#and places a lot of his like ;; idk sense of self in his improvement and in How Fast He Can Become The Best

[itgomyway]

what the human condition is and how it involves the ego 🪐

who are you?

hi! my name is calypso :) the one who usually talks about non dualism. the one who just answered you is the ego. the ego is the FALSE sense of self. the idea that i am a girl teaching others about nd is false. the idea that i have a job is false. my name, age, religion, gender, financial status, beliefs, all of these are a part of the false sense of self. aka the ego. the ego is apart of you but since all of the aforementioned had to come to your awareness, its not actually real. its apart of the human condition.

my version of the human condition (this stems away from the general teachings of nd and go with how i decide the universe works) : we are “born” or land on this planet as beings of consciousness inhabiting human bodies. idk why we are here that doesnt really matter but the gag is, the more we identify with the false sense of self given when we land the less control we gain over our surroundings. also don’t know why this occurs but some of us are lucky to break free, most with the help of guides (astrology, tarot, loa, etc).

unfortunately growing up, a lot of us were taught by those who never broke free and are still under the human condition. i consider it the ego’s perception of life personified. example, if you hold the belief that you’re unlovable and you identify with this belief this is what youll experience in the human condition. this is also the 3d and 4d stuff with manifestation. manifestation is just consciousness identifying as the ego so it can understand its version of events. no events actually take place however.

so what now?

by default, our brains are more comfortable identifying as human. we could use conscious affirmations and repetition to change beliefs about being human. this makes ego identification easier. you could also just… not participate and exist as consciousness.

whats the difference?

ego identification means you are going to be human you want to manifest better jobs and relationships with others and connect meaningfully. you want to pursue passions and have an abundance of wealth. all beautiful things possible with loa 🫶

or you can do what i usually like to do which is remove the ego attachment from all of that. like sometimes i just want things not necessarily to improve my “life” but bc i just do. i have no plans for a future that doesnt exist. i live presently and accept what comes. i play the game of life but not as the victim as the maker and i create as it comes consciously all the time.

which one is right or wrong? which one is easier or harder? im not sure. thats entirely up to you. all you really need to know is that whether or not you decide to play the game, the game is gonna keep running. do what best suits you

© itgomyway

#nonduality #consciousness #nondualism #awareness #law of assumption

[lakesparkles]

MORE MR PEANUTBUTTER!! Can you tell I like him?? The worst part is that it's all very new art, I drew all of this in... 3 days? Idk

So, this one is very self indulgent. I wanted to explore his relationships with some characters in my AU (the one he dates both Diane and Guy, it all happens after the finale of the show). One of the reasons I love creating this AU (I even just finished writing a fanfic about it!!) is so I can develop PB more.

If you want an explanation about his relationships, it'll be under the cut!

Bojack: they spend way more time together now that they live together in California - PB has two houses, so he travels there to Houston all the time. His relationship with Bojack… Is improving, just like showed in the doodles. Some people even mistake them as a old married couple, but nah, they didn't even kiss once. Maybe once. Bojack doesn't want to talk about it. One day, years later, Mr Peanutbutter will make peace with his own sexuality, look back and realize that things make way more sense now.

Guy: talking about his sexuality, Guy plays a big role on it. I created a whole backstory for him, but it's a story for another day. He's way more comfortable about being bi than PB is - who is now having a lot of questions: "what if he's wrong about it?"; "what if he's too old for that?"; "what if all media reacts very badly about it?" It's a little easier when he's not alone. Their personalities go very well together and, other than that, PB is having the time of his life having a husband now <3 Guy usually calls him "dog" and PB isn't sure if he thinks it's cute or the opposite.

Pickles: I have a lot of thoughts about Pickles tbh. Some of her scenes made me think that she seemed so lonely. Years after dating and breaking up with PB, she realized that their relationship… Was kinda messed up, yes. But she was never angry, even being happy seeing how different his life is right now. When she meets PB again and finds out that, not only he felt guilty during all the time they dated, but also *still feels that way*, she thinks it's a little funny. She has a good life now, he didn't ruin anyone like he thought he did. They end up in good terms and message each other often enough.

Diane: PB calls her his "ex ex wife"! Coming back together has been a nostalgia trip for them and this comes with a bunch of complicated feelings. What makes all different is exactly what Diane herself said in the show: "if they met as the people they are now, things would be totally different". And they surely are different now, even more after spending so many years apart. But different doesn't mean perfect, this they would never be. They still have a couple of fights out of nowhere that Guy is confused about. What changes is that it's, in fact, better. And now they have hope. And they're enjoying finding out once again why they were in love in the first place. It's such an old feeling that they were tricked into believing it's new~

#mr peanutbutter #bojack horseman #guy bjhm #pickles aplenty #diane nguyen #I should create a tag for this au #but I don't know how to call it yet #at this point I think I'll never stop drawing PB #and I'm ok with this I love him

[wp-blaze]

What are the key features of great songs?

I’m in the midst of learning ‘Clair de Lune’ at the moment, and I’ve already gone past the ‘I love this music’ part. I don’t know about you, but when […]

[fluxweeed]

Fandom creators self rec game! Choose five favourites from your own creations (and tell me why, if you like!), then pass on to at least five other people. I'd love to hear what you're proudest of.

OH MY tacky i really really appreciate u sending this my way but do u know how much of a challenge this was 😭 i could give you my most hated soooo much easier!!! but after literally a week of deliberation (so sorry!!!) here is my answer!! i think "favourite" and "proudest of" are two different categories for me – i went with "favourite" here bc i think a proper answer for "proudest of" would need at least 3 hours and input from a licensed therapist

Still the pine-woods scent the moon – 15.5k, E, remus/harry

this was sooo different to anything i’d done before – both in terms of pairing (remus/harry), style (2nd person, slightly higher register) and attitude (really tried to be chill about the process instead of hating every second lmao). there are still many things i think could have been done much better, but i think this is the closest i’ve come to liking one of my fics 😖

The Taste of Țuică – 15k, E, ron/harry/draco

this was actually another attempt to make myself enjoy writing – i remembered that when i was younger, i found 1st person easiest to write, so i figured i’d give that a go and see what happened. i was also trying to get better at actually describing locations (a goal i think i immediately abandoned after this fic lmao whoops) so i spent a lot of time coming up with the stupid Rich Person details of draco’s bedroom – it was a fun challenge to try to improve one of my weaker areas!!

For Lack of Wanting – 8.5k, E, drarry

i’d had the image of draco acting like his old self and harry being into it in my head for ages, but i never really imagined it to turn out as angsty as this ended up being – but it was fun to try to capture a different mood than i usually go for! was still really trying to not be so grumpy about writing with this one – there’s a loooot of stuff in this that’s pretty clumsy, but i decided not to care on purpose bc i wanted to focus on the sexy sadness of it all instead 😅

Fresh Eyes – 250, M, drarry

idk man i’m usually such a fucking rambler (last month i posted a stupid PWP that takes place in a single morning and it was a whole 17k words) that i’m lowkey pleased i managed to do anything coherent with 250 words. also i love doing the thing where something is different on a second read.

Thirst – 4.5k, E, drarry

this is quite old and i don’t think it’s particularly good in any sense but there’s a soft spot in my heart for it anyway. i think maybe i’m just into vampires ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@tackytigerfic i really really loved reading your thoughts about your five faves! it always makes me so happy to see you talk about modern love in particular – having a fic that is the one you always wanted to write, was easy to do and evokes fondness years on is such a dream!! my heart warms every time you talk about it!!! + thank u again for tagging (does this count as a tag?) me in this!

#tag game #my fic

[parkitaco]

Hiiiii, question, how do you convince yourself your writing doesn't suck and to just finish what you wrote so you can upload it (your stories are amazing they don't suck this is a self-help ask not a roast) when you don't have friends to send to to get hype messages to keep you motivated? I am. Struggling to complete anything because I have anxiety, low self esteem and no friends l o l uuughfh I just want to share what I write but I can't get to the "complete stage" because to my eyeballs everything I write just looks like trash :( and like if I write and immediately submit before I can ruminate on it that'd be great but I can't write that fast so when I have to sit for a few days I realize everything I wrote was awful and I can't get back to finishing it ummm I am in a spiral plz send help Idk sorry maybe you don't have this issueee aaahhhh sorry

hi anon!! sorry for being the Worst and not answering this for many days whoops <33 i don't have a lot of Specific or Helpful advice for this unfortunately although i totally get where you're coming from!!! it can be so so hard to get stuff done when you're just not liking the way it sounds or are feeling stuck in some way.

i thinkk the best advice i can really offer is that you have to try to be as objective as possible when looking over what you've written and kind of be like. ok what is the Reason why i don't like this. bc sometimes when i'm reading back stuff i've written i'm like ew i don't like this but that's just because i'm looking at it through the lens of Me being the one who wrote it if that makes sense!! while other times i'm reading it back and there's something that i don't like that actually is a valid concern and is fixable. so if you can kind of separate the two in your mind under categories of Insecurity versus Plot/Flow/Pacing Issues it can help!! if it's something to do with the actual overall content, go back to the last place where you feel like the writing is solid and read from there to try to figure out where the issue starts and what you could change about it. if it's something that you think is just caused by your own self-critical lens, try rereading again and pretending that you're not the one who wrote it and see if you feel differently <33

beyond that, it's important to remember that your writing never has to be perfect, especially if it's only a first draft!!! if there's something in the tone or dialogue or Whatever of the story that you don't like, sometimes it's better to power through and try to get all the major scenes at least half-written, so that you have a solid piece that you can then go back and tweak until you feel good about it!! if you're stuck on a particular part, you can make a note to yourself to return to it later, then hit enter a few times and start with the next scene/paragraph that you can clearly envision.

and ofc always remember that it's literally just fanfiction and it's supposed to be fun, so you don't need to stress yourself out too hard about delivering The Most Quality Content Possible (this is one i struggle with too so i feel u). if something isn't fun, there's nothing wrong with scrapping it and starting something new, or starting over, or simply taking a break and coming back to it when you feel ready!! and i promise promise promise that if you Can get yourself to work through the anxiety, your writing will improve with practice and time <33

#oof sorry for going Off but hopefully at least some of that is helpful <33

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Happy STS!

