#i am rambling. i am so rambling. why? the fear

[erabu-san]

HI ERABU!! FREMILLEI ANON HERE!! (Not here to talk about fremillei ironically lol)

Sorry about your trouble with Cyno and Tighnari :( I totally get the frustration of just seeing something as a cute friendship and having 90% of the fandom see them as romantic.

We live in a society (the genshin fandom). Us platonic Cyno and Tighnari enjoyers have to stick together✊

With that being said, I've been kinda on a Collei and Tighnari brainrot the past few weeks sooo, hope you don't mind if I ramble about them👀

Can I just say, how much I adore their dynamic. Whether it's father/daughter or big brother/little sister, they're so sweet and care about each other so much🥹 On Collei's side, besides Amber, Tighnari was one of the first people she's ever opened up to, or has felt comfortable around. He's so kind and patient with her and she's really grateful for it!! (Her relationship with Cyno is similar but I do think it was a little awkward at first since Cyno reminded her of her past...)

And on Tighnari's side, well, at first he saw her as a student. But he immediately felt this...urge to help her. Like she had been through so much, and he felt like he had to try and help her in some way. (You brother comes in at the middle of the night asking you to take care of this random traumatized child wyd). He enjoyed getting to know her, and teaching her. And he felt such a strong sense of pride when she gets a good grade in a test, or is able to write something coherently. Overtime, he got to see more of her, more of her personality and quirks, and he developed so much affection for her, treating her like he would a little sister💞

I do think that maybe Collei has trouble talking to him about things. Maybe since she's scared of being judged (she knows he wouldn't, but the feeling is still there). So she ended venting to trees. I like to imagine one day, Tighnari was looking for her when he overheard her talking to a tree. At first he was like "why is she doing that??" But decided to leave since he didn't wanna eavesdrop. But then, he caught her talking about HIM.

"Master Tighnari is so patient and kind with me... I know he would never judge me, or make me feel bad. But...I still find it hard to talk to him. He's usually busy...I don't wanna bother him."

And that just broke his heart :( He wanted Collei to feel comfortable talking to him, he WANTED her to come to him whenever she had a problem. He left, but after that, he would subtly encourage her to talk to him if she needed to, reminding her that she wasn't a bother or anything like that, and that he cared about her. And it made her happy to hear!! And she slowly started coming to him more often!!

Also SLIGHT fremillei (I'm sorry I can't escape the chokehold they have on me) I picture this scene, where after Collei finds out about Freminet being apart of the Fatui, Collei immediately runs home, so many emotions going through her head. Hurt, fear, guilt- she's so overwhelmed. She arrives back and while she's passing by Tighnari's house (house? Cottage?? What do you call those?😭) he calls out to her, noticing something's wrong. She stops, and looks at Tighnari, breathing heavy from running. She doesn't know where to begin, what she should tell him, IF she should tell him. But, she looks at him, looks at the concern on his face, and runs towards him and hugs him tightly, sobbing into his chest. Tighnari is confused, but he doesn't question it, and immediately wraps his arms around her.

"It's okay...I'm here."

I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LONG ASK BUT THEY'VE BEEN ON MY BRAIN. I feel like not a lot of people talk about them alone, which kinda sucks since their relationship is so sweet :(

Again, sorry to bombarde you with the long ask😭 You art is beautiful, and I love hearing your genshin Sumeru headcanons. Thank you for listening to my rambles. Have a lovely day and take care of yourself!! <3

WAAAAH I AM SORRY FOR LATE ANSWER BUT WHEN I READ THIS I WAS ON THE FLOOR I LOVE IT, IT IS SO ADORABLE

Anon you have such a big brain and I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT 🫵

Oh the part when Collei hugs Tighnari and he is just saying that he is here

#reply #it's been in my box mail whatever how ask box it called for forever #and I THINK A LOT ABT IT #ooOOOH SWEET I LOVE THEM #tHANK TOU ANON #tighnari #collei #fremillei #< mentioned

[shittyclive]

clives. various clives. ft. czechsmix's clivia (sort of) + samthecookielord's timeline hopper clive and assassin au clive.

and also the clive that lives in my brain (and that other clive in my brain) he is very egotistical. sorry.

#i was overcome by the power of cute me's.................... sorry.. #im pretty sure the pk list is readable so.uh. censored my actual system info #you have to join SBWE to have that information. also yes i turned dark mode on for that screenshot #these were fun i did them while watching eternal diva again #“Why is one of the members entirely redacted with the label embarrassing?” BECAUSE HES EMBARRASSING TO HAVE IN MY HEAD. #AND UNTIL I FIGURE OUT THE VIBES. HE WILL STAY ANONYMOUS #i am rambling. i am so rambling. why? the fear #if youre so scared just let me post it. i drew it.

