#probably none of it because if we do try to project it on reality I just cannot imagine what can I be actually Comforted about | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

roaenexists · 2 months

Text

Pick-A-Pairing Tarot and Oracle readings for the collective.

From left to right we have Pairing One: Leather. Pairing Two: Starburst. Pairing Three: Cerebral.

Pairing One: Leather.

You have been getting a little too big for your britches, as my grandma would say. You have been communicating and behaving in a way that has showed those around you a haughtier side of yourself than I know you'd prefer. In other words, you've been coming off as a bit of a bitch and we both know you're capable of better than that. You need to do some inner child work and tap back in to a learner's mindset. You don't have to fundamentally change who you are, just walk it back a bit. Did you ever love learning? Did you ever used to value the input of those around you? Tap back into that energy and you'll be surprised at how naturally it comes. Past You is here to support Present You. Stop trying to rush to your future self because right now you're missing the mark. Open yourself up to the lessons your friends and mentors and colleagues have for you, and embrace the youthful spirit you've been neglecting. Come home to yourself.

Pairing Two: Starburst

Recently you've ended something and then immediately begun something new that, quite frankly, you are ill-equipped to handle. I'm inclined to think it's a relationship, though for some of you it's a new job, or a personal project. But y'all all got one thing in common: You are going about this all wrong. You had your head in the clouds about what was going to be required of you, and how quickly you were capable of providing it, but the reality of the situation is that you have all the wrong tools, most of the wrong perspective, and none of the energy. You aren't seeing the situation clearly, most likely because you haven't been doing the necessary work on yourself to make sure you were ready for this new journey. If it's too late now to walk it back, don't panic. Set aside some time to really refill your emotional, spiritual, and physical cups. Make your own health and well-being the priority, at least for long enough to recenter and reassess. You cannot expect a battery to work when empty, and you cannot care for others without first tending to your own needs.

Pairing Three: Cerebral

Shit sucks right now. You're in a situation where you are powerless and/or unhappy, with the caveat being that there's no fucking reason you shouldn't be seeing and, more importantly, feeling progress already. You feel you've learned all you can from where you are, you've made all the moves, and all that's left is to move on. The good news is that it's only a matter of time. If you can bear down and get through time then you will be able to pursue your own idealistic future, which includes physically moving location in some way, and probably also mental health support services. Will you actually make it there is up to you, but overall this draw is giving big Trevor Project, "It gets better," vibes. It's corny but it is literally in the cards. You are moving forward. Time and space are not separate, so the longer you press on, the farther you are from where you want to leave. Things are changing. This is inevitable. If you can ride the tumultuous waters, they will eventually calm down, and you will be able to take control of your vessel in the way you know you need to. You know you are meant for different; you just need to believe it until your experienced reality is reflecting that truth back to you. Take this energetic hug from me and Spirit and know that your future is full of potential. If you need to vent you can DM me. Just keep going.

#roaenpost #tarotblr #tarot #tarot cards #divination #roaen reads #pick a card #pick a pile #pick a pair #pick a pairing #daily tarot #witch #witchcraft #witchblr #witchling #baby witch #daily divination #weekly reading #full moon reading

70 notes · View notes

cyberdragoninfinity · 2 years

Note

I'm sorry but WHAT is happening in Duel Links??

*CRACKS KNUCKLES* ALRIGHT im certain other people could explain this better than I could (bark at me if any of this is wrong,) but, an attempt at a quick rough tl;dr of it:

so like. an important thing to note with DL is that like..... the in-universe explanation for Duel Links is that it's one of Seto Kaiba's new VR Next Evolution of Dueling Ego Projects, which like, ok sure, he Makes Those, but what's a little alarming with this one is that technically (almost) none of the characters In The Game are actually Those Characters Specifically, they're AI recreations of them with their original self's memories (that's already a lot, right out the gate.) (I say "almost" everyone because I think it's implied DSOD Kaiba and maybe Mokuba actually Are them because it's Their Game and they're always product testing it, there might be others though)

anyway another thing with this situation is that, uh, Most Characters in Duel Links Do Not Know They're AI. They just assume they're the original guy, that's just them! Hanging out in this cool new Duel VR! But then sometimes you DO get characters who actively are aware that they're just code in a video game (Yami Bakura and Bruno 5D's both comment on it), so you have this really interesting ecosystem of duelists who Are aware they don't really exist, and duelists who are None the Wiser. absolutely batshit.

and sure this is all well and fine with like, DM and maybe GX characters, ok sure it makes sense Kaiba would be recreating notable duelists of that era, but i cannot stress enough He Is Also Making AI Recreations of Dead People. DL very much takes place post-manga, post-DSOD. But Yami Yugi is There. Yami Bakura and Yami Marik are Very There. Manga Pegasus is there. Seto "I Will Never Learn to Come to Terms With Grief" Kaiba is actively raising the dead in his little VR card game simulator so they can live forever and there's a 50/50 chance they'll be FULLY AWARE that they died. JESUS.

There's also the hulking elephant in the room of Duel Links Has Been Including Characters From Series Kaiba Has Nothing to Do With For Quite Some Time Now--and a lot of those characters are like HEY. WHERE THE FUCK ARE WE. like I SWEAR someone from either Zexal or Arv-V was actively like "hi what the hell is KaibaCorp" so like...Kaiba's branding is ALL OVER THE VR WORLD EVEN IN THE WORLDS HE DIDNT EXIST IN. It's painting this absolute off the rails picture of Seto Kaiba trying to create this virtual multiverse of The Best Duelists From Every Timeline Living or Dead, and half the guys he's pulling in at this point are like *spawns into a perfect recreation of their hometown with no real idea of who did this* "what in the goddamn."

like guys from zexal/arc-v are actively IN GAME like trying to figure out why this VR world exists and who created it. It's absolutely wild and fascinating to watch. excited to see what happens when they add VRAINS world next month?!?!? idk anything about VRAINS really but it's probably going to make the DL lore even more bananas.

ANYWAY. ALL OF THAT SAID. NOW WE HAVE MAXIMILLION PEGASUS DROPPING IN-GAME OMINOUS SENTIMENTS it's kind of a culmination of all of the aforementioned shit. Duel Links Pegasus (an AI recreation of manga!Pegasus, who is fully aware A.) that's he's dead and B.) that there's multiple worlds and timelines crammed into this Virtual Reality) has a conversation with Paradox (an AI recreation of Paradox the Bonds Beyond Time Yugioh Movie Bad Guy, who, for all intents and purposes, fully believes he's the real dude and he wants to kill-die-explode-murder Pegasus SO BAD) breaking down that "hey, this place unites different histories, and if you kill me duel monsters won't cease to exist. Anyway, I'm not real! Ohoho! This world holds threads of tragedy, Paradox-boy!" <-- (not verbatim. but i wish it was.) Meanwhile Paradox is having a sputtering breakdown right next to him. This is a video game to play yugioh the trading card game.

like. it's just absolutely wild. konami could have just said "hey heres yugioh characters from every series. whatever" but no instead they threw in a bunch of mild psychological horror and inter-series friction and existentialism and it's a freemium video game that i have 600+ hours on on steam. yugioh duel links !

#ygo posting #wow! that was not quick or a tl;dr at all! SORRY DFGHDGF #i guess the real tl;dr is ''seto kaiba is mentally unwell and now he's making it Every Yugioh Character's Problem." lmao #honey-bunnysaurus #asks #anyway i wish someone would make a DL lore video essay so bad...really the only DL video content out there right now #is strictly about the meta of the card game (which dont get me wrong is also fascinating in its own right)#but i wanna see someone talk about the absolute insane lore that is happened directly outside of the actual card game!!!#i wanna be vindicated that im not the only person noticing this!!!!#duel links

1K notes · View notes

iheartchv · 1 year

Text

The Reality Is...

Short oneshot about Leo/Raph/Donnie/Mikey trying to get over a breakup.

I guess you can kinda say I wrote this to try to ease how I've been feeling since last weekend; IRL things is just too much for me to shoulder so I told my boyfriend if we could take a break in our relationship so we can work things out with our lives. (We've got a long distance thing going on.) I know its not a breakup technically, but it feels like it because we're going to be able to talk little to none. 😥

Perhaps it was better for you to be with someone of your own kind. That's what he's been telling himself to make it not hurt so much. His heart hurt so much, it hurt to breath and to stop sobbing and crying his eyes out. He cries himself to sleep at bedtime. He was depressed. He wanted to curl into a ball in a corner and just wallow in the sea of sadness and let it swallow him up. Splinter and his brothers noticed how much he changed since the day you told him that you needed someone who could support you in all ways.

