#this is just my opinion and y’all are free to disagree

[showtoonzfan]

Okay,guys. What do you think of fionapollos recent video?

Ganna be straight to the point, I didn’t like it. This is ganna be a long post so if y’all love reading, feel free to but I’m warning y’all now. Of course, what I’m going to say are my opinions only. This is coming from a person who actually follows Fionapollos, I love listening to her art commentary vids and I hope she keeps up the good work! But for this recent video specifically? I don’t think it was good. Not to say that Fionapollos didn’t handle this well for the most part, she’s always respectful and open minded and I’m glad for that, but the structure and overall execution of the video was poorly handled.

Outside of being an inspiring animator and a help to spread awareness of how incredible indie animation is, I have no respect for Vivziepop, but that doesn’t mean I want to be biased or one sided. There were only two sections of this video I agreed with, it’s in three segments. The first segment was about Erin Frost and the evidence they had provided, and like me and some have been saying, the evidence just wasn’t strong enough to indicate a really toxic environment, especially since what Erin had provided was screenshots of her being on good terms with Jane and Sam. I never really saw an issue with Jane deciding to move the assignment to someone else since Erin was struggling, because like Fionapollos said, people in this business just want to get stuff done and if someone can’t do it, they have to take measures where someone else can.

Now maybe this wasn’t mentioned because there isn’t really evidence to support it, (it’s just a statement) but we do know that according to Ashley Nicholas, Viv had talked behind Erin’s back, calling her too mentally unstable to work. I personally believe that there was a lot of gossip provided by Viv and/or Jane and Sam regarding Erin, they’ve all shown to be shady before so I just wouldn’t be surprised if this were true, however let’s move on. Other parts of the video I agree on were Fionapollos simply just being fair. She stated that the fake document is damaging to indie companies and studios, and how her audience has the right to feel the way they feel, but outside of that there wasn’t anything specific that I agreed on outside of the Erin stuff. Her closing thoughts were nice as usual, but I’ll move on to the actual issues I had with the video.

If I had to speak in general, I feel like Fionapollos just didn’t have enough evidence, cause this video is basically a rehash of what her last one was, where she didn’t have enough evidence back then, only this time in her personal opinion, Viv is just a flawed non-perfect person who makes mistakes and needs to stop being put up on a pedestal and idolized as someone who is perfect….something I drastically disagree with but I’ll get into more of that later. When I say that she doesn’t have enough evidence, what I mean is that the stuff that she looked at is only the FROSTING of the iceberg pointing to Viv being a narcissist who mistreats her employees. Like I said there’s only three sections, and the only section where she actually looks at evidence against Spindle is Erin’s section and the document, something that was obviously fake and I’ve already shared how I dislike it when people pay more attention to the fake/troll side of things rather than the real actual evidence. I was shocked/bothered to see that KenDraws’s document isn’t even mentioned here, since the topic of this vid is how Viv/Spindle treats her employees and that document could have been a MASSIVE factor in evidence pointing towards the mistreatment being legit in some areas. Instead, the majority of this vid is very empty and lacks something that you could make a case out of. Of course she was going to go with the “I just think Vivziepop is flawed”- route, because she doesn’t have the same knowledge of evidence and drama that Viv has been through, wether that be in the past few months or past 2 years. It’s just clear that she so far has only seen a few bits and pieces of evidence but not the mass amount pointing to Viv being a problematic childish person. And I get it, she’s not like others where she constantly follows every single move Viv makes or constantly checks her status online, but if you’re going to make a video like this, you should be more informed.

The middle part of the video is the worst. It’s dedicated to talking about the fake document and AnimationCallout, (which this section of the video doesn’t do much, it’s just panting Spindle in a victimizing light) and she also dismisses the transphobic allegations by saying it was included in the false document so it makes her question if that is true as well (despite the fact that the screenshot of Viv’s discord messages had been floating around awhile before the document). The biggest part that made me roll my eyes is where she mentions Viv’s old weird art, indicating that she assumes people spite her all because of old shit she did years and years ago, which if you know me is another thing I hate the people bring up regarding Viv’s controversies. Her old art is irrelevant. This entire middle section felt irrelevant because the topic is about Spindle mistreating their employees so I don’t know why she felt the need to bring that up as well as how fake documents affect animation studios but that’s just me.

There’s also things that weren’t mentioned that bother me. Like I said KenDraws document wasn’t mentioned, but there’s more. The most obvious is that Erin ain’t the only member who left Spindle. For a video about Spindlehorse mistreating their employees, there’s no mention of anyone else, or people who claimed to be mistreated. KenDraws, Ashley Nicholas, Salem Squidder, Nicolas Jordan, Jane Walker, the list goes on. This is evidence that there’s definitely more going than just “Viv is flawed”. You can only use that excuse so long, as more and more people who were close or her or worked on her stuff left.

I also feel like it’s a glaring issue that Spindlehorse/Viv never acknowledge their mistakes or even confront their controversies. Name one time Spindle came out and made an official statement on the allegations or drama. Zero. They always let the fire burn, hide behind the fanbase, and wait for the waters to cool before moving on and pretending nothing ever happened, only speaking up if someone dare call Viv problematic. They silence any ex member and never take accountability, and it’s something the public has yet to acknowledge, no one ever acknowledges this shit and I’m so tired of it. This is why I never agree with anyone who tries to paint them in a victimizing light filled with people who are “just trying to get by” when there’s no evidence that leaves me to believe that’s true, especially when they’re too cowardly to even confront something or make a fucking statement. Doesn’t help that they always ignore allegations against Viv or just shut the other side down by simply saying “she was nice to me end of story”. How are we supposed to believe that these people are genuine who don’t want to hurt anyone if they aren’t saying anything? How are we supposed to believe Viv is just an imperfect person if she NEVER acknowledges her faults and keeps making the same mistakes over and over again?

I truly believe that Fionapollos had good intentions, but I’m really tired of folks just dismissing Viv or the shady stuff that’s been going on at spindle with just “they’re imperfect stop putting them up on a pedestal”. Like I said there’s plenty of evidence pointing to the people at Spindle lacking self awareness and Viv being an abuser who blacklists people and talks behind other’s backs, so this vid just didn’t do any justice. She just doesn’t know the half of it. Sorry.

#vivziepop critical #spindlehorse critical #helluva boss critical #helluva boss critique #hazbin hotel critical #helluva boss criticism #helluva critical #anti vivziepop #helluva boss #Hazbin hotel

[visiblenostalgia]

Placements I’d like to call thrifty:

Venus and Jupiter both seem to represent spending habits. In both unique to their own kind of ways. Jupiter for wealth and Venus for the physical commodity of what that wealth can bring. Saturn however represents the economy as a whole. The one that represents the entirety of what’s driven by Venus and Jupiter. Taking into consideration that Saturn can be restrictive and the respective signs of Capricorn and Aquarius can both represent a more cold wintry energy (henceforth where winter is hard to bear due to the impoverished harvest around that time), it can be safe to assume that Venus and Jupiter in those signs can prove to be thrifty. Being one to work on a budget rather than being a wealthy and born-into-success type deal.

Here’s some of my takes regarding those observations. And remember, these are in my opinion and solely mine. You’re free to disagree but let’s not cause war in the comments. It’s needless banter.

Placements deemed thrifty (MAJOR):

Venus in Aquarius (pretty self explanatory. The thrifty commodity finder. Someone to finds unique stuff at a goodwill or eBay for a good price and makes it either a fashion icon or a trend. The alternatively trendy.)

Venus in Capricorn (also self explanatory. Someone who saves a bunch of money before getting what they want. You’d see them decked out in some luxury stuff but they’d also be quite cheap and insisting on buying a great value box of sparkling water than Bubly or Topo Chico.)

Venus in Sagittarius (may be too wild in buying commodities. Watch for thoughtless/needless spending)

Saturn in Taurus (slow to build wealth but it may also be karma with wealth)

Saturn in Sagittarius (toning it down on the spending naturally or having karma with travel. Travel usually costing a lot of money can be an issue. Last minute spending due to so much karma in benevolence.)

