#we have some scripts we use now for validation and it’s working well

[shiftingconfessions]

I will be pulling a wild one here

I am shifter before shiftok and shifting tumbler and so on, I was part of the firsts shifting plataforms to ever exist, the work of my friends and colleagues are diluted and changed in many methods the community still using today, or use and not yet know about it.

Shiftok is a lie. It is straight up a lie, more than half of accounts in there are lying, take the big 10 accounts all around the globe and you will see how deeply unsettling and ego blinded these ppl are.

I will share a lil secret to shifting on tumbler, most influencers KNOW that they are talking shit nowadays. The so proclaimed creators of shittok vanglorizes themselves for creating it, but deep down one was a absolute baby shifter and the other one knew her stuff but was caught in drama.

They both are part of the first shifting community ever, started on 2017, they were warned to use their voice to spread information but they decided to blind themselves and continue their fights and dramas.

Besides that, the modern Mainstream Shiftok is around money. TikTok monetizes creators and for these creators to have a base, they need people to watch their videos

Information is freedom, and there is no way to get the proper amount of needed information on shiftok, it is a short video app, we are discussing a experimental practice on reality switching.

Besides that, people now want to make you pay for shifting info, or manifestions courses, and so on

Let me tell a thing that sadly will make sense in the future: Shifting is free, shifting has always been free and those people do not have authority on the matter to even teach it

While the community has been improving, there is a lack on the shifter vanguard, on ACTUAL new stuff and an actual understanding behind shifting. Some people shift by oversimplifying things, others by hard looking into why's and hows, both are valid but they need to correspond to each other. If a community is too complex shifting becomes too hard, if a community is too simple shifting becomes a myth.

That is the state of the community, anyones out there who wants to understand why's and how's can't even find good bases since everything is gatekept and even the so called shifters from shiftok can't even understand it or desire to share it.

Therefore creating a community that is constantly a lie, people tell experiences that don't match when being re-telled and either make sense, many have been spotted doing so. Shifting changes someone, it is a trace marked on their minds forever, to fully shift is to be forever changed. Most people are either LDs or having false awakenings and calling it a day.

Besides all that people are fighting for stupid ideas. Being taboo, race changing was never a topic in our community before it began on shiftok. You know why? Because everyone knew that infinity selfs does not mean that you are equally in all realities, we all playing roles, if I am certain race in my Dr that is not the one I am in this reality, then I won't act like I am part of the minority in this reality.

As for the hypocrisies of these people, most accounts that moved this debate was being xenophobic on Portuguese and Spanish communities.

As an extra information, If you know Sunni Method, you should know that sunni was one of the first shifters (on our understanding of DR, WR and scripting) that created and sourced so many different shifting practices and helped the first gen of the community to understand the practice. She did not only proved shifting to the subliminal communities as well define a work that would be still being used today, the Sunni method is the basic for every method. And she is afro American, and for today terms, she would be changing her race depending on the reality.

For the people that keep making futile problematization on this topic, it shows that you never fully understood shifting and created fake scenarios on your mind to source a point that was never a actual point. Minorities need support on day to day life, not whatever people are believing on determined practice.

tw: mention on self harm

As for respawning, anti-respawing are a bunch of ungrateful. Respawning made the very much bases of modern shifting. And for the respawners that belief that it should end on self harm, you do not understand how respawning work and how delicate are the structured you about to mess. If you are suffering from any mental difficulties, search professional help and not spiritual help that often leads to bad escapism.

Going back

The individual journey of someone starts on the seed planted by the community they find shifting, the hard truth is that shifting isn't only a personal experience but a collective one. In another words the community state you get, is the seed of your journey. Before 2018 people had a hard time shifting because they could not understand what it was, a few years later the community achieved a gold state with sharing knowledge and methods (which the English community would constantly gatekeek to their siblings communities btw) and after the mainstreaming on TikTok shifting went down to a stone age.

People are debating either if they can or cannot do things. In shifting. The. Belief. Of. Infinity.

I can understand why baby shifters do these questions, but I see people on this community since 2020 and the ones from 2019 who end up on the wasteland of other social platforms, asking questions that are so OBVIOUS

You don't need to know everything, but for star sakes you NEED to understand the basics of the thing you are doing, what a script is and how to write one, a few methods and your own cosmological view settled down.

Shifting allows you to mix and match beliefs like a Lego set, do it for your personal journeys using what other have found in the past.

While people are degrating the community and locking good stuff a way, shifting gets every day harder and harder, becoming everytime a godfied event and a hard and thought task that only a few can achieve, that is the mindset that is being grown on the community.

Why the hell the overall community nowadays have less and less actual experiences that the community a few years ago?

For the future, I am not sure but I bet on the end of the practice in a few years, when outsiders "grow out of it". Some will shift, others will just move on with their spiritual journey and so on, the community slowly fading.

I am not here to bring a salvation message, I am so tired, I have been making so much for the last 5 years, trying so hard to archive, share and teach people about shifting, in a way that was forgotten and locked down.

I am permashifting soon, and I am posting what I know on the community where I learned shifting in my native language, this end up more in a vent and a warning to what is happening. Do not believe me if you do not want to.

As for the people that want to understand more, I really recommend for you to dig in the past, a hint is that shifting started on amino. ik it is a bad app but sometimes gems appears. Shifting predecessors (quantum immortality and dimensional jumping) are available on Reddit to be studied (see the archives version of D.J) but they don't fully translate to shifting. (do not use the reality shifting subreddit)

And leave the damned app that is TikTok, you may be laughing for 3 seconds with some random girl talking about draco, but would be way better to be in your dr. why would you let your mind rot?

Shifting is a spiritual practice sourced on scientific facts and theories, both may be fighting a lot but a thing that they have in common is digging stuff, dig and search like never before, the community and it's beliefs are open on the internet, sometimes all you need is to answer a few questions and you will be able to find a good plataform

Your journey will be good no matter what.

Happy shifting.

.

[laylawatermelon]

The K-Drama Of It All

Hello! My hyper fixation has (very unhealthily) latched onto this show so I'm gonna be analyzing.

First of all, I am a veteran in these spaces.

Very shy in real life I am an avid observer in all my fandoms but TRUST I know what's up at all times because of it.

This first analysis will be of the phenomenon of how they playing in my face with the classic K-Drama tropes and cinematic choices.

Let us begin.

Now we all agree that The Bear is a cinematic masterpiece right? Right.

I have been consuming media across all mediums since I was a kid.

I quite literally spent most of my life watching behind the scenes, in front of the scenes, and in between the scenes.

I'm also an aspiring filmmaker and screenwriter. As such I analyze stuff I like more.

I try to understand why they are the way they are.

Now that we got all the fluff out of the way let's get down to the nitty gritty.

*stands on soapbox*

Page 1 of 10000 ehem

In this this essay I will -!

Fr tho. Let's look at this from a K-Drama perspective.

I've spent about 10-12/13 years watching them. And luckily got into it during the golden era.

I literally watched She Was Pretty air (among others). Ex, Strong Woman, Descendants of the Sun (never watched; controversy+ bad attention span), School 2013.

So you know I'm (somewhat) of an og.

I'm those shows it's very formulaic.

This can extend to other Asian dramas but I'm going to try to stick to K-Dramas.

For example, the 10 ep rule. Must have a kiss or kiss in that episode. (Before is fine)

Now they're getting a little willy nilly and getting down in the first EP but I can argue they was down bad back then as well. Just more angsty longing looks.

(which tbf Sydcarm does all the time but it's 99% Carm though)

In KDramas there's something common in the cinematography that I'd call the halo of light. Almost all the time there are some form of beauty shots with them beautifully lit where they're together, the way they look at each other etc.

Which ironically they do with these two a lot on the show.

I know the show is gorgeous but you can't just explain away some of the choices.

I have watched and read a lot of discussions so this will be influenced by a lot of people. I will mention when I got the help from (if i can find it).

Now I just want to say I think this.

These following trope have been here since the dawn of K-Drama time.

Enjoy my infodump.

Firstly let's discuss this here:

1. The Meet Cute/Halo Effect

We've all been screaming to the void about the classic meet cute that happens with Carmy's life and him being constantly bombarded with noise and chaos.

Stylistically this wouldn't be a typical formula for K-Dramas as it leans more into Kmovie style (which valid The Bear was originally a movie) I think it's as textbook as it comes.

Now the original script (which I have read) had a story of different tone. Very Chicago and chaotic but still...

In this iteration of the script idk what the actors were on but JAW looked at the script and chemistry test and was like hmm yes.

A dramatic romcom. I see.

For her she's an ambitious woman who has (maybe a tiny crush) admiration for him cause like he's literally who she wants to be.

Young, talented and successful. He's made a name in their industry so of course she wants to work under him.

But he he's playing the male lead in an early K-Drama with the classic *she enters* and it's like the second coming out Christ being lit from behind her.

The classic 'I can't believe I never noticed how beautiful she is' in all dramas (and romcoms honestly).

You can also compare it to the corny slightly funny moments in slow motion when they miss each other/do the angsty look.

Like this.

Good old kdrama tropes.

What's interesting is that in their scene they do the opposite of what a K-Drama would usually do. They cut the music and let it become calm.

You get to breathe and relax and so does he. He feels at peace.

In K-Dramas, osts are a kind of a life line so they would most likely blare it when he has that realization.

And then at every other romantic moment after.

Another way that it could be is by using very like calm music (still the ost but still).

They do use this with having mostly romantic music in their scenes but it's usually quiet and a bit hard to hear or understand (unless you're analyzing like many of the wonderful people on this app).

Now you can argue her warm lighting in each scene from the finale and introduction represents his hope/life/good change being given back to him in the form of her (but if that's not the most romantic thing I ever heard).

Now for the flashback in the panic attack scene you could argue the blue tone he sees her in, as it usually represents some kind of sadness/distance/professionalism in this show, it can also represent his piercing blue eyes remembering her in the only shade they know how.

Good God that color grading is nuts. His eyes *ARE* the color Blue.

Now I want to talk a bit more about shot composition, color grading and color choices.

In a few interviews I've seen and read the editors, directors and others were quite serious about the shots and music they used were very much on purpose.

I mean come on.

Also Announcement from a novel/screenwriter:

EHEM

WE DON'T EVER INCLUDE NOTHING THAT CAN BE MISINTERPRETED IN SCRIPTS!

AND THE DIRECTOR WOULD DEFINITELY CUT IT IF IT WASN'T HOW HE ENVISIONED IT!

(/hj)

The most telling scenes is the beginning of omlette and the end of the episode before it.

The director had chose to show her tattoo that represents loss in a deep blue lighting which was actually in a similar lighting that Carmy and Claire were bathed in afterwards.

The quora search says it means pain, heartbreak, and emotional turmoil.

It also lines up with the rest of the shots with him preparing dinner with Claire and her being alone.

I believe this kind of represents the emotional cheating (?) going on between them as he practically abandoned her (and their child, The Bear).

(which is a wild choice for platonic coworkers)

As I've said before blue lighting is usually representative of sadness, coldness etc.

In the scene personally even without connecting it to shipping or everything the message came clear to me.

Suffocation.

He was quite literally being suffocated as in the last scene her body was on his as he stared in the distance blankly.

Honestly that shot was kind of heartbreaking because it feels like coercion in a warped way.

He feels like he should be happy, he should participate in these acts, he should be doing well.

He's fulfilling his family's wish.

So why isn't he happy?

That's my writer kicking in but that's what I got from it.

🥲 (gimme a sec i gotta cry)

But the same blue tone was used in his panic attack as the camera zoomed in.

Now the ironic part was that they used warm lighting for the scenes with Claire, but it's not that unusual.

Warm lighting has always been used to also represent a time period in the past in addition to good/warm times.

What's ironic is what's literally colored in what should represent good times isn't working.

He's remembering his family in those same tones. The past isn't helping.

But the future does.

Enter Sydney in blue.

Now blue usually represents sadness (or calm) but it's also used in futuristic scenes.

*They benefit from the cold clinical look i guess🤷🏾‍♀️*

Then he becomes calm.

I can also say that their kitchen scenes in early season 2 are blue coded but it has a calm feeling not a distant feeling. It ironically feel warm and calming despite the cool tone.

This appears in a couple other scenes in the show when he's showing her the work done in the early season.

But color wise it's usually warm tones with them as the color kind of transitions in that scene. It's half half.

His view is warm because he thinks she's good with what he did and hers is cold because he ditched her so yeah.

Now shot wise let's discuss because it's a bit obvious.

The staff head mentioned loving close ups to show the characters emotion but also to convey a sense of what's not being said.

An example of his uncertainty with Claire is the car scene. In most of his shots it's extremely close to her and gives off an awkward vibe.

But when you go to her perspective, she's more open and his shots show background and more of his character, also reflecting their relationship with each other,

This persists with the kitchen scene as well.

When I rewatch it it has that same quality. It's a bit more pulled out (obviously as they literally spent the night together so anyone would feel closer) but there's still an awkward/dreamlike feel like when its on her like she's not quite based in reality.

Or in Carmy's self sabotaging view, too good to be true.

In comparison to Sydney, the shots with her are almost always wide and open.

We see it with them as early in season one with the outside scene where he's staring her down and gets her to open up.

You can argue that almost all of their shots are as equals, or in the same frame with an openness that have/represents when they're communicating with each other. (I'm def writing about their communication)

Sydney's character is ironically what a male lead would be like and Carmy would be more of the female archetype.

Which I really appreciate now that I think about it.

The male lead is usually very successful/good at what they do, hesitant to share but when they do you feel it and know it's sincere. They're usually more bumbly with expressing when they're emotional but when they do its like a huge release. And when they love it's very obvious and excessive at times.

In comparison, Carmy is very expressive, sensitive and aware. He's devoted (Claire sorry but you don't quite count) to things he's passionate about, willing to communicate and has traits of sensitivity.

His eyes and body tells what he's feeling almost immediately. (Also JAW is just an incredible actor)

In Kdrama land their roles would be switched. Hell I can argue some American dramas as well.

Back on topic though.

The Halo Effect is there. Like all the time.

To my next point-

2. The She Looks Away, I Look At Her

Now you may argue this is very Disney Rapunzel, all that coded.

You will also be correct.

I am a Disney (more Nick honestly) kid.

This too applies to the K-Drama world nay I would say it originated there (it did not).

Do you know how many shows I can name where the male lead is just hopelessly in awe as he stared at the female lead because she just insulted him and he wants to tell her he loves her in every way.