[captaincolorblob]

Everyday i think about this screenboard scene that got semi-scrapped from Donnie vs Witch Town, like it just explains so much about Donnie as a character and i’m very sad we didnt get to see it entirely

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise donnie #like it just reveals that donnie has thought his only use to the team is being usefull via his tech #and feared he might get replaced or wasnt needed anymore #and instead of talking about it he bottled it up and it turned into aggression towards magic #like god we need to use this angst potentional more #cause it explains /why/ donnie was so stoneset on using his tech instead of mystic magic and kept saying how its better #and why his tech is usually gadgets or things that help him and/or his family #he thought thats all he's good for #apologies if i keep repeating things i'm a sucker for donnie angst and this makes me go wild #listen donnie vs witch town is not a high ranked episode on the tier list for me that scene next to the fight scene was the only part #i enjoyed a lot #and i wish they kept the entire screenboard in cause it explains a lot about donnies character and gives some drama #dia rambles #edit cause this post gained way more notes then i ever had or imagined i would ever have:: #i am flattered and virtually high-fiveing every one of you folk that said they liked my tags #i was unsure if i should even put the ramble there cause i wasnt sure if people were even gonna read it #so if means the world to me seeing people in the notes having the same reaction towards the screenboard and liking my ramble in the tags #HOWEVER i would greatly apprichiate everyone who copypasted my tags to at least credit me #some have given credit and i'm gratefull for y'all and i understand that maybe theres still the glitch for mobile users and you can always #edit your rb #I'm not mad or upset at anyone i would just really prefer it if people at least prev tagged me #ALSO SIDE NOTE to all the folk that said they'd maybe draw/animate/write smth with this a) i put the link to the full screenboard in a rb #and b) please tag/dm me or send me an ask to inform me cause i would LOVE to see it

[uhbasicallyjustmilex]

it does something incomprehensible to my little writer’s soul whenever alex articulates a phenomenon of the writing process i’ve always picked up on and then goes on to describe it in exactly the same way

#when i first heard him say this when i was watching the interview i legit had to pause the video for a moment #because it was like he’d actually taken my words straight out of my mouth #literally for years i’ve been fascinated by the little timeless pocket between dusk and dawn where there’s so much freedom #to explore creativity uninhibited and unobserved and without fear of consequence #the way it allows you to create things almost as if they don’t really exist #or like the rest of the world doesn’t #and the magic of that freedom #like if you create things on the cusp of dreams it’s almost as if they don’t count #they’re liberated from any usual self doubt or self criticism that invades the imaginative space during the daylight #why am i making myself sound like a creative vampire 😭 #i’m going to stop rambling in the tags now sorry #i fear absolutely none of this makes sense #kudos to anyone who’s read the whole way through this #the gist of what i’m trying to say is that it’s such a special feeling when someone whose writing you adore and connect to so much #puts into words elements of the process that have always resonated with you #and this is just one example too #right i’m going to stop rambling now #but one last thing before i go #on a more superficial note: can we appreciate how softly spoken and soft fluffy haired he is here?? 🥺 #alex turner #humbug era #arctic monkeys #alex vid #lulu posts

[dootznbootz]

Greetings, my dear Mads.

Would you be ever so generous and talk about your headcanons about Menelaus & Polites' relationship with Odysseus?

*cracks knuckles*

I think I should preface this and say that I'm ace/demisexual and that affects...everything. Both of these relationships are basically QPP. Forehead kisses, snuggles, just affectionate. (which I have Odysseus VERY strange with. He's very hot and cold. He's extremely affectionate with his family but Menelaus and Polites' are basically the only two whom Odysseus will not glare at if they put their hand on Odysseus' shoulder)

I'll do Odysseus and Polites first as they're shorter.

Mostly takes place during the Odyssey. And these two are friends. During the year at Circe's...yeah, Odysseus cries on Polites' shoulder multiple times. I have a plan for Circe's thing but that's darker and... YEAH. 🥺 Someday I will write it but yeah. Odysseus is NOT well. Nightmares...other thingsksdljf ds

I have many thoughts on the relationship that Odysseus and Menelaus have. I really love having vulnerable human moments and seeing the potential of Odysseus and Menelaus? GOLD MINE!

I think it's because they're kind of opposites yet UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. Odysseus is a chatterbox and Menelaus is a man of few words. Menelaus is very honorable most of the time while Odysseus is...Odysseus. Odysseus tells stories while Menelaus gets straight to the point. They've been friends for a long time (They literally are each other's wingmen for my fics during the suitors of Helen. And Odysseus loves Menelaus' hugs.)

Odysseus is kind of a dick to EVERYONE during the Trojan war and that is a lot of the "I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE!!! I WANT TO GO HOME!! I MISS MY WIFE AND SON!!!" so he's an ass.