Raph spends all his time in the gym, letting out his anger and frustration. Plus he didn't want to not let anyone see him cry. You were the only one who he would let see that side of him. He didn't want to go upside ever in case he saw you, because if he did he would probably cause a ruckus.

Mikey was mellowed out. He didn't want to do anything that reminded him of you. That kinda included everything because you had become a part of his life, and now you were gone. Sure he was the sunshine of the group, but the sun couldn't shine without any light...

Donnie had locked himself in his lab, delving into his many projects and experiments. He hoped that keeping himself busy would take his mind off of you. Little to no success. When he needed sleep, he couldn't. He saw dreams and memories of you. He was haunted by the ghost of you.

Leo rarely talks anymore. He spends more time in the dojo than Splinter does. Anyone rarely gets to see him. He sometimes stays in his room, slient, deep in thought. He tried to seem strong for his family, but little by little his calm stoic demeanor was crumbling. His mind was going down a dark path...

You're with your new human partner. You've introduced them to your family, and they approve. You love spending time with them, and they will/help provide for you. You go out almost every night having a good time. Except when it's night time, around midnight. You lay in your bed and think about the past, present, and your future. You think about him... and you can't help but cry when your chest tightens. Your heart knew who you wanted to be by your side, but the world would never accept him, much less accept him to be with you.

The reality is... maybe mutants and humans weren't meant to be together.

#tw: angst #tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt x reader #tmnt x y/n #tmnt x you #tmnt fandom #fandom #tmntxreader

131 notes · View notes

sapphire-weapon · 7 months

Note

Ok after I played SW, seeing EagleOne from Ada's pov makes it even more obvious fr, clearly she recognizes the bond they formed unlike many of people in the fandom

And the way she encountered Ashley at the end is so interesting, this scene wasn't in the OG and it's there for a reason in this remake timeline. The framing, like you said, is very romantic like something out of an old fairytale. Ada seems to accept their relationship, even if she might not like it.

Do you think she compared her relationship with Wesker and their mutual distrust to Ashley and Leon's which is the exact opposite?Maybe she reflected on that when she saw them on the jetski?

Do you think she will get a redemption arc?

Ada doesn't need a redemption arc because she's not evil. the only reason why we used to talk about a possible Ada redemption arc on here is because we were thinking about her in the context of OG, where her motivations are unclear and it seems like she defaults to working with the shittiest, scummiest, most comically evil men in the series.

but Remake Ada is Chaotic Neutral. there's nothing to redeem there. TV Tropes probably has the best description:

I would say that that is Remake Ada.

and no, I don't think that her reaction to Ashley had anything to do with her own relationship with Wesker. there was probably a lot going through her head at that moment, but I feel like both Leon and Ada project onto Ashley somewhat at different points of RE4make; they both look at her as what they could have been/become if things had been different.

Ashley has the positive change arc that was denied to Leon in RE2make, and he looks at her positive change and the strength and courage that she's found as what he could've been if only things had gone differently for him in/after Raccoon City.

and when Ada encounters her during the Saddler fight, the romantic imagery and Ashley's foremost thought being Leon's safety, I think, causes Ada to reflect on how much this was not how she, herself, was back in RE2make, and how much different her life could've turned out if it had been. if only Ada had loved and trusted Leon in RE2make the way that Ashley does in RE4make, none of this would be happening -- and, together, they probably would've had Wesker on the back foot, and his complete. global. saturation. would've been nothing more than a fever dream.

but Ada prioritized herself and her own interests and her own needs because Wesker's dick was just too bomb, apparently, and now look at what a fucking mess it's caused.

but Ada also knows that thinking that way isn't realistic. things didn't turn out the way they did for no reason. she's never been the type of person to have prioritized Leon over her own self-interest, and she never will be. at most, she would've concocted a way to let Leon escape the city with the G-sample, but there was never any version of reality in which they'd escape together -- and she certainly wasn't going to let him arrest/apprehend her like he said he was going to, either.

so instead of dwelling on that and feeling bad about it, Ada just says "On it." as a response to Ashley's order plea to help Leon, because this time around, she can have her cake and eat it, too. she can help support Leon while also looking out for herself.

I do think there's a slight element of envy/jealousy that she has towards Ashley, which is where the invitation to Leon at the end comes from. Ada doesn't have any personal resentment towards her, but at the same time, she's envious that Ashley gets to hold onto this fairytale and watch the bad guys get defeated and run off into the sunrise with her Prince Charming. Ada knows better; she knows the world doesn't really work that way, so inviting Leon to come with her at the end is her own petty way of trying to take that from Ashley/teach her that lesson, while also getting the benefit of riding Leon's dick for a night LMAO

but like. again. she's realistic. she knew she was going to get turned down.

