with the winter apocalypse stuff and fight the others and all that but dany herself? i just can’t picture her having a place in westeros at all, at least not in a way that i would find narratively satisfying. and this also ties into the idea of jon embracing his targaryen heritage (gross) and getting the iron throne which would also be stupid bc we’ve seen the targs destroy each other and themselves and the country so sticking one of them back in charge is just ridiculous. and the two of them are probably the strongest candidates for “the prince that was promised” so what does this mean for that whole prophecy?? idk what my question is i’m just rambling at this point lmao…i guess i’m saying that twow and ados should partly be about the real End of the targ dynasty and if they’re not than idk what we’re doing here. sorry if this is nonsensical lol

okay so both of these are kinda asking the same questions so i'll talk about it here!!

the idea of targ restoration is one of those theories that has a couple different interpretations and the one you described is like, kinda the worst of them lol.

like the idea of dany winning and surviving the end is not an unfounded, nor irrational theory and no one is wrong for wanting that to happen-- why shouldn't she win versus anyone else if she maneuvers in the right ways and effectively wins the game!

i think what i personally take issue with is the version of this that posits dany's conquest as a Moral Good and something that NEEDS to happen because of nebulous down-the-road threat that she doesn't even know about yet. and that other characters arcs (jon's, tyrion's, varys even?? are all veering towards targaryen restoration). i've even seen them claim that the entire point ASOIAF as a whole is about targ restoration. nothing else matters its all about getting them dragons back in power, which i think is the most WILDLY insane thing i've ever heard in my life.

i think this theory of 'targ restoration' is one that wants to have it both ways- for dany to fight and win a war of conquest, but also not be seen as a villain because of it (because of the fans own need to be on the Moral Right of things) (there's a larger discussion here about fandom and morality politics especially in asoiaf)

and frankly... that just isn't how it works.

and this is mainly bred from dany stans who never wanted dany to be anything other than a 100% Good Person who cannot be challenged on a moral level and she is always on the right side of every conflict regardless of nuance. and so when HOTD makes up this whackadoodle prophecy of aegon NEEDING to do a conquest and he was totally justified in all the fucked up shit they did, it was because of some vague threat of the Others and the Long Night to justify their dynastic claims to Westeros. (i'll be honest, i think ole king joe made that one up)

not to mention i think they've completely lost sight of the narrative function of the targaryen dynasty as a relic of a bygone era and dany IS the last of it.

and if we're being completely honest, from what i've seen of the most hardcore targ nation stans, most of them don't really care about the prophecy or the threat of the Others, but that her capacity to help should be used as political leverage (as in the show) to enforce the subjugation of everyone else. and that in fact, they should be grateful because she's the ultimate yass queen girl boss slay etc

but if that's the takeaway you get from the Feudalism Is Bad And The Chair Is A Metaphor For It books, then idk what to tell you. there's a lot of ways that you can interpret what grrm writes, but i can promise you that Conquest Is Good Sometimes is not one of them. characters want to be their own heroes and will always justify themselves however they need, but that's not the intention the reader is meant to take away from it - or at best should feel challenged by.

and dany is absolutely one of those characters. even tho she's not my personal favorite, she's a character that you're meant to both sympathize with because you've been on this whole journey with her, but also be challenged by the hard decisions ahead. its not about cut and dry good/evil, but understanding her motivations and why she makes those choices.

i think it's no question that dany will play a major part in the conflicts to come in the north and the war against the white walkers. to what capacity, i have no idea. as azor ahai, as nissa nissa? as somehow both? no idea. but what i think ultimately what dany will have to war with internally, will be choosing her war of conquest (the thing that's defined her personal growth and all of her strength) and the war for humanity.

the reason why i hate 'targ restoration' is because it reduces so many characters into this wildly simplistic box based on dynastic lineage. i super hate the inclusion of tyrion in this theory because he is Not a targaryen and that isn't the point of his story at all. and even tho jon's father is rhaegar, a large part of his arc revolving around identity is him carving out one for his own. all for him to start going by 'jon targaryen' in the end??? i litchrelly hate it. i do think jon and dany's arc are going to intertwine in some way and i hope its way more compelling than it was in the show, at least for my own sanity.

and lastly to the point of what dany's place in the world will be, i think that's something she struggles with now and will also struggle with in the future. there's the surface level wants and broad-stroke politics, but what i think is interesting will be to see a character like her rise to the heights that she will no doubt achieve in terms of Plot, but all she wants is the house with the red door.

there's an innate tragedy to just wanting to be as safe and home as she was when she was five, even if it was temporary, and what it will mean for her to ever have that again. this is really the difference between her and her brother viserys. he DOES remember, that WAS his life and his insanity is fueled by that being stripped away like so many other children in war. but it was never dany's. idk what the end of the series means for dany, but i really cant see the end of her story being with her sitting on that throne and restoring that dynasty from hell.

[endless-ineffabilities]

Ineffable (Dream of the Endless x f!Reader) - Chapter 3: Disillusion

Also with Corinthian x f!Reader

Masterlist - Playlist

The reader goes on an impromptu trip with her unlikely friend, The Corinthian. However, it doesn't end up going as well as they planned.

Warnings: cursing, brief mentions of violence

When Cor proposed a 'roadtrip', I knew it was going to be mainly for business and not pleasure - he had to tie up some loose ends apparently. And this was no light matter - he had made it his mission to deal with the remaining 'Collectors'. Not all of them were dealt with by Morpheus in that fateful Cereal Convention. Rather, those who did not attend - and there was unfortunately a considerable number of them - still roam free and craftily wreak havok among the civilians in the Waking World.

The bastards.

I'm well aware that the whole lot of them are, in one way or another, actively inspired by Cor and his notorious misdeeds.

Ironically, here he is now, trying to round the rest of them up, and have them atone for their sins.

The world is strange, both here in the Waking World and in the Dreaming.

And I would assume in all other realms as well.

We'd been driving for about an hour, and Cor had taken this chance to talk about why he and I lacked any proximity in the past few months.

"Normally, I could just think of you and I would feel when you're in the Dreaming. But for some reason, I just... couldn't," he ran his hands through his hair, "I can't really explain it, but I do have my theories, mind you."

"Pray tell," I looked over at him, one carefree hand on the wheel and the other resting on the doorframe. He seemed like what most unsuspecting men and women would picture as the perfect gentleman. Impeccable style, disarming smile, lean figure. And a charm that leaves you hanging on his every word.

Of course, every ounce of charm equates to one of cunning. But this is one of the reasons why I like him.

"I think it's your good ol' Dream," he shrugged at my shocked glare, "Oh yeah, I think he's been manipulating the Dreaming so that I would not find you, and vice versa."

"That's preposterous!" I playfully exclaimed, "and he's not my anything."

"Whatever you say, trouble. I'm just saying."

"Why would he even do that? And besides, couldn't you have found me out here? It seems as if you've been busy with your little manhunts."

"I know, I know," he tried to appease me, "But it can be dangerous. You have to understand, I would have come to see you sooner, but I didn't want to involve you in all this."

"So what changed?"

"I guess I missed you too much," he grinned, "and I... believe in you. I want to protect you but I realize you're stronger and can handle more than you look."

"Thanks? I guess..." I smirked and briefly rested my head on his shoulder.

"Make no mistake - I ain't getting all soft on you now, trouble. Don't get used to it."

He added in a firmer tone, "and you still have to watch your back."

About an hour later, and after we'd duetted to about a dozen songs on the radio, I begin to get fidgety.

"Are we there yet?" I groan.

"Patience, doll," he throws a smile my way, "Not long now. I was actually planning on making a stop along the way. Are you in the mood for a..."

"Yes!" I cut him off suddenly. Embarrassed, I clear my throat, "I mean... a snack would be nice."

We stop at a crossroads and I see that he's looking at me, the corner of his lips upturned.

"There's actually a place right along this road, I think. What do you say about getting some ice cream?"

"I would lo-" I start to agree, but he interrupts me this time with, "Oh, why do I even ask? At this point, I think you're just about ready to eat a whole cow." He wags his eyebrows, and I laugh.

"Shut up. You're such a Nightmare." I punch his arm.

"That I am, doll.... That I am."

-------

We sit across each other at a booth in a quaint little café. Cor had opted for strawberry ice cream on a cone, while I greedily slurped my milkshake. The lovely waitress then comes over and sets a large plate of fries on the table.

"Can I get you two sweethearts anything else?"

"Oh, uhm..." I raise an eyebrow at Cor, ignoring the assumption hanging in the air.

"I think we're fine, ma'am." he smiles his signature smile, and I swear I see her cheeks redden.

"Oh, well, alright," she says, chipper as can be, "I just have to say it's so nice seeing a gorgeous couple such as yous. So young, and so beautiful."

"We're..." I start to say.

"Thank you!" Cor rests a hand to his chest, as if in gratitude, "That's heartwarming, isn't it, dearest?" He clearly directed that question to me, putting me in the spotlight.

"Why, that's just about the nicest thing anyone's ever said to us!" I dramatically say. Two can play at this game, though I might have overdone it with my tone.

"Dearest?!" I stare Cor down as the waitress walks away.

"What? That was great. Top performance on your part, I have to say." he gestures to me.

"Well..." I should be annoyed, but I'm really not. Antics such as this are in line with Cor's personality, and in some way, I find them to be... endearing. Definitely makes for an interesting time, that's for sure.

"Besides... she's right." I feel his... eyes...burning through me behind his glasses, as takes another lick at his cone, "We would make an amazing pair."

I shiver at the thought. Not one of dread, or shock. Or even disapproval. Cor and I had always had our bond, perhaps even prior to his reincarnation. On that day at the Cereal Convention, he saw me. He later told me that he had sensed my abilities, sensed something more in me. Too bad our interactions started out with him being a homicidal maniac. But I don't let that matter now, because maybe even then, I saw the real him too.

"I bet you say that to all your conquests." I challenge him.

"Trust me, doll, if you were just another one of those, there wouldn't be much talking and I wouldn't be sticking around after."

"Oh?"

"Aaaaand back in the day, I would have blinded you in more ways than one - literally...and with my prowess in be..."

"Alright!" I interject, a new feeling bubbling in my stomach, "I get it."

He merely laughs at this, in true Corinthian fashion.

"Let's just eat." I reach out for a fry, and I remember just how hungry I am. We eat in relative calm afterward, and I even joke about how he should feel his other mouths as well.

"Hmm... I suppose now's about as good a time as any to tell you about our... target." he wipes his hands on a napkin.

Of course. I feel as if I'm enjoying myself too much that the fact that we were on a hunt for a Collector slipped my mind. I gesture for him to continue.

"This particular one calls himself The Handyman. As his title suggests, he poses as a handyman, enters peoples' homes through this, and murders them. Though, he always leaves one member of the household alive. Probably for some sick joke as he relishes in how that one person would suffer severe trauma, and never be the same for the rest of their life.", his voice takes on a colder tone, seemingly imagining the heinous acts that have occurred.

He continues, "Lord Morpheus gave me a tool. This crystal of sorts. All I have to do is make them gaze upon it, and they will be inclined to punish themselves for all time. It's highly effective. Just last month, I was out in New York, and was able to track down the Shadow Runner. That sick puppy stalked women who went on solo jogs, caught up to them, and well..."

"I get the picture." I grimace.

"Anyway, he looks upon the crystal, and just starts running. He's going to want to keep running for the rest of his life. He ran for about 4 days straight, all around the city, before the police took him in. His feet were all bloody, his skin a shade of purple from extreme exhaustion, but he didn't want to stop. He just kept mumbling about how he had to "go on a run." Eventually they had to restrain him, and he's now a member of a mental facility upstate. Still runs up and down the place, that they often have to sedate him." he explains, sounding highly satisfied.

"Hmm... ," it's all brutal, sure, but I imagine the victims of these Collectors and can't help but feel that they have righteously gotten what they deserve, "You know what? I'm glad you asked me to tag along."

