I like the idea of multi patroned avatars that still have a patron that is their "baseline",the most obvious one that affects them the most.

That way the avatars that have the same alignments would still be wildly different.

tma au where they just put all the annoying people in the coffin and then live happily ever after

seeing you go back and forth with the vast and the buried is funny to seee for mee, i keep imagining you running one side to another of a room because the fears are polar opposites (kinda? if you analyse it a bit, they aren't really opposited but yeah)

lmao yeah - i mean why can't i like them both, contradiction is fun. tho i do think i prefer the vast.

i think they are opposites but also similar in the sense that they're opposite ends of the same spectrum, a spectrum the other entities aren't on. they're both about space (i know, you never would have guessed). extreme forms of space that terrify some people but comfort others. the vast is the comfort of being lost, the buried is the comfort of being found. when the earth consumes you, you become a part of the world. the soil around you compresses your mind into a small point of intense existence. you're grounded. when you're in the void, the world becomes a part of you in the sense that your mind extends to fill the empty space. you're everywhere because there's no anchor telling you where you are. the serenity of vagueness.

what's interesting is the ocean. it combines these opposites, which means it's possible. which means they can work together. under water, the emptiness around you is pressing down on you. there's nothing, and at the same time there's everything. you're a small point in all that space and all that space is around you and that's scary.

Gerry my beloved 🖤

Hello tma fans, I am here to convince you why the buried is the best fear

Honestly, people overlook the buried way too much. The only time you cared about us was when there was that one coffin, and apart from that, nobody cares about the buried.

Which is weird, because in my opinion, it is just hands down the best fear?

Like, there's nothing wrong with it - it's all just really nice and chill, and good vibes.

"Oh, but I don't want to be crushed by multiple layers of earth" ??? the fuck do you mean 'crushed', that is an earth hug. The earth is hugging you. Because it loves you. So don't be rude.

Also may I add that the smell of damp earth or like that cave or dirt smell is really nice? I don't care if you disagree, fight me, I'm right.

Are you tired? Well, why don't you go lie down in a grave and let yourself be consumed by the earth so you may become one with it again? Huh? Why don't you do that? Oh, because you're scared? Of what? The buried?

There's nothing to be scared of, let yourself be consumed by the soil, let your bones become one with it, let the earth hug you and let your soul finally, finally be at peace.

Name one fear that's better than the buried. I'll wait. (No, I dare you, name one fear better than the buried, I will argue my point.)

"ahh the earth is filling my lungs and I can't breath" okay, and? that's just an extra hug, a super hug if you will. Look, I'm sorry no one's ever loved you before but the soil wants you to become one with it and I think you should accept its offer

it loves you

it wants to absorb your bones

let it

Okay remember my post about wondering what the Vast's deeper meaning is? Of course you do. I've been cluttering up my blog (and probably my followers' dash) with reblogs of that post. And...

Here's the thing. All the nice people who contributed said some things that really made sense. Nihilism. Seeking the adrenaline rush. Things that logically should have convinced me of the relatability of that fear.

Meanwhile... i went "eh, interesting but can't relate" to all those explanations. And then i saw a random addition to a completely unrelated post that had nothing to do with my question - and it clicked for me. YOU CAN MOVE.

This probably won't make sense to most people. But this is the part that actually made the Vast relatable to me. Because - that visceral desire for freedom. In the Vast, you're absolutely free. You can go (or float) wherever you want. There's nothing stopping you. Limitless space, limitless potential. I want that. I need that.

I guess as someone with adhd, i've always felt trapped in my own mind. Felt like invisible limits were keeping me from fully living, from using all the potential of existing in our world. I just want to be completely free. To finally do anything, to finally be anything.

Or maybe the emptiness around you also takes away the pressure of having to do things at all. Maybe (and that's a thing i've always liked about the Vast but almost forgot)... i can finally rest. Maybe i can just exist and let my thoughts drift, let my mind fill all that empty space. Like looking out the window of a car or train, and finding peace in watching the world pass by, your mind only being able to let go when you see time and space drift past you.