#resident evil 4 #leon kennedy #ashley graham #ada wong #meta analysis

18 notes · View notes

phantoms-lair · 11 months

Text

Batman Exalted Thing

Because thought experiments never stay thought experiments

~~~

"Thought you'd be up on the roof, Commish?"

Gordon turned to Bullock, "Why?"

"Signals up. Usually mean you want to talk to Bats."

Gordon rolled his eyes. Some rookie with stars in his eyes probably wanted to see the local vigilantes. He sighed and made his way up the stairs.

It wasn't a rookie he found, but a woman he knew he'd never seen before. She turn and looked at him and suddenly he felt like his very soul was being turned inside out and examined before everything snapped back to normal.

"You felt that." she sounded surprised. "Oh, I do hope he hasn't factored you into his plan."

"What was that? Who are you?"

"You may call me Quill." The woman nodded

"But that's not your name." he guessed.

She looked bitter. "I had to destroy my name to prevent magical tracking. Quill will have to do., for both of us."

"Tracking from who?" Of course Batman had appeared without notice. His full attention was on Quill.

"Ketchup Carjack." She answered succinctly.

Neither man responded for a moment. "Who?" Jim finally asked for clarification.

"It's not his real name, just similar sounding words. But he's one of those 'I demand respect' types, so I give him none on principal." Her cool façade fell as angered colored her tone. It was clear to see it wasn't just a matter of principle, she despised whoever she was talking about.

She turned her gaze to Batman. He had a notorious poker face, but years of knowing him let Jim see his discomfort as the woman's glanced at him and knew batman was feeling the same inside out feeling he had.

"You're a meta." Batman observed.

"I am something entirely different. More magical than meta. And I will explain more later, but lets get to the meat of this meeting, shall we? Ketchup is going to try to empower you and your family of vigilantes to create a permanent foothold between your world and his so he can conquer it and I'd rather like to stop him as I hate his guts and everything he stands for."

"So he's going to offer us power and we have to refuse." There was a lot in that statement that needed unpacking, but that seemed the simplest thing.

"No. He's not offering. He's going to manipulate your fates to give you power, then offer to teach you how to use it, make you a political power and through that become the true ruler behind the throne." Quill was practically growling. "And you can stop him from empowering us?" Batman pressed.

"Er, no. My plan kind of relies on you being powered up." Quill admitted awkwardly. "Look, if you can make your own fates read-only so he can't mess with them, great. That's a win condition and I can go back to hiding in the underworld until he tries again. If not, don't knock my plan of you don't have one of your own."

"You're defensive. Frightened." Batman observed.

"Of course I'm frightened!" Quill snapped. "I lost everything because I didn't know how to stop it! And now I'm trying to stop this from happening ever again. But I am one person with powers I don't really understand and even if I did they are NOT made for this kind of thing. My exigence is based around stories. And the only story I've found that can block Ketchup's world off from the multiverse is of a ritual called the Seal of Eight Divinities, which I couldn't do myself even if I was a sorcerer, which I'm not. And the only people with power that Ketchup can't track are the fair folk, the demons, and the undead, all of whom want to destroy or at least conquer reality, so my only option for help to power this is letting the monster who destroyed my life mess with other peoples." Batman sat on the structure of the bat signal next her her, his body language changed to the one he used dealing with scared children. And seeing the crying woman in front of them, Jim felt that was a more accurate reading of her that the cool and collected persona she'd first tried to project.

"This isn't the first time he's tried this, is it?" Batman said in a gentle voice.

"He tried it the other way first. When our worlds got close he grabbed a bunch of us and tried to force us to Exalt. That's, um, that the word for this power. He can't manipulate the fates of other worlds as easily. So he brought us to his to make it happen naturally. But to exalt in his world you have to prove yourself to the gods and that's dangerous and..." She gulped. "He lied. All he does is lie. He told us our world was going to be destroyed, but would be spared if we proved out worth as representatives. The others died, but for some reason I was chosen. My power was stories and when I looked at him, I saw his." "I saw his lies. Our world was never in danger, his was. He was the leader of a group of shadow manipulators who controlled fate through magic and deceit. But his very manipulations had brought their world to the brink of collapse. His work had disrupted the protectors because they were threats to his rule, and now the enemies of existence were at his gate. But he couldn't even acknowledge it to himself! As far as he was concerned if things were failing under his leadership, then they were always destined to fail and nothing could fix them. So he just had to find a new world."

"But when realities touch, it's brief. It wouldn't be enough for him to move his whole operation unless a bridge was formed. Something that joined the two worlds, say a mortal from one world empowered by the other. I knew I had to stop him so I broke my story. I erased all of it from before he caught me. So there was nothing to tie me to my original world. Not even memories." She sounded so lost, but in a way she was. So lost she didn't even have a concept of home.

"Why come to us? Why not try to contact the Justice League directly?" Batman inquired. "This may be starting on Gotham, but it sounds like it would be a global problem." "Three reasons." Quill explained. "The first is that Ketchup has narrowed his focus down to Gotham and I don't want to give him ideas about expanding. The second is as far as I know, Ketchup does not know I'm here, nor that I'm actively plotting against him. Outside help being brought in before he's even made a move will let him know something is up and may cause him to escalate or be harder to pin down. And the final and main reason-" Quill shuddered. "Cash and Murder Games on Superman."

Jim and Batman waited for further explanation, but when none seemed coming a prod was necessary.

"Is that some sort of gladiatorial colosseum?" Jima asked. "It's a ...spell is the wrong word but get the point across without going into semantics. It's one of Ketchups favorites and allows him to define the relationship between two people."

"Such as defining himself as 'beloved master' and Superman as 'devoted servant'." Batman deduced.

"Exactly! And that's far from the only mind manipulation tool in his box. They can be resisted but given Superman's specific vulnerability to magic-" Quill looked deeply uncomfortable.

"How much of the Justice League have you looked at thee way you looked at the Commissioner and myself?" Batman inquired.

His tone wasn't accusing, but Quill flinched. "A lot. Your world depends on knowing who was safe to trust, And as with Superman, not just in terms of morality. I am well into desperate times." She gave a self depreciating laugh then took a breath.

"Justice League Dark I would trust to got over the ritual to see if it needs adjustment to this world, but the magics they use would be incompatible with casting it. On the ground, if it were called for, my first choice would be Wonder Woman. Shazam as a last resort. Dr. Fate...would be a potent ally, but I don't think I'd be able to work with him personally. But then again I'm not sure what use I am on the ground either."

"Why is Shazam a last resort?" Wonder Woman made sense, and the issue with Dr. Fate seemed to be a matter of clashing personalities, but Shazam being a last resort seemed...odd.

"He has his own things he's dealing with, As a fiercely independent person, he doesn't want or need help, but I'm loathe to put another burden on his shoulders."

"Fiercely independent?" Batman raised an eyebrow.

"Can you name one times he's asked for help instead of volunteered it?" Quill challenged. "Also you might want to talk to him about workshopping a new name. Or not. It's his...I shouldn't have said anything." She pulled out several file folders. "Here, this is all the relevant information on Ketchup and different Exaltations. And the ritual. Um, I don't have a phone or anything, but I we can set a meeting time if you have any questions."

Batman pulled a small phone from his belt. "This is a burner. We can use it to contact you or vice versa. Do you have a place to stay?" "It's not hard to hide in Gotham, at least not with Ketchup having trouble with fate."

"Not back to the underworld?"

"Not if I can help it. But still better than Hell."

Batman shared a quick glance with Jim. If half of what Quill was saying was true, this woman likely had severe PTSD. They'd need to look into getting her help after the crisis was over.

"I'll have Justice League Dark look over the ritual. We'll go from there."

#Ghost Writing #Batman #Exalted #Exalted Players know exactly who Ketchup is #Quill mostly exists to be a source of information

35 notes · View notes

archiveofmiksown · 5 months

Text

CHAPTER 4. AND I'M TRYING TO GET IT STRAIGHT WHY THE FUCK I CAME BACK IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

When Black Mesa first began their project to dig a hole to the center of the Earth, they had set aside a single space within the research facility to dedicate to the idea. A wide, 50m square room had been offered up to the noble pursuit of knowledge, gutted and hollowed for science's sake. When Black Mesa scientists discovered that, unfortunately, digging a hole straight into the center of the Earth was not only costly, not only tedious, but also damn near impossible, they had abandoned the project… only to take it up again a month or so later. This time, they had identified where they had failed— the crevice they had drilled into the ground led straight into a reservoir of bubbling and boiling magma. Science will later discover this to be known as the 'upper mantle.' And so they sought to find a new, magma-less altar for their Earth-center-finding ritual. After months of searching, they had found it; a sweet spot of emptiness between their laboratories. They dug, and dug, and managed 500 or so feet before growing exhausted. Thus, their dreams to dig into the center of the Earth had died. But their ambitions live on in the two massive holes piercing into Black Mesa's heart, enshrined in the bubbling, boiling magma of one, and immortalized in the dark abyss of the other.