Your characters and story but it's the middle ages. What roles do they have in the society? Are they royalty or something else? How does your story change?

Hello! Thanks for the ask, @the-stray-storyteller. Sorry I've taken so long to respond... but better late than never, right?

This question is super interesting to me (most of my stories are set in this current time, and my main story is set in 2010), and I needed to take some time to research and plan this one out. There are so many roles that each of these characters could fit nicely into, and it's fun to think about these things and explore them!

Let's go!

For the Steph's Crew gang again:

Stephanie:

Given her strong personality and natural leadership skills, Stephanie could be seen as a potential noble or the daughter of a lord? Or something like that... She might be part of the court, influencing decisions and playing a significant role in her family's domain. This could be an interesting thing for her character-wise, just thinking of all the things she'd have to deal with in her life (a lot of her challenges could revolve around navigating the complexities of medieval court life, dealing with arranged marriages, potentially facing political intrigues, etc. Her rebellious nature would likely clash with the expectations of her position and the societal norms of that time).

However, realistically, considering her background in the story proper (not knowing either of her parents, being raised in the foster care system, etc), her life in a medieval setting probably wouldn't be nearly as glamorous as all that lol. Steph might not have any opportunities to be in a leadership role in society. It might be more realistic to have her be a commoner, or even in a lower social class, perhaps as a commoner or a servant. Her confident leader nature could still come into play, though... it could lead her to become a respected figure among her peers or a vocal advocate for social justice. She might rally for the rights and well-being of the less fortunate! I think she'd like that (her old lawyer dreams lol. Plus her general protectiveness of things/people that are important to her). Maybe she could become a leader among the local villagers or a group of rebels seeking to challenge the ruling aristocracy. A charismatic orator rallying people against injustices.

Bret:

Bret's rebellious and troublemaking nature might place him as a rogue a troublemaker on the fringes of society (as well as a member of the lower class, most likely). With that basic idea, a certain picture comes to mind... a skilled thief, perhaps? Or a mercenary? Or maybe a member of a band of outlaws living on the outside borders of the greater neighbourhood (which is particularly fitting, since he starts a band in book 2 lol)... Idk whether to have him be a smart troublemaker. The thing about him is that he is clever, but not in the traditional sense. He's known for his musical skills and his overall creativity. Maybe he could be some kind of musician or bard who uses his charm and musical talents to entertain and gather information! He might be associated with a group of outlaws, challenging the authority and evading capture.

I see him still having his whole "desire for self-improvement" thing in this alternate universe... he'd likely struggle with it more, here, though, due to his extreme circumstances (he's alone, orphaned, and appears to have nobody in his life except for his merry band of rogues... and you know they won't be the best influences on him lol). His struggles with depression and grief would also likely be more challenging to address without modern mental health resources. He'll need to find some better people to surround himself with, and put his skills and gifts to positive use. Bret's story could focus on his struggles with survival, evading the law, meeting his new friends, cutting toxic people off and potentially seeking redemption or finding a cause to fight for within the societal hierarchy of the middle ages. Maybe it could help if he met and connected with a certain smart girl...

Elise (aka the "certain smart girl" lol):

Elise's love for books and knowledge could make her a brilliant scribe or scholar, valuable to a noble household. She could serve a noble family as a tutor, perhaps (maybe that could be how she meets Steph! If she were in a noble family)? She could also be a scholar residing in/working for a monestary... her studious, principled and introverted nature could lead to her finding a place in an academic or religious setting/community.

If not, she could be a healer's apprentice, contributing to the well-being of her community (training to become a doctor, basically. She'd like that, I think. She loves to help people!). She could be known in the group for her extensive knowledge on science, herbs and remedies, as well as her caring nature. Her role within the story and within the group could involve providing wisdom and counsel when needed, as well as acting as a mediator in disagreements. She'd likely have a really strong influence on everyone in the crew, actually. Not just Bret. I just mentioned her specifically in Bret's part because of their connection in the story proper.

Dylan:

Dylan could perhaps be reimagined as a skilled knight/soldier, a member of the royal guard or a nobleman's son, excelling in jousting and other martial arts. Due to his atleticism (plus his natural protectiveness!). And unlike Bret, I can easily see him as more of a "smart" person at his role, because in the actual story, he is seen as an intelligent person, and he gets good grades frequently despite all of his family drama and stuff. I think his intellect mixed with his athleticism would position him as a natural strategist and planner.

Despite his prowess, he still grapples with the same old home drama and expectations (could take the form of political intrigue, with his parents' divorce and his father's conflict potentially mirroring tensions between different factions or noble houses?), struggling to fit into the traditional chivalric mould, so to speak.

Alice:

Alice, in a medieval context, could be a witty and resourceful lady-in-waiting at a noblewoman's court, known for her clever retorts and sharp intellect. She might use her wit and charm to navigate the complex political intrigues of the court. Her character could navigate the intricate webs of medieval court intrigue, using her intelligence and wit to outmaneuver rival factions and gain influence. It may also lead to her feeling out of place, though... her not completely fitting into that "lady-in-waiting" role and all (or the prescribed societal norms and expectations for a young woman).

Her wit and sarcasm might also lead to her finding her place as a court jester or some kind of entertainer, amusing others with her sharp humor and quick thinking. She could use her humor to navigate the complexities of the medieval social hierarchy, which could all be a part of her finding her place in society.

I could go on... like I didn't even bring in any factors like race into this (Dylan is black, and Steph is half black... so they'd likely face additional challenges in a society where people of color were often marginalised and faced systemic barriers in terms of opportunities, social status, and acceptance. Dylan especially would be seen differently, despite his status. And even Stephanie who is in a relationship with someone who isn't biracial like her, would have to deal with societal scrutiny, potentially leading to social challenges for both her and Ben. Because in my mind, Ben would still be involved in the story lol). I don't think I want to get into little details like that, though.

That's all for now! Hope you enjoyed this.

#rickie-the-storyteller #writerblr #steph's crew #character asks

[doorsclosingslowly]

1, 7, 19, 25!

Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic. Hm idk I try not to repeat myself too much because I have so so many WIPs to work on. Probably the blorbo du jour with a strong narrative voice and selective perception is suffering due to something that's probably their fault, but someone manages to empathise with him and that doesn't solve the problems it still means something that they don't see blorbo as scum. Either that or a discord shitpost discussion about sex that got way out of hand and now "glove fingering uti" has sprouted feelings

Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it. (not going too far back bc I'll only be depressed I havent written much this year

Lexicographers were all liars. They put words into the dictionary for things that did not exist, such as “joy” and “calm” and “sleep”. Most emotions were invented, presumably for some malign plot specifically targeting Gríma and obviously connected to stealing his job. What else could they steal from Gríma, after all? He had nothing, not even dignity. Not since Saruman had taken over the department. He’d been so friendly to Gríma before Théoden’s illness and retirement. He’d commiserated about Gríma needing to take over some of the Department Head duties on top of his actual job, just because Théoden was less and less capable.

I just think I really nailed the vibe of a guy who's annoying and self-centred but also genuinely honestly miserable. (this is the catfishing AU, which kinda takes place after Saruman successfully and with Gríma's help conquered Rohan/the art department of a university and then that didn't improve Gríma's ennui at all somehow, in fact life is even worse)

Stephen King once said that his muse is a man who lives in the basement. Do you have a muse? I have an insatiable need to tell myself stories when I don't have anything to do & huge trouble falling asleep. I would make up shit about anything but if I do it about blorbos, I also get to talk about them

What do you look for in a beta? I've never *looked for* a beta specifically bc I'm very scared of bothering people, but I've shouted into the void in case anyone was interested in betaing my work and I've been super happy about working with Alyssa, Ro, Rumpel and Daro on various stories. My biggest needs are probably for someone to judge whether it all makes sense, bc to me a lot of mental jumps make sense that may confuse someone not trapped in my brain, leaving my third person present and nonstandard english phrasings intact, bc that's on purpose I'm not trying to win a grammar prize I'm trying to turn thought processes into text, and also just generally being a person I know and trust. Trust to put in the effort to understand and to be interested in where I want to take an idea and not where they would like to take it. And also especially I have to trust that I'm not forcing said beta to read something they hate, that they would tell me they want to stop and not force themselves to keep going, bc I've worked on myself enough to be ok with publishing a flop fic now but I'm very scared of making someone do something they hate

Thank you!!!!

