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sorryimananti-romantic · 1 month

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SKRT SKRT

Konichiwassup mate! How do you do this bright evening! I am simply buzzed with excitement because I've finally managed to shake off my post exam exhaustion after sleeping through one whole day~

I was wondering what kind of medieval/mystic being our Ateez boyfriends might be and here are my thoughts:

1. Hongjoong: Fairy. A garden fairy to be exact. Like LOOK at his tiny ass (we're the same height) HE'S SO SMOL (He's actually pretty tall) HOW CUTE! (Well that's true.)

Also I can imagine him fly around in the garden perfecting the aesthetics of the place. And no, he'll not keep some basic ass fancy grass, nuh uh, natural vegetation and grass😌

2. Seonghwa: a Heavenly Nymph. Bro is gorgeous beyond words. His beauty is so sublime he can NEVER be just a mere earthly being. He'd be the most beautiful nymphs of all but equally as deadly. Crpss him and you might just lose a limb.

Yeosang: Forest Elf. Okay hear me out. LONG BLOND HAIR YEOSANG. AND WE ALL KNOW HOW BEAUTIFUL THE COLOUR GREEN LOOKS ON HIM. But yes he seems like he'll be the forest protector elf. (Maybe Hongjoong and Yeosang play together idk)

4. Yunho: Dragon. Bro is dragon coded. Like he's SO dragon. Ouu but he'll ne such a sweet dragon tho. Maybe he let's all the forest creatures sleep near him during chilly winters since he naturally exudes warmth.

5. Woosan: Nine Tail Foxes. They're a pair. Do not separate. I'm thinking Wooyoung would be the Nine Tailed fox that goes "Ohhh you look delicious. I wonder what you taste like!" And San would be like "Wooyo we talked about not scaring random travellers for fun anymore." T~T The Yin-Yang Foxies

6. Minki: The mountain diety. He's the one in charge of the forest that the boys live in. Though he's just a babie!:(( like one day a random bunny will he minding his business when he comes across Mountain diety Mingi yapping about his problems to a sympathetic Seonghwa while pouting.

7. Jongho: Moon Spirit. He descends down to the forest at night to sing to all the creatures. The animals sometimes bring him gifts like leaves and shiny pebbles. Has kept them all in a secure box back home.

HI HIIII IM SO GLAD YOU'RE BACK AHAHA I MISSED THIS

okay but i love your brain? ateez as medieval/mystical creatures? hello??

okay i've always thought about demons and darker stuff when it comes to hongjoong but now that you say it.... he fits the concept of a garden fairy so well? tiny lil joong (says i who'd look like a dwarf next to him) with his little trinkets and colours he's so fairy coded actually you've changed my perspective of him.

and seonghwa-- you're absolutely right about this one. prettiest nymph in the area and also the deadliest. too pretty for you. too pretty to belong to the earth. im glad all of us agree on that LOL

i always think fairy when i think of yeosang. fairy or angel. but forest elf is such a cute concept i can def entertain it (esp if it's long blonde hair yeosang wearing the colour green you've found me weakness). he would def be friends with hongjoong, often spotted hanging out with him. seonghwa would sometimes join them hehehehehe

yunho! dragon! coded! TAKE ME HOME!! my gut told me i had to make him a dragon and its worked so well (considering i just became an atiny when i wrote take me home, deciding his animal form should be a dragon is sth im a little proud of). you bet he'd have everyone lined up next to him in the winters for him to keep them warm and snug hoho

omg woosan as foxes yes doesn't help they look like actual foxes. nine-tailed fox duo? even better. yin-yang foxes? im violently sobbing right now. wooyoung would def scare the villagers away only for san to scold him afterwards and he would be like :D

omgg minki mountain deity trust us to give mingi some mighty role when he's literally a babie :(( but yes! yapping about his problems to anyone who sits with him long enough and the mountain creatures be like ah shit here we go again :') sometimes yunho the dragon would find this mountain deity and they would hang out im so soft rn

jongho. moon. spirit. lemme kiss your brain. descends down each night to sing the creatures to sleep? (i need him to sing me to sleep too) im gonna write a whole something about this one day just you watch BUT OMGG imagine its winters and all of the ateez are hanging out next to yunho the dragon and jongho joins them and for a while they all hang out until its time to sleep and jongho sings them to sleep and watches his hyungs with those (◠ ◡ ◠) eyes im gonna cry

#kaya comes in with the good stuff again #love how you always bring food for thought quite literally #kaya <3 #ateez #ateez scenarios #yumi.asks

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aces-and-angels · 3 months

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Will your Rowan and cute Abel have babies too? Create a family? Adopt? 🥺🥺

ooo solid question- it's actually something i've thought about, esp. after writing my thoughts on ilw's finale (here's abel's for context)

i'll add my thoughts below the cut bc i'm known to ramble lmaoo

---

the short answer: no- here's the long one lol:

to sum things up from my original deep dive, i chose the mixed ending for abel x rowan. and in order to tell yall what i think will transpire between them- i gotta quote ro herself:

Rowan: “I... I can’t leave with you, Abel, not yet. Maybe not ever... I need to make sure people like Matthias don’t hurt it again... This is who I am, Abel, I think it always will be.”

i wanna focus on the language being used here, not because i believe ro is unsure of her motivations, but to highlight that she has only begun establishing who she really is + how this newly found sense of self will play out in her day-to-day life.

on the flip side, there's abel. someone who has simply lived more life and isn't going through the same type of growing pains we leave ro with by story's end. he's a career academic, a family man- someone who wants to set down roots and excel in his field of study.

logistically, it would take years before they'd be ready to take the plunge and become parents. for rowan, it's just not in the cards. (🎶 it's my hc, i can do what a i want to~ 🎶) and she doesn't want to.

her definition of family isn't bound by children, adopted or otherwise. before that picnic, rowan (again, my interpretation of her) has never expressed any interest in having kids. a bit of a nihilist in that regard, actually. the world is too fucked up as it is, why add to its collective misery?

post-picnic, there's a lingering fear that settles along with her feelings on children. the fear of losing what she has at any point. as a result, nothing truly feels like it's hers. a large reason why rowan falls for abel can be seen here:

Rowan: I have to go back... Abel: Of course. You know you can always stay here if you want. Rowan: Your siblings wouldn't mind? Abel: No. There's always room for one more person, no matter how small the house is. *You can't help but smile at him, your chest tight. This sort of close-knit family isn't something you're used to anymore. You've stayed with Amalia's family, but you haven't had one of your own, not since that day in the mountains.*

(and it's not even technically a 'romance' option 😉)

family isn't just having/adopting children. it's playing board games on amalia's bedroom floor. it's struggling to keep pace with jocelyn (and moss) on early morning runs. it's late night drinks at lincoln's favorite bar in vegas. and it's a shared life with abel- who got rowan to believe there is space in her heart for him and everything else life has to offer. and that's enough.

plus- it's so much more fun to be the cool, badass auntie 💅🏻

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limerancy-fics · 1 year

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what makes xiaoven possible from ventis pov in canonverse? what are some reasons why he would get along w xiao, esp to the point of love?

i see this a lot, actually. a lot of people who aren't xv shippers don't see how they would like each other, and i especially saw for a while at the start people saying venti would never love xiao for "freedom" reasons or whatever. but if someone really thinks venti wouldn't get along with xiao or vice versa, i know they don't actually look at the characters beyond surface interpretation and fanon characterization.

because xiao is exactly the type of person venti is drawn to. before or beyond romance. i mean, look at vennessa--she is, in my mind, very similar to xiao: someone who is trapped and wishes for freedom, someone who is forced to fight when that's not who they want to be, someone who becomes one of the only things between their nation and those who want to destroy it. they're both kind-hearted, deep down, gentle souls who have been given a role in life that pains them (and even after life, in regards to vennessa and celestia). they both fight for the freedom of their people, because they know it's the only thing they can do. and, though we don't know much about the nameless bard, we can assume he was similar to them as well. out of everyone in mond, the nameless bard and vennessa were the ones venti was drawn to. out of everyone in liyue, xiao is the only one we know of who has the power of anemo and has been saved/freed by venti in the same way vennessa was: given just enough to fight for themselves. if venti had not played for xiao that night, he would have been lost to the karma and as far as we're aware, he hasn't been that close to losing it ever since.

venti is very intelligent. he's very compassionate. he's very supportive and understanding. and he's very much drawn to people like xiao. xiao is different from vennessa in that he's had a lot longer to build his walls and be stuck in his rut. so the way venti approaches him is likely a much more delicate dance than what he did with vennessa or the nameless bard. it would take a lot more time. and, despite what most people think, venti doesn't actually bail out when the going gets tough. we see that 100% in how he was with us to face dvalin and how he took down durin with dvalin during the cataclysm--leading durin away from the city and to the mountain, both to protect his people from the dragon itself and the dragon's corrupted corpse.

i think he'd 100% be persistent in wiggling through xiao's walls to at least become his friend, even if just because he thinks xiao needs one. most people seem to think he'd get bored with xiao and how difficult he can be and just move on, but i think he's not so easily fooled. he knows there's more underneath who xiao seems to be on the surface. and he would, of course, slowly reveal the traits xiao has that make him so loveable: his gentleness, his kindness, his loyalty and devotion, his sense of responsibility, his care for liyue and its people, his selflessness, his strength (physically and emotionally), and, most importantly, his deep, deep, deep desire for freedom and peace. i think venti, of all people, would be the one who could see all of this despite the front xiao puts up.

and...how could he not fall in love?

because beyond who xiao is individually, he might also be one of the only people who could understand venti and his very specific grief. there are very few people still alive who went through the archon war, very few people who have lost in the way they have, who have had to live on in the way they have¹. that kind of shared past and pain can create a very strong bond and may be the catalyst for venti feeling like he doesn't have to put on an act around xiao--in fact, xiao is so blunt that it may draw venti away from that mask without him meaning to. and, especially after the Situation with signora, xiao might be one of the only people he can feel safe with.

he doesn't have to put on an act around xiao, he doesn't have to pretend he's not in pain, he doesn't have to worry about being hurt by someone else. he can literally just sit there and play and not say a single word but still be in the company of someone who understands him and i think that's something he very much needs sometimes.

yes, there would definitely be a period of time in which xiao sees him as Lord Barbatos but with a few pranks, antics, and general mischief, that image would be shattered and he would just be venti, which would make being around xiao much more comfortable for him

and i think all of this combined makes the perfect recipe for centuries of extremely intense longing, yearning, pining, etc.

you might ask: "okay, sure, but why xiao? i mean zhongli is right there and he fits a bunch of that criteria!" and i would say: "well, hypothetical anon, as it is, venti and zhongli just can't fucking stand being in each other's presence for more than an hour at most. they are both too much like their elements: free and reckless and flighty as the wind and rigid and stubborn and grand as stone. there's a reason anemo and geo don't react with each other: they just butt up against each other because one is an unstoppable force and the other is an immovable object and they don't get anywhere with each other. i doubt any form of valuable communication can happen between the two of them, and i doubt they could actually like being around each other and genuinely enjoy the other's company beyond just generally annoying each other."

and after all this, i just have to say: i actually wrote a fic all about it, believe it or not. i have an almost 200k word fic about how i think they feel about each other in canonverse, which includes venti's pov and goes over literally everything i said, just much more poetic and filled with a lot more yearning. idk if u've read it yet anon but highly recommend 👍

#xiaoven #canonverse #venti hc #character analysis #im sorry if i seem a bit salty this ask just kinda came off as really passive aggressive?? idk if that's the right thing but #if u didnt mean for it to be like shoving a microphone in my face and demanding i justify shipping xv with canon #its ok #but ive kinda gotten tired of the ''why do you ship xiaoven they wouldnt even like each other in canon blah blah blah'' nonsense ive gotten #(and just generally seen Online)

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the-monkey-ruler · 3 months

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Chenxiang gets to live many years as an immortal with his mother after he frees her or is that never specified? Merging with the lotus lantern (which is Nuwa's invention, right?) should have increased his lifespan, and also training with an immortal should also mean that something must have affected him in some way. Or does he live with his mother like mortals after the events?