Ring ring.

I heard The Bear calling. Yeah imma need you to clock out on this gaslighting.

time to fangirl

Look at the gif sets!

But honestly, it's a common way to show that the character cares and wants a person without outright saying it.

You understand the vibes almost instantly.

He likes her. He wants more.

She likes him. She wants more.

3. Matching Clothes

This one is a simple one but we all know how common it is in K-Dramas to have a matching something.

A good example of a recent show is Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and how they almost always matched even if he was in casual clothing and she was in office clothes.

You're supposed to get a telepathy feel from them. Like they're on the same wavelength.

In ships/shows they usually subconsciously brainwash you into details of a relationship by having them wear or have something that reminds you of them.

In wardrobe, clothing is meticulously planned to match characters financial situation and express their personality. The clothes tell the story.

And the story usually is we go together. Real bad.

So yeah, sure in this scene/episode they were more in tune and tandem and as time went on they became more disjointed.

Granted they do work in a place with uniforms but I digress.

And lastly my third point part II-

Same But Different

If this were a kdrama there'd be like 0.00% chance that they WOULDN'T happen.

First they're the main leads so duh, and second the way that they parallel each other is insane.

There are many edits and examples of them directly mirroring each other in certain situations.

Scrubbing the floors when feeling lonely seemingly in the exact same spot, stressing in the freezer, saying stuff at the same time and their weird telepathy and answering each other's - sandwiches (that's what I was gonna say).

(sorry)

And if any of you say work wife I will rage cause let me catch my man laying under a table like that!!!

Sparta!

But for real, yes there's intimacy and friendship and all that but I ain't everr look at my friends of either gender like that.

If did I probably had feelings and just kept em in. And did the Carmy puppy eyes (TM).

And yes we are aware Carmy is emotionally constipated like a coke bottle filled with mentos with a tight cap on and his lack of a social life coupled with his (many) different mental illnesses/difficulties.

So he probably doesn't even recognize or even want to recognize them as such and honestly as a 4 lifer

I'm really sad but I don't think he'll confess in the next season.

I'm making a post about it but I'm also uncertain about it lasting more than three seasons as thematically and the way it was intended to be a movie I feel kind of uncertain.

It can extend to 4 but it was intended and the way it's narratively been flowing its exactly like a 3 act structure just spread out (like butter).

The next season is after the dark of night aka main character loses everything.

This season was fun and games - quite literally him having amusement and such. (Training Arc!!) It ended with his demise I'd say.

Now there's no where to go but up.

I'm not saying that it's impossible, but a 4th season would likely be more aimed toward getting a star or maintaining a star etc and family ties and such.

That'd be most likely when, if any, outwardly romantic contact should happen.

But they might surprise me.

Butt honestly in KDrama land there's no way the set up isn't romantic even if it was just a chef or professional focused show.

I'd say it'd be standard honestly for ones focused on career with a dash of romance.

Ex. Miss Hammurabi (best example)

The Good Doctor (Japanese Version)

There's probably more but I exclusively watch romance so 🤷🏾‍♀️.

In Conclusion,

Yes. They are end game.

I also wanna say how odd it is that this ship is attacked by fans of the show and non fans alike because I've literally grew up in the age of Rise of The Brave Tangled Guardians.

There's nothing more random than that time period.

They all dated each other!

Like my guy there's a Tony the Tiger x Grinch fic and don't even get me started on the Onceler selfcest as different flavors of himself (/j i love stuff like this)!

My point is it's not that unusual for the two leads to be shipped. Same gender or not.

I also have years of teenage brain rot developed from eating movies for breakfast so I know more than you! (/hj) I'm obviously right!

I will be discussing some more of this in length at a later date.

But I rest my case.

I will retreat into my cave until next time.

[noyasaur]

hii!! i have a few shifting questions im a bit new lol

can you prove shifting is real? im trying to shift but i cant get over the fact that it might not be real and that im wasting my life yk?

do i have to script personalities or appearances to existing characters or will they jut be like they are in the show/game?

how can i be more motivated to shift?

sorry if this doesnt make sense! im a bit bad at english even though its my first language lol

anyways have a great day!!

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊

hihi anon ! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ i hope you're doing well and welcome! i hope your journey is going well so far! and don't worry, your questions made perfect sense! and i also apologise for taking so long to answer your questions, i spent a lot of time trying to formulate the right answers for your questions so i hope i'm able to help 😭 and sorry for the super long answer!

anyway, let's answer your questions~

🪐 CAN YOU PROVE SHIFTING IS REAL?

honestly, this is a tricky one. i want to be very honest with you and i, in no way want to demotivate you at all! right now, the only way of 'proving' shifting (at least, to my knowledge) is through experiencing shifting ourselves, or trusting other shifter's word as proof of reality shifting. regarding scientific research and proof behind reality shifting, to my knowledge, there are no studies that directly investigate reality shifting. i also feel like reality shifting would already be incredibly difficult to prove already on top of the existence of infinite realities/potentials, thus leading to an extension of an infinite amount of different variables.

reality shifting is a very personal experience and one's journey and experience will differ from person to person. unfortunately, in the current state of our reality, reality shifting has not been scientifically proven.. yet.

reality shifting is on of those experiences where you just have to form your own beliefs on it, and trust yourself and others. i like to think of it this way. take our own consciousness for example- we are all conscious right now, correct? we all know we have consciousness. it's a known fact. however, very little is known about our own consciousness, it's origins and it's power. but we all know that we have a consciousness, and we can't prove it to anyone yet but ourselves.

people thought lucid dreaming wasn't real many years ago and now people recognise it as a legitimate practice. same with astral projection, and out of body experiences.

and i know shifting is real because i have experienced parallel reality shifts (some intentional and some unintentional) and mini-shifts myself.

however, not all hope is lost! are there studies and theories on infinite universes, parallel realities and the multiverse? yep! are there studies on consciousness, quantum mechanics and biophotons? yes! there are plenty of studies, theories, and concepts that can be linked together and used to scientifically determine how reality shifting is even possible in the first place. yes, it's one of those things that isn't believed or accepted by the general public, but it exists. we may not know exactly how and we can only theorise, but there are connections that can be made.

now, i completely understand your worries on how reality shifting might not be real. that's totally valid! especially speaking since we've been conditioned out whole lives to think otherwise. that we only have one shot at life and we have to work hard to get our desires, but know we now that's the opposite? we can live an infinite amount of lives and have an infinite amount of parallel realities? we are the creators of our own reality and we have the power to shape what we experience?

however, this is where you come in. i highly recommend that to reassure your worries, find these answers out for yourself. determine what exactly reality shifting is for you and find how it is possible, instead of worrying about what if it's not possible. i'm not a fan of overconsumption of shifting information, however i think it's good to do a deep dive on shifting every now and then to help you open your mind to question what reality shifting is and how it's possible. then, when you've formed your own beliefs on shifting, it's easier to validate your belief and trust in shifting since you've discovered yourself how it's possible and what it is to you! that way, you won't need to worry about any external shaking your beliefs or making you worry about whether shifting is real or not because YOU have personally worked out how it's possible for you.

explore and read about other people's experiences, beliefs and theories on shifting. read scientific papers on concepts relating to shifting such as The Many Worlds Theory, multiverses, and parallel realities. read about the Law of Assumption and consciousness. read shifting success stories! just anything that relates to shifting. and don't worry, at the end of this post, i'll link some helpful resources at the end that have helped me explore deeper into how reality shifting is possible!

and if you're worried about wasting your life away on reality shifting, something that could help is to normalise reality shifting. what i mean by that is see reality shifting as something that is an everyday casual thing (which it is). think of it as a hobby, and not something you don't need to be heavily obsessed over. become content with the fact that, "oh, there's this super cool thing i can do! i can shift realities, i'll try it. oh, i didn't shift, that's okay i'll try again next time. oh, i shifted? cool!"

remember that reality shifting and your desired realities all exist in the now regardless, and they aren't going anywhere. reality shifting is not something super unattainable. i understand where you're worries are coming from and they are 100% valid.

🪐 DO I HAVE TO SCRIPT CHARACTER'S PERSONALITIES OR APPEARANCES, OR WILL THEY JUST BE LIKE HOW THEY ARE IN THE GAME/SHOW?

now, you don't have to script character's entire personalities and appearances (if you don't want to!). you can, but it's also not necessary. it's entirely up to you :)

with scripting, you don't have to script everything down to the tee. you aren't specifically creating any reality out of thin air, more like visually and physically specifying your intentions of what reality you want to shift to/experience. in fact, some people don't even have scripts!

scripting essentially has no power. scripting is just a physical, visual outline of the desired reality where you intend to shift to. to sort out your thoughts and intentions. your subconscious mind already holds everything in that script and whatever else you intend to experience. your subconscious knows what you want and it'll fill in all the gaps for you, so don't stress!

there is no requirement or criteria for how much, or how little you need to script. you can script as little as you like, or as much as you like! thus, if you don't script anything about a character's personality or appearance, but you intend for them to act like how they would in their respective game/show, then they will act how you expect them to. you can even add that in your script if you want as well: "this character will have the same personality/appearance as they do in ___." it's all up to your assumptions and intentions.

however, if you feel like you want to script their appearance or personality, then go for it! do whatever makes you feel best and most comfortable.

🪐 HOW CAN I BE MORE MOTIVATED TO SHIFT?

oh gosh, there are so many different ways to help keep you motivated to shift! i'll try not to ramble :)

honestly, just thinking about the concept of reality shifting and the possibilities can be motivating enough. like how there are infinite realities and infinite possibilities? you can literally experience anything and be anyone you want to be.

you can consume any kind of content relating to your desired reality, watch videos, create pinterest boards (e.g. your outfits in your dr, dr locations, etc.), write letters to people in your desired reality, or think/make a list of things you're excited to experience in your desired reality.

or even just think about your desired reality and get yourself excited! what are you excited to experience? who are you excited to meet? what are you scared about? where do you want to visit? things like that.

however, while i am a big advocate for being able to seek motivation from yourself, it's also good to watch videos and read about other people's shifting experiences to motivate yourself! find other people who have the same/similar desired realities as you, or read shifting stories.

however, it's good to learn how to motivate yourself and not rely on other's so much for validation on shifting, it's existence and motivation. however, it doesn't hurt to consume shifting stories and tips from shifters too, just don't rely too much on it as your main source of validation/motivation.

additionally, it's completely okay to feel demotivated with shifting. it's okay to be drained. and it's also okay to take breaks when you need it. stay at your own pace and don't rush yourself into anything. you don't need to be trying to shift every single day of the year if you don't feel like it. reality shifting isn't going anywhere and your desired realities are always going to exist. so please don't stress and don't feel like you need to rush! you can always shift to your desired reality whenever you want, and however you want!

alright, i hope i answered your questions well and i hope this helped! and i apologise if i rambled a little bit, i just had so much to say (especially for the first question dhjkds).

have an amazing day and good luck on your shifting journey! you got this! ʚɞ ⁺˖

- saturn ♡

🪐 HELPFUL RESOURCES! (these are just some that have helped me!)

REALITYSHIFTING101 - i found this user through amino and their posts have been so, so informative in the in-depth science behind reality shifting and how it's possible. honestly one of the only shifters i've seen who's done such an in-depth analysis on reality shifting and the objective science behind it.

blog: https://realityshifting.medium.com/ amino: https://aminoapps.com/c/desired/page/user/realityshifting101/5w64_MWUYf81pj0qoYwJY00P5JdG5ZxmQHY ULTIMATE RESOURCE: Total Shifting Science (amino): https://aminoapps.com/c/desired/page/blog/ultimate-resource-total-shifting-science/xLkq_62t2u6DWEXn3x55w5rgL5z5vZkKmm

LOVE - an amino user who's been shifting for quite some time and visited many different realities. provided some very interesting information and perspectives on the reality shifting, the multiverse, other realities, and some interesting terminology and concepts.

amino profile: https://aminoapps.com/c/desired/page/user/nill-l/vPMG_2qu2f6eoEGbvBBwwP7kK2Y1qepw32sX

OTHER RESOURCES - here is are some other uncategorised links of good shifting resources!

reddit post (shifting + other shifting related resources): https://www.reddit.com/r/shiftingrealities/comments/ow7n7y/recommended_reliable_resources/ yennieshifts shifting carrd: https://yennieshifts.carrd.co/https://yennieshifts.carrd.co/

[thoughtfulchaos773]

Sydney Adamu Theories

I am on a Sydney kick. So many possibilities come with cracking Sydney open and exploring SYdney's background. I am confident that the writers will explore this because the show is masterful at answering our questions in the midst of all the chaos. Even on Reddit, there are questions about Sydney.

Since Storer used tattoos to tell the story of the character, as we learned about Carmy, his tattoos started to make sense because we explored his history. The question for Sydney's tattoo sits with us as viewers; it's an ample opportunity to see Sydney and why she wants to get a star, succeed, and how she landed at the beef ready to work with Carmy and reach that dream. What inspired her to stage with Carmy, and what did she mean when she told her father she was at a different place in her life?

Theory one: Sydney, unlike Carmy, experienced failure in her career; some will see she is a quitter, and others will see Sydney put her mental health first. Maybe before Sheridan Road Catering, Sydney had a breakdown dealing with pressure and abuse like Carmy experienced at Eleventh Madison Park

I wonder if, like Carmy, we'll see the cost of committing to your craft to the point where you miss out on life. I'm leaning towards Sydney experiencing a nervous breakdown in the past. Her father is adamant about Sydney not committing to the thing that caused her heartbreak. Maybe Sydney has gone through many ups & downs in addition to Sheridan Road Catering.

The past must be so sorrowful for someone to imprint a symbol representing heartbreak over her shoulder. Maybe putting her all into things is part of Sydney's nature, and her father witnessed such a mental health scare that he's worried when she says she doesn't have another one in her...

But when she shows her dad the potential of the bear on opening night, her dad validates her: this is the thing. Now that her dad sees her as a leader, someone who's stable and knows what they are doing, she's pressured to work at a place that could be the like other places, and this time, she's trapped.

When her dad asks her if she trusts Carmy, this could be in relation to someone in her past experience as a chef, someone who was supposed to be her mentor and someone she could trust who broke her heart. They weren't necessarily partners (whoever this past person was), but it was a power dynamic. A dynamic that's absent in Sydney's and Carmy's relationship. Here are other reasons she probably had a mentor in the past that used her-

When Carmy tells her he's her boss, she considers what to say next. Carmy pulling this power play made her speak up and tell him her needs. Most importantly, she can stand out at The Beef.