"I knew you would be, doll." he beams, then puts a finger up, "This would be your first mission in the Waking World, correct?"

I nod.

"So you have listen to me - if I say run, you run. If I say stay in the car, you stay in the car. Whatever happens, I want you to be safe."

"You said I can handle myself..." I start to protest.

"I know, I know," he concedes, "and you can, no doubt about that. But the moment shit goes sideways, you let me handle it. Understood?"

"But what if you need help?" I say, but I know that this new Corinthian comes with a set of abilities that would render him far superior than any mortal, more so than he used to be.

"Doll, I'm flattered that you're this worried about me, but I'll be fine. What you can do for me is making sure that you will be, too."

We leave the diner moments later, the waitress giving us a sendoff saying, "Have fun, lovebirds! Come back soon."

Cor has a hand resting on my lower back, as if guiding me out, and I can't help but wonder if this gesture is platonic.

I look up at him, chidingly, and not to my surprise, he simply smiles that smile at me. I forget what was clouding my thoughts, and brace myself for what is about to come.

-------

We pull up to a modest, little driveway nested between a thin grove of trees. The house at the end looks quite well-kept and modern, save for some overgrowth of vinery that crawls up the west corner.

"How do we do this? Won't he know we're here?" I step out of the car, nerves catching up to me.

"He's here, that's for sure. I can hear him. We'll go about it the usual way. A simple knock on the door does the trick." he glances at me, "You ready, trouble?"

"No." I say, "But fuck it."

We talk towards the door, and Cor gestures at me to stay behind him. One firm knock, and the door gives way. It's already open.

"What the hell?" I don't like this at all.

"Either he's expecting us, or something else has caught up to him already. Eyes up, keep behind me." he walks in, and I promptly follow suit.

The white and gray interiors of the house look new and clean... but too clean. It also lacks any decoration, a personal touch. This degree of perfection might have been done for the purposes of efficiency and for the look of sleekness. But something about it was unnerving. As if it was more like a lab, and not a home.

"Strange. I don't think I can hear him anymore," he whispers, "Can you sense his mind anywhere?"

I try, focusing my energy on finding his vessel somewhere in this house, a mind that I might tap into. But I find nothing, only feeling Cor's mind beside me.

"No, there's nothing." I reply, frustrated, "I have a bad feeling about this."

We walk hesitantly further into the main room, trying to detect his presence. Trying to find any clue or anything out of place.

A squeak echoes. It sounded like it came from a faulty step. I whip around. Nothing.

"Did you hear that?" I move closer to Cor.

"Listen, this doesn't feel right, maybe you should get out of ..." he stops, the words getting caught up in his throat. He keels over, as if in pain.

"Run!" he manages to say, face contorted in agony.

"I'm not leaving you!", I say forcefully, trying to help him stand and maneuvering us towards the door.

Then I feel it. A prick on the side my neck. Dread quickly rushes through me, and I grab onto Cor trying to use the last of my strength to use my powers and push him out of the door. But I become completely numb, dark spots floating in my vision. My knees hit the floor, and I succumb to the darkness.

-------

I open my eyes, my back against the smooth blades of grass in this everlasting green. I hear birds circling above me, their melodies melding into one familiar tune.

Fiddler's Green. Hmm.

I must be asleep. Wasn't it still afternoon? Oh well. Probably just dozed off while labouring over my thesis.

"Y/n?" a familar voice inquires.

"Morpheus." I breathe out, seeing him standing there, immaculate as ever. I feel as if I haven't seen him in too long.

"I was not expecting you until your nighttime." he walks slowly towards me, "Is something the matter? Have you become quite exhausted?"

He knows that I wasn't really keen on taking daytime naps, preferring to get longer hours at night. And since I have become more acquainted with him and his kingdom, my nightly slumbers have become longer indeed.

"I..." I stand and try to remember what it was that I was doing before, and I catch a glimpse of...

"Cor,"I whisper.

"Cor?", he asks, "The Corinthian, do you mean? What does he have to do with this?"

And then, it all comes rushing back to me.

"Fuck! Oh no... I... he's...." I stammer, panic bubbling out of my chest.

"Calm down, love," he takes my hands in his, brows furrowed in worry, "Tell me what's happened."

Love? The word echoes in my head, and I feel as if I would become faint. But that can wait. I have to gather myself, and recall everything.

"We're in trouble. Corinthian and I had a job to do... hunting one of the remaining Collectors. But something was off with this one, really, and I... I think I've been drugged. Something also happened to Cor, but it was all so fast, I couldn't do anything... I..., " the words rush out of me, and I feel his grip tighten.

"Drugged?" his voice sounds deeper, if that were possible. He seems livid., "And what were you doing on this hunt with him? This was his job to do, not yours."

"It's not his fault," I plead, "We need your help."

"I will get you out of there, I promise." he gazes into my eyes, and I find a mix of sincerity and fury in them.

"Which Collector was it?" he inquires, taking a step back as if preparing himself, but his hand steadily grips mine.

"The Handyman." I wonder now if there is more to this one than what he seems, given how he caught both myself and Cor off guard.

"I know exactly where he is." he takes a deep breath, and it looks as though he is attempting to calm himself down.

"I hate that this happened to you. I will definitely exchange words with The Corinthian next I see him. He never should have taken you with him. As for this Handyman... I will make sure that his punishment is the worst that his kind deserves," he professes.

I believe him. I believe that he will do everything in his power to rescue us. After all, this was Dream of the Endless. Lord Morpheus. And my Morph... I mean.... well, he has never let me down. I can only hope that my state is not yet too horrific in the Waking World.

"I will come for you now. I will wake you when I arrive," he looks at me one last time, "See you soon, love."

He kisses my forehead, and I feel his fingertips carressing my arm.

It is a strange time to enjoy this moment, but I do anyway, trying to memorize how it feels.

"Okay." I whisper, and he vanishes into the Waking World.

End of chapter 3.

This took a while to post... And I would have made it longer, but I wanted to save it for the next chapter!

This chapter was still quite Corinthian × reader heavy, but he'll be taking a step back in the next one, considering how Dream strongly disapproves of all the events in this chapter! 😂

I will make a taglist, starting with the next one. I am aware some of you have requested to be on it, and please do comment on this post or message me if you'd like to be included.

[sapphos-catpanions]

“No, it’s not about young gays and lesbians – at least not in the way you think.

“When I first entered the gender debate about ten years ago, the entire concept of childhood transition was barely on the radar. It wasn’t until a few years later – especially with the debut of TLC’s I Am Jazz in 2015 – that you started to see the focus of the debate shift from adults to children. But when TERFs did notice that referrals to gender clinics were slowly starting to rise, most of them immediately interpreted it as a form of modern-day conversion therapy. Homophobic parents, so the story goes, where turning their gay sons into straight daughters and lesbian daughters into straight sons.

“At the time, that was probably an accurate assessment. When the first wave of detransitioners emerged in the middle of the 2010’s, it was made up almost entirely of young gays and lesbians. I don’t consider myself part of that wave – although I spent my high school years identifying as various flavors of transgender too, I was lucky enough to grow up in a region where access to any real medical intervention was pretty much impossible – but I would still say my own attraction to gender theory was also intimately wrapped up with my own sexuality and the pressures I felt from the conservative community I found myself in. Back then, there just wasn’t much of a reason for straight kids to find transition appealing, whereas there was a certain type of LGB kid for whom it made sense in a twisted way.

“But things have changed a lot in the years since gender theory began exploding into popular culture, and the narratives that previously made sense are rapidly becoming irrelevant. In my two and half years teaching in this district, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a gay or lesbian student transition to better “fit in” with heterosexuality. Nowadays, gay and lesbian teenagers mainly live their lives as, well, gay and lesbian teenagers – it’s the socially awkward heterosexuals who flock around them, desperate for a “marginalized identity” of their own, that you need to be worrying about.

“In other words: It used to be that childhood transition was a way for gay kids to make themselves straight, but now it’s primarily a way for straight kids to make themselves gay. And why wouldn’t they? In these internet-poisoned youth subcultures, being a boring straight kid (especially a boring straight girl!) puts you at the absolute bottom of the hierarchy, a totally acceptable target for barely-concealed contempt and passive bullying. I had a group of queer students who ate lunch by my desk every day, and every other joke they made was about the one “token heterosexual” who liked to hang out with them. Of course, she was non-binary too by the end of the year – you can only take peers “punching up” at you for so long before you’d want to join them on their level.

“This, more than anywhere else, is where common TERF arguments break down. It’s not that modern gender theory isn’t homophobic. It is, undoubtedly. But it’s homophobic less in the sense that it represses homosexuality and more that it elevates it to a sort of in-demand cultural signifier, wildly disconnected from any actual same-sex desire. Ironically, the TERF impulse to immediately center gay and lesbian youth in these talking points is part of the problem – most of these children are transitioning precisely because they want to roleplay as an oppressed minority, and the assumption that every social ill must always have a unique impact on LGB people in particular just feeds that obsession. If you really want to stop children from transitioning, you better start saying it’s for boring straight kids, not gay ones!

__

“As I wrap up, let me just say: I don’t want anyone who reads this piece to think TERFs are only “half right,” just because I’m pointing out some places where their analysis goes wrong. On everything that actually matters, they’re the only ones out there today consistently capturing the reality I see on the ground. It’s just that they noticed what was going on before anyone else did, back when all this nonsense was strictly the domain of a few fanatics and its primary victims were gay and lesbian kids; it’s no surprise that some of their talking points are in need of an update in 2022, now that gender theory is a full-blown social phenomenon. But their fundamental analysis still captures something essential that snappier criticisms from conservatives and centrists often miss.

“You can’t understand gender theory today unless you understand teenage girls today – and like it or not, you can’t understand teenage girls today if you’re tuning out the feminists who have been ringing alarm bells for decades now. So go find some TERFs and really listen to what they have to say, as long as you remember that the situation is changing rapidly and not everything that was right on the money years ago is perfectly accurate now. As for me, I’ve got about fifteen more sensitivity trainings to wrap up.”

https://wesleyyang.substack.com/p/gender-theory-in-schools-two-things?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

[k-writer1998]

An End Before the Beginning (1/3)

angsty fluff

w.c:1.8k

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      Hanahaki… a disease born from an unrequited love in a world full of soulmate marks. Ironic isn’t it? Not as ironic as me, a hanahaki resident, finding my soulmate in my ward of all places. Neither I nor my department head, Dr. Bang Chan, expected for my spark to happen when meeting a patient but when does anyone expect the entrance of their soulmate into their lives? When my eyes met hers it was as if small shocks danced across my skin and the sun from the window seemed to shine just a bit brighter. My mind went blank and it was like I forgot how to breathe for a moment. After the visit I discussed being removed from her treatment team with Chan due to the policy on treating soulmates but he had a different idea for me. It is not every day we receive a hanahaki patient who has lost all their emotions during the removal surgery, almost as rare as receiving a hanahaki resident such as myself. Thus he proposed a hypothesis and a choice. Can an unrequited-love, borne from one’s choice, be overwritten by a love destined by fate… and was I willing to put my heart on the line to test the anomaly of soulmates, no matter the outcome? To me the answer was obvious, it was a plus that it could potentially help me too now and that’s how I ended up here.

“So how are you feeling today y/n?”

“The same as usual,” she shrugged.

“No random sensations like last time?”

      She shook her head and I scribbled down a note. The earlier mentioned “last time” would be referring to when the spark happened. When Chan was checking her condition she had made a comment that she had slight discomfort in her chest and felt a sudden chill. At first it was written off as a short-term side effect of the surgery but once he heard of the situation it was easy to put two and two together.

“Now I’m going to ask a few questions for our file, specifically for this department, so we can better understand and treat your condition,” I explained and she nodded for me to continue, “So, what’s your soulmate mark?”

“Seeing everyone’s red string of fate.”

“Since the surgery how has that affected the mark?”