[ecoamerica]

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#ACLA24 #ACLA24HighSchoolStudents #youtube #youtube video #climate leaders #climate solutions #climate action #climate and environment #climate #climate change #climate and health #climate blog #climate justice #climate news #weather and climate #environmental news #environment #environmental awareness #environment and health #environmental #environmental issues #environmental education #environmental justice #environmental protection #environmental health #high school students #high school #youth #youth of america #school

[jedinightsister]

So let me spiral into my Bad Batch feels in this site as well with a bit (okay, it's not a bit, it turned out longer than intended oof) of a headcanon or idk, just ramblings in general...

Once Tech inevitably figures out where the Empire is holding Crosshair and their other fellow clones, Echo is the one to persuade Hunter to take up the mission. Yes, it's risky. But they are more than just soldiers. They're brothers.

Let me start with Omega. She's always known about the inhibitor chips even before everyone else did. And she knew that Crosshair was heavily affected by it. Then, even as Crosshair clarifies it that it was his choice, she still doesn't blame him and remains optimistic that he will eventually be part of their little family again.

Next, with Wrecker. His vibrant energy so much like Omega's, but he actually spent so much time with Crosshair. Again, I have to bring up some observations with my Bad Batch s1 and TCW Bad Batch rewatches. Wrecker and Crosshair had a lot of banter. Wrecker with childish humor, and Crosshair with his deadpan seriousness. But even then, I really sense how much they enjoyed each other's company in their own ways, so the idea that Crosshair is out there and might be in trouble, to Wrecker, it doesn't matter much what terrible past he had done. He just missed his friend, his brother.

Over the course of s2, large in part with the help of Omega, Tech's ability to understand and express his emotions have improved a great deal. That convo between him and her really put things into perspective for Tech, and when he met the crew to discuss that decrypted data for Echo, he carries this air of vulnerability to him now. He's allowing himself that in his own way. There's this strong sense of him being concerned for his brother in his own way that he may have actually looked up his number in the Empire's records just to make sure Crosshair was safe. And he wasn't.

Echo would feel very responsible to do whatever he can to make sure Crosshair and the rest of his brothers are safe and not experimented on. He knows the kind of shit that feels like and no matter if he is on the losing battle, as long as he does his very best to make sure everyone else is okay, that's more than good enough for him.

Then you have Hunter, whose hesitation to believe Crosshair's signal is rooted in protectiveness toward the crew, but also because he blames himself. In s1, he specifically mentions to Omega that he's not angry at Crosshair, he's angry at himself. Even when s1 ends and Crosshair makes it clear he's choosing the Empire, those self blaming feelings aren't something he can just shake off. He's their team leader, he feels responsible, and even though he probably wants to have the hope that he can get his brother to reunite with the crew, there's just so much risk and he can't afford to lose any more of his family.

Last but certainly not the least, we got our batcher in trouble, Crosshair. He carries so much pain in him, thinking that they abandoned him when he chose to side with the Empire. That's what they were supposed to do, right? And do it together. But as it turns out, the Empire didn't care for him. So now he's fighting back in his own way. There's a lot of guilt here too, he's not just suffering physical pain from the torture by Hemlock and co, his solitude is heavily highlighted. Right now, he thinks he has no one anymore. Not even the Bad Batch. So when he figures out what Hemlock wants, he didn't even try to escape the prison, to escape his pain. Not really. He doesn't feel deserving or worthy anymore because of his choices. Despite that, he still believed in his crew and chose to protect them, even Omega, whom in some ways he may have felt jealous in earlier parts of the show, for taking his place as a member of the team. Crosshair chose to carry all the pain. He may not have hope for himself anymore, but his family- they still have hope and he gave the little of what's left in him to them.

Next week is gonna be such an emotional rollercoaster ride, I am both soooo excited and soooo terrified...

#the bad batch #the bad batch speculation #tbb speculation #tbb crosshair #tbb echo #tbb omega #tbb tech #tbb wrecker #tbb hunter #thoughts #txt #ramblings

[thesherrinfordfacility]

Hiiiii, this is an anon (not long winded anon though they’re amazing) here that doesn’t really have anyone else to scream about GO with (as of right now) and all your meta and analysis has OPENED MY EYES . They’re incredible!! . Truly, one of the things that drew me to Good Omens in the first place is the little details and how in depth the characters, sets, props, relationships, everything goes. And your analysis just made me realize things that, the thing is, I think I subconsciously knew in the moment but didn’t fully appreciate until someone spelled it all out for me? I love it. So much. Thank you for contributing your thoughts to the discussion of this complex piece of media!

And. Well. I’m not as astute or able to formulate my thoughts in a clear manner as you, so, erm. Prepare for walls and walls of text!

Most of this is just the dissertation of what I wrote after formulating stewing my thoughts on S2 for a couple days after I watched it. (well. Mostly about the ending. But I thought all the episodes and every single second was really good as well and charming and they do well to plant the seeds that harken the Final 15 Minutes, or explore + add context to all of Season 1, or hint at what’s coming next in season 3 (I’m pretty hopeful that the show is doing well enough… but I’ll rerun in it in the background just in case…)

So it probably doesn’t make sense, and there are probably things I interpreted wrong, but i thought it could be cool to send . Hope you don’t mind!

(—> I do think Metatron manipulated the heck out of Aziraphale though. And I do think there’s a possibility he put something into the coffee. Maybe some extra purifying substance, to make the option of heaven more tantalizing. BUT. okay now this next part is a little more speculation and hopes on my part but even if something was tampered with, I think Aziraphale would NOTICE a miracle effect on the coffee, or NOTICE Metatron’s choice of words and language, or RECOGNIZE the manipulation in some way.)

PERSONALLY, even though I partly agree that going back to Heaven is a bad move and likely Aziraphale won’t have as much power as he thinks, I think it was the tough but right decision. Like, Aziraphale is made for doing good and trying to make change. Though people mentioned they they thought he reverted back to his s1 self, THAT self thought Heaven was good. This self thinks that Heaven is bad as it is now, but he thinks he and Crowley can improve it.

IDK. IDK, to me, it seems that the happy ending that a lot of of the fan base was wanting if it were to cut off at season two would feel rushed and brush past a lot of things that needed to be addressed in the relationship. Like, Aziraphale accepts crowley’s offer and confession, Crowley moves his plants in, then what? Shax is (I think?) the Duke of hell and is going to pester them still, as well as Uriel, Micheal, and Salaquel (I’m so sorry for the name misspelling probably they were super cool though…). Like. Again! Book of Life hanging over their heads!

So, yeah! They’re together! They’re not broken up and depressed, woo! but. Is that it? And then they just ignore everything else? Let the Heaven and Hell system stay as it is, and as Metatron said he was planning, let the Second Coming into fruition.

But, like, Muriel! And all the other angels and demons living within the system and suffering for it! We saw firsthand Season 1 especially at the execution scenes where Aziraphale is meant to be burned in hellfire and Crowley is meant to be put in holy water and die a painful death. Like they collaborate just to cause suffering. (Furfur and Shax, for example, as well, who resent Crowley. Shax really wanted to kill and maim, yes, but also she just really wanted recognition and power. It’s easy to disregard them because they’re “just evil demons” but that’s also what people condemn Aziraphale for doing to Crowley so like. ) They’re so lonely, in the 37th Ballister, in that sterile office and kinda like Aziraphale once upon a time, not really considered as an equal or heard even though they’re so sweet. Sent to earth without the slightest training and looked down upon when Muriel just follows her innate Goodness instead of sneaking and spying for the higher ups.

Crowley is right in that it’s not supposed to be their responsibility to fix it and he wants to just go off, but Aziraphale would take on that responsibility for himself just like he promised to protect Gabriel even though he had caused him so much suffering when he was his boss

So just like we saw with Gabriel and Beezelbub, who were high enough ranking to like do their thing discreetly (and well. Didn’t turn out well for them either, Gabriel was literally memory wiped and it took a sneaky matchbox and a gift fly and Aziraphale’s shelter and everything for things to turn out well for them), there are probably other Aziraphale’s and Crowleys within hell and heaven. Either angels who genuinely want to do good and would object to things like killing Job’s children but can’t because of the system/what Heaven propaganda has instilled into their heads, like Aziraphale. Or Demons who don’t really have their FULL heart into pain and suffering (AGAIN. Shax was even surprised herself when she mentioned that humans came up with such horrible things on their own that she hadn’t ever thought of.) like Crowley. And angels and demons who want to be friends and lovers or whatever, or WOULD BE if they were allowed to meet on earth and have normal conversations instead of constantly being like “THE ENEMY” but can’t. All the demons were former angels, fallen, right?!! They were probably friends, lovers, acquaintances, all of that, before the war and the split! We just saw what happened with C and A because they were the earth ambassadors for their sides.