Her father gives her a book on leadership. Perhaps this person (a mentor) stole her ideas, kept her from having a voice, and drained her mentally.

To keep it short, Sydney put so much pressure on herself that she ended up having a nervous breakdown and maybe she didn't have a partner but someone who used her, perhaps a boss or mentor who exploited the power dynamic between them.

There's another question that remains: What's with the name of the Catering business she started?

I'm also confident this will be answered because it's written in the original script.

Siderbar/theory: what's up with Carmy asking Sydney about her favorite road? The only road in relation to Carmy that I can think of is Jimmy mentioning the car accident dream. He said they were driving around Lake Genova or something like that. Well, maybe it was Lake Michigan, meaning they were driving along Sheridan Road- maybe the dream was a foreshadow?

Ugh this is all over the place, but I got questions, and I don't know how I'm going to wait for 6 more months.

[strawbabyjams]

Misty Quigley thoughts?

:0!! Excellent question

Been thinking alot lately about how Misty could be a representation of a Hazard ⚠️ warning in the wilderness. I think each girl represents something associated with the wilderness and its dangers— Jackie being starvation/lack of preparation, Shauna being a direct foil to that by being hunger (which I would argue is very different than starvation but that’s a whole nother post)/a reversion to primitive urges, etc.

But specifically for Misty, I think she represents those warning signs you see at the front of the entrances to forests/the wild. Turn Back, Do Not Enter, Certain Death Ahead. One of my not as solid points for this is just how much yellow the show puts her in— and yes, most of the cast is in yellow, but (if my memory from several rewatches serves me correctly) she is the one most absorbed by it, at least in season one. Even before the plane crash, years before, we are given an insight to her room, which is, well—

The most yellow bedroom I’ve ever seen.

She has always been a person that is manipulative, smart, dangerous, even as a child. She takes the hate she receives and turns that into fuel for her to work harder for acceptance from her peers, and no matter how much she fails she just keeps going, and going, and going, despite all signs to turn back.

She joins soccer probably as a way to meet other girls, only to be assigned team manager/water boy. And instead of getting upset and quitting, she uses their blindness to her skills as an advantage. She is in a pretty replaceable role (feel free to correct me as I’ve never played a sport lol) and instead of taking the “hint,” (turn back. Do not enter. Certain social death ahead) she fights to make herself irreplaceable. She cheers the loudest, is the first to try and fix Allie’s leg, is constantly by Ben’s side ready to receive directions.

During the plane crash in the script, it’s noted that when Misty sees Lottie and Laura Lee grasp for each other, she realizes how alone she is. She is shown that in the wilderness ahead, she will have no friend. No guide. No path out. (TURN BACK. DO NOT ENTER. CERTAIN DEATH AHEAD.) And, again, instead of submitting to the crash around her, she comes out of the plane BLAZING, ready to help and save the other girls. She isn’t scared of the very real danger that is the wilderness. She thinks she can overpower it, make it submit like everyone has made her submit.

Now, we have to talk about *sigh* the Ben situation. I would argue he— at least, at the beginning— is the only one not fooled by Misty’s overall confidence towards them and him surviving. He is pessimistic (which is. Valid lol) towards her and her help, and when she tries to approach him in a sexual manner (which I believe is influenced by past abusive experiences she may of experienced but that’s just my hc) he completely dismisses her. Which is what he should do, even though I do think he could have said it in a “nicer” way but that’s a whole nother post.

You know what does make him submit, though? His fear of her. No one else is scared of her, has given her this power to show her raw power/darkness. So, when he rejects her, she tries a different route— poison. You know how some hazard signs notify hikers that there are plants that look almost exactly like non-toxic plants, and that telling the difference is impossible to someone who is unprepared/ignorant? Well.

I could go deeper into this in a separate post as I’m still playing with this interpretation of her character and haven’t written it down before, so I’m open to any ideas/thoughts/arguments someone could have for or against this interpretation :3

[thebramblewood]

Oasis Springs Side Quest: Part V (The Finale)

This tarot-reading pose pack by @radioactivedotcom is the main one I used! Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck and spreads by @the-dewofthesea with some personal tweaks by me.

Previous / Next

Transcript under the cut.

Celeste: “Now, darling, what question will we be posing to the universe tonight?”

Helena: “Oh, I… Well, that’s a pretty loaded question in itself. Maybe we should just ask what I’ll have for breakfast tomorrow morning.”

Ulrike: “Take this seriously, Zhao!”

Helena: “I am. But what if I ask the wrong thing and learn, like, the exact date of my death?”

Ulrike: [chuckles] “I don’t think that’s quite how it works.”

Helena: “Fine. Then I guess I’ll ask what my final year of college has in store.”

Celeste: “Good. I’ve cut the deck. Now, choose four cards at random and, without looking, place them face down in the center of the table. Let’s see what the cards have to tell us about your future. They’re more illuminating some days than others, so we must be receptive to whatever they’re willing to divulge.”

Helena: [nervously] “So what are they saying so far?”

Celeste: “Patience, dear. The full meaning will not become apparent until all the cards are laid out. We must reveal the fourth before we’ll know. Oh. Well, this certainly makes things more interesting.”

Helena: [groans] “Oh, God, what is it?”

Celeste: “You’ll not want to take this one at face value.”

Helena: “Just show me!”

Celeste: [holds up the Death card]

Helena: “Oh, you have got to be kidding me! Damn it, Faust! Why did I let you talk me into this?”

Ulrike: [cracks up] “The way you jumped like Grim himself just entered the room.”

Celeste: “Death is almost never meant to be taken literally in the context of the tarot.”

Helena: “Almost never?!? That seems to imply that it sometimes is!”

Celeste: “Let’s take in everything we’ve got here before jumping to conclusions.”

Helena: “Well, the Lovers has to be us, right? Oh, God, our relationship is going to die, Ulrike.”

Ulrike: “Will you stop freaking out and let her do her job?”

Celeste: “This spread is all about transformation. Many changes are brewing, some more difficult than others. Your relationship will be one of them. You’ll find yourself up against a great obstacle, and the outcome of that struggle will determine if the connection between you and your partner strengthens or weakens.”

Helena: “Okay... And what about the Magician? How does he fit into all this?”

Celeste: “Well, the Magician may symbolize self-actualization. You’ll have to tap into your inner strengths to face the decisions ahead. But it can also be a warning.”

Helena: “A warning of what?”

Celeste: “Illusion, deceit, manipulation. Perhaps a situation that is not as it seems or an untrustworthy individual.”

Helena: “Please don’t tell me I’m going to fall for an MLM scheme.”

Ulrike: “Helena!”

Helena: “What? It’s a valid concern.”

Celeste: “Whatever or whoever crosses your path, the Queen of Swords reminds you of your fortitude. She advises you to remain clear-headed, rational, and objective in your decision-making.”

Ulrike: [snorts] “You’ve already got that part down, Zhao.”

Celeste: With Death comes rebirth, and it is up to you to determine what you make of this new life when it arrives.”

…

Ulrike: “What’s the verdict? Are you a believer now?”

Helena: “Eh, not really. Transformation, hard decisions, inner strength… It’s so vague! She must follow the same script every time.”

Ulrike: “That Death card got you pretty bad.”

Helena: “It just caught me off guard is all.”

Ulrike: “And all that talk about deception?”

Helena: “I doubt I’ll be meeting a con artist any time soon.”

[blindtaleteller]

MCU Asgard Canon Observation Research [Part 1]

Firstly and before I even start in on the subject, keep in mind that this is what it says: a collection of research into actual Canon Lore from the Marvel Cinematic Universe: not the comics, or the Nordic lore twice removed from it.

Secondly and alongside that, also keep in mind that even back at the start of the MCU as a long term project, while the MCU is based on the Marvel comics universe: the creators made a point of making it a completely different universe: for many varying reasons, including the spaces lacking continuity in the comics over the years that the MCU as a project wanted to pursue from it's first conception.

This is a large part of why there are phases and why they were numbered from it's creation. (And yes also why my tags recently mentioning counting phases are what they are elsewhere, but that's a whole other post.. or set of them.)

These are important to remember because, I would like to avoid previous iterations of people wasting their time trying to insert comics-universe lore and more excessively into or onto this requested post purely for the sake of, well; being argumentative or just trolling:as much as possible. I do try to take some time to respond to comments and reblogs as much as possible, but I can and will ignore or yes, at times point out people unable to manage these things.. and respond as necessary.

I normally wouldn't bother to mention this except yes, that has happened before so: consider this your disclaimer.. I ain't dealin' with you if you're gonna be a trolly shit disrespectful enough of the time effort and willingness to share what research and observations I have, by shitting on it or me in your pursuit of whatever flimsy excuses might be given for any inhuman reactions posted passive aggressive or worse.

More frankly: be respectful on my posts or get lost. I don't tolerate harassment on my blog whether it's aimed at me or others. Passive aggressive or otherwise. I'll discuss stuff, am happy to have any valid references I might miss added to and pointed out. Just don't be an asshat about it, and you'll get the same from me. That's how basic-bitch Karma, and I; both work: you'll get what you give along those lines, while in my space.

The necessary now out of the way... Next!

More as a side note with that mentioned; while I may mention some meta/theory in the form of the most probable (as that's how my meta in particular is formed) it is again: based on the facts of the canon lore and contexts confirmed presented in it; visually, in dialogue, and out of the mouths of the very people who made all that themselves, at the time that lore was given to us on screen: and will be mentioned as the theory and supposition that is 'meta' rather than 'canon'. I have gone out of my way as a fan of world, universe, and character building as a part of the creative process in particular: to watch, rewatch, rewatch again and again, and hunt down all this stuff (often lol purely out of my own curiosity.) All in all Meta is theory, Canon is story/film-established fact; and I do try to keep a clear line between the two of them. The early world and character building in the MCU has always been interesting enough to me alone, to do all that with my free time.

And that's especially true with Asgard in particular, as a main story driving force in one form or another as far back as 2010 when both Thor and CA: tFA's scripts were being filmed and their sets/settings picked out and created.

Final few bits before we get into it..? As Asgard lore (and even a lack of it's presence at times) is directly and appropriately attached and or in relation to the lore of several races, species, and massive events in the entirety of the MCU's first three phases.. I will be touching some of those cultures and places too, where important. Probably not in this particular part, but yeah. It's gonna happen.

As with the research post into Loki and his year of absence prior to Avengers 2012: (yes that's a link to an ask that contains a good chunk of info and years of interviews on that particular subject) this might not be an entirely complete compilation: for the same reasons. As I said, i didn't just watch, I rewatched repeatedly from differing personal mental angles: not just three or four times, but and as I wrote my own fanfiction.. I would also re-watch once or twice just prior to fleshing out an outlined story of my own to refresh my memory, seek out interviews official and otherwise from the creators and actors who made that lore and put it on screen for us to enjoy as part of the stories we enjoyed (or not, depending lol) and well.. the resulting organization of the whole outside of this post is less than comprehensive for anyone else. You can see the explanation for how that happens in the foreword of that thread if you're curious.

As a result, I may or may not exclude the actual interviews if this gets too long. Much of the visual in this first part especially are pretty self explanatory, as I did find some of my dissection pics too.

All said (I think? Gods I hope so that was a lot wasn't it? XD) and as suggested/requested recently in discord?

This one is gonna be expansive.. and hellaciously so: so grab your drinks and your snacks and still be prepared for this series of posts to be going for while (not kidding, may be compiling this properly between jobs for weeks) so yeah..

Here we go again!

The major forgotten fact of Asgard's depiction in the MCU is this:

We the audience are only shown a very tiny fragment of Asgard as another separate planet in space, and: they do show us we're missing as much, from the very first film.

That gif directly from the movie I used at the top? I'm using it again, because...

..look at that.

With topography, perspective and size in mind.

That tiny golden triangle in the middle is the Palace at the center. The little golden bar along that tiny portion to either side? Is the city attached to it proper, with the Bifrost, and as far as we've seen the 'Heroes Road' (as soem are calling it) and city walls cupping the Bifrost Bay directly facing the camera.

This is a space shot (of course,) and that tiny itty bitty moving spec that is still shrinking as it gets further from our perspective and closer to Asgard at the bottom, is the Bifrost in use.

And, they do give us a few views of that as early as five to six minutes into the first movie in 2011, as seen in the first clip below. I've set it to share at the first view of Asgard itself.

Hopefully that works. If not, the timestamp you're looking for is 2:04.

I recommend shutting off the audio, as it's a bit distracting. Trust me, we will get back to the very interesting audio from a world builder's perspective, when we get to the History and Relations section of Asgard's break down.. there are several tons, of that and in that opener alone, to examine later.

IMPORTANT!! When looking at any of these images or videos, keep in mind and look at the scale. Not just in the scene on screen at that moment, but also in reference to previous shots. Distance is a thing. The size of trees and people are a thing. This place in the MCU is much more massive than where it's very cloistered story parts take place.

This is not a city-planet like and for comparison: Coruscant, from Star Wars... though I am very aware that some people will throw out Asgard's concept art to try and 'debunk' that (yes its' been done and proven pointless in other threads).. that does also bring us to another couple of facts that slip by in their context.

In fact, you know what? I'll throw it in here right now myself:

This concept art: does still apply, if slightly adjusted with the topography and likely under ground portions taken into account.. because Asgard is the name of both the planet AND the city as separate entities of the same locale.

In other words, the concept art is VERY valid as a map of the city itself: but not the outlying locations outside of Asgard as a Capital City Proper, of Asgard as a disk planet.

And again.. they do show us this, and not just in the first film: although that first shot going into the city says as much too, being that..

A. Asgard is established as a society greatly more advanced than Earth and most others, and;

B. there are whole swaths of land (and especially mountain they like to build into) without structure between the edge panned through and the City itself. (see still image below: not the best quality but it's also in the video.)

Which.. we'll touch again a little more in a bit (and probably the biggest lol) part of this breakdown set; digging at History, Culture, and Relations.. as the fact they do prefer to build INTO their environment much more than on top of it is also shown in the shot of the canyons and canals on which not only that city is built, but even what buildings are shown outside of it on that panning-in shot.

We can see in the one above though: that while they did redirect some of the water through canals in the lower shot; they also kept and built into the natural(?*) lay of the river canyons below.

This theme is kept even before we get into the city though with the first part of the shot above the water.

Want a more visual view of the breakdowns as I do them?