Jupiter in Aquarius (wealth in alternative work routes. You take the interesting way to success and it’s guaranteed. May have had to manage money after you have spent on it. Paychecks may range variously.)

Jupiter in Virgo (I have this. Not everything is just handed to you on a plate. You have to have your x’s crossed and i’s dotted, your plans planned and your seats booked in order for there to be forward motion and a chance to get money. Wealth comes from years of knowledge. And knowledge is king these days.)

Jupiter in Capricorn (like above, you have to work for it. But for y’all power is gained. Alas, if you end up being frugal this is definitely a placement for it.)

Saturn in Cancer (you raise a household from a young age. You may have been sent out on grocery lists and handed a budget at ten. You had to follow it or be punished. If you managed to find cheaper deals and prices, you’d have extra money to spend on yourself. Alas, you only had so much so you had to enjoy one little consumer item all to yourself. Doesn’t matter what that was. Or if you were smart, you saved it for the piggy bank. Either way, another thrifter/frugality placement.)

Saturn in Leo (the debilitated celebrity. Publicity karma. Being a celeb meant money right? With Saturn you may have had to become quite scarce in order to find some sort of karmic release. Your ego had to take a blow so you can find publicity. Without that you’d be probably more frugal than a Canerican Saturn. Prayers to you my love.)

House placements that might signify thriftiness and frugality (MINOR AND VARY):

Saturn in 2nd, 4th, 8th, 9th,

Venus in 9th, 11th

Jupiter in 12th

Before I continue, I may want to also kinda “add a cherry on top” by saying:

To be a thrifter is to be a future trendsetter’s inspiration. Apple took after the 90’s iMac G3’s for their color for their new mac’s. Same goes for our fashion.

Go out. Thrift for a bit. You never know what might be an inspiration to those in the future.

You can deadass be a trendsetter and not even know it.

Keep on rocking thrifting community! <3

#astrology observations #astrology #my personal take #feel free to disagree #feel free to share #its up to you really #peace and love #stay cozy #stay cool

[broflovski-brah]

warning, anti-kyman rant under the cut. i’m not saying that anyone who ships kyman deserves to die or anything, this is just my opinion on the ship. don’t…get crazy here. i’m not saying anything about the shippers themselves, i’m talking about the ship.

i genuinely don’t understand kyman.

this is so over said but shipping a neonazi with the only jewish kid in the show (minus kyle shwartz) doesn’t make any sense.

and i know some people have ‘proof’ like ‘oh cartman bullies kyle because he likes him!’ like cartman also bullies kenny, butters, and basically everyone on the show. because he is insane. and yes, i understand that kyle is the one who is bullied the most by cartman. but like…wendy was too?? the whole breast cancer episode was basically cartman harassing wendy, like i can see her and cartman having a one sided crush (cartman crushing on wendy) more so than cartman crushing on kyle. and didn’t he bully that one little person on the show? mr nilsson? does that mean that him and mr nilsson are gonna get freaky? (have a feeling i just predicted the next big ship/hj)

and like…i get most of cartman’s foils make kyle look gay, but that’s because cartman likes to humiliate kyle. humiliating kyle makes cartman feel good, hence why he does it, i guess? and i too was made fun of because someone liked me, and even if cartman did have a crush on kyle, i doubt kyle would even forgive him/give him a chance. and besides. i’m pretty sure cartman is the straightest, whitest, most homophobic person in the entire show. i don’t believe he would ever fall for kyle.

and kyle himself has said ‘i hate cartman with all of my heart’ like…doesn’t that kinda click?? if someone did half the shit cartman did to kyle to me because they liked me i would go apeshit. just an opinion. istg y’all would ship anything and anyone. it’s like the new my hero academia. like, again, ship what you want, but why? it’s so annoying to see people get into screaming fights about ships like the show wasn’t even made for that. never in the show have any of the characters expressed a romantic or possibly romantic interest in each other, and yes, the lore can be fun. but when people are getting into screaming wars about this shit it’s so annoying to see. like chill and agree to disagree. it is not that deep. let people ship what they want, you don’t need to scream at everyone for not shipping what you want. just personally? kyman? fuck. no. please dni if you ship this.

as for the ship itself? i’m not a fan. i’m not saying everyone who ships it deserves to die or go to hell, i’m saying that the ship itself doesn’t make sense. a neonazi with a jewish kid doesn’t really click? and don’t even get me STARTED on whatever the fuck a ‘holocaust au’ is. what the fuck does that even mean. that’s just wrong and insensitive. that’s just my opinion though, feel free to do what you like, but lmk if i’m being an asshole

#anti kyman #south park #rant #anti shipping #do NOT repost this. #unless you agree with it ig #but if you’re just gonna reblog it to call me an asshole please don’t #i’m not saying the shippers should kill themselves. i’m really not. everyone deserves to be happy #this is just my personal opinion #kyle broflovski #eric cartman

[serenhoshi]

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝑰 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒚

Inspired by people on Tik Tok, don’t hesitate to do it as well so I can see who you would fight :D

I would fight them (and maybe win):

Jeonghan- I would lose against him in a mafia game or somthing like that, if it gets physical neither of us would win bcs we’re both twinks. Tho I can lie just like he can, even better, so I can make up fake stories in arguments (like he did in Insomnia zero) and he would definitely get upset

Joshua- If i win against jeonghan then I can win against him. I don’t see him being physically violent and I know I can be as annoying as jeonghan with him. I’m a scorpio after all let’s not underestimate me

Jun- but let’s be real, I would never dare fight him, he is too cute for that

Woozi- Y’all think his strong physique is dissuasive, but poor boy can’t even look at a girl in the eyes. Remember that interview with IU? He never looked at her in the eyes and had ears as red as Hoshi’s hair in ‘Clap’. I would definitely win

Mingyu- Same here, huge physique and shy boy personality, I can just tease him with some behaviors he had like Seungkwan does and he will be ashamed forever

Dino- A loser here, that’s all I have to say. I can just remind him of his terrible Mansae haircut and he will go home crying

I would definitely lose:

Scoups- Its more than obvious. Angry seungcheol scares me, his attitude, how strong he is (and he will fight me if it had to happen, carat or not) so that’s a big no for me. 

Hoshi- You’ve all seen MAMA 2019 Hoshi, and I do NOT want to cross his path one day. Added to the Gemini zodiac chart and the strong physique I just cannot win. I wouldn’t even dare start a fight or disagree with his opinion

Wonwoo- Sharp ass words that will make me cry in my grave after I die. Strong body as well but I don’t see him as a fighter either. I still wouldn’t dare annoy him, he’s too precious for that anyway

Dk- surprising one lmao, I don’t think I would actually fight him, but if I do he would be too annoying. From arguments anecdotes with Joshua or Seungkwan, I just know he is the kind of guy to hold a grudge forever. And I can’t bear that, so I would just let him win to be free from his grudges.

The8- Scorpio vs scorpio would be too chaotic, and even tho I have more scorpio in my chart than he does he would still win. Martial arts would be the main reason. 

Seungkwan- Would be too annoying to fight with. Would take everything personally and scream in my ears so loud. Like damn i know youre a main singer but please spare my ears.

Vernon- Would be boring to fight with, hell he wouldn’t react to any tease or remark. I don’t think I would actually fight him anyways

#seventeen #svt #seventeen imagines #seventeen reactions #seventeen astrology #scoups #seungcheol #jeonghan #joshua hong #hoshi #kwon soonyoung #junhui #wonwoo #woozi #the8 #minghao #dk #dokyeom #mingyu #vernon #hansol #dino #lee chan #seungkwan #seventeen scenarios #imagines #scenarios

[riddle-me-ri]

With various riddlers, what kind of dere do you think each one is? (Ex:kuudere, yandere,etc.) Arkhamverse Eddie is a definitely a tsundere.

A/N: okay okay so I had to go out and do some research for this one. Cause for the little bit of a year that I spent dabbling into some anime and manga, I thought there was only like four or five dere personalities, only to realize…there’s like over a dozen. So after some research, I feel like I can now appropriately respond rip. Also, some of these personality types depend on a romantic relationship while others don’t…I’m gonna try my best rip. These are my opinions based on my perspectives of both the personality types and the different Riddlers, feel free to agree to disagree but like I don’t wanna cause any crippling discourse adffghh please don’t come at me I’m just a wee anxious socially awkward nerd.