“I don’t see it anymore.”

      At that I stopped writing. I had my suspicions since she made no show of acknowledgement towards me even though the string was so obviously sitting between us. Shaking my head I pushed forward.

“Aside from the emotions, have any of your other sensations dulled because of this?”

“I don’t think so? My five senses are the same but maybe my pain tolerance got a bit higher? I didn’t really feel the IV being put in if that is a helpful gauge.”

      Pain? That might be a problem, note to keep an eye on any injury the patient sustains… I went through a few more questions about the effects before my pen stopped at the next heading.

“Since you’ve transferred post surgery, we need to ask questions to gauge the severity of your hanahaki… and how deep your feeling ran for the unrequited love,” I paused as conflict flashed across her eyes and she wrinkled her brow as if in thought. “In theory the intensity of the emotion plays with the intensity of the disease but if you are uncomfortable we can discuss it another time, in turn could you explain your discomfort?”

“Getting the roots removed stops the feelings, but it doesn’t erase the memories. I’m sure my situation is a bit different but my mind remembers how I felt, although there is a glass wall so I don’t feel any of it.”

      That makes sense, the removal surgery was created to stop patients from dying from heartbreak. It just so happens that it helped them with the healing process as well, but does it really help when you can remember but not feel? As if proving her words, over the next few visits y/n began mimicking what she should feel based on the situation, mainly when her family came to visit. There was still a bit of the gap in the processing so she was a bit socially inept but her parents appreciated the effort. Other than that, and the change in pain tolerance which is still a bit concerning, there seemed to be no life hindering/threatening side effects. It was her last day of post op treatment so I felt it would be nice to change up the scenery before her discharge. That may have been a wrong move on my part… I couldn’t help but be distracted by how effortlessly beautiful she looked as she fought the loose strands of hair the breeze blew into her face. 

“Dr. Lee?”

“Sorry the sun just felt so nice I spaced out for a moment,” I lied before clearing my throat, “so back onto topic… how long did you love him?’

      Something else the past few visits revealed was the past that led her to her current situation. It was a “best friend’s brother” story where she thought she could challenge fate by tampering with his red string. Fate still righted itself and once he found his soulmate, a few weeks after,  the hanahaki began.

“Three years, although in my current state my love now looks more like an obsession… as if the red string I saw had that much power…”

“Did you try removing the string?”

“Not only removed but attached it to myself thinking it would make him love me.”

      I was glad she was more open with me now but it wasn’t pleasant to hear that your soulmate rejected you even before meeting, before giving you a chance. Burying the bitter feeling, we continued our walk and conversation. As we got closer to the hospital, and to our inevitable goodbye, worry bubbled up in me at the thought of her pain tolerance. We have still yet figured out the limits and how severe it was. For all we know she could be stabbed and it could feel like pricking her finger… for now it’s best for her to be more vigilant in her daily life. My mind screamed to stop her, let her know that I would look out for her and be by her side but I swallowed the feeling down. I was her attending doctor and there are boundaries I cannot over step, soulmate or not.

“Y/n, you’ll need to pay more attention to your surroundings than normal. We have yet to figure out how dulled your pain receptors are and a serious injury could feel like a mild wound.”

“I understand.”

“Even if you think it's minor you should make sure to let someone else know so they can check to make sure it isn’t bad.”

“You worry too much, Dr. Lee. I’ll follow your instructions.”

      She smiled and my heart skipped a beat before there was a pang in my chest. Don’t get ahead of yourself Felix, it’s a conditioned response. I forced a smile back and pushed down the feeling in my throat. I walked her to the lobby so she could finish her discharge papers and as I was about to leave a voice called out to her.

“Y/n!”

“Dayeol?”

      Turning back to look at her, her body had frozen in place and her grip tightened on the pen in her hand. My gaze followed hers to a man approaching with tousled hair and a charming smile. Looking at her once again, there was yet another pang in my chest. The past two weeks beside her as her soulmate did little to nothing but this man, I presume to be her unrequited love, just shows up and she has more of a response than she had since coming here. More so than our spark… As the bitter taste grew in my mouth my body moved closer to her instinctively, gingerly brushing my hand against hers and as if a shockwave was sent through her, she snapped out of her trance-like state and her body seemed to relax.

“I thought Yeona was picking me up?”

“Something came up at work so she asked Yerim and well, you know how she is. How are you? I was surprised to hear from my sister that you were at the hospital. She even told me not to visit.”

“That’s cause Yeona knows I don’t like people seeing me sick,” she smiled and I knew it wasn’t genuine but I still wished she wouldn’t… at least not for him.

“Well I’ll leave you to finish your paperwork, I’ll see you at your next check up y/n.”

      I needed to get away. This bitter feeling continued to build up and I couldn’t stop this unsettling feeling. It’s like my insides are turning and I felt sick so I rushed to the bathroom. After catching my breath I looked into the mirror only to be greeted with a pale figure staring back at me, drops of cold sweat on their brow. My mind was clouded and in an attempt to bring my rationality back I splashed cold water on my face with a sigh. For a split second I thought I had stabilized myself before I was hit with a sudden wave of nausea. There was a sickeningly sweet smell in the back of my throat which made whatever was forcing its way up all the more harder to swallow back down. I bolted into a stall but instead of the slick feeling of bile passing across my tongue, what passed through was something more velvety. The moment it spilled past my lips into the toilet I was dumbfounded.

“Fuck… you have got to be kidding me.”

      Blue petals. How much crueler could fate be? I punched the stall wall in frustration, the dull pain in my hand doing little to calm me. I was abandoned even before we met, our spark was nothing more than a brief chill to her, and her unrequited love has caused a bigger reaction in her in less than five minutes than I have in two weeks. I had thought everything was going to be fine, we were getting closer and it seemed she had let him go so why? No, be rational Felix. A reaction is a reaction, meaning there is a chance to rehabilitate emotions in her. You know what you signed up for when you took Chan’s offer. I still have time to make a breakthrough, I just have to hide my hanahaki until I have something solid Chan can build off of. If anyone finds out, I’ll be off the case and in the ward myself so just a bit longer body.

[hyperfixation-hideout]

this is embarassing but i want u to know so sorry im anon im just a coward. Im one of the people who said insults about critics and now i think about it ur right, i wasnt address the real problems just hating the group for existing. i went looking after ur post and i see the harasment on both sides now and i thought how dumb itd be to say the fndm is evil bc of some toxic fans and thats what i was doing with rwde. Ill argue the points now on, instead of accuse people of what i assume about them

You're not a coward; this ask proves it. Thank you for telling me, I'm so glad my words reached you. It's big of you to admit, bigger to recognize it as something worth rethinking, and even bigger to seek knowledge and open yourself to a potential change of view. Thank you for that.

I wanna reiterate some things in case I was unclear, because this is a nuanced topic, so please (pretty please) bear with me before passing judgment <3

First, I'm not advocating for ignoring toxicity found in rwde and r/rwbycritics. It DOES exist and it IS a problem. But people tagging me (& others who were supportive/considerate of my pov) in their hate anons to "prove" all critics are evil missed the points I made. Like I've said, I used to think ill of rwby critics as well, and all it takes to solidify a belief is examples that support it. It infuriates me that people would send asks like that, and I'm so sorry to everyone who gets hate. That's not okay.

What I am saying is the existence of hateful people who use a tag doesn't disprove the existence of non-hateful people who use said tag, nor does it make the tag's existence inherently hateful. ("RWDE" was a jokey name made for a place to critique RWBY without being called rude, so people could blacklist the tag.) I could broadcast every hateful person/take I see in the fndm or r/rwby, but it wouldn't prove everyone in the FNDM is like that. It's basic scientific theory.

It's important to be conscious of the toxic behavior in the FNDM as well, but I wasn't trying to say some wishy-washy "there's bad on both sides so it cancels out uwu" or "don't complain about one group's problems if your group has some too" or imply either group is worse than another. Not at all my intention.

Like you said, a lot of the stuff I see in antirwde or in replies to rwde posts isn't about debating opinions on the show, or discussing points they've made to express why they disagree; it's mainly:

A) Unrelated assumptions about the poster's character/beliefs/credibility (i.e. calling someone a n*zi for having an Ironwood profile picture, telling Jewish people who express discomfort with Coco's allusion that they're faking being Jewish just to bash/accuse CRWBY -- ironic to throw around the word n*zi and then tell Jewish fans they're faking discomfort with a character based on a literal n*zi -- telling queer people who wish Bumbleby had been implemented differently that they're "obviously cishet" and shouldn't complain about representation, telling Black people they're secretly white supremacists for saying the way the White Fang was portrayed was harmful, telling disabled people that pointing out ableist messages/rhetoric is ableist, etc., etc., I've seen it all.)

B) Generalizations of the tag and critique as a whole (saying all rwde posters and critics vehemently hate the show, harass CRWBY, are conservatives, homophobes, Trump supporters, fascist bootlickers, etc.) Yes, I've actually seen this. Many times. From people who directly told me they understood it's not all, immediately turning around to post the opposite in the tag.

C) People who are called out for harassment deflecting with "but look at THIS harassment done to ME, that proves I've never sent hate or death threats or doxxed anyone" instead of addressing or reconsidering the hurtful things they've markedly done or said in the past, even when provided with receipts. (I've seen this from both rwde and anti-rwde users, and no I will not name names)

D) People telling critics to shut up and stop watching, not considering that many critics do like the show and that's why they like talking about it, or why certain aspects disappointed them, or why they enjoy coming up with ideas for ways it could've gone they'd have liked to see! People say "we welcome criticism if it's respectful!" and on paper that's great! But in practice I've seen many (not all) of those same people jump to conclusions and insult/mock very respectfully-worded critique. It makes it hard to say anything without being assumed to be part of the htdm.

Even little things like "I wish Ruby's reaction to Yang falling had gotten more focus" get inflammatory comments/asks like "Why do you have to shit on Bumbleby? Actually, don't answer that. I know why. You're a sexist fucking lesbophobe and you probably stan Adam, go die abuse apologist" (that one was mine, despite saying IN THE POST that I liked Blake's reaction and ship Bumbleby)

And when it is addressing a particular qualm someone expressed, it's very, very often just people jumping to impose their headcanons to explain it away and enforcing them as canon, defending CRWBY as though it were an assault (again, not referring to the people who ARE harassing CRWBY, this is about those seeking genuine discussion), and calling OP names/telling them to kill themselves if they "can't see how obvious it is that ___."

To critics, fans, and all who overlap (and tbh just people in general):

If there's a pattern of shittiness in a group, by all means call it out as a prevalent issue! Or vent about your experiences! Try to avoid generalization words like "all" and "every" because they leave little room for change or understanding, and communicate a lack of desire to listen/cooperate, which keeps us from being able to tackle the issue. If there's a point someone makes you'd like to dispute, do so respectfully and engage in open conversation! Even if it's an opinion! It's fun to say "I actually liked ___ because ___" or "interesting, I interpreted it as ___" and spark a conversation. Try to avoid words like "obviously," the intent to prove an opinion "objectively correct," or insulting the person's intelligence (i.e. calling fans braindead/ignorant/simps, calling critics oblivious/bad-faith/bigots), because it shuts down discussion before it can begin.

I've just realized this has gotten really long and tangential, so I'll leave it at that. I don't have a perfect conclusion or an easy summary. It's a complicated topic. To anyone still here, thank you for reading this. I can only hope it doesn't come off too preachy, but I'm bad at conveying tone, so just know I mean it constructively and optimistically <3

[PS: to the person who sent me an anon saying my statement that not all critics have all the same opinions or beliefs is "just like saying 'not all men'" -- I want you to think about that for a minute. Actually, make that an hour. I want an essay on my desk tomorrow explaining why those are not at all the same thing.]

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

Meeting and Dating Ian Malcolm

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

(When I tell you I love this man.)