But with Menelaus? He can't be mad. BECAUSE THEY BOTH GET IT. They miss their wives. They miss their kids. And Odysseus is just like, "I can't be mad at you...I know that if it had been Penelope kidnapped, I would have done the same...Wanna go cry together?🥺"

They oftentimes will just...visit each other for a good cry. Holding each other and letting the other ramble about whatever they need. Resting foreheads together. Doing each other's hair. Simply CHILLING! THEY UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE OPPOSITES 😭

Also I have this stupid image in my head that's like a crackfic

Rando: "Hey, How come Odysseus has never stolen from you/stabbed you/insulted you/set your stuff on fire?" Menelaus: "Odysseus? Him?! No! He's a trickster, yes. But he's not a bad man! I'd trust him with my life!" Odysseus: "Yeah! I'm such a fucking sweetheart!" *Someone's tent bursts into flames behind him, from Olive Oil Odysseus purposely set up to light shit on fire*

Idk if I'll get the chance to write this fic idea but I want it to be after Odysseus steals the Palladium. He's alone with Menelaus and "Hey...I saw Helen...She still loves you and she misses you... She says she's sorry."

And Poor Menelaus just breaks. He wants to know everything that happened. And Odysseus answers. Odysseus just holds him while he cries. Probably starts tearing up himself. And just fall asleep together. This has happened multiple times. They can be VULNERABLE with each other!!! Menelaus is one of the few men Odysseus wouldn't steal from or kill in his sleep! Plus it's canon that Menelaus gives the best hugs (I asked Homer. He told me. shush!)

Just....??? AAAAAAAAAAAA

I LOVE THEM!!!! THey are so soft while still being warriors and kings because they're mortal MEN. Who have so many feelings inside them both (especially during Trojan war) I LOVE IT!!!1ksldjf

#I am gently holding them #I also made that whole “Helen and Odysseus are similar” post and I think that HEAVILY influences my love for these two #There's! Just! So! Much! To! EXPLORE!!!!!!! #OdyPen are both chaos and are little shits and are LIKEMINDED. Menelaus gives Odysseus someone that makes him FUCKING CALMDOWN #Mad rambles #shot by odysseus #Don't read more tags unless you're prepared👀 #the circe thing only happened once but...TRAUMA #For Polites thing. Odysseus needs comfort because of nightmares and fearing of “having that strange dream again”. #It's a smut where Circe uses illusions to make Odysseus think she's Penelope during that one time...It's why Circe #finds him pathetic as he's spending most of the time crying and talking about how much he missed “Penelope” and yeah :') VERY ANGSTY #THIS IS WHY I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD HAVE A SIDEBLOG >:( #ask #gotstabbedbyapen #menody

[daeyumi]

i think uh. the Announcement has ruined my night actually. the more i think abt it the worse it gets haha.. 🙃🫠 like literally i don’t think there’s a way the movie can be good. i’m gonna get off social media for tonight & go play switch or smthn,,,,,,,,

#rambles #yes this is abt the fcking zelda movie #god i just. i’m so mad cuz like. i can’t just /not/ watch it cuz now it exists & i just. i have to #but i’m so tired GOD why does it have to be live action?? #i literally don’t think i will ever come to terms with this #ugh & the worst thing that is so specific to me they’re gonna cast link as some ugly fuck actor who legit just looks like some dude #& (god i am oversharing rn) i literally love link so much & my aroace ass has never found an irl person attractive ever & i just. #i fear for my mental stability at this point #god i am sorry to anyone who’s reading these tags at this point i’m sorry for being such a. whiny baby lol

[seventh-district]

not even gonna tag this properly bc i don't wanna get Involved but i do have some Thoughts i need to get out into the void so here we go

(aaa quick edit: CW for mention/discussion of Boothill leaks)

#today's gone Badly and i'm upset but instead of venting abt it i'm gonna channel that energy into doing a bit of tag rambling abt Boothill #well. less abt Him and more abt uh. self-analyzing my anxiety surrounding contributing to fandoms. he's just today's catalyst #like. i know it's mostly a me thing. i'm hypersensitive to criticism and very conflict avoidant + socially anxious + perfectionistic etc. #so I'm the one that keeps myself from posting more stuff out of fear of being criticized or called-out for what i've made #bc inevitably Someone's gonna see it and think its OOC or a problematic take or they'll misread my intent. etc etc what have you #but like. that's inevitable. there's no way to communicate every single thing with all of the nuance required to avoid misunderstandings #and other times it's not a misunderstanding it's just a difference of opinions and that's Fine!! there's no accounting for personal taste #there's no accounting for several things actually. taste‚ bias‚ lore-knowledge‚ differing levels of chronic-online-ness‚ etc #so this isn't me complaining abt the state of fandom culture (although i do think. sometimes. ppl take shit a bit too seriously) #but anyways all of this is mostly just anxiety-fueled. it's not like i very often actually even receive negative feedback or anything #if anything ppl tend to tell me that i'm overthinking it and killing my own fun and worried that my stuff is more OOC than it is #which like. yeah. Yeah u right :) but that's just the way that i am! always losing the idgaf war i suppose #anyways what's Boothill got to do w this ur wondering. well. i've been thinking abt the quickly emerging concept that he's illiterate. #and it just. has me feeling a lot of ways. and watching ppl disagree over it has me feeling some Bad ways. bc it's def a loaded topic! #if you'll pardon the pun there. and i don't rlly have anything new to add other than that i'm conflicted abt it. #like yeah i saw the leaks days ago. of him mentioning 'not hitting the books' much as a child when we ask him why he sends voice messages #or voice Transcriptions ig. ykwim. and like. *braces for impact* ...i liked it? like. it doesn't feel right to call it endearing #i'm not trying to infantilize him. ok that's not the right word either but ugh. you know? what i mean?? who am i kidding even i don't know #it's not quite right to say that it feels like Representation either. but it's something close i guess #as a southern person myself who didn't receive a 'complete' education due to factors that weren't to do with my intelligence #the concept of seeing him as a capable force to be reckoned with and respected who also happens to have not received much formal education #i like that. i do. but there's so many issues w it at the same time. like. as i said‚ being southern myself has me Wary of the way Hoyo is- #writing him. as well as of the way that the fandom is taking the bits of his lore and running away w them. and i'm Very aware of how ppl- #will see a southern character and be All Too Eager to agree that they're lacking intelligence based on our Redneck™ stereotype #sigh. and before we even go too far with this. it's not even confirmed that hes completely illiterate. which is a valid criticism i've seen #there's Multiple reasons that could make him prefer voice to text. but regardless. i'm just worried that ppl will misconstrue my intentions #like. example: that edit i made the other day of him saying 'no thanks i can't read'. wasn't me playing into the stereotype of- #'haha dumb country boy can't read!' it was. in my eyes. something he'd say as a joke to make light of a potential insecurity #like. i think there's far more depth to Boothill's character if ppl could look past the surface. and i dont wanna contribute to the problem #but sometimes ppl Will have stereotypical traits and i wish the same could apply to characters as long as it's done Thoughtfully.

