#so anyways i probably have the force given how good at guessing things i am

[krakensdottir]

Also something really important I want to point out about Aziraphale's religious trauma.

It's often framed as him being directly abused by Heaven, generally emotionally. And while I don't doubt he's been belittled at points - probably not by Gabriel, the iconic exemplar of the Toxic Positivity boss, but we know how Michael and Uriel etc. can be - it also seems like he's received quite a lot of praise and has generally managed to pull off the appearance of being A Good Angel, or at least a satisfactory one. I don't think, and this is controversial, but I don't think Heaven was usually overtly hard on him.

Because that's not how this kind of cult mentality usually operates. Instead, it teaches you to abuse yourself. Your overseers don't have to directly hurt or insult you if you're so ingrained with fear of failure by the culture you were brought up in that you constantly question yourself as not good enough.

It's not as... satisfying, I guess? As an external abuser being the main issue. But it's a lot more real. At least to me, because I suffered so much anxiety over being 'good' when I was a kid, and it wasn't from direct abuse. It was absorbed from the culture I was surrounded by. I picked it up by osmosis from society at large, and it tormented me. I worried, I doubted, there was a time I literally feared going to Hell. And I wasn't raised strongly religious. My mother certainly treated me as a Good Kid, and never gave even the suggestion that I wasn't. But I felt that way anyway. And it tore me apart. Because internalizing that shit makes it so much harder to fight.

And to be clear at this point, I am not saying Heaven isn't abusive. I just think the nature of its abuse is more subtle and insidious than it's often given credit for. And - this is even harder to accept, but it's true, and it's important - it's not just abusive to Az. All the angels are victims of it. Yes, even Gabriel. The moment he, one of the most powerful forces in Heaven, steps out of line, we see that no one is exempt. Never even mind Muriel, who is literally on the lowest rung of the Heavenly ladder and has probably never been told they're worth anything beyond being, you know, an angel, so at least you're better than humans and demons.

It's a contrast with Crowley, who has long since accepted most (not all, there are definitely some deep issues remaining, but they're nothing like Aziraphale's) of his internal doubts and struggles. His fears are almost entirely external. He doesn't beat himself up if he fucks up. He doesn't have to. There are people happy to beat him up for him. So when things go really bad for him, his instinct is to run. To get out of the way of harm as much as possible.

The fact that Aziraphale is harder on himself than anyone else could be is a vital part of his character. He self-punishes. He self-criticizes. He feels awful every time he breaks the rules in the slightest, even though he isn't usually caught at it. Crowley can find some safety in solitude if he keeps his wits sharp and his head down. Aziraphale can't, because he carries Heaven's conditioning with him at all times. He doesn't need oversight, it doesn't take external threats to keep him in line. You don't need direct threats when literally everyone in your celestial workplace has seen firsthand the consequences of rebellion.

I don't know if I'm making sense here. Again, this is informed by personal experience and I can't claim to be unbiased. But I see so much internalization with Aziraphale. He literally can't even accept praise without being nervous as hell, and I don't think it's fear of punishment or ridicule that's his primary motivation. He simply cannot ever be good enough for himself.

That's how they get you.

Anyway, I think it's why his reaction to disaster is the opposite to Crowley's, why he feels he has to turn and face it and somehow avert the horror (or, alternatively, find some way to reconcile it in his head and accept it - because let's be real, that's often what happens) rather than get himself away. He's less afraid of failing his superiors than he is of failing himself. And God, who is, objectively, the biggest abuser in the entire story.

[ileftmysoulinnorway]

We all had a tough end of the week, so I thought I would put together something about my IWTV set lurking experience in Prague, hopefully to cheer someone up and show you that the people working on our little show are incredible, everything is well thought out, and we have a lot to look forward to.

Locations

I am confident that Prague will be a good substitute for Paris. I love this post comparing Prague's Théâtre des Vampires location with a real Le Grand Guignol in Paris. But similar care is given to other locations as well.

I like to joke that I enjoyed a month-long tour of Prague's most famous landmarks, only to have the actual filming take place in nondescript alleyways right next to them. But it makes perfect sense. They want to capture the nicer and older parts of the city that suit them, but not anything that would tell you it's Prague.

Production design, costumes

I saw them build everything from scratch on several sets. And I'm in awe. From putting up posters that will probably only appear in the background of a single shot, to street names that fit the exact topography of Paris and make sense in the context of the scenes that take place on them, to storefronts that they really didn't have to pay that much attention to, or a menu at Le Dakar Café that you could only read up close, but someone took the trouble to make it anyway?

And maybe this attention to detail is normal, I don't know, but I still think Mara and her team deserve all the praise they get.

S1 showed us how much attention is paid to the costumes. I can assure you that has not changed. All the hats, coats, capes and dresses. I can't tell you how many times I've been pleasantly surprised. By the choice of colors for Lestat. By how beautifully all of Armand's black clothes come to life with little details.

People

There are so many people (and I mean SO many) working on the show and they all know exactly what is expected of them, everything runs like a well-oiled machine. I haven't seen any problems, any conflicts, any excesses.

I'm not under any illusion that everything was trouble-free, but really the only complaints I heard were about the horrendously hellish schedule (I guess that's normal) and then the occasional person wishing they had finished earlier (they never finished earlier).

They are all heroes to me.

Directors

Levan is the only one I saw. He seems so focused and professional. His "rolling...and action" is unforgettable.

Actors

After six locations and about fifteen scenes (and countless rehearsals and takes), I think I managed to get at least some idea of them, and yes, they really seem to be such nice people.

- Jacob, I don't envy him at all the emotional strain of playing Louis, but at the same time I love his portrait of Louis so much.

- Sam's transformation into Lestat is something to behold.

- Assad was the only one present on every set. I don't think we've fully realized how big a role he's going to have (at least in S2).

- Delainey, Ben, Roxane and everyone else 💜

Scenes

They were far from finished when the strike started, but at least (in my opinion) they got to the last block of episodes. 

I'm not going to pretend to have a concrete idea of what to expect from S2 based on what little I saw. But I do have a few guesses, and I'm insanely excited and thrilled. And, in the case of the 1700s flashbacks, totally confused. I can't believe they're going to do so many unexpected things, or other things so soon.

I truly believe that S2 will not disappoint any of us. We just have to wait a little longer. But if this strike means that everyone gets a better deal and the studios are forced to change their ways, it will be worth the wait.

[fictionfixations]

Kalim in RSA (and I get off-topic)

Spoilers for Book 4 and 5 (im sorry jamil enjoyers. but im so biased towards kalim its not even funny)

(this spiraled into me talking all about kalim in the actual game so oops)

imagine how different the story would be if kalim was in RSA

and we just hear from jamil about these snippets about his 'master' (although itd be weird they'd be separated if jamil tended to him often to where he'd prob be like his personal servant? idk what situation would have jamil talk to us anyway but yknow maybe we get close, he's like the other friend who seems cool? he'll basically help us out with knowledge about things, fleshing out the world a bit more, as the only sophomore in the group cause he kind of feels responsible maybe? then BETRAYAL)

and then eventually partway through the school year KALIM IS THERE (we know why though) and he somehow ends up housewarden.

i have a dislike against RSA. its very petty and its kind of because they keep winning (and they dont even mean ill intent which is worse! …but its kind of like kalims kindness. and i like kalim but that might make me biased. SO. thus the existence of this.)

we probably wouldnt like him much right? (and i imagine he'd get his fair share of bullies. we find this out. he laughs it off like 'nah, im used to attempted assassinations and everything. this isnt nearly as bad.')

(id do the clapping between but ppl get annoyed, and i get annoyed) CUE KALIM BEING MORE THAN SMILES AND WE LEARN THAT ABOUT HIM !!

HES aware enough that he can cook food good using JUST magic (which takes precision to use it as good or even better than your hands right??. its in his labwear vignette. ruggies teaching him ofc so ruggie wants it to be good cause hes taking leftovers, BUT CMOONNN he can learn. ..and yeah it took a few years for jamil to teach kalim antidotes to common poisons so he could do it easy but kalims hardly a master at making potions so i call that good)

AND in book 5 he noticed vil had like the same look as jamil to where he knew something was going to go wrong (aka the poisoning)

maybe its to show how much kalim doesnt belong in NRC and thats why they dont pull the 'more than he looks at first glance' like cater with glimpses in vignettes and etc

but like COME ON.

the sultan might be dumb (i recently re-watched aladdin) but at least he knew enough that he didnt want jafar marrying his daughter cause hes OLD and also he doesnt want to force jasmine into anything (good intentions. im sure if they just waited and she didnt find a suitor in time he would've just CHANGED THE LAW like he did IN THE MOVIE because he wants her to be happy!)

ALSo he tried to look through the law jafar claimed to say that would make her have to be married to the vizier or whatever (aka jafar) but then jafar just pulled it away before he could (and then attempted to mind control him when he refused) mans was prepared to spend hours reading over it even if he didnt understand it but he wasnt given the chance

also kalim is worryingly nonchalant about stuff. i mean. you can get used to horrible things to where they just feel so normal and uninmportant i guess? but poor bby. hes been like 'i want to keep myself alive because if i die then someone else will get punished.' or like about poisoning, if someone has a change of mind and hes already dead, then he cant do something to help them, so he has to make sure he'll live.

..i really doubt that hes just. so oblivious. maybe in denial, but still.

anyway i got very off topic. my bad. and to be fair we do get to see more of him at some parts. but hhh

okay listen. denial. (i am also a believer that if when kalim confronted jamil, if he said he didnt do anything kalim wouldve believed him. bruh gave him excuses like '..i just got tired, right?')