Bubby had always been fond of this anecdote. Dreams, however lofty, were still worth pursuing. Even if they would end up unfinished, they would at least leave a mark— they never made it to their ultimate reality, but at least they dug two really cool pits. That alone made it worth it.

However, standing in this room now, a 50 meter square pool of molten rock bubbling far below him, and the soles of his shoes leaving smears of melted leather on the ground, he's beginning to reconsider just how much he likes that story.

Behind him, Gordon curses.

"Fucking hell, man," he groans, "why on Earth do we just have a whole ass lava room here?"

"It's one of the few remnants of an old Black Mesa project. It's quite a beautiful story, Gordon…" Bubby responds, reprimanding at first, though hesitation soon brings his tone down. It's admittedly difficult to be optimistic when faced with what felt like a million fucking degrees, "...though, of course, it's more beautiful when you're… uh, not in it."

Gordon flicks the sweat off of his brow using a finger. Then, he tilts his head at the room, a frown cutting across his expression.

"Well. How do you suppose we're getting through this?"

Bubby scoffs. "How the hell should I know? It's a room full of liquid boiling shit, Gordon."

Gordon glares at him. "So you just wanna give up, is that it? All the other hallways led here, it's not like we can just find some other way out!"

Bubby sighs— that same, deep-chested sigh that Gordon always lets out around them. "What do you expect me to do, Gordon? Do you want me to fucking shoot at it?" he gestures to his gun for emphasis, "Do you want me to shoot at the lava?"

Gordon goes silent. He's still seething; indeed, Bubby can sense that his temperament is as hot as the magma. But he speaks no words. Probably because there are none left to say. He takes a deep, shaky breath. Then, slowly, lies down onto the floor. He curls up into a ball.

"I don't know anymore, man. I really fucking don't. I just…" he lifts up his handless arm, staring at it as though he were hexing it, "I just don't wanna be here right now. I… don't wanna die here. I just wanted to live, man! But—" his arm falls onto the floor with a metallic thud. Blood sizzles on the floor where his arm-wound meets it, "I'm here now. With you."

Bubby simply stares at him. Simply maintains a few feet of distance, his hands idle by his side and his face forming a small frown. Sweat drips down his head, trickling down his nape and soaking the collar of his shirt. He makes no effort to wipe it— he makes no effort to move at all.

Gordon sounded… exhausted. It shouldn't be surprising; he was always exhausted, or so he'd say. But his exhaustion didn't have the anger or exasperation that normally accompanied it. Gordon was simply tired; plain and simply tired. No pointed fingers, no insulting scoffs. Just a man who lay battered on the 1000 degree ground, next to a legacy of an unfulfilled dream. It's the first Bubby's ever seen him so worn out— it feels like he's almost intruding on something private.

Bubby directs his gaze towards the lava. The pool gurgles, bubbles popping across the surface like cracks on a screen. The brightness of the sea gives his glasses this awful glare, and when he blinks, all he can see is white. All the while his body melts and melts, the sweat saturating his polo with a warm dampness.

Bubby turns back to Gordon. He's still curled up, with his knees pressed against his chest. Bubby takes a deep breath.

"How do you manage to lay down on this floor like that? It's fucking hot in here."

Gordon rolls over to face him, lifting his head up. "Seriously?" he asks, "is that all you have to fucking say to me right now?" he returns to his position, his head lolling onto the side of the floor with a thud.

"It's the suit," he explains, "this thing's got hella resistance. But my head kinda feels like it's on fire, now that you mention it."

Bubby hums. "Oh yeah, magma will do that. Though I will admit, hot as this is, it's nothing like the real thing."

"The real thing? Like… actually being set on fire?"

"Oh, yes. That one feels much different."

"Huh. Figures."

Silence envelopes them for a while. For what feels like hours, it's nothing but the soft bubbling of magma and the occasional sigh. Bubby takes the time to think— he likes doing that, thinking. He thinks both of them are tired. He thinks both of them hate what's going on. He thinks that maybe they have more in common than they care to admit. That maybe this was the final straw and that they were either going to get through this together or kill each other. He looks at the pit and thinks that the unfinished dreams ought to stop here— that there should be no more abandoned pits scarring the body of Black Mesa. He thinks that the reminder should spur him on. He thinks, and this is a big discovery for him , that maybe that dream meant something. Or that it should mean something and that he should go dig a hole to figure it out. But beyond just digging holes, he should strike the center of the Earth. Really finish what he began. He should go do that so Gordon would stop hating him. And maybe, when he reaches the core, he can finally go home. Or find a home. Or find something close to one, anyways. And he thinks all this while standing in front of that boiling broth of molten mineral, sweating his 3-year old, old man ass off.

Like a drill to Black Mesa ground, Bubby breaks through the quiet by speaking.

"Gordon," he says plainly, "I see an exit on the other side. I think it's a fire exit."

"A fire exit?" Gordon echoes, "This whole thing's a fucking fire hazard, I don't know that an exit's going to help them much—"

Bubby shushes him with a hiss. "No time for that, Gordon! Just know that there's a way out. And that you and I are gonna fucking jump it."

Gordon snaps up. He sits up from his fetal position and turns to him at breakneck speed. "Are you out of your fucking mind?!" he screams. His voice reverberates throughout the whole room.

Bubby simply shrugs. "Maybe. But we have to try. We have to dig that hole through the center of the Earth."

Gordon groans. "Oh my god, you've fucking lost it."

Bubby shakes his head. He takes a step towards Gordon, and offers a hand.

"Not yet. Now," he flicks his head towards the pit, " are you with me or not?"

"You're fucking crazy." Gordon mutters. But he takes the offered hand, anyways. This surprises Bubby, but he doesn't let it show. Instead, he pulls Gordon up with a heave, and takes him to the edge of the room— right near the door they had entered to get here.

His knees fall into a stance. He turns to Gordon. "We're jumping at 3, okay?"

Gordon looks at him. The expression is unreadable. But Bubby can at least sense less vitriol in them. Slowly, he nods.

Bubby takes a deep breath. "Okay. One… THREE!"

"What? WAITWAIT BUBBY NOOOOO—"

When the scientists working on the Black Mesa Center of the Earth project first broke through the facilities' ground, had they known of the ever-shifting sea of magma that lied beneath? When they found that they couldn't go any deeper, did they disappointedly abandon the project, believing that it was a problem that no scientist could hope to solve? When their dreams died, had they known that there would be another to replace it? One that began in a dark, dark room, inside a tight glass tube, but refused to die there?

One thing is certain: of all the things those scientists could have known, they certainly would not have predicted the events that followed.

Bubby practically drags Gordon with him as he sprints, half-melted shoes scuffing against the hot metal ground with every step. As he gets closer and closer to closing in on the gap between the floor and the pit, time seemed to go slower and slower. Bubby can feel his feet glide through the air, viscous like molasses. He sees it— the space where the ground and the emptiness met. A horizon of opportunity that he needed only launch himself over, like a rocket.

Bubby hates heights, so he looks ahead as he jumps. Gordon screams as he clings onto Bubby's arm. He can spy the exit door grow closer and closer— see that same horizon form on the ledge opposite them. By some miracle, they're past the halfway point of this gap. They need only make this jump.

"Bubby, we're gonna fucking fall!" Gordon screeches.

"What? No we're not— Oh, shit."

But it seems some dreams are too lofty to survive. They begin to lose height, the angle of their jump falling downwards. Bubby grits his teeth. Instincts overtake him— brains tended to go into auto-pilot when met with near-death situations, he finds. Bubby takes Gordon into both of his arms and, using what strength he could muster, throws him across the rest of the gap. Gordon screams. Bubby screams.

Bubby's plummeting faster than he'd like— looks like every action has an equal and opposite reaction, idiot. The pit is deep, deep enough that it would be a while before he would reach the bottom, but at the rate he's falling at right now, Bubby knows it's only a matter of when he'd make contact with the magma, not if. It's an awful experience, being so certain of defeat, and Bubby wails all the way down.

"Bubby?! Bubby!" Gordon yells above him. His head pokes out of the edge, peering into the pit.

"Oh, Gordon!" Bubby cries as he falls and falls, arms flailing helplessly, "I think I fucked it up!"

"No, no, no, this can't be happening…" Gordon's voice sounds thick with emotion— is that… sadness, Bubby can hear? "You stupid old man! We should have found another way!"

"Well, at least now you can't say I didn't at least try to help you!"

"What— are you seriously fucking worried about that?!"

"Of course I am Gordon, I care about— HOLYSHIT WAIT"

He doesn't know how it happened. He finds that there's honestly a lot he doesn't know about Black Mesa, considering that he's been here his whole life. But his downward velocity very suddenly and painfully comes to a stop. He's not sinking into the magma— in fact, it seems like he's hit a floor. Bubby screams as his back meets with the barrier, the shock of the impact bursting up his spine like grenades.

Gordon's eyes are wide with disbelief.

"What the fuck?!" his shoulders shake, "What the fuck happened?! Is—" he squints, "Is that an invisible fucking floor?!"

Bubby can't answer— not right now. His ears are ringing, his eyes are blinded by the light, and with this much cortisol pumping through his body, he feels rather delirious. Bubby laughs. He lets his body splay limply across the ground, nevermind the way it burned.

"Hah!" he says, half-triumphant and half-stunned, "the dream yet lives!"

Gordon runs a hand through his hair. Bubby can't make out too much of an expression, but he thinks a lot of the color's drained from his face— then again, everything seemed to have color drained from it. Blame the blinding, searing light.