RIP I LOST SOME OF MY THOUGHTS when copy pasting so the next lines might not be as complete but trying to recoup them and continuing on

And the humans!!! They suffer under the current system too! Crowley and Aziraphale teamed up in the first place, even though A knew C before the beginning, in order to protect the humans from both Heaven and Hell. From God’s bets (Job and his children), to the Flood, to things like the end of the world Armageddon and now the Second Coming.

(Maybe I was giving Aziraphale too much credit in my above psychoanalyzing/speculating on Aziraphale’s thought processes and motives and understanding of the whole situation, I admit some of it was copium for hoping he saw through the whole manipulation thing, but either way the moment Metatron mentioned Second Coming would have sealed the coffin and not allowed him to step out of that elevator and back to Crowley because there’s something terrible, just like Armageddon, he has to prevent at all costs. Even if it means this much heartache. Because he cares for earth’s people, for Nina and Maggie, for everyone they met in Season 1.)

Also, everyone, even the ones who understand Aziraphale’s reasoning, seem to assume that his choice is a Total Dead End and there is absolutely No Good to Be Had. Of course, he’ll probably regret it (he obviously wishes to be with Crowley and earth and his bookshop, he obviously still has a favorable optimistic view of Heaven that will get weathered and shattered (but also I think it ALREADY HAS at least a little bit as seen with the Job mínisode and the grave digging thing), and eventually when Metatron is revealed to be conniving and manipulative instead of also a good guy, he’ll regret trusting him then, too.) Of course.

I really understand the ultimate romantic declaration of “I don’t care about anything but you and me, I would burn the world for you, I would do ANYTHING for you” that people see from Crowley and that’s why it hurts so much more when Aziraphale rejects that but the thing is Aziraphale wants both, he wants to love Crowley especially and also care about everyone else? And like. Normal healthy relationships are like that. Even though it’s romantic, it’s wonderful, the first thing toes the line of unhealthy codependency yeah? It’s devastating and shows how much Crowley cares that Aziraphale is his “only friend” and he’s obviously going to be major depressed after the end of S2. Of course. But like, it’s not good to put EVERYTHING on the line for someone else. In a different world, obviously not this one because Aziraphale loves Crowley that’s. So Obvious. But like in a different world where Aziraphale genuinely had no romantic interest in him, not in the “you are a demon and therefore innately disgusting way” but in the “I genuinely just see you as a good friend way” (aromantic) like. Same rejection.

I like watching it this way of course, where Aziraphale feels the same way, and it’s well supported by the text. But like. Idk. Food for thought?? Are my ramblings going off the rails?? Idk! I love good omens because it extracts think pieces like this out of my psyche LOL. So much to talk about, so many scenes can just be picked apart and there’s so much INTENTION BEHIND IT IT’S… AUGHUHGIFN GENIUNELY PEAK MEDIA I UNDERSTAND how people have so much love, and kept so much love for the series for all the 4 years between season 1 and 2 and even before with the book series though obviously the series at this point is pretty much a different piece of media still inspired and adapted by but pretty much doing it’s own thing yknow

ANYWAYS. GOT OFF THE RAILS. BACK TO my previous Point. I think instead of suppressing and oppressing him right away, Metatron would allow Aziraphale to make the changes he wishes to, even if they are small and hard-earned. And I believe Aziraphale is smart enough and loophole enough and rules bending enough and determined enough (he literally lied while swearing on his word as an Angel and truly thought he was going to fall about Job’s children, he realized and used of the idea of Divine Plan vs Ineffable Plan to his advantage to stop the world from ending) there had to be a lot of these small rebellions to keep existing in his partnership with Crowley and everything. He obviously didn’t know everything before, but as we see with the grave digging scenes he is willing to learn and change his views and through it all he has empathy for everyone.

To me, I think it is realistic that Aziraphale actually gets to make some changes, even if it’s not all of them. He gets to put a suggestion box there, you know? He gets to help more people like Muriel, he won’t put down anyone, he won’t bully anyone, and he would discourage that from his peers and HEY, supreme archangel status, maybe micheal and Uriel and the others won’t listen but maybe some will because the Metatron instated him there or maybe because he learns how to be geniunely a bit of a leader yknow? Though I agree he is a bit of a disaster but. It would be so cool.

And it’ll muddle the apology and forgiveness and everything even more, because while Aziraphale of course loves Crowley, saw so many good takes flying around that informed this behemoth but also i wanted to credit this one for what I’m going to talk about next: https://www.tumblr.com/irispurpurea/724196690802950144 (tl;dr: Gabriel and Beelzebub are able to run away because they didn’t care about jobs or humans in the first place, unlike Aziraphale and Crowley who actually love the humans and Earth. Also the same point I made earlier about how running away like they did to Alpha Centauri was as much as an idealistic “solution” to their woes as both of them joining heaven is)

( I love complicated so much muhauahuaha)

Some of the fix its I see, some of the hopes I see about yknow the Coffee theory or Aziraphale not going into the elevator at the last second or the apology dance/Aziraphale literally groveling at Crowley’s feet after regretting everything and everything like a few months into serving heaven (though I would love if the apology dance got brought back AND Crowley does deserve an apology after so much heartache, even if Aziraphale didn’t mean it and only had good intentions he still hurt him)

and by no means are these fix its or theories wrong or bad for what I’m about to say, they just.. I understand people are very reactionary, they waited years for this, they have to wait more, and it ended on such a fraught note. Emotionally devastating like it was meant to be. It’s tough to see characters one loves not have a happy ending (yet). Mentally exhausting/draining. I understand. And also some of the fix-its are being written in the span of a day after the release which is so incredibly impressive? Like wow! Of course they’re Not going to branch into the complexity I PERSONALLY prefer and crave. I understand.

But wouldn’t it be so great if instead of a simple solution, Aziraphale wants his old life back so much but now he’s making a DIFFERENCE (in some ways actual, in some ways manipulated by Metatron to make him feel like he’s making a difference, either way he’s DOING SOMETJING. he’s not gonna be like. Doing Nothing. I feel like having heaven try to trap him in a box right away would only drive him away sooner because at this point I believe that he has a little more self respect than he did before yknow. And also like. The best way to trap Aziraphale would be to bring people who actually needed help into it. Tied down by the obligation to help the innocent and the good.) and now people DEPEND on him and rely on him which makes it so much harder for him to walk away like Crowley wanted him to do yknow.

Basically, instead of “proving Crowley right the entire season” I want him to prove Crowley wrong and actually impress him with the improvements he’s been able to make from inside, BUT OF COURSE. THE INSTITUTION ITSELF IS ROTTEN, must be torn down and rebuilt in order to actually make real what Aziraphale wants in his idealism and I think that’s what season 3 is going to work towards right? And them working together not as two angels in heaven, but as the team they were always meant to be to make things better not Just in their own relationship but also the whole world they live in for like the True True happy ending yknow?? Then they get to settle down in the South Downs cottage.

(maximum copium ahead)

Yea you know what! I want him to also prove all of Heaven wrong. Like they give him the bare bones, the absolutely nothing material and power to make things better and he still makes SOMETHING of it because of his enduring patient strength and empathy and charming press and cleverness. Idk! Aziraphale, I believe, is very competent and capable!! (not at communication. But at helping people that’s what he’s good at yknow) and if even he’s not competent and capable, if he’s suffering and grasping for scraps and straws under this oppressive system, then you know either way he’s giving EVERYTHING he has to make it work. Determination!!! He’s going to do good even if it kills him and even if he wants nothing more than to go back to Crowley and be truly happy again.

And I want him to prove Heaven wrong so much that THAT’S what breaks the camel’s back, they realize he is actually changing things and that spurs them on to have them try to exert more control over him, and then that’s how he and Crowley meet and work together again to stop the Second Coming? Maybe?

The bigger copium I have is that secretly Aziraphale is a mastermind who sees through Metatron’s ploy and has to play along to later outsmart him, like a clever fox caught in a trap and laying the seeds of future escape. Like maybe the coffee theory is real but instead of being drugged Aziraphale keenly notices what was slipped in and is able to keep his wits about him. Or maybe Metatron threatened the book of life punishment or alluded to it so he knows he has to tread carefully.

The only problem I have with this plan is that usually Aziraphale isn’t the type to hurt others for the greater good, especially Crowley (as I type that out. Erm. Well maybe he would) but idk that devastation after the failed confession was definitely not acting.

The nightingale song message theory through the Bentley and the fake smile he gives at the end when he walks into heaven are literally my only basis of evidence for this lol lmao omegalul. And someone saying that the record he listened to had historical meaning about someone rebelling subtly and quietly.

I like to believe the truth is a nice middle ground between all the ideas presented here. Aziraphale is not helpless, but he’s not totally omniscient. He’s a victim of heavy manipulation by Metatron and Heaven, but he means to manipulate whatever power he can leverage from this arrangement to do as much good as he can. And through it all he was thinking of Crowley and his well-being the whole time even though erm. Yeah. That must’ve been crushing.