The Riddler’s Dere Personality Types (based on someone who knows the bare minimum):

Arkhamverse Riddler: 

So, I do full heartedly agree Arkhamverse Eddie has strong tsundere tendencies. We’re all painfully aware of his loud bravado and egomaniac antics in order to actually protect himself from getting hurt because he’s actually incredibly insecure. He’ll scream, rave, rant, insult, and treat anyone and everyone poorly in order to lift himself up. However, I do believe that if someone can see through his illusions of grandeur but still recognize the inherent brilliance of Ed and recognizes that for him (so he doesn’t have to constantly build himself up) he could be more open, just I wouldn’t expect it to happen over night.

Reevesverse/Dano Riddler: 

Dano Riddler was sorta hard to find a good match, I could’ve easily gone with fandom and been like yeah, he’s a yandere (which I can see where y’all get that from, and like if we’re following the storyline that he does/did love Batman). But again, I did my research lol. And from what I’ve seen in the film and the first book of Year One. I’m leaning more towards Dandere (aww dano riddler is a dandere sorry moving on…) Dandere’s are the quiet asocial types that avoid conversation when applicable cause they’re worried about causing conflict or make trouble. In Year One, obviously, we see him struggle interacting with people face to face, and every time he even attempts it, it seems to backfire. UNTIL he dons the Riddler persona and uses that as a cover to express his true emotions and motivations. 

Gotham Riddler: 

This will be mostly referring to Season 1 Ed, I have seen the show up until the start of Season 3, you girl got super annoyed at the Lee/Ed bullshit and it was hard to stomach. Petty I know, but for all the love and adoration of this Eddie…I sorta can’t stand this Riddler (I know blasphemy to love one but not the other, but it’s my honest opinion…stop lowering your voice you damn dunce) ANYWAY, like…at the start I think he’s more of a deredere (someone whose overall kind, sweet, especially to someone they have a crush on or love and sometimes overly energetic) but obviously as the show progresses it’s clear to see he also has yandere tendencies (murder solves everything *finger guns*)

BTAS Riddler:

While Gotham somewhat starts out this way, my husband is a deredere through and through and I’m not saying that purely from a favoritism standpoint. Judging more so by his demeanor in Riddler’s Reform, we actually got to see how Edward interacts with a somewhat general populous. He was seen to be extremely charismatic and eccentric, albeit also shy (when flirted with) and endearing. I believe this Ed would be overall courteous of others as long as they show the same courtesy, obviously that’s not always the case and therefore he goes to the extremes. He would be kind to a fault, he won’t let someone walk over him however (lookin’ at you Mockridge). 

P.S. if I was really playing into my favoritism, I would’ve given him a kekkondere (someone who full heartedly believes in love at first sight and wants to be betrothed asap to me BUT I didn’t I showed some restraint asdffg)

Zero Year/Capullo Riddler & Twojar Riddler:

So I’m gonna cheat and combine these two, TECHNICALLY speaking they are one in the same, storyline wise, so I figured it’d be safe to give them the same personality type even if there’s like a year or two distance between them and their motivations are…odd af sometimes.

For these shitheads I’m going with Kuudere but they also have Hiyakasudere traits. 

A kuudere from my understanding is your cool, calm, and collected personality. Which these two shitheads have shown, I mean you’ve gotta be somewhat confident to just waltz around with your shirt open. That and just about every panel of Zero Year Riddler is him with a shit eating grin, even as Batman got closer and closer. They’re also extremely analytical to a fault, twojar being the extra prick he is literally crafted a whole war just get Joker to laugh and Zero Year boasted to Batman all the different variations of plans he conceived before choosing the one that ultimately lead to Zero Year. Not to mention, this Riddler’s start has him as a tactician and consultant of sorts for various corporations. 

Where the hiyakasudere traits come in is if there’s someone that’s an object of their affections. Both of them would be chronic teasers and there’s no way you can convince me otherwise. Hiyakasudere, are pretty flirtatious  and tease their love interests on an almost daily basis as their way of showing affection. 

Gotham City Sirens Riddler: 

Much like Zero Year and Twojar, Sirens Riddler I also consider to be a kuudere, but for different reasons. 

This particular Riddler is an actual reformed Riddler (not just a ploy like BTAS albeit it’s sometimes debated if he’d actual go straight or not if Batman wasn’t there). He’s also probably one of the most self aware and is constantly having to combat his colleagues and the public’s preconceived notion of who he was. So he’s very cool and calm, despite being held hostage over live animals or jumping in to protect a possible victim from an oncoming bomb. He still stays rational and constantly tries to collect the pieces his fragmented mind as he questions if him changing is even really worth it. 

Young Justice Riddler: 

I feel like once I explain this personality type, i-it will just make sense to you guys…

A Hajidere is “for someone who’s really shy or nervous around their crush.” Also “they have trouble confessing to the one they love and may often blush or faint at the sight of them making the first move.” 

Do…Do I need to say more? I know this is mostly purely fanon based on what little we’ve gathered from the three episodes he was in…but c’mon…that’s on point.  

Telltale Riddler:

Now this, asshole. 

This absolute stick in the mud asdfjk

Basically, a hindere is someone that’s extremely haughty. He carries himself proudly and with no pretense. Just imagine Arkham Ed, but actually is secure. I had a tough time deciding if Telltale would be a hindere or a tsundere, but a tsundere is described as being capable of kindness and affectionate. I don’t see that with this Ed, purely because of how far he’s gone in his deranged but damaged mind. However, hindere’s aren’t totally without hope, they can have a soft spot for a particular someone, but it has to be an absolute miracle for it to work. (plus i’m just trying to break up the monotony of my answers rip, plus we only get so much out of this one cause well…iykyk)

Hush (DCAU) Riddler: 

Bare in mind for this Riddler it’s only for the Edward BEFORE the stupid twist again ifykyk. 

Based solely on the mannerisms seen during the middle of the film, I can see him also being a hajidere if there’s a love interest involved. 

I’ve always seen this Riddler as an extension of Young Justice, if he actually made it out on his own as he got older, and continued to make a name for himself (and he did although found himself somewhat of a laughing stock). Albeit was still pretty dorky, until he decided to used that assumption people have of him to his advantage later. 

He’s able to hold conversations just fine with other people like Batman, other Rogues, GCPD. Those don’t really matter too much, Batman maybe a little more than others. However, when it comes to a crush, this poor man’s dead to rights lol

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, I think that’s my final take…I don’t even wanna admit how many drafts, look backs, and edits this took. Again, totally based on my opinions and outtakes, clearly this isn’t an overly analytical or proper research paper of any kind. This is purely just based on the vibes when reading their stories or watching their performance and taking a pinch of fanon into the equation to fill in some gaps. 

Please don’t come at me. Please don’t fight me rip, I’m tired lol. 

Thank you

#ri writes #idk if i'm just hyper sensitive again #or what #but your girl is scared as hell to post this rip #i'm just really nervous #it's probably a combination of a few things #way too many to put into the tags #the riddler #edward nygma #arkhamverse riddler #dano riddler #reevesverse riddler #gotham riddler #btas riddler #zero year riddler #capullo riddler #twojar riddler #the war of jokes and riddles riddler #gotham city sirens riddler #sirens riddler #young justice riddler #yj riddler #telltale riddler #hush (dcau) riddler #dere #personalities

[multiplicity-positivity]

our system is specutien (word we learned today from this blog! thank you very much! we thought we were invalid for having two hosts frontstuck 99.8% of the time) and for anyone who isn't those two people, it's really hard to front and discern what we're interested in or to try and find interests. this turns into a feedback loop where few people have positive triggers and so it's rare for other people to front with us because they don't have interests and don't know how to get them. do you have any advice for how to help on this? it's really difficult (and emotionally taxing) for me, as the frontstuck host, to try and relinquish enough control that my interests/tastes/etc. don't get in the way of that self discovery process. but it also sucks to have a bunch of people who exist but can't really talk to people in the outerworld because they don't have interests or even opinions on most topics. so.... we're wondering if you can help? as a fellow specutien system? (we also wonder if it would be easier for us to try and unstick ourselves if more of our headmates were, yknow, well-rounded)

Hi! We sure are specutien - our host doesn’t always sign off because he’s usually at least somewhat dissociated/disconnected from interacting with the real world, but he always is here at least to some extent!