I understand that Sanshengmu as a goddess, her name must have been erased from the book of Yama, so she cannot die unless she is killed by other immortal, and I have no idea if gods can become mortal again.

Chenxiang gets to live many years as an immortal with his mother after he frees her or is that never specified?

He should be an immortal from all his training. I never really see much of an after-story of Chenxiang and thus I can't say what is the most interpreted version but the best I can assume is that he would be at least immortal similar to how Erlang Shen was immortal after training under the Tao to save his own mother.

Merging with the lotus lantern (which is Nuwa's invention, right?) should have increased his lifespan, and also training with an immortal should also mean that something must have affected him in some way.

I'm not sure about the ramifications of merging with the Lotus Lantern but it is a heavenly treasure made by Nvwa and thus there could be a lot of changes within his body, being immortal could be one of them.

At the very least if the Lotus Lantern only gave him prolonged life then he should have been able to master the Dao to have the proper cultivation to keep an immortal body.

Or does he live with his mother like mortals after the events?

I do see a lot of instances in the end of Lotus Lantern stories that Sansheng Mu and Chenxiang (and sometimes his dad) do go back to living on Lotus Mountain where they used to live. Perhaps they could have moved to the lower realms of heaven like other mortal families. I'm not sure how long they would stay on earth but they probably move to heaven to stay a family, esp if you believe that the father would have a longer lifespan being able to live in heaven as well.

As a goddess she would most likely lose her death date yes, but there are cases of celestials being turned mortal again as a punishment. (also anyone could kill her if strong, enough it doesn't have to be immortal) We see this with Chang'e in one of her many versions where she and Houyi were gods and then turned mortal and then Chang'e was only able to be immortal again.

So it most likely would be done by the Jade Emporer who would be strong and cultivated enough to know how to take away other celestials' cultivation. But since her punishment was to be put under a mountain she never lost her immortality, nor did she ever lose her god status either. Most likely because their crimes were different and thus she was being punished in a similar manner as her mother.

#anon ask #anonymous #anon #jttw #ask #lotus lantern #chen xiang #liu chenxiang #sansheng mu #sanseng mu

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catboymoments · 2 years

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i kinda agree that anon is making a mountain out of a molehill but i do also think its possibly worth examining where that love of family fluff & creating fankids comes from?? like,, gjhgfgh yeah its problably NOT that deep but would you have such a preference for quote unqoute 'traditional family values' like getting married & making a baby had you not been raised catholic? i dont think u should constantly be 2nd guessing urself or not creating the content that makes u happy (esp when its literally not hurting anyone) but idk maybe its worth reflecting on ur own internal biases a bit? i also fully support transmasc pregnancy content but anon does raise a point that like,, save for ur UTDR fankid stuff, basically all ur other kid aus follow the trend of 'cis dude x trans dude who gets pregnant' which again,, like,, isnt THAT deep,, esp when uve explained that u r a transmasc person who wants to be pregnant & have kids but again kinda raises the question well why is that particular configuration so preferrential for you? 2 cis guys can have a surrogate, 2 transmasc dudes can adopt, having a vast majority of ur content default to any particular thing is inevitably garner a critical evaluation, esp w/ something so commonly fetishized as transmasc pregnancy, which isnt ur burden to bare either but just,,, aggghhh idk basically tl;dr ppl are blowing things out of proportion but i also dont think that what theyre saying is wholly without merit. the culture in which anyone is raised/surrounded by directly affects their art yes, but it also affects their values which in turn indirectly affect their art

if youve been following me 4 a while since the bnha days youll know that ive done art of all sorts of families, not just a trans dude and a cis dude. leik 4 example we got iida and sero- in my bnha nextgen verse theyre two cis dudes who want a kid, so mina, a cis girl, was their surrogate. also- asriel and ferostbite, despite being monsters, they're t4t and don't have any bio kids, but they coparent alice with chara.. usually my headcanons are just something I get a vibe from, like i dont sit there like "and THIS ONE has to have a cock because otherwise how would they have a kid?" and sometimes the one with cockenballen isn't even cis. like with komahina I hc that nagito is amab nonbinary. it just so happens that they could have a kid.

tbh ive always hated the aspect of catholicism thats like "you MUST get married and reproduce" because like we dont live in the dark ages anymore, yeah?? not everyone wants kids, and if someone wants a sacremental marriage they shouldnt be held to the standard of having kids. I dont think my interest in pregnancy is a religion based thing either- ever since I was little even before I could comprehend what I was being taught in church, I always had a fascination with human reproduction, gynecology and obstetrics from a scientific pov. I would pour over anatomy textbooks and be fascinated about how humans are made, and well. what can I say, I have a soft spot for cute tiny babies.

not trying to retort anything here, just wanted to give some thoughts.

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shinakazami1 · 1 year

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• previous ask anon here! I saw the positive response on my last ask so might as well say some more (imagine getting happy from being praised on your own praise, can't be me/j)

• you may feel like Dear Stanley doesn't get many reads but I assure you, if the fic was a youtube video I would put it on loop (they are so silly and the metaphors and the way he cared so much about those little details?? same fr)

• Tomato getting more content. oh no. my heart. you better prepare to pay for the damages that will be inflicted on my soul.

• I decided to tour your ao3 works and read Bad Luck! …I checked all the tags, no worries. (Love, Falling and All Things did came up first but it's in a series so I put it for later)

• 27k. That one hour of reading was quite something. It's so wrong but it's so good?? keyboard smashes I won't dive into details here, but the words hold so much feelings. They are so,,,a (Fanfic writers my beloved good job you two) Question: how are their lives after that. are they happy like really truly happy. it's an au but i need to know if my blorbos are ok.

• I'm probably going to read the soulmate bodyswap series next, and I'm really excited since 1. omg tooth-rotting fluffy gay men, I need this and 2. planetariums, aquariums and animal facts are my absolute favourites stop hitting my soft spots (once again thank goodness for fanfic writers amen)

• sorry if this is too long and possibly confusing! I'm not the best at writing anything out...maybe retreating to ao3 comment sections now that I know anonymous/no account commenting exists (because of you, I finally found out about it after all these years, thanks). Have a nice 365 days!

Anon please my gosh I just opened tumblr and I saw I had a message and just to hear my reaction for your comment meant a lot means a lot to me ofahioasi we are rn in a very silly loop and just please know I told my close buds about you writing these asks and just it means so much to me, and to see you wrote such a long comment (I checked, wow, 307 words, dude I appreciate you sm if you would ever want to reveal yourself be my guest IOHFSOIFSAO I just, I truly appreciate you)

Now lemme just respond to each point under the cut but PLEASE THIS IS NOT CONFUSING NOR TOO LONG THIS IS JUST SO PRECIOUS

Dude I am so glad you liked the metaphors!! I really wanted to make him project onto different things and just, Narrator feels like a man who would care so much about details that others wouldn't

If I ever get back to writing haha, but the prequel is gonna be a cute slowburn of how they got together (no angst tho haha noooo sir don't look how I mostly write angst hahahaah h a ) ; while sequel is their trip to the mountains which would have similar tone to the original!! But gosh thank you you really make me want to write it hehe

Bad Luck is one of my collabs with a user who left TSP community so now I am left as the only creator listen but they were the ones who came up with the idea for that and Good Luck Charm, which is the fic this one kinda comes from !! We were a bit scared if people would think we agree with Stanley's actions (esp since I was the one who wrote them fihfsoiafsih) but I am glad you like it! And well - we actually discussed it and haha no they are not good they are far from good in that au, what we intended to do was (SPOILER: DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW IF I EVER WRITE IT) that Stanley would confess to Narrator that he drugged him and Narrator would be very mad but since he got bitten and it was found out that he was omega, he would lose his job since the world is omegaphobic and Stanley would only later learn just of how much he fucked up. But since the damage is done and Leo would not want him to have easy way out, they kinda stay together and Stanley develops and anxiety disorder. They kinda make it all work and let themselves explore the feelings but Leo never forgives and good for him, good for that man

Gosh to hear you want to keep on reading my work???? That just means so much to me??? I wrote this one with Surf and the amount of silliness that series has just still makes me giddy with how I pulled some of my fav moments in my TSP fanfics so I hope you will not only have a nice read but if you do write, you will share your opinion if you will want to!!