Idk sometimes I wonder if what I say is decipherable lol like yes obviously heaven is toxic it’s wrong, a lot of the good Aziraphale saw in it was willful ignorance, there is a lack of care, there is a lack of empathy… but like. He can instill some of that goodness in it again, right?

Also nobody’s talking about fixing hell or improving it at all, understandably, because Hell is supposed to be a Bad Place and nobody questions it (but our characters are MADE for questioning things!!!) course the absolutely terrible, irredeemable people (Nazis) got there shouldn’t be saved or given lighter fates than the spider digestion thing.

But maybe the demons themselves can have a bit of a better go of it, since the line between devil and Angel isn’t so different as the show has proved time and time again (also another thing I see floating around and totally agree with. Aziraphale obviously is told that demons are wrong and bad and evil and believes it, and of course the discussion of him thinking of Crowley as an Angel who was unfairly cast down and now fights against his Demon Nature to be nice and do good instead of that just being his authentic self is very thoughtful and true.)

Okay. That’s like 100 of the thoughts rattling around my head and there’s obviously more to come as people slow down and get to pick out every single detail in all the scenes during our anxious wait for the season 3 announcement (hopefully) (Amazon please pay your workers agree to the writer’s demands and renew this) (capitalism….. man…. Another complicated problem…)

I have lots of hope! Maybe too much hope! (As said before, I am probably extremely biased towards Aziraphale because of this) But! I don’t know exactly how it’s going to happen, but I have full faith they’ll get their happy ending 👍👍👍👍

Wonderful season : ) loved it!

I do hope that tumblr adds an automatic read more on this bc it’s so long otherwise it might get hard to scroll past erm. Sorry in advance.

hi nonnie✨ ive taken a bit of time to answer your ask because frankly, i could barely get past the first paragraph without tearing up slightly. this is so kind and lovely for you to say; i think it can be quite easy to feel major amounts of imposter syndrome when you're putting out interpretations into the ether, but actually the fandom is so diverse in perspectives and experiences that everyone's opinion is valid, make interesting arguments, and ultimately create excellent reading if nothing else! so for you to consider my ramblings among those is really appreciated, thank you💓

phooey, though - this is a long post!!! no matter, we shall do what we can✨ *cracks knuckles rolls neck* let's 'ave it!!!

✨p.s. excellent appreciation for the LWA too, couldn't agree more!!!✨

i too thought, come the end of s2, that it was a genuinely stunning bit of television. ill be honest and say that when i went to the screening, i left the cinema feeling... less than impressed. and was convinced that people were loving it just for the sake of it. but two revelations during the full release hit me like a freight train;

a) that this show is built for tv. it's a cosy and intimate and intelligent show - not to say that other big-screen isn't - and this show did not belong (imo) in a cinema. it belonged in its rightful place; on our tv screens. i found myself dreading rewatching ep1 and 2 at home, and dreading the rest of the season as a result, but having the space to fully appreciate it in my own screen made all the difference, and abruptly changed my opinion

b) whilst initially i felt that there were a lot of things wrong with ep1 and 2 (i initially felt the writing was weaker, it was over-comedic and relatively empty of any substance, acting was similarly weaker at points, the pacing was choppy, and the cinematography direction was a lot), as soon as i got to around mid-ep3, it all made sense. by the time id finished the season and immediately cycled back round to ep1, all of it immediately felt more cohesive, deliberate, thoughtful, and frankly a stunning piece of telly.

and maybe it was deliberate, that ep1 and 2 give off that first impression, maybe not - but either way i sincerely hope, in a way, they don't do wider screenings for s3. it was fun as a concept and there was a lovely sense of community and camaraderie in doing so, but it's built for tv (imo), so let people enjoy it on tv.

the thematic writing, the motifs, that ran through the season were amazing. im on my fourth rewatch and still noticing things, seeing parallels that were woven in so subtly that you'd blink and miss them. the music score was beautiful (if sometimes a little intrusive but hey, we move), the acting was phenomenal, the dialogue was delicate and yet brassy and bold simultaneously... all of it really was the masterpiece we needed to follow up s1. s1 had a completely different tone, and initially i wanted that in s2, but now - no, it was perfect. it was whimsical and airy and fun, jazzy, and then packed a whollop in the last half hour. brilliant, utterly brilliant.

i get that its technically a question mark at the moment, and that has people concerned especially in the wake of the avalanche of emotion s2 crashed upon us, but i genuinely think that we will get s3, and get it sooner than people think. we (fingers crossed, i don't want to manifest this) hopefully won't get another global pandemic, hypothetically cutting down the wait time significantly; the only thing at the moment that i think hinders s3 is the strike, but there are far more important things than s3 right now, and the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike and fighting for writer and actor equality is absolutely one of them. but trust - im confident it will be here before we know it.

but in any case let's get discussing meta!!!

metatron absolutely manipulated aziraphale. it might have been a huge manipulation, or a small suggestion, but metatron is definitely the Baddie here. im not sure if there is anything in the coffee; on one hand, it was posed as being key to the interaction between aziraphale and metatron, but similarly i think it could potentially be quite cheap for aziraphale to have been drugged. i much prefer the very simple, personal reason of him returning to heaven being because it made sense for his character, and so he could complete his character arc. that being said, i won't be disappointed either way (s2 has humbled me and taught me to simply trust in neil's writing - ive learnt my lesson!)

as im guessing you've seen from my other ramblings, there is indeed a lot of Unresolved Shit that goes down in s1 and s2, and in all the in-between we haven't seen. plus, this is the middle of the story; in fairly basic storywriting principle, to me it made complete sense for there to be a major rift to happen between aziraphale and crowley. i hoped it wouldn't happen, but similarly knew it was coming well before the release. it just simply made logical sense.

and that aside, i couldn't shake adam's narrative from s1 from my mind when watching the last episode; the whole point is to not sit and watch the world burn in the hope that that means a reset and everything will be better again. destruction is destruction. so again, it made complete character- and story-sense for aziraphale to choose to want to rebuild heaven for the better. he and crowley have been hounded and pestered and spied on for their whole existence on earth; i can't imagine that either of them, even crowley, would ever want anyone to go through the same thing. but crowley's fear and rage is paralysing, quite understandably, so i completely understand why he was trying to get aziraphale to stay. that being said, if i were in aziraphale's position, id have chosen what he did.

essentially, nonnie, everything you have said in respect of aziraphale's choice and why he chose it? completely agree with you. you've highlighted some brilliant 'what ifs' that, dare i say it, i think sometimes the fandom is missing when they consider the Feral Domestic™ scene; that there is a wider picture to be seen and considered, and just because this season has put a microscope on aziraphale and crowley, and their relationship such as it is, doesn't mean that that wider picture has disappeared, or has lost any significance to aziraphale especially. once again, his choice to me makes complete sense, and was required to effectively continue the story.

the only thing i will say is that i don't think it's a matter of proving crowley right or wrong. i think it's a matter of aziraphale proving something to himself; and yes, that's where i agree that there does need to be, in s3, some show that aziraphale is successful in revolutionising heaven for the better. perhaps even a timeskip, where he's been ensconced in heaven, being a benevolent, kind, and conscientious boss, and actually making change that on earth (or wherever crowley goes) crowley will benefit from. and hear about, and maybe start to question the concept of change; he was right to fear and detest heaven as it was, and it was understandable that he had the reaction that he did, but nothing lasts forever; including the stuff that he'd been sure would never change, and would only continue to remind him of pain, sacrifice, and anger. but crowley has to come to that conclusion for himself; aziraphale cannot and should not do it for him.

there will ultimately be an undercurrent of peril in s3, of course (hardly be a story without it!), but the main thing for me will be crowley learning that he cannot always be aziraphale's saviour, and aziraphale learning that crowley must seek his own salvation, whatever that may look like. the answer, for me, does not lie in heaven or hell, not even with each other, but within themselves. and then bring themselves together, as two wholes with edges that fit together but are valid and existent on their own.

thank you for dropping into my asks, nonnie. this was really nice reading and insight, and i thoroughly enjoyed it. make sure to get your thoughts out into the ether though, other people ought to get to enjoy them too!!!✨💓

#nicest anon to ever anon #honestly im just easily flattered tho and thats a reflection on me #should probably do something about that #good omens #good omens season 2 #good omens spoilers #good omens 2 spoilers #not a shitpost but its good omens babyyyy #ask

[37q]

so, funny story. idk if anyone else remembers my series of work related breakdowns b4 i quit in november, but some of it was due to my looming sense that career progression in that setting was neither possible nor desirable for me -- although the desirability realization came afterwards, so it was mostly just shame and no self respect. lotta misogyny, lotta dehumanizing business dynamics, whole lotta self destruction cuz self inflicted suffering feels more containable or controllable than the rocks and hard places of fucking corporate growth

it was a real struggle, like am i capable of improving my life with the work ethic, personality, sense of responsibility, initiative, efficiency, and expertise that i consider core to my occupational self? am i too unwell to do anything but stay where i am, if not get worse? what parts of me are destructive to capital growth but constructive to life, and what parts of me are destructive to both? dont i like that part of me...? :(

anyways whats funny is that my general occupational style works wonders at my current job! tiny tiny business my man runs it out of his house n he lowkey resents the mainstream world for shunning his meager progressivism so he like GETS it. no risk of labor suits means relaxed work conditions, my ability to convince anyone of anything doesnt work with HR departments but like, just 3 ppl tryin to make a mission work lends itself to forgiveness when everyone shows theyre all-in, but good-will and personal investment dont mean shit for VP's scanning their marketing trackers.

long story short i feel very valued and i have a lot of fun :) april is a slow month for us so im not working much but its literally chill and my efforts to seek out greater responsibility and investment and their complementary compensation are being rewarded three-fold ^_^

[f0point5]

Also the whole thing about him being annoyed with himself for being P5 as if he’s a usual P2/3 yk. Likeeeee you’re very often in P5 or even lower so why are you acting like this is sooo reputation damaging for you. Obviously he’s had a great season in general imo if we look at the beginning of the season and the end he’s definitely made improvements and him being on the podium multiple times as well but come on no need to practise more self pity because of P5. He also loves to claim that it’s just lack of talent etc trying to make us pity him as well and I’m just not buying it.