- You and Ian meet when you attend the same STEM related conference; though it would be more accurate to say that you met while you attended a conference that he was lecturing at. 

- Nevertheless, you were both in the same room and wound up interfacing before the meeting was over; an interaction that would lead to a very interesting and at times exasperating relationship. 

- You found him fascinating; just like pretty much everyone else in the crowd, someone who had a big, entertaining personality in a field that so often lacked personality. You liked him the minute he opened his mouth. 

- He, in turn, thought that you were gorgeous and found himself falling for you the minute he locked eyes on you. He was looking forward to the moment he could slink off stage and find a way to talk to you. He did so right after he finished his speech and the applause settled down.

- He artfully found his way through the crowd and managed to convince the person beside you to switch their seat, taking it for himself after the starry eyed boy got up. 

- The two of you sat in silence for a little while before he leaned over and introduced himself, shaking your hand for a lingering moment before you both turned your attention back to the stage. 

- Another beat of silence passed between you before he leaned over and murmured a funny comment to you, reveling in the way you tried to hold back your smile. You spent the rest of the meeting trying to stifle your laughter as your new ironic commentator continued his jokes and flirtation. It certainly made the conference more enjoyable. 

- Once the shows over and everyone begins to clear out, he asks if you’re doing anything before asking if you’d like to go out and grab a couple of drinks or talk someplace. 

- That's how you find yourself seated next to him at the bar of a nice little restaurant, listening to him explain the chaos theory in detail and trying your best to digest everything that he’s saying; along with your drinks. 

- Along with his mathematical explanations, he also provides a lot of compliments and flirtation. You spend the evening feeling like the most important and sought after woman in the world

- Since you could easily; and very accurately, consider that little get together to be your first date, let’s move on to your first kiss. 

- It’s a date or two later that the two of you share it. You don’t want to give in too easily; even if you want to kiss him a lot sooner, so you play coy until you cant take it any more and the moment feels perfectly right. 

- Perfectly right seems to mean the middle of your kitchen after you invited him in for some coffee but hey, to each their own. 

- Nevertheless, you’d invited him into your home after one of your dates and gone to your kitchen to get the two of you your drinks. He’d followed you in and when you handed him his cup of coffee, he’d leaned in, pressed his lips to yours and given you a soft kiss.

- When he pulled away, he smiled at you, raised his mug, and gave you a somewhat teasing thank you before he lead the way into your living room. 

- One mug lead to another and you've been staying up late with each other ever since. 

- Ian suffers from a deplorable need to constantly be touching you. On top of that, he really isn’t too preoccupied with how other people feel so Pda is very common and performed very shamelessly.

- His arm is usually wrapped around you in some way, whether it be draped across the back of your chair, wrapped around your shoulders, or haphazardly thrown in front of you while a T. Rex is charging towards you.

- Tight hugs; which usually means that you’re being somewhat picked up since he’s so goddamn tall.

- Having your hair played with; oftentimes while he uses his flirtation on you.

- Knee squeezes. His hand belongs to your knee whenever he can’t wrap his arm around you.

- He loves cheek kisses. He loves the sort of showing off feel of them whenever you’re in front of someone else; and he just loves how soft and sweet they are.

- Slow, passionate kisses.

- Oftentimes, you wind up sleeping in the crook of his arm; usually with your head resting against his chest. That being said, the two of you also just cuddle haphazardly, snuggling in any which way you can, your limbs entangled and your bodies relaxed.

- He tends to call you honey or baby but, considering the fact that he calls his daughter Queen, my goddess and my inspiration, there’s room for a few more over dramatic pet names in your relationship.

- Waking up together. Ian's a math professor so, depending on both your schedules, you’re usually getting up around the same time. Although, if you get up earlier than he has to, he’d definitely; somewhat begrudgingly, adapt to your schedule.

- The two of you are attached at the hip a lot of the time. If you choose to go somewhere, he’s bound to follow; whether that be to keep you safe or just because he enjoys spending time with you is anyone’s guess.

- Working on separate things while you’re together. Sometimes couples just want to be in the same room while they do their own thing and I think that’s beautiful.

- Going shopping together. He’s a fan of clothes shopping, groceries, not so much.

- He likes trying out new things and going to all those different places that pop up in town so the two of you visit a lot of new restaurants and shops.

- Going out to dinner at nice restaurants. He’s the Rockstar of the math community so of course he’d want to take you to a few high end places; whenever he could afford it that is.

- Traveling around the world together. Whenever he has to go somewhere, he likes taking you with him.

- Being in the crowds of his conferences and public appearances. You like cheering him on and he appreciates the fact that you’re always there for him; even if he doesn’t necessarily need the support.

- Ian isn’t the greatest at keeping his word and he can get really caught up in his work to the point where he forgets important things, but he does always try his best to make things up to you whenever he can.

- Becoming close with Kelly. She enjoys living with you when her mother can’t be bothered and Ian’s bogged down by work. He loves both his girls dearly so the fact that you get along with each other is very important to him.

- You get to use the fact that you’re with Kelly as an excuse to go do stupid and somewhat childish things like visiting arcades and county fairs. Not that you couldn’t do that without her but I think you know what I mean.

- Movie nights; usually with him and Kelly.

- Museum dates.

- He genuinely thinks that your weird interests and quirks are endearing and fascinating. Other people would consider them strange, Ian considers them to be a compelling part of your personality.

- Seeing you talk about things that you’re passionate about is one of his favorite things in the world. He thinks that drive to learn and do and the intelligence that you possess is extremely sexy.

- Sometimes he’ll just look at you like he wants to eat you alive and it’s extremely problematic. Sir, we are in public.

- Lots of flirting. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been together, he still enjoys making you flustered and treating you like the prettiest girl he’s ever seen.

- Unnecessary and frankly disrespectful noises. If he doesn’t stop making salacious growls at you, you’re gonna have to act up.

- Letting him explain all his different theories and findings to you. He loves showing off and having your undivided attention.

- Breaking rules together. If you aren’t keen on doing so, he’d definitely tease you for being a goody goody.

- He carries around a flask most of the time so the two of you can always just park somewhere and drink together whenever you feel like. Some of your best memories take place in his car, passing around a little metal container and talking about nothing in particular.

- Sarcasm drips from this mans every pore so you should try to get used to it. As annoying as it can be, it does make for some funny comments here and there.

- Snarky comments; whether they’re directed at you or someone else. Ian can be a bit of a bastard so don’t be surprised when his mouth opens and something mocking comes out. Just be prepared to occasionally slap his arm and stop him from being a total ass to people; even if it’s justified.

- Corny little jokes.

- Trying to keep him from verbally destroying people. He’s very verbal about his opinions so chances are, he’s going to speak his mind at one point or another and you might not want to be there when he does.

- He’s a voice of reason for just about everyone on Earth so if you need someone to tell you when you’re being stupid, he’s perfect for you.

- Sticking with him and being there for him after everything happens. He changes very drastically in the following years after meeting Mr. Hammond but you love him no less.

- No matter what people may think of him, you still defend him and proudly stand by his side. You’ve learned to ignore the opinion of others and not entertain their gossip.

- Helping him deal with the trauma that comes with almost getting fucking eaten.

- Ian doesn’t get jealous very often. He’s secure enough in himself and knows that you wouldn’t cheat on him, but every now and again, if you’re particularly close to like a colleague or something, he’ll show some signs of jealousy. Mainly, he’ll just ask a bunch of questions about them and your relationship; all the while trying to play it off as normal curiosity.

- Ian is incredibly protective of you; particularly after the events of Jurassic park. He’s willing to do whatever he can to keep you safe; even if it means endangering himself or doing something that scares the hell out of him.

- The two of you don’t fight extremely often; and you rarely have very serious fights, but you do have an argument from time to time. He may say something sarcastic or hurtful in the heat of the moment on occasion but he never means it and he always immediately apologizes.

- Very few fights last overnight. He’s usually so quick to apologize and try to sort things out that you’re back on track in no time. Under his egotistical shell, he’s really just a big softie who wants things to be alright between the two of you.

- He tells you that he loves you a perfectly average amount of times; not too much and not too little. And he loves hearing you say it back or just tell him that you love him for no real reason.

- Ian legitimately loves kids. Like he’s fully prepared to get married and start a family with you at any given moment. Believe me, you just say the words and he’ll pop the question.

[snifflesthemouse]

This morning, I read an article titled “I went undercover in the sinister world of Meghan Markle hate accounts" posted to Refinery 29. The title gives the impression of a journalist disguising one’s self as a “Meghan Markle hater” for the sake of getting to the bottom of something. However, the content of the article is nothing like its title.

Before I go further, let me stress the importance of perspective. My post isn’t an attack on the article’s author. I’ve never even heard of the author before now, and I’ve no right or reason to attack a perfect stranger because I vehemently disagree with the content of their work. Making assumptions about someone solely on what they write is lazy and sloppy in my opinion. I may be lazy and sloppy, but a hypocrite I try not to be. Therefore, go forward remembering my issues are with content, not creator.

The article starts out explaining the origins of the term “Megxit”. It continues with other hashtags, conspiracy theories, and so on. The article even mentions various media platforms “attacking" the Duchess, as well as crude posts witnessed by the author.

Then the name dropping begins. First with Murky Meg, then Sue Blackhurst, then According2Taz, then Skippyv20 on Tumblr, then Yankee Wally. Eventually, names of Royal Rota journalists are dropped. Then people like Angela Levin and Omid Scobie get mentioned, with interviews from the latter. Instead of an undercover sting, we get a “Who’s Who" of Megxit, a few anonymous Sussex Squad quotations, and Omid trying his best to be fair.

What this article accomplishes is very little when it comes to objectivity. The title is a misconception, and the content essentially paints targets on the backs of the people the author carelessly considers “Meghan Markle Haters". The article reduces anyone who disagrees with Meghan’s behavior as racist, misogynist, conspiracy theorist nutters. So, not only is the content of the article sloppy and lazy, it also lacks originality. We’ve all heard this sad song-and-dance number a million times.

I guess at face value, it becomes very easy, effortless really, for outsiders looking in to reduce an entire group of people with similar views to the basic stereotypes as old as time. It takes very little thought, consideration, or critical analysis, to assume things because they seem to correlate. But correlation is not causation. Just because some people opposing of Meghan Markle’s behavior happen to be racist doesn’t mean every single opposing person is also racist. Again, lazy and sloppy.

Just like assuming every single Meghan Markle fan is also vegan, anti-monarchy, feminist, woke warriors is downright sloppy and lazy. This author has personally interacted with and found common ground with Sussex Squad people many times. Some even became social media friends. They believe what they do, and I believe what I do. We do not agree with most things regarding Harry and Meghan, but we do agree to disagree and be civil.

So, contrary to the article, not all people “hate" Meghan Markle just because they detest her behavior. It’s important to remember extremes exist for all spectrums. Every topic, especially those politicized or made popular by media platforms, have extremes. There is no denying the fact that there are people who hate Meghan Markle because of her ethnicity. Those extremists who hate Meghan for her ethnicity ironically do not discriminate, though. If they hate her for her ethnicity, they hate ALL people of that same ethnicity.

On the flip side of this coin, is the other extreme. The face is the same on each side because the face represents extremism. There is no denying the fact that there are extremists who see anyone opposing Meghan as racists. Extremists who, by default, view every issue in the world through the lens of racism. While racism is a serious problem that deserves no place in society, assuming racism is the root cause of every conflict is also lazy and sloppy. And the same could be said that these extremists do not discriminate, either. If they see race as the only issue for why people “hate" Meghan Markle, they see race as the only issue for most everything.

The problem with both extremes is when everything and everyone is reduced to racial identity, racism only continues to exist. A racist using skin color as a disqualifier perpetuates racism. Assuming racism is the only reason behind disdain for someone only perpetuates racism. Focusing on race or racism allows no room for content of character.

