#to accept love fully

[vertigo-starlight]

i will respect my body no matter how many changes it goes through, i will treat it with kindness no matter how it looks, i will make sure it’s nourished no matter how sick it is, i will take care of it no matter how i feel in it

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Good Morning, World.

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[fishbloc]

i forgive you

[1960z]

“haha odo is so beige and bland and boring despite being a literal shapeshifter” like ok yes I laugh at those jokes too and find them funny I literally have no issue with them but sometimes I also wanna talk about how that’s kind of the whole point of his character.

like odo’s abilities and way of being is so unlike any other known species in the alpha quadrant that it’s shown to be disturbing and off-putting to a lot of people — or at the very least that’s what he was led to believe. like we see this in the alternate where mora tries to convince him he’ll either be locked up in a prison or put in a zoo to gawk at if he’s perceived to have committed any sort of crime or transgression.

so despite being able to literally become anything he can think of, he chooses his default presentation to be as standard, bland and uninteresting as he possibly can. male, always in a beige uniform, very standard hair cut.

odo is so plain because he was made to be afraid of being literally anything else

[reversatility1]

Warrior Nun: Beatrice’s journey reconciling the mission with her love for Ava was beautiful to behold

[novasintheroom]

aw aw building little comfy nests with Vash.

You notice he has this odd behavior of piling up any blankets, towels, clothing, etc. on his bed whenever you're in a motel room. Actually, now that you think about it, he does it whenever he's about to rest somewhere. On top of the car with all the luggage piled up around him, in the desert with his traveling sack, sleeping bag, and any item of soft clothing he has on hand - the whole thing.

When you ask him about it, he gets shy and admits he thinks its a Plant thing. He's usually good about hiding his quirks, but the nesting (his ears go bright red at the word) is something of a comfort he allows himself, and he's just gotten comfortable enough around you to start it up again.

You might make fun of him for a bit. It's a friend thing, making fun of each other's quirks. But you still help him pile up the towels and take out your extra day wear to add to the mess of fabric on motel beds. You even make an event of it - wrapping the bed's questionably clean blankets round and around and gilding it with the smaller fabrics, then pulling out a rented tablet to watch movies together.

He's awkward the first few times you do this. He's just not used to other people being in his space, you know? But you better bet Vash takes advantage of being able to snuggle with you once the newness wears off. This is upped ten times once you two start dating. He looooovveess being the little spoon, resting his head on your chest and letting out little content birdie chirps he doesn't realize he's doing half the time. Please run your hand through his hair while watching movies. It'll make him melt even more.

Seeing you start to build a nest on the bed (or campsite, or inside the truck) really gets his gears going too. It satisfies some primal urge in him to have his mate lover in this big nest you've built together, safe in the confines of a shelter and enjoying the trash movies you rent. He'll get all soft and chirpy in the nest, pulling you close and just looking at you with adoration. He'll try to shake it off - he's still getting used to letting whatever the heck his Plantness is doing happen - but when that warm, fuzzy feeling and the urge to preen you comes over, it's hard to ignore. Just let him smooth out your hair and get the granules of sand from your scalp. It'll calm him down.

Now, he practically vibrates with excitement whenever you rent a motel room together. He knows a good nesting is coming, and he can't wait for the cuddling and good naps he and you will get in.

[keepthetension]

this was made especially for those of us who cut ties with our shitty families, huh

i cried so much this whole episode. i know that i can't be in that house and be who i am at the same time, but the guilt and shame never really go away. i love that this episode said, wholeheartedly: fuck what society says, you should be wherever allows you to be happiest

anyway! you always hear that family estrangement is rare in asian communities, but i did it! and you can do it, too! dump your shitty family! i believe in you~

[hanafubukki]

I hope when Silver is put to sleep, we can see him visit the knight of dawn and his mom.

Let them have a chat before he gets awoken.

So he can feel the love of both family.

Let him hug them and be loved by them one more time before waking up in the arms of his diasomnia family.

I also want this for Malleus as well, let him see his mother before his OB breaks.

Let him see how loved he is by everyone, not worshiped, but loved.

Let him accept that his birth brought so much joy to others, like Lilia and maleficia.

That he’s not alone

Let these two brothers be loved

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Earlier, I made a post stating that I would deactivate this account. I just wanted to let you know that I have done some further reflection and I've decided that that would be a deeply unfair reaction to the events of the past several days: to the people who have been hurt, to the people who interact with me, and to myself.

I have been nasty to others behind their backs, and while I appreciate the support I've been given I won't deflect responsibility for these actions. I've also not done nearly what I should have in terms of calling out the racial discrimination that has not only occurred behind the scenes but actively harmed people in the community.

I need to remain here to accept the justified criticisms of my behaviour and remain accountable for the part I have played in the toxic evolution of this community. Many people are likely disappointed in me, and I can assure you that no one is more disappointed in me than I myself. I have let so many people down, and you all deserve to see me reflect, grow, and change for the better.