Idk if this is a good take or not honestly it’s just how I’ve been feeling in the past weeks. Especially since I am a Lando fan (mostly a Max fan but I got a place in my fan heart for Lando as well) and him doing better this season was great to watch but sooo many of his interviews were hard to watch because I got second hand embarrassment and the pressure he puts himself under just makes him perform worse. Idk if he’ll ever win a race with that attitude honestly sometimes I doubt it but I hope I’m wrong tbh

I get second hand embarrassment every time he messes up in quali and says “should have been pole” like Max wouldn’t have seen his time and pushed and taken pole anyway.

But honestly, the beating himself up really annoys me because the “what if” is such a stupid argument when you’re the one in control of which scenario played out. It’s not like “what if it hadn’t rained and I slid off”…it’s “what if I didn’t bottle it” and the bottling it is such a fundamental part of his driving at this point it’s like, but you did and you will so saying “what if I didn’t fuck up” is like saying “what if someone else was driving the car”. Idk if I’m making sense here?

I don’t think it’s lack of talent and I don’t think Lando thinks that either, but I also don’t think it’s calculated. I think he just doesn’t know how to explain himself and doesn’t want to to the media, so he just says that so he doesn’t have to say more. When Max has an issue, he’ll explain the whole thing, because he has nothing to hide in that sense, he knows one mistake is not who he is as a driver. But for Lando, mistakes have underpinned a lot of his moments in the spotlight. I think what Lando thinks is what I think, it’s not lack of talent, it’s lack of skill (mental strength being a skill you need to develop). But I don’t think he can articulate that to reporter and I don’t think he wants to admit it.

But yeah Lando does need to stop acting like P2 isn’t good enough for him when it’s literally the best he’s ever done in F1. He treats himself like he’s a 7 time champion in decline not a young driver on the up.

I don’t see the attitude getting better next year because I think we will see the Dawn of Papaya Piastri and it will be “all too much for little Lando Norris”. At least for a while.

At the end of the day, I think Lando is a nice guy with good intentions, but where racing is concerned I think he has a lot to sort out

[palms-upturned]

Sorry for the wall of text in your inbox but your last DE post got me thinking and like. We don’t get an absolute ton of info about what Kim was like before the events of the game but it feels to me that by the start of it he’s tried to mask any and all of his actual opinions and feelings behind a veneer of indifference/objectivity. (How successful he is is up for debate) and I definitely think that at the start of the game the only reason he tolerates Harry is because he’s expected to work with him. He brushes off your self-deprecation and ignores your faults because he wants to get the case done. If you’re doing a run where you’re an asshole he’ll still begrudgingly stick by you until the very end unless he’s physically taken out of the picture because he feels like that’s his job. However if you take the time to befriend him I think it does change. He starts to open up a bit more, it becomes less of “I have your back because this case and wider cop culture obligate me to” and more “I’ll stick by your side because I want to, because I care about you.” and for both of them it can become the most genuine connection to another person they’ve felt in a long time. Like don’t get me wrong I think you’re absolutely correct that the only reason this could happen in the first place, the reason you’re given that chance at all, is because at the start Kim feels like he has to tolerate you. But I do think (or at least like to think) that if you do go the route of having Harry start trying to be a better person, the city and its community impart itself and it’s love on both of them. There’s something there about how the friendship they foster is founded on and expanded through the genuine humanity they see in Martinaise over the course of the game. That the only reason they are able to have a genuine connection (that’s not just a sense of obligation) is because Martinaise is a city that’s been all but abandoned by the police state and doesn’t adhere to the status-quo they’re familiar with. It’s true that the post-game outcome is most likely tragic. That despite this being the case, they’re never able to recognize it and never break free of being cops. But I also think it’s interesting to explore other, more hopeful routes. I think this game can be extremely pessimistic, but there’s a fragile optimism it has woven in it’s core. And I like the idea that this relationship, only started out of a sense of obligation and adherence to the status quo, is also the very thing that drags them out of it. (I apologize if this reads as word salad I have a lot of thoughts and don’t know how accurately I’ve conveyed them here)

UR GOOD SJSHDJDH when it comes to DE all I have is word salad… but yeah, I agree w all this, that’s kind of what I was getting at abt how their friendship would never happen if Harry wasn’t a cop bc Kim wouldn’t be able to turn a blind eye to some of his… antics… whereas within the force it’s customary to do so, esp for someone like Harry who’s considered a “good cop.” If he weren’t a cop, he’d be considered as much of a public nuisance as Leslie and Burke, if not even worse than them 💀 And then there’s that moment of Kim admitting to Harry genuinely that he’s considering doing speed to improve his job performance like… jdxgsjcb man. Idk. Cops. 😔

I do think it’s good to explore hopeful routes for them to change, ig for me the thought that interests me more is less whether it’s possible and more what would it take for them to get there. The fact that the player doesn’t have an option to quit being a cop does not bode well (neither does the fact that one of the endings involves recruiting Cuno… eugh) but who knows, as someone else pointed out it’s implied that there’s massive upheaval just on the horizon and they’re not gonna be able to sit on the fence anymore for long.

The thing I keep thinking about is the quote from the mural, “TRUE LOVE IS POSSIBLE ONLY IN THE NEXT WORLD — FOR NEW PEOPLE, IT’S TOO LATE FOR US.” There is no true love in a police state bc all of our interactions with each other are warped by the need to cling to what little individual power we have to survive. (I think that’s exactly what Kim, for instance, is doing by being a police officer. He openly admits to being disenchanted by moralism and that it’s pure sentimentality to think that the RCM serves the people of Revachol and not the coalition, but still chooses to “believe in the RCM” because it’s all he’s got. It gives him a sense of power and control in a world that increasingly feels doomed and pointless to live in.) And that doesn’t change no matter who’s doing the policing.

Kim’s love for Harry/the player is still warped in a way by the fact that they’re both cops, and that that’s the only reason he was able to look past your drug habits and neurotype and genuinely connect with you as a person. The fact that his takeaway from being a juvie cop for 15 years was that kids like Cuno aren’t worth trying to deal with is just… damn. Doesn’t bode well. But I think that if Kim lets his experiences w Harry and the people of Martinaise expand his worldview and start to be able to conceptualize a “new world,” he could also choose to be a “new person,” same as how you can reinvent Harry and his politics (to an extent). The question ig is whether they would be able to accept that it truly is, to an extent, too late for them, and that they’re going to have to be okay with laying the groundwork for change that they probably won’t live to see. Kim has that line that’s like “The moralintern is a fact. I try not to have opinions on facts. Unless they change. But… I don’t think they will in our lifetime.” If he wants to be able to be a new person and experience the true love he glimpsed in Martinaise, he’s gonna have to stop resigning himself to the “facts” of life. I don’t think it’s impossible, esp with what’s implied to be right on the horizon, but I do think that the fact that the game tells you that the week in Martinaise wasn’t enough by itself is just… sadly real. 20 years, 6 kills, and a dead(?) partner is a whole lot of sunken cost.

But that’s kind of what I like about DE’s particular brand of fragile optimism tbh. The fact that it openly is saying “we are destroying the world and the ending feels like it’s right on the horizon, and that we’re never going to make it to the new world in our lifetime, if we ever make it at all. But we’ve still got something to fuel our infernal engines and push us to try anyway. Even when it’s too late, it’s never really too late. The new world starts in our imaginations, and imagination starts as hope, and hope starts as love.”

#asks #anon #disco elysium

[citrusreadstoa]

Reading The Dark Prophecy: Chapter 39 (SPOILERS)

"No flash photography, please / Oops. My bad. Ha-ha" Is that... a common accident during battles?

"Say the word . . . and I will bore a hole between this moron emperor's eyes." I feel like it's not gonna be that easy. It probably took a ton of effort just to get that one scratch on his face because that's how boss battles are.