"The real Jamil would never do such things! He's a good guy. He's always helping me, giving me a shoulder to lean on, and—" (Book 4 • Chapter 33)

we just. dont see him really crumble?? he just. keeps being optimistic

we convince him jamil is bad. he resolves to punch him for being a traitor and THATS IT?

he sobs at the end of jamils overblot but then he goes back to being optimistic like 'lets be equals!' (..it feels like he didnt really learn much though as he's still 'I didn't notice--' 'I--' and i wish he couldve gotten more awareness. cause he makes it about himself yknow and blaming himself but COME ON put some blame on jamil PLEASE? or like. ANYONE ELSE. you also cant notice shit if no one ever tells you about it that you dont even know to look for it! he doesnt want to be cautious about who he can trust so like, why would he think to doubt the person who hes known his entire life??? especially if its something that was just always there that it feels natural, how could he know better? hes sheltered! so someone shouldve explained it to him, made him realize things! aghhh)

heres the book 5 one btw

"I got a real bad feeling when I saw the look on your face after Neige's rehearsal. It was practically the same look I saw on Jamil's face when he lost control of himself over holiday break." (Book 5 • Chapter 62)

And I mean maybe he did learn in that he's more aware of this now than others because he knows what people could look like because of Jamil, but I feel like a lot of things were just so unsaid. That the first time blindsided him, but now he's kind of a little more worried about something happening while he's there that he didn't notice so now he's trying to notice things more??? Or like maybe having gut feelings that he'd ignored before because it was Jamil but now knowing better?

So he can be aware. but then the rest of the time he's just thought of as dumb or an idiot or forgetful and it just makes me sad. and i mean i get that he wants to see the best in people but we never really talk about how its more that its denial. a refusal to see it, and i want to understand why

or maybe its because he sees the good in people that he trusts they'll do the right thing. or he believes that the good outweigh the bad (although i dont know if it'd be the same case if it was someone he knew who got hurt)

like. okay back in book 5

"Besides, I would bet there isn't a single person in Scarabia who hasn't gotten help from Jamil at some point. Am I right?"

"See? There you go. He's been a model vice housewarden. In fact, he's put me to shame. He let dark thoughts get the better of him for a brief time. Other than that, he's a perfectly capable guy." (Book 5 • Chapter 10)

He justifies it with that Jamil isn't the only one to blame (he also blames himself), and that Jamil hadn't done anything wrong before then

which. AGAIn. means that in his eyes the good outweigh the bad. jamils better at his duties so jamil should stay as vice housewarden.

this was the first time jamil did anything bad so it'd be fine, it was just an error in judgment

AGHHh

nothing about the fact that his closest friend he views as a brother

"He's grown up with Jamil since a young age, and considers him a brother in all but blood." (from the In-game Album)

who would be the last person he'd expect to do such a thing BETRAYS HIM, planning to make everyone (or well just the people in scarabia) turn against him

like. that has to be a shock right??? AND THEN HE JUST. welcomes him back into his life like it was nothing im just. kALIM. SWEETIE.

and i mean i get its for the best since if anyone knew what actually happened anything could happen to jamil (and jamil has his own reasons i get that but this is about kalim)

but he still hangs around him. has him as his aide. so while something did change, it also feels like nothing changed at the same time.

"I'm always chosen. Always. That's such an obvious truth that I never even consciously processed it. But now I see that was only possible because of Jamil's constant sacrifices. He created that "truth" in my mind by always holding back. By always letting me win. ...It stings. "Galling" doesn't even begin to describe it." (Book 5 • Chapter 30)

also like one of the very few times he expresses how he feels about something (how it hurts not to be chosen for the first time, and/or that he was only chosen because of someone else so he wants to work hard)

and then grim shuts him down with "You wanna talk about galling? Imagine how I feel not even makin' the cut for the audition to start with."

like. COME ON.

Kalim responds with, "Ah, you're right. My bad! I didn't mean to rub it in. Goodness, there I go again! I'm super sorry, honest."

and yeah it can seem kind of spoiled but also. its probably because of that that he doesnt want to share his troubles because he's very privileged so it feels like he might not deserve to act like its anything when everyone else has to work so much harder, right?

AND ITS JUST. REAFFIRMING TO HIM THAT his troubles are nothing compared to anyone elses and im just aghhauihduadhw

he also cares a lot about other people (people like him as housewarden because he listens to their troubles and supports them) so i just. want him to be able to take a moment to care about himself and just admit these things that he usually doesnt get the chance to.

i got a lot more worked up than i meant to

[luckyladylily]

Followed from the 'men or bear' post and simply trying to be social,

never read (or watched) dune but why do you feel its over rated?

So I've overplayed it a bit over the years because it's fun, but I have basically two major problems with Dune.

The first of course is the standard early to mid 20th century problem of it was written by a sexist racist white guy, but also I can't exactly judge if Frank Herbert was unusually racist and sexist for the time. But it is very much there, and it very much impacts the quality of the series for me. I don't really talk about this much because a given when dealing with older sci fi.

The second point is where I really get my rant on. See, the thing is Dune isn't the worst book ever. But for many years, well into the 2000's, a very large and very vocal group of people insisted it was the greatest sci fi novel ever written. So, in high school, I pick up the novel.

Now you need to understand, I read voraciously as a teenager and at a very high level. I'm not saying I'm better than other people but when you've read Moby Dick you get an idea of what a master can do with words. When you've read Issac Asimov you begin to understand how ideas can be woven together in a mind expanding way.

So I pick up "The greatest sci fi novel ever written" expecting it to be, at the very least, good. It was not good. It did not even come close to meeting the least of my expectations. I was astounded that anyone considered *this* the greatest sci fi novel. Really? Better than Foundation? Better than Frankenstein? This shit won a fucking Hugo and a Nebula? People compared this favorably to Lord of the Rings?

It's not fucking Lord of the Rings.

Anyway, what is actually wrong with it. Starting off, the book has decent ideas, but they are not presented in a particularly inspired way, nor is it the best presentation of those ideas. It was the first time that a white guy presented many of these ideas that he borrowed from other sources to other white people, and I guess that counts as originality back then. But in that respect it is just uninteresting. The real problem is how it is written. Which is badly, both in terms of prose and plot.

I am going to link you to my rant on Dune chapter 1. I discuss prose and presentation in that rant. It is difficult to summarize because there is just so much wrong with it. But to give an example of where it falls short in plot, lets talk about an event early in the first book. This is a spoiler, so fair warning. I call this the most uninspired and unearned betrayal ever.

Paul, the main character, is the heir to the House Atreides. In order to set up the rest of the plot, Herbert needs House Atreides to be destroyed through treachery. But Duke Atreides, Paul's dad, has to be shown to be a brilliant, wise, and capable leader. No run of the mill treachery can get past him. To solve this problem, Herbert introduces Duke Atreides personal doctor, and Duke Atreides directly states to everyone (especially directly to the audience) that this man is 100% trustworthy and unbreakable because he has undergone special mental conditioning making him incapable of causing harm. In X many hundred or thousand years no man so conditioned has ever broken. He is an unbreakably loyal man. And thus we have a character Duke Atreides can trust implicitly, so he can later be stabbed in the back without looking like an incompetent moron.

So now you probably think this is where we set up the dangerous nature of the Baron Harkonnen (greatest enemy of House Atreides), somehow brilliantly finding some mental weakpoint, or maybe inventing a brand new form of mental torture that successfully breaks the conditioning, or something else establishing Baron Harkonnen as a force to be reckoned with. So, how did Baron Harkonnen break the unbreakable man?

He kidnapped his wife. That's it. Didn't even torture her in front of the man, just nabbed her and said "hey do my bidding or I'll kill her!" And the unbreakable man folds like a cheap suit. He doesn't even bother to get proof of life. So in the hundreds or thousands of years these supposedly unbreakable people have been around the secret all along was kidnap their loved ones. No one has ever tried that before? Really?

I need to stress, this is not a misdirect and no other explanation is given. We are genuinely supposed to buy that the doctor is effectively unbreakable, that the Duke is wise and correct to have accepted this at face value, and that kidnapping the doctor's wife was actually the twisted, brilliant treachery it's place in the story would suggest.

It is astoundingly bad plotting that only exists because Frank Herbert couldn't be arsed to give a fuck about the plot of his own book. Even worse, it isn't a hard plot hole to fill with a better betrayal that also made logical sense. For example, Herbert could have written a character that the Duke naturally trusted implicitly, perhaps a brother or close friend, and shown why and how that trust exists. This would make more sense, give the betrayal real emotional weight, and matter in a much more personal way to our protagonist.

But no, that would take effort. Frank Herbert, master of tell don't show, just parades out a character and directly tells the audience that he's 100% totally trustworthy no for realz bro, and then expects us to just go along with the idea that the betrayal was earned and isn't fucking stupid. This is the level Frank Herbert is on.

But anyway greatest sci fi novel ever written, am I right? Winner of both a Hugo and a Nebula!

This is why I hate Dune. Not because it is the worst thing ever, there are even things to like in it, but it is like millions of people collectively decided that Bicentennial Man was the greatest science fiction movie of all time and it won the best film oscar and people are comparing it to the all time greatest films ever made and I'm over here just. Sure, it tries to play with some interesting ideas but it's got structural problems, there are acting issues, the script is poor. There are things to like but it's mid at best! Is everyone in on some collective joke? Am I in the fucking twilight zone?

Now, in the couple of decades since I first read Dune the "best sci fi novel ever" nonsense has pulled back a lot. I don't think I've heard someone make that claim in years. But it can be fun to be a hater, especially when something deserves it.

Edit: I want to make it clear I don't think less of anyone for liking Dune. Dune is probably a great playground for fandom and god knows I don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to my personal favs. I also hear the new movies are good, and nothing about Dune makes me think it couldn't be adapted well.