"I can't fucking believe it." Gordon says. Bubby breaks out into hoarse, wheezing laughter. He puts a hand to his forehead as his voice echoes through the room.

"Me neither. Haha! Anyways." Weakly, he lifts his arms up, "Would you mind helping me up? Please?"

Gordon falls silent. Bubby wiggles his hands, as though to urge him.

"Bubby." he finally responds, "You can't expect me to fucking do that."

Bubby's arms fall onto the floor. He groans.

"...Bastard."

#mik text #old wounds #hlvrai bubby #hlvrai gordon #hlvrai #dr bubby #gordon feetman

9 notes · View notes

oc-aita · 5 months

Note

u/SugarPlum submitted a post to r/AITA:

AITA for accepting an assignment?

I (23, M) am a sort of special operative for the government (before you say “YTA for being a fed” – yeah, probably, but that’s not the point) – I take on a variety of roles, such as espionage, diplomacy, or pretty much anything you could need a gun for. I’m not a very public or high-profile agent, but I used to be when I was a part of my former team. Sadly, my teammates, who I considered my sisters, died several years ago, and without them to make me look good I fell into obscurity and took on a new code name. I’m pretty sure my career has been slowly spiraling to rock bottom since, but I do what I’m told and don’t complain.

Back when I was part of my sisters’ team, the three of us underwent several rounds of genetic testing and modification, resulting in our bodies being a bit more magically malleable despite none of us being mages. I won't go into detail as to what I’m capable of, but it’s a very distinct ability that immediately made what team we were on clear – again, it helped that we were slightly famous.

Now that the context is out of the way: My newest job has been totally unlike anything I’ve even done before, partially because I’m not exactly doing much of anything. I was transported to a prestigious school for the instruction and training of young mages and essentially told to sit tight until I had further orders. I don’t know why this school was chosen for where I’d be staying, but considering many students enter as young as eleven, sometimes even younger, I guessed it was likely because I’m not really in touch with reality and don’t have much ‘real world’ experience beyond my job, The headmistress, L (early 40’s, F) and the alchemy instructor, E (age unknown, likely early 30’s, they/them) were the first to get me settled in and help me find my way around. I ended up living in the same suite as E, so in the evenings when they’re free I try to talk to them and figure out how the magic courses are structured. Since E and the other instructors were busy fairly often, I mostly spent my free time in the clinic with the school doctor, R (26, M), who I was told is reputably grumpy but seems to like me fine, not that I understand social cues whatsoever.

The problem in this situation started with the beastkeeping professor, T (M, 35). He’s a great guy, doesn’t show off, and has a super funny sense of humor. I think the only person he doesn’t get along with is the instructor for the fundamental courses, A (37, M), but they keep things civil and neither T nor the other instructors are mean to me. It was actually T’s idea that I work with him, L, E, A, and one of the school’s fourth-years, a girl I’ll cam M (12, F) on a project which sounded kind of ridiculous in concept, but the moment I was on board, my doubts were wiped clean. The government will probably forcibly silence me if I say how this happened, but we ended up looking through a realm built out of magic. Apparently, it was directly linked to T’s consciousness in a way that the world resembled how he saw it as it was being created. This completely shattered my perception of reality, but I was getting used to that happening an average of 3 times a week living at the school, so I couldn’t really complain.

Unfortunately, this magical world was not fun to work around when the monsters (yes, sadly the monsters could get into this realm, we’re never safe, are we?) showed up. At first my presence was super helpful, because it turned out my guns’ ability to kill the beasts is very unique for a nonmagical weapon. But as we went on and finished up our journey of the realm, we learned that the time it was created coincided with the point in time where T ended up being experimented on against his will, leaving him with artificial magic despite not being born a mage. Apparently, he was a failed experiment, since he was allowed to leave without being studied further... or so he thought. I realized that it was entirely possible I was now surveilling him without realizing.

All of this came to a boiling point during the next realm we entered (one connected to another instructor, but she’s not relevant to this story). We ended up cornered by a particularly violent pack of monsters, and not knowing what to do, I utilized my ability, which was fortunately very effective... and, unfortunately, just as distinctive as I’d expected it to be. T blew up at me, started to call me a liar, and referred to me by my old codename, which really hurt and brought back painful memories. I tried to explain that I really wasn’t here to hurt or spy on anyone, but he wouldn’t have it, and neither would A (side note: apparently this is how I get told that their bickering was ‘as a joke’ and that they are actually married. Would have been nice to have been told that, but whatever). Both of them accused me of working to sabotage them or ruin their lives, which, while not something I think my government is inherently above, is not my job and never was, and I wouldn’t want to do it willingly if it were. L stated that she was going to have to contact my superiors about this, and E started to act super scared of me on the basis that I ‘reminded them of someone who hurt them’ (they have a lot of memories wiped, and the ones they’ve recovered are usually really big and not to be ignored). None of them wanted to talk to me after this. I tried to ask M what I should do, but she didn’t have anything to say to help.

I went back to the clinic after this and told my side of the story to R, who said that he understands my confusion, and says that most of them are kind of overreacting, but that I have to imagine it from T’s perspective, and I just... don’t really see how anything I’ve learned could be used to hurt him? It was probably already known intel anyway. But I feel really bad – everyone has been so welcoming of me here, and I don’t want them to think I’m here to hurt them or the people they care for. Should I have dug my heels in further when I was told to come here? AITA?

(OOC: [jigsaw voice] hello mutual of mine who follows this blog. it's your friend, the guy who made these wizard school blorbos. before you is the list of characters in this AITA. your task is to correctly identify the signature color of each of them. if you fail, i... actually i didn't think this far ahead, so you won't receive any punishment either way i guess. you have one week. good luck.)

#original character #am i the asshole #aita #unreality tw

7 notes · View notes

curiouscompanions · 4 months

Text

Entry #2

Greeting you again, Reader.

So, just the five of us are left. Five people who are still alive, five individuals stuck in this cursed place, trapped between virtuality and reality, just the five of us… five is such an insignificant number, isn't it? Is it really worth trying to save us somehow? Wouldn't it be better to take care of hundreds of other people? Isn't it worth making sure no one else ever chooses the path we chose? You know, when I observed what was happening in the Office, I often tried to analyze out situation, understand in which specific stretch of eternity our experiment went completely off the road where it should have gone. Unfortunately, none of my conclusions turned out to be fully correct, so all I can do now is to re-observe what happened a long time ago, a fate that can't ever be changed. You're probably wondering what exactly I'm trying to tell in my vague musings, aren't you?

Well, I'll start from the very beginning. As I mentioned in Entry #1, personnel were hired, about five hundred people or so… more than enough to make the Office alive, don't you think? It was relevant until someone from the Upstairs decided to make radical changes to the Script. I think it was a Friday noon. At exactly one twenty p.m., they herded all the employees from the fourth floor into the Meeting Room, locked them in, and then launched a digital model for the first time. Well, or a beta version of the so-called game algorithms. In short, they hastily teleported a roughly rendered protagonist model and placed it in the middle of the Room C-2… well, or, as they called it a bit later, the Two Doors Room. Then the Announcer uttered a few initial test commands and… who would have thought? Nothing happened because the first Protagonist had absolutely no motivation to move as there was no hint of free will in his code to begin with. Therefore, the first test of the game algorithm was deemed a failure, the Announcer received his portion of criticism, and the rest of the staff was released from the Meeting Room, to continue their favourite simulations of office work. The only employee who didn't even try to simulate activity was Employee #432. And you know what? In reality, he was one of the few ones who actively participated in actual real work, despite having no idea what he was supposed to do. They called it a "small social experiment." Conditions were as simple as two cents; Employee #432's desk had no computer; in fact, there was nothing on it except a mechanical pencil sharpener… and there were no pencils on the entire fourth floor. The staff used pens only, in cases when it was absolutely necessary, as most documentation was done in digital formats. It seemed that Employee #432 had one little task; to sharpen pencils. The catch was that nobody had pencils, and even if someone did, nobody was rushing to give them to him because their instructions strictly stated; 'Do not give pencils to Employee #432, do not answer his questions, ignore his pleas.' If you were to ask what the point of this so-called "small social experiment" was, I would answer without hesitation; to drive Employee #432 to a nervous breakdown, then observe and record results of his subsequent irrational actions in a place where no one could die for good. Feel free to make further conclusions, dear Reader.