Here you go, here's one example from out of my crazy folders and docs, that I made in paint back in 2013 (LOL yes I know. XD) while once again re-watching that same scene.

I would highly suggest clicking on it, as tumblr does downsize images making text on them hard to read otherwise. Crappy in-motion quality screen cap but, it was made more for breaking down the visual elements on screen for what it told us about the land, and more; on it.

----[?*] As a set of side/foot notes to that last bit and the image..

A. the top left corner yes: does reference some of where I use certain observations of canon in my own fics; and how they would have grown or evolved depending on that story. In this case, and at the time: the pink text is making note to utilize those observations in outlining Hvedrungr (Loki from Uni 0) and Flykra's (Loki from Vesti1 Uni 14) universes in particular: both of which return to Asgard at VERY different times and in different situations: while the history and culture I've been able to glean and expand on in some cases is still part of their and the location's background. As I don't have the patience to remove the text from an old paint shop cut.. I thought I would at least explain it's presence left there. These things are, ultimately connected by the culture that originated on and created them on that planet after all.. and why there's an entire section dedicated to the varied aspects of Asgard's presented Cultural, Relations, and History lore. B. The '?' at the 'natural' mention in parenthesis above, also takes into account that Asgard is much older than Earth's culture and has to be: if only because as only three generations have come and gone over the passage of what to us is five thousand years! (see the next installment Thor the Dark World: Bor and Darkalfheim, or just watch the movie with info gathering in mind.) In other words, between Bor's War, and Odin's Asgardian Great Wars: we cannot be certain whether or not 1. those canyons are actually natural or the now aged result of one of many previous interplanetary wars, or 2. whether Asgard at this stage of it's showing timed at 2011 more than a millennia later, has even always been this size, given their advancement in technology and study of magic as presented OR left in question, either. For my part, as there's no conclusive dialogue from that era to state otherwise in the MCU or it's interviews that I know of, and knowing the context of Malekith and Darkalfheim's familiarity with Asgard itself during their raid to reclaim the infinity stone: I tend to veer towards a mixture of the two. While it's very likely at least some of the canyons are indeed natural; the great age of the culture and planet both, along with the nature of Bor and Odin's rules alone as we've seen them: leaves a HUGE and LONG period of time and opportunities for some of those nasty fights to come directly to them... or even their predecessors. Which would also explain why they had that shield for the palace too. You don't build and more importantly upkeep something like that without a very good set of reasons or examples experienced, to do so after all. Much of that is meta though, however based on canon fact it may be: and as many of the creators were not asked publicly during that era, and have been dismissed or moved on to other projects since.. it's hard to know if we'll ever see a *genuine* answer from the people who actually made it all starting sixteen years ago.

Anyway, let's look at a few more shots of Asgard with that breakdown going. Some of these are all old, from as far back as about ten years ago when I first started writing outlines for the varied universes in my Lokiverse Project: but they do still hold up. theer are some from TDW in this bunch too. I heavily dissected these scenes knowing I was going to do whole chapters in multiple differing universes, and wanted to have the presented layout and feel laid out in my head, before I started adding in locations on the planet not yet shown on film. And given my first Book was already going to be DREAMS.. where Asgard has been blown to bits post Endgame? I really wanted to get it right so I could deconstruct it as many times as I and the muses wanted to. Laufeyson (Universe 10 Loki) was pretty insistent too with the opening chapters on his end focusing partially on that chase with Abell through Asgard's blown apart ruin

Sorry for the ramble of an explanation, but that's how it is and how it works over here...? XD

..uhmmmm. Yeah lol! When I said I watch and re-watch from differing mental perspectives..? That's what I mean. I don't usually share those at all... only the unedited pics. Genrally I will take caps or take existing raw caps and pick out piece that catch my eye. I've been told they do help put your brain in the right mode for those who have difficulty processing them in that way, like I do when in that mode. Also yes, trees and fish ...bruh. lol!

It's there, has been for years in some cases; and I'm not messing with it now.

That basic bit out of the way (doesn't sound so basic does it.) Let's backtrack a bit, specifically to Asgard's shape and the placement of it's location and the locations on it.

As I first write this, I don't have the talks I had with a few wild meteorologists and geologists back then directly on hand (as this is a part I still don't focus on too much; but:) shaped as it is, those I did talk to theorized that between the shape and placement of planets as well as the nebula they're partially inside, that Asgard may be shaped and in rotation as it is because of its' placement in it's system: or because of late interference by Asgard's inhabitants to keep it stable.

^ That one scene in particular from Thor 2011 really made my eyes pop. Not because of what's going on in it so much as trying to answer the whys and hows and what the actual fricks man: because..

Can you imagine, the conversation: trying to pitch that spinning death ball to the King there OR anywhere else on the planet before Bor or even his great grandfather?

Or, trying to talk the royalty down from the idea of putting it anywhere NEAR the palace, or other people's homes?

How about testing that house sized death-by-velocity-alone gilded mess? (Yes I still laugh thinking about that. Some poor scholar/engineer type trying to dissuade Bor's grand-daddy from building what would definitely become a giant pinball of death in the canyons and canals, if that thing ever came off it's anchors even once in the city. Good gods! lol!) Who knows; maybe that was when people started moving to Vanaheim... XD! Just (mostly) kidding.

Cray-cray thoughts of high velocity gilded pinball hell that was probably somewhere way back in the Bifrost's likely development and evolution as tech/normie science boosted by magic, and or vice versa, aside:

You probably notice I've mentioned the nebulae and the planets in their rotation more than once. And with good reason.

Backing up a bit; Asgard is interesting well before you hit her shores.

Not only is she a top-shaped disk-planet: but with the way the sky is shown: Asgard has a very interesting rotation if she has any left at all. There's very little we know, but what we do know is she is not alone in her systematic rotation either way.

(Asgard's sky from Thor's personal Hall in Thor: the Dark World)

In fact and as seen in the screen caps above: Asgard has an incredibly close relation to at least three planets in her nebulous solar system. At least one of which is absolutely massive: massive enough that it's close proximity is theorized as being pretty likely to be the only way Asgard experiences night cycles as seen in Thor: the Dark World... mainly through eclipsing the nebulous sun by passing between it and Asgard as a planet.

Which is both cool -and- scary when you take things like degrading orbits, space debris and projectiles like comets and other space science into account.. but also very, very interesting.

It also begs the question either way: why didn't Asgard at their earlier establishment of a greater technological level, colonize or move to those planets sooner? Of course.. the first obvious answer is.. they probably couldn't, at first. And even more probably were past trying by the time the Bifrost was built, prior to Bor's time (I say prior because we have seen Bor use it in Thor the Dark World: and on a massive scale moving whole armies, the same as his son Odin. See some of the scenes from Bor's seizure of the Aether below.)

But yeah, Asgard is a pretty unique place even before you get to the water fall's edge: or questioning what kind of condensed mass it has to retain gravity at it's very small size.

Or, whether that gravity and the shape is in fact generated in some form or another after millennia upon millennia of just the Wars we do know about in their history.

(At current we know about Darkalfheim and the series of Wars including Jotunheim and Muspelheim that they call the Great Wars. While they are definitely aware of the extensive millennia of intergalactic war between the Xandarian based Nova Corps and the Kree Empire put front and center in GotG.. there hasn't been any actual confirmation as to whether Asgardians fought in that war on either side: only that they are at that stage at least loosely allied with Asgard.. if not a more separated protectorate being considered among the nine realms in the MCU.)

Why do I keep pointing out trees, and perspective; or teh size of the city in that first little gif again?

Because.. that is our repeated visual evidence of just how much of Asgard as a planet; the story did not take place in.. huge parts of the place we haven't seen. And that makes sense.

Power plants or generators, smithys, and even schools can be easily placed in the city proper, at this stage.

But what about BEFORE, they got to this stage.. because that is a thing in the MCU in regards to Asgard: and a major plot point for three movies of script running, from 2010 all the way to 2015 when Taika Waititi was hired (unfortunately, for those of us who know the root of what happened there.)

What about food, for thousands of 5000 year lifespans and their kids. And their grandkids. And.. the food for the livestock, or the wild game

Or the bilgesnipes and dragons--well we can guess what happened to the dragons of Asgard in particular actually. If they were anything like Muspelheim's; and on a planet that size..? It doesn't take much to figure out Odin, Bor and their predecessors probably couldn't excuse not hunting a predator big enough to swallow people to extinction: not for much longer than they absolutely had to anyway.

What about fibers and leather for clothes.

How about waste management, for both the city and suburban areas? Sewers? Water filtration? Factories or slaughterhouses to process it all, and the means to support those things. Everything man made, is grown, processed or made somewhere.

We know they have these things, because we know they have and make their own alcohol (fermentation of grains, fruits, and more); as well as other things to eat: displayed in both T1 and TDW.

(The top image is from Thor's table flip scene in Thor 2011; while the one below it is from the tavern scene in the beginning of Thor: the Dark World.)

Meat, vegetables, fruit, grain, herbs, and seasonings are all represented on the tables above. While some might be imported (I really do wonder about the platters of golden apples myself:) it's not very likely all of them are. And it wouldn't make sense for them to have been imported from off world throughout their species development either. After all and again: they would have had to have survived and developed enough to GET TO, that stage in the first place.

You're also looking at Varnish in the shine of that table; smithing and metal working and ceramics in their table ware. Weaving either plant or animal fibers in their clothes, as well as the likely production of tannin (or it's equivalent) and leather working in every leather piece on screen. Candles can be made from varied sources, whether that's actual wax of some form, or condensed animal fat.

Oh, and if you find the enlarged version of those images: you'll also notice things like fine engraving and metal sculpture to the goblets and platters on the Thor 2011 table in particular.

Either way, the images above show us directly that unsurprisingly, they have come to understand whole other sub-levels of production: before you even get to the high-tech and magic ends of any of that to be able to reproduce it in that modern era.

As another side note related to that: the booze alone is pretty telling as to how far off the "Loki" series is on this mark, as well. Creators of current content 'conveniently forgot' that this is supposed to be a space faring, technologically advanced society (even if they're the social equivalent of medieval imperialist thugs .. lol sorry not sorry! That's literally how they're depicted... and honestly that really weird twist IS some of Asgard's most interesting and strange development) whose friends, allies and other examples of places visited DO and HAVE included Earth, Xandar, and six other 'realms' as their etymology names them: for literal millennia. Even taking the other, long established cultural influences and visitations aside? For a society who 5000 years ago was still porting whole armies to other planets to kick peoples asses? The idea they never discovered honey; or sugar especially even on the inside of a fermentation barrel for wine; OR how to process it into something like candy? Is more than just a -little- dumb in the stretch. Sugar often naturally starts to separate and crystallize during the fermentation process. Ask a vintner, or look it up if you don't believe me. Just sayin'.. just on Earth alone, we know sweets were discovered more than 8000 years ago. Eight thousand. And the only reason we haven't been able to confirm people older than that finding things like bee's hives?? Is because well.. that kind of thing rarely survives even that length of time at all, to be found in archeology in order to tell us more. I'll touch that and how it's pretty damned near impossible that 'Loki doesn't know wtf candy is' being 1k+ years himself, and a guy raised as an Asgardian prince & spymaster to boot later into the culture section I think, but mmm.. that whole bit still reeks of stupid, to me And more so after their own DB Cooper scene. Gonna say candy wasn't a snack in that era either? Cause if so; I got big shocking news, for those who think so... XD

In closing.. for this part?

As far as the world of Asgard goes, we have only been allowed to see a very small part of it: and even then? It is still undoubtedly massively larger than even what's implied: and definitely capable of supporting it's comparatively small base population of less than 10k people.

(Odin's subterranean vault reference: exterior)

The only reason we don't see even more of it; is the fact that films have a limited time to give you everything, and the story focuses on the royal family from the get go. And they live, in the heart of Asgard's capital city... so we largely don't see as much of that as weirdo world building fans like me would absolutely love to see in the process... and frankly; they gave plenty enough to start us off with.

The films would have suffered for having too much more of that, rather than the stories they were trying to tell.

The same.. I would love to know more: and I do wish the current teams paid the previous ones more respect by using what was already there and expanding on it: instead of making mismatched new things up, as they went.

The early creative teams really knew what they were doing back then.

(Asgard's defensive cannons defending against the Darkalfheim air raid in Thor the Dark World.)

And no, this isn't all they showed us, in the show and tell they did manage to give us over the course of years of work... far from it.

Hope you enjoyed part one! Maybe you learned or saw something you missed.. or have been inspired to watch the older films again..?

I know I often am.

[15minlatewithbatbucks]

untitled janet/talia, Bruce's bio kid Tim AU pt. 3

FIRST | SECOND | THIRD | FOURTH | FIFTH | SIXTH | SEVENTH | EIGHTH | NINTH | TENTH | ELEVENTH | TWELFTH | THIRTEENTH

AO3 Link (a little behind, but better edited)

---

“Well, he’s not Jack’s and I only slept with him and you that one night,” she said, struggling to keep her voice level and not snap. Her pride was fighting with her sense, hating that she had to bare her soul and be looked at with so much distrust. “And a lovely woman named Carmen, but I thought I could probably rule her out for not having a penis.”

Bruce huffed, half sigh and half laugh.

“Okay,” he said slowly. “Assuming this is true… why now? What do you want?”

It was a valid question. She had no doubt that from the surface she looked like a gold-digger at best, a home wrecker at worst.

“Right now because… Jack and I have been fighting,” she said and almost got away with appeared unaffected until her chest hitched with a caught breath. She wasn’t going to cry here, she reminded herself. She’d put in all that work to seem normal. She was. Not. Going. To. Cry.

She cleared her throat and Bruce did her the kindness of ignoring her little slip.

“He wanted another kid, so I went off my birth control. We’ve- We had been trying with no luck, so Jack went to his doctor for tests. And then ordered a paternity test.”

Bruce grimaced.

“He didn’t take it very well,” Janet finished tactfully. “I think we both knew deep down that Tim wasn’t his, but all of this made him confront the fact that he likely won’t have a biological child of his own. It’s just – We were fighting again and when I had Tim things got better and I know you’re happy with Talia, but-”

Janet cut herself off, hand going to cover her eyes. She knew she was rambling and had no idea where she was even going with it. All the practice she’d put in and she still forgot her script when it mattered most.

She felt alone. She felt like the lowest kind of person despite knowing that she wasn’t out to exploit Bruce.

She wanted all of this to be over, one way or another.

Bruce surprised her by asking, “Are you safe?”

Janet laughed. “What?”