I have said what needs to be said on this matter, and I think it would be deeply unfair of me to continue making a parade out of the misfortune that has befallen so many, including myself. I have shared my truth and can only accept the consequences that have come with that. If there is any legal or administrative action I can now take to deal with the ongoing harassment, I will be doing so in private to protect everyone's peace and resolve the matter once and for all. I will continue to listen to the voices of others and reflect on all the ways I can begin to atone and move forward.

I am going to do my best to remain where I am and become a person that deserves the kindness and support I have been given by so, so many. Whether or not you are able to follow me on this journey is something only you are entitled to decide, and I gladly accept the boundaries you feel you need to place for your own wellbeing.

I hope that one day, I can be someone worth believing in again. Thank you.

Ange

[lilaccatholic]

I am once again thinking about the reluctant ruler whose arc justly and correctly includes assuming the throne and taking responsibility for the people set before them

[tea-time-terrier]

[raayllum]

anyway given that Callum's "I would do anything for you" is the only one that isn't clustered around with "however dangerous, however vile" it's because he only has that realization of what it encompasses in 5x08 end tweet

[blue-b-bro]

I'm still not over this

Ed was like: see Izzy? I'm the worst human being, no, a monster! A devil! No wonder no one loves me!

Izzy, without 3 toes at this point: I love you.

I'm not surprised Ed didn't take it in well

[schmweed]

[vampirepunks]

Higgs Monaghan, "Beach Babies," and mind control

We know that the Bridge Baby dolls that Higgs and the Homo Demens used function completely differently than the human BBs invented by Bridges. But did you know they're also otherworldly vessels of extinction itself?

The novelization of Death Stranding suggests that these BB dolls from the Beach ("Beach Babies," as my husband and I refer to them) warp the minds of their users and bend human will towards the goal of extinction.

So... how many of Higgs Monaghan's decisions after meeting Amelie are his own?

The first thing to note is that Bridges BBs react negatively to the presence of these Beach Babies, as seen here when Sam encounters terrorists using them.

Lou does not like these things. Perhaps that's why she points the Odradek at Higgs during their first encounter with him?

The novel introduces us to a porter who visited the Evo-Devo Biologist (referred to as EV in the book) while equipped with one, a couple years before Sam's expedition. He was polite and overall pretty normal at first, but then on his next visit things get... weird.

So... there are holes in reality that using a Beach Baby allows you to see, and that's how the tar leaks from the Beach into the world of the living. Speculatively, this might be how Higgs is able to DOOMS-jump so easily and frequently (and summon tar), without getting exhausted or needing much focus at all, in addition to his level 7+ DOOMS.

Oh, but it gets weirder. And scarier, as soon as Extinction Entities are mentioned.

Wow... he sounds a lot like Higgs, doesn't he? Come to find out, Higgs gave it to him.

But surely this is just him echoing the party lines of Higgs' organization and repeating Higgs' same sentiments... right? Unless...

Important to note, this porter doesn't have DOOMS. He shouldn't be experiencing extinction nightmares, but his Beach Baby is showing them to him.

Whether directly or not, this thing talks to him. Like some eldritch call of the void or an element of a Lovecraft novel, it tells him that extinction is the only answer, the only solution.

EV is, understandably, instantly alarmed when she sees Sam with Lou, relating this story back to him. Sam is quick to connect the dots between that porter, the terrorists, Lou's terror at encountering these other BBs, and Higgs himself.

As they discuss further, a chiralgram recording from that porter begins to play, in which he takes credit for the voidout that killed Heartman's family and explains why he did it.

So then, how is Higgs affected by his own Beach Baby? From his perspective, it doesn't sound good.

We can infer a few things from this:

The Beach Baby acts as the vessel for Higgs' connection to Amelie and her Beach. By the nature of his powers, that's why he's able to DOOMS-jump constantly without getting exhausted, control BTs and timefall, and use telekinesis. Think of it like supercharging a battery; his powers are fueled by connection to the dead, and through Amelie, he's plugged into the dead of five mass extinctions, skyrocketing his DOOMS abilities to their maximum potential.

The Beach Baby (perhaps even Amelie directly, by using it) shows Higgs extinction nightmares beyond the scope of normal DOOMS nightmares, "speaking" to him and giving him forbidden knowledge that fills his mind with thoughts of extinction in terms of inevitability, even without Amelie telling him directly.

(Speculative): Higgs betrayed Fragile because of what the Beach Baby did to him, and perhaps doing so was Amelie's own will disguised as his idea. After all, he turned on Fragile immediately after connecting to the BB doll, severing his closest bond practically overnight. Further, Fragile states (at least in the book, I forget if she acknowledges this in the game or not) that it wasn't Higgs who prevented her from DOOMS jumping with the nuke in South Knot City, but "someone else," who she later determined to be Amelie. Amelie ensured that Fragile had no power in that situation, and that there was no way for her to escape without hating Higgs in the end. Personally, my reading is that Amelie wanted to be Higgs' only option and only remaining connection; she set herself up to be all he had left, the only thing he could focus on. It's easier to control someone who's isolated, scared, and alone otherwise, and would remove the risk of him having doubts about accepting extinction because he had nothing--and no one--left to lose.