[mixelation]

I think it’s fairly common for people to headcanon Naruto as good at stealth/infiltration/“blending in” but in general I personally find this largely incongruent with canon. Here’s why (disclaimer that ofc you may have your own opinion or prefer this headcanon; I am simply teasing out my own thoughts here):

I think the logic of this headcanon comes from three things. First, from the way a lot of people conceptualize how Naruto’s childhood isolation went. The idea is that he was forced to learn to keep his head down and blend in and maybe even sneak around in order to get people to sell him food and clothes, to avoid an ongoing threat of violence, etc. My thing is that I don’t feel this is what canon actually implied was happening: what we mostly see is Naruto being alone while people off in the distance whisper about him. There is no implication of violence or that he had a hard time obtaining things for himself, like food. Naruto is so desperate for attention, to not be ignored and forgotten, that he is as loud and in your face as possible because even negative attention is better than nothing. There is ofc room for a character to be both desperate for attention but need to have a stealth mode for their own health/safety, but this requires a lot of nuance and complexity of character that I find a lot of people just like. Forget? Or exploring this new headcanon and narrative of having to go to the grocery store in disguise is more important to them than preserving his canon motivation/personality. (Absolutely nothing wrong with that, btw, but I am the type of person who gets annoyed by the attitude a headcanon is based on canon/“correct” when it’s noooot really.)

The second basis for the headcanon comes from people wanting to explore Naruto’s sexy no jutsu as more than what it is in canon, where it is basically used entirely for the shock value (barring some filler shenanigans and that bizarre but with Jiraiya). And I do like playing with and fleshing out new uses for the jutsu, and also it’s a fun canon compliant way to do some Gendery Shenanigans. But people often want to have Naruto be like… a seduction shinobi? Because boobs, I guess? And I think my annoyance with this take is that I just… dont think Naruto has the personality. He is not subtle. His entire personality would probably be considered unflattering/gross/even bitchy by the types of marks generally imagined up by these scenarios, even with the boobs. Even for the non-sex seduction-type stuff (like chatting someone up at a bar for intel), it just doesn’t really work with like… his approach to life. Like I think older Naruto could be good at buddying up to certain types of personalities, but this is entirely unlinked to any specific propensity for seduction/undercover work/etc.

(Insert long aside here about how the fandom’s obsession with sex work as a kunoichi skill is really fucking weird, and also not even how people behave.)

Anyway the third idea is that Naruto has a lot of skills developed via pranking, particularly stealth. This also isn’t really canon, although I feel it’s a reasonable extrapolation because we DO see him successfully execute pranks that must have required these skills. My only thing is that, given his attitude toward ninja training in canon, I don’t think twelve year old Naruto ever like. Consciously made the connection that his prank skills would transfer to being a ninja. I think you would have to actually tell him “pretend this is a prank” or else do sone character work to get him to this epiphany.

Anyway, those are my thoughts! 💃🏻

[breckstonevailskier]

"Jumanji" speculation

This is the synopsis for the upcoming sixth episode of Gen V (source).

My guesses are that:

"Emma goes to find Sam" - Seems like she probably returns to Godolkin's campus since we last saw her in episode 5 with Sam at the drive-in, calling the others to warn them about Cate.

"Marie, Jordan and Andre are forced to see things from Cate's perspective." My guess is this will be a limelight episode for Cate with a fair number of extended flashbacks that illustrate just how Cate came into Shetty's control, and also probably give us more Golden Boy as well as tell us just how Brink fits into this all (and why exactly Golden Boy killed him). Since Cate clearly is wracked with guilt about wiping their minds, it would make sense that she'd want to divulge everything she can to regain their trust. There was a preview shot in episode 6 of Cate's eyes looking pretty bloodshot, suggesting she restored all of their memories, not just Andre's.

"Dr. Cardosa makes a breakthrough with a mysterious virus, and Shetty makes a terrifying request with dire consequences." We're definitely going to be seeing follow-up to the scene that Shetty had with Cardosa in the Woods corridor. Definitely seems like he wants Marie's blood to perfect his virus that can control Supes (which I personally think might also tie in with why Cate was under Shetty's control, given her particular powerset).

Edison Cardosa: [Sam] nearly killed my family, Indira! He's far more trouble than he's worth, and Golden Boy is dead anyway. The point is, I'm done with Sam. He's not my problem anymore. I'm tired of babysitting psychopaths. Indira Shetty: Babysitting psychopaths is literally your job. Edison Cardosa: Those kids found out about him! Indira Shetty: Those kids have been handled. They won't be a problem. Edison Cardosa: Come on. You know it's just a matter of time before they find out about everything else we're doing down here. I am this fսcking close to perfecting the virus, a viable way to control them for good. But if they discover that? I'm not paid nearly enough to die for this shit. Indira Shetty: So you want a raise? Edison Cardosa: No, that's not what I... Indira Shetty: So why don't you tell me what it is you do want? Because we both know you're not going anywhere. Cutting up Supes and seeing how they tick is a skill that won't quite shine on your LinkedIn profile. Edison Cardosa: I want the girl. Marie. Her abilities are the rarest I've ever seen. She doesn't understand how powerful she really is. She's the perfect subject, could speed up my timeline. Indira Shetty: She is special. But no. You're not the only one interested in Moreau. She has a benefactor, and because of that, she's strictly off-limits. For now.

This will probably include some explanation as to what Soldier Boy might be doing in this show. But then there's the question of who Marie's benefactor is. It's probably not Shetty herself because I don't see why Shetty would refer to herself in the third person, so it's probably someone else within Vought or associated with Vought. Could be Victoria Neuman (since we will see her in person in one of these episodes), but I like the theory that Marie's benefactor is Stan Edgar. As New Rockstars pointed out, he's got a history of taking interest in orphaned Supes from Red River who accidentally killed their own parents (can't be a coincidence that we actually saw Marie's picture briefly on the computer screen when Hughie was at Red River investigating Victoria's past and uncovered her connection to Edgar; Victoria's and Marie's parents also died in similar fashion); he'd want a new asset in the wake of Victoria's double cross, and seeing as Edgar was the one who signed off on Payback betraying Soldier Boy to replace him with Homelander back in 1985, it would make sense for him to have a contingency plan up his sleeve (and be secretly coordinating with Shetty and the many other insiders he probably still has within Vought).

[vouam]

just found this guy’s answer to a question on quora (“is misandry a problem in the US?” or something of that nature) and was wondering what your reaction to it would be. there are some points i wouldn’t be sure how to refute, though it’s certainly not enough to change my radfem beliefs lol. i’ll copy and paste it since i can’t send ss in anon

Q:“is misandry prevalent in today’s society?”

A:“I would say so.

Woman: doesn't want a child so she secretly aborts it.

Man: doesn't want a child and is forced to pay child support for 18 years while being ridiculed as a dead beat dad

Woman: my body, my choice

Man: has his genitals forcibly mutilated for no good reason at birth

Woman: free drinks at the club on ladies night

Man: there is no men's night. Drink prices increase to cover all the free drinks ladies get

Woman: oh please keep yourself safe

Man: forced to sign up for selective services (a.k.a. draft) at 18.

Woman: complains about low paying job

Men: 67% of work place injuries happen to men, 93% of work place fatalities happen to men. No one bats an eye

Woman: mostly automatically given custody of children no matter what

Men: you can see your children on the weekend only and pay for child support

Man: simply accused of abusing a woman and goes straight to jail.

Woman: beats the man senseless and if the man defends himself goes to jail. If he doesn't defend himself he still might go to jail or if he is lucky police will tell him to quit making a big deal about it. Has 1 place in the country to go to for sheltering battered men despite the fact that women are the perpetrators of domestic violence some 40% of the time. Woman, have countless battered women shelters to go to.

Man: gets raped by woman at gun point being forced to give oral sex and held captive for days. Society has a good laugh

Woman: gets raped and her perpetrator is rightfully punished. No one is laughing about it. Woman gets psychological help and all kinds of assistance from society. Also if she makes false accusations of rape, ruining a man's life, no one says a thing about it and she is free to go on accusing.

Men: penalties for the same crime as women are much longer sentences.

Men: comprise 60 some % of homeless population

Men: comprise of a majority of suicides

I could go on but it's only going to anger the feminazis more and more”

reading crap like this makes me so mad tbh, like i understand moids don’t have easy lives just because they’re moids but GOOD FUCKING GRIEF it’s like they just can’t fucking get enough of acting like society wasn’t built by men for men. 🙏🙏 sorry it just gets me upset. anyway love ur blog!!

Oooof this is a really great ask so thank you for sending this in! I guess I’ll approach this by answering each one individually (although I might repeat myself)

Men pay child support while women can just have an abotion

This is a very strange argument. Because firstly not every country has fully legal abortions. 47 countries only allow it for health reasons, 43 to save the mother’s life and 22 it is fully illegal. A lot of men like this seem to forget that there are other countries on this planet. I’d personally rather be the gender that has to pay child support for an unwanted baby. Even in the case of legal abortions, abortions are not easy to go through. It is mentally very difficult and can be an invasive procedure. Women are shamed for having abortions in every country, even the most ‘accepting’ places.

Circumcision

I am very against circumcision and this was probably his most valid point(?) But his point excludes the fact that FGM is practiced in many countries and cultures. And while male circumcision is usually done for religious reasons claiming its ‘hygienic’ and has little to no bad side effects while FGM can kill women and girls, and is done for far more malicious reasons that I can’t even begin to describe.

Men’s drinks night

Does he know the implications of what ‘buying a woman a drink’ means?? Yeah, I’d much rather be a man in this situation 😭

Drafted at 18

I am against anyone being drafted, and I’m against any military work period. But men made this rule because they deem men to be brave and strong - a stereotype designed to benefit them.

Work place injuries and fatalities

Most injuries and fatalities happen with manual labour, construction/factory work etc. Same stereotype as listed in the point before this.

Custody over children

Again, this happens due to a stereotype that benefits men. Women are ‘better parents/nurturing’ while men are not and should go out there and work and achieve their goals while women stay at home. Literally designed to benefit men. Also, a lot of men view the custody struggle as a privilege because they cannot be bothered to be fathers.

Going to prison because of a simple accusation and less abuse shelters for men

This is the craziest point because men do not go to prison over some random accusation pulled out from thin air. In order to accuse someone of abuse, you need extensive indisputable evidence. Even then, the police will not take it seriously or the defence will win the case for whatever reason. These are the hardest crimes to prove in a court and the statistics show this. Less abuse shelters for men because they are far FAR less likely to be a victim. Yes, its’s sad but this literally proves misogyny is a thing rather than misandry - because I know damn well which sex I’d rather be in this instance.