“I know that tensions can run high in these kinds of situations,” he explained awkwardly, eyes bright and watchful as they roved over her face. Looking for… what, bruises? Sweet man. Foolish man. But still sweet.

“I’m safe,” she confirmed. “Tim’s safe- Well, he’s been upset lately from hearing us fighting, but he’s physically safe. I’m doing this for him, Bruce.”

Janet’s eyes dropped from his to look at her phone, still sitting between them on the desk. Tim’s little face, sticky and smiling still lit the screen.

“He deserves a parent that actually wants him,” she said quietly. Loathing and self recrimination bubbled up in the back of her throat and she had to swallow it back like bile. “He’s a good boy, Bruce, but I wasn’t made to be a mother.”

Bruce seemed to soften at that, if only a little. He slid her phone back towards her.

“I want a test,” he said. “But even if it’s negative, I’ll help you figure out your next steps.”

“I’m not a Gotham orphan boy,” Janet laughed. “You don’t have to sweep in and try to fix my life. If it’s somehow negative, I’ll sort out my own feelings on human parthenogenesis on my own.”

Bruce crooked a smile at that. For all that they’d only had that one night together, it was nice to see that they still had a sort of rapport. It was a relief, Janet had to admit to herself. Even though she wouldn’t be taking Bruce’s offer of charity, it was nice to know it was offered at all.

“I have some samples,” she said and pulled out a baggie with Tim’s tooth and hair brushes. “Given that I’m sure you get half a dozen paternity claims a month, I’m sure you know a good lab.”

“The best lab, in fact,” Bruce said. He gestured broadly at the floor to indicate the whole of Wayne Enterprises. “I’m sure I can find a lab to do the test. We have so many of them, after all.”

Janet laughed, surprising herself. “Okay, that makes sense.”

“I’ll get the samples to them right after you leave and I’ll call when the results come back. We can set up another meeting then.”

“I’m free whenever,” she said with a rueful smile. “As you can imagine, I don’t have much going on right now except for watching Tim.”

“Right,” Bruce nodded. “But to be absolutely clear: If I am Tim’s father, are you looking to give me custody? As in, primary physical custody?”

“I still want to see him and be in his life,” she said immediately. “I do love him. I know I’m a terrible excuse for a mother, but-”

“Janet, I can tell that you love him,” he interrupted. “I know you’re a proud person and you wouldn’t be doing this if you didn’t want the best for your son. I’m honored that you think I might be that.”

“Well, you seem to know what you’re doing,” she said. “You have two boys already and they both seem reasonably happy and well adjusted.”

“I’d like to think so even if they’ve nearly driven my butler into an early retirement.”

“And I don’t want to make an enemy of your partner,” Janet added. “I just want Tim to be safe and loved.

“Let me worry about Talia,” Bruce said and Janet smiled sardonically. Not worrying about the fierce Talia al Ghul wasn’t something she was capable of, but it was a nice sentiment.

With that, Janet let Bruce wrap their conversation up and usher her from his office. She knew he had to be eager to get his people to work on the paternity test, so she didn’t take offense to her dismissal. She said her goodbyes to Emma on her way out, feeling lighter than she had in weeks.

The weather was nice when she stepped outside. The sun was almost shining and Janet thought that maybe Tim might like to go to the park or something a little later in the day.

Despite her earlier intentions, Janet stopped at a corner store on her way home. There wasn’t much of a toothbrush selection, but she reasoned that Tim wouldn’t deal well with too much activity. It was the store or the park and he would probably rather go to the park.

She picked out a Superman toothbrush (the Batman ones were sold out and they didn’t seem to sell Robin ones) and swore to herself that she would go home for a short nap before taking Tim to the park.

…

Bruce’s call woke her up shortly before dinner. He asked if she could come in tomorrow morning at the same time and she told him of course. Then, he tentatively asked if she could bring Tim and she said naturally.

After the call, she hauled herself out of bed to figure out dinner. She had no idea what Tim had done for lunch and tried not to hate herself for the fact.

[pawberri]

im hoping you continue to make force masc art cause its always something i briefly thought about but rarely come across. which sucks, because i love tfgames.com but 99.999% of the ftm tag isnt ftm but just mtf games where you can detrans the mc/transformed characters. its infruiating, especially when i looked for any threads making a masterlist and all i found was a thread of someone complaining about it and asking for recommendations only to be told to suck it up and nothing else, just looking to argue with op, by assholes and like. one person actually suggesting some actual ftm games instead of "you can fight to keep your manhood uwu" ftm games.

i feel like there should be a "mtf detrans" and "ftm detrans" or even just a "detrans" (to be used in places where you start as male and can try to stay male or j u s t s u c c u m b which floods the ftm tag along with every other possible detrans scenario) tag on the site so people wanting to play a (forced) masc game dont have to wade through a bunch of force fem games and then the voluntary fem games as well. hell most games that let you do a ftm transformation or play as a ftm character are the ones that advertise being able to customize the mc to your liking meaning that its just a equal opportunity game. The only force masc game i can remember was called calamity jack and the last i checked its in limbo never to be updated again-although now im tempted to double check.

sorry for the rant, also i might commisson you if i get extra money for some masculization art, i also might try to doodle some stuff for it but ive been telling myself that for a bit. seeing you do it in a femboy way makes me feel kinda motivated though... sorry if this is super awkard just yeah

I appreciate your struggles... I think this is a we need more trans boys in stem cuz we are less likely to program stuff or make games. Not a hard rule but like we are usually drawing pictures and comics and not making flash games.... probably has something to do with newgrounds and stuff being kind of a gendered space and very cis dude ish so the big horny flash game platform didn't have as many of us. Then again there were so many deviantart flash games...... but yknow generalizations etc etc

Anyway I really want to make visual novels OR if anyone who makes any kind of porn game wants me to draw the art or work on a script w them... I do have writing that has been validated by actual publishers.... and I love horny games 👍

Anyway anon hope I can draw for you sometime 😌💜

[my-jokes-are-my-armour]

The witcher review - part 2

So here we are… this is the hardest post for me to write. Because I have to fight my inner rage to think straight and keep as much of cool as I can while I write. This is rare.

As always since the announcement, the general consensus is to hate no matter what, and I won't lie, it's driving me crazy. I had even a breaking point not long ago, stumbling on an "article" mourning Hector the horse that won't come back for S4, and turning a not returning actress as she left the boat for implicite bad scripts whereas her character is simply not returning story wise (in the books also).

Do I have to mention the constant rain of bad comments on every video or official posts ? Or the vast majority of the articles and reviews are over focused on one thing only, erasing from the existence of every other good work done ?

Because yes ! Curiously there is good work in there too. Sheer stupefaction ! The series is not that bad. And do you believe it ? Quite book accurate in the global storyline also !

Am I a tad sarcastic there ? Yes. Not in my points though. But I am really REALLY pissed off. And this is my last stand. I understand that I am a drop in the ocean. A little shit screaming into the void. A stupid arse loving the series for the stories it offers.

So… if you are still here, that's because you surely are in the same state of mental exhaustion than I am. Maybe angry too, or sad. Maybe you liked the series also and want something else to read other than "burn it down !".

[Pretty accurate representation of myself]

So... Here is the short version for those who don't care about the development of my review :

I loved it. Yes !

A lot of emotions.

Geraskier. I rolled down the hill again so hard and so fast that you can see burning traces on the grass on my path lol.

Buckled some storylines from the first season for the main characters and secondary characters too.

Perfect ? Certainly not. There are problems and I will address them.

Book accurate ? Mostly yes but no at the same time. The story is there, not told the same way. There are twists and changes but the checkpoints are validated and cohesive (believe it or not), catching up books threads and the divergent series' too. Some almost straight out of the pages in this second part too.

Proper send off to Henry ? If you aim for fulfillment, then no. But his ending matches with the beginning of the Hansa, so I am personally happy with it. Also it had more depth than what it seems.

So now behind this break, I will spoil the series in great lengths, as much as the books. I will probably go further than Time of Contempt because they included pieces from Baptism of Fire. Again I will say what works and what doesn't in my opinion. I am not on a solo thread of thinking.

But you know I guess even some gray is giving light in this infamous soup darkness. So let's go !

Warning : it contains mature subjects.

[Important note : I have read the RI article about Tomek giving explanations about plot simplification. I will address this in the flow in my review. Well kinda].

My detailed general point of view :

Even with a lot of twists and turns, I did like the series part 2 (and the series overall !). The second volume had me having emotional roller-coasters. If you care for any characters, they have their moments of raw emotions. Secondary characters included. That moment between Fringilla and Francesca for example or Tissaia's farewell… 😢.

Everything emotional with Jaskier had just me on my knees… 😭

It goes pretty much by the books in terms of events and uses pieces of them as framing devices. For the twists. Some are good, some less. What we have the most is one character doing something another would normally do. But most of the time this is fluid and it doesn't bother me much. Mostly I liked, loved even, the stories that were told behind.

In the middle ground. I don't see it as bad but more as an irritating thing.

There is a big change of plot with Yennefer (again) but this is more a problem of how to tell the story afterwards more than a big wrong like in S2, and I am just curious how they will handle some storylines from there. The irritating part though is that they have a tendency to use her too much for everything, so she runs everywhere. This is quite frantic in episode 6 but then it slows down fortunately.

Also the series doesn't fully go on the darkest side of the books. The rating 16+ is a bit overlooked in my opinion. There is blood and some monsters but this is a soft 16+. There is real gore in the books and the subjects are far more disturbing. The flesh monster tries to compensate for what is not told about Vilgefortz's experiments for example. But the mage is a f.cking lunatic. And if you felt bad for Geralt after his fight with him, go get some brutal internal pov of Geralt while he is literally destroyed. Also a part of Geralt's arc with the parallel with Ciri is more disturbing in its core. But they didn't go as far as with the Rats (yet ?) so they crafted another motivation, which is not a bad one, by the way.

This is middle ground to me because, for sure it would have challenged the viewer more, but some subjects may not be easily validated to show on screen to fill the rating.

On the wrong side (yes because I am not in a tunnel - I see goods and bads), for me there are some strong editing problems that put an uneven rhythm that can bore or frustrate, depending on the part. I was not bored but a bit frustrated sometimes so I can understand why some were annoyed, let's put it that way.

They seem to rush for the plot, cutting some breathing moments or dragging on some other parts. With a recurrent issue to make us feel the passage of time

For me this is what severes the series the most, especially in the second volume.

Also, on the visual effects, there are some issues too. Something is sadly unfinished there. It feels like the deadline was an immovable obstacle and they tried to rush everything they could in it.

So, here we are. Now I will detail everything ! Compare with the books when I can etc. Because I can't bear anymore reading all this dry "they did not respect the source material" thing, to say it politely. Maybe I will be annoying as hell. But this is how I work. I have feelings, I have opinions, like everyone else I can be passionate, but I can justify my position and I will do it.

SO !

Book accuracy ?

First, because I have to play dumb, these are the large blocks of the Time of Contempt only, just to have a visual idea of the proportions of the stories.

So now please tell me there is too much of Ciri, too much mages, too much politics… ** cough cough **

OK let's go. As I said in the short version, accuracy is a yes and a no for me. Let's begin with the no.

Things happen pretty much in the same chronological order but like in an alternate version of the books. In some events, this is not always with the good character carrying the moment. But this is the case from the beginning of the show. And although I found this strange sometimes I never felt confused by it. Some of them are necessary compression of narratives, some are holding arcs to fulfill and become relevant at the end. And the arcs, the stories told, are what appealed to me the most.

A large part of those switches comes from the invented parts for secondary characters. Because they had written things in advance. Why did they choose to set up a lot of them from S1, you say ? Because otherwise we would have to deal with a massive drop names with everyone having their agenda, popping out of nowhere, and trying to have the big part of the cake this season (2 to 4 in my picture). What would happen then ? Confused audience for those who haven't read the books or play the games. And if you tell me, but we are the audience ! Then why I read so many : "Why the politics ? Why Ciri desert thing ? Why the sorceresses ? This is boring and long, why no monster hunts ?" Well… 👆.

At least, I can understand the last statement from the gamers because the story is rhythmed by the hunts, but for the rest, lads, this is the book for Time of Contempt and a part of Baptism of Fire.

And this where my "yes this is accurate" lands.

Time of Contempt particularly contains a f.cking loads of politics, of mages and a lot of Ciri. Sure Geralt is the main POV in a good amount but in the politics part for the most of it. This is basically him in rooms with people, discussing. He doesn't do much other than that. To be fair, there are always good fights, he has always good fights, and this books provides, but the monster fights are not that over present and overall, Geralt is reluctant to kill in general except when he has to protect. He fights people… The real monsters of the stories.

What did I find book accurate in this second volume ? The Thanedd coup setup (the battle is almost pure entertainment). Ciri in the desert, definitely. Some parts of Brokilon. Tissaia's death is delayed in time but accurate. Dijkstra and Philippa general plot in Redania even if simplified. The false Ciri at Nilfgaard. Geralt on the road with Jaskier and Milva at the end.

The issues

As I said, for me the problem is really the choice of pacing that makes some parts feeling dragged and others rushed. Particularly in episode 7. This is the most book accurate part with Ciri, but the pacing of what is before and after makes it odd. She is the only one we feel the passing of time for. The Brokilon part almost not. But technically days had passed too.

I understand what they did there, trying to make us feel her isolation, but putting two parts with different rhythms together that way was what makes it crumble. Making a parallel between Ciri's struggle and Geralt's would have maybe corrected the pacing, and just having scenes with places, travel from afar, something that links the time and space with the characters (they did that a bit with the first episode and that was great !). But distance and time is an ongoing problem on this show.

Speaking of time, note that in the books Geralt stays a long time in Brokilon healing. A month like. And he was in a very bad shape for a long time during this period. This is for those who are unhappy to have him stuck in a bed moaning for too long.

Then the last episode has the major shift from the book with Yennefer. The birth of the Lodge of the sorceresses has one of the best ending arcs and the most twisted storyline with dragged moments. I am not against Yennefer being in the heart of the Lodge with Philippa doing her things on the side, because I understand that having that part told without main character to connect with would be hard for a lot of people but the fact that Yennefer is used has a plot insert too many times irritates me.

The scene where she heals Geralt for example is one that I don't like. In terms of emotions, this is great. But for Geralt this is wrong. I hope the healing is not complete, for S4, like in the books. Because the fact that he is experiencing phantom pain is a part that makes his journey psychologically interesting.

Now, that said !