[good-beans]

.

#not really a vent - just a quick thought before i sleep but like. #i keep thinking about that post #theres no way ill find it now but the gist was that 'joy is a warning bell to neurodivergent brains' #and how when we feel joy it means we've loosened up and that always leads to a problem -- #whether its getting to be Too Much or saying the wrong thing or even just getting physically loose and clumsy #but it conditions the brain to see joy as something to fear #because relaxing means we're about to fuck something up #and ive been doing so well this year keeping up with and calling people #ive felt more social lately #literally everyone has been so incredibly kind to me and i want to express how grateful i am and how much i love you all #but every time i try to i get so choked up with fear #with each wave of happiness comes one of chest-squeezing fear #im not super upset or anything (its nice to know why its happening) i just wish i knew how to unlearn it ya know 🤷‍♀️ #thats all - time to sleep #its so late -_- #awww its my pals birthday now!! earth day birthday :') too late rn but ill text him when i get up #rose rambles

[l-la]

Ultimately I am interested in the stories and art people create. I want to see what people's minds come up with. I want to think about how they chose to design their characters, the lines and colours they play with. I want to know people are creating. Being. There's something so human about it.

I joke often I can't imagine not thinking about my characters and stories always in the back of my head, and I can't. I can't imagine what it is not to make or think about a sentence. Think about how I want to scribble out my next illustration.

I fear generative AI making for a populace that is easier to manipulate. Easier to convince of badly cloaked lies because they don't know how to read with any level of consideration for that.

But I also will not abandon the places and people that make up stories and art. They can make their poor mimicries, even bad ones. I hope artists and writers can protect themselves to the best of their own abilities. But I am not going anywhere. I want to be here, where people are making and telling and creating. In spite of everything.

#thinking outloud about everything // #i realize i have very little to worry about because i am not likely someone anyone is looking to mimic but i still feel strongly about #not leaving about not bending and disappearing because they've scared everything away #i'm not a bird on a fence so easily forced to fly away until there is no where left to fly to #l la rambles #and i get why people are fleeing or hiding their art but i am tired of the constant push and pull of fear around stuff #i just wanna jive making art

[sucharide]

LMAO i got to the end of P1 in hollow knight and i fucking FORGOT about mato and oro. Absolutely celebrated early like an absolute CHUMP and got my ass beat.

#they to have the coolest bossfight intro tho hahaha #arent they estranged from one another as well? #its nice that this is like. their peak godhome form #anyway i feel like a FOOL #I am only trying to to godhome bc i want to give the godseeker the flower 😭😭 #i got the flower to the godseeker and then was like. #why cant i give it to them #whats going on. #bc ive given it to them on my ancient save on my switch! #but apparently i had beaten pantheons one and 2 on my switch 😭😭 #anyway. i think i can practice mato and oro now that ive unlocked the fight. so i'll drill them a few times #also #thats my deepest fear with path of pain #that i'll one day have a miraculous run and finish it. and then be faced with a new boss i have never tried and get my ass kicked 😭 #but PoP will never happen for me :( #my platforming skills peak at getting to the top of the mountain in celeste . and doing the main parts of the white palace in hollow knight #path of pain is just a skill level i will never have! #i shall continue to try hahaha #roach rambles