Damn. This probably isn't the most conventional interpretation of the Vast, but i've finally found a way to connect with it. (Thanks @spaceonaut - you may not have converted the Buried propagandist, but you've converted me ^^')

You know, i like the Vast. I really like its general vibes, and every time i think about it, i admire how cool it is. But i've never considered myself Vast-aligned, and for some reason, i don't feel the same connection to it that i feel to other fears i like. And i think i finally know what that reason is: I don't know what it represents in a person.

Let me explain: For example, the Eye is knowledge and paranoia, so i feel connected to it because i love learning new stuff. The Spiral can be interpreted as representing mental illnesses and disorders, and i also simply relate to it because of derealization. The Lonely is self-explanatory. I could go on with that list, but you see where i'm getting at: Most fears represent something that we can relate to, on a deeper level than just liking its aesthetic - than just "the sky often looks really cool and i think falling into the void would be fun".

And i'm not saying the Vast has no deeper meaning. It's just that rn i can't think of what that could be. I'd honestly love to feel more connected to the Vast - so please, tell me about what you think the Vast represents.

Btw, i think this is the reason why some fears are generally less liked and talked about than others - because most people find them less meaningful and relatable. So feel free to talk about the deeper meanings of other underappreciated fears too.

You know, i like the Vast. I really like its general vibes, and every time i think about it, i admire how cool it is. But i've never considered myself Vast-aligned, and for some reason, i don't feel the same connection to it that i feel to other fears i like. And i think i finally know what that reason is: I don't know what it represents in a person.

Let me explain: For example, the Eye is knowledge and paranoia, so i feel connected to it because i love learning new stuff. The Spiral can be interpreted as representing mental illnesses and disorders, and i also simply relate to it because of derealization. The Lonely is self-explanatory. I could go on with that list, but you see where i'm getting at: Most fears represent something that we can relate to, on a deeper level than just liking its aesthetic - than just "the sky often looks really cool and i think falling into the void would be fun".

And i'm not saying the Vast has no deeper meaning. It's just that rn i can't think of what that could be. I'd honestly love to feel more connected to the Vast - so please, tell me about what you think the Vast represents.

Btw, i think this is the reason why some fears are generally less liked and talked about than others - because most people find them less meaningful and relatable. So feel free to talk about the deeper meanings of other underappreciated fears too.

You know, i like the Vast. I really like its general vibes, and every time i think about it, i admire how cool it is. But i've never considered myself Vast-aligned, and for some reason, i don't feel the same connection to it that i feel to other fears i like. And i think i finally know what that reason is: I don't know what it represents in a person.

Let me explain: For example, the Eye is knowledge and paranoia, so i feel connected to it because i love learning new stuff. The Spiral can be interpreted as representing mental illnesses and disorders, and i also simply relate to it because of derealization. The Lonely is self-explanatory. I could go on with that list, but you see where i'm getting at: Most fears represent something that we can relate to, on a deeper level than just liking its aesthetic - than just "the sky often looks really cool and i think falling into the void would be fun".

And i'm not saying the Vast has no deeper meaning. It's just that rn i can't think of what that could be. I'd honestly love to feel more connected to the Vast - so please, tell me about what you think the Vast represents.

Btw, i think this is the reason why some fears are generally less liked and talked about than others - because most people find them less meaningful and relatable. So feel free to talk about the deeper meanings of other underappreciated fears too.

You know, i like the Vast. I really like its general vibes, and every time i think about it, i admire how cool it is. But i've never considered myself Vast-aligned, and for some reason, i don't feel the same connection to it that i feel to other fears i like. And i think i finally know what that reason is: I don't know what it represents in a person.