And this is where I'll develop the good parts for me. And I am sorry if I become (even) more sarcastic but you know… I do what I can with my bleeding heart in front of so much hatred.

The arcs

This is where a lot of people sadly give reason to Tomek about the need for simplification, in my opinion.

They did simplify the plots, true that, but as soon as there are some under layers to dig, this is the big farewell of the crowd. Because I read things like : volume 2 is empty. Geralt is barely in it or without depth. They did wrong to him.

Know that if they really had stopped where Time of Contempt ends, then you would have just Ciri in the desert and the Rats. Final dot (cf my picture).

And if this is empty to you, maybe this is because you've erased the plotlines from your memory, or defining a character the way it is done in the book is not for you.

The series plays with circular references and mirroring characterisation but I guess this is unimportant. Lazy. Irrespectful. Uncaring. Or whatever. Because this is not forefront.

Maybe you wanted more than a rampage at a post frontier and the walk into the mist. I can understand that this is not satisfying in terms of fulfillment for his presence, I really can, but there is closure for his arc too in there.

But maybe you missed the full circle in this part of the journey for him too. And if you didn't. Maybe you don't care. I don't know...

I am not above anybody else. I watch things with my own perspective. Maybe you think I am stupid or currently arrogant or overlooking things. So be it. I am the stupid one then. I don't mind. But I'll do it anyway. I'll do my shitty analysis. So many scream. I have the right to stand my ground for what I appreciate. Who would read this anyway…

So let's get into the thematics and dig everyone's plotlines, shall we. I will divide this into parts and develop many characters through those aspects.

Blood family vs found family

Vulnerabilities

Loyalty and betrayal

Clinging onto the past and repeating history

Blood family vs found family

In the last part of S3, several characters have a defining moment about family. And they are mirroring each other within their relationships. They have been setup early in the previous seasons.

The accent is put on the found families and how strong their links are. For some more than blood. And then how sometimes, blood heritage goes against that.

We have obviously THE found family. Ciri, Yennefer and Geralt, extended to Jaskier (thank god!). They have all left their blood family behind. Book Jaskier not totally but the series one seems to.

The trio of Destiny as I like to call them, are three orphans linked by destiny but fighting it in the first place. This is only when they accept it that the family emerges. And this is a strong one. Their issues with their blood family define a part of their actions and how they grow.

Geralt was abandoned. In response to that trauma he printed in himself the will of never to do that to Ciri ever ! (vol 1). Even in the letter he wrote to Yennefer, he tells her that this is the first time he experiences real fear. And this fear is to lose Ciri and her… Losing against Vilgefortz made this fear a reality. So now in Brokilon when he is trying to walk back to Ciri even when he can't is the display of his desperation. He has to accept that despair first so he can heal enough to actually have a chance to succeed. This desperation transforms into rage that can burst at any time. He is calm on the surface, but a boiling volcano inside.

White Knight complex and neutrality (side note). In S1, in Blaviken we established that Geralt has a white knight complex and he tells the story to Renfri of how he chose neutrality, telling her a story that illustrates that. He saved a young girl from a rapist. And while he thought he did the right thing he ended up being the one treated like a monster. That is why he chooses not to get involved again. Renfri's story showed him that not taking a side was impossible but he sticked with it anyway. Neutrality became his mojo and tried to live with that, even teaching it to Ciri. Renfri's broach was a reminder of that silent promise he made to himself. And the Thanedd coup is the pinnacle of that resolution and desire to protect. Till the end he won't pick a side. But when he failed against Vilgefortz everything crumbled.

The last scene we have with him, that rampage doesn't come from nowhere as a lot likes to think. The soldier suggests he would rape the girl. And that's what triggered his rage. Yeah the same story that made him who he was… I guess this stupid and empty…

The broach he leaves behind is the symbol of the neutrality he abandons. He is a man with a huge scar inside and the only thing that can soothe him is finding his daughter.

Jaskier says it out loud beforehand in case you would miss what to come : the war outside is nothing in front of what Geralt would unleash on this Continent to find his daughter.

The arc of neutrality is closed. Time for a new one. A hurt dad, a warrior, roaming the Continent to find the child he promised never to abandon. No depth at all in the writing of this arc… yep yep.

But this is not the only layer of Geralt. We will see that in another point.

Now Yennefer. She has the easiest arc to get. Her blood family sold her and in her struggle to get control over her own life she hurt the two found families she had. First Tissaia whose mother side became apparent when she had to take the same responsibilities with Ciri. Then Geralt and Ciri when she succumbs to Voleith Meir. But her redemption arc fulfills her need to be a mother. Even if she fails finding Ciri and leaves that task to Geralt (which is a plot hole in a way*), she comes full closure with her motherhood duties.

And she has a beautiful and powerful new goal and it is turned toward the found family. She will make sure to make the world a better place for her to return to. Isn't that some of the strongest push parents can experience ? The need to make the world better for their children ?

(*) In the books, Yennefer is incapacitated so it is logical that she is unable to find her. Here they will need to find a good explanation.

The arc of Yennefer circles and mirrors the one with Tissaia in a very emotional way. For a part, this is one the lesson she gave to Ciri and the one she took so long to understand. Without control, power is nothing. When you have control you can move mountains.

The first day in Aretusa, Yennefer tries to commit suicide because she feels that taking her own life is the only thing she can control. Tissaia tells her that doing so, she didn't have control, she was losing it. And the rectoress did the exact same thing at the end… (she lets go for other reasons though)

Ciri is at the core of the found family and she lost every one of her blood family. Emhyr is the last one and you can't say this is a nice perspective. Yet she doesn't know. Then she grew being afraid of her own heritage. Her bloodline is terrifying to her and makes her feel like a monster. And she is trying to make the best of it, expressing idealistic thoughts and wishes.

The found family is her last grip on feeling safe and having a life. She clings onto them with everything she has. She is so afraid to lose them too. And… it happens. Her mojo is to find them.

Hallucinating, in the desert she confronts her blood ancestors who push every button of her insecurities. When she relinquishes her powers, this is her last stand to protect her found family from herself. She doesn't want to be Falka and burn the world down and them with it.

But then when she kills for the first time, she loses herself. The importance of a life was one of the last of Geralt's lessons, but she succumbs to a penchant to like killing (see her face when she killed the echnea) buried deep inside, exactly like Falka. That's why she chooses to call herself after her.

For those who find this too easy, that she should be used to visions and not break. OK then, get in the same state of desperation, get lost in a desert for days, hallucinate and try to stay strong. Too long ? I thought she broke easily…

One of the things that was so touching, on the first part of that desert wandering, was how much she tapped into her found family teachings. Geralt and her witcher brothers for survival skills. Yennefer for magic. And Jaskier… for comfort.

So now Jaskier. He is a different kind of protector. We don't know much of his past in the series to know about his siblings and past traumas but the found family is everything to him. This season proves it even more blatantly. He chose Geralt as his family very early on but the real turn into a proper family member dynamic appears with Ciri. The fun uncle or even big brother.

From S2, we saw him develop a strong protector side to his personality. He is willing to help those in need. The elves. Yennefer… Also he kind of protects Geralt, even under torture. S3, within the found family he isn't the strongest member. The weakest we could say. But we see that protector side to him, in the fights for example. Helping the wounded to get to safety. Or pushing people out of the way (Valdo or the last fight with Geralt). Or even helping Radovid returning home after a heartbreak...

Ciri has the strongest protectors possible. Geralt and Yennefer. And they are teaching her their skills. She has enormous latent power. What can a simple bard do ?

Answer : he protects the last drop of childhood she has. He is the one she can be a normal child with. Playing games, even having fun of the parents (lessons of smiling, imitating them in the wood,...). He is a confort person that grounds her in her normality.

Being a comfort. This is what he does in the found family. For each member. But this is particularly moving to witness for that lost child. And hearing her sing the song he sings to her to help her sleep, trying to stay strong in the desert, tells how much he was important to her too.

The trio of Destiny isn't the only one that struggles between blood family and found family. We have other characters that are much defined by this dichotomy. Like Milva, Dara, Fringilla and Francesca.

For Milva, we just understand that her found family is the dryads, whatever happened to her and wants to forget. Dara has lost all his blood family because of one of Calanthe's army's raids. His found family is the elves led by Francesca, with whom he has a feeling of being with his kind again, until he understands the path she is taking will just send him in a very bad place. He is tired and tries to rebuild himself with the dryades.

Both of them highlight what is nursing inside of Geralt, for us to understand his last fight. Dara speaks about the hatred he carries and is going to destroy him if he doesn't stop. Milva makes him speak about Renfri and his neutrality paradox.

This is not a sign of erasing a character to make others speak in his presence and having some kind of defining moment. That character then reflects on the other, defining him by a mirroring effect. Sometimes in the same way, sometimes in the opposite direction. Heroes don't have to always say things out loud for that to exist in them. Maybe some thought that Dara and Milva were taking the spot. I did not.

Now for Fringilla and Francesca this is a bit more complex. And for them, they go down the other way around for a long time. Blood family first.

It begins with Fringilla whose uncle is a member of the Brotherhood. The magic school isn't much of a found family to her as she has an anchor there. After Yennefer switches kings with her, she ends up in Nilfgaard having a totally different life. She built strong links there and in a way she found guidance and purpose. While she tries to serve her emperor she meets the elves and makes a very strong friendship with Francesca. She begins to move forward and that alliance blossoms into something inspiring. Especially when she saves the elven bady.

But as soon as this baby is born, the loyalty of the elves shakes and what I believe was her kind of found family begins to drift away. Francesca says to her that she values their friendship but blood is more important. Fringilla will try to find the support of her uncle at some point but he refuses to help her.

This is when Fringilla becomes independent.

The rupture is particularly strongly displayed in S3 when she watches her uncle die without any feeling for him.

On the contrary, Francesca sticks by blood first at all coast, and she loses everyone brutally. Not that she is wrong or anything else to be that attached to her kind. This is just the way it turns out for her. And by the end of it, learning that Fringilla hid the real murderer of her baby, she ends up pushing her from her life, severing the last link of possible family outside her kind. She is alone with her vengeance burning inside of her. Pretty much like Dara described it. Pretty much like an old part elf woman who let the rage consume her… Mirrors again.

Vulnerabilities

Maybe the biggest character who shows vulnerabilities and is able to demonstrate love is Jaskier. This is the obvious one. And I will probably make a separate post analyzing him and Radovid this season, because the games of masks plays a big role in Jaskier defense mechanism. Let's just say for the sake of this f.cking review that this so empty relationship for the majority is there to help us understand how and when he hides his feelings, how he speaks of real love…

He is probably the most open character to emotions and shows us a lot, but, even he, tries to hide his wounds to the others. For others.

So emotional shock after another, we can assess the damages and how strong he is for those he loves.

His main weakness, if I can call it that way, is his biggest strength too. Empathy. Makes him feel too much. And his love for others (especially Geralt) plunges him in deep vulnerable emotional states. This season, this is still the case, and to a great extent too. Don't get fooled by his levity, jokes and smiles.

But let's take a look at our trio of Destiny.

Ciri is vulnerable and afraid at first but she learns to hide it more and more, until everything is unveiled during Thanedd and the desert. She is so damaged by her abandon issues and she is living her worst nightmare. When she hallucinates, all of her ancestors push her buttons, poking at this particular pain she holds.

Yennefer has many issues and she is a insecure person empowered with strong chaos. We saw her struggle to free herself from everyone wanting to control her in S1, and on top of that to have her powers back in S2. That internal urge to be the one deciding about her own destiny, to be able to have a choice.

She goes to great lengths for that. Too far. Yennefer gives Ciri two valuable lessons based on her experiences. One about control and power. The other about making choices and their consequences.

And one thing I appreciate and shows growth in her character is that she lets the one she loves see when she is vulnerable and talk about it. Ciri, Geralt, Tissaia. Even Jaskier in her own ways, since S2.

But one of the biggest growth in that field is Geralt. If I wished they included more of the book's vulnerabilities early on for him (about the fact that he believes that his mutant condition excludes him to be worth his own emotions), they didn't cut it all and he had other vulnerabilities and insecurities worth the growth.

He is emotionally constipated and has problems expressing his feelings. Not the hiding part, when he is like, I am a rock, I don't feel, but more when he has to communicate his feelings.

In S1, he tries and fails with Yennefer at the mountain. But he shows a great deal of emotions, at the expense of Jaskier though. In S2, to help Ciri he has to open up. And we find him having deep introspective moments with Vesemir. Likewise, he is a bit more open to Jaskier with whom he shares his fears.

But in S3, for the first time, he expresses his feelings and exposes his vulnerabilities to Yennefer and they connect deeply then. Also when he is wounded and healing, he is open raw for a moment.

After that he brings back his kind of neutral face, but the last fight is one of the moments he bleeds what's inside.

Also like in the books, they show that even a character that strong can be broken.

This failure brings a lot out of Geralt for the future. He wants to die because of it ! He refuses healing because he wanted to die ! The only thing that kept him alive was to have news of Ciri and Yennefer. When Jaskier finally arrives (days after) this is what he asks only. He just wants to go knowing that they are well. He clutches Jaskier's wrist because he is his last hope to have this news. He empathises with him as he struggles to deliver the informations (that subtle stroke) but he needs to know. This is a silent "please tell me Jaskier".

Then he chooses to accept the healing when he knows Ciri is still in danger. He won't rest until she is safe.

But I get that the consensus is right. Moaning in a bed. Boring as fuck. No depth in it either.

Loyalty and betrayal

Here again I could speak for days about Jaskier. His portrait should be in the dictionary next to the definition of loyalty. Even in his faux pas, he doesn't betray because his heart is in the right place. When Geralt confronts him trying to push him to Redania, they simply have an honest discussion about it.

I could speak about Yennefer's betrayal also, trying to sacrifice Ciri in S2. But I wanna highlight some secondary characters that have arcs around this.

The first one is Cahir. At the beginning of the series, he is the definition of loyalty to his leader. He has almost a religious faith (S2). But the mission given to him leads him on a path to lose that faith. In S3, he is trying to get back to a position where Emhyr valued him, and he goes to the point of killing a friend to get there. The broken mirror symbolizes that moment of shift.

(This part I could have put in vulnerabilities but I won't come back on the character sonI put it all there)

He is mirroring Ciri in his fears. She had nightmares about him. He has nightmares about her. When they face, they face their own fears. When Ciri cannot kill him he kind of pledged her allegiance, setting up his obsession to join de Hansa to save her (they may drop the weird attraction thankfully).