People laugh at male rape victims and women are given full support/legal justice

I addressed this in the previous point. Women are ridiculed and not believed/not given justice at an extremely higher rate than men.

Longer male prison sentences

Same stereotype that I’ve said before about being stronger/braver vs weak/nurturing. The stereotype was made to benefit them. Also this ignores that a lot of the time there are other aspects to a crime that result in a higher sentence given. For example 1st degree murder done for financial motive vs sexual motive.

Larger male homeless population and male suicide rate

I guess this is more of a question of why men are more likely to be homeless or commit suicide. Make suicide rate studies suggest it’s harder for men to admit mental health struggles/reach out for help. Again, it’s sad but the strong brave stereotype was designed to benefit them, like I’ve said before. Permanent homelessness is largely due to addiction, mental health, childhood poverty, financial crisis, loss of relationships to family/partner. These can all happen to women, except a lot of the female homeless population are trafficked, resort to prostitution, enter abusive relationships to escape the streets. In a lot of countries, people seem to think its 99% men that are homeless, but its usually not. You just typically only see male homeless people sitting/sleeping on the street in public spaces - that’s a more terrifying place for a woman to be compared to a man.

—

I guess this guy’s main problems is that he:

- Thinks USA/Europe/western countries are the only places that exist

- Can’t see that bad things that happen to men are actually a result of stereotypes designed to benefit the male population

- Makes up statistics in his head that aren’t true

- Has a crazy victim complex

- Can’t see that the women’s position in his scenario is actually worse

I hope this helps with any future debates and refutes! And I hope I explained myself well enough 😭

[matrixxsystem]

Terrapin Soup Part 14

Usagi found himself navigating through the forest as fast as his body would carry him, through the tops of the trees as the sun hung heavy beating down on the back of his neck. He wasn't sure why he was so worried, he knew Leo would be okay, he knew he could take care of himself.. But he still couldn't feel the feeling of his heart sinking to his stomach, maybe that's what it meant to really love someone? Or something cheesy like that.. To know logically that your person would be okay, and is strong enough to survive anything. But even still having everything ache with worry and wanting to be there and protect them anyway, even if you get hurt instead. He shook the thought from his head and paused when he noticed the forest starting to thin out, he was close now. He looked to the communication device Donnie had given him and held the button to send a recorded message, "Alright, I'm right outside. I think I'm gonna make some kind of distraction, something to get their attention. Won't be long now." He sent the message and hopped down from the branch he was resting on and looked around. "Now.. How am I gonna make this work...?" He pulled the pin from his pocket and put it on to appear human then approached the building. He pulled the small knife from his other pocket and slashed the card reader to force the doors open. Once the doors opened for him he looked down at the tech on his wrist that had the location of Leos communicator, he was upstairs somewhere.. It was moving, he was alive, that's all that mattered. He smiled a little seeing that, all he needed to do now was reach him.

He ducked into the first open room he found, it was empty but judging by the half eaten bagel and still smoking cup of coffee beside it, someone had just left and would probably be back soon. He looked at the large table in the center of the room that was covered with a large tarp. What was on the table? Why would they even need to cover it if they were all working together on the same things in the same building. That was stupid.. He pulled the tarp back, "Leo's swords-! And... Oh." It was most likely the battery he was sent to get, that wasn't very comforting.. He took the battery storing it in the larger pocket he had on his pants then put the swords on his back before heading back into the hallway to find Leo.

"Yeah and then Jay was all like- Hey- Who the fuck let a kid in here?" Three guys walking down the hall spotted Usagi, they figured since he was inside that he was allowed to be, considering you needed a key card to get in to the building and to enter any of the rooms.. One of the three stepped forward, "Who are you? I haven't seen you around here before, who sent you?" Usagi paused for a moment, "Oh uh, I uh.. I'm.. I'm here to... I have a meeting with- Oh forget it, I've never been good at improv-" He pulled his knife back out, revealing one for each hand. He didn't have time to try and fake his way to Leo or to mess with people who meant nothing to his mission. Without a second thought he crossed his arms slicing the throats of the two closest people and pushing them aside to give the third and last person a quick stab to the chest.  There wasn't anyone else in the hall at the moment but he knew it wouldn't be long till someone else came out or heard him, he had to make this quick. The rand down the hall and spotted the elevator finally and made his ways over to it. Looking to the communicator a last time so he could find out what floor he was on or at least have a good guess to it as he pressed the button and stood aside waiting for it to open. There was a slight commotion around the corner, someone must've found the bodies.. Shit. As soon as the doors opened he rushed in and slammed the button for the top floor. 

"Someone's in a rush.. You know the fourth floor is off limits today right? Dr. Folter gave an order that no one is allowed to go upstairs unless she sends for you. I mean you look new so I don't expect you to know this much but she can get pretty scary when you don't listen so if you wanna keep your job you should really think about heading back down. Did you forget something upstairs?" Usagi waited till the doors were fully closed and the elevator started moving before pinning the person down and putting the knife to his neck, "Yeah. I did leave something upstairs. Now tell me, what's this Dr. Folter doing up there that's so important?" 

"Woah- Woah dude chill- I-I don't know, someone broke in apparently so she's I guess interrogating him or something I seriously don't know what she's doing, she just told us that we can't interrupt her that's seriously all I know about it!" Usagi glanced to the number on the elevators screen above the doors, only a few more seconds before they reached the top floor. Too bad, he wished they had more time to talk.. He pulled the knife back after cutting into the persons neck, there was no way he'd let himself get caught or let anyone go after seeing him. He stood up and adjusted his shirt hoping he looked okay, not that it would matter that much but he wanted to look nice when he saw Leo again. When the doors opened he froze for a moment, the lights were dim, there was small pools of blood leading to the elevator doors but then another lighter trail leading down another hallway. He took a breath and looked to the communicator, confirming that Leo was in that same direction of the blood. "It better not be his.." He muttered to himself as he stepped out, careful not to step in any of the blood as he followed the trail, he pulled his phone out and used its flashlight to light the hall more so he could see better as he walked. It felt like he was in some haunted house or something, like a scare actor would jump out at any second or some clown with a chainsaw was about to pop out and start chasing him. As unnerving as it felt the main thing he was feeling was worry, he wanted Leo to be okay more then anything.. He had to be okay.

"Leo.. Where are you...?" He called out softly, there was no sign of other people on this floor, but his communicator was still showing. It was sitting still on the screen, but it wasn't broken or off, he had to be alright wherever he was sitting. Usagi turned the corner, mentally preparing himself for the worst when he saw some dark mass hunched over in the corner. He stopped, not sure of what it was exactly, then held the phones light up. He stood there for a moment, taking in the sight. His phone dropped to the ground along with his weapons as he leapt across the hall pulling Leo into his arms. "Hey- Leo hey, what happened? You're.. Is this blood yours? Fuck, I'm sorry, I-I came as quick as I could- You can hear me right? Are you okay?" Leo had been sitting on the ground covered in blood, it was hard to see if he was injured under it all. He didn't care if he got messy at this point. "God, you're freezing- C'mon, can you stand? We're gonna get you cleaned up." Leo slowly lifted his head to meet Usagi's worried expression, he smiled a little for a second but it quickly faded. "I..." Tears filled his eyes, "I messed up-" He said, wrapping an arm around Usagi he tried to hold him closer, "I fucked up- I fucked it all up-"

"Shhh, it's okay, it's gonna be okay.. I have your stuff, picked it up along the way heheh.." Usagi said back, trying to comfort him, just what happened here exactly..? "Y-You don't get it-" He said back, pulling away to look around him, "I-I killed her- She tried to kill me I- I couldn't stop it- I couldn't stop-" He kept trying to speak and confess but every time he started speaking his voice wouldn't work with him. Usagi looked around in the dim light, finally seeing the body laying behind Leo that was probably the cause of all that blood. Oh.. That's what he meant. Usagi nodded a little, moving a hand to wipe some of the blood off his face then kissed his head, "It's okay.. Really, you did what you had to.. I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner, can I pick you up?" Leo nodded and buried his face into Usagi's chest, "M-My arm.." He said, a little muffled. "Your arm? Which one? Is it hurt?" He nodded again, taking a moment to calm himself down before pulling back again so he could be heard, "The.. The right one. It's- She.. She took it-" Usagi tilted his head, confused at first till he looked down. His eyes widened and he held back a gasp seeing the missing limb, the skin at the end was seared, covered in patches of what was probably some kind of burns and dried, charred blood. He took a moment, trying to collect himself, what did she do to him.. "I'm gonna pick you up okay? We don't have a lot of time. I promised I'd get you home." Leo didn't answer, but he tightened his grip around Usagi so he took that as permission. He picked Leo up carefully and took him into the closest room, kicking the door down and gently setting him down. 

He went and grabbed one of the rags in the cabinet and got the water warm enough, not wanting to put cold water on him in this already freezing room. "Is anywhere else hurt? Anything I should be careful of?" Leo shook his head, his breathing was shaky, he must be in a lot of pain. "I.. Might've been stabbed, somewhere.. My arm, somewhere" He made a half-assed gesture to his shoulder with his good hand. He nodded and gently started wiping the blood off his plastron, "Okay.. Deep breaths love, you're okay now. We're gonna take you home, get you a real shower, some pizza.. Maybe watch a those silly cat videos you like so much..?" He rung the rag out into the sink and started again, doing that maybe four times, trying to work fast without hurting him. Leo didn't respond much, which he guessed was to be expected, it was a lot. Once he was clean enough that his brothers wouldn't ask questions he took the escape pod off his wrist and held it out.