[sillybouquetoflillies]

i keep thinking i rly didnt go thru that much growing up, but idk, everytime i tell someone abt my life, they say i did and kinda just like sit in shock abt it. am i just internet brained or smth, or am i just dramatic?? i rly dont think ive earned a lot of the symtoms of someone who was traumatized that i have. or maybe i havent been in a safe place for long enough to process things??? i dunno. maybe someday far away in the future ill figure things out

#i let myself sit n accept that i did go thru smth.. maybe that i didnt totally remember or that i blurred out the details of n idk #i keep feeling like an imposter n like i shouldnt be feeling it. i didnt rly like how ive been acting #but like also i let a lot of stuff out of the box in my brain doing that n idk how 2 put it back or deal with it #so now i just feel like a half untangled mess with 0 stability bc in that 'growth n discovery' period i realized almost everyone in my life #wasnt someone i wanted 2 keep around #so now its rly just me n my bestie that r close n i keep everyone else at arms length #how tf did i get on rambling abt this omggg #ugh i am srsly such a mess n i cant find the root n i think thats whats freaking me out the most #i hate not being able 2 explain why im feeling a certain type of way or justify it in anyway #i just wanna feel okay n stable n be a fun person 2 be around again!!!! #i wanna be completely independent but like.... everything is so expensive n i have no interest in anything that would pay well #i wish my sw stuff would take off but i think im too messy 4 ppl 2 wanna stick around n also i dont think im super attractive unfortunately #I DUNNO #i dont have any answers atm n its freaking me out #i either wanna figure out how to be okay with not having answers or to get the answers and solve my problems #n i also dont wanna depend on other ppl 2 solve them for me #i just wanna be a whole.. well rounded person who can take care of themselves n do what i want #while also being a cute puppy thats rly rly rly fun 2 play with n is super helpful n supportive 2 the ppl it cares abt 🥰 #i am so sick of these silly dumb messy fears n emotions that keep me stuck in boring ruts #i wanna go out n have my own fun n be my own person n stop being so scared of everything!!!!! #its okay if things go bad!!!! its just more stories 2 tell ppl!!!! ppl love my stories!!!! ugh i just needa put myself out there #i just needa find smth fun 2 do that keeps me around fun ppl #i just dont know what yet #concerts r fun but idk no one super interesting is touring here rn n i need smth more frequent #ok i think this ramble is ovr #im rly sry if ur reading this!!!! i love u vry much n hope ur having a wonderful day!!!!!!!!!

[bellamyblakru]

bro the way merlin’s go-to way to show the people he loves how magic can be beautiful is with fire manipulation,,, im unwell.

#ashley rambles #merlin #bbc merlin #first with freya and the candles #and then arthur with the dragon #both times it ended with death. like how could this kid not associate showing magic equaling dying in his arms. every fucking time he felt #safe enough to show this side they ALL DIE. WILL. HIS DAD. LANCELOT. FREYA. LANCE AGAIN. ARTHUR. THAT ONE DRUID LADY THAT WAS CHILL #also not to mention how ironic it is that fire was his choice when thats the very thing he was taught to fear. everyone he loved also burned #in situations he no doubt blamed himself for. like will died saving arthur and merlin couldnt save him with magic bc of said prince #merlin could only watch as freya died in his arms sobbing that she felt so loved #lance died for him so he didnt sacrifice himself. merlin was more important than anything to lance and he proved it. merlin watched helpless #as lance decided to take his own life and he was powerless to stop him. to tell him goodbye. to tell him he needed him around #i made a post long ago where i said it was ironic fics make merlin afraid of the pyre when he was one of the few not burned in the end #AND ARTHUR. god. a dragon made of flame?? are you kidding?? can u be more symbolic pls. two of them shown in one simple effortless move #fire was probably a comfort to merlin. its real tangible proof of something being created out of nothing. #it burns and it destroys but it also provides a light in the dark. warmth in the cold. #just like magic. just like him. he can hurt others and himself but he also is such a brilliant light to the world. he is sunshine #and butterflies but he is also the storm needed to understand just how lovely the good is #why am i talking bye

[brookheimer]

what do you think would be the best way for the pregnancy to be handled? pure personal opinion

hmmm i'm honestly not sure, especially given that this season is rumored to just take place over a span of ten days, each episode spanning a day. but i'm gonna go unpopular opinion here and say i would be pretty fucking disappointed if it's just, like, an immediate abortion??? like idk what tv yall are watching but i feel like abortion plotlines are a fucking dime a dozen these days and maybe like one in every ten is anything approaching 'empowering,' even though all ten are framed that way. i think abortion vs pregnancy is often framed as a, like, sophie's choice for women -- do you choose to be a person or do you choose to be a woman? -- and it honestly just reinforces the exact same dichotomies they're claiming to break in my opinion. not every abortion narrative but, like... too many of them. so i'm wary lol

rest under the cut cuz it got soooooo fucking long!!