Especially when people defend Meghan Markle being the victim of racism with a racist rule. When opposing critics say “I didn’t even know she was Black" or suggest her physical features, her Hollywood CV, or past involvement with Black causes were nonexistent before she became a duchess or stepped down from being a working royal, the extremists on the other side often resort to the One Drop Rule.

Which means their defense for calling Meghan Markle “haters" racists, even though they might have never knew she was mixed race, is a form of racism. The One Drop Rule was borne from the Reconstruction Era post-Civil War. The “rule" essentially said anyone who appeared to have Black features were considered Black.

The One Drop Rule was the precursor and eventual backbone to Jim Crow Laws of the South. It was used to oppress and segregate Americans based on physical appearance. Considering most people who never heard of Meghan before Harry came along were ignorant to her mixed heritage, it seems grossly negligent to assume race is the real issue. How can one be racist toward Meghan when they didn’t know she was mixed race? This author wasn’t aware of Meghan’s ethnicity prior to it being pointed out (by her and Harry. Repeatedly.), mainly because this author didn’t care.

Like so many, when I first saw Meghan and Harry together for the engagement interview, I was more excited about a fellow American joining the Royal Family. After learning she was biracial, well it was even better. It represented change and progress. Does that mean I saw the Royal Family as racists beforehand? No. It means I saw them as exactly the opposite. Had they been racist, she’d not be a duchess. Her being American and divorced was more a shock to me than being mixed.

The point of all this is there are extremists on every spectrum. For a journalist to say they went undercover, when in fact they did not, to expose the true motives behind Meghan Markle “haters", only to find they did very little to really understand the other side was disappointing. Not surprising, just disappointing. This could’ve been an excellent opportunity for someone to take the reigns and make bridges between two very passionate factions. Instead it became nothing more than a hit piece.

The article fails to acknowledge the possibility – no, the probability – that most people who object to Meghan Markle do so because of how she behaves. The article only considers one possibility behind this “hate". And by calling the objections “hate", the article in turn defines all criticisms as hate speech. Again, unoriginal, sloppy, and lazy.

So here we have it, yet another article grouping and stereotyping anyone who disapproves of Meghan and Harry as racist haters. Yet again, another article name dropping people “deemed racist haters", essentially painting even bigger targets on the backs of those people. Like they didn’t already have enough hate mail. Yet again, another sloppy, lazy, article that never digs below the surface to understand why instead of assuming it.

This isn’t new, it’s just another slop drop from the sensationalism machine that has replaced fair, legitimate journalism. It would be different if there weren’t so many questions surrounding the births. It would be different if Meghan Markle actually lived by the example she so vehemently preaches. It would be different if Meghan Markle would make amends with her own family before telling the world how they should treat people. It would be different if Meghan Markle were a strong woman instead of claiming to be one.

But it’s not different. She hasn’t spoken to her father since two days before her wedding three years ago. She denies the family connections that existed before her fame. She ghosts people once they are no longer of benefit. She preaches equality and universal service while using her title every chance given. She and her husband criticize the “family she never had" while naming their second child after that family’s Matriarch. All of those are behaviors that incite strong emotional responses. Behaviors. And behavior has no racial identity.

A final note… hypocrisy is the main reason people have issues with anything. When one group of people tells another group to stop attacking a public figure, while using assumptions as their crusade call, it’s hypocrisy. One cannot say “if you can’t take the heat, then shut up!” to another without being a hypocrite. When that happens, don’t be surprised when the same exact thing is said back. If Meghan or her fans can’t take the criticism, they shouldn’t participate in it. We all have the right to choose. Just like if I couldn’t handle the criticism, I’d not be writing this.

Life is not fair. The world is a dark, cruel place. When we expect the world to bend to the will of a few, we are setting ourselves above the majority. A strong woman would know this. A strong woman fighting for others would also know that the only person responsible for how one feels is one’s self. External feedback isn’t responsible for internal turmoil. Internal feedback is. That is all.

REFERENCE:

Amoako, A. (2021 June 11). I went undercover in the sinister world of Meghan Markle hate accounts. Refinery29. Retrieved from: https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2021/06/10518195/megxit-meghan-markle-anti-fandom

[littlemisssquiggles]

Ruby Alone

As you all have seen, since prior to the last episode, I’ve been sharing my thoughts and ideas on the theory of V8 concluding with the “death” of RWBY after they fall “off Remnant and into a mysterious Other World”, as alluded to by Oscar.

While I’m still inclined to believe that theory may become possible given what transpired in this recent episode, in reviewing the RWBY V8 Opening, I noticed something interesting about the visuals again which caught my attention.

During the opening, RWBY falling was hinted much earlier in the theme during these shots right here. It’s these two shots of RWBY’s signature weapons falling through negative space which is later followed up by the opening ending with the weapons landing together on the ground.

However, here’s the bit that I think is noteworthy that I didn’t take into account before. Although the weapons of all four main girls were shown falling together through space and landing on the ground, not only is Crescent Rose the last one to hit the ground but it is also the ONLY one shown in the final shot of the opening.

It is also worth noting that the weapons fall in this particular order---first Ember Celica, then Gambal Shroud, then Myrtenaster and final Crescent Rose which ironically spells RWBY backwards.

And going back to my theory about RWBY falling in order....with Yang falling first then this is all starting to make more sense.

Going back to my point---Crescent Rose---Ruby’s weapon is the only weapon that landed on the ground but didn’t fade to darkness like the others. Instead, Crescent Rose is the only one remaining in the snow on what appears to be Remannt. Keeping that in mind, it’s making me start to ponder an alternative to my V8 finale theory. 

What if…I’m actually mistaken about the whole RWBY team falling prey to the Other World ? 

What if…as an alternative prediction, V8 will end with Ruby as the last man standing and the sole surviving member of her team after the rest “die” to the void?

Thus; V9 becomes Ruby’s story as she deals with the depression of losing her whole team; all obviously culminating with her eventually reuniting with them in the Other World. But before that, it’s mostly just about Ruby. Not RWBY. But just Ruby since RWBY started with just Ruby on her own in Remnant, trying to become a huntress. She only ends up going to Beacon and meeting and forming her own team due to Ozpin’s influence.

So imagine if...after everything she’s been through these last eight seasons, things just go back to how they were before. Ruby is on her own again. No team to lead. No big sister to guide and protect her (although ALPNE is there of course). No “BFFs” or “future-sister-in-law” on the same team to fuel her spark of hope. She no longer has her main friends by her side.

Ruby will be on her own for the first time in a long time and it becomes just her story for the most part of V9 as she does her best to figure out things all while the rest of the cast who survived the fall---Penny, ALPNE and their allies in Vauco and eventually Vale---try to provide her with the emotional support that she needs in place of the one she lost.

For the first time, the story is not about Ruby having to be the spark of hope to support others but…her friends, at least the ones she still have, coming together to support her for once in a time when she can truly need it.

Like I said. It would be the story of Ruby. Not RWBY. Just Ruby. If you get what I mean.

...And now for a squiggly rant...about Ruby:

One general complaint that I’ve heard from the FNDM about Ruby including Little Red Ruby fans like myself is that Ruby has more or less received the shortest end of the stick in terms of development over the past couple of seasons since V4…despite the fact that she is our central main character who is the leader of our core team with her name literally being in the title. Not to mention that Ruby is also the face of the RWBY franchise. When RT isn’t promoting the whole RWBY team together, it’s mainly Ruby to represent RWBY since of all the girls, she is the main one as the main protagonist of RWBY. At least…she’s supposed to be?

To be blunter, I’m just going to call out the fat Heffalump in the room---Ruby Rose, despite being the leader of RWBY---despite being our title character and face of the franchise---the one characters in the show always turn to since she’s THAT important---despite all of that, Ruby has NOT felt like the actual main protagonist of RWBY for several seasons. Since V4 as some fans like to point out. 

And after closely observing her story over the last few volumes, I can’t help but agree with these critiques and comments of Ruby’s treatment when it comes to her own writing. Even when the CRWBY showrunners DO attempt to do stuff with her---it all falls...flat especially when you compare Ruby to other characters like Jaune Arc, for example, whose stories and overall development were handled much better. At least in my opinion.

Don’t believe me? Take for example, Ruby’s whole so-called “arc” as a Silver Eyed Warrior. First it was introduced as a new idea for Ruby during the FINALE of V3, then it got abandoned for two whole seasons between V4-V5. Then it got reintroduced back in V6 but was then rushed and dropped yet again for V7 only to be brought up again briefly during V8…kind of?

It’s really telling when you realize that Ruby gained control of her silver eyes despite never truly receiving any actual training from Maria in how to control her powers. Not only that but the showrunners really did Maria Calavera dirty. She was supposed to be the wise old mentor who was a badass in her prime meant to pass down her wisdom to her young eager apprentice who knew nothing of her own unique abilities including its mysterious origins.

Instead Maria didn’t know at all about where her powers originated from until she conveniently met our heroes after the Argus Ltd crash and just happened to be present when they asked Jinn about Oz’s secrets. Instead of being a mentor to Ruby which she was initially propped up to be, Maria ended up being relegated to the Granny Uber Driver of the hero team---no longer the wise experienced ex-huntress whose supposed to be teaching our title character but just a form of transportation who provides the occasional comic relief and support for Pietro Polendina, who she was put to work with…instead of Ruby…her alleged apprentice?

 Shoot---despite being a Silver Eyed Warrior, Ruby was never even a person of interest for this volume. Despite the main big bad being in Atlas and despite targeting her in the past, Salem…never goes after Ruby again while she’s in Atlas??? Ruby never even meets Salem? Despite…Salem targeting Ruby back in V4? Despite Salem’s history with capturing Silver Eyes? Despite Salem’s connection to Ruby through her mother???

Ruby is never actively a part of the Salem subplot on Monstra…even though… certain developments left over from previous seasons indicated that she should’ve been?

Instead…we got to watch Yang accost Salem for Summer Rose’s death after SHE is the one to be on the rescue party to save Oscar from Monstro. Even though…Yang has neither been a person of interest to Salem before NOR has the Xiao Long girl been shown to be a close affiliate of Oscar in the past prior to V8 NOR has the Xiao Long girl actually addressed Summer Rose as her mother since V2???

Up until V8, Ruby has always been the character of focus with all things Summer Rose and Salem and yet…we NEVER saw her meet Salem in the flesh period for this season…at all…???

Instead; Ruby spends MOST of this season cooped up at Schnee Manor, completely absent from and even oblivious to some of the more dire PLOT stuff that was happening outside of Schnee Manor (such as YJR going into Monstra to save Oscar before the Aces Ops blew up the whale).

Despite her connection to Oscar who became Salem’s prisoner. Despite her connection to Salem through her mother. Despite being a Silver Eye and a former target of Salem. Despite the Hound and what it turned out to be. Despite the showrunners literally teasing Ruby meeting Salem face to face back in V7---WE NEVER GET TO SEE RUBY MEET SALEM IN THE FLESH AT ALL DURING V8 WHILE SALEM IS IN ATLAS???

Salem targets Oscar which makes perfect sense given his connection to Ozma as his current incarnate. But Salem doesn’t target Ruby? DESPITE HER BEING A TARGET OF HERS IN THE PAST? DESPITE HER BEING A SILVER EYED WARRIOR? DESPITE WHAT THE HOUND REVEALED?

Why didn’t Salem send the Hound after Ruby? That would’ve made more sense, again knowing what the Hound actually was? Instead the Hound was sent after Penny which, in my opinion, felt mighty redundant since Salem already had Watts and Cinder Fall dealing with Penny.  

THEY EVEN TEASED THE HOUND TARGETING RUBY BUT IT WAS ALL A FLUKE.  RUBY IS COMPLETELY OMITTED FROM THE SALEM SUBPLOT EVEN THOUGH SHE IS THE TITLE CHARACTER AND THE ONLY ONE ON TEAM RWBY WITH A LEGIT CONNECTION TO SALEM AND HAS BEEN A TARGET OF HERS SINCE V4???