You reminded me I have to check ao3 iohfashiosafois I haven't really been logging in so I prob been slacking off with responses but please, wherever you choose to write, it will always mean so much to me. You already spending time writing the first thing meant for me a ton, esp since this semester has been hard and I've been in art block overall but please anon, know that your words truly make me feel not only good but just grateful to you. Know that your words mean more than you can imagine and they can affect people in a good way. Thank you <3 Have lovely 365 days! (or 365/2 days, if you are a Kingdom Hearts fan)

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arialis · 2 years

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1, 2, 16, and 21 <3

<33333 ty!!! for the ask :D this was v fun to answer and i had a really good time. also your choice of questions is soft and i loaf you

1. whats your favorite thing to rant/ramble about?

this feels v targeted of you to ask but i am v touched by it :D

for ranting: my boi gawain deserves better and i Refuse the modern understanding of his personality send tweet on the twitter i don’t have

for rambling: science stuff!! generally!!! it's a lot of fun :D also talking about what i'm reading, esp when it comes to older lit b/c that has more context and is more interesting to talk about. my absolute favorite is probably my own writing ngl :P not in an egotistical way, but b/c i put so much thought into it and i have So Much to say, and i love my characters so deeply and i'm very proud of them in a mothering way - they grow so much and they're such good people and i love it for them

2. do you have any oddly specific love languages?

i'm really physically affectionate (if my friend is up for that ofc), but that's not that specific. i suppose talking about my interests is one? the nerdier and stranger the better, and talking generally tbh. in that if i don't really love you i just Won't, whereas my friends and family couldn't get me to stop talking if they tried :P snark is also a sign of love

i really like going on long walks with friends? at the beach or hiking or wherever. i like seeing what we find and the conversations that it brings out

6. do you tend to have “favorite things”? list some if so (foods, colors, shows, etc)

(i realize looking back that i misread and you didn't ask this one, but i like the question and i already wrote it out so you get a bonus one lol)

i really Really love fried dumplings, peak comfort food to me tbh. i've also grown to love lo mein and cold brew coffee w/ a lot of milk and some sugar. one Specific brand of lithuanian ice cream is and always has been my favorite ever since i was a little kid, but there's an ice cream place in my hometown that's Absolutely Incredible, tho admittedly they're a classier Treat Yourself:tm: place rip

i love pretty much all shades of blue and many greens, and desert canyons and mountain forests in parallel but opposite ways. my longtime favorite books (in order of when i first read them) are Fire by Kristin Cashore, In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri, and the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo

i have a lot of favorite people who have made my life infinitely better, too many to list here, but you are absolutely one of them <33333

16. whats something you really can’t understand or conceptualize?

i have No Idea how people have the bravery to go into space or deep d e e p underwater, i don’t think i could ever ;;;;;

21. whats a random piece of advice you want to give?

optimize your life for ease of use and longterm happiness, and don't worry about other people's ideas of the Proper way to do things - if it's helpful to have the laundry basket right by your bed or brush your teeth with kid-friendly bubblegum toothpaste rather than Adult Mint, then do what works for you. i think a lot of times people worry about conforming to ideas of "adulthood" or general norms, like what constitutes a breakfast meal or a good life, rather than the things that work for them or make them happy, which is ultimately all that really matter

also, fundamentally: to live a life you are happy with, you will probably have to disappoint your authority figures and mentors a little. you should do it anyway, b/c it's not their life, is it? moreover, if their only source of satisfaction comes from you hitting specific bullet points, then they've got issues they gotta work on that have nothing to do w/ you anyway

#the advice is general stuff i think about a lot i.e. not targeted at anyone specific #i would also like to suggest that if you spend all your time getting your ducks in a row you will never go Anywhere #just grab what you have and run for it #kona answers the q's #ty for the ask!!! i really enjoyed it

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therem-harth · 4 months

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End of the year asks 18, 19 and 22!

18. A memorable meal this year? Humm. There was one after me and Laura went to a swimming pool early last year, a rather overwhelming if also nice experience & afterwards when we were really tired and hungry we went to an asian restaurant just to have something nice and waited forever to get our food but man, what a nice meal that was. An honorable mention to my friends getting me a baller cake with my new name and surname not long after I had changed it for my namesday, it's not exactly a meal but something I think fondly on.

19. What’re you excited about for next year? Many things!! It's going to be hard work to achieve all of this and scary but I'm also excited! *In the beginning of the year me and sis are most likely moving bc our current flat is. bad. & I really hope that we can find an affordable three room flat because we both work from home and I yearn for more space. I'd kill for a couch in a living room. A shelf for crafting supplies… Space to maybe do some excercise. mmmm *We have a new gym contract for the year!! I get to move again!! This gym has a sauna!! And me and laura are gonna try to be brave and participate in some group trainings too! *Gonna get a raise. I mean I'll ask my boss in january and if he says no I'm gonna fast track looking for a new job. It's way overdue. But in any case more money!! Which is good bc I've been struggling. Renting & no rich husband & inflation… has been hard, esp since I somehow managed to pull off a 2 week vacay abroad that I'm still paying off. *Gonna ask for health insurance instead of its worth in money and go to a dentist and a doctor again. This is mostly scary but I'm going to be at least relieved I've done it once it's done. And my tooth hurts if I eat smth too sweet so that'll be nice to get fixed too. *Made a joking pact with a friend to GetFucked2024. Gonna try to find a willing victim on a dating app to fulfill my aroace curiosities (round 2!). It's probably going to go horribly wrong and/or not go anywhere at all but I'm excited to try. How ace of me to plan this as a checkbox activity. *I'm still not really sure which direction to steer my life in and it's all rather scary and intimidating and did I mention scary. But maybe I will start poking transitioning. Maybe just do one thing. Go to a doctor, get a referral, get a diagnosis. Maybe. *If I manage to gather the money I might go to a Mother Mother concert in Norway with a friend & spend some time w said friend !! Therem "we don't learn from our experiences of how much money international travel takes" Harth

Many things planned!! No clue how many will pan out!! But at least there is something to think towards.

22. Favorite place you visited this year? Hummm it would probably have to be my big trip to London! I can't say that I'm a city person but it was really enriching to travel, to see a different city, and London at that, and with my friends at that (<3). The little spaces full of things, the different ways it was jank, the chube & the posters. & the soft lights and darkness. But an honorable mention goes to Scotland, particularly the bit of highlands I saw on the bus home, exhausted and raw, waking up after fractured sleep to see giant mountains right next to my window.

#personal #there is grief in me so profound and things are hard in the middle of the winter but we stay silly #there are many things to look forward to

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poe-tic-a · 6 months

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So yeah how does it feel to finally lose him? Does it bring you pain?

Yeah,,, it kinda hurt to remember how i have always wanted him to be the one, how i have always rooted for him since like forever, how i have always given him the chance just because i trust him, that much. It feels like when you were a kid, you were watching a film, and you wanted the character you have always been rooting for to win, but the character ended up failing. And then the story ended, you turned off the tv and just sat there with your grief....

The most hurtful thing about it is that, i feel like i frequently rooted for the wrong person? Someone that i have always trusted and believed ended up failing... ame, aa, kak arras, kak rafif, and then elza...

And the esp hurtful part about elza is that, i gave him not only 1 chance (unlike the other), i gave him so many chances, i put my prayers on him, i have never been this "let's put effort in this one person you love sincerely" kind of person before. And the fact that it still failed kinda stings....

I thought if i am open enough, if i am honest enough, if i put my best efforts, this time is going to be different... but it's not. It's the same story over and over again. But i accept it tho, this is just living proof that whatever is not meant for me, will not be for me, even when i "move" mountain. If Allah said "it's not the best for you that's why I'm not giving it to you" then it will go according to His best and wisest decree.

So yeah perhaps theeee most painful thing is always about my hope that is not going to be true and i have to accept that. I was lying if i said i had never hoped in him. In fact, my actions really showed how much i rooted for him. How much i have always wanted "please let it be you, please". I now want to acknowledge that, my hope that has been crushed, i want to acknowledge that instead of avoiding it. O have so much hope about elza, that's real. I have always wanted him to be the one who will spend the rest of my life -even the rest of the afterlife- with me.

But yeah, it was in the past. Lately, i just realized how uncomfortable i actually am around him, how inconsistently happy i am around him, and how unsafe i feel around him. That's a fact, that's the reality. He is nolonger the person i know will be there for me, he is nolonger the person i trust will always show up for me, he is nolonger the person i feel comfortable around with my raw skin. I feel like my nervous system is on fight or flight mode around him. Someone who once felt like home now felt like the coldest ocean. I couldn't let my nervous system and guard off around him. That's how it really feels right now, meeting him, talking to him, having a conversation with him. Because that's how he is -inconsistent.

And that made me feel like yeah, it's time. It's time to look at the real thing -the inconsistency- -the cold shoulder - the left on read messages - as it is. It's time to finally open my eyes and see. See the real relationship that has shattered. Literally shattered. And it is slipping down through my fingers. And there is nothing i can do other than letting it go and embracing it.

Setting him free from my own stories (whatever the version is), giving him the space he has always asked, is the last way i can show that, i once loved him, truthfully, and i once wanted him, in the future. The last kindness and compassion i will ever have the chance to show him. Because after this, it's not that i purposefully remove him from my life, it's just that, i know we grew apart and it's time to live our own life without intertwining it to each other. Live as a fully separate human being. And it's not like i will live my life erasing him. It just means i live my life and nolonger make it about him, nolonger relates myself to him. I am on my own. And that's okay.

And yeah on some days it will feel like the pain is attacking you out of nowhere or his absence feel like a cold wind that blews you through life. But that's okay, that will be a constant reminder that "he is nolonger here and i am surviving" that will ground me towards the reality that we are growing apart and we are shattering but that's okay. That's just a part of the life of this world. In this world, there is nothing and no one permanent anyway. It's just about time, and his time just came sooner than other people are. And that's okay. Allah knows better. Allah knows best.

One day i will miss his witty jokes or his out of now where wise side or miss the way he will just ask how my day was miss the way he shared his life miss the way he will atteilntively listen and respond. But that's okay, keep noticing it. His absence. So that you realize that you both are growing apart. So that you are in touch with the reality and go through it without any attachment left. So that you will finally be free.

You will always carry the part of him that splashed colors in your life. But now it is no longer shared memories, nor it is something that will directly correlate to him. It becomes yours, wholely. It is becoming your part of identity that is nolonger related to him. You no longer carry him around. You only carry the version of yourself that you like around. Because it's wholely yours now.

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queensusanthemagnificent · 3 years

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It’s Gushing About Cinderella 1997 Time Again

Okay, so instead of color theory, today, I’m looking at Cinderella’s journey with trust, the Prince’s inability to recognize her at the ball, and how that aspect of the original fairytale got utilized to further along the theme of learning to trust people to love you for who you are.

Part 1: The Prince Meets Cinderella

When the prince meets Cinderella just after The Sweetest Things, there is no magic involved at all, and he’s IMMEDIATELY smitten with her. Just thinks she’s the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen and makes no bones about trying to figure out how to ask her out even after she’s excused herself to go about her day. Cinderella is visibly uncomfortable with the attention, but doesn’t completely turn him away. We know from The Sweetest Things that she WANTS love, that she yearns for it even, but the moment someone turns around and gives it to her, she doesn’t seem to know what to do with it anymore. She’s mostly confused by the prince’s behavior, but ultimately gains enough confidence and chutzpah to call him out on continuing to pester her even when she’s made it fairly clear she’s not interested by asking him if he even knows how to treat a woman.

And of course has her iconic line:

He sticks his foot in his mouth right after by saying she’s “not like most girls” which I will somewhat excuse as we know the prince has grown up massively sheltered and has likely not spoken to many women outside of the trappings of nobility who are all attempting to gain his or his parents’ favor, particularly as a suitor (we also know from a later scene that his mother has been attempting to set him up for a while and this is likely how he has met most women he’s ever interacted with).