We’re sorry y’all are going through something like this, but we do feel like it’s something many systems do struggle with! It can be so hard for frontstuck members to learn how to step back or give up control for the first time, and it can be even more difficult for members who don’t front often to figure out who they are and what they like! Our system went through something similar during our syscovery!

We do have a little template for folks to use who are interested in getting to know their system members - each headmate can feel free to fill it out at their leisure if they’re interested!

And this may sound weird, and others might disagree with this advice, but we’d like to share some thoughts on how y’all could go about learning more about each other, even with some members frontstuck all the time!

These frontstuck members might be able to learn more about the other headmates… by filling in information and fleshing out the rest of their system on behalf of their other members.

This means the frontstuck headmates could do things like make picrews for different members, think of what other headmates’ likes, dislikes, and interests might be, and do other things to help round out the other members! If they get anything wrong, or any member is uncomfortable with another headmate making decisions on their behalf, they could always speak up about it or change things later!

In our system we have some parts who never front. However, we still have picrews/a general idea of what they look like, and some basic information about them that these parts were never able to front and establish for themselves. If we’ve gotten anything wrong, they’ll usually reach out to tell us as such or at least send a vibe that we’ve made the wrong move. We’re working on building internal communication, and as our communication gets stronger, we’ve been able to learn more and more about the alters who at first we knew very little about!

If y’all are interested in finding more positive triggers to help bring specific members to the front, it might help to try making individual playlists for each member of the system! The frontstuck members can make playlists with music that reminds them of the different headmates, rather than choosing music that the headmates picked out themselves. Of course, if any headmate wants to have input on the music that goes in their playlist, they should feel welcomed to! This just provides a way for those who are frontstuck to try and create more opportunities for other members to front in the future!

I guess in general though, we’d say y’all should take your time with this and take things one day, one headmate, and one interest at a time! If you as a host start to feel exhausted or overwhelmed, y’all may need to take a step back from this process. And that’s okay! It’s important to take breaks and take care of your own physical and mental health while attempting to learn more about your system.

Also, in our opinion, your headmates don’t have to be very differentiated in order to be valid as system members and worthy of autonomy and respect. It’s okay for your headmates to just exist as they are - they don’t need to have a huge list of differences or things that make them unique in order for them to be valued and cherished as they are! Some systems don’t like for their members to be very different and well-rounded, and some systems genuinely just don’t work like that. So we guess it’s important for y’all to accept each other for who you are as you are now. If some headmates change naturally in the future, then great! If not, that’s okay too! What’s most important is that y’all are taking care of each other and looking after each other to the best of your abilities.

We hope this helps a little bit! Feel free to reach out if you have further questions… regardless, we’re wishing you and your headmates the very best in your future!

🌸 Margo and 💚 Ralsei

#specutien #frontstuck #long post #internal communication #differentiation #positive triggers

[alarrytale]

Why can y’all believe bi people exist, y’all? Lol Yeah, some bi people show more attraction towards one gender. This is not an uncommon occurrence. And some people aren’t as quick to express their attraction to women due to them being marginalized and oversexualized. Y’all would rather believe anything than that we exist

Does the THOUGHT of asking bi people when you get questions about artists being bisexual even cross your mind? Be honest

Hello, anons!

I don't know what these ask are referring to exactly, but if it's about Harry being bisexual, he's not. That's what i believe and you're free to disagree. Bisexuality exists, but Harry is not bisexual.

If you're referring to the anon who talked about an artist who is doing PR with women during album promo and talking about being with men when he's not, i have no idea who that artist is. The anon suggested that people though he might be bi/pan, but the anon seemed to believe that was not the case. Maybe i misread the anon, but i don't think so. So i suggested a couple of possible scenarios for them, if he is not bi/pan, without knowing anything about the situation and who that artist is.

I think you should consider the fact that i am the one who gets these ask and anons want my opinion. And i'm giving my opinion. You don’t have to agree with my opinion. You don’t even have to read my opinions, you could just exit my blog. If you can’t be civil and mind your tone, your asks won't be answered.

#bisexuality #antis say the darnedest things #harry image

[bcofl0ve]

🤍 welcome to the ordeal 🤍

[ bonus points if you get the blindspotting reference ^ ]

sending an anon related to lisa’s passing/the aftermath as it pertains anyone we discuss here? please read this first.

hi y’all! my names mollie and this is where i come to scream, write fanfic and gossip. you can find my fanfic masterlist here! requests are open but i make no promises on how quickly i’ll get to them. if you want some inspiration my fav prompt lists are here.

re: #gossip time with mollie

• i am working on making masterposts for all the elvis press tour stops + awards shows. check them out and pls let me know if any links are broken!

cannes 2022, elvis

toronto press 2022, elvis

2023 palm springs film festival awards

2023 golden globes

follow austin on the road to the oscars + keep up with related press/content by following this tag!

• if gossip isn’t your thing that is a-okay! all gossip posts will be tagged with the gossip time hashtag and there’s no hard feelings if you mute it.

(in regards to tags: i tag things with ppl’s names largely as an organizational thing for myself. the system i use is the system i use and that is currently not changing anytime soon.)

• if you are into gossip, fantastic because me too bestie!!! but i do have some ground rules and boundaries that i appreciate being respected.

- no speculation or theories around drug use, more specifically around weight loss/austin looking skinnier/looking like he lost weight etc. that veers into gossip i think is crossing a line- and i have personal trauma surrounding addiction that makes speculating about things like that triggering. this applies to presley gerber (kaia’s brother) and the presleys (lisa marie included)- not just austin.

- no sexual assault or abuse speculation/theories. this is a hard rule and i will block anons that break it. if anyone tied to anybody/anything i talk about here has public accusations made against them i will post about it- i promise.

- i know that austin’s publicist (the redhead, kate) can be a contentious topic on twitter but she is not a public figure and i’m not comfortable digging into her body language/how she acts with austin at events/etc. she as a topic itself isn’t banned completely (it’s me and my tree paine 2.0/ginger publicist support group jokes against the world!!) but just keep ^ that in mind when sending stuff about her.

- if you ever want to gossip off anon or want to share something but don’t want me to post it i’m always down to chit chat in my messages!!! feel free to pop in any time!

- i am an auslivia girlie and personally think given everything we do know it’s not a stretch to refer to them as exes/say they dated at one point. if you disagree that is a-okay but my opinion is what it is 🙏🏼. if you don’t want to see my posts about their history feel free to mute the #olivia dejonge tag!

- i am very pro priscilla and think her and e were soulmates. its fine if you disagree- but don’t try to change my mind and i won’t try to change yours. (:

that’s all y’all! come in and stay a while 😉✨

#gossip time with mollie #austin butler #olivia dejonge #austin butler x reader #kaia gerber #elvis #elvis movie #gossip #hollywood gossip #film #tv #deuxmoi #blind items #hollywood

[inuyashaluver]

i’m afraid i have started a new thing.. we are all inayushaluver luvers. it’s an official fan club now 😆

no but seriously, (yes i will speak for everyone and whoever disagrees fite me) we really appreciate you. i don’t understand how some people have the audacity to send anonymous “i don’t like you/your writing” asks because at the end of the day you’re just someone who is doing what they love (and you do a damn good job too in my opinion) LITERALLY FOR FREE and if they don’t like it… there’s literally the option to scroll away 😂

+ if u don’t like something then give constructive criticism bro, some of y’all are just straight up hating. 🥹🔪

idk, idk why i’m suddenly so vocal- i just feel so off with the negativity people spread. not just to you but like other woso writers. it sucks and it pushes you away from something that makes u happy 😭 anywho, sorry this is so long i ended up ranting agshsgs. i’ve been feeling this for a while cuz the negativity is so irritating huhu. like why cant people be nice?! hope you and the other writers on this platform have a great day 🫶