There was a slight commotion down the hall and Usagi quickly helped Leo off the counter, "Don't move okay?" He said quietly as he stood close and pressed the big red button, the device quickly expanded and encased the two inside, a small clear window was just above eye height letting them see the shadows of people approaching and lights being turned back on. The pod started to hover off the ground then soared through the roof breaking its layers as it came into the skies view. It only stayed there for a moment before charting it's course to their hideout and speeding off in it's direction. Usagi tapped his communicator again sending another message, "I've got him, we're safe and heading back. You might want to prepare that medical room though, Leo's uh.. His right arm is hurt pretty bad. Don't press it too much, we'll be there soon." The message sent and maybe three minutes later the pod was landing in the atrium of the lair. Once the pod set itself down nice and gentle the door opened with a hiss. Everyone was in the room staring in awe as Usagi helped Leo step out, "What happened?" Raph asked, "Leo you said you-" He froze mid sentence when he say Leos arm, or the lack there of. Any and all arguments and lectures he had planned would have to wait.. "Usagi-" Raph stepped closer, Leo couldn't even look him his brother. There was too much going on inside his head right now to face him. "When I got there it was.. I can't even describe it. This.. Doctor if I could even could her that? The woman who was responsible, she's the one that did this to him." He kept an arm around Leos waist, his left arm draped across Usagi's shoulder for support. "But it's over now, we need to get him some pain meds, and to stich up that wound. He's lost enough today, let's not risk infection on top of it all." 

Usagi pulled the battery from his pocket, handing it to Donnie, who was trying his best not to look at the wound and risk giving up his lunch at such a serious moment. "He got the last piece, maybe have a little more faith in your brother next time." He said, not even bothering to be quiet about it as he walked Leo back into the medbay. Once they were there, with the brothers trailing a few paces behind he got Leo into a bed. "I'm gonna go to your room and get your blanket okay? You're still pretty cold.. Do you want anything else?" Leo shook his head a little, bringing Usagi's hand up to his beak and kissing the back of it. "Mn.. Stay the night, please?" Usagi smiled a little and nodded, "Of course, I wouldn't leave now, even if you told me to." Leo smiled back and let go, closing his eyes and relaxing now that he was home and safe. Usagi turned back to see the others standing there, "I uh- Hope you don't mind me staying the night, I'll.. Be right back." He dipped out of the room leaving them alone with Leo for a bit, it seemed like a good time to give them a bit of space. Donnie let out a little sigh and rubbed his eyes, "Alright.. Raph can you get dad and you two can handle cleaning his arm, Mikey and I can do the stitches and wrap it, then Usagi can keep him company and let us know if anything happens."

"Sure.. But..." Mikey was fidgeting with the belt around his waist, glancing up to Leo for a moment then back to his brothers, "I dunno, I just.." Raph gently patted the back of Mikey's shell, "If you need a minute that's okay, its.. A lot to take in, and I think we all feel a little messed up about it. But right now its more important we don't let it get to us when we have work to do, we can't change what happened.. But we have a way to at least make it better for him, and hurt less, right? Once we've done that we'll have all the time in the world to get our feelings out." Mikey nodded a little, Raph was right, as always.. "Right.." Donnie nodded along with him, "Yeah, he only looks all deflated now because of the blood loss, once he's feeling better we won't be able to shut him up. I can already hear all the terrible arm and hand jokes he's going to make." Mikey let out a little chuckle, knowing Donnie was right too, he just had to be stronger for a little more time, just till Leo was taken care of. Besides, he was the cheery one out of his brothers, the one to keep everyone together and make everyone smile, if he got all droopy and depressed now who'd be there to lift everyone else up? No one that's who, then where would they be? 

Usagi came back a few moments later, Leos blanket folded into a neat square in his arms. "Is it okay to put this over his lap or something, he was freezing when I got him and hasn't warmed up much since then-" Raph nodded and motioned for him to come closer, "Yeah, that's a good idea, it's not exactly warm in hear either.."

"Is.. There anything else I can do? I have my cloaking pin so if you'd like I could go get something for you to eat for when you're done?"

"You don't have to- You bringing him back is way more then enough-" Raph said as he held a bag open for Splinter to discard the bloodied rags into when they no longer served a use. "Actually, if you feel up to it, I could use some more medicine since we're getting kind of low.. There's no rush, we have more then enough for this. But if you would like to I have a list and some money set aside. You've probably seen worse, but you still might not want to be here for all this. Considering everything.." Usagi nodded, he was more then willing to go run a few errands if it'd help them, and kill some time. Enough that when he got back most of this would be over with and they could all relax. He got the list, and cash, from Donnie and headed back out. Sure he was a little tired, but that was nothing compared to what they'd all been through in the past few days. He could at least do this much for them. And who knows, maybe trying to focus on these errands could take his mind off of how much he was worrying about Leo, even if it was just for a little bit.. 

Part 15 Part 1

TS Master Post

[bibibbbb99]

Traits/personalities in a partner that turn genshin men off (Kaeya, Scaramouche, Albedo)

I hit my head today and suddenly stopped being an art tumblr for a solid moment.

Disclaimer:

Somebody probably did this already, but I want to give my own input (if some information is similar to another person, just know I did not copy or reference them)

Just my opinion, you’re allowed to have your own take on this.

Also some of these traits can turn off multiple characters as well as the ones I have yet to write for.

I am not good at spelling or grammar or proof reading, so please excuse me.

If anything I said offended anyone, please tell me so I will not repeat the same mistake twice

Having some of these traits is not an issue (such as low self esteem bc, same), but excessiveness is not good bc y’all great and amazing and somebody must tell you how awesome you are. 

Kaeya:

Overtly low self esteem (especially if you’re very vocal about it too)

Pessimistic

Mentally weak

Why I think so:

Kaeya technically do not have a single solid support beside him that he can fully trust and rely on, as his relationship with diluc is strained and he has always been putting up a front to the knights of favonius

A strong pillar where he can be openly vulnerable and fully honest will make him feel safer and stable in Mondstadt

Someone who openly deject themselves constantly in front of him, will reinforce his belief that you are inadequate in reassuring and protecting him from his own fears and insecurities (even if you’re abilities and strengths are actually greater than what you say you are. The important thing is that you are continuously enforcing the fact you’re inadequate due to low self esteem, which may perpetuate Kaeya’s own low self esteem and actually make him believe you are weak)

Kaeya will probably be forced to also put a mask of confidence he has as Calvary captain towards you, to balance out the relationship. He can only perform so long before this relationship deteriorates and he gets exhausted of standing on this stage of pretence publicly and privately.

Scaramouche:

Brutal and insensitive honesty

Lack of attention to detail/not reading between the lines

Self absorbed

Why I think so:

Some of these are kind of self explanatory lmao

Scaramouche is also another character who is deeply insecure and fears abandonment

His prickly and arrogant personality is a testament to those vulnerabilities

If you frankly comment on something mildly embarrassing he did, an error he happen to make, or maybe something wrong he said, he’ll be pissed off. As that means you clearly see him as an imperfect and flawed partner.

Openly commenting on his flaws with brutal honesty also shows that you don’t care about his extremely delicate dignity and self esteem he tried so hard to protect (basically he thinks you don’t respect him in anyway, in terms of his effort in building this strong facade)

Scaramouche is subtle with his words, mannerisms and affection, there’s a lot of reading between the lines and guessing his true intentions when pursuing a relationship with him.

If you don’t attempt to look at his underlying motives and desires, the relationship will probably progress frustratingly slow or not happen at all. He wants something but he doesn’t want to openly say it, it hurts his pride. He will not relent and admit his true thoughts and feelings, so a perceptive and understanding partner would be much appreciated.

The last one is kind of obvious but Scaramouche wants to be adored and cared for, given his history of isolation and rejection. It’ll bring him so much joy if his partner is caring and attentive to his feelings and wants. A selfish and inconsiderate partner will never be up his alley, after all it is just a repeat of his past and he doesn’t want any more pain and misery.

Albedo:

Lack of a passion or hobby

Unwillingness to try new things/lack of curiosity

Do not appreciate beauty of surroundings

Extremely bad temper/quick to anger 

Why I think so:

Another self explanatory one I’m sorry

It is canon Albedo is extremely passionate about the things he is interested in, and loses attention if he do not care for it.

A partner who do not have their own hobbies, passions or quirks won’t interest him at all, as he has nothing new to learn from you, and you do not motivate him in any way or form.

There really won’t be much conversation if the partner is not an eager learner, as Albedo can talk on and on about things he is interested in (and that’s how you get to know him), if you don’t ask, he won’t exactly say much either.

Albedo is an artist and I can assume he appreciates the beauty or interesting aspects of his environment, if his partner show an absence of curiosity or an eye for beauty for the mundane, or actually peculiar things in the environment, he would be… bored. He may even be frustrated you do not understand or appreciate the things he care about at that time. He wants to share all his joys and happiness with his significant other, but what is the point if his partner do not care for it?

Lastly, I think someone with a bad temper/quick to aggregate will turn him off. Albedo is used to looking after children, to him, only children succumb to such volatile emotions. If you start throwing a fit over small things, he will probably look at you blankly and begin to see you as childish for throwing a tantrum. Nobody wants to date a child, that’s illegal lmao.

[honest-moth-of-silver-grove]

Hello! I am here from your post of the BG3 matchups / hcs!

I was reading fanfics when I should be sleeping for college and I came across this and figured this might quell my indecisiveness.

So I guess a bit about my Tav / Me:

My Tav/OC is named Maelyra, and her traits are that she is really outgoing, adventurous, kind, you know, the usual (Given that she is a Bard and a Half-Elf). She's very optimistic and friendly and welcoming to new people (a bit ADHD). She is also smol, not dwarf small, but she is 5'1. She also tends to give one too many second chances to people regardless of how much they hurt her. The only time she does not give second chances is if they hurt anyone she cares about because she is insanely loyal and would lay her life on the line for an in an instant for her friends.

She also tends to be a little bit of a hypocrite in some regards, as she spends a lot of time taking care of people and telling them that they are always worth it, no matter what and they should never feel ashamed of anything or that they have to hide parts of themselves. Yet she does not like to tell people about her past and usually masks her pain with happiness (not to say she isn't ever geuninley happy b/c 99% of the time she is actually happy), because she's afraid it would make them look at her differently (she is usually the sunshine of the group).