For him to work fully, we needed maybe one more scene between the Thanedd coup and fighting with Ciri. This is Emhyr's lie about Fringilla's death and her last little push, telling him to think by himself, that cut the last string attaching him to his emperor. But Cahir cannot live that way. What he has done is too much, he needs to be free from his guilt. Hence he asks Ciri to take his life as a price to pay for the sufferings he caused her.

But this is not how she thinks (yet) and vengeance is not her solution. Winning the fight was enough for her to overcome her fear about him. She won a silent battle.

Cahir needs redemption so he goes by the only way he knows. He devotes himself to her. This can seem blurry because he has very little screen time this season. But here we are.

Francesca is loyal to her blood kind, but trying to find a way for her species to survive she betrays some of them, losing progressively the faith people have in her. The last one to have an undefective trust in her is Filavendrel because they share the same pain, I guess.

The dramatic turn for her is that she has to sacrifice the squirrels in order to save the others. So she kind of betrays them all at that point.

Though one of her last biggest sad moments is when Fringilla tells her the truth about Emhyr. The last scene they have together is hard. All is not black and white though we can understand Francesca's deep emotion and feeling of betrayal. This is not fair for Fringilla and this settles the down path for the queen of elves.

In the secondary characters we could play all day with Dijkstra and Philippa in terms of loyalty and betrayal. The frontiers are so blurred between them two. Dijkstra is loyal to Redania to a sick extent. Philippa plays by her own rules to the point that it is unclear who she is loyal to.

But the last but not least big loyalty betrayal moment goes to Vilgefortz and Tissaia.

Technically Vilgefortz is loyal to no-one. But he played for so long with Tissaia… Their story is the evil side of what could have been Geralt and Yennefer's if Yennefer had been truly malevolent. Tissaia is echoing the deepest hurt in Geralt's heart and rewinding everything why Geralt took so long to forgive Yennefer.

(Tissaia was way more developed in the series than in the books to help building the emotions for what is lost and internal struggles for other characters)

Clinging onto the past and repeating history

That you liked it or not, despite being not lore accurate, BO has a lot of circleling and mirroring meta. Elves being the oppressors of dwarves, and humain becoming the oppressor of everyone less. Or the funny parallels between the couple Eile/Fall and Jaskier/Geralt.

The simple story of Merwyn is an example that repeats itself in history. Francesca being her mirror through the length of another elven legend.

The elven queen is one character that is very changed from the books and has a strange setup for later parts with the lodge. But she echoes some other characters, and stories. There was a symbol in S2 with the white rose that was a foreshadowing of what would happen to her as it echoed Sherraewedd of whom we learn the legend of in S3. The same way that elven warrior did, she is the one that may lead her kind of a new path of extinction, sacrificing the squirrels to Emhyr for a land for the rest of them… Cintra in place of Dol Blathanna.

And in the same way if Merwyn who had the well being of her people in mind she clings too long onto legends of the past. Willing to find a new home for them.

Btw, she is set up as a vengeresse willing to burn the world down as everything she loved was taken from her. Does she not remind you of someone who could now do the same for his found family ?

She is the circling history for a part of elven history.

For the human part, still connected to the elves though we have Falka whose story is set up in S2 and nourishes Stregobor hatred. That burning hatred is seen in many characters with the effect it has on them. Ciri relinquishing her powers in order to prevent falling in that pit too is a first step to break the cycle but what is waiting for her is a pit of darkness.

Also we have Istredd the historian that digs to unveil the mystery around the monolithes. Very quickly said in S3 but he knows about the book of Monoliths. Vilgefortz knows already about it and he is yet to unlock their power. That's why he made Istredd prisoner during the coup. That mystery is one of the key component to BO story and the Wild Hunt that is now leaking in our dimension.

And those monoliths were there before the elves came. Dwarves and gnomes venerated them.

I know people are mad about this but I think this is an easy visual anchor for the gates between realities. And if you read the books you know who can travel through dimensions… So yeah. We are circling again there with this.

And now the Thanedd coup is the shock that finally destroys the old system but nothing emerges except chaos and favors Emhyr's. The wipe of the Brotherhood is also a not too subtle nudge to women getting free from patriarchy. In this battle we see the oldest and the male fall one after another. And in this mayhem I have to admit I loved Stregobor last stand. Delightfully twisted and satisfying.

Now there is one final point because one member of the old system has survived a little bit longer…

Tissaia has a bunch of lost children under her care. Every one of them rejects the model she is trying to preserve. She believes in the fragile peace they have created and maintained with the Brotherhood.

Fringilla sees another way with Emhyr and believes in his goal for quite some time, until she has the chance to evolve by herself and she discovers the true face of the emperor.

Working with Dijkstra, Philippa sees the crack in the old system. And she sees the opportunity to take a new turn as it crumbles.

Yennefer doesn't care about the system. She wants to regain control over her life. And she opposes Tissaia on a personal level. But doing so she adds cracks into the walls. She reconnects with her mentor when she becomes a mother to Ciri, seeing finally the mother in her she always has been. Yennefer doesn't protect the old system, fighting by Tissaia's side, she is fighting for her.

The final push that lead Tissaia to commit suicide is Yennefer saying that she is their mother and that they need her. Her children don't need her anymore. She is just a relic of the past. Because they love her, they cling onto her. But they have to fly. We see her abandoning her severe mask and going soft, accepting to lose control. She cuts herself the last string that holds them to the old system. And the Lodge of the Sorceresses is that : a new power emerging from the ashes of the old one.

And there so many other little parallels that I wish I would speak about. Little pieces for us to dig and get the layers under those characters. I didn't even get into the political part. But I have to stop somewhere because I am too long...

OK but why pointing out that repeating history, the past parasitizing the present, all the time. We are going nowhere. Do you think ?

Nenneke said to Ciri that she could be the key to ending the circle of hatred and the young woman idealized it. She doesn't know how. But she wants to put an end to all this. Does she succeed ?

Well I guess that no-one cares now.

The circle of hatred had won on this side of the spheres so...

Empty, without soul, unnecessary, diversity garbage, unfaithful, no actor good enough except one… you are so many so it means you must be right. But still I love this show. I can't help it.

I hope someone would appreciate the effort of the underlying structure of my garbage. Circle and parallels...

[asgardian--angels]

I've been seeing a lot of mixed emotions and frustration surrounding what we heard today from Samba on Wee John Wondays, regarding the immense amount of deleted scenes, cut material, original episode concepts etc, from season 2. And I just wanted to give my two cents here.

Look, it is absolutely valid to be pissed at HBO Max right now. They slashed OFMD's budget, cut their runtime on a per episode and a season basis. This resulted in plotlines having to be reworked, character & relationship development compressed, and some minutiae & connective scenes omitted. The thought of that sucks! It would have been nice to see the polycule shown more directly onscreen, and to see Ed & Stede dance, have a longer goodbye to Izzy, and maybe work through Ed and Stede's relationship rollercoaster a little more gradually. I'm sure this hurt no one more than David himself, who's had a clear vision of all three seasons from the start - who's now had to deal with not only a truncated s2 but a cancellation soon after to boot.

But I think it does a great disservice to the entire cast and crew who worked immensely hard on season 2 to dwell overlong on what we could or 'should' have gotten. They worked their asses off to bring us something phenomenal! Season 2 was incredible - and your mileage may vary, but all analytics indicate season 2 was even more popular and well-received than season 1 by audiences and critics alike. There was a whole team of writers who worked deftly and skillfully to crunch ten episodes into eight without compromising the core elements, themes, and plotlines they wanted to include to tell this story, plus a talented cast who brought their own improvisation to set every day and gave us some of the season's most iconic moments. Everyone on the OFMD crew is proud of what they made, as they rightly should be. It was beautiful television.

Expressing dissatisfaction with what was cut is fine to an extent, but let's not let it take away from our enjoyment and appreciation of the final product we did get, or give the crew the impression that what they worked so hard to give us wasn't good enough. They want more than anyone to have had those extra scenes in there to show off the hard work of the whole team! I'm seeing this a lot especially with the talk about the early draft of Calypso's birthday (and this info is not new, Samba spoke at length about it during his baking class back in November). Regardless of your opinion on whether you think that would have been a 'better' version of the episode, it was just that - an early draft, that never came close to being filmed. David and the writers revised this concept because, apart from time constraints on the season, ultimately they felt that the concept they ended up going with best served the narrative. Even Samba agreed that he preferred the final version. There's no secret footage of this other version, we didn't 'lose' anything - this is one of the dangers of scripts getting released for any piece of media, because the mind runs astray dreaming of the possibilities of what may have been, when the reality is all shows go through moderate to sometimes heavy editing before the final version, and the audience probably doesn't need to see that process!

The fact that season 2 turned out so beautifully, with some of the most moving and iconic sequences television's seen in quite a while, and a love story that has touched so many, is truly a testament to the passion, dedication, and skill of the entire cast and crew. They have achieved the status of cultural phenomenon, season 2 was the 5th most watched series in the entire world on streaming services, outperforming shows like Loki. They've got several dozen articles with glowing praise from major media outlets, a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, multiple award nominations, and more than anything a loyal fanbase who's in it for the long haul to fight for a season 3. They have succeeded to this level despite all the stumbling blocks HBO Max has thrown in their path. If season 2 was OFMD held back from its full potential, then I think they should be damn fucking proud of what they've made.

Samba pitched an official bts documentary for both season 1 and season 2 and was turned down. This show deserved better than HBO Max was ever going to give them. He's going to try and post deleted scenes and a blooper reel if he can (not all heroes wear capes, folks). And it's very likely none of these things will ever be officially released (though, we can make a stink about it!). Be angry about it, absolutely. But we need to channel that energy into the fight for renewal. Double down on efforts to get the attention of Netflix, Prime, Apple TV, and FX, get more signatures on the petition (87k as of this writing!), and just keep talking positively about the show on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook with our hashtags. We need to show the crew that we're upset for them, but so grateful for the beautiful season we got too.

So let's not bicker and wallow about what was 'stolen' from us - the final canon product is ultimately the final canon product, and any other tidbits are fun but neither owed nor necessary. They trusted that we could put the pieces together, that we'd be able to read between the lines when scenes that would have made things more explicit, or developed them further, had to be shortened or cut. And that trust was well placed! We sussed it out. Celebrate the ofmd fandom for all the excellent meta, art, fic, we've gotten, and celebrate season 2 for its joy, its profoundness, its nuance, its enduring hope and how much it's given to so many. Air your grievances respectfully, and then get back to fighting to give OFMD the well-funded third season it deserves!

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

I can understand the argument that someone's background influences their views on politics/social issues, everything and how that transpires in the art they're making, but only using that frame of analysis is reductive. More often working class directors get the recognition for their working class stories, whilst anything above it that gets into privileged teritory will most likely be criticized. Especially in this era in cinema and economic/political climate in which "eat the rich" is now a theme/meme in pop culture.

But I do stand on my opinion that it can be reductive sometimes. I could never look at Visconti's work only thinking that a rich count made all those films. When the entire argument is based on that it might ignore not only elements that are actually working in the film, but also other legitimate frames of criticizing the piece if it lacks in other areas.

I think this applies to Saltburn as well. I've seen the classism critique everywhere. And on one hand it does apply. Yes, the director is this posh woman and it might be argued that the film is a posh perspective on what's the middle class fantasy. Which apparently is one in which pretending to be working class and having parents with addiction might garantee you a spot in a circle of rich friends (and then you can exert all your destructive fantasies on them). At the same time, it's not like the upper class gets unscathed from all this. Yes, they're fun and amusing to watch, but I wasn't laughing with them, but at them. They were portrayed as being ridiculous and utterly sad in their inability of showing emotion, seen here as the typical upper class behavior.

Perhaps a more legitimate criticism coming from me (and others) would be that all explained above would have come across more clearly if the execution would have been done right. I do believe there's some issues with the script. The over explaining of motive through a monologue and going back in time was not necessary and it's more like a gimmick, an easy way to close all the narrative ends. It's not technically a bad idea, but perhaps it is too cliche at this point.

I believe Oliver needed a bit more work in terms of motivation and how that comes across. I felt as if there's more to know. Not in a way that justifies his action, but what is underneath there? This is where I'm reminded of some comparisons to The Talented Mr. Ripley, Teorema or Brideshead Revisited. The stranger who comes in and disrupts the status quo. Who changes the lives of those he "befriends", either for personal gain, for them to get out of their "comfort zone" or both. The methods of infiltration are subtle, but most importantly, the way in which they are portrayed in film or written are what makes them so powerful. Emerald Fennell is no Evelyn Waugh, that's obvious. So I think that mostly here lies that criticism on my part. That at times, the story is told too simplistically, it doesn't go too deep into the relationship between characters (especially Oliver and Felix) and there's a superficiality that comes with a focus on aestheticism.

At the same time, this exact latter criticism can actually be its forte. It's what makes it fun. It's the wanted shock value of a few scenes that definitely makes the audience gasp (particularly those in the young adult range nowadays used to comic book adaptions and other Hollywood garbage). It looks beautiful and it makes us nostalgic of summers in the late 2000s which don't look that bad through rose-tinted glasses. It's how we look at ridiculous behavior and also love watching those people bask in the sun and wear dinner jackets while playing tennis. It's the music! I loved the music and the sparkly kitschy clothes us millenials used to think it were the height of fashion.

The film wants to be outrageous, to make people talk, to bring valid criticism while also looking really good. If its problem is that it has too much style over lack of substance, at least they nailed the style.

My watching experience was a really fun one. It doesn't take away from noticing its shortcomings and that also doesn't make me want to only see its fault and not also the elements that work. Saltburn is somewhere in the middle and I do think we need these types of films as well and it's not hard for it to find its appropriate audience.

[parkerflix]

wc: 0.6k

a/n: the style of this chapter as if it’s a move script thought it was fitting since it’s a tv interview and very dialogue heavy.

and now an exclusive interview here on starstruck tv with choi yeonjun about his latest singles & the mystery girl! (crowd cheers)

[STELLA]: hello and welcome back to the studio yeonjun!

[YEONJUN] : thank you for having me here stella! it’s an honor to be here (laughs)

[S]: as you can see the studio audience is so excited to see you and talk about this project that you’ve been working on. why don’t you explain what the concept is behind “strawberry lipstick” ?

[Y]: well it’s a much more different concept than anything i’ve done it the past. the song is very more rock and guitar heavy and i feel like it was just time to do something completely different than before. i think the concept was how relationships can be easily exploited when with someone who has ill intentions, and how the person in the relationship can’t see that.