- 🫧-

UGH I LITERALLY LOVE AND ADORE YOU, GORGEOUS ❤️❤️

you really don’t understand how special this is to me, like i’m in actual tears with no exaggeration!

people that hide behind the anonymity to spread hate are just plain awful, how are you gonna spread this much negativity and not even claim it if you wanna say it so bad 😭

ALSO STOP THE INUYASHALUVER LUVERS IS SO FUCKING CUTE LIKE YOU GUYS ARE ADORABLEEEEEEE 😩

again, thank you so much, this was so so sweet my heart is aching ❤️

i love you and i hope YOU have a good day, along with anyone reading this 🫶🫶🫶🫶

the little bubble emoji is so fucking cute stop

#asks <3

[showtoonzfan]

Hello There, Showtoonz!! I just wanted to let you know someone has talked about your post about HB and let's just say some die hard fans aren't taking it well in the comments, and saying shit like, "Oh, well Viv is much better and talented than you!" Or "Don't watch the show then" ect ect, it's like you can't criticize ANYTHING without the fans going after you for it, and also calling you homophobic if you don't like the show. Apparently, you can't talk about criticism or say one negative thing on the series, when it comes to the HB/HH Fandom. 😒

https://twitter.com/Norelzahr1/status/1589926236591370240?t=SjRBUVbjNklc7S3zxzPPsg&s=19

Glad the OP agrees, but I honestly don’t care what the fans think lmao. I still stand by what I said, I heavily dislike how literally like….80% of the HB fandom and the creators act like being gay and/or female automatically means you’re a good writer who doesn’t need criticism, trust me, I’m not pulling that out of my ass, I’ve seen people act like this everywhere.

However, this did get me thinking, I will admit that I think I worded that one tag wrong, mainly the problem was I didn’t know HOW to word it. Fill free to disagree with me if y’all want, but when I said “The show shouldn’t even be labeled as a “queer show”, it’s a dark comedy with gay characters yes but that doesn’t mean it’s meant for gay people I don’t get it”- in one of the tags, what I was trying to get at was that I personally don’t understand why everyone keeps labeling the show as such when the original premise and tone of the show had nothing to do with what the show seems to be now, an emotional rollercoaster about relationships, wether gay or straight. In my opinion, I only think you should label your show as a “queer show” if your MAIN purpose and premise resides on telling a story following the such. Helluva Boss’s main premise wasn’t about that, it was about demon assassins going to earth to kill humans while Stolas (a SIDE main character-ish) acted like a horny perv who had possession of the book. The reason why I said this was mainly to once again jab at the people who act like having gay characters in your show means that it’s magically inhumane to criticism. Most importantly, when I said “it has gay characters yes but that doesn’t mean it’s for gay people”- I should have said that differently, because want I MEANT was that just because there are LGBTQ+ characters in your show, doesn’t mean it’s ONLY for them. This is a jab at the fans who keep saying “But it’s a queer show, it’s for queers”- whenever we try to critique Stolitz as a couple or the other relationships. The show never presented itself on the characters sexualities and how they’ll be telling about their loves lives and personal lives, again….it was SUPPOSED to be a dark comedy about asshole demons assassins, and ever since Stolitz took over the show because Viv is obsessed with it rather than taking time to develop and expand her other characters, everyone now is acting like Stolitz is what the show stems on and what this show was supposed to be about. They also act like LGBTQ+ characters can’t be written badly as long as the creators are gay themselves, (they also act like just because it’s told from a “queer perspective” that apparently means that the writing isn’t bad, but that we just won’t get it because we’re not queer) and that’s not true?? Again, I don’t care if you’re gay or straight lmao, bad writing is still bad writing, that doesn’t make me homophobic for saying so, I’ve literally expressed multiple times how it pisses me off how Viv portrays most LGBTQ+ people, mainly her gay characters cause all they act like are hollow shallow stereotypes as if they were written by dumb men from the 70’s. Again, there are better written gay characters out there. I should also say that I don’t mind it when a show wants to dive into the romantic side of the main character, because Blitz at the end of the day still IS the main character after all, I’m just tired of fans acting like the show is only about his and Stolas’s relationship when it should be about the entire IMP crew as well. So Helluva fans, please stop saying “It’s a queer show”- whenever someone opens their mouth to critique something. I’ve seen Queer shows that have better writing than this fan fiction of a show and my sexuality has nothing to do with it lmao.

#vivziepop critical #spindlehorse critical #helluva boss critical #anti vivziepop #hazbin hotel critical #helluva boss criticism #viv sucks at writing gay characters yeah I said it be mad lol #vivziepop criticism #helluva boss critique #anti Stolitz #anti Angel Dust #reply #ask #helluva boss

[nrrrdgrrrl2002]

My personal opinion on Poppy Playtime, as a story.

Feel free to disagree

It’s…. Objectively well made but…

There’s this spark that’s missing from the canon.

For me, There’s something not there that stuff like fnaf, bendy, Amanda and such have.

But I don’t know what’s missing

I don’t personally sympathize with huggy wuggy or mommy long legs like I do the ink demon, susie Alice, Cassidy or Amanda.

I don’t connect with the protagonist like I do Michael or Audrey.

I don’t hate anyone like I do William Afton or Joey drew.

They’re all just “eh” to me.

Like they tried to make mommy sympathetic.

But nothing she says hits for me like

“won’t you help the lonely kitten?”

Or

“you’re a mistake. A monster. Like me”

or even

“it’s me”

I think it has its merits and I feel like there’s some love for the craft there but..

Something about it is just not hitting for me.

Idk.

What do y’all think?

Do you like it?

Do you not like it?

Tell me why.

This would be an interesting discussion to have.

#poppy playtime #fnaf #batdr #amanda the adventurer

[colorlesschristmastree]

So some anti's are shaking 😂 figured some of my favorite feyre blogs should see the clownery for themselves.

toast-com in acotardeservesbetter's anon

reblogged by readingwritingwatching

"Why is Feysand popular again? Did the stans forget what Rhysand did? And while I'm at it, the bargain he made with Feyre was frankly excessive. He healed her arm, and in return she has to spend time with him every month. I don't get it."

What a bunch of clowns 🤡 one is an obsessive t*mlin apologist infamous redhead who creeps out half of the fanbase by all the weird and ridiculous sh*t she says and does, the other is an account who's name is toast.com..need I say more and the other is an anti acotar account who dedicates their time and energy to a series that mostly revolves around feyre and rhysand yet they can't help obsessively posting about them and creating an entire anti blog dedicated to the series that aggravates them more than it makes them happy, that on it's own? is WEIRD. I've been seeing alot more support and much deserved love for feyre and rhysand and of course the anti's picked up on the shift in the tide so they're fretting now that their anti arguments are getting easily shut down more than it did after acosf. "why is feysand popular again?" LMAO, stay mad I love it.

I’m sorry but this is so funny to me. They’re right though, Feysand nation is stronger than ever and thriving. I’ve been seeing so much love, especially after Rhys week that just passed, on here, instagram, and twitter. All of the lovely fanart commissions and even things that artists chose to post for free bc they simply love Rhys and Feysand, the fanfics that people put their whole souls into that just radiate a love and appreciation for Feysand. I love being a feysand stan, I love winning, I love being able to open the books and just have a good time, enjoying the story with all the characters, even ones i don’t like as much.

They got so used to seeing their faves be loudly stanned they forgot that they’re not actually the series’s most beloved characters.

People come for Feysand and stay because they love the world Feysand introduced them to. And you’re right, the way certain people who participate in fandom have a weird obsession with hating everything about it is so weird to me. Do something more productive with your time and find yourself a series where you can actually love every single character and not just a few whose characters you warp and distort into different people inside your head. If you don’t get why Feysand, the couple and characters that have always been beloved, are being appreciated again, it might really just be time to move on. I swear, some of them have Feysand on their minds more than I do.