"Only the word CORN was still visible." Ooh, that's a bad omen. Remember what happened with Triptolemus?

"You summoned a spirit?" . . . "A small one." Ey! But if having an invisible wind spirit ally wasn't enough to do more damage, I'm concerned.

"We are not going to make say hello to my little friend a thing." Even now, in the most dire of circumstances... "Leo . . . a seven-foot-tall barbarian is holding a crossbow against the side of your head." . . . "It's all part of the plan!" PLSSSSSS HE'S ABOUT TO DIE They are all about to die and these two are having this exchange, someone please give these two a higher sense of self-preservation

"Albatrix, if the demigod speaks again, you have my permission to shoot him." 1) Albatrix, nice name. 2) Yeah, that's about what I expected to come of Leo and Apollo's exchange. 3) Unfortunately, I doubt Leo is going to keep his mouth shut for long, if at all.

"Are you telling me . . . that your great army surrounded this place, invaded, and couldn't even find a chair?" Apollo, careful. You're going to end up with a crossbow to your head, too. Bet the Waystation is hiding it in some hidden room. Hypothetically, it could just block a room off with no doors or staircases or hallways leading to it. It could just Cask-of-Amontillado that thing and no one would ever find it again.

But also, coulda just scouted the place. Impatience leads you to your doom.

"But most of my forces are merely lost . . . They'll be back." Like the Terminator. Anyway, don't tell me we have another Thanatos-Doors-of-Death dealio again. "about half his monstrous troops fell into a giant chute marked LAUNDRY." LMAO NEVER MIND The Waystation is the deadliest opponent on this battlefield. "The rest fell into the furnace room. Nobody ever comes back from the furnace room." Now, they're dead. Bet Leo could come back from the furnace room, though. Probably find a lot of bones there. "And his mercenaries . . . wound up at the Indiana Convention Center." You know, there's probably an entrance to the Labyrinth somewhere in this Waystation.

"Blood dripped down" SO IT IS BLOOD! They're not at ichor stage yet, assuming there are stages to becoming a god.

"This is the only deal. You will let your hostages go. You will leave here empty-handed and never return." Confidence is nice, but Apollo has one (1) ukulele and idk how Marcus Aurelius' quote is going to help them win the stand-off.

"I want you to avert your eyes. I am about to reveal my true godly form." Is he trying to get the Germani holding the hostages to close their eyes so they won't react as fast when he attacks them or Commodus? That's risky, but better than no plan at all.

"which of his deepest fears that bee swarm might feed on." The bees! Not the bees! Anything but the bees!

"Commodus and his men could have looked away. They didn't." Well, there goes that plan. "My body superheated" Uhh. "Then the screaming began." They didn't die? I guess monsters and almost-gods are more resilient against it. Could also be that Apollo's operating at, like, half a percent of his normal power. All I know is they're holding up a lot better than Jason did.

"silhouettes were burned across the tile floor . . . Their clothes had also lightened by several shades." This is... a lot like what nuclear bombs do, isn't it? Conclusion: Apollo can sometimes be radioactive. Stay away from that guy.

"my skin was now the color of maple bark." That's kind of brownish, medium grayish, sort of ashen. "I thought I looked quite nice this way" You think you look nice looking like someone diluted the paint before coloring you in? I'm glad your self-image has improved.

"horrible skin cancers I'd just given myself." Oh no, wait, he can irradiate himself with that move? "an antique flashbulb." We have bigger problems. Rick Riordan calls light bulbs flashbulbs.

"Alright, guys. This has been fun, but I'm gonna melt his face now, 'kay?" I love how casually he just says that.

"I was a second father to you. I gave you purpose!" "A second father even worse than the first" Yeah, Lit has not had good experiences with fathers. That was the wrong card to pull.

"and tumbled into the void." Wait, the void? I thought this was a window? Did the Waystation change where the window leads? Did he fall into the furnace room?

Okay, so final face-off presumably over. Kinda disappointed that this means we won't get all three of the Triumviratees together in the final book. I guess they're not all fighters so it wouldn't have worked out anyway, but that's still a let-down. On the bright side (lol this was a very bright chapter), this was a satisfying conclusion aside from the above.

Do all the people in the room have skin cancer now?

#yeah i'm pretty sure they're all doomed #'cause like that's not a regular flash bomb. that's not light bulb light. Apollo is the SUN GOD. that's all UV bby #reading trials of apollo #reading the dark prophecy #reading toa #reading tdp #toa spoilers #trials of apollo spoilers #trials of apollo #the dark prophecy #percy jackson and the olympians #apollo pjo #apollo #lester papadopoulos #commodus pjo #commodus #emperor commodus #lityerses pjo #lityerses #leo valdez #the waystation #triumvirate holdings #pjo #toa #pjo hoo toa #rrverse #riordanverse

[katbrando]

💪🏻🎶💭 and 📊 if that's what you're asking for *bloosh*

omg UMI BELOVED you didn't have to send anything in 🥺💜 i appreciate you and apologize beforehand bc i'm so wordy

💪 Describe a theme or other element of the original source material that you feel is strengthened or reinforced by the presence of your ship.

this is tough honestly but because it's about the source material i'll go off my s/i instead of modern au 🤔 i think introducing my s/i (and hp) to diego much earlier on in the race offers extra emphasis/insight into his distrust of people, like... there's so much angst and anger between the two of them. he's a prick who has no problem expressing his disgust with the lower class and people in general, meanwhile my s/i is like his total opposite - she's humble to a fault, distrusts the upper class, and could not care less about diego's prestige. the tension between the two is Interesting and they bring out the worst in each other for a good while before they get over themselves and fall in love much later on

🎶 Select a piece of music to relate to your ship. What themes or ideas about your ships does this piece of music share or highlight?

oh GOD... (looking at the entirety of arctic monkeys' discography) oh boy UHHH ACTUALLY i'll ignore that and throw a curve ball: i recently added 'stargazing' by the neighbourhood to my self-ship playlist 🥺 it contains very important elements of dinokat: - cars (pull it out of park, put it in drive / better keep the ac on for me / windows start to fog) our first kiss is in diego's car, we take a lot of road trips, in general a lot of Bonding and intimacy (both emotional and physical) takes place in his car - tension/mutual pining (it's a race against the clock, but we don't wanna watch / might've set the bar a little too high) we're so annoying bc we liked each other for a while and i was too afraid to admit it to both myself and him, he was too afraid to ruin the bond we have bc it's so rare for him to make close connections and he didn't want to lose that - and an eventual sort of.. Sudden admission of feelings (all the patience that i've got, it's not enough to save me / started with a spark, now we're on fire) again, both of us admitted our feelings in his car HFDKS, it happened fast (a little too fast for my liking) and it felt very like !!!!! help, i really like you !!!!! ??? idk if that makes sense, basically it was bubbling up for a while

💭 What arguments would you use to persuade someone to ship the ship you're discussing?

🥺 ummmmm pretty please ship dinokat bc we're cute 🥺 and i rlly like diego a lot 🥺 /hj .. UGH IDK i think we compliment each other, we're total opposites in terms of personality but i don't think that's a bad thing! we have nearly identical interests and a very similar outlook on life. we're silly and goofy and stupid and want to be better people, especially for each other 🥺

📊 Compare and contrast the personalities of the characters in your ship. Describe whether you feel it is their similarities or their differences that define the ship.

the obvious answer is that diego harbors general distaste for people and he's Very self-centered VS me, who's Very self-less and tends to see the good in people. he truly doesn't care about anyone outside of himself and his small circle, while i would drop everything including my own well-being just to help someone, even if i don't really know them. BUT because we're on two opposite ends of the spectrum i think we both view the other's outlook as sort of.. inspiring, i guess. maybe we wouldn't outwardly admit it (bc we're both STUBBORN LOL) but we can take aspects of each other's outlooks and apply it to ourselves. like obviously i don't want to be AS selfish as him but i can realistically see how taking a crumb of that and applying it to myself would greatly improve my life. putting my own well-being above others is something i can definitely use and would benefit from. and maybe diego can learn to be a little more compassionate by watching the way it makes me feel good to care for other people. but also i think our similarities are wonderful :'))) we can agree on aesthetics and music and humor and general opinions on things (outside of the things i mentioned above) and that really makes things so much more fun!!!!