Her hobbies and skills are mainly on the artistic side. Dancing, singing, drawing, painting, playing music. Anything that is in that regard. Hence, the Bard stuff. She loves, loves, LOVES kids - thinks they are the most cute things to ever exist. And she also tends to daydream a lot. She tends to have a strong dislike for insanely physical activities if it isn't for fun and gets bored easily if the activity isn't something she is interested in.

(Sorry if that's long, I get carried away a lot)

Anyway!

I am fine with boys and girls (coming in a bi-queen!), but I would like them separate if that's alright :)

Thank you so much, and sorry if this is so long!

A/N: Reading fanfics when I should be sleeping is practically my life story lol. Because you (as a fellow bisexual queen!) specified you wanted separate male and female answers, I’ve got two companions for you down below.

For you @seanymphcalypso , I think your best matches in companions would be Astarion (Male) and Karlach (Female)!

⭒ Astarion is a great match for Maelyra, even if it may not look so on paper. At first glance, the two have more differences than similarities, however, if you look closer, their differences are perfect counterbalances for one another.

Astarion may put on the charm, but a good amount of that is a facade- one he was forced to wear to lure victims to Cazador. He’s more introverted than he lets on. Although I do believe deep down, he truly is an extrovert, he’s less of a conspicuous one. He would do well with someone friendly and outgoing enough to initiate, within a relationship- and that’s where Maelyra comes in. She’s friendly, kind and very sociable. There’s no doubt in my mind her extroversion would enable her to slowly unpeel the many walls and guarded layers of Astarion’s heart. He is rather disarmed by someone who is genuinely cordial all the time- it’s sort of refreshing to think there are people out there who are sincerely kind and not just feigning kindness or interest to get something later on.

Astarion himself isn’t a big guy. He’s slender, and not incredibly tall so Maelyra’s shorter stature wouldn’t bother him in the slightest. He finds it rather adorable- that so much energy and personality could be stored in such a small person.

If anyone could use a boatload of second chances, it’s Astarion. He wasn't exactly the kindest person before his capture, and he still isn’t exactly the kindest person now. He’s endured 200 years of nonstop trauma and torture. So much of how he thinks, how he acts, and how he reacts is based on survival, not on personality. He lashes out, and he’s probably going to lash out often, even when he knows better. It’s not that he wants to hurt his new companions, and he especially doesn’t want to upset Maelyra, it’s just that he’s not used to having permission to experience all the newfound emotions. He’s inexperienced when it comes to processing them, compartmentalizing, and responding to them appropriately. He’s so grateful that she understands how hard he’s tried, how hard he’s trying to be better. He thinks she must be part celestial or aasimar to have the level of patience and forgiveness she does.

It’s also so meaningful to Asatrion that she refuses to let people cross the line with him and with her friends. No one has stuck their neck out for him like that before. (Huh, get it? Neck??) He used to believe he wasn’t worthy of such defenses. But thanks to Maelyra’s affection, he’s starting to think differently.

Astarion understands Maelyra’s hesitance to share who she truly is, so he won't push her to open up until she’s ready. He may bug her with some teasing questions here and there, but as long as she takes what he says to her on faith, he figures it’s the least he could do to return the favor. But whenever she is ready to share, he’s ready to listen. And he promises to do his best not to judge.

He loves that she’s interested in art. Back as a magistrate, Astarion found he quite enjoyed the fine arts- the theater, art shows, higher fashion- all that sorts. Especially the way Maelyra manages to capture his appearance on paper or canvas. After he was turned, he never thought he’d see his appearance ever again. But thanks to her talent, he can see himself through her eyes: with such precise brush strokes, and detail, he can tell he’s loved just by looking at her depictions of him.

Astarion may not be the fondest of children at the moment, mainly because they bring back horrible memories of what Cazador forced him to do. But he does like how happy Maelyra is when she’s around them. It fills his undead heart with glee every time he sees how her face lights up around a baby. Honestly, the idea of having or raising children never used to cross his mind. But now that he’s free, and now that he’s with her, the idea doesn’t seem so impossible. He doesn’t feel ready yet- and he probably won't be for quite some time. So in the meantime, he just grins and bears it as Maelyra makes him sit amongst the children for song/story time. And he tries his hardest to maintain a stoic, indifferent disposition, even as some of the little ones weave flowers into his hair.

Astarion doesn’t mind taking it easy, as a matter of fact, he prefers it. A lazy day spent lounging in each other’s company sounds much better than hiking through humid weather or getting trapped amongst an unruly village crowd. He’s very similar in that if he doesn’t want to do something, he’ll make sure to let everyone around him know. The two of them can be quite stubborn that way, much to some of the other companions’ chagrin.

At the end of the day, Astarion feels great love for Maelyra. And he knows she loves him in return. And thanks in part to her love, he’s beginning to think he might one day love himself.

♨ Karlach is such a great match for Maelyra because they’re like two peas in a pod! Karlach is loud, outgoing, and extroverted as well, making her able to match Maelyra’s more sociable energy. They’re both optimists and choose to look on the bright side, despite the darkness in their past. That’s not to say being hopeful comes easy to either one of them, but with Maelyra and her infectious eagerness by her side, Karlach feels empowered to choose happiness all the more.

Karlach is big and tall. She’s a tall glass of water for sure. And she thinks it’s adorable that Maelyra’s shorter than her. She loves their height difference and how it makes Maelyra the perfect height for forehead kisses. Plus, it boosts Karlach’s ego when she can lift Maelyra and carry her around on her shoulders as if she weighs nothing. It’s also Karlach’s way of letting Maelyra know she can defend and protect her from harm. If any evil thing comes Maelyra’s way, she can just step behind her giant barbarian girlfriend.

Karlach is also fairly forgiving when it comes to second chances. Despite being a barbarian, she’s empathetic and thoughtful before going in for the attack. She chose to reason with Wyll rather than engage him in battle when he first hunted her down. She isn’t the bloodthirsty devil people think she is, and she wants people to know that. So she forgives. That being said, Karlach certainly doesn’t forget. If someone dares try to take or hurt her friends, she will go into a rage. God help anyone who dares try to hurt Maelyra.

Karlach is truly impressive in that while she does often take on the burden of her friends, she also manages to put her needs first. It’s great for Maelyra to be with someone who knows how to balance goodwill and self-care as it sets an example for her to follow. With Karlach reminding Maelyra to take time for herself, Maelyra is even more effective at caring for her friends. Sleep and proper care for yourself does wonders, and it makes you all the more ready to tackle the day. And Karlach loves that Maelyra knows how to have fun. Fun is super important, especially when you’re tasked with saving the world. It’s the only thing that keeps you from going completely crazy. So KArlach and Maelyra are often the ones to initiate game nights or visits to a local tavern. (They may also be the only two left standing after a couple rounds of shots lol.) However, just because Karlach is extroverted and happy-go-lucky more often than not, doesn’t mean she isn’t serious. She knows when to be positive, and she also knows when people just need to vent. She’s willing to listen if Maelyra is ever willing to talk. She wants Maelyra to feel safe with her- in both happy moments and in bad ones.

And ooh boy, kids! Karlach lights up around kids! Did you see how wistful she got when meeting Jaheria’s family? She’d love nothing more for her life to be about protecting and nurturing as opposed to destroying and claiming. She and Maelyrn would have hour-long conversations, dreaming about what their family might look like in the future. Sure, there’d be a ton of logistics to work out, but in the meantime, that doesn't mean they can’t dream.

Karlach needs physical activity. She needs tons of movement or else she’s gonna go crazy. So to work Maelyra into her workouts, Karlach will either use her as excess weight or as someone to count her reps. Maelyra could get comfortable on Karlach’s back, reading or writing, or even drawing as Karlach continues to do push ups. Sometimes Karlach will alter the count, just to see if Maelyra’s listening. “24… 200… 201” “Don’t you mean 26?” “Of course love, what did you think I said?”

They’re basically couple goals. Everyone else in camp is lowkey jealous af.

...

Please Like & Reblog!

[mercyburned]

🌿 author portrait .

get to know the author behind the blog! repost, do not reblog.

basics .

name/nickname: lori age: 34. i am the mom friend. pronouns : she/her only, please years of writing : writing itself as an intentional act, probably since about age 10. but i've been conjuring up stories since around second or third grade.

reflection .

why did you pick up writing? like i said above, it's been my hobby for basically my entire life? i couldn't give you a reason. some people become artists, some people become musicians, i became a writer the same way i've become a teacher.

do you have any writing routines? by this point i really should, but i do not. i think i'll probably start setting myself realistic goals over the summer so that i don't fall as far behind next school year as i have over the past year. since i went back to college and everything after that ( fulltime jobs, grad school, moving, an actual career job ) i've really struggled with keeping my blog consistently active, and i think that damages my ability to interact and make new connections. so, i'd like to get back into feeling like a part of the community instead of just idling on the fringes of it.

what's your favorite part about writing? it's a huge creative release for me, and i think it's also helped me to process a lot of the things i've gone through in life. i don't think i'd be as mentally stable as i am if i hadn't poured all of my angst (tm) into writing early on and throughout the years when those things happened. but also, it's just very enjoyable for me to continue / explore the stories of characters i love in new ways. ventium said this too, but i also really like the social aspect of rp specifically. getting to talk excitedly about ideas and characters with someone else is what puts the bow on top for me.

three things you like about your writing. looking back at my old writing which is, regrettably, still online but mwahaha you'll never find it - i can see how much i've grown as a writer and how i've tried so many different ways to do the Writing Thing. i think i'm very good with worldbuilding and lore aspects of writing, but i think i can still improve on characterization and making sure each character has a unique voice. i have some extremely strong muses, like clare, who tend to bleed through into some other characters - though, for characters like kaeya, it sort of works. anyway, uh, yeah.

have you ever given up on writing? no, though i go through phases sometimes where i just don't have the writing mojo. but i've learned to show myself grace and not force it. whether i write every day or not doesn't change the fact that i'm a writer, and it doesn't mean i'm a bad rp partner if i take a break to tend to my offline life. my friendships don't expire and my threads don't either, soooo...

what is your greatest fear or worry as a writer? i don't think i have one. i used to stress SO MUCH about being perfect but maybe i've just gotten older and i don't see it that way anymore? i've had rp blogs with 2k+ followers and rp blogs with less than 100. the same 10 people interacted with me on either of them, so i don't even notice my follower count anymore. i'm not super stressed about my characterization ( even though i know it can always improve ) and i know my worldbuilding is good. i guess the only thing that i sometimes think about is that my activity is very low, which, like i said earlier, makes it difficult to form and maintain connections in the rpc. but i appreciate the people who understand that my offline life is very demanding and takes like 90% of my mental energy each day. not really worried about the rest tbh !

a question for the next person .

write a question for the next person to answer. once you've answered it, leave a new question for someone else to answer.

next question: if you could give advice to someone just beginning their foray into writing, what three things would you tell them?

tagging: @cybrvce, @papilio-anima, @literanis, @armatization and you! tagged by: i stole it from @apocryphis.