And nonnie, you are so right about that last part. They’re bitter they can’t make their bizarre anti posts without someone disagreeing and responding with a genuine argument that’s based on the text and not just vibes. They’re mad that no one cares about their “sjm is a bias author!!! feyre is a self insert! that’s the only reason y’all r winning.” arguments, and instead we’ve been leaning into it, bc despite disagreeing, if they know that their opinions are so wrong and in such opposition to the text, that they only way they can justify it is by saying that the author herself is out to get them and their faves, then ik I’m stanning the right people.

#pro feyre #feyre archeron #feyre #my posts #acomaf #acotar #rhysand #feysand #pro feysand #sjmaas #a court of thorns and roses #pro inner circle #pro rhysand

[stormblessed95]

Hey! I have been a Jikooker for a few years but since the past year, I’ve transitioned into thinking that Jikook are just close friends with no romantic association. During my time as a dedicated Jikook supporter, I’ve found a bunch of lovely Jikook blogs (you included) and I have closely followed and interacted with many of ya’ll for a while. Since my opinions on Jikook have changed and don’t necessarily match the blogs that I still follow, the logical thing for me to do was to move on and stop being so tuned in to Jikook Tumblr right? Wrong! I blame you Jikookers for keeping me coming back by writing a variety of interesting and complex posts based on BTS topics, Kpop-esque topics and random other topics. And Jikook topics too because I still enjoy their bond even though I don’t think they’re dating. I can’t seem to let go of the community aspect y’all have built here. I feel like I’ve gotten to know a lot of you bloggers well (as much as you can know a stranger online lol) so completely leaving this space kinda feels suspiciously like ending a friendship. Not me building a parasocial relationship with Jikook bloggers 😂. No but seriously I still love reading y’all’s thoughts on things even if I might skip past some of the posts that go heavy and deep into Jikook relationship dynamics/analysis. 💟

Here's my thing. You are welcome here on my blog if you just love their friendship. You are welcome here if you enjoy my BTS content and like Jikook, but you ship vmin or taekook, or jinmin, or yoonmin or namkook or whoever. You are welcome here if you just like my timeline posts but aren't as interested in anything else (and if that's you, sorry im always so slow on those lol). You are welcome here if you are just here because I'm really good at getting sent a random screenshot and finding you guys the content it comes from. Lol you are welcome here if you are an anti shipper but still enjoy my posts on all things BTS. You are welcome here if you just like how I organize my thoughts and aren't against shipping or don't think jikook are dating but find them cute regardless. You are welcome here if you just like my bookish posts every once in a blue moon. You are welcome here if you just stick around for my LGBTQ posts too. Lol I'm good if you are here solely because you like me/the way I write and nothing else. As long as you aren't being disrespectful to anyone, people here, me and the members, I don't care if we disagree on things. Even if it's who we think are romantically involved or not involved.

I follow plently of blogs that I don't necessarily agree with their opinions, and I often find some that I think take things too far. And that's fine that I don't agree with them. Just like it's fine if people don't always agree with me. I skip posts over topics im uninterested in or if i think they are taking shipping too far often at this point. The world would be an incredibly uninteresting place if everyone around you agreed all the time. Imagine how boring the conversations would be. Regardless. You are free to bow out if you want or stick around if you want too. I'm friends with someone on here who doesn't ship jikook, isn't even a huge ARMY, we exchange music of theirs occasionally though and mostly talk books/fics in DMs and have a great time and it's fine! So you know, do whatever you want. And if you want to stick around snd just send in asks or DMs about BTS in general or other topics, feel free to do so. I'm in general a pretty friendly person! Lol

I also think it's lowkey funny there is someone on here who had followed/unfollowed then refollowed like 4 times in the past 3 days. I think they can't decide if they like it here or not 🤣 it's kinda cute and funny.

[b3achysurfur]

yo hey logang member here

just wanted to lyk i actually dont care if you dislike logan, i have characters i dislike too like thats ok i just feel like this all turned into petty drama that wasnt needed 😭 i disagree with some stuff you said (like that one comment about understanding how logans parents didnt want him) but i guess i just wanted to clarify i myself dont have any true ill intent towards you i just think this whole situation is kinda stupid and wanted to clarify that so have a nice day ig- i blocked immediately because i didnt want to see more drama but here i am lmaoo

i personally like logan because he contributes to the group, keeps a level head in tough situations(like standing up for barons other victim) and can make a decision under alot of pressure (like shooting the phantom) and i think he has alot of potential but feel free to debate

hi , idk what happened but the logang has started interacting with me again. did someone make a post or did y’all js get curious? I genuinely wanna know 😣 but you guys are welcomed here !!

um but yeah I agree. thing is I never started this account to troll or start drama/discourse. the account was so that I could separate my main and sbg content and it’d be more organized. I had been posting Logan hate before hand, and a lot of ppl found my posts funny/agreed so I just continued it here. you guys just got rlly mad for no reason. I get that some of the jokes I made were a little harsh, but at the end of the day it was never that serious. I do apologize if I stressed anyone out, but this whole thing is so silly. I’m use to bigger fandoms being more aggressive, and even the sbg TikTok fandom is pretty blunt, so I didn’t think you guys would take my jokes so personally. but you live and you learn.

also I appreciate you being so kind! I understand that many ppl just blocked me bc they didn’t want to waste their energy on smth silly / js assumed it was bait content. which is totally fair! like I’ve said in other posts, I have no ill will towards anybody I’ve interacted with, regardless of how the conversation we had went down. If I’ve said smth that’s upset you, my dms are always open to chat or js tag me in a post/comment and I’ll talk with you. Sometimes I can be a bit rude, but I promise it’s not personal at all. The only person I hate is Logan fields. Not you guys. Even if your a logang member (funny y’all took a liking to that name btw 😭).

I will continue to post Logan slander, and I can’t promise that I’ll tone my content down all the way, so if that’s not for you then you’re welcomed to block me or the Logan hate tag. I use like the same 4 Logan hate tags so it’s not gonna be a sneak attack. Also even though I post logan hate, I AM ALWAYS OPEN TO DEBATING. I’m very open-minded and will change my opinion if you make a good point that I can’t refute. I just have not run into anyone who could do that yet.

okay now for the fun stuff. You said you like Logan because he contributes to the group, but I disagree. I feel like Logan has contributed least to the group. When you say “he keeps level-headed”, I feel the opposite. Logan is very shy and timid, and he gets scared very easily. Logan is very easy to persuade and intimate, which is why he got bullied in the first place. Although he stood up to Barron, he wasn’t level headed at all. He was clouded with rage (which in part has to do with the phantoms) but shows he cannot control his emotions well. In many offical arts + earlier chapters, Logan is seen crying / hesitating constantly. Yes he has a reason to be terrified, but you cannot say he is level headed. Especially compared to everyone else. I’m not sure how I feel about him being able to make decisions under pressure. I think Logan is good at analyzing situations. Thats why he was able to come up with multiple theories about the phantom world. But I feel like in order to say he makes good decisions under pressure, he’d have to actually put these decisions into action. Logan is still very hesitant though and I don’t want to base his character off of one scene, especially because I’ve talked about why I feel like that scene was a cover up and not genuine. Most of the time Logan follows the instructions and commands of others. He actually buckles under pressure imo. like when they were fighting before getting the car, Logan would’ve never mentioned he was scared if Tyler had not spoken first. He would’ve just followed everyone else due to peer pressure. Logan always acts second. I honestly believe if he had saw Aiden on the roof he would’ve never even considered using his gun because he avoids situations that have a lot of pressure and responsibility. So no, I don’t believe Logan makes good decisions under pressure. Again that’s just my opinion and I’m down to talk about it more! but if you do want to debate pls js reblog this or put another ask in bc the comment word limit is so annoying 😭

#sbg #school bus graveyard webtoon #logan hate #i hate logan fields. #logan slander #school bus graveyard #schoolbus graveyard #sbg (webtoon) #fuck logan #logan fields #pls keep asking me questions guys I love talking 🙏

[tw-episodereactions]

I’ve gotten a few comments and some followers and I just wanted to let folks know a couple of things.

I’m not going to follow anyone back. Nothing personal, it’s just y’all clearly like the show and I’m trying to remain as spoiler free as possible.