Let me explain: For example, the Eye is knowledge and paranoia, so i feel connected to it because i love learning new stuff. The Spiral can be interpreted as representing mental illnesses and disorders, and i also simply relate to it because of derealization. The Lonely is self-explanatory. I could go on with that list, but you see where i'm getting at: Most fears represent something that we can relate to, on a deeper level than just liking its aesthetic - than just "the sky often looks really cool and i think falling into the void would be fun".

And i'm not saying the Vast has no deeper meaning. It's just that rn i can't think of what that could be. I'd honestly love to feel more connected to the Vast - so please, tell me about what you think the Vast represents.

Btw, i think this is the reason why some fears are generally less liked and talked about than others - because most people find them less meaningful and relatable. So feel free to talk about the deeper meanings of other underappreciated fears too.

my teacher is talking and i didn’t wanna fall asleep so i wrote this bc it’s raining and rain makes me vast

you’re hanging out on the roof of your school. how you got there doesn’t matter, not anymore. you sit on the edge, swinging your legs. there’s someone beside you. he wasn’t there before. you don’t know how he got there, but it doesn’t matter. there’s a scar in the shape of a lightning strike stretching from the side of his face and disappearing beneath the folds of his clothes. it’s easy to get lost in the twisting fractals spread across his body. he shifts slightly, and you’re jolted out of your daze. he stands up, dangerously close to the edge of the roof. he turns to face you, a smirk plastered on his face. he lets himself tip backwards over the edge. he falls. you look down, trying to spot any trace of him, but you can’t see the ground. you’re only six stories up and you can’t see the ground. clouds obscure your view of the bottom. endless blue sky stretches out for miles below you. there is no sign of him. it makes you dizzy just from looking down. you don’t remember when you fell, if you even fell at all. one moment, you were gripping the edge of the roof, knuckles white, breath staggered, and the next, you were hurtling through the air, wind whistling past your ears. you reach your arms out, but you don’t know what for. the school has disappeared. you’re alone in the vast blue sky, and you’re falling. you’re still falling. you can’t tell where up and down is. your ears ring. you close your eyes, but you can still see the sky. you’re still falling. time has no meaning here. even you know that. you might have fallen for a minute, or a year. it doesn’t matter. you fall anyway. you look at the sky. it’s looking back.

i did not need to add that last part.

Cosmo Sheldrake's new song "Soil" got those Corruption x Buried vibes

(dare i say @shinythingsarecool)

Some thoughts on the Dark because i can:

It's based on not knowing what's there. In a statement, a Dark creature was described as having tentacles, but i actually thing this fear works best with as little physical descriptions as possible. The thing in the dark could be anything. It might be more terrifying than you could ever imagine. In my opinion, describing it just makes it tangible and thus less scary.

I personally think it's most effective when it's not completely dark. Because then, the thing in the shadows can see you, but you can't see it. You know how your eyes can get used to being in the dark, but when you're next to a source of light, you can't see the things in the dark room around you? Being in the dark means getting on its level. When you're in the light, it's superior to you. But yeah, i guess that's just a personal thing.

Being in the dark also means a loss of control. And, tied to the first point, the inability to understand. I could write a whole essay about how light is linked to rational thinking because it means you can fully perceive and understand the world around you - while darkness means ignorance and replacing knowledge with irrational beliefs, religion, fear. Often meaning relying on others who provide explanations, inadvertently giving them power over you and not controlling your own fate anymore. This is why the Dark as an entity being associated with a church is so perfect.

A non-exhaustive list of things from TMA that I was 100% certain were just fandom jokes before I actually listened to the podcast:

- The homophobic vase.

- Jon being kidnapped and forcibly moisturized for a month.

- Jon being kidnapped three separate times in the span of a single season.

- The "I won't kill a man because you're jealous." "Why not?!" exchange between Jon and Martin.

- There are like seven or more characters all named some variant of Michael.

- Melanie calling Jon "The Ceaseless Watcher's special little boy".