The second attempt at testing game algorithms went a bit more successfully. I have no idea what contributed to this—whether it was the requalification of the Announcer into a Narrator or the direct involvement of Employee #427, who so graciously offered himself as a replacement for that glitched protagonist model. So, thanks to his volunteering and the edited Script provided by the Narrator, we finally got the game algorithms to work just as intended from the very start of the project. In 90% of cases, the Protagonist ("Stanley") chose the right door, despite the Narrator repeatedly saying; "When Stanley came to a set of two open doors, Stanley took the door on his left." Good old free will… could a man believing that he fully possesses it even in a place like the Office act differently? Obviously not. The experiment called "The Parable" received the most funding, so it continued and it was doomed to success. At least, that's how it seemed back then.

Well, I'll start from the very beginning.

O̧h ͟m͡y gǫod̨ ̀lo͠rd, hundred̴s͘ o҉f́ ͘pe͞o͘pļe, s̕o m̢any̛ ma̶ǹy͞ ̕people… how͏ co̸uld thìs ́ha͢pp҉e̛n?̶ Why͟?͟ ̸F͠or w̸h͠at?͘ M̷o͞st҉ ͏of͜ ţhem didn't do ͞anyth͟ing wrong; m͟ost of̡ ̧them l̕ed̨ a͢ simple, o͘rdinar͠y l͟ife; mo̸st of͜ the̵m h͡ąd f̵am͏ilięs, ma̡ny͠ o̵f ͢them ha͘d ch́i͡ld̡ren.̢ M͝o͞st of ̕t͏hem͟ w͘il̨l̶ neve̴r ͏rétu̷rn͢ home;͞ ̨th́ey҉ ͟won҉'̷t se͢e͜ their c͝h̴i͞ļdren ̕gr͢ow ̶u̴p̧; they̶ w̨il͞l n͠e͏ver͠ know whàt̕ ҉happ̧e҉ǹs̷ ͘t̨o our w͟o̡rld n͝e͠xt̶;͝ th̴ey ͜w͘ill҉ ̷n̛ever͏ ͝ag̶aįn have picnics įn p̵arks; ̷they wi̷l͜l͞ neve̢r͡ ͝g͘r͘o҉w ̧old̸ an̴d͟ ͟nevér die.͘ T҉hey̶ ҉a̶re us a̢n̸d ̧we are ̵them—so d̴ìff̕erent,̷ ̀y҉e҉t̵ s̕o̵ ͝s͏i̸milar̛, ̀ind͞ivi͜dual pe̢rson҉al̨i͝tięs b̛uţ so co҉nn̕e̕cte̢d ̧i̧n ҉á şiǹgl͠e ̨l̴i͡ne of̡ ̕scri̶pt…͢ "̧A͢ll̸ of hi̴ś ̴c͝o-wo͡rkęr̕s҉ ҉were g̗ͤo̫̻̭͕͢n̬͖̟͇̦͇͆͑͒ͪͮ̋e̴.̨͇͙̼͖͇ͫ̆ͫ͑ͨ."͟

Dear Reader, I am no longer sure if it's necessary for me to keep the remnants of my observations in order… but I'll try. I'll try to remember something; I'll try to gather those few pieces of data that once made me myself. Just let me do this. Let me start from the very beginning.

#corrupted entries #unreliable narrator #drabble

4 notes · View notes

erinhime83 · 13 days

Text

Okay…so…before anyone jumps on me, I need to make this clear that this isn’t anything serious. I couple of months ago, I got my muse semi on Mirror Image, as it tends to go from time to time (maybe I heard a song that I associate with it?), and I was just musing around with it. I mean, the concept behind it is pretty good, and I was entertaining the idea of how they got to Melohida in the first place. The idea of them popping into different bodies came up, and I was laughing at the idea of Sethos being a nearly fifty year old person because @anijeltaventryery is…um, you know, is a similar situation.

And then I was like wait…OMG, that is brilliant!

And then went on a couple of rampage about it, and then abandoned the project until yesterday, when it crossed my mind again.

Now the whole reason I’m posting this is just because I’m sure the others involved in the story would be curious about the idea, and because, well, I really like the ideas that went with it (the ones that I remember). But the thing to note is that these are not the original characters that were created, but rather literally my own versions. (I was told I couldn’t use the original names, which I understand completely, but it’s annoying, because after nearly twenty years, I, of course, associate the names with the characters.)

Okay, so left to right, we have Shizuka, Sekani, Aurelia, Friga, Geoffrey, and Astrid.

With Sekani, Aurelia, and Friga, I attempted to come up with similar names as the original versions, but probably failed at that, lol.

In any case, the general idea is that these characters are all in their thirties, with the exception of Shizuka, who’s twenty-nine. They all happen to have reasons to be around an archeological dig – Shizuka is an actual archeologist, Sekani is her husband who surprised her with a visit, Aurelia I’m not sure around but I’m thinking she is some sort of manager there, Friga was there photographing the finds, and Geoffrey was there researching a novel he was writing.

They were all in one specific spot one day when they were isekaied off to Melohdia with absolutely no recollection of their past and how they got there. They wind up in their Electus Uni’s bodies, all of them teens, because they all went through with a suicide pact at the same time.

They do eventually figure out who they were, but it’s a slow process. The thing of it is, though, that none of them have family to go back to – Shizuka’s pretty much disowned her for marrying Sekani, Sekani left home at eighteen and hasn’t looked back, Aurelia was raised by her grandmother who passed away about ten years ago, Friga recently lost her father, who raised her alone, and Geoffrey is an orphan who was passed around from foster home to foster home growing up. Sure, they have some friends and colleagues, but nothing really connecting them to Earth.

Shizuka and Sekani do figure out who each other are, which kickstarts the process of remembering everything, but until then, they are attracted to each other, but never act on it. They remember they’re married (they were going through a bit of a rough patch prior to being isekaied, mostly because Shizuka’s been busy with work and Sekani bounces between jobs – they still love each other and were making it work, but they were drifting a slight bit) and that they love their spouse, but nothing beyond that. It supposed to be one of those things were you’re sort of rooting for Shizuka and Sekani to get together, but also not, since Shizuka’s married and trying to get back to her husband, and then whom!, turns out Sekani was her husband the whole time! And that, OMG, the others were people Shizuka already knew as well!

But where dose Astrid fit into all of this? Well, Astrid was isekaied about two years before the others, and Astrid is just an alias. In reality, she’s Leilani from the island kingdom, and she was tricked into posing as the Baldurnan (for the lack of a kingdom name) Uni. She grew up with toxic parents, and thus, is very eager to make people like her, which is why she gets sucked into the scheme. Of course, there already is a Baldurnan Uni, so this created a wee bit of a problem. But Lelani is a fully actualized Uni, and the people of Melohida have no idea how any of this works, so they assume that Friga is a fake.

Which then causes all sorts of problems with the other Uni, since now people are beginning to doubt them, which leads to their suicide pact. The dumb thing is Astrid looks nothing like a Baldernan, which is a Scandinavian based kingdom, and yet no one picked up on that. But that’s mostly because the island she comes from is largely undiscovered at this point.

The plot is basically the same – they’re forced to fight Atalo until it comes to light that the real villain is his father and all that nonsense. They also find that they can use magical powers – Shizuka has a weird fighting ability that she’s able to use any weapon she touches, Sekani is the healer, Aurelia ha holy powers, Friga is stupidly strong and also an axe welder, and Geoffrey is a magee. I’m not sure what Astrid’s deal is, but I guess I can make her deadly accurate with projectiles? That works.

As for the designs themselves, I basically tried to distance them from the designs of the original characters with the exceptions of my characters. So Sekani has wavy hair, Aurelia’s bun is on the top of her head and not the nape of her neck, and Friga as straight hair, lol. Woo, such differences. Friga originally had a skirt as well, but then I had the idea of what is she was the sort of girl who prefers pants? Because they all do end up modifying their outfits slightly. (Capris and undershirt for Shizuka, pants and shirt for Seknai, undershirt for Aurelia, and undershirt for Geoffrey.) It’s just that Friga modifies her’s the most.

And the reason why they have colored hair is because of the fact that they’re in different bodies, and that’s the standard for the people. Like, I sort of wanted to also do the Guide designs, but figured I’d toss this out just because I had it. But Ariadne, when she brought them over, did shift their eye colors to their original colors for whatever reason. (She also sends them with important jewelry/tattoo, with the expectation of the wedding bands, which appear after they figure out who each other are.)

Honestly, I’m pleased with how they all turned out. I mean, I’ll most likely never do anything with this, because it feels wrong to use other characters, but at least the designs turned out pretty!

#my art #designs #my stories #mirror image #shizuka #sekani #aurelia #friga #geoffery #astrid #leilani

2 notes · View notes

valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn · 1 year

Note

Hey, Pop Culture Detective did a new video on the MCU Marvel's Defenders of The Status Quo

Damn, thank you for sharing, that was really good!

I wholeheartedly agree with OP that in these movies we see the heroes reacting only when the status quo is threatened and them stopping the villains is considered a win - whatever the villains were trying to change is never addressed, they never engage in any socio-political project. The pattern is always the same: to return the world to what it was before the attack, never to use this as an opportunity for change.

And it's especially jarring given that some of the heroes should know better than defending the status quo. Steve is one of them, the disabled child of immigrants born in the '20s living in NYC in the middle of a rise of eugenicism would do anything in his power to actively fight against the status quo, and yet he's content with fighting external fights and stopping a bunch of helicarriers in TWS and getting his people out of the Raft... what about the other inmates? What about the people who will be taken there once the heroes are gone? What about fighting against the system to get the Accords repealed? Nope, we get none of that.

What OP says about Stark reminded me of Luke Cage and Danny Rand's argument in The Defenders where Luke is telling him his wealth leaves him in a privileged position to incite real change in the world but he'd rather go on vigilante mode instead. It's the same with Stark, he doesn't use his money to advocate for social change, if anything he runs Damage Control and takes jobs from the citizens of NYC like we see in Homecoming.

As OP says: "Instead the superheroes engage in random acts of benevolence. A billionaire gifts the world with some fancy new proprietary technology, a soldier asks nicely that corrupt bureaucrats just do better. In the best-case scenario, a wealthy monarch builds an international network of community centers. These Band-Aid approaches may help a few disenfranchised individuals here and there but they're also designed to keep the current economic and political structures firmly in place".