I’m trying to remain as spoiler free as possible. Spoilers, in my experience, never give context and I’ve never gotten a spoiler that didn’t have an opinion attached to it.

I do consider, “just wait until you get to x part,” and “you’ll change your mind about this character in x episode/season,” a spoiler.

After this warning, if you give me a spoiler I will block you. Again, nothing personal.

These are all my opinions and I don’t expect everyone to agree with them. I won’t take it personally if you disagree with my opinion. I also won’t take it personally if you argue your opinion, but I’ll still block you if you try to back up your argument by using spoilers.

I won’t really look at comments until after I finish reviewing each season, so while I am technically ignoring people, it’s not personal and it’ll only be for a couple of weeks at a time.

Enjoy. 😄

#teen wolf #policy & standards

[corvuserpens]

Brother Mine: A “The Sandman” Short Fic [Part IV]

Next part will be the last one, and it will be the one I’ve been DYING to write since I started this. Hope y’all enjoy, as usual.

Tagging: @raven-star7

For the following hours, brother and sister sat and read and listened to music, without need to speak or interact to justify each other’s company. For them, just being together while they did their own thing was a reward in and of itself. Death greatly appreciated these moments to be quiet and rest, and Dream, a solitary creature by nature, was more than satisfied to simply sit with his elder sister. Every once in a while he would look up to make a comment on Camus’ line of thought and ask for her opinion, which she would give with pleasure, even if they some times disagreed.

“I quite like Satre’s Existentialism thinking,” she had told him at one point, all while lying on her back for a break from her own book. “The meaning of life is whatever you make of it. There is no objective point to it, so you’re free to come up with one for it.”

“While Camus states that the meaning of life is whatever stops you from killing yourself,” Dream replied. “It might well suit mortals, but for us...”

Death peeked at him through one eye, not unlike a sleepy cat checking out its surroundings for danger. “Maybe not, but if we could, in fact, die, can you not think of a single thing that would keep you from ending everything yourself?”

He didn’t have to think long. “I have several reasons to continue to exist, yes.”

“Now imagine you didn’t have them,” she retorted. “Imagine all those reasons were taken away from you and there was nothing you could do about it. What would you do, then?”

“I... do not need to imagine.” His voice was so small in that instant. Fragile, almost. “If that had come to pass, then... I suppose I would have to remake it all again.”

“But would that heal the wound left in your heart?” Asked Death. “Would that replacement really be enough reason to go on?”

“It would have to. Or else...” He paused then, troubled as he watched the wind bend the blades of grass and whisper over the pond water. “Or else I might have ended up like our brother.”

Death opened both eyes then and observed his profile: the way he stared off into the distance without seeing anything at all, the downward tilt of his lips, the deep gash between his eyebrows. It was a rare occurrence for Dream to bring up their missing brother, and she knew why. She sat up slowly, drapping her arms around her knees, and rested her chin on them.

“It was not your fault, Dream. You know that, right?”

He shut his eyes and shook his head, only very slightly, barely moving his head. He hunched over, like he held a great weight on his shoulders and it was beginning to forcefully push him down. In her heart, she believed her own words: Dream was not to blame for Destruction’s departure. Destruction had made a choice. One that broke her heart to this day, but a choice all his own, all the same. There was nothing any one of them could have done to change his mind. She wished Dream would believe that, too.

He looked up after a few minutes of silence, and changed the subject. “Have you... ever thought about dying?”

She had to snort at the irony of that question. Unavoidable. Still, he stared at her expectantly, waiting for a serious answer. She stared back and smiled no more.

“I am Death, my brother. Of course I have.”

He said no more after that.

The sun was beginning to set when Death closed her book, switched off her music, and stood up to stretch with a long sigh.

“Well, that was nice!” She cracked her neck vertebrae and looked down at Dream. “Are you finished, yet?”

He was, in fact, very near the end of his reading. He shut the pages with a nod and glanced up. “Do you wish to leave?”

“I do, actually. There’s something I must attend to, but we need to hop over to the convenience store first, it’s going to close in a couple of hours. And then...” She smirked and shrugged her shoulders. “Well. Don’t want to spoil the surprise.”

To that, Dream narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but made no further comment on it. He stood up from the grass, they put their boots back on, and wandered out of the park, back into the busy London streets.

“Where is it we are going, exactly?” He inquired, incapable of holding back curiosity. “What is it you must attend to so ugently?”

“Not urgently, it’s just a compromise I made,” she explained. “A promise I made, long ago.”

~Later~

“Are you quite sure we will need all this food?”

Death glanced back over her shoulder to appreciate the image of her brother, tall and proud and discontent, holding two bags of cat food, one in each arm, plus several plastic bowls in an array of different colors, which he was trying his hardest to balance on top of those bags. Despite his long fingers, he looked precariously on the verge of letting it all drop to the linoleum floor of the convenience store, and she snorted, earning herself a pout from Dream.

“I never know how many will show up!” She said in her defense. “Every time I think I have enough, there’s always more mouths to feed than last time.”

The line to pay moved along another couple of inches. Death adjusted her own load in her arms (another bag of rations and both hands full of canned food), thinking they were going to need at least three bags to carry this feast. “I swear, they tell each other to go there.”

“Cats are chatty that way,” Dream admitted. “You would be surprised.”

“Oh, I adore them. Whoever thought them up was a mad genius. The way they come at you with wide eyes, doing their little chirps, tails in the air... How can anyone resist such a sight?”

Dream did a crooked smile. “I believe it is Lady Bast you have to thank for cats, sister.”

“Have you talked to her, recently?” She set the bags, cans and bowls on the tarmac, helping him unload. “She’s been doing well, in recent years. Lots of new followers all over the world, mostly young people. All of them praying and doing offerings like in the old times. She looks good.”

“I have not.” Dream followed her cue and relieved the weight in his arms. Death could have sworn she saw a peculiar spark in his eyes at the mention of the Egyptian goddess. “Perhaps I should invite her for a visit, one of these days. I’m glad to know she has managed to survive long enough to recover. The last time I spoke to her, she was...”

“On the verge of permanently return to the Dreaming?” And wait to eventually die, she continued in her mind. Such was the fate of many gods, after all. She knew it and so did he. 

Dream nodded solemnly. 

“I know she would love to see you,” said Death. “Always had a bit of a soft spot for you, remember?”

“Bast likes to flirt with anything that moves,” he affirmed (with a very light shade of rose to his cheeks). “I don’t think I am that special in her mind.”

“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong, little brother.” Death interrupted their chat to pay up, pack everything in no less than four bags, and lead the way to the exist. “The mere fact that you never engage in her flirting makes you the most tantalizing fruit in her eyes. We always desire the most for that which we cannot have.”

Dream hummed in thought. “Then perhaps if I flirt back, she will lose interest.”

“Maybe. Or maybe she will fall in love you with.”

To that, he gave her a look of ‘quit messing around’. As if it were so implausible? Bast wouldn’t be the first goddess who did so, after all.

They set out on foot into the twilight. The world was tinged in a pleasant orange glow, the sky a masterpiece of pinks, baby blues, violets and gold. Despite the growing gloom, the air remained tepid, stuffy even, the way only an August evening could feel - surreal, an air of fantasy falling over this plane, a fleeting magic that even the most obstinate and mundane of mortals could smell, even if they could not recognize it. 

If only every day could be like this one...

Death led them down a poorly lit side street, the windows on worn out homes popping up here and there in preparation for the incoming night. She stopped in front of an abandoned stone chapel, long since fallen into disrepair. Broken windows, rusted iron gates, trash pilled up in its once paved walkway, weeds and ivy growing out of cracks on the walls, wooden doors peeled off and stiff from the weather. A notice of danger from collpase was stappled to them, and even that sign was covered in spots and rot from years of exposure, the letters gone from black and red to a sickly blue.

“Here we are,” she announced. At the top of the gate, a calico cat washed her ears with repeated lazy licks and swipes. She stopped to contemplate the two Endless with glowing eyes, full of curiosity, then took off in a sprint as Death pushed the iron wrought gate open, unaffraid of gravity, and disappeared behind the building.