Cinderella chooses to be forgiving and admits that she’s led a fairly sheltered life, thus how she’s gained her opinions I suppose, and the prince admits the same and they really seem to connect TOGETHER for the first time before the stepmother interrupts. Despite her choice to try to walk away from the prince when he initially showed interest in her, Cinderella risks her stepmother’s impatience and irritation by turning back one last time to watch the prince leave. She WANTS love, she WANTS to trust that someone could be interested in her like this, but she doesn’t completely trust it to happen or to last.

Part 2: The Prince sees Cinderella at the Ball

The next time the prince sees Cinderella is at the ball. He’s just spent the last several hours making nice with a bunch of women he doesn’t know and isn’t interested in so he can appease his mother. Presumably, he could probably expect the girl he met in the marketplace a few days ago might make an appearance given that the invite went out to all the girls in the kingdom, but he never mentions it. While it was clearly a nice connection to make in the moment, he seems to mostly chalk it up to a successful trip to the village, made nicer by a pretty girl and doesn’t think much about it afterwards, esp since the problem of the ball comes up immediately and his attention gets derailed.

In other words, the prince is not thinking about Cinderella anymore. Not maliciously, but he’s got other things on his mind, so when she shows up and he doesn’t recognize her despite having flirted with her only a few days ago, it’s somewhat understandable. Plus, she’s all made up with a completely different hairstyle and a nice dress and they have only met ONCE, for a few minutes total, several days ago.

But, that being said, while he doesn’t recognize her, he IS once again immediately smitten with her, and he does have that sense of familiarity, he just can’t place where. The problem then comes when he starts to try to guess how he knows her.

His guesses are all related to Cinderella being rich and/or nobility like him rather than considering that commoner girl he flirted with in the marketplace only a few days ago. Cinderella reacts fairly kindly to those guesses, telling him that she can’t swim, so she wouldn’t have been at the lake that summer, or that she’s never been to the mountains where his lodge is. But these assumptions eventually feed into Cinderella’s feelings of inadequacy and her fears that he won’t care for her when he finds out who she really is despite his initial reaction to her in the marketplace.

She starts to get flustered again when he calls her beautiful and her attention is drawn to how everyone around her is looking at them, but is effectively distracted by the Prince beginning to sing and only becomes flustered again once the King and Queen decide to insert themselves into the situation and get to know her and the reality of what seems to be happening hits her. She just intended to go to a fun party and dance a little, but now she’s gotten the attention of the Prince and it’s coming back to her that the point of the ball was for the Prince to find a WIFE. But she can tell, both from the Prince’s earlier comments and the ones made by the King and Queen asking who she is and who her family is, that they’re assuming things about her status that aren’t true.

Cinderella wants to keep living in a fantasy, though, where a Prince could love someone like her, so every time her reality comes into the conversation, she tries to move the conversation away. She wants to live in the bubble of romance the Prince is creating for her rather than talking about her family or what he wants in a wife.

And it works, right up until the clock strikes midnight and that reality crashes down on her like an avalanche.

Despite everything they’ve talked about that night, about how he knows she’s The One despite just having met her, about what he wants in a wife and how she seems to fit that description, about their feelings, Cinderella does not trust that he’s going to like her once he finds out who she is. Because despite how much time they’ve spent with each other (which, according to clock, is about 45 minutes now), he hasn’t recognized her as the girl from the marketplace ONCE.

Cinderella herself never mentions whether she recognizes the Prince from the marketplace or not, but we can fairly safely assume that she does. That moment meant a LOT to her, it was likely the first friendliness she had been shown in a while, especially by a stranger, and it hit her like a ton of bricks. It showed her that someone COULD be interested in her for who she is, could grow to love her.

And of course, meeting the Prince’s family at the ball gives her a sense of what it would be like to be part of HIS family, a family that already does seem to like her well enough and clearly care about their son. It’s everything she’s ever dreamed of having, but they all believe her to be something she isn’t, and she can’t trust that they’d treat her the same if they knew. So instead of risking it all for love, for that dream, she runs again. She’d rather leave it one really good night and a lifelong what-if than get rejected one more time.

Cinderella runs home, back to what she knows, back to what’s comfortable. In the “Do I Want You” reprise, Cinderella appears wistful, but resigned. The Prince, on the other hand, seems almost more confident and determined. He’s smiling at the empty courtyard, even before he sees the shoe left behind. Cinderella is prepared to let everything go, but the Prince no longer is. She told him at the ball is that the problem with most people is that they only dream about things without ever doing anything about it.

So he does. He commits himself to finding her, even WITHOUT the shoe, he’s committed to finding her.

Part 3: The Prince Finds Cinderella

Obviously, the fact that the Prince has the need to go out and have everyone try on the shoe means he still has no idea who Cinderella is. He never asks her name at the ball, so he hasn’t connected her to the girl from the marketplace who DID tell him her name. He can’t just go into the village and ask for “Cinderella” yet. But the fact that he goes INTO the village at all means he has recognized that this girl could be literally anyone, commoner or nobility, and it doesn’t matter to him which it is. He’s making no assumptions about her identity anymore.

And then he sees her. In an obvious throwback to their first meeting, he finds her having just dropped all of her belongings in front of a carriage because it moved in front of her a little quickly.

Backing up, though. Cinderella’s gone through an entire journey during this time period. She left the Prince behind at the ball, ready to leave that dream behind as “impossible.” And gives it one last go with the family she was left with, trying to connect with them, be a part of it. And it fails. Again.

But it gives her the strength to realize that this was never going to work. And while she doesn’t believe she can be what a Prince wants, she DOES believe she deserves to be loved and deserves better than what her stepmother is dishing out.

So, the next day, while the Prince is out with a glass slipper, going through every eligible girl in the kingdom trying to find her, Cinderella is preparing to leave her childhood home and set out on her own. Even when she ostensibly DOES hear the Prince in the house, trying on the slipper with her family, she chooses not to make herself known to him, and walks away.

But not quite fast enough and the Prince sees her.

She is once again dressed as a commoner with no magic involved, and this time, the Prince immediately recognizes her both as the woman from the marketplace AND the woman from the ball. From behind. By referencing their first meeting where he initially made his interest known, he indicates that he still likes her despite now knowing her background, and perhaps even BECAUSE he now knows her background as the first woman he ever met who truly understood how he felt and treated him like a person, with kindness and respect, rather than like a Prince.

Cinderella has a choice here. He recognizes her, yes, but she doesn’t have to play along. She doesn’t have to turn around and admit to anything, she COULD, presumably, choose to keep running. But the fact that he RECOGNIZES her, finally, and still wants her, gives her just enough courage to turn around and trust him and confirm her identity, both as the girl in the marketplace and the girl who fits the slipper.

And it pays off. Trusting someone to love you as you are, having the courage to actually go after your dream, to let it come true, pays off.

Have I mentioned how much I love this movie recently? Because this is PEAK Cinderella, and I love this movie.

#cinderella 1997 #whitney houston #cinderella #rodgers and hammerstein cinderella #brandy norwood #paolo montalban #whoopi goldberg #victor garber

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the-fae-folk · 2 years

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Hello! This may be a dumb af question, but I am writing a book in which the fae Very Much live in a world between worlds sort of space. I've always in the past called such places Sidhe due to a misunderstanding of Celtic lore, but now that I understand what Sidhe actually refers to I no longer know what's appropriate and what's not. Do you have any tips on naming strategies? I'm still using "burrow" styled entrances, though magic as a whole has been literally pushed underground. And I am still incorporating the Courts, esp the Autumn Court and the lack of a recognized UnSeelie ruler.

I just don't want to be writing the novel with self-doubt about calling the place Sidhe and then get to sensitivity readers this summer and people point out how dumb/insensitive it is after the name is ingrained in my electricity spaghetti.