I DON’T GET IT!

…BUT… with my mini rant aside, those are just a few of the inconsistencies that I’ve noticed in the writing of RWBY in respect to Ruby Rose.

Overall; the point I’m trying to make here is this: for the sake of sounding like a Negative Nancy, I ask this honest question to the CRWBY Writers. How? How can you fumble this much with your own title character? I’m not saying this to come off disrespectful. I’m saying this as someone who has followed the story of RWBY since the get-go and has closely observed the treatment of its characters; particularly the main ones and particularly the ones that I personally love and Ruby is one of them.

Despite being our main girl, Ruby’s writing hasn’t been the squeakiest, admittedly. As a matter of fact, it’s been quite messy since V4 due to the amount of times the showrunners have introduced ideas for her only to abandon them later on thus creating those problems with consistency I mentioned earlier.

Overall, it’s difficult for me to even say that Ruby is the lead character of RWBY since often times; she doesn’t FEEL like the main protagonist despite the show claiming how important she is meant to be. And this sentiment is due in part to how messy her story is handled compared to other characters of lesser importance.

And it’s a sad thing for me to say as both a viewer and fan of Ruby’s character since Ruby is THE lead main character of RWBY. She’s like the Tony Stark of the RWBY-verse. She’s the one who started it all yet her story is one of the messiest I’ve seen in terms of direction and treatment. At least by my observations since this is just my opinion on the subject matter.

It’s one thing to blunder a bit on your side or even your supporting characters. But to slip up on your lead characters, especially your MAIN one who is the FACE of the show, c’mon CRWBY Writers.

And the events of V8 didn’t help change my opinion. After taking away all the bloat this season had for all the stuff they tried to shove into this one season, I realized that V8 didn’t really do much for Ruby. At least, not as much as I anticipated.

I was hoping that Ruby would’ve been a more focal character for V8 since V7 teased some stuff for her in respect to Salem. Instead, I watched a season where Ruby felt more like a supporting character for Penny Polendina since, in my opinion, Penny received much more focus and better development for V8 while Ruby, our LEAD took backstage to her story.

Because while Ruby was stuck playing supporting character, she was actively left out of subplots that she should’ve been a major part of. Not just because she’s the “protagonist” but because of elements to her story that were developed seasons prior but seemed to have gotten dropped for V8?

Ruby’s treatment for V8, to me,  is an example of a “build-up with no payoff”. All that stuff between her and Salem and her mother felt like it ultimately didn’t matter in the end because Ruby didn’t even meet Salem. 

Yang, to me, had the development with Salem that Ruby should’ve received.

Shoot---Ruby wasn’t even a thought on Salem’s mind…despite the events V4 and V7???

I just don’t understand. 

But like always, this is just how I feel about it. I’m disappointed with how Ruby was done for this season. While I liked the moment she shared with Blake in V8CH8 and Yang in V8CH11...that’s pretty much the ONLY thing I liked about Ruby’s story for this season. 

Outside of that, it felt to me like the showrunners didn’t do much with her for V8. In a season of so much happening, the stuff that happened with Ruby on her side of the story didn’t honestly stand out to me compared to what I saw the showrunners do for other characters who aren’t the lead this season.

It’s not like I’m trying to say she didn’t receive any development at all for V8. It’s more like most of what was done with Ruby didn’t quite stand out to me so it ends up feeling like not much was done for her. 

To me, Ruby falls into the same category as Nora Valkyrie for this season. Despite the PLOT preaching about them getting big developments, if you rock back and actually analyse the narrative, you’d actually see that not much was done for them despite the PLOT “talking the talk but not walking the walk” y’know what I mean?

And going back to Ruby, that’s disappointing since I wanted more for Ruby. I EXPECTED MORE for Ruby as our title lead but it didn’t happened. Instead it felt like some of the major developments that she should’ve received for this season went to other characters while she in turn took a backseat.

Things didn’t really start kicking up for Rubes until halfway through the season when the 100th episode aired and the Hound appeared. And even then the excitement of that reveal was short-lived since...Ruby was NOT the real target of the Hound. PENNY WAS. The Hound wasn’t sent to antagonize RUBY. It was sent for Penny which to me sort of undermines the reveal.

Some Ruby fans have been wishing for the show to feel more about just Ruby again for quite some time now and it is for this reason why I’m starting to dig this alternative theory of mine with Ruby surviving “The Fall of the Central Zone” alone with the rest of her team lost to the Other World.

While the concept of RWBY being trapped together in another world is still on the table of possibilities, I still wish to toss out this other one too.

I like the idea of a more Ruby-centric season where for the second time in the narrative, she’s separated from her core teammates only this time…it’s in “death” or rather “nonexistence” or “nothingness” since from Ruby’s perspective with her limited knowledge of magic (despite what she does know from Oz and Jinn) and the workings of the world that Ambrosius created, she doesn’t know what truly happened to her team.

The only thing she knows is that she watched her whole team dissipate into nothing before her very eyes and that is the last memory she has of them that haunts her for some time.

Imagine if…V9 will be about Ruby dealing with such a huge loss which could potentially touch more upon how she internalizes death in general tying back into probably flashbacks of her time with her mother before she learnt of her death at a young age.

While I understand we’ve had a storyline with Ruby being separated from her main team before back during V4-V5, however a plot line like this would be different this rounds since unlike before, Ruby at least knew that her team mates were alive. Far away. Separated by distance. But still alive and still a part of Remnant with the hope that she would be reunited with them again.

However this won’t be the case this second time. It would truly be Ruby alone since her team would be gone and no one could provide her with the solace of seeing them again---not even the friends she does still have (although that doesn’t stop some of them from trying to be there for the little red rose who has now lost more than her heart could handle)

I know the off-chance of this theory actually coming to fruition might be scarce. But like many ideas I’ve shared, it’s still worth tossing out since you guys know how this squiggle meister likes to roll.

~ LittleMissSquiggles (2021)

[youwontlikethisblog]

Yo Soy Betty, la Fea

So about a month ago I started watching this show as a form to entertain myself, in other words, ironically.

I was introduced to this novela by the Mexican version of it. I grew up with La Fea Mas Bella and during my depressive episodes that was my go to binge show. One day I was sitting on the couch, as one does, and Betty La Fea was on. I laughed for like a solid minute because I thought that acting was so serious that it was hilarious. See I was so used to the dramatics and comedy effects of the Mexican version that I thought the original was just too serious. So as a form to mock myself and the original novela I went on a search for it. Sadly here in the states the only way to watch this show is through NBC/Telemundo and the ads are just so long and it's not even the complete, all 335 aired episodes. Also for me the NBC website crashed to frequent it just made me miserable BUT that's not the point of this.

Hey, hi, I'm a writer.

I feel the need to say this because this show has... I am extremely fascinated by the writer Fernando Gaitan. I haven't seen any of his other works but this show alone is a masterpiece and I don't mean to say this because of the tropes, the moral, or the characters themselves but the mastermind to create so much detail into three minute scenes, the directing and the acting as well just add such a lovely splash of color, of life to this already beautifully written story.

I'm new to this already well established fandom and while I have read many breakdowns of characters, mainly Marcela, I haven't seen much regarding the story itself and many things said and done that foreshadow certain events.

For example, (I'm not sure what episode I'm on because I accidently bought the bootleg version of this novela so chapters aren't titled) This episode is the one when they offer Betty a 10% commission so that she can get Armando to do business with RagTela. The scene in particular however is when Armando is laying in bed with his fiancé, Marcela.

Now this becomes almost a regular thing that I noticed between the lives out of the office between Armando and Betty. We get back to back scenes of Armando with Marcela and then scenes of Betty at home with family or her friends that it becomes almost a way for the viewer, or if this were a book, the reader, to distinguish the difference of lives these two characters have. Though one could assume one is lonely because they don't go out or have a S.O and only work or count numbers is shown in a home with loving parents that are always worried about their child and present in her life and a loving best friend that shares the burden of being outcaste by society and finding the humor in it then we get scenes of a couple always arguing and then jumping into bed. Of a man that while his S.O sleeps lays awake with unheard questions, whose best friend is constantly placing temptations and pushing him to do wrong by his S.O, and whose parents aren't really present and ever only talk about the company or his relationship with Marcela to then again Betty. However in this part of the episode it's Armando awake while Marcela is asleep while Betty writes in her diary and we hear her monologue and then they both drift into sleep.

This becomes a ritual where the viewer can tell the clear line between these two characters and their own worlds.

Why do I mention this?

Because dreams are often, in the literary world, seen as prophecies or for the reader to interpret the future or the secret desires of the character. In other words, a form of foreshadowing.

Now in this episode Armando is laying in bed with Marcela, Betty is writing in her diary and the scenes switch between the both of them until we are taken to a dream. In the dream Betty is wearing a bright red dress with long sleeves, and a red hat with Armando in a black suit(I have theories based on the clothing they wear lol) . They're both dancing to tango. While Betty isn't watching him much, more concentrated in her movements, Armando is busy watching her. We then see him dip her, where she finally stares at him and they near for a kiss, just as they are about to kiss we hear Betty's name echo and she straightens up and walks away, while Armando is left there confused and alone.

Why do I think the mention of this dream is important?

Up until this we've seen Armando go from feeling indifferent about Betty. He is a terrible boss and constantly yells and mistreats her to then being fazed by her tears, to having moments of being a good boss and defending her. We begin to see a pattern of Armando's change towards her. Even before the terrible plan to use her is set and I believe that Fernando Gaitan used these dreams to not only give a break of humor and show Betty's crush towards Armando but to give the viewers a look into an otherwise unbothered, unfazed, and mysterious character's mind. AKA Armando Mendoza's own personal feelings towards Betty.

This is solidify by the dream they both share the night that Mario tells Armando about the plan to win Betty's heart to secure the company.

When we're learning to be good story tellers we're told that when writing you writer for yourself. The first draft is a huge info dump. While editing you take out all the unimportant factors and scenes, no matter how much you love that scene if it doesn't help with the plot, character development, or pushing the story forward, it's to be taken out of the story. Therefore most things are written with the intention to mean something. The cuts between Armando and Betty before we see this dream signify that it was both of them having the same dream.

I believe that this was the moment we start seeing the bend between their own worlds outside of the office.

Now, I'd love to have more cohesive analyses of the episodes because this is as if a book came to life. A lot of people in the fandom believe that Armando wouldn't had ever fallen in love with Betty had it not been for Mario who told Armando to make Betty fall in love with him to secure the company, a lot of small details in the character development and the story say otherwise and I have no one to talk to about these small details so maybe this blog might change from being a writers blog to the occasional fandom reblog to now being an analytical commenter of Yo Soy Betty, La Fea.

Even if no one ends up reading this, I need to get it out of my system so until next time.

[my-name-is-dre]

Mettaton is a False Prophet [OLD THEORY]

To start things off and make sure we have a reference, we need to list off the eerie yet superficial similarities between Mettaton and Asriel:

They both have multiple forms, with Mettaton having his normal form at the beginning, his EX form during his fight, and his NEO form in the No Mercy run. Asriel has his flower form throughout most of the game, his child form at the end of the True Pacifist run, and his “God of Hyperdeath” form also at the end of the True Pacifist run.

This is a minor detail, but they both possess the power to change the application’s name, with Mettaton turning it to “Undertale The Musical” during the track Oh! One True Love and Flowey turning it into “Floweytale” during his boss fight at the end of a neutral run. With the ability to change meta elements like this being traditionally associated with possessing determination in fan theories, we can conclude that there’s a case of overlap here. Another minor detail is that they’re the only two characters who can audibly speak, with Flowey’s creepy “that’s a wonderful idea!” and Mettaton’s famous “oh yes!”

One big similarity is that they’re both products of Alphys, with Mettaton being an attempt to purposefully enfuse a monster soul into an inanimate robot initially with the purpose of being efficient at killing humans, while Flowey was an incident caused by injecting determination into an inanimate object that had the remnants of a monster soul within it.