[accirax]

initial thoughts on DCAS episode 6

THIS EPISODE WAS SO GOOD!!! the fact that it was a musical episode is totally the cherry on top; i love it when series come with their own music (cough cough me @ project sekai). but overall it was also really funny, and had some great character moments, too.

i'll save my thoughts on strategy and where the season might be headed for my next power ranking post (whenever that is :,( ), but were some of my other thoughts/highlights.

specifically the phrase "fuck my life" and Yul saying it made me cackle. seems like Emily ISN'T Yul's manager, but she might still kinda take on that role this season? we'll see. the lack of phones is really having an effect on the plot.

they hate her so fucking bad

okay, i guess i forgot to consider this angle when i was saying it would've made more sense for them to vote out Fiore. however, having started with 18 participants, the merge will probably happen at, what, 10 people? (modern Survivor describes the merge as "at least 11," but obviously this isn't survivor.) sure, Hunter is a bit of a challenge beast, but he can't protect all three of them every episode. if this trio is only 3/10 of the votes, you could literally split the votes on Ally and Tess in a 3-3-4 if you can get everyone else to unite against them. you know what you should be worried about? THE VILLAINS ALLIANCE HAVING 6/"10" VOTES AT THE MERGE!!! sigh. why am i relying on Jake to be smart (/j)

i'm more impressed that there was hot water in the first place. this thing is in the middle of a field, no?

i'm finally starting to see how Yul can be a hilarious "love to hate him" kind of villain. he had some of the best lines this episode hands down.

TREVEK BECOME CANON???

there was absolutely no reason to put the apple on the stick other than to fit in. love this for her.

idk if this is a winner's cut moment or not. glad that the money would go towards schools and NOT the police force, though.

man, now i want to go back and check the other episodes to see if Tess has had the "Cyan Team narrator" role the whole time. in Survivor, that's indicative of a deep run. ...i really need to stop applying Survivor logic to everything.

and why are you thinking about what would make Oliver laugh, Kristal? ',:)

i appreciate the s1 callback, but Trevor doing this dance move gives me so much second hand embarrassment that i keep inadvertently closing my eyes every time i have to "see" it again. anyways, given how most of the episode songs had lyrics related to the Team's emotional state, it's interesting to see that Trevor is singing a romance song. trevek become canon pt 2?

this was an interesting parallel. with Kristal laughing at Derek's joke, it seems like they were trying to show how she's growing closer to Derek, in a way which Trevor might fear is romantic. were there supposed to be romantic undertones to Alec being the only one to laugh at Connor's joke? and, if there were, was that just a fun nod to the aleconnor shippers, or will it actually be canon/relevant to later in the season?

NOT a surprise. i need to see the "i want you died" poetry he wrote about Fiore after last season.

of course you were, you fucking fruit (affectionate)

the anguish: i love my gf :D let's frolick through a field together

"trust me dude i'm the divorce man"

GABBY?????

mood but also damn is Ellie really leaning into the villain thing this season. this doesn't even help her win the season, she JUST wants to see him suffer.

i forgot that the s1 contestants didn't know that Nina was her own separate being yet

they were NOT lying, Aiden's VA is a great singer! Tom's backing vocals and Ellie and Gabby's harmonies(?) were also really nice too, though. this was probably my favorite song of the episode just bc i think Cyan had the strongest singers. all of the rocking, shoulder-moving dances are also impossible not to imitate.

well, there's the thumbnail. their choice of thumbnail made me laugh bc i remember, back when i was watching s1, seeing all the thumbnails of Aiden kissing both James and Hunter and thinking that Aiden was going to be some sort of troublemaking flirty antagonistic character only to be blindsided by his actual characterization. i'm sure the s1 watching me would have only added this to her arsenal of evidence, although hilariously idk if i would have been able to tell the other character was Tom at the time. anyways, i was pretty certain from the start that this must be part of the performance. although, while i'm happy that Aiden seems to think that James will be okay with the performance, i wish we could have cut to James somehow just to confirm that that was true. i don't want the next time we see James, whether in the finale or some other time, to show that he was actually really jealous and upset at Aiden for kissing another man while in a committed relationship. also gabbielle(?) super cute in the bg :D

he's so fucking stupid... (/pos)

bold of you to say this to Ashley, who has been in a two year relationship with the guy who went home in episode 2.

i also really liked this song :D i understand why they made Jake and Ally the main singers, because they best encompassed what the theme of the song was about, but i think i actually liked Ashley's vocals the best. i wish she'd gotten to sing more. also for a moment i thought Marcus had a trans flag on his hat. it's still close enough. trans Marcus canon.

this was probably my least favorite performance of the episode, although idk how much of that was just how much i hate Alec's outfit. glassesless Alec scares me so bad... no hate to the VAs, obviously, i think they have nice voices! it's actually the way that they didn't sound like they had confidence in their singing abilities that made the performance feel a little shakier to me. i do think that this song had the best lyrics in terms of encapsulating each member of their team, though. i really like how Yul and Riya are the ones to sing "i'm going to chase it" as a duo, because they're the ones chasing fame and the limelight, and then Grett sings that she can't ignore it, because eventually she's going to have to realize that her entire relationship with Yul was a result of him clout chasing. Connor only singing "live in the moment until i die" is also very fitting given his placement... in both seasons. L.

really surprised that Riya (or anyone else) didn't even mention Yul's foot injury as part of this equation. Riya just said that she didn't want to lose any more challenges, and Yul's bad foot could totally lead to a loss. maybe i'm just overestimating the extent to which that foot injury will stick around, though.

season 2 characters are REALLY suffering out here.

HELP??????

love to see Alec and Fiore's kinda sorta dual redemptions. i have high hopes for them.

and those were my initial thoughts, which got way longer than i expected. thanks if you wound up reading towards all the way down here. i have no idea who the leakers are, obviously, but i really hope that they stop acting up soon so that the series can continue. i would hate to have the artists have to take a pay hit and/or stop making the series just because of some people's impatience and delusions of power, or have the honest patrons lose out on being able to watch the episodes early to protect from others' immaturity. see ya!

[blackjackkent]

Epilogue time! The narrator sets the stage:

Narrator: When the invitation came, you were hip-deep in lemure slime, swarmed by hellwasps, and about to drive the killing blow on a magma claw. Cutting through the dreadful buzz of the wasps and the screamed of the damned, a familiar comforting voice echoed in your mind - Withers.

Narrator: He requested your attendance in Faerun, to gather with your friends and allies, those who stood against the Absolute at your side.

A couple things:

a) Six months has definitely given them time to settle into their new life as Avernus's mutineers, and it seems like they're doing pretty well! No one's lost any limbs or anything so that's nice.

b) That sure is an outfit you're wearing, Hector, lololol. I guess the monk robes didn't work so well in Avernus after a while. Karlach however looks fantastic.

c) Hector and Wyll have definitely become much closer friends during this whole thing and I think Hector probably considers him more like a brother by now. I do also really hope Wyll hasn't just been third-wheeling it this whole time; I think if I do write a fic about their post-game adventures I will set him up with some nice rebellious devil they end up allying with or something. (Potential for interesting angst there with his history with Mizora perhaps? :D )

d) I am standing by the fact that Hector is quite content with their new life. He already knew he was never going to be able to go back to the monastery and live quietly again, so being able to keep fighting at Karlach's side against the forces of evil is basically the best possible outcome for him. I like to think, too, that it's not ALL combat forever; they find some hideout that they're able to make at least reasonably homey and have some happy times too. That being said - he's very excited to see his friends again.

e) We'll have to see how the epilogue dialogues here play out but I kind of want to say this isn't the first time he's seen them (or at least communicated with them) since the brain battle. Perhaps Hector keeps leveling cleric during the fights in the Hells and tosses another four levels in at which point he gets access to Sending.

Anyway, HI EVERYONE! HI WITHERS!

"Thou wert called here. Some from above, some below. For with thine bond, together thou hast kept the Wheel of Fate spinning, when it threatened to halt. Though thou wert drawn far apart in the months after the collapse of the Absolute, tonight Fate renews thy bond once more. Thou shouldst take care to preserve it; it is a great weapon wielded in the hand of good. Go, know one another once more."

Ahhhhh, it's our old camp from the first map way back at the beginning! <3

Let's get to chatting!