[S]: and the phrase strawberry lipstick? it seems to be an innuendo for something else… (crowd laughs)

[Y]: i can neither confirm nor deny that!

[S]: so let’s switch and talk about the other song released “lie to me”. tell me about that song and that process.

[Y]: lie to me was one of the last songs to be made, and it took a while to truly articulate the words i wanted. i had some amazing friends help me along with the process. the song is about when love just doesn’t line up. when maybe you were two people who were in love once but circumstances or people changed that. it’s very much a heartbreak song, but i feel like it has something melancholy about it. one person can see the other is happier and doing better, while the other is still stuck in love. i mean we’ve all had that feeling , unreciprocated love, sometimes wanting to be lied to just to spare us from the truth. it was a very difficult song to write but i love how it came out.

[S]: and it’s a very good song. i was wondering, in the song is there a specific line that you like the most?

[Y]: hm… well when you put me on the spot (he smiles and covers his laugh with his hand) i think the lines “i wish we never met because you’re too hard to forget” is my favorite lyric. it just shows how powerful heartbreak can be, and even sometimes you wish that you had never the person to be able to just cope and endure the pain.

[S]: those are some very meaningful words. does this have any correlation to the mystery girl that’s been going around social media?

[Y]: (awkwardly laughs) well to be truthful, i think i’ve met her a few times? she might be a fan or something i’m not really sure.

[S]: oh come on yeonjun, fans spotted you guys at the mall recently together as well as fighting outside of supernova. are you sure you don’t know who she is?

[Y]: oh is she the fan i met at the mall? i meet fans everywhere but i didn’t know that it was her. we probably just shopped at the same stores. honestly i meet so many lovely fans that it’s hard to keep track. and as for supernova, i think i spooked her by accident and it was just a conversation of me scaring her accidentally. i think she wanted to be alone outside and seeing someone else there scared her. her reaction was a valid one. (he half smiles, crossing his feet together)

[S]: so you’re saying that the rumors are not true? you don’t know yn?

[Y]: sorry stella, the rumors aren’t true. we might have similar friends and had run ins but i don’t know her. i hope that everyone can respect her privacy though and the privacy of everyone that was swept up in that whole rumor.

[S]: well you heard it here first, and up next, yeonjun will be performing his newest songs! stay tuned after the break!

(the camera man calls cut and stella thanks yeonjun for the interview)

027

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a/n: pls lmk what u think of this format! ok bye

taglist: open! send an ask!

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[my-reality-my-rules]

i’m entirely new to shifting so i apologize for a stupid or ignorant? question. anyways, i am curious about how sexual relationships work in a DR? is it dangerous to script that in? Does it actually feel real? Any tips appreciated because i obviously want to be shift safely <3

[thanks for this ask!]

[TW: sex]

nono, your question's completely valid! it's not stupid nor ignorant, and i actually would like to thank you for asking that. it's research for a reason. additionally, i don't really see a lot of people talking about this topic, and it's also a learning experience of sorts for me.

now, I'll answer this to the best of my knowledge: most of the things i know are learned online (as well as tips from 18+ discord servers and kinktok). for all intents and purposes, i am still a virgin (yes, in all my DR's as well)—so, what I'll be listing off is just some of the general advice i hear and have asked for. lmfao please don't come after me-

also, I'm not going to attempt to police anyone on this (gods know some of y'all might just disregard this), so.

≿❈≾

as for the answer itself; it works just as well as it does in your current reality. shifting is the act of moving your consciousness to another reality—everything that you perceive there are as real as they are here. everything will work the same, unless you script otherwise, or are going to a world where it's different from what you're used to in your CR. arousal, masturbation, sex, conception, and et cetera—whatever limits you've set for yourself here will also apply there.

scripting sexual relationships isn't dangerous, at least by nature. what you have to be mindful of is how you're approaching those relationships. as it goes for many things, educating yourself on the matter comes first. for example, know what risks are involved, and how you can avoid them. this is easily scriptable—but it's best to stay informed, no?

let's start with the outside perspective of it.

generally, and on an objective level, how would you rate your DR when it comes to sexual relationships? what is sex seen as (a milestone, a celebration, something secret, et cetera)? are there any taboos involved? what constitutes as safe and/or healthy in your DR? think of how the world affects other people's mindsets. it's often said that sexual relationships aren't made for singular pleasure—and it doesn't need to be said that you, as a person, have to consider how your partner is affected by their circumstances, past and present.

on that note; consent and bodily autonomy always top my personal list. that's a fundamental part of my own morals, and a lot of other people's too. it's a simple matter of respect. value your choice, but never force it on other people.

this is where we cross into the more personal boundary of things.

think about your own beliefs and desires, as well as your partner's/partners'. practice communication with them, so there aren't any misunderstandings, no presuppositions. it doesn't matter if you think that these relationships happen in another reality, because they're just as real as the ones you have here. you're dealing with people, like you, who are sentient and intelligent.

i get that there are those who run free without consequence. with reality shifting at hand, it becomes difficult to actively monitor people who promote debasing ways of life. I'm not saying this to imply anything towards you anon, obviously, but it's easy for many to cross lines when there's so much freedom at hand. in that regard, i suppose the best advice i could give you is to be mindful of how you act, and if you end up provoking someone, then to admit blame and do what's needed for forgiveness. might be a bit over the top to put it like that, but it's still a possibility.

≿❈≾

here's some of the general affirmations that I've scripted for myself in the occasion that i have sex lmao. it's a bit short (apologies in advance if it's not as detailed enough as you were hoping), but the idea is there.

not all of these are mine, by the way! i don't take credit for some of the affirmations mentioned. there are also those i found online, as well as ones one of my mutuals suggested to me.

- - -

(1) BODY

I am sexually generous.

I am full of sexual energy.

I exude sexual confidence.

I am in full control of my sexual thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.

Sexual arousal is a fun process that happens easily for me.

I have intense and frequent orgasms that satisfy my body and mind.

My genitals are healthy and normal.

My genitals smell like ____.

I taste like ____.

My genitals function exactly as I want them to and bring intense pleasure to myself and my partner(s).

I am confident and comfortable in my sexual and relationship identities.

I am sexually and emotionally thriving.

I have a seductive aura.

My body language is seductive.

(2) PARTNER

My lover/s enjoy/s my naked body.

I am the best lover my partner/s has/have ever had.

My sexual performance is incredibly enjoyable.

My partner/s respect/s my decisions.

I attract only my ideal person/people.

I am never untoward my partner/s, always respecting their wishes and boundaries.

My partner/s is/are happy to be with me, and they thrive in our relationship just as well as I do.

I never cause harm against my partner/s.

My partner/s is/are never uncomfortable around me.

I am my partner's/partners' ideal lover.

I can provide what my lover/s need/s.

I can satisfy and satiate all my lover's/lovers' desires.

≿❈≾

much love, and happy shifting ❤️❤️

[emilykaldwen]

Hi I am struggling with being ace and people's perception of me. Like they literally see me as invalid as a person because I don't have a man nor do I want one. Then I feel like I'm missing out if I don't have a man even as I know it will never work in reality. It's more like the status I want than an actual man. I work and live in a nice apartment so people kind of vibe off that when they find out, it lessens the harshness but I have a single female relative who is moving in with me due to homelessness and now the comments are starting about impoverished spinsters clubbing together, my life is over I'm past it. I don't know how to deal with it, it's really dragging me down to the point I feel if she lives with me its intolerable because people are saying this

Hi Anon! First off, I'm really sorry you're dealing with a bunch of massive assholes cause I'm sitting here going who the fuck says that shit to people? You are totally valid in your identity, and frankly, fuck what anyone else says.

So, my experiences are not reflective of other communities or cultures. You may be in a place that is very entrenched in the Life Script, as I like to call it: Heteronormative monogamous partnerships. (I'm based in the US, and even then, my experience is not universal in this country either)

So here's the thing, and some my take this differently, but I come from the camp of 'My sexuality is no one's business unless it comes up'. 'But Nat', you may say 'you have your identity in your tumblr blog'. Yes, yes I do because this is an appropriate space to state it so I can more easily connect with other people who are like me.

Now, this only works so far as you get older and people are like 'why don't you have a partner? don't you want kids? don't you want to get married? what's wrong with you?'. I run into this a lot as well in childfree circles. The moment I say 'oh, I don't want kids', a lot of people who have kids/want kids suddenly get super defensive, like I'm saying my personal choice means no one should be having kids and they're fools to have children. I think that runs into the similar issues on the ace spectrum where people who are in relationships are like 'do you think you're better than me or something?'

I didn't come to my full Ace conclusion until I was... 32? Before that I had been running on a bisexual/mostly-lesbian leaning outlook on life until I was living on my own and was like 'man, you know what, I should try date' and ended up getting myself a boyfriend. I tried. I tried for six months. I told him up front I wasn't very sexually motivated and it turned out he wasn't either! but man, he was as dull as a fucking rock (very nice though) and we had a lot in common and like, he would have made for a GREAT friend. But I found myself really struggling with not being attracted, not wanting to kiss him, and inside I'm going 'man this would be way better if he were a girl'. So I broke up with him, I told him I was a lesbian, and then once that was done I just... never had the urge to date again. Sometimes I do, but I realize now it's more that I'm trying to seek a platonic companion, someone who is always there to hang out with, that we have a lot in common, etc.

Even the most well meaning and supportive people can say things that are dismissive of being Ace even if they're not trying to be and it's up to YOU, anon, to let it roll off. Because not everyone is trying to drag you down.

But the people who are? Aren't people I think you want to have in your life anyway. These don't sound like friends or supportive people if they keep demeaning you because you have a different life than them. Are these the people you really want approval from for 'status' when it means degrading you for how you're built? Who YOU ARE as a person? The status is not worth denying your sense of self. Let's say you were gay and your friends were pressuring you about being straight. Would you get involved in a straight relationship that made you miserable? No, I don't think so (or at least, I hope not!)

I think it's absolutely lovely to have your aunt moving in with you and the next time someone says something, you just tell them 'That's such a callous and cruel thing to say. I have the room in my home and I love my aunt very much and I'm glad to help her. With today's economy, it works out for the both of us'.

And the next time someone wants to come at you for being ace, you can say 'Wow, I didn't know you spent so much time thinking about my sex life. That's so weird and kind of creepy'.

I find these sort of comments help... put into perspective what people are sounding like.

But honestly, fuck these people. They are not worth your time, and you are worth so much more than them.

[donniesexceptionalmind]

Many thanks for the butterflies!

So, one more request:

Infodump, tell us how you’ve been, and drink some water!!

-Curious Anon

*looks over to my cold coffee*

This shall suffice. For now.

*thinks about my SPINS*

*Donnie.exe stopped working due to the inability to chose*

This is not how infodumping works, sadly. /g /nm

*Donnie.exe has rebooted *

Let's infodump about infodumping!

(*｀▽´*)

What is infodumping?

Infodumping refers to the autistic tendency to excitedly share a large amount of information about a highly-focused subject or passion at one time, usually very detailed & for long periods of time (at least thats how others see it, for me it's pure bliss & feels like seconds).

Regarding details, we might attempt to share absolutely everything we know about the topic since most of the time it is one of our special interests or something related to it. So, unsurprisingly, we know a lot about it.

* Infodumping is also known as monologuing. However, it's not my personal preference.

What starts off as sharing one or two interesting facts may quickly snowball into sharing an entire textbook worth of information or more. As a result, the information shared during an infodump session is often quite detailed, in-depth & exhaustive.

So: if you REALLY want me to infodump: ask a question about my SPINS, drop an interesting fact, anything & I WILL do so.

(I can not see the possibility for that to happen)

Note: with other autistics it can (it's not a must) quickly develop into a whole snowball game - we just talk about our SPINS to each other & have a great time!

What use do infodumps have?

It's important to know that infodumps are an authentic & valid form of communication & conversation style for autistic people of all ages, even autistic kids.

For some, infodumping is also a love language. For me, it's a way to express what I'm passionate about with those I care most about. If I infodump on you, you should know that I feel safe around you as well.

Why do we infodump?

I know it can be boring & annoying to hear me rambling about stuff that no one wants to know. I am aware!

Here are a few reasons:

Simply sharing our passion, joy, enthusiasm or excitement

Natural self-expression (I consider my SPINS as a part of me)

Building connections to other people

Finding like-minded people & friendships (RIP me & my nerdiness)

Self-regulation

Creating a feeling of pride or safety (for me it does, because the topic is something I know almost everything about)

Releasing built-up energy or thoughts (Sometimes I feels like I could explode if I can't talk about it)

Additional thoughts:

Like a lot of autistic traits & elements of autistic culture, infodumping is misunderstood by a lot of people.

Far too often, our urge to infodump is viewed as rude, self-absorbed, dominating, arrogant, uncaring,...

The reality, though, is that infodumping is just one way that we autistics communicate & engage in conversations with others.

It's how we connect & relate.

Also: not every autistic person is the same. You might infodump, you might not.

I can verbalize my knowledge very well - Leonardo can't.

But he knows a lot about his special interests! He has his whole room dedicated to them.

But he just can't put the information together when asked.

And that is valid, too.

What can you do?

Let your autistic friend, relative, kid (....) infodump. With that, you are validating & affirming what comes naturally to us.

Essentially, you're acknowledging that this is how we (like to) communicate & that you will honour our communication no matter what form it comes in. It's kind of like you should with echolalia & scripting as well.

What about non-verbal autistic?

You bet they can infodump!

If you give them the tools to do so.

For instance, you could create a page of things dedicated to their special interests on their AAC device to encourage infodumping.

They may also engage in infodumping by writing their thoughts down in a book or journal, showing you a video or book, pointing to things, and so on. Some do it in the form of art.

It might not be your favourite thing, when we talk about our SPINS, but it will give us immense joy & you could spark our will to 'exist' again - at least in me.

Have a cookie for reading all of that! 🍪

Regarding your question about my well-being:

Thank you for caring!

I am anxious as to how I'm doing this tumblr thing. Am I annoying with positing so much? I just - ugggh. I'm too self-conscious at the moment. I appreciate you all so so much, that's why I'm so active on here.

There are over 100 blogs following me - !

I can't believe it.

*wants to hide on my shell*

I have eaten & drank my coffee.

Yes, I will get myself a glass of flavourless juice now, or the AVENGERS of the 'Donnie Support Squad' will come at me. /g /pos