I think probably the worst case offender of villains being right but having their methods be as immoral as it takes in order to get the audience to disagree with them are Killmonger and the Flagsmashers. Erik starts making a little too much sense for Disney's liking so they have him kill his girlfriend out of nowhere (at least they address some of the overarching issue with T'Challa following Nakia's lead but as said above, that's a band-aid), Karli and the others are asking for redistribution of food and medicine, the relocation of refugees, a change of how borders are reinforced and a stop to mass deportations... so of course The Mouse has Karli kill a bunch of innocents out of nowhere so they can be called terrorists. Nobody wants to side with a terrorist, right?

To quote OP again: "Having the villain's methods always involve indiscriminate killing is a deliberate decision by the writers [...] The equating of social justice causes with outright villainy is one of the reasons why the superhero genre is often accused of leaning conservative ideologically."

Lastly, I really like that part about Alan Moore's criticism of superhero movies and the trend that "speaks to a denial of reality and an urge for simplistic and sensational solutions". I like it because it reminded me of the TVA, how in the Loki series we're told HWR is the only bad guy and taking him down will solve the problem as if that kind of fascism would go away by taking down the main guy, as if that organization wasn't comprised of thousands (if not more) of agents who agreed with his methods and worked willingly for an unknown period of time effectively pruning entire realities and killing innocents. You can't destroy the system by punching one guy and it's almost insulting how the narrative in the series tries to convince the audience that's all it takes.

In short, there's a reason why Disney and Marvel got rid of Nomad Steve so quickly + they're choosing to ignore Sam but they're oh so willing to bring Captain Carter to the spotlight. She's as pro-status quo as it gets. These movies should be addressing social change, not defending the system that gets a lot of people discriminated against and oppressed - especially when a lot of the heroes fit that criteria but of course they're never shown talking about it on-screen.

#mcu salt #mcu critical

26 notes · View notes

anthraxplus · 11 months

Text

ok whatever im gonna ramble about that stupid disco elysium take

what shocks me, truly, is that all these wholesome witchcore uwu beans should really... like what DE discusses. what i got from the game was a story about change, growth, choosing to be better even when it's hard. it's a game about discovering (or rediscovering) the cruelty of the world around you and choosing to act in opposition to it. it's a game about how our past doesn't have to dictate our future. it's a game about the world that is possible if we believe in it and act on those beliefs. all these narrative foci would be right at home in some wholesome story about witches, but the difference is that the wholesome story jumps straight to the conclusion - DE doesn't. in DE, you have to do the work.

this, i think, is what gets the wholesome-brained to shut down. they love the witchcore stuff because it's pure escapism. i can't really fault people for wanting to get away from the grim reality we find ourselves in, but too much escapism gets you to a point where you forget some critical points about our world. the escapism doesn't change anything about the world - it keeps getting worse as you distract yourself. eventually it might get to be so bad that you can stand it less and less, and you try to escape more and more. before you know it, you're looking at the world through the lens of what you escaped to, and you become upset when it isn't (and can't be) as tidy. this is how we get people with extremely rigid morals obsessed with purity/wholesomeness.

oddly enough, this is basically what happened to harry. he couldn't handle what he was dealing with and fell headfirst into addiction to escape his pain. but every time he sobered up, he would have to face reality yet again. it got to be too much and he drank himself into nearly total oblivion. this didn't fix anything, though, as he still had to face reality but with none of his previous knowledge. this is why he can react with shock and horror to things people tell him are a part of daily life. like, "sorry that this is the first you're hearing about this, but we've been dealing with it every day of our lives."

and, yknow, this probably wont be news to anyone who's reading this, but DE is one of many victims of a sanitization that all RPGs with sizeable reach end up going through. the actual story, the actual content, is glossed over for the possibility of using it as a loose AU framing/projection for your own thoughts. it's best exemplified by all the fanart that pushes the focus as being "funny game where the two main characters are gay 😳" and stopping there. or worse yet, they view the game as a delivery system for funny jokes and other stuff on the side. it's almost a conscious refusal to listen to what the game is talking about. this, too, is escapism. the thing from which the audience member is escaping is a serious exploration of serious topics. that isn't as fun as saying "i want to have fuck with you." that isn't as fun as using harry and kim as dolls you push together saying "now kiss." that isn't as fun as going around screaming about the end of the world to everyone after you pop back three different pills.

ultimately, i just think it's interesting how the refusal to engage with DE on its own terms is itself similar to the core issue harry faces. it's really a testament to the greatness of the writing, similar to how the changes ZA/UM has gone through are echoes of discussions the game had. it sucks that we see these parallels with stupid bullshit though, as opposed to, like, the revolutionary politics.

side note: i'd almost be interested in this hypothetical wholesome witchcore DE-style game if the scope expanded beyond that and the wholesome nature turned out to be something only the upper class gets to live with, and our wholesome witch has to grapple with the fact that her comfortable living is only possible due to unspeakable amounts of exploitation and abuse of lower classes. they'd never make that game, though. but a girl can dream.

4 notes · View notes

brightgnosis · 1 year

Text

It's kind of funny, actually, because the other day I rolled my eyes at a post here, on Tumblr, written by someone who was claiming they "couldn't trust" anyone who was Autistic and still trusted Therapists in any capacity, because "the system is traumatizing to Autistic people". And while I don't doubt that's certainly true for some people, the individual doesn't count for the whole; it's generally just such a stupid fucking projection of your own problems and trauma, based in a lack of (and probably refusal to allow yourself) healing.

But in a very similar vein, actually? At this point ... I'm actually kind of starting to feel similarly about my own communities and ingroups (and if I'm being honest, I've already felt this way about some of them for a while) ... Because at every single point in my life that I have been fucked over, abused, gaslit, and traumatized? It has nearly always (except incredibly rarely) specifically been by the very groups of people I'm a member of, who were supposed to be the ones who actually understood, could sympathize with, and were supposed to protect me: Other Queer people, other disabled people, other Pagans, and other Neurodivergents, etc.

But it was never them. It was never the people it was supposed to be. There was always some trial by fire or other bullshit- some hoop I had to jump through to earn my right to be "good enough" among my own people despite all of the empty platitudes many of these communities give about "inherent human worth" ... But that spiel's nothing but empty lipservice and fake two-faced bullshit. When it comes down to it? Absolutely no one actually believes that- or, at least, no one certainly acts like they should if they truly did believe it like they claim to.

Like ... It's actually incredibly fucked up that, for my entire life, it's been the people who are traditionally "the abusers" to most people in my ingroups (Cis people- esp Cis Men; Neurotypicals; Therapists; The Straights; Christians; etc) who've been the ones who've never laid a finger on me; who, in the vast majority of cases, have actually been far more supportive of my Neurodivergency, my disabilities and chronic illnesses, my gender and religion, and all the things they generally shouldn't be- especially not in rural bumfuck nowhere Oklahoma- than my own actual communities and ingroups dedicated to those very things have ever been.

And whenever I say this openly I literally get met with active skepticism, "I'm not saying I don't believe you buuttt" bullshit, and literal requests for fucking trauma dumping ... Like ??? I even have to fucking prove my trauma came from the sources I say it did among my own communities- which is fucked up on a completely different level.

That's not going to make me go running into their arms by any means, don't get me wrong; this isn't a "ra ra the queers are bad" or whatever kind of post, and it never will be; I'm also well aware of the fact that the fact I'm starting to become actively resentful and distrustful of my own communities because of just how much abuse and trauma I've suffered at their hands is a trauma response I do need to work on ... But let's fucking face the reality here without all the bullshit, shall we?

When the people who are supposed to understand you are actually more abusive than the people who are actually supposed to be the abusive ones ... There's a fucking problem. And that problem is made significantly worse by the fact that absolutely none of these communities are ever willing to just buck the fuck up and admit there's some shit that's not right, and take some accountability for the bullshit ways we can actually quite frequently be toxic (and even outright abusive) to our own members- especially when they don't "tow the established line of opinion" (whatever that flavor is this week).

I don't need a trauma response built up over decades of communal abuse to tell me it's not fucking right; that no matter which way you try to parse it, a pile of shit is still a heaping pile of shit. And I'm a country child, baby ... All shit needs to be shoveled eventually.

#Personal #Being A Better Human Being #2023

6 notes · View notes

monstress · 1 year

Text

this is gonna be the silliest of text posts because i just wanna talk abt single's inferno s2

watched it because my sister wanted to and a coworker rec it to me so like ok watercooler convo

i mean: reality dating shows are manufactured and scripted as hell

and it was p obvious all of the contestants are basically there to promote their own career (except nadine, the harvard premed?? but my sister said this might be her legally blonde moment and she's just trying to get something interesting to talk abt her in college entrance essay)