[prismatoxic]

"I hope any of this was interesting"

OF COURSE IT'S INTERESTING, THAT'S WHY I ASKED !!!

that's literally so great, those points you've talked about are some of my favorite things from ptk and it's really exciting to know you're so invested in it! (well, duh. Obviously, you're the one writing it)

At first I was kinda wary about the whole dysphoria and gender stuff, I was sort of scared to read when provided the warnings, but as I kept on going (because well, I just couldn't stop. The fic is just that good) it turned out being a really really interesting exploration of Chilchuck's journey, and some things even I could relate to !! To a strangely deep, personal level what the fuck tox

And oh, fuck yeah. The worldbuilding aspect is top notch. Probably my second favorite part of the whole thing beside the dynamic between chilaios. It's just so good to get to witness this carefully crafted world and how each of the characters fit in it! I really fucking love the way it works so well but is also riddled with some deeply rooted issues. How chilchuck fits in it, or rather, how he doesn't fit in it but makes room for himself anyways, learns to work around it. It's fucking great. It just ends up being sort of the default I think about for when I imagine any more modern universe stuff within dungeon meshi. The car stuff! that's so clever and interesting! Ugh half foots don't even have cars!!! Wtf!!! So cool!!! How do I explain to my friends this without making them read your fic wtf !!

Been ranting for a bit too long, and didn't even mention chilaios too much, but. Their dynamic. Fuck yeah. It had me twirling my hair kicking my feet. Laios' daddy issues, how they manifest in his relationship with Chilchuck (from the beginning too, ugh. Saw it coming from miles away and I was ecstatic waiting for it to finally boil over) and how Chil ALSO has some Dad issues (he is simultaneously the dad and the son) and how they both fuck about it freaky style. They're so good, and this is the perfect Chilaios dynamic, where they belong. So good. I love weird queer sex and if we're lucky they'll be having lots of it. Eventually.

They are SO hot together. I'm going insane. It's just so hot, the fic didn't even have smut yet and I was already cartoonishly pulling on my collar like "is it hot in here??" From having Laios call Chil "sir" instead of his name. All the setup had me going crazy, you did such a good job!

Anyway. Rant over. I need to calm tf down. Ty for writing ^_^ but take your time at the fic, enjoy your oc brainrot hours freely and don't force yourself to be churning out chapters just because we like the fic, we can wait, and we will.

THANK YOU SO MUCH I LOVE THIS MESSAGE IT'S SO NICE...

ptk is my baby, i've put a lot of time and effort and love into it and it really does mean the world to me when people appreciate it for what it is ;_; and plenty of people do, it's surprisingly popular ?? but i get very giddy when people engage with it on a deeper level, where i'm writing it from

i do want to get back to it soon, oc brainrot or no i'm extremely determined to see ptk through to the end, and some time away from it has given me some fresh ideas. plus i do need to get to the penetrative sex!!!

anyway, you're very nice and i love how you view and appreciate my story, here's a preview of chapter 12 for you

"...Laios?” he croaks.

“Oh, g’morning,” Laios says behind him, the sound of his typing stopping immediately. “...Good afternoon, I guess,” he corrects himself. “How are you—Actually, forget that, I think I know the answer.”

Miffed by his warm tone in spite of the fact that he’s acknowledging Chilchuck’s abject misery, Chilchuck lifts his head to glare over his shoulder. “Why am I naked?”

Laios is, himself, only in a pair of sweatpants, his legs crossed and laptop balanced on top of them. The curtains beyond him are drawn shut, but the light that is coming through is still far too bright. His stupid smile is even brighter, though there’s a touch of concern to it. “You got hot,” he explains.

That tracks. “Don’t remember that,” Chilchuck mutters, rolling bonelessly onto his back with a groan and throwing an arm over his eyes. “Was I trying to claw my clothes off in my sleep?”

“Yeah,” Laios confirms with a little laugh. “And thrashing around. I helped you get out of them and you went right back to sleep.”

He’s talking quieter than usual, Chilchuck realizes. “So much for me taking care of you,” he mutters.

“It’s a symbiotic relationship,” Laios assures, and Chilchuck feels gentle fingers card through his hair. “Let me get you some fresh water.”

“Don’t use—” Chilchuck makes a strangled sound as Laios starts to get off the bed, the movement making him feel like he’s on a boat at sea. “...Don’t use biology terms about your boyfriend, dipshit,” he finishes when it settles. “Fuck’s sake.”

“Don’t be mean to me, I’m going out of my way to baby you right now,” Laios chides, voice receding from the room.

“Baby me?” Chilchuck squawks, lifting his arm to glare indignantly at the doorway, and Laios laughs out in the hall.

[seonpremacy]

The Childe (Movie Review)

hi omg. so i just recently watched the latest korean film from dir. park hoon jung, the creator of the witch film series, which is called "the childe". i am not a movie expert or anything so take my advice with a grain of salt. let's talk about the cons first. the pacing of the first 30 minutes of the movie, wherein the characters are slowly being introduced. it was a bit slow and unorganized. there were some scenes in the beginning that can be considered as filler scenes, which adds to the slowness of the pacing of the film, and the character of go ara was not really fleshed out well, which is a missed opportunity. now the pros. okay, the plot is simple with a few plot twists and there, pretty much john wick vibes except it's asian LMAO because of the main conflict of the show. i was a bit confused in one of the revelations of the show but caught up quickly anyway. next is the comedy. actually, this was one of my fears to this film. comedy being used in action films are usually forced, and a bit cringeworthy, but SURPRISINGLY, seonho did it naturally. the comedic timing was so smooth and i genuinely laughed. it's like the icebreaker for the seriousness of the film. no forced jokes. there could be some lines that are cheesy for other people, but it's still tolerable. and i think the what excelled the most in the film is the line delivery of each character, and how they contributed to the overall ambiance of the film. Each of the major characters had contributed enough in their delivery of their dialogues. However, i would like to emphasize two actors: kang tae ju and kim seonho.

kang tae-ju really did an amazing job for his character. the desperation and the fear of the character were obviously portrayed accurately by him, and he had such a good chemistry with seonho. his english accent is topnotch ofc. he has the potential to become the next thing. and now of course, kim seonho. the kim seonho. oh my god. never have i ever thought, that he would also be fitting in the action genre. throughout the film, i tried to observe if there are resemblance of any past characters that he did e.g. han ji pyeong from start-up and hong du sik from hometown cha-cha-cha, and guess what? there was no resemblance AT ALL. i mean why am i surprised he studied theater acting for 10 fucking years before debuting in a small screen. of course, micro-expressions were obviously visible throughout the film i mean come on IT'S GIVEN already. next is his American English accent. oh. my. god. i truly lost it when he delivered his english lines in the movie. he literally has the potential to become really proficient in english. god he was so hot. the thought that he probably only took english classes for a short period of time... oh my god. again, the way he delivered his comedic lines throughout the film was just *chef's kiss, no more further explanation on that. of course, that popular filipino line that he said on the film, i mean, as a filo, it wasn't that bad actually, particularly the first filipino line, the filipino accent was present. and lastly, the fact that he filmed this, only weeks or months after that unfortunate controversy, blows my mind. dealing with that kind of stuff is so mentally draining and could obviously affect one's mental health but no, he insisted. he needed to continue what he's good at, which is acting. his passion to his craft is honestly one of the reasons why i just fall in love with this korean actor everyday. he had to act like the RENT WAS DUE.

now, is the childe a MINDBLOWING korean film? obviously not. but this just paved the way for seonho's comeback, and the exposure for his versatile acting. he should, at least be nominated honestly. the childe rating: 8.0 of 10.

[mischief-lies-and-stories]

Reviewing non-Marvel Loki Things (That I've Been Exposed to)

I am certain there's more, but these are all the non-Marvel Loki-related media I could think of that I've consumed. Maybe I'll do a part 2 if I think of some other things I've read/seen. These aren't really full reviews, just basic reactions of what I remember of these pieces of media.

The Gospel of Loki, by Joanne M. Harris

I...did not finish this. It was kind of interesting, I remember. But I'll be honest, one of the lines I remember most clearly is from the beginning where Loki says something like "For some reason on Asgard, I'm not allowed to fuck beasts or men and no one can tell me why." And then he just kind of, goes with it? Like first of all, why, if you can live forever, would you not only limit yourself to one gender (I'm okay with leaving the bestiality alone, but you could probably make a case for this, too, if they can consent), but force everyone else to, also? And anyway, even if Odin is a Puritan prick for some reason, the least believable thing about all this is that Loki stands for it???!!! Why is this the one thing about which he's like 'Welp, guess Odin knows best'? Frankly, it broke my suspension of disbelief for the whole thing. (You know how I was like Kid Loki saying "I killed Thor" made me go 'Oh, okay, the Loki writers don't have a clue who Loki is fundamentally'? Yeah, this is the line that made me do that with Harris.) I didn't even get far enough to maybe (probably) read my favorite myth (Sigyn catching the venom in her bowl).

Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman

So much better, holy shit! Leaps and bounds better!!! This is one of my favorite books. I've talked about it a little on here, but he's such a great writer, and I laughed out loud so many times for the way he portrays Thor and Loki especially (it helped that I first read this listening to him read the audiobook). I just love how he portrays Loki as only smart in comparison to the other gods, who are truly dumb as bricks, with Loki only slightly more clever by comparison. But I was still so attached to Loki that when he causes his own downfall in the end (like he does in the myths) I think I genuinely cried. This is one of those books I read at least once a year.

The Bifrost Incident, by The Mechanisms

I'll be real with you, I mostly only listened to the tracks I knew Loki (and Sigyn) were on. But I did also read the synopsis on the wiki, so I know the gist of the musical. And what I'll say of it is this: I discovered the album four days prior to writing this, and I've listened to at least the Loki track at least twice a day since. I'm a little grateful it's just (as far as I know) an album, because if there was a recorded performance somewhere, I could not watch it (even though I obviously would because I like to let myself suffer). Loki's arc is just too fucking painful (which is honestly saying something, given some of the shit he gets put through in other media).

Ragnarok, Netflix

I watched the first episode. I felt like it ended stupidly and way too dramatically for even the pilot. I know it's called Ragnarok, but it's a modern retelling, and Thor and Loki are kids, so it doesn't have to go so hard from the word Go. And Laurits did not make a good first impression on me either. Can't remember exact reasons why, though. I watched this a long time ago.