#good lord i rlly know how to Talk huh ..... SORRY FHDSKJG #thank you for asking umi i appreciate you 💜 #kat answers

[sanstropfremir]

i've been thinking abt that ask where you said artistry and celebrity are mutually exclusive and how key straddles that, i think the difference is that he understands fame not as a byproduct of his work but as the foundation and raison d'etre; he treats being a celebrity as a privilege and a responsibility and has been like that practically since debut. whereas the rest of shinee wore fame like an ill fitting coat until they found their own ways of dealing with it (cont)

most obviously with taemin's entire discography but also with how minho and jinki have perfected the balance of being very open and straightforward while still clearly delineating their work from their personal lives. and jjong going the other way and leaning into the communicative, relationship-building aspect of his art. idk if this makes sense but it's interesting how besides key, who i think is pm the same in solo vs shinee, they pick and choose what aspects to show as a group

yes i agree. he's one of the few people that understands celebrity as the basis for the work that he does and you're absolutely right, he treats it with responsibility and reverence. he has kept relatively the same persona because he knew celebrity was what he wanted and knew and was prepared to do what it takes. a lot of people go into being an idol with the vague goal of wanting to be famous, but most people never reach a place of significant fame and even when they do, very few people are actually equipped to deal with it in a healthy way. bad love has his relationship with celebrity at the core of it and i find it such an interesting exploration that's very different from how taemin and jjong have approached the same topic in their work.

being in a group requires different energies than doing solo work does. being solo exposes your flaws and also exposes you if you aren't prepared for it, but in a group you can lean on each other to cover those up. and imo they all lean into this hard; in shinee they are so so confident and everything they do is built on their strengths, but all of them as solo artists are much more vulnerable. on purpose, i might add. they use their solo endeavours to tackle things that they feel like they want to improve, or that they want to talk about but are more sensitive/unsuitable topics for 'shinee' to touch on. minho and jinki both focussed more on skill improvement and expectation shattering, if that turn of phrase makes sense, taemin does (waves hand at my entire blog), jjong covered a very wide array of topics, and key touched on the melancholy and loneliness of self and celebrity with bad love.

#kpop questions #shinee #shinee w #that's a good analogy. the coat was very illfitting for most of them for a long time #minho is the one we've seen the least creative input from in terms of solo work (obvs he's been writing for shinee for years at this point) #and im really interested to see what his solo work will look like #but i do suspect it will be similar to jinki in that it's a performance that he keeps separate from himself #text #answers

[amethyst-halo]

Being 100% honest here, I feel like a lot of the recent fandom hate towards Sunbeam and/or Nightheart seems to be very… overblown?

I think Night was well within his right to leave ThunderClan, personally - Sparkpelt, Squirrelflight, Finchlight, and Lionblaze have all been shown so far to have put needless pressure on him to conform to a VERY high standard set by someone that he never even got the chance to know before he was born, and is lambasted for it when he dares to request a name change as a means of carving out his own sense of belonging within the clan. That is toxic. Is it a bit too self-loathing about it for my taste? Absolutely. But he’s still being reduced down to someone else’s identity by his family + being shunned by them for expressing any sort of individuality outside of it, which is not a healthy living situation to be in at all. I feel like some of the fandom is making it out as if Night openly believes that everyone around him hates him, when that’s simply not the case - he openly acknowledges that he has been shown nothing but respect and support by Alderheart, Jayfeather, Bayshine, Sorrelstripe, Finleap, Brightheart, and Twigbranch. It’s really just his immediate family that’s the problem - and I think that, in such a case, it would be the healthiest option for him to get away from them. With Sunbeam, I don’t think that it’s ooc for her to be a little bit insensitive with Lightleap’s feelings - she’s been previously characterized to be a bit oblivious and aloof, in my opinion. She doesn’t seem to pick up on that stuff as easily as others do, and that’s something that she’ll probably have to work on. She still has good intentions at heart, but just goes about expressing her feelings rather poorly - and really doesn’t give herself time to process her thoughts before acting. I just think that people have judged these protagonists a bit too harshly considering how early on we are into the arc - I highly doubt that Nightheart’s angst or Sunbeam’s obliviousness will be something that isn’t improved upon as the series goes on. Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, and Ivypool are some examples of this - characters grow and develop throughout the books, overcoming their flaws to some degree, if that makes sense!

hi!! yea i can definitely see where ur coming from here. i think for sure there are some harsh judgements this early in the series, yea.

i personally don't have- and i think most others don't have- a problem with nightheart's reasons for doing what he does. it's absolutely toxic for him to be put under the pressures he's facing and it's probably the healthiest for him atm to leave that situation. most of my and others' problems from what i understand is that a: the characters around him are being forced out of character solely for nightheart's arc- specifically female characters i.e. squirrelflight sparkpelt and finchlight (and also lionblaze who is honestly completely in character imo), and b: his arc COULD have gone to his mother, a noted firestar clone, instead. he Shouldn't have to be put under these pressures and he Should be allowed to carve out his own place in the clans. the erins just think the only way to do that is for everyone to bully him even if they never would, and they won't give the arc to someone who could have had it earlier and would possibly fit the role better. and ig i don't know for sure bc i don't have the book yet, but iirc he does think a few times that everyone hates him, whether or not it's true and whether or not there are exceptions. idk if he ever Says it outside of the end of sky, but i feel like i remember seeing a few places where he thinks it at least; it's pretty open to the reader imo, i just dunno if its open to the characters

i agree with u on sunbeam! she feels like she's in her own head a lot and not picking up on everything around her. i think her feeling bad about lightleap and blazefire makes sense bc (from what i understand) romantic feelings are just Like That sometimes. she might like... be feeling them at a bad time or something, but she isn't acting on them from what i can tell rn. she was, kind of, when she got herself hurt, but she feels like she's trying more to keep it to herself now. some of her reactions are out of place, but she seems to know that and is trying to minimize her outward responses. she's juggling her feelings for blazefire with her argument with lightleap with her stress from literally everything else going on, and i think it's understandable if her feelings get a little mixed up in there somewhere.

yea though, i agree with u! i'm willing to give both of them a little more time before solidifying my opinions i think- granted, am already biased but askjdhjs y'know

ty for ur thoughts!!!! i like having convos

#I THINK I COVERED EVERYTHING i am notoriously bad at reading askdhjhdjkff #long post #asc sky #asc spoilers #warrior cats spoilers #wc spoilers #sketch answers #fellidate

[glitchdollmemoria]

lots of thoughts with yom kippur approaching and not sure how to organize them. thoughts about the fact that i try to be a good person who doesnt harm others and apologizes when i do, thoughts about having low empathy and reduced remorse and not always being able to tell whether i actually was justified in doing something that hurt someone else or whether my own ego is clouding my judgement, thoughts about how my memory is so poor that i struggle to think of instances where i might have hurt people because i struggle to think of anything really that isnt within a very narrow timeframe but then when i can remember it loops back around to me justifying it. thoughts about not even trusting my own judgement on whether or not ive hurt someone because i think i tend to assume wrong in either direction, either assuming i matter more to someones happiness than i do or not recognizing how much i matter to someone else. i am a self centered person although i try not to be, and i will continue trying not to be but i also dont know if ill ever fully erase that from the core of my being, and so all i really can do is keep trying. maybe i have to spend the coming year trying to be more aware of whether or not im hurting people, and trying to be willing to recognize when i really am in the wrong instead of writing off my behavior, and trying to still be discerning as to when i AM justified in. idk. being a bit of a cunt to assholes. but also still trying to show restraint and not take things too far. trying to strike a balance and just be aware and careful.

i remember when i told my father i was interested in judaism, he said people shouldnt need religion to know how to be good people. and i do think on the whole thats mostly true, at least in the sense that religion isnt a requirement in order to have good morals. i think its important to have motivations to be a moral person beyond just "my religion says so". but at the same time, i personally do rely partly on religion for that sort of thing. its not like i was a horrible person before deciding to convert, ive always had at least a part of me that does genuinely want to be good for the sake of goodness, and thats part of WHY i love judaism, because of the emphasis on making the world a better place and treating people kindly, on the idea that this planet is HaShem's creation and all people are made in His image. but i also still need guidance. and maybe thats not so unique after all, maybe im not all that special for struggling so much with morality and selfishness. i dont know. i just think maybe instead of fretting about trying to remember specific instances where ive acted hurtfully, and trying to figure out whether or not i "should" feel remorseful, maybe i just need to accept that i have a lot of issues currently (but hopefully not permanently, or at least not always to this degree) interfering with my ability to figure all that out, and i need to focus on the big picture and recognize that surely, at some times, i HAVE hurt others with my own selfishness, and i need to be aware of that and keep trying to reduce how often that happens, and recognize when it does so i can make things right. i need to be aware of the fact that my moral compass isnt perfect, and i need to be willing to acknowledge when i make mistakes instead of trying to maintain my own self image as the most morally superior person in the room. and thats difficult and painful because its a complete gut punch to my own narcissism, because my instinct is to view that sort of vulnerability as an opportunity for others to paint me as inferior, and to safeguard myself against inferiority however i can. but the vulnerability is an absolute necessity if i want to ACTUALLY improve as a person. do i want to protect myself by insisting im a morally perfect person, or do i want to actualize my desires for moral perfection, or at least get as close as humanly possible? am i ready to grapple with the fact that growth involves admitting my flaws? am i capable of looking directly at my imperfections, or will i let my refusal to look at them become just another flaw on the pile? i think all of this is more useful for me to focus on this year. there are a couple specific memories of hurting people that i want to focus on too, but by and large with my own brain ill get more mileage out of looking at the big picture for now. and on the one hand hopefully i can focus more on specific instances next yom kippur, but on the other hand id like to try to avoid as many as possible in the first place.