Actually that might be a very good and even important question. Let’s see. Sidhe are the mounds under which the folk are said to live. They themselves are called the Aes Sídhe, the People of the Mounds. That’s all well and good, right? But what is a mound? First off, a mound is simply a heaped pile of earth, rocks, gravel, sand, or debris. The most common types of mound are hills and mountains. Since the Sidhe are very commonly described as “Earthen Mounds” we can guess that this is probably just a large, and fairly stable, dirt hill. But what makes the Sidhe special? Why are those particular mounds of any more importance than any other mound? Well, in old Irish Mythology the Aes Sídhe were thought to live inside them, in caverns and halls in a hollow mound. Vast spaces they were fiercely protective of. The Otherworld, at least as far as is depicted in old Irish Myths, is somewhat unclear when it comes to describing the nature of that realm. Some places mentioned in old stories are Tír na nÓg (Land of the Young), Tír na hÓige (Land of Youth), Tír Tairngire (Land of Promise/Promised Land), Tír fo Thuinn (Land under the Wave), Mag Mell (Plain of Delight/Delightful Plain), Ildathach (Multicoloured Place), and Emain Ablach (the Isle of Apple Trees). All depictions of a beautiful and magical world, though one that isn’t always kind to humans who venture within. But some stories also tell of gigantic stone caverns with roofs so high that clouds form and rain can fall, where trees grow in the soft light of an underground sun or of glowing crystals, where palaces of white stones and twinkling lights is the source of laughter and song as Faeries feast away. Another variation on the tale inches closer to what you’re asking, speaking of another palace beneath the earth, but also beneath the water, as if a hidden layer of air was trapped by some means at the bottom of a deep loch or somewhere off the shore, and those below could gaze up through the waves toward the surface and the sky. However, there are too many stories of the Otherworld that depict it with skies of its own, far from subterranean caverns and underwater dominions. So we look instead to tales where folk have journeyed there. In some versions it is reached by entering ancient burial mounds or caves, by journeying through a mist, by going under water, or by traveling across the sea for three days on an enchanted boat or Manannán's horse. Other tales tell of a path of gold created by the sun that led over the sea so that travelers could go “far over the green meadows of the waters where the horses of Lir have their pastures.” Ah, but I am ignoring an important point. The Sidhe have another name. Sometimes they are called Fairy Forts, a name which they share with many Stone Circles, Ring Forts (circular earth rings where wooden structures were once built) , and Hill Forts. Such places, long forgotten by those who built them, were thought to be haunted by the Faerie Folk, or enchanted by Druids. Most people avoided them if they could, preferring not to risk meeting with some supernatural entity who might be defending it. (In Ireland, these hill and ring forts were sometimes called “Raths”, once again referring to an earthen mound.) Some other structures share the idea of being haunted or the dwelling place of the supernatural. Court Cairns are large megalithic tombs. Some of the very oldest of these consisted of a single central chamber surrounded by standing stones (Dolmens). As time went on more intricate patterns are included. Passages of earth and stone, courtyards, burial chambers, and multiple courtyards connected to different burial chambers but all under the same hill. Much of Celtic tradition is derived from a combination of Irish Mythology, Scottish Mythology, and Germanic Mythology (Which is comprised of several other categories itself). But the idea of a hill under which the Faeries seemed to dwell or at least go to was a strong one. Though it is Germanic in origin, I want you to consider the tale of “Die zertanzten Schuhe“ (The Worn out Dancing Shoes). More commonly known as the Twelve Dancing Princesses. A story that depicts a soldier following princesses down into a secret world beneath their castle in order to discover the secret of their royal dancing slippers which are worn to pieces each morning. There he encounters trees with leaves of silver and gold, a vast lake or sea, and an island with magical servants and music for dancing. The nature of this story is vague, and every telling changes things. Were the princesses enchanted? Or the enchanters themselves? Did they act against their own wishes? Were they enticed into some trap? Or did they seek to trap others and were bound only when their secret was revealed? Even the details of the mysterious land beneath changes with each story. But one theme remains consistent. The Journey through the Underworld. One of the most consistent and reoccurring ideas in folklore that concerns WHERE the supernatural dwells when not dealing with humanity is the Journey to reach it. Whether the abode of the dead, the home of a magical race of beings, or something else entirely, the Underworld is often depicted as a place where one journeys into and sometimes through to reach the goal. A place of challenges, a place where the strange and wondrous hold more sway than the ordinary world above. Sometimes leading to a place which is also underground, or to another world entirely, the Journey is again a theme present in these old Irish tales. Not in every case, but often enough that it is noticeable. Of course, what of the stories where the Faerie abode is directly beneath the actual hill? Well there is a journey in such stories as well, though it is much more cleverly hidden. It encompasses the trip to first find the way into the Faerie Hill, and then the efforts to find the way back out again with whatever they have gained, hopefully with life, mind, and freedom still intact. Now, while many count Celtic Myths as a whole encompassing thing, it’s really more of a movement that takes bits and pieces from many different groups. For example, Seelie and Unseelie as Faerie Courts is an idea that comes from the Scottish Myths. But nowadays it has bled into other ideas such as the different groups of people present in the Norse Myths and the Faerie Hunt from later Germanic Folklore. The idea of a people or court of supernatural persons has always been drifting here and there in our oldest stories, but the idea of a grand Faerie court has certainly taken root as the fantasy genres explored the ideas. I think, in this particular case, if you wish to keep the name, you might call the entrances themselves, the hills and holes and burrows, the Sidhe. The Mounds. And give to the realm in which the Folk dwell a different name. If you fear it might be too much of a risk, then there are plenty of ways you might go about coming up with a name for your otherworld. Perhaps, like myself, you might spend time developing the beliefs and traditions of the people in order to build a cultural understanding of their own home, and then create the name based upon that. But you might just as easily use other methods. Create the name based upon what sounds pleasant, or by constructing a word from roots, prefixes, suffixes and parts of other language systems. Perhaps if you truly aspire to the Tolkien method, you might even create your own language and name the place in that language (I don’t necessarily recommend this method, by the way. Tolkien was a trained Philologist and had experience creating numerous languages already). There are a great many ways you could name a place in your story, drawing from existing mythology or stories, crafting an entirely new name, or even a mixture of both. I think that in most cases, if you choose to draw from existing myths and folklore, you ought to be fine as long as you do your proper research on the matter, check and recheck your resources thoroughly, and show the cultures you borrowed from the respect they deserve when you use names that come from their stories.

#fae #faerie #otherfolk #sidhe #seelie #unseelie #celtic mythology #irish folklore #fairy hill #the underworld #the twelve dancing princesses #Manannán's horse #Aes Sídhe #otherworld #writing advice #naming fictional places

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merakiui · 3 years

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What do you think of the concept of yan!xiao, childe venti trapping their darling in a teapot?

I feel like they would be less restrictive since the darling wouldn't necessarily be able to escape most likely, so they wouldn't worry about restraint much. Esp in Ventis case...he is the God of freedom so while his darling isn't exactly 'free' they're still kinda free in a way that they have their own world to be free in?

Xiao would probably be somewhat restricted, but only just keep them in the house because he probably wouldn't trust them to be by themselves yet--he figures they may try to run off and hide from him or something

Childe would probably let them try to "escape" on purpose and would be absolutely amused when his darling finds out they wouldn't be able to leave

(cw: yandere, captivity, unhealthy behaviors/relationship, mention of children and implied stockholm syndrome for childe’s part)

Venti doesn't exactly lie to you, but he does trick you. He's aware that it's not the nicest thing to do and that it's not exactly captivity if you're living in a world that resembles the one outside. Only this pocket-sized world is nicer and happier and there aren't any people to get in the way. He tells you about it when you're vulnerable. Maybe you're drunk or you're crying your eyes out because something horrible happened. Either way, you're not in the right state of mind when you make the comment: "I wish I could live in my own ideal world for just one day." And this is great news for Venti because it makes relocation so much easier.

He shows you the teapot and explains it briefly, leaving out certain details. It's better if you don't know everything about how the teapot works. After all, ignorance is bliss. Venti tells you how to get in, but he doesn't tell you how to get out. And the way he describes it makes it sound so tempting—as if living inside this teapot for a bit will cure whatever's bothering you. You decide it wouldn't hurt to spend a day or two inside the teapot to see the little world Venti holds in the palms of his hands.

It's a lot of fun at first. You and Venti glide from the top of the mountains in Emerald Peak, he sings melodious ballads as you look up at the sky, and the two of you play hide-and-seek inside of the house, playfully popping out of rooms and laughing when you’re caught. Eventually the charm wears off and you start to yearn for the outside world. It’s not the same in the teapot. As pretty and peaceful as it may be, it still feels so empty. And when you bring it up to Venti he finds small ways to change the subject. It probably plays out like this:

“Venti, I’d like to go home now.”

“But we were just about to play another round of hide-and-seek! Come on! Don’t be a spoilsport! One more round? Then we’ll leave.”

Or he’ll tell you that you’re already home. There’s always a big smile on his face when he says stuff like that. He’s happy that he gets to spend so much time with you and no one can interfere. But it does get annoying when you start to beg for the old world. Your pleas to leave will fall upon his deaf ears. Venti does feel a little bad when you start to sulk, but his sympathy is short-lived. Let’s not forget that you were the one who wanted this. You wanted to live in your ‘ideal world.’ And isn’t this ideal?

As an adeptus, Xiao is aware of Sub-Space Creation and the effort it takes to construct a presentable teapot. He’s been working hard on his ever since you came into his life. Before he knew you he didn’t have a reason to put effort into it because he stays at Wangshu Inn, but after he met you he started working a lot harder. He tries to make the teapot as comfortable as possible. You mentioned you like dogs or cats in passing? You can find a few in the teapot. You said you like berry bushes and flower fields? There’s a bunch in his teapot. He probably has a nearly perfect model of your room in there as well. Before he brings you into the teapot, he’ll often sit in that room and make sure everything replicates the original, down to the bed frame and the fabric used for the pillow case.

He’ll put some of your things in it just so it feels more personal. Xiao knows he’s stealing from you whenever he does this, but it’s not like you ever noticed anything was missing. Besides, it’s all going in the teapot anyways. You won’t even need your real room or mortal possessions anymore. Xiao is actually quite proud of the teapot and manages to fool himself into thinking you’ll like it, too. And you do (for the first few days, that is). He’s very forward with his question of whether or not you’d like to see his teapot. And you eagerly nod because the two of you are friends and Xiao wants to show you something he made and he looks a little…excited? There’s definitely light in his eyes when he gets your agreement to view the inside of his teapot.

Once you’re inside, you’re genuinely surprised. It’s far more beautiful than you could have ever imagined. The Floating Abode is a really gorgeous landscape. You’re so caught up in looking at the sunset and the flowers and the animals that roam the teapot that you aren’t aware of the horrors that lie just beyond. You’ll find the room that resembles yours in no time and it’s really creepy. As much as you try to tell yourself that Xiao means well and wouldn’t actually do something like this on purpose, it’s hard to ignore the fact that everything is practically identical to your room. It’s so, so strange. You want to ignore it, but you just can’t. It’s so obvious.

It’s definitely creepy, but you don’t have the heart to tell him.

You hold your tongue because you don’t want to hurt his feelings. You’re really the only close friend he has, so you’d feel bad if you insulted his interior decorating skills. Xiao’s pleased to hear that you like it so much. Praise falls from your lips like a waterfall and it gives him a sense of relief. He’s so happy that you like it and since you’re okay with it it’ll be fine if you live here. When he tells you that, your brain freezes and you’re not sure how to respond.

“Live here? Like…permanently?”

And to your shock he nods.

Xiao is far less lenient than Venti. With Venti everything feels like eternal, childish fun with the idea of freedom sprinkled in. But with Xiao it’s definitely a harsher form of captivity. You aren’t allowed outside because he’s worried you might fall off of the bridges that connect the floating islands or you might try to find your way out of the teapot. So you’re confined to the mansion. It’s got everything you could ever need and the interior design matches that of your home perfectly. Just treat it like it’s your own home and it won’t be so bad. You definitely try to see the good in this situation because you care about Xiao, but it’s so hard when he’s keeping you here like you’re just another addition to his teapot.

It’s miserable, but at least you can count on him to visit you every single day.

Childe is very receptive to the idea of owning his own little world in a small teapot. Maybe he was holding you captive before he came upon the teapot and while you’re sleeping he relocates you. You don’t expect to wake up in a new location, but you assume you’re still somewhere in Liyue. Childe finds it cute that you’re so startled, clearly confused with the change in scenery. And when you glance at the surroundings on the Cool Isle, it feels like you might have a chance. Childe seems to think so because he waves you off, telling you with the sincerest voice that you’re ‘free to go.’

You don’t need to be told twice and so you run because you’re invigorated. You can leave and he’s not coming after you. Childe doesn’t even raise his bow in warning. You’re actually leaving him and he’s letting you! But it feels too good to be true. A day passes and you learn that there’s no one else to help you. So you find an empty shack on the shoreline and you hide in it because survival is the only thing you know right now. And the day goes by, the night comes, and morning makes its arrival. You’re still safe. He hasn’t found you.

And it really feels like you can make it out of this. Even if there’s no one around, you can still find something to help you. You’d take anything at this point. By the end of the week, you’re losing sight of your goal and you really just want to head back to the mansion and nap on a comfortable bed. You’ve been catching the crabs and the fish and doing what you can to start a long-lasting fire. When Childe finds you, you’re so exhausted from running and hiding that you collapse into his arms. And he smiles so sweetly while he tells you something that shatters your entire world.

“You did well, comrade, but this isn’t Liyue. You have no need to run.”