This is a bit of a stretch, but both characters are artificially inserted into your journey in an attempt to please an ulterior motive, with Flowey enacting his agency at the level equivalent of a player to toy with the same experiences and reconnect with whom he believes to be Chara while Mettaton was conscripted by Alphys to set up an elaborate stage play where she can rescue from him to feel better about herself, acting only at the level of agency as a monster.

The biggest emotional similarity is that both possess a mournful attitude towards a lost sibling, with Asriel on an endless quest of ironic spite against Chara for severing their old friendship by dying while Mettaton leaves Napstablook behind to pursue hedonistic dreams of fame and beauty, destroying the potential they had as a performance duo. Both rectify the holes these relationships left in them, with Asriel destroying the very thing that led to Chara’s death and Mettaton humbling himself reconnecting with Napstablook.

Goal-wise, they both obsess over humans but for very different reasons: Asriel has an obsession with only one human, and the reasons for this are very deep-seated and personal. Mettaton’s obsession however is more vain and is concerned with growing his audience beyond the borders of the Underground and being seen as a sort of vanguard for monsterkind among humanity. Or more insidiously, he feels as if he can assimilate into them. Both seek a form of transcendence that comes with obtaining a human soul: Asriel, as Flowey, seeks one so he can restore a bit of what he lost when he became a flower. Mettaton wants one again for vain reasons; those being to deprive Asgore of the opportunity and claim the title of the “Savior of the Underground” to himself.

Despite this being the most superficial similarity, it’s likely the most important: Both of their ‘ultimate’ forms—Mettaton NEO and God of Hyperdeath—have some interesting similarities between their designs. The most obvious is that they have these large wings jutting out, with Asriel’s having intricate color patterns while Mettaton’s flash between a brighter and darker shade of grey. Other similarities include excessively large shoulder blades and heart patterns on the chest area that are also shared with Undyne the Undying, indicating that this design motif is a trend among all major bosses considered to possess determination. Finally, this form also vaguely resembles the Delta Rune symbol, which I will elaborate on what they mean later. Despite all of this, it’s mainly the wings that are the contentious point of comparison, which I’ll get into later.

Lastly, they both seek a form of integration outside of themselves, with Asriel seeking once again the fusion of their soul with Chara’s, while Mettaton seeks total unification of their soul with their new body, and this is represented in the designs of their ultimate forms, with Mettaton’s ensignia featuring two hearts (one empty and one a monster soul) opposing each other, while Asriel’s features an empty soul within another empty soul. This is likely a metaphor that, despite all of the power he possesses, he’s still empty because he doesn’t have his friend with him. Conversely, this can apply to how Mettaton, despite achieving everything he basically dreamed of (as written in his diaries), feels empty because he abandoned Napstablook.

We’re finally done with comparisons to lay down the evidence for the main point. Now, we’ll get onto the Deltarune prophecy and what it means:

As most of you probably know, the Delta Rune is an emblem that represents the Kingdom of Monsters and is seen on the garments of every Boss Monster. In Waterfall, there are glyphs that describe a prophecy: “The Angel… The One Who Has Seen The Surface… They will return. And the underground will go empty.” If you ask Gerson to elaborate on what this means, he says that some monsters believe that this refers to a bleaker outlook: That the angel prophesied is actually a harbinger of death, and that this freedom actually refers to death.

If you connect the dots, you end up with two conflictingly obvious solutions: The first is that the player is the prophesied angel who appropriately fits both outlooks, being able to destroy the barrier and free monsterkind or free them mortally by attempting to slaughter all of them. However, another conclusion that can be drawn is that the angel prophesied is actually Asriel, and that you’re merely a vessel for his unwitting divine plan. While both are valid interpretations, the second is far more relevant to my point.

Also mentioned in those glyphs is the fact that not a single human soul was taken in the war between humans and monsters, alongside this is the missed opportunity to uncover that one can achieve godhood if they combine a human and monster’s souls. This implies a type of dualism as to whether or not the angel symbolizes the player or Asriel, as it’s more accurate to say that both the player and Asriel—the fusion of their souls—is the angel. This makes sense in both the contexts of the True Pacifist and No Mercy runs (and technically neutral), as both are attempts by Asriel to integrate with Chara again, with the former favoring Asriel’s determination while the latter favoring the player’s.

Now, what if I told you that Mettaton’s character in the story is his attempt to fulfill this prophecy artificially, thus making a false prophet of himself?

It seems hard to believe at first, but considering all the weird similarities between the staging and capabilities of both Asriel and Mettaton, it seems to imply that there’s some similarities between them in the context of the fate of monsterkind. Not only is it common knowledge among all monsters to speak of the prophecy, we also know Mettaton grew up in Waterfall alongside Napstablook and Shyren, meaning that this prophecy could’ve had more meaning to him specifically.

Now, it’s unknown whether or not the intentions to save monsterkind came about because of his hubris or because they were suggested to him by some higher command like Asgore, but considering that he states directly that he wants to kill you to prevent Asgore from taking your soul, it implies that Mettaton’s attempt at fulfilling the Delta Rune prophecy is entirely selfish.

One point of evidence in the camp that Mettaton was intentionally made to fulfill the Delta Rune prophecy is that Mettaton was made to impress Asgore according to Catty and Bratty. If this is true, then his position as a celebrity implies that he was made to be a beacon of hope that could be predictably grown and made to accomplish a purpose that fulfilled everyone’s collective desire. But the hair covering his right eye and its further concealment in his NEO form tells that, if he was created to fulfill the prophecy, then he wasn’t finished for this task and still required further tinkering from Alphys.

It may be entirely coincidental that Mettaton’s motivations as a character parallel and complement Asriel’s, but I find that hard to believe especially given the similarities of being separated from a lost sibling, seeking an integration of souls that’ll grant extraordinary power to embrace humanity to a degree, and possessing soulless objects. What I think really drives it home for me is the similarities between Mettaton NEO and the God of Hyperdeath, both of which are depicted as being angelic with prominent wings, which I’ll go on record to state are the only two boss fights in the game that feature wings prominently.

If Asriel is fulfilled as the angel of death, then the depiction of Mettaton NEO is given a newfound authenticity as he serves as the image of a guardian angel meant to stop you in a place where there is nobody to onlook, forcing him to act in authentic spirit. He now has the duty of protecting both monsterkind and humankind from you, even if he utterly fails at it.

One thing that’s hard to answer is how Mettaton is able to perform actions that imply metatextual awareness of the game and other similar actions Flowey does despite never being implied or hinted at possessing determination. Does this imply that, like Flowey, the process of integrating monster souls into inanimate objects grants them some form of determination? If so, it would grant greater proof as to why Mettaton has such a vested interest in fulfilling the Delta Rune prophecy beyond merely hearing about it. Yet, we know from the True Lab logs that Flowey was injected with determination while there’s no such implication that the same was done with Mettaton. However, we can gather from Napstablook being able to avoid being absorbed into Flowey as he transforms into Asriel that ghosts, as a type of monster, are seemingly immune to things other monsters aren’t. Perhaps this implies that they have metatextual powers like monsters with determination?

Now, here comes the really fun (and fortunately last) part where I draw parallels between these characters and the real-world mythology that may have inspired them:

Now, it’s a factoid among some that Asriel’s name may be inspired by Azrael, who is described as the angel of death in Judaism and Islam, and as part of that title, he separated souls from their bodies. His appearance has been described as being cosmically large, having an insurmountable amount of wings, and possessing a body formed of an amount of eyes and tongues representing every human being. Right away, we can see parallels to the God of Hyperdeath, who also has very large wings that appear to project a cosmic pattern within them. While its appearance may not correspond literally, he is a being composed of every human and monster soul in the Underground, eerily matching the description. Not to mention that Asriel absorbed Chara’s soul into them, equivalent to Azrael’s job of severing souls from their bodies.

Another factoid is that Metaton’s name is possibly inspired by Metatron, another angel of Judaism that, unlike Azrael, isn’t found in the Tanakh but is mentioned briefly in the Talmud. He has a similar job to Azrael in that he records the sins and merits of men, similar to how Azrael was able to see which names were blessed or damned. However, Metatron holds an even more lofty title in Kabbalistic mysticism as God’s mediator between men, being described as one “whose name is like that of his master”, even going as far as to be called “the lesser YHWH.” This is obviously a heretical dualistic proclivity in an otherwise monotheistic Judaism. Further, Metatron is related to Enoch, being described in Jewish apocrypha as the name Metatron used to have before he was transformed into an angel. Now, for all of that backstory, it parallels to Mettaton specifically in transformation: It seems as if Mettaton’s obsession with human reciprocation and the very humanoid appearance of his EX form imply that he wants to integrate into humanity similar to how Enoch entered angeldom.

The hot topic is whether or not Metatron’s power compared to that of God given the texts stating he was a secondary power in heaven with YHWH, but the answer most Rabbinistic scholars give is that he obviously wasn’t despite that it was written that all other angels bowed before him. However, this idea of there being dual power in Heaven is what later laid the groundwork for understanding the nature of Christ in Christianity. But in most Jewish sects, this doesn’t fly and is seen as a dualistic heresy, implying that there’s a falseness to Metatron’s power. Just like how there is a falseness to Mettaton’s power and intentions in all runs of the game. Another neat thing to note is that, as part of accepting Metatron as a real angel, one believes that any time a human believes God has directly spoken to them, it’s actually Metatron acting as his vessel. Perhaps this is parallel with how Mettaton is the voice of the Underground and it’s desire to be free despite himself possessing relatively lacking power?

The angel required a fusion of both a monster and human soul, and while Mettaton is the fusion between a monster soul and a soulless object akin to Flowey, it wasn’t enough to fulfill the role of the angel, falling short of his lofty dreams of being a savior. However, this disillusionment isn’t cruel, especially when you spare Mettaton and he receives a call from Napstablook (implied) that reminds him of his importance to monsterkind, making him reconsider his lofty ambitions to appeal to humanity. This is telling Mettaton that he is not a mediator between monster and humankind that he thought of himself as, for he never had the ability to combine both human and monster soul like Asriel. Perhaps he had the determination to be able to foresee the realization of the prophecy but not enough to put it into effect?

That’s just about everything I have to potentially support this theory, including referents to Jewish mythology. I firmly believe that Mettaton’s presence in the story was to serve as a false prophet to fulfill the prophecy of the Delta Rune, and that explains why his character and origin is so similar to that of Flowey.

[liam-93-productions]

Summary of Liam’s episode on Happy Hour podcast – Part 3

Note: Since the podcast is long, we’re dividng these summaries into parts. Hope you guys understand.