(Speculative): The Beach Baby acts as a mind control utility. Whatever hopes, dreams, and beliefs a person has, this BB doll can override them and bend its user's will towards the goal of extinction instead, reshaping their ideology to fit the EE's goals. It's impossible to say how much of this control is direct and tangible, but it grants Amelie a high degree of influence over Higgs' inner world, removing any sense of rebellion against her or instinctive resistance to the concept of total human annihilation.

Established later in-text (too much content to cite and embed), Higgs experiences grandiose delusions surrounding his role in the extinction, falsely believing that he's the one in control, viewing himself as "the bridge that brings the extinction" and is destined to safeguard Amelie so mankind can meet its end. Despite the facts, he genuinely thinks it was all his idea, his plan, and he's the mastermind behind the whole thing, personally chosen by cosmic forces to deliver the apocalypse and usher in a new world after humanity is gone.

As soon as Higgs is disconnected from his Beach Baby by Fragile, his delusions completely shatter and he immediately reverts to cold, hard logic, albeit the kind steeped in self-hatred. His ego does an immediate 180 and he realizes, "it was all make believe,” and "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and righteous fury. Signifying nothing." It hits him all at once: he was nothing but a pawn, a tool, a means to an end, played for a fool. Upon seeing the error of his ways, he can only lament how blind he was. The book decidedly doesn't kill him, instead leaving him on the Beach, "alone, without a person in the world to connect to," thinking, "this is how I'm meant to be," as he remains stranded "with nothing else to do but continue to confess his endless sins."

We'll never know how much of Higgs' mindset and atrocities were truly his own, while acting as Amelie's herald, and how much of it was solely based on Amelie's unseen influence. Just like Lady Macbeth, Higgs is both villain and victim to a greater evil, so to speak.

[czigonas]

What if not dead Soap, not traitor Soap, not taken-by-Makarov-and-brainwashed Soap, but a secret fourth thing: Soap who wakes up alone in the tunnel and thinks he was abandoned by his team. Add in a little memory loss for spice, shake him up and let him go.

Price, Gaz, and Ghost who couldn't stay until the cleanup/retrieval teams arrived. Who had to leave Soap's body behind and try to catch up with Makarov before his trail goes cold. Soap who wakes up alone, covered in blood but more concerned with where his team has gone. How could they leave him behind? He trusted them, thought they would never betray him... but he's here and they aren't.

Soap who knows the faces of the 141 but not their names or why it hurts to think about them. And their faces and that hurt are all tangled up in the sharp feeling of betrayal (how could they leave him?) and so he thinks they're enemies.

But also Soap who still has an instinctive, visceral hatred for Makarov and his men, so he makes himself a third variable in the fight. He pulls on a balaclava and a skull mask (the skull is important - drenched in a feeling of bittersweet love - but white is a colour not for him so he'll choose red like the blood he woke up in, lost and alone) and becomes a threat to both sides.

Meanwhile, the 141 is reeling from Soap's loss but needs to replace manpower, so they pick up some new people and... it's hard. Ghost and Gaz do not take easy to them. Even Price finds it hard to give the new guys the same leeway he did to Soap. They're all a little colder without their Sunshine. Eventually they run across Soap in the field, however.

Maybe it's just Price and Gaz at first; Ghost retreating into solo missions as he spirals towards self-destruction. They have a lead on one of Makarov's suppliers but when they reach the compound they're meant to infiltrate, they find someone's beaten them to it. Gaz is the one to spot him; alerting his captain to the red-masked figure who's cornered their target and is in the process of making him regret working with Makarov.

They'll never know what gave their positions away, but Gaz will swear down later that the shot that nicked a tree three inches to the left of his head was not a miss. That the man in the red skull had him dead in sights and, at the last second, his hand twitched to send the bullet wide. They get their target - a little worse for wear after enduring the attentions of the mysterious stranger - but they both know it's not the last they've seen of him.

Price sees him next but instead of anyone familiar he's got one of the newbies at his back and this time there's no deliberate miss. Maybe it isn't fatal but the poor soldier standing in a place not meant for them will likely never fight again. Price takes it for the kind of warning it is and refuses to allow any of the other FNGs on any mission where they might encounter the red masked man.

Ghost is the last to meet him, at least up close. Maybe he's only seen the man in passing, neither of them really paying attention to each other except that they're staying out of each other's way. He's heard enough from Price and Gaz to consider the other skull wearer as more of an inconvenient and unpredictable ally than any sort of threat, though. It's been proven more than once that, where both the 141 and Makarov's men are present, the stranger will target Makarov every time. (And if Ghost is apathetic enough by this time to not particularly care if he doesn't fall under the same strange pseudo-protection that Gaz and Price do, well... no one will call him out for it.)

But when Ghost finally meets the man with the red skull up close, he knows. He knows those hands, that posture. He knows the way Soap moves and he especially knows the eyes that peer out from behind that bloody mask. But he can't do anything about it in the moment. This is it, the final push, the last hole the rat Makarov has hidden in. Ghost has to keep his head in the game and hope that when it's over he won't have to mourn Johnny twice.