It’s not even Teyvat. It’s another world entirely—one existing solely within a teapot. And everything comes crashing down when you realize just how impossible that makes any escape attempts. No human contact. No energy or life that comes from meeting with friends and seeing family. It truly does feel like you and he are the only people in this world.

Childe knows that you’ll adjust to this new world whether you like it or not. It was fun to toy with you in the beginning (and it still is) when you didn’t realize this was the world inside the teapot. But now he just wants to settle into a comfortable life. He takes every chance he has to visit you and eventually you’ll find yourself succumbing to the relaxing pleasures of domestic life. You learn how to cook delicious meals with Childe’s help, you collect seashells on the shore to cure your boredom, and you’ll take care of any chores or housework. It warms Childe’s heart to see you accepting this life.

Maybe the two of you can start a family. Maybe he should get a few pets to liven up the house. It’s not like you can get away from him while inside the teapot, so it’s a recipe for anything to happen. And you’ve come to learn that what happens in the teapot stays in the teapot.

#chit chat #yandere #yandere venti #yandere xiao #yandere childe

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antiloreolympus · 2 years

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10 Anti LO Asks

1. TBH I wish Hera didn't change her mind do fast to suddenly support HxP because that would be so much better in terms of drama (esp since it's supposed to be a romance story and all) and it could have been more of showing and proving they're a good couple over the course of the comic instead of her having very real concerns then dropping it out of nowhere. It feels like that was the 1st case of RS being too scared to actually let HxP have any struggles so the story feels flatter for it.

2. So during the trial we can see Hades being super protective over Perse and not afraid to oppose his brother to the point he became aggressive over normal questioning. Such a good boyfriend eh? Where was that energy when his brothers made fun of Minthe? He didn't even bother to make them remember her name. He let his friends abuse her for the sheer fact of being a nymph. But what am I expecting from a guy who dumps his girlfriend for a teenager he just met🙄

3. Guys guys guy, the reason Persephone hasn’t made any female friends is because she’s so traumatized of her last friends dying. That’s why Persephone can’t make friends with other gods

Cause she can only make em

4. it's kinda funny but also sad LO is now in that group of media where critics/fans are basically like "yeah its a badly drawn male fantasy lying its feminist with bad writing and a mountain of bad ideas and countless inconsistencies but its not SUPPOSED to be GOOD" like?? what??? how is now a mark of praise its actually bad?? is this a new white fandom thing i dont get it 💀

From OP: I don’t get it either. Especially with LO since that implies RS isn’t trying to make LO a good story.

5. Just wanted to say Im really happy I found your blog, it opened my eyes to how bad LO is and i finally stopped wasting my money on fp. I think the part that gets me the most is how Persephone's character is not consistent. I mean, she's very naive but shes also super smart. She's had no experience with other people but she's also very good at manipulating situations (aka manipulating Minthe), she is very pure and never had any sex experience but she's also extremely sensual. Not to mention her body, she's not skinny but she's also not fat, she's tiny and kinda childish but at the same time has curves everywhere? It's like come on RS just choose one lmao

6. I saw the Tiny Head Apollo ask and. He looks like a goomba from the mario bros live action

7. I don't even think Persephone is (or really was) a bad character, she was fine if not underdeveloped, but Hades is like literally awful? Like we are introduced to what seems to be a socially awkward guy in a cruddy relationship, only to find out he's an entitled capitalist with violent temper tantrums who cheats on his mentally ill girlfriend with his sister in law, take advantage of impressionable young women who need the help, and literally owns slaves?? like he had negative development??

8. literally the most greek myth accurate thing in LO is that the SFX font is called "Phobos" (who he and his twin were cut to instead have random love named kids??) and thats it.

-----FP Spoilers/Mention-----

9. Episode 188 Spoilers:

Eris get out of here while you can, you shouldn’t be tarnished by a terribly written comic like this. Get out of here, girl, please (at least, I’m 80% sure it’s my girl Eris)

10. ExCUSE ME, Persephone wants to study Law? Since when?? And why tf do the Greek gods meet in a Gothic style building? I noticed the windows and other details. It makes it look like they are in the UK or the US? (For ep. 188)

#anti lo #anti lore olympus #lore olympus critical #lo critical

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trinketprince · 3 years

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All the Youkaimatsus so far

JExcept sets that have all of them as the same youkais (Nekomata, Tanuki and the various Kitsune sets from Tabimatsu)

Pinup Poster from the Osomatsu Character Book #6 (July 2016)

A classic. The very first iteration of Youkaimatsu. Kind of hard to find since it was a bonus poster from the character book, so unless you were actively looking for the book, you wouldn’t find this.

Osomatsu - Kitsune (unknown how many tails he has but is often depicted in fan artworks as 6 or 9, 9 meaning strongest/wisest a kitsune has been, Spirit Fox)

Karamatsu - Karasu-Tengu (pun on Kara, Bird Man)

Choromatsu - Dodomeki (usually a woman cursed with long arms littered with many bird eyes because of greed. Most popular one imo)

Ichimatsu + ESP Nyanko - Nekomata (Two-tailed cat, legend says that cats who live longer than a 100 years gain a second tail)

Jyushimatsu - Rokurobi (available in two flavors. Long Neck and Floating Head. He is the former. Theorized to not actually be a youkai but created for entertainment. Also used as a literary device for a wandering soul.)

Todomatsu - Yukki Onna (Also a joke on Todo being scared stiff. Yuki Onna pull tricks on humans that usually end on the person’s death via cold. Has a harsh and soft side)

Youkai Units from The Great Youkai War event from Hesokuri Wars (November 2016)

Most popular Youkaimatsu set, this baby could get milked for miles, but for some reason isn’t. Has a lot of variants (Awakened, Darkness, Snow, Sakura and Hyakki Yagyou) and connected to a lot of other sets: Denki Mystery, Colorless Overalls, Mononoke and a bunch of others. She is the top DOGG set.

Osomatsu - Shuten-Douji (Oni Leader with a penchance for Sake, literally carrying a big ass bottle of it on his back, since he is the leader of the sextuplets and the one seen drinking beer the most)

Karamatsu - Aoandon (Summoned after 100 supernatural stories are told. Originated from the blue (ao) paper lanterns (andon) that were sometimes used to give a chilling atmosphere)

Choromatsu - Daitengu (Great Tengu, Tengus were theorized to be ascended souls, but also has its origins in a Dog Beast that looked like a comet. For some reason Dog Beast turned into Bird Man. The bird man’s beak is often anthropomorphized into long noses. Tells humanity to behave by throwing invisible stones at them)

Ichimatsu - Nine-tailed Kitsune (So wise. So powerful)

Jyushimatsu - Inugami (Dog God that possesses people)

Todomatsu - Bake-Danuki (also known as tanuki, mischievous spirits, mostly known in pop culture for their BIG FAT NUTS)

Dayon is a miko, a shrine maiden. Hatabou is an Onmyoji, an exorcist, Dekapan is a kannushi, a shrine priest. Totoko and Iyami are regular civillians

Youkai Hyakki Yagyou merchandise from Animate Girls Festival (September 2017)

One of the lesser known sets, considering that it’s just designs for a line of merch but their designs are so good? Why don’t people use these designs more often.

Osomatsu - Karasu-Tengu

Karamatsu - Nine-tailed fox

Choromatsu - Shuten-Douji (A possible reference to Season 1 Episode 2 where he gets the most drunk?)

Ichimatsu - Mizuchi (Legendary Water Serpent/Dragon)

Jyushimatsu - Kamaitachi (Beast that rides on dust devils. Cuts people using it’s scythe-like nails. The wounds are sharp but painless)

Todomatsu - Ungaikyou (A haunted mirror that can be used to trap spirits. The spirits in the ungaikyou can manipulate the reflection shown on it’s reflection.)

Kitsune Servant Set from Tabimatsu (September 2017)

Ok I know I said I wouldn’t cover the Kitsune sets from Tabimatsu since there are like 5 different Kitsune sets, but this one is noteworthy cause they have secondary Youkai traits other than the regular kitsune traits.

Osomatsu - Oni’s horns

Karamatsu - Tengu’s wings

Choromatsu - Orochi around his neck

Ichimatsu - True Kitsune (Or Nekomata’s paw?)

Jyushimatsu - Wanyudo (Flaming Wheel)

Todomatsu - I don’t know, but there’s something around his neck?

Japanese Youkai set from Shimamatsu (January 2018)

Shimamatsu was such a good game, what a shame it ended so soon. The 3D models were so cute. Edit: The two designs are from before and after evolution!

Osomatsu - Enma-san (A wrathful god in charge of judging souls in the afterlife. Resides over hell)

Karamatsu - Yamato no Orochi (Eight headed and Eight-tailed serpent/dragon)

Choromatsu - Kamaitachi (wields an actual scythe)

Ichimatsu - Youkai Catman or a Bakaneko (Catboy, furry)

Jyushimatsu - Yobuko (lives in the mountains, repeats whatevers shouted into the mountain, explains the phenomemon of Echos)

Todomatsu - Yuki Otoko (Snowman, a Yuki Onna basically)

“Inn” Osoma and Choroe from Osomatsu Season 2 Episode 17

A BUNCH OF PEOPLE REMINDED ME AND HOW COULD I FORGET THE BEST YOUKAI EVER. Osoma baby,,,, I’m so sorry..... Srsly, this skit was so good, I hope they make more skits like this where they make entirely new characters out of the framework of the sextuplets.

Osoma - A Zashiki-warashi, child spirits who live in store rooms or extra rooms, they died buried in their homes. Pranksters but meeting one is said to bring good fortunes to families. Osoma gets crossovered a lot with the other Youkai sets in JP fanart. A popular pairing is Dodomeki Chorosuke (from Denki Mystery) and Osoma also Kitsune Osomatsu (from the poster) and Osoma.

Choroe - Not necessarily a youkai, in fact in the episode she’s presented as just a regular human. But is theorized often to be a Yama-uba. An old woman banished to the mountains. She provides shelter to weary travelers (in the myth it’s just a humble shelter but you know. an inn is also considered a shelter) before eating them. In one story she eats the recently birthed baby of a woman who had to give birth in the mountains.

Mononoke from Hesokuri Wars (May 2019)

Technically they are all the same type of being, Mononoke, but they look different from each other. Mononoke can posses individuals and cause suffereing and even death. And technically they aren’t Youkais but Onryos, vengeful spirits. But Onryos can also be used to refer to youkais and truthfully I just wanna include this set cause their designs are so cool looking. This set’s attacks contain glimpses of units of other sets.

Osomatsu - Bear themed

Karamatsu - Wolf themed

Choromatsu - Rooster/Chicken themed

Ichimatsu - Spider

Jyushimatsu - Boar

Todomatsu - Bull or Ox

Edo Rock The Great Youkai Harvest Festival from Tabimatsu (October 2019)

This set is interesting cause rather than youkai alone, they are also musicians. This set also has another set like Hesokuri called The Great Youkai NEET which is basically the awakened versions, properly showcasing more of the youkai traits.