The Reaper entered the dirty chapel grounds, watching her footing, and ignored the bolted up doors to instead take a right turn, with Dream silently in tow. The further they walked, the more yowls and chirps joined in a single choir, until soon enough, they found themselves surrounded on all sides by cats of every color, shape, size and pattern imaginable. They came from windows and from behind rubbish piles, over the perimeter wall, from the roof, absolutely everywhere, to greet their visitors.

“Hello, my darlings,” Death cooed, moving with extra caution to avoid stepping on tails and paws, and entered the chapel through a large hole on the wall, big enough to fit a Destruction sized person, for example. The cats followed, meowing ever louder, starved and eager. “Yes, of course I’ve got your food! And I brought you someone special, tonight.”

Behind her, Dream was finding it rather difficult to pass without being swarmed. The little beasts jumped and dove over and under each other for a turn at rubbing up against his legs, dutifully following him like a loyal entourage, bickering with each other for the honor of walking beside the King of Cats. Dream said nothing about the frenzy at his feet, but a butterfly of a smile, small but no less genuine, illuminated his features like the evening star. By the time he managed to get in the church, cluttered and ruined, Death was already crouched by the altar, pulpit long gone, to pull out bowls and fill them with food and water.

“Little ones first!” She warned, attentive to the mothers who herded their litters forward through dozens, if not hundreds of adults. “Where are your manners?There’s enough for everyone.”

To her left, two feral males hissed furiously to each other, ears flat and hair raised, then growling and throwing paws, making the others scatter to avoid getting hit accidentally. But Death, ever gentle, stuck a hand right in the middle of them without fear and separated them like it was nothing. 

“Hey. No fighting. C���mon, let’s be civilized, please.” She huffed and looked over her shoulder when they kept screaming. “Dream, could you...?”

“Enough.” He spoke. The command echoed from the walls, sounding all the more intimidating and authoritative, as a king’s voice should be, exactly as he had done that morning. In the dark, his eyes shone like twin stars, the only discernable feature in his otherwise backlit silhouette. “Stop this at once.”

They did so, each walking in the opposite direction with their heads and tails low in shame. Death smiled with gratitude.

“Thanks.”

He nodded and moved to the opposite side of the circular room, attracting a part of the furry crowd to alleviate his sister. Most of the adults went running after Dream, leaving Death with the mothers and their kittens while he put out bowls of food and got to snapping the cans open, which immediately got the attention of tabbies and all-whites, torties and pitch blacks, greys and creams, hundreds of small eyes glowing in the gloom, staring up at his own.

It was difficult work to set out such a large buffet (they nearly knocked the bowls out of Dream’s hands on three separate occasions), but soon enough all cans were empty, the bags were all but spent, and there was fresh water spread around the church. Crouched by the last parcels, Dream let his fingers run down countless different backs, stroking long fur and short coats, some silky smooth, others dusty and coarse. Eyes of blue, yellow, green and brown looked at him with adoration, all of them blinking in that dragged fashion that indicated pure contentment, and Dream felt their love and reverence as though an invisible wire connected their hearts to his own, unspoken prayers that filled him with a nameless joy, so intense it could have moved him to tears, were he any more sensitive a creature.

With every mouth occupied, the chapel walls reverberated with a single continuous purring produced by a collective of throats, echoing through the roof and the few remaining pews, through his very chest. Dream stepped with care over many small bodies, and rejoined Death at the altar. She was sitting on the dais, scratching the ear of a young cat, not one year old yet. All around her, others licked their whiskers clean, or their children’s, while some led their litters back to the safety of their hidden nests.

“My sister?” Dream called. 

She looked up from her orange companion to acknowledge her brother, eyebrows arching ever so slightly.

“Do you truly come here every evening to feed them?”

Death took in the colony spread around the room and smiled. “Yeah, I do. Every night for the past ten years.”

Dream sat down on a dusty pew; almost right away, one cat jumped onto his legs and nestled there, while others were quick to take up the space by his sides, against his thighs, at his feet. Without much thought, he kneaded his fingers into the fur of the one who occupied his lap.

“Why?” He asked. “Are there not any mortals who will care for them?”

“There was, once.” She crossed her arms over her thighs. “An old lady and her granddaughter came here every morning and night to take care of them, rising bright an early to change the water, wash the bowls, feed them. When the cats got sick, they would go to great lengths to catch them and take them to the veterinarian, spending money they didn’t always have, so they could have health and peace. They would defend them fiercely from anyone with ill intentions or didn’t want them here. They would find them homes, whenever they could. And they would mourn for each one they lost, from the tiniest kitten to the oldest tomcat. I suspect that, had they enough space to accomodate them all, they would have adopted every single one of them. Then the granddaughter went to college, so it was just the old lady for a while after that. Even so, she would come to see them and help her grandmother every time she visited. Eventually, she got a job in a different city and her visits got rarer. As for the old lady...”

The words faded into a pensive silence. Dream did not dare to break it, much as he wished to know more. He waited patiently for Death to finish the story.

“When her time came and I arrived to collect her, she didn’t ask me to spare her like most others do. She didn’t try to bargain or reason with me. Didn’t beg. All she asked was that I find someone to keep feeding the cats for her. She was so afraid that they would suffer and die without her. It’s been a long time since I’ve encountered a soul this sick with worry, this... attached.”

Dream smiled forebodingly. “So you promised you would take up the task for her.”

She chuckled, a delicate sound that could melt a glacier. “You know me so well. What else was I supposed to do?? She would not come otherwise, and I admit, when I look at them...” She let her eyes drift to a grey tabby stretching out with a yawn at her right. “How could I not?”

Her brother’s star-like eyes fell on the cat on his lap. He understood well what she meant. “What about the granddaughter? What happened to her?”

“I went to meet her when she came over for the funeral arrangements, to give her my condolences. I met them so many times in the past to collect one of their babies, I felt as if they were old friends of mine. She told me she was thinking about moving back, but her company hasn’t adhered to the new remote work trend yet, so she would have to quit to do so. That would have broken her heart, she said, but leaving them to their fate would have been far more devastating to her. She couldn’t find anyone reliable or trustworthy... And I had indeed promised, so... Here I am.”

She looked up to see Dream observing her intently, but his eyes were distant, his mind focused elsewhere. Death half shrugged, stood to her feet and dusted off. “Maybe one day, someone else will come along and take up the task. Until then... I love my job, Dream. I do. But it’s still hard, sometimes. This world is so cruel, and I suppose... I suppose I need to do this to balance out the load, y’know? I am Death, this much is true. I am the great divider between the living and the dead. But just this once... In this place and nowhere else... Is it so bad to choose to preserve life rather than to take it away?”

She waited for an answer, certain of what he would say, like so many times before. We each have responsibilities. We cannot be anything more or anything less than what we are. It is not for us to decide how this world unfolds. We are not gods. We are Endless. She prepared herself for these words, steeling her nerves, shileding her heart against the inevitable hurt her brother’s brutal honesty was infamous for.

But these words never came. In fact, no words came at all. Dream continued to watch her, sitting still and regal, his features a blank page save for his eyes, which surprised her by being full of... compassion.

He said nothing. Only nodded.

Death let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding in. How, HOW was he capable of surprising her at every turn? Whenever she thought she knew him like the back of her hand, he always managed to pull off a new trick that stunned her.

Oh, my brother...

She smiled and looked out to the night sky, past the wall hole they had entered through. “It’s getting late. We should get going. Lots to do before our day is over!”

“I’m beginning to question if you ever do stop, my sister.” With gentle hands, Dream dislodged the cat from his lap and stood up. Five head raised, ten shimmering eyes watching attentively as the Cat of Dreams rose and laid their companion on the very spot where he himself had been sitting. “What new horrors have you in store for me, I wonder.”

“The worst kind, Dream.” Smirking, Death looped one arm around her brother’s, and the two abandoned the chapel, taking their trash along. The little residents stretched out their sleek bodies, sharpened their claws and, despite their full belllies, prepared for another night of hunting under the moon.

#The Sandman #Dream of the Endless #Death of the Endless #the sandman netflix #Brother Mine fanfic #stories by Crow