it's the same as with Strong Female Characters: it's not actually a well-written, empowering female character if her 'strength' is dependent on her complete and total rejection of her identity as a woman and every trait associated with it. we've created these, like, anti-feminine career women girlboss warriors whatever as a balm to the terrible hyperfeminized mother-before-all-else classic caricature of womanhood, but tbh, both narratives are equally harmful -- they're not only both still reinforcing the same dichotomy of, like, family/love/emotion/empathy/interdependence etc vs self/respect/rationality/intelligence/independence, but even reinforcing the valuing of the latter (the 'masculine' traits) over the former! by defining strong female characters as those who reject femininity, you're literally just reinforcing the idea that 'femininity' and 'feminine traits' are bad, weak, etc -- the only 'empowering' thing is that hey! women who act like men can be respected! except not really and they'll always be viewed as a woman anyways!

kind of got off topic but, like, that's often what abortion plotlines come down to in my experience -- housewife or career woman? man or woman? and i'm just fucking sick of it, man. like, it's one thing, obviously, for the world of a show and the characters inhabiting it to enforce these views and be judgmental etc etc etc, but it's so frequently driving the writing and narrative itself. i think that abortion plotlines can be good, but honestly? usually only when the character in question genuinely has no desire whatsoever to have kids, like diane in bojack horseman. because if a character is unsure, what typically happens is they'll get bullied into a specific outcome, and it's then framed as 'empowering' and about 'the right to choose.' if a career-driven woman maybe wants to have a baby but gets an abortion because she knows it'll ruin her career, that's not empowering! that's so fucking sad! why are we calling that empowering! that's just as tragic as having a kid because you fear the ostracization you'll receive if you abort! so. i don't know. i think abortion plotlines are really hard to do well because they always just end up oversimplifying everything and turning it into proof of how Strong the woman who got the abortion is -- like, sometimes strength is not getting the abortion. it's not like being a mother actually makes you weaker or lesser. so why do so many of the shows who claim to criticize that notion end up perpetuating it?

i think there's a lot of really fucking interesting stuff that could be done with shiv's pregnancy, and honestly? most of it isn't even fucking related to what happens with her pregnancy. it's just using that as a vehicle to explore layers of her character that we haven't been able to before, largely because she's been so vehemently obsessed with obscuring them. i've been wanting to delve deeper into shiv's relationship with her gender, with caroline, with gerri, with notions of femininity, etc etc etc for YEARS and this is the perfect fucking opportunity. i want to know what shiv actually wants. who she actually is, beneath the 'hypermasculine' veneer she's had to adopt to even be allowed in the room, let alone respected. like does she actually want children, does she actually want a family? has she only been against it out of fear for her career? or is it genuinely something she desires? how much of her relationship with gender is rooted in spite? who is she outside of that spite, and how far will she go to achieve it? will she have a kid to prove to caroline (but really to herself because caroline doesn't actually give a fuck she's gallivanting in europe with peter munion) that she can be a good mother? what does she even think motherhood should look like? does shiv want to be seen as a woman? does she want to be seen as a man who happens to be in a woman's body? does she want to be seen as a man? like, there are so many fucking interesting avenues to explore, and i mean, she's not gonna fucking have the kid in ten days. i hope they actually make the most of the opportunity this could present -- with the exception of, like, one scene, we've only ever gotten to know shiv through her relationships with the men around her. we literally know nothing about what she is outside of roy masculinity. is there anything outside roy masculinity? does she even want there to be? honestly, i've been a little frustrated in past seasons with how surface level a lot of the shiv stuff has been -- the others get so much internal depth, whereas shiv's characterization has largely been reactionary. like, she's usually just reacting to things people (read: men) have done to her. we know so fucking little about her life before the show! she has the potential to be like kim wexler level if they dig into her more and part of that is digging into her relationship with her gender because, like it or not, she fucking IS THE GIRL. like, that's her defining fucking feature: being The Girl. so let's dissect that!!

i know this was such a long rambling, like, non-answer lol but basically i guess i don't actually care what the outcome is of the pregnancy arc so long as it's handled with care -- so long as it's used as a means to explore the shiv we already know, rather than creating a new problem to understand instead. i think an abortion plotline is the riskiest because they're so frequently done poorly, i have no idea how a miscarriage would go but i do think there are interesting ways it could be done, and i can't imagine shiv actually being a mom but i think there's a lot to unpack with shiv even just considering motherhood. idk what the end outcome will be, but as long as the pregnancy plotline is used to expand upon shiv rather than punish her for her femininity or make some grand moral claim about The Correct Way To Be A Strong Woman, i think i won't be too upset. and i have faith that it'll be decent, honestly. this show -- both the writers and snook herself -- cares too much about shiv to do her that dirty. ....i hope.