Osomatsu - Shuten-Douji (Again, we need to stage an intervention for you damn)

Karamatsu - Karasu-Tengu (Again)

Choromatsu - Mizuchi (actually riding said serpent)

Ichimatsu - Black Kitsune (Hot Topic, Goth version)

Jyushimatsu - Frog. Just. Frog. (could be a reference to the legend of Jiraiya, the ninja who could shapeshift into a frog/ride big frogs. His mouth is cover just like a ninja is too.)

Todomatsu - Kamaitachi (could be a reference to season 1 where Todomatsu wields a scythe)

Iyami - Oni (not sure if he’s any particular oni but he does have the horns and metal club)

Atsushi - Ibaraki-Douji? (White hair and singular horn, most imporant servant of Shuten-Douji)

Promo Merch from Sega Cafe collab (September 2020)

Edit: Thank you @zenryokubatankyu for notifying me! Another set of promo youkais! You can get them by random by ordering a drink or meal at the now-defunct Sega x Osomatsu collab cafe. And the return of F6? Damn I haven’t seen you since Season 2!

Osomatsu - Oni

Karamatsu - I’m not exactly sure but he seems like a Mizuchi, a water serpent/dragon. He also could be another legendary serpent/dragon though.

Choromatsu - Kappa

Ichimatsu + ESP Nyanko - Karasu-Tengu

Jyushimatsu - I’m not sure, at first i thought it might be a crab youkai judging from the legs, but upon closer inspection he has spider webs on his robes, so they may be spider legs instead. Could be a Jorogumo, a youkai that wields fire breathing spiders with it’s spider legs

Todomatsu - Bakaneko (I think? The veil could be the napkin a bakaneko puts on it’s head)

Ayakashi Sextuplet’s Retro Halloween Cafe merch from Web Kuji (October 2020)

Thank you @gradelstuff for telling me about this! Ayakashi are Youkai that appear above nearby bodies of water. Although the youkais they’re dressed up as (or are?) aren’t really what you would call ayakashi? Although it’s cafe themed, it isn’t actually from a cafe collaboration. These designs are merchandise meant to be won through lottery. So if say you really love Kara and Choro’s designs (I do), then tough luck buddy!

Osomatsu - Oni

Karamatsu - Now you may think he’s Dodomeki since he’s covered with eyes, but turns out there are two other eye-relateed youkai! Mokumokuren is a youkai phenomenon where eyes appear from torn paper walls and tatami floors, initially i thought this was it given the checkered pattern he was wearing. But he might actually be a Hyakume, a youkai covered head to toe in yellow eyes specifically. Underneath those eyes is a body of flesh roughly in the shape of a man. This Youkai isn’t particularly malicious, only detaching one of it’s many eyes to follow you and survey you for criminal activiy. He might also be a BackBeard, a youkai allegedly from the US, err that would make him a cryptid I guess? A Backbeard is often characterized as a shadow with a Yellow eye with a red iris in the center. Note: Backbeard’s true origins are not known as there doesn’t seem to be any cryprid called a Backbeard, it first entered the Japanese public eye as an antogonist in the show Gegege no Kitaro. Although ever since then this “yokai” has appeared in other media and games in Japan.

Choromatsu - He isn’t exactly dressed as it (only themed as it) but the youkai he represents is the one he’s holding, a Kasa-obake, One of my favorite youkais and it’s literally iconic. Thought to be a Tsukomogami, an object that gains a spirit after it turns 100 years old.

Ichimatsu - Edit: I’m not sure but he might be a Kuchisake-Onna. In the description attached to his teaser, it makes mention of specifically his wide smile, his dos dagger and his beautiful shirt. A kuchisake onna is a yokai that wanders in the street covering her face with a mask (skull mask for ichi) and a sharp object (his dos dagger). TW GORE DESCRIPTION: She asks you if you think she’s attractive and depending on your answer she muders you with her scissors, plunging it into you OR she takes off her mask showing her wide smile, her mouth slit at the corners to her ears and asks “how about now?” and depending on your reaction she cuts you in half with her sharp object OR she slits the corners of your mouth to look like hers. END DESCRIPTION. Ichi has the mask, sharp object, wide smile and “attractiveness”. Obviously it would be inappropriate to portray ichi in the same fashion as the kuchisake onna so he was probably given the internal organ tattoos to represent the gory yokai. (internal organs usually = gore in japan). This is speculah and he might be another youkai but this is all i can think of rn.

Jyushimatsu - sailor themed Jiangshi. Jiangshi are basically Zombies originally from Chinese culture. They hop around, and crave for life force. this little jyushimatsu has taken to tomato juice instead. (Bonus: the zombie that osomatsu is in the zombie set in hesokuri wars is also a Jiangshi)

Todomatsu - Kitsune (sly fox)

“The Night Path” Youkai from Osomatsu-san Season 3 Episode 6 (November 2020)

The latest and what sparked me to make this post tbh. This set reuses the Rokurobi design from the very first Youkaimatsu iteration! Full circle yo! I like to think of this set as an addition to the original youkaimatsu, since they’re both from the primary sources.

Jyushimatsu - Rokurobi (Again)

Totoko - Amabie (mermaid with three legs? prophesized about either good harvest or an epidemic, trivia: “Amabie” trended when Covid 19 hit the world)

Hatabou - Azukiarai (a youkai that originated from the sound of something like beans being washed near a river, anyone who comes near will fall into the river)

Dayon - Nopperabou (Faceless spirits that take the form of humans. They are harmless usually, they just scare humans)

Dekapan - Kappa (Mischievous River spirits)

That should be all of them!

Recap:

Osomatsu has been a Kitsune, Shuten-Douji (twice), Karasu-Tengu, Enma-san and an Oni

Karamatsu has been a Karasu-Tengu (twice), Aoandon, Kitsune, Yamato no Orochi and a Mizuchi (?)

Choromatsu has been a Dodomeki, Daitengu, Shuten-Douji, Kamaitachi, Mizuki and a Kappa (No repeats!)

Ichimatsu has been a Nekomata, Kitsune (twice), Mizuchi, Bakaneko and a Karasu-Tengu

Jyushimatsu has been a Rokurobi (twice-ish), Inugami, Kamaitachi, Yobuko, a Frog from Jiraiya and a Jorogumo (?)

Todomatsu has been a Yuki Onna (twice), Bake-danuki, Ungaikyou, Kamaitachi and a Bakaneko

You can definitely see a trend (lmao), I’m looking forward to more Youkaimatsus from Osomatsu-san!

bonus:

Osomatsu-san cameo from Yokai Watch!!!

#Osomatsu san #Youkaimatsu #Yokaimatsu #妖怪松 #Hesokuri Wars #Shimamatsu #Tabimatsu #I'm not tagging all the matsus lmao #long post

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thewhizzyhead · 3 years

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a non-filipino's guide to trese: ep 1

So some of my mutuals decided to check out Trese aka the Netflix adaptation of the Filipino horror comic book series that I keep rambling about here and then since well um most of my mutuals aren’t from the Philippines fshfs I decided to make a long-ass post that basically consists of me rambling about the cultural context present in Trese with fun little tidbits about Filipino folklore. I’m not an expert on Filipino mythology so um I just typed out the stuff that I know and the stuff that I looked up on Wikipedia so um take this with a grain of salt aaaaa I’ll save the extensive google scholar research ramble on folklore present in Trese for another day.

I’ll try to find the sites where I got some of the information from cause um yea I kinda had a bit of a hard time finding the other shit so um once again, take the stuff here with a grain of salt. Also, feel free to add more info if you guys got any!

SO ANYWAYS ENJOY ME RAMBLING ABOUT EPISODE 1 OF TRESE WOO

+ MRT and LRT (Manila Metro Rail Transit and Light Rail Transit) are train systems in NCR (the capital region) and yea them suddenly stopping and malfunctioning in the middle of the goddamn rail is a daily occurrence and we have been trying to deal with this bullshit for years but alas, corruption and negligence are sweet sweet drugs.

+ When the MRT broke down, you'd see a red bee in the flashing billboard right? Well that's Jollibee and that's probably the most well-known fast food restaurant chain here heck there are even branches of it abroad!

+ According to many youtube comments along with other social media posts that I am way too tired to link here, the opening theme is an Ifugao ethnic song called Balluha'd Bayyauhen but with modern accompaniments and I think the song is about a fruit called a balluha that the character in the song tries to it but cannot swallow. (someone please correct me if I’m wrong here fjkfs)

+ The first um monster that we see Alexandra interact with is the White Lady of Balete Drive. White Ladies or “Kaperosa” are a type of female ghosts typically dressed in ghostly white dresses or similar garments. According to legend, she died in a car accident while driving along Balete Drive (a two lane street formerly lined with Balete Trees which are said to be a home for spirits and mysterious creatures) in Quezon City while other accounts say she died waiting for the arrival of her lover; others also say that she was a teenage girl who was run over and killed by a taxi driver at night and then buried around a Balete tree while another variation of the tale claims that a student from the University of the Philippines was sexually assaulted and killed by a taxi driver nearby and so said ghost haunts the street in search of her murderer. There are many other variations but according to local rumor, the legend was fabricated by a reporter in 1953 in order to make an interesting story. What remains consistent in many variations is that apparently taxi drivers would be stopped by a beautiful lady asking for a ride and if one would look at the rear window, they would see that the white lady in question is bruised and drenched in blood.

+ There are a lot of mentions about "lakans" and stuff in reference to Alex and her father right? In precolonial times, the term is used to refer to the paramount ruler or the highest-ranking political authorities in Tagalog communities (so um NCR and some parts of Region 4). In Muslim communities, they are called sultans while communities with strong trade connecitons with Indonesia or Malaysia called them Rajah. Datu is umm the more generalized term though when it comes to discussing the leaders of the precolonial Filipinos.

+ So, Alex’s mom is a babaylan and back in the pre-colonial period, each barangay (which a native filipino term for a village or a district; said term is still used today to describe um divisions in municipalities like) had them and these are basically Philippine shamans and they specialized in communicating with the spirits of the dead. To my knowledge, the role of babaylan went to women and yea people assigned male at birth but then identified as female were also allowed to become babaylans and they would be treated with the same respect given to any woman back then (honestly I dunno much about lgbtq+ stuff back in the precolonial times but all I know is that precolonial Filipinos were much a lot more welcoming towards trans identities bUT THEN THE SPANIARDS CAME AND UM ERR RUINED THAT); also the writing Alexandra's mom did in that one scene with the dagger is in Baybayin - preHispanic Filipino script. I dunno what she wrote down though. .

+ Also I kinda find it funny that the people here esp those who were at the White Lady scene are um,,, not at all surprised? Like yea quite a number of filipinos have their own superstitions and beliefs and all that but um yea the people in Trese seem very used to the bullshit,,,which in retrospect, isn't at all inaccurate fsdfd I MEAN WE DEAL WITH UNSURMOUNTABLE AMOUNTS OF BS ON A DAILY BASIS SO I DON’T THINK DEAD GHOSTS WOULD EVEN FAZE MANY FSKJDS

+ The one that appears right before Alexandra talks with the duwende (the one in the manhole) is called Laman Lupa (which i guess translates to um "What is in the earth"? just um YEA THEY ARE DIRT CREATURES). normally this is an umbrella term for duwendes and nunos but in Trese they are servants of these aforementioned creatures.

+ Duwende (which came from the Spanish phrase "dueno de case" which means "owner of the house") or dwarves in Filipino folklore are known to be mischievous and magical environmental guardians. They are believed to reside in trees or under earth mounds (those that live in the latter are called nuno sa pundo or old man of the mount) which is why quite a lot of Filipinos say "tabi tabi po" or “excuse me” when wandering around a forest or earth mounds as a sign of respect and in the hopes the duwende won't torment them. If the person is friendly, the duwende can also be friendly in return and will bring that person good lucl; otherwise, those who destroy their homes by stepping on them will face their wrath in form of heartless curse and predictions of ominous and disastrous fates. A duwende's color also depends on their budhi or conscience: to my knowledge, white duwendes are kind, red ones give protection amulets, green ones are firnedly with children and the black ones give nothing but trouble.

+ Chocnut aka the snack Alex bribes the nuno with is a very yummy chocolate snack made of coconut milk, crushed peanuts and cocoa powder. They are umm about an inch in length and maybe half an inch in width so it's fairly small; that being said I WANT THE CHOCNUT THAT ALEXANDRA HAS CAUSE HOT DAMN THAT'S A BIG CHOCNUT

+ In Trese, the creatures in the MRT scene and in the warehouse Alexandra visits after she talks with the duwende are called "aswang". In Philippine folklore, it is an umbrella term for any kind of monster so um an aswang in Luzon would be very different from the aswang in Mindanao. According to what I saw on wikipedia, they can be classified in 5 categories: the vampire (self-explanatory um they drink blood), the viscera sucker (the manananggal, i'll get to that next time), the weredog (cats and pigs are also possible but um yea they target pregnant women), the witch (self-explanatory boom curses and stuff) and the ghoul (they gather near trees in cemeteries to feast on human corpses). Aswangs are often described to have a long, hollow tongue, sharp claws and sharp teeth, although they do also have human forms.

+ To my knowledge, Ibwa, the leader of the aswangs in the warehouse, is a creature from Tinguian or Itneg mythology (they, like the Ifugao, are an indigenous ethnic group in northwestern Luzon) though I could be wrong about this dksfsf Ibwa seems like an ethnic filipino term tho wah I can't remember where I once read that. But anyways, Ibwa often stalk sthe house of a dying person to steal its body. In order for the ibwa to NOT succeed in that, some people burn holes in the garments of the dead and put a sharp iron object on top of the grave since those are most powerful weapons against aswangs which is what Alexandra uses to subdue the Ibwa and kill all the other aswangs (the knife alex uses is named Sinag which means "ray of light".)

+ ALSO I AM SO SO GLAD THEY KEPT THE FILIPINO SWEARS IN THE ENGLISH DUB YES YES THIS IS A VERY GOOD JOB so lemme discuss the versatility of tangina-

+ Also umm Bossing is a nickname of Vic Sotto - one of the three pioneer hosts of Eat Bulaga! which is the longest running Philippine noontime variety show. Over time, most probably due to the show's popularity, the term "bossing" then became um slang for "boss" or "chief"

+ Translation of what Alex says when she's stirring the eye inside the cup: “In the eyes of others, secrets will reveal themselves.”

+ Sidenote: The English dub's pronunciation of many of the tagalog lines are um yea they r pretty good but they could use a bit of work but then again I'm really not that good in speaking in Tagalog so who am I to judge gkdkf sorry po guys conyo po ako-

+ Maria Makiling is arguably the most famous of all the diwatas (ancestral spirits, nature spirits, or deities) in Philippine Mythology; she is associated with Mount Makiling in Laguna as the guardian spirit of the mountain. Mount Makiling is said to resemble a profile of a woman and people associate the profile with Maria herself. She is also known as a goddess by the name of Dayang Masalanta and people would pray to her for safety and to stop storms and earthquakes. That's the goddess Alexandra's mother mentions right when she tells Alex to hide. (Translation to what she said there: Maria Makiling, goddess of the mountain, bless us.)

+ ALSO YEA THAT MAYOR IN THE MRT STATION IS UMMM RATHER REMINISCENT OF MAAAANY POLITICIANS AND PUBLIC SERVANTS HERE LIKE BELIEVE ME I CAN THINK OF SO MANY NAMES RN. THEY WOULD FLAUNT THEIR MACHISMO AND PROMISE THAT THEY THEMSELVES SHALL PUNISH THE PERPETRATORS HARSHLY BUT IN THE END THEY DONT MEAN SHIT AND ARE IN OFFICE TO SERVE ONLY THEMSELVES AND TO SHIT ON THE REST ESP THOSE OF THE POORER SECTORS AND *NOTHING IS DONE ABOUT IT*. WE LIVE IN HELL OKAY. also hmm how the police are represented here is umm,,,interesting,,, like i know there are sOME good police officers like the ones alexandra assists but like,,,our current sociopolitical climate + the many cases showcasing the corruption in the police force + tHE SHEER AMOUNT OF POLICE BRUTALITY HERE would ummm beg to differ. but um anyways-

+ Also Mang Inasal posters can be seen in the MRT station backdrops and um it’s a very famous restaurant chain here and they serve lots of barbecue and other filipino stuffs and i miss them a lot God their halo halo is very yummy

+ Santelmo - oki so this is the fire face thingy that Alexandra summons inside the ruined train. This is the shortened version of the term "Apoy ni Santa Elmo" or "St. Elmo's Fire" - this is a weather phenomenon wherein plasma is created from an electrical discharge from a rod like object in an atmospheric electric field. This phenomenon was used to warn of imminent lightning strikes or storms (there is a chapter in Noli Me Tangere where Pilosopo Tasyo talks about that bUT I'LL SAVE THE NOLI ME TANGERE RAMBLES FOR ANOTHER DAY). But according to Philippine folklore, santelmos - which are said to be souls of people lost as sea - are balls of fire that appear where accidents or big arguments happen. In Trese, santelmos (alex's santelmo being "The Great Spirit of the Binondo Fire") can be called to assist in supernatural investigations

+ Translation of what Alex says when she draws the circles to meet with the purple ghosts: "Souls, where are you off to? I'll be entering too, so please open the door."

+ Remember the scene at the train with all the purple ghosts and the woman in a veil? Yea the woman is an emissary of a goddess named Ibu and she is the Manobo (again, another indigenous ethnic group but this time they're from Mindanao; fun fact we have around 134 ethnic groups) goddess of deceased mortals and the queen of the underworld; she also serves as a psychopomp and guides the newly deceased souls to the other side (having an MRT be the ride to the underworld isn’t in the legends tho so fkkjsf)

+ The aswang in the top hat is called Xa Mul and according to the Isneg/Apayao people (yay another ethnic group but this time in northern Luzon - the Cordillera regions to be specific), they are an evil spirit known to swallow people whole.

+ Alex has two henchmen right? Yea they are named Crispin and Basillio and No I still don’t know who’s who and I'm really sorry about that fsfjs so anyways the names Crispin and Basillio are actually those of two brothers featured in the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo novels (Crispin is younger and Basilio is older) which are basically the national novels here cause um yea written by national hero Jose Rizal as sociopolitical commentary about the Spanish regime here. I don't know if I want to spoil this cause I kinda want other people to read the novel too fskfs BUT ALL IN ALL, ONE OF THEM DIES IN LIKE THE 10TH OR 11TH CHAPTER OF NOLI ME TANGERE (and the novel has 64 chapters btw) AND UM YEA-

+ OKI SO TO ADD MORE CONTEXT TO THE SQUATTER STUFFS MENTIONED IN TRESE (we r gonna use the tiny font here because holy shit this rant is long): So,in the Philippines, especially in the capital region, there are lots of slum areas called squatters. These are dense urban settlements made of compact makeshift housing units that aren't really officially recognized by the government. This is um very reflective of the poverty situation here and there are maaany factors that come into play here and if i were to go into depth about this topic, that rant would probably turn into an academic paper so for the sake of brevity, let's just say that Things Are Fucked Up Here. Oftentimes the poorer sectors are being ignored and left to their own devices despite tons of campaign promises to make things better and easier for them. The communities that live here are incredibly vulnerable to floods, fires, and the like and afaik no concrete solutions have been in effect to protect these people and their settlements. There have also been many times where squatter areas are dismantled or demolished despite protests of people living in those areas and yea I understand the need to make space and the need for renovation but the people should still be offered some sort of temporary settlement or financial compensation thingy that doESN'T fuck them over but alas, we have an anti-poor government. That being said, I really like Trese Ep 1's portrayal of governmental negligence, but I also have some thoughts, especially in regards to the mayor being arrested THAT FAST which um believe me, NEVER FUCKING HAPPENS BECAUSE MANY MAYORS AND A LOT OF POLITICIANS HAVE THE POLICE IN THEIR POCKETS SO UM ERR YEA JUSTICE IS RARELY A THING HERE BUT UM ANYWAYS YEA THE GOVERNMENT LIKES TO SHIT ON THE POOR WOO LET'S SAVE THE USE OF SOCIOLOGICAL LENS ON THIS MATTER FOR ANOTHER DAY

+ The news channel reporting the arrest of the mayor is ABC-ZNN WHICH IS AN OBVIOUS REFERENCE TO ABSCBN aka the top media conglomerate here (that has been fucked over by the government so many times to the point that they had to shut down operations last year which is all sorts of unfair so seeing them being referenced here kinda made me happy gksfks)

#HI PATROC I HAVE A GIFT #IT'S A VERY LONG AND CONVOLUTED GIFT #BUT IT'S A GIFT #I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THIS #this is literally 2813 words long AND IT TOOK ME 12 HOURS TO TYPE THIS OUT OH GOD #AND THIS IS JUST EP 1 #here's to hoping the following eps are gonna be much easier for me to like ramble about considering that i explained quite a lot here gfsfs #please do take this ramble with a grain of salt tho cause obviously I am not a mythology expert so um feel free to add more info!#i'd really love to see more info about trese so yay!#trese #trese netflix #alexandra trese #trese spoilers #ask to tag

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