but what fascinates me the most abt this show is the blatant performance???

like seul-ki, basically the main character of the show, performing femininity to the degree that 3 different men pursue her but none of them clocked that her act, maybe not disingenuous, but something she is tirelessly putting in effort to appear elegant, demure, shy, and lovable? like i'm so sad that she seemed to understand her value as a woman is limited and she will work to meet societal expectations of her because she has been rewarded with attention, affection, and popularity and in her own words "she always gets what she wants".

i am speaking from a place as an outside observer (as we audience do!) but i just wanna shake her shoulders and go "aren't you tired of being nice? don't you just wanna go apeshit?". but! they are in a reality tv show watched by millions. so perform they shall...

and don't let me start on the male macho kayfabe that most of the men are on ... esp jinyoung who wouldn't make his feelings towards seul-ki evident despite knowing from the start who he'd gravitate towards (hate his ass when he revealed his real job - seul-ki dodged a bullet).

and likeeee i know they are a viewers' favorite but sol-e x sejun are sooooo scripted. i mean he can only say one line abt why he liked sol-e like way to give away that he has been fed it by the writers. i do like the performance of their little romance tho. i'm a fool for down-on-their-luck girlies being spoiled silly what can i say!

i do enjoy sejun's addition to the show tho. that man has been told by the writers to target one girl and he's like 'sure' and slept and ate and had fun. good for them

oh and the fact that se-jung never got to enjoy Paradise makes me wanna kms i've never seen injustice this blatant

final note: i was cackling at kyuhyun's reaction to the joongwoo x seul-ki storyline like he is probably projecting because the man was in his feelings i ctfu 😭

#logs

5 notes · View notes

abidethetempest · 1 year

Text

Rise and Fall Ch 1 Retrospective

I've been wanting to do little behind the scenes style posts for my fics for EVER, and now i finally have a platform to do it >:D prepare to be subjected to my ramblings!!!! (link to the fic btw)

long ass post below the cut:

General Notes:

chapter 1 of any fic for me is both very fun and very nervewracking. writing the start of a project that I've been brainstorming for a long time can go one of two ways: i have All The Ideas right away and it comes out in one session, or i spend 600 years agonizing abt my ~vision~ and making sure everything is perfect. this fic was decidely the second. part of this is because im a big dumb idiot and planned everything except the opening for literal years. it took me probably 3 months just to get thru the intro stuff and feel like it was good enough to move on, let alone post.

Stuff I Cut:

unfortunately, there is actually a lot more i wish i could have included, but didn't for the sake of pacing. i wanted this section to include more of Risen's time alone on the road, her isolation from post-collapse society, and her deeply held guilt abt her role and self-percieved failures as a Lightbearer. i'd love to write some one-shots or little scenes about it! I wish we got to see more of what it would be like for a Lightbearer in the dark age that didnt want to be a Warlord, since timeline-wise we don't really see the emergence of the modern Guardian archetype until the Iron Lords or the early Titan orders. We hear abt it some from Drifter, but he is understandably reticent to speak on his past so we don't get much. Risen as a character feels very strongly about her purpose as the "Traveler's warrior", something that will be touched on next chapter, but she struggles to reconcile who she wants to be with the reality around her. The aftermath of this gets explored as time goes on, but i do want to revisit her very early days of life as a new light someday.

The Sanctuary:

the mission that Risen and Ghost are on at the beginning of this fic is,,,,, entirely made up by me, it's not from canon or remotely related to anything in the lore (as far as i know, at least). They're chasing rumors, driven by Risen's desperation for someplace to find a family and a purpose, and by Ghost's desire to keep Risen away from danger. I just needed a reason for them to be on the move.

The Town:

The town scene is... *sigh*. I struggled with it a lot. In part because it, AGAIN, was not something i had ever planned for until i actually sat down to write. I needed a scene to show Risen's desire to be a protector of others conflicting with her current modus operandi. I still feel like it's too on the nose when she talks to Ghost at the inn but sometimes you just gotta spell it out i think. Her reaction after running came out as I wanted, though. While running away to fight another day might be the logical choice, Risen definitely is the type to carry her guilt with her forever even if it was the "right decision". Risen:

I LOVE Ghost as a character. I want more Ghosts that are flawed, angry, hurt. More Ghosts who are afraid maybe none of the fighting and death is worth it. More Ghosts who go thru just as much development as their Guardians, please. I find it interesting that, as the first contact a Guardian has and their constant companion, a Ghost has a big influence over their Guardian's early development, and I want to see it explored more how they could push their Guardian down one path or another.

Warlords:

In case anyone is wondering, the Warlords in this fic are entirely OCs. The destiny timeline already gives me hives, I am NOT abt to try and find some canon characters to use in this fic when I can just.... make them myself. Warlords are such cool concepts! I want more lore about them (and the Dark Age in general).

I think thats all I have for now! Thanks for reading (assuming anyone is reading these lol)

#destiny rise and fall au #writing #destiny fic #destiny #destiny 2 #long post #rise and fall retrospectives #my therapist told me to journal but i write fic instead

4 notes · View notes

deathfavor · 1 year

Text

I know I mentioned this a little bit last night with the screenshots. But it really is fascinating seeing Seiroku’s inherent contradictory-seeming nature to certain aspects.

He mocks and says friends and comrades are useless trash to not be worth saving or fighting for. Based on the limited discussion that Seiroku mentions towards Naoe, his band prior to the Obsidian Eight was NOT a good experience for him.

But as long as they are in a band, those with special powers always get the short end of the stick. Bands are organizations where the weak masses cling to the few strong ones. None of them hesitate to push the hardest jobs onto others while they kick back and offer hollow encouragement. They only force you to carry their hopes and dreams They expect more and more. I’m sure your friends are the same worthless trash not even worth saving.

And....he isn’t entirely wrong, not completely. People DO project their hopes and dreams onto others, we even see it in the series, the same way we see the masses or certain cast members rely on only a handful to be the real fire power. It’s not a particularly STRONG point to the Uesugi because their strength COMES from that connection with one another (although it really is still applicable as the majority looked to Naoe and/or Kuroko to help them/tell them what to do). But we see it with others. Even if it is more positive since its main characters, but it’s still there under the surface. So one can imagine how much Seiroku was put under pressure. It’s like trying to swim while being dragged down. The backlash if something goes wrong, things just become ‘expected’ and no longer praise worthy or the effort acknowledged. The higher and stronger they’re viewed, the deeper the fall. Seiroku clearly had and has no interest in being any sort of motivating figure for others. He just wanted to do his part. Not to mention the hollow words of encouragement and pushing the hardest jobs onto others means he himself likely both observed and experienced that. It leaves a bitter taste when someone offers you fake happiness when they want to see you fail, or make you do everything while they get benefits from it. Aka like every school group project.

But at the same time, Seiroku DOES try to connect with the other members of the Obsidian Eight. It’s not a BAND. It’s a GROUP. And for the most part, they’re all strong. Different levels obviously, but it’s not like in a band with hundreds or thousands of significantly weaker members clinging helplessly to you and projecting onto you. For the hate and disgust and disdain he has for the bushi bands, its not a reflection of Seiroku’s interest in connections. He clearly puts in the effort, especially with Shiro that we’ve seen so far (which is rather hilarious considering Shiro is.....well......Shiro), to be able to have the connection and chat with others. He isn’t a lone wolf type, but he does see a clear divide between the weak and the strong and only wants to be around those who he sees as equals or at least in the strong category.

Now this is less headcanon-y and more just discussion. And all of it is very subjective because summaries only offer so much and I’d rather read the actual translations whenever they eventually come out, especially for what Seiroku himself says. But in regards to chapter 139. It’s mentioned the doors for the eight basically create whatever the members imagine or what they might wish for. An eternal dream so to speak. Although it’s mentioned Seiroku’s is probably his previous life. But I doubt that. More likely, its what Seiroku would have wished for. Or maybe it’s the beginning of it when things were nice before Seiroku became bitter and hateful towards bushi bands. Again, translations will play a lot into this. But it is interesting it is in fighting oni within a band, but a band he’s welcomed in and treated equally. More like how he is in the Obsidian Eight than what he likely was treated like in reality (or in reality once his strength showed itself fully - again dependent). Which really does just show he does WANT connections and a close circle to him, especially if it is Seiroku’s ideal dream. And also his want to play doctor more since he doesn’t get to do that as often anymore.

#᛭ — [HEADCANON] twist the threads of reality [SEIROKU INUKAWA]#i caved and rambled #i said i might last night and i did #its fun bc initially it looks like he rejects connections but he DOESNT #its he rejects the structure and being used essentially by the weak #which inherently puts him against bushi bands themselves as he says #at least in his eyes #but with the eight theyre all strong #so he wants to connect #idk if this makes sense but i hope it does

3 notes · View notes