#as always sorry for the length and rambling etc #i might be a romangirl for succession but above everything else i am always ALWAYS a Complicated Female Character girl #perennially obsessed with characters who don't 'do gender right' to quote judith butler (eugh i know sorry yall) #thats part of why i love roman and shiv so much - both as charas individually and their dynamic #roman is a boy who displays 'feminine' (read: weak) traits like emotion empathy love sadness fear etc #shiv probably saw all that growing up and learned that she should be disgusted by it so she was #she molded herself into being a girl displaying 'masculine' traits bc it's the only way she could survive #but first and foremost she's always a woman which means that if she shows any emotion (and she does) she will be skewered alive #in a way that kendall for instance isn't. roman isn't either but that's also because he's always shown so much emotion that no one takes #him seriously -- no one takes 'feminine traits' etc seriously. so baby roman was fucked from the getgo bc he loved his parents more openly #than a boy should have or something #agh. so much thereerAJKKASJDjka #so many thoughts so little time #succession #succession spoilers #shiv roy #casey shut the fuck up about shiv roy

[devotedlystrangewizard]

totk really is one of those games that make me go "ok thanks for the characters, setting, and general plot, but ill take it from here <3" because the entire historical timeline had so much potential for interesting and nuanced story telling but they just went with the old zelda story formula and YES thats how theyve always done it but botw was such a reset in terms of gameplay that they couldve overhauled how they handle story in totk. but they didnt

#ramblings #all the races swearing fealty to rauru made me so uncomfortable #like yeahhh ganondorf evil or whatever but also. hey. why is the one leader fighting for the independence of his people. the evil villain #am i just not getting something here am i insane #my first thought when i heard about ganondorf returning was 'wow they could turn him into an actual character' AND THEN THEY DIDNT #its been half a year i feel like the honeymoon period is over. totk was kinda mid. im sorry #it was alright but it just. didnt grab me. at all #botw was interesting because it was new but totk made me yearn for the older zelda formula #though tbh. im always yearning for the older zelda formula. i grew up on oot & twilight princess #you hype up ganondorf so much you make him look like THAT (no im still not over this) and then you just. do what weve always done #this happened in twilight princess. it happened in oot. it happened in ww. hell if you count demise it happened in skyward sword #IT HAPPENE.D IN THE FUCKING HYRULD WARRIORS SPINOFF #'oooh noooo the great evil has returned' WEVE BEEN HERE EVERY TIME. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH POTENTIAL #heres the gerudo having a man born and making him king as is their custom but they spend years in fear that he will be monstrous #here they are after all these iterations of ganondorf afraid to even have kids out of fear that SOMEONE will bring the new great evil #heres a child recently given the throne despite being barely more than a baby always treated with fear by everyone around him #ARE YOU SEEING MY VISION???? #the curse is right there. do something with it. oh my god #i KNOW zelda games are just simple heros journeys but pleaseeee i need food #you dont have to make ganondorf nice just. do something with him im so tired of the evil guy caricature #i like guys who are plain evil but i like them more when they have some fucked up motivation beyond taking over the world

[melit0n]

EUCLID ANALYSIS.

Part one -> Title and meaning

Part two -> Line by line analysis part one

Part three -> You're already here!

Part four -> Musical/instrumental notes

Part five -> The Night in Sleep Token

Part six -> Conclusion

“I play along with the life signs anyways” → ‘Play along’ implies acting or participating in something that may not be entirely genuine, it's almost childish; playing along with life like it's a joke.

Finishing the line with ‘anyways’ adds a sense of nonchalance to it all. It paints the image that Vessel is going through the motions of life, however, he hasn’t fully accepted it all yet. He’s in this middle zone, the twilight zone, of experiencing it all but through a dissociated state.

“But hope to God you don’t know this feeling” → This one can be interpreted as a direct message to us, as the listener. While Vessel has gone through mass amounts of distress in his lifetime, before he was Vessel and as he is now, he has taken the last option he has left; Sleep. He’s both hoping we don’t follow in his steps and hoping to the Dear God we have never experienced what he has been through and never will.

“Yet in reverse, you are all my symmetry” → And here is the first reference to Euclid of Alexandria and his symmetry.

The lyric, as a whole, expresses an intimately complex sentiment about the nature of Vessel’s relationship with Sleep or his partner. Even when viewed in reverse, the person holds a profound sense of balance (through the metaphor of symmetry) for Vessel; they completed each other perfectly despite their large differences, which eventually drove them apart.

I would like to mention this can also be seen as a response to the message Vessel received that stated he had ‘saved’ the writer. Vessel reflected on this in a speech, concluding that whilst the message is true, it is in an inverse sense. We saved Vessel. We are his symmetry even though we are so utterly different from him. It’s a wonderfully profound lyric, whichever way you decide to interpret it.

“A parallel I would lay my life on” → Symmetry again!

Despite it all, Vessel would lay his life in this relationship, this person; that’s how much trust he has. However, the reference to parallels presents the concept of parallel lines, which never meet. This suggests a distance or separation, which emphasises the unique and individual paths each person is on, whether that be because of fate or free will. Then, the statement that Vessel makes, saying he’d lay his life down for this parallel, indicates a deep and soulful commitment (or sacrifice) for the sake of symmetry. He’s saying he has full willingness to trust this person, even if their stars won't align again. Even if their paths won’t converge, he’d still have some sort of trust in them.

It could also be a callback to the main topic in Acensionism.

“So if your wings won't find you Heaven, I will bring it down like an ancient bygone” → The line calls back to TNDNBTG’s "and the night comes down like Heaven". This is Vessel willing himself to bring down Heaven for someone who deserves it, but cannot bring themselves to reach it, as a gift for them. A thank you.