- Liam says that people always have that friend that they annoy relentlessly and his person his Conor. Liam says that he is the one being “bullied” constantly by his manager, Steve. - Mentions The LP Shows and how cool it is to do these shows. He said that he usually annoys Conor when he is editing a few videos of it as a joke and that Steve usually is sympathetic towards Conor even though he is the one performing and he can’t get it wrong. “Quick monkey perform!”. - They joke that Liam has 3.31 million YouTube subscribers and that Liam should be the one promoting Jaack and Stevie podcast. Liam started doing something like a podcast and at first it started off with having ideas about the livestream and he thought that it would be a good idea to rewatch the show alongside fans (especially for those in different timezones). He feels like it’s a little podcasty in a sense. He also thought about doing like a “round table with fans” where every week different people could talk about the show with him. “I hate watching myself”. - If he had a podcast he would love to talk with for example Justin Bieber and Robbie Williams. A few years ago, he was able to talk with Justin Bieber off camera. Liam feels very fortunate because he had 4 other boys who were growing at the rate as him, in the same circle and they knew exactly what it was like being him. For Justin he only had himself. “Angel” by Robbie Williams was his go-to karaoke song and he loves Robbie, feels like they can relate to each other a lot. - Liam jokes that he left One Direction and that people will use this as a new headline, “You have to be so self-aware”. Jaack asks him seriously if the band will get back together and he says “We’ll at some point. Everybody keeps asking it. It’s probably like everybody is sick of answering it”. Liam said that he sometimes gets in trouble while being honest. - “So it’s like having that family unit because we’ve had to kind of grow that around each other in One Direction to have people that were with us.” He mentions that in 1D they had people that were with them since the start. “My day ones”, these people are his day ones. - Liam feels like 1D needed a break and that if it didn’t happen at that point in life then he feels like he going to be even crazier. He felt scared sometimes because he had a security guard that lived in his house and he was always thinking that people were watching him. - He and Jaack made some puns with What Makes You Beautiful. - Liam mentions that sometimes people will pretend not to know who he is. He told a story where he was walking down the street one day and somebody called him Harry Styles. Liam also told a story of a woman that approached him and was convinced she knew him from some place, asking him questions. Told a story about Louis once having a bad experience at the shops where he tried to play a joke on a woman where he tried to confuse her saying he wasn’t “Louis Tomlinson” and the lady told him that he was better looking that the Louis from 1D. - Mentions that Louis was more hands on the behind the scenes part (backstage), but Liam always thought that the stage was his domain. “Together we’d kind of lead this together, mainly because we couldn’t get out egos out of the way.” Nowadays, it’s the same way. They help each other a lot in everything they need.   - Jaack says that Liam transitioned into a very successful solo career and asks Liam when did he notice it. He says that it was scary being alone and especially lately, he became more aware of it and sometimes things go wrong. “I have had moments where it’s gone pretty wrong.” - If things went wrong on stage with the 1D boys, they would usually do Fresh Prince of Bel Air skit to entertain people. Liam usually tried to talk with the crowd while things were sorted (for example, then the sound was down). - Liam mentions that he had a big problem remembering lyrics and at the time he was taking a prescribed medication, due to not feeling very happy at the time. Certain lights on stage would really bothered him and he needed time to adjust himself with talking sometimes and even remembering his own name. He felt so anxious with this, that now he usually has the lyrics on a prompter because “I just don’t want to mess up someone’s show”. He stopped taking this medication after he read a few articles claiming that people were forgetting their dissertations and classes for example. - Best show: he usually doesn’t mention it, but when the boys did the 2012 Olympics, their first big performance after coming out from X-Factor. It was amazing to him being so close to so many amazing artists, it felt massive. - Liam asked Jaack if he was alright and if he needed a cuddle after he mentioned that 2012 was the last good year he had. “How shit is the world if you can’t cuddle Liam Payne?” (Jaack) and Stevie answered that “Not many people can”. - Liam watches a paranormal show every week called “Ghost Adventures” and it’s one of the longest running shows. According to Liam, the show is just people walking into a room and shouting at walls. He isn’t a believer of ghosts, but he thinks that what if it’s real at the same time. He was supposed to participate in an episode of a scary tv show, but he couldn’t get to America in time, and he was supposed to stay a night in a hotel that has a history of scary stuff happening. - Liam mentions his visit to the Haunted Museum in Vegas and how they weren’t supposed to insult a haunted doll, but Steve insulted the doll and the doll said Liam’s name (he thought he was going to die). - Talks about his house in America that the lights would turn on in the middle of the night and doors opening and closing. The cleaner told him that she was seeing a person and it was “Alan the Ghost”, one of the old owners of the house. - Liam keeps saying that he needs to see real things to actually believe in ghosts. He wasn’t scared of doing things at the Haunted Museum because he wanted to live through it, but when weird things happened, he also doesn’t believe it. “I’m sorry, I just got to know.” - Liam’s theory is that if you watch something going into space, you’d be able to know what to expect when something came to earth. He feels like he would like to know there is something out there (aliens). - They start questioning if Elon Musk appeared before Iron Man. Even though it’s a character from a comic book, Liam thinks that maybe Robert Downey Jr. thought that he should base the character on Elon. Jaack “I think that we, as a collective, just discovered a new conspiracy theory”.

[queenlilith43]

Alrighty so here is my stupid, stupid theory about the Wicked Powers and the Eldest Curses.

I'm adding a keep reading option because everyone will thank me for this later. And it contains serious Eldest Curses and Last Hours spoilers. (YES. I will drag Chain of Iron into here because I want to.)

So I want to talk about what I think the antagonists in the Wicked Powers and what will happen because of it. And how the antagonists will show up.

So who do I think the antagonists are? Whelp, here's the list:

Thule people

Faerie court drama

The Cohort

Lucifer + other permanent threats

I'm going to explain the antagonists and what I think will happen. I will explain how much of a problem I think they will be.

Thule

Well, Janus is going to be in there. He had established himself as a villian from Ghosts of the Shadow Market. He's what Jace could have been if he had stayed under Sebastian's power. That is to say, a very evil Jace.

Janus had been tasked by the Seelie Queen at the end of Queen of Air and Darkness to find actual Jace Herondale. Do we want Jace kidnapped? NO. Will this cause problems? YES.

Thule as a world is a problem. Part of it leaked into our world in QOAAD, causing the warlocks to start to turn into demons. (Including a very cute purple poodle that was Malcolm Fade.)

Shadowhunters can't use their weapons and runes in this world. I wonder if it was able to influence the Shadowhunters in this world enough to stop that.

And Sebastian is still alive in Thule. We know how much of a problem he is. If he ends up in our world . . . We should be worried.

I think Thule can be a problem. It might be a huge problem. It all depends on how easily the main characters can deal with Janus.

I personally want then to deal with Janus and Thule by just yeeting him into a Portal. I can imagine Kit doing that and then dusting off his hands.

If someone can get rid of Thule easily, things will be fine. If Thule isn't dealt with early on . . . Everyone is screwed.

Faeries

We have met the First Heir of the courts. Also known as Kit Herondale. We also have the Seelie Queen, who is very evil, ruling over the Seelie Court. Along with that, Kieran is ruling the Unseelie Court.

And as we know, the Seelie Queen made Janus try and find Jace. So she ties into the Thule plot.

I feel like there is going to be some major faerie drama. Kit is going to have to fight to unite the courts, whether he wants to or not. It is his destiny to do this.

The faeries wouldn't accept Kit as their king, because he's mainly a Shadowhunter. (As we know, Shadowhunter blood breeds true.) I am hoping Kieran emerges as the king of the new courts and is able to have a good life with Cristina and Mark.

Kit is going to have face his faerie side and the powers that come with it. I'm going to love seeing his character develop through all this.

The faerie court drama is going to be in there, and part of Kit's character arc. It is needed, and if Kit and Kieran get rid of the Seelie Queen fast we might not even have to THINK about dealing with Thule.

However, this plot will need at least two books to resolve itself. That means Thule and the faeries will be involved. I'm going to touch on Thule at the very end again.

The Cohort

Ugh, I hate these guys. Especially Zara, who is the one person everyone in the fandom wants dead.

Considering what the Cohort represents and everything that had happened, they are going to reach new heights of evil. That was already in the playing cards, but I just KNOW they'll be worse than we thought they were going to be.

And the Cohort is trying to hurt the Downworlders. Alec is over there, trying to help them, but the Cohort loathes him for that.

I really don't know how important they will be. But when I talk about what I believe a main plot will be, and how Shadowhunter-Downworlder relations factor into it.

Lucifer

This one is where the Eldest Curses ties into the Wicked Powers. And this is what I think is going to be the main antagonist after a certain point.

Before you question me on this, hear me out.

The Shadowhunters have always known they will face an end to the world. It's been an idea since the very first book, City of Bones.

Jace talked about how there were more demons coming in every year, and less Shadowhunters to fight them. This was in the FIRST BOOK. And of course we had bigger fish to fry, but it's an idea that stuck with me.

I feel like even in the Infernal Devices series everyone knew there would be a demon threat so great the world could end. It wasn't as obvious, because Mortmain wasn't an antagonist that posed a large problem. His clockwork monsters were easy to defeat, and it was in Britain, which is technically an island. So they couldn't go they far unless they hopped on a boat and sailed around the world. Along with Mortmain just being a mundane.

In the Last Hours, the idea of a demon threat that could end the world is even more real. In Chain of Gold, we had to deal with demons that attacked in broad daylight, something that had never happened before.

And there was Belial, who might be planning something that messes with their weapons. (Although he won't get far. He's a terrible, even laughable villian who is being set up like this for future reasons.)

Now we have Lilith, who is a danger to this world. With Cordelia as a paladin, Lilith could have enough power to mess with the world. It's more real, but with this being a prequel, we know things will be fine.

Back to the main series, the Mortal Instruments. In the latter half of the series, Lilith shows up, and mentions her past. And this includes Sammael.

Sammael is a Prince of Hell. He poses a threat to the world. He is the one who weakened the wards in the first place with Lilith to let the demons in.

Thankfully, Simon turns Lilith into salt. We don't have to deal with her, but the threat and the demons she knows remind us how fragile this world is.

After Lilith, we have Sebastian. His demons blood makes him unstable, and he created this army of Endarkened Shadowhunters. But was his existence a threat to the fabric of the universe itself? Not really.

It could think our world, but not in the way an actual demon could. He is powerful, but Sebastian loves in pain. The demon blood in his veins weighs him down, and he has weaknesses. Clary defeated him once, and she can deal with Thule Sebastian later.

The Dark Artifices introduced the concept of the world ending. Not with Malcolm, but with Thule. Thule was a real Hell dimension, a place where the demons have taken over. A ruined world, and one where Sebastian rules over the land with an iron fist.

The only way Sebastian was able to rule over Thule was because Lilith showed up at just the right time. And strangely enough, it was shortly after she was lost from our world. Coincidence? Well, it could be, but knowing these books, it probably isn't.

In the Eldest Curses, this idea was introduced just a little on the first book. Asmodeus was there. It was a flash of it, but it seemed like the demon threat was mentioned.

The second book mentioned that idea again, with Sammael showing up. That's right. Sammael, the Once and Future Devourer of Worlds.

He really seemed to show the threat of demons. The way that no matter how hard the Shadowhunters would fight, the demons would win in the end. It said in that book Sammael would destroy the worlds in the end, no matter what.

And oh my god the epilogue. He had all the Princes of Hell in a room. And now, they are going to summon Lucifer.

Why do I think Lucifer will be outside the Eldest Curses? Because he is important.

In the folklore (my inner Swiftie is showing) Lucifer is the angel who started the rebellion in Heaven. He looked into the face of God, and turned away into the darkness. He is a force to be reckoned with.

But what happened to him? We haven't even heard of him in the Shadowhunters universe until Chain of Gold, where he was confirmed as a Prince of Hell. At first, I thought Sammael was Lucifer, because that is one of his names.

But they're two different demons. And one is more powerful.

Because Lucifer hasn't even been mentioned before, I think his sudden existence is going to be in the Wicked Powers, along with the rest of the Princes of Hell.

Belial is being set up as this whiny, sexist demon to make the other Prince of Hell so much WORSE.

The Wicked Powers is supposed to be a threat that the Shadowhunters have never faced before. And the LITERAL DEVIL? Yeah, they've never dealt with a force like him before.

But the only way the Shadowhunters can defeat the demons once and for all is by teaming up with the Downworlders. It's been hinted at. When the Shadowhunters and Downworlders work together, they are able to fight the demons off.

This is where Clary's Alliance rune comes in. Her rune, binding the Downworlders and the remaining Shadowhunters together, and they will fight.

The Cohort is going to hate this. But it's the only way to deal with Thule (which I'm going to talk about in another post) and Lucifer is with the Downworlders.

And Magnus if ping to be important. Every time Magnus is there, the Shadowhunters win.

But one my other theories is that Magnus dies. Because this is the end, and Magnus is in every single book. So for him to die, it would mark the very end.

So I guess Magnus would fight bravely in the battle and then die, to make an end to these books.

Any thoughts on this? Please reblog!