Plus, the comparison to an ‘ancient bygone’ adds a layer of nostalgia or reference to the past, which suggests Vessel is drawing upon ancient or timeless methods to accomplish this; using the past to his advantage, for once in his life, which then links into the later lyric of "for me, it’s still the autumn leaves".

“Call me when you have the time” → A repeat of the previous refrain, but with changed words. It feels less like a cry for help, but more of a light-hearted question. A ‘Hey! I don’t need you right now, but call me when you’re free, yeah? I’ve got something to talk about’.

“I just need to leave this part of me behind” → Vessel has accepted his walls have closed in on him and have fallen down, and he’s realised he needs to move on. Yet again, it presents Euclid as a eulogy; a closing chapter for Vessel and maybe Sleep Token as a band itself.

“Do you remember me, when the rain gathers?” → Vessel’s past is coming back to him again, he’s finally accepting it all but he’s still clinging on, asking his partner, or Sleep, if they still remember it all.

Further, rain often carries symbolic meanings, such as renewal, cleansing, as well as melancholy. The question is more of a ‘Will you remember me now that I’ve changed? Am I still good enough for you?’

“And do you still believe nothing else matters?” → This line is a callback to Bloodsport’s "tangled with what I never said, and you say it doesn’t matter".

It also brings up change again. At the start of the song, Vessel is afraid of change, changing out of the mindset he’s been in for so long, but now he’s asking his partner if they’re still the same as before. If loving them is still a blood sport.

“For me, it’s still the autumn leaves” → Autumn symbolises change and is the in-between of summer and winter. The middle of constant sunlight and constant darkness; it’s twilight. It displays a long-awaited change and finally, the acceptance of it.

“These ancient canopies that we used to lay beneath” → As autumn arrives, the canopies of the trees change yet again. The trees Vessel his partner used to lay beneath become ancient with all the autumns that have passed. Eventually, his partner becomes an ancient bygone to him.

“No, by now, the night belongs to you” → Direct callback to TNDNBTG from Sundowning. The Night, lore-wise, is presented as something holy. It is their duty, as Vessels of Sleep, to constantly stay awake because the night belongs to Sleep; no one else. Vessel is rebuking against Sleep, stating that the night no longer comes down like Heaven, like he once believed, and belongs to someone entirely human now. It belongs to him. It belongs to us.

“This bough has broken through” → Direct callback to WTBB from One. When the bough breaks is an idiom meaning ‘when a situation has reached the point of no return’. In WTBB, this is in reference to how Vessel and his partner ignore how toxic their relationship has gone because neither of them wants to be alone in their suffering. The bough has broken through because Vessel has left this person, and he has changed. He has overcome the fear of being alone and has changed for the better.

“I must be someone new” → This is a direct statement of how Vessel must change if he wants to continue on. He must find a way to become human again while being a Vessel of Sleep. He has to get over his past.

The bridge then repeats the previous two verses, almost as if Vessel is trying to nail in his final point. He hasn’t got anything more to say, so he’s repeating all he’s said.

Finally, the fourth and final verse is a repetition of the second verse of TNDNBTG. The produced album trilogy, the loop, finishes here. As the listener, we are sent right back to where we first began; in a state of suffering and struggling to accept our new form, to accept our humanity. But, if you run it back, listen to albums again, you’ll be right back at Euclid. You’ll be back to facing the fact of change and guess what? Time has passed again. Could be a couple of hours. Could be a couple of days. Could be a month! But time has passed as you have revisited the past on an empty ceiling and you, as the listener, are faced with change again.

Euclid, in the end, lyrically, becomes the question of have you accepted it yet? Will you allow time to sew your wounds shut, or do you need to go back one more time? Go back to where your atoms stopped fusing, to where it was blue light over murder, or, do you want to face the inevitable?

#'no by now the night belongs to you' well just kill me now why don't you #'this bough is broken through' was the final nail in the coffin when I first heard this song #both for it being my favourite in tmbte and for crying because I wasn't expected to be hit with my comfort song from EIGHT YEARS AGO #Vessel #when I catch you vessel #this bough is broken through #and I must be someone new #but change is what I fear most #but I am human #so it is inevitable #and time will sew my wounds shut anyways #so what is there to be afraid of? #sleep token #st #mel's rambles #vessel sleep token #sleep token analysis #euclid #euclid sleep token #tmbte #sleep token tmbte

[feeling-kinda-sad-ngl]

also stressed bc of this gift exchange some of my family is doing bc i thought it was decided that itd be around $80 and then the next day i find out that its a minimum of 80 >:0

#and i mean deep down i think theyll all be appreciative no matter what but idk theres this layer of fear #its stupid its so stupid bc why am i conplaining so much #im gonna just focus on my friends and siblings and parents bc i know 100% that theyll be genuinely grateful no matter what #i could give them a rock with a smiley face on it or a heart and theyd display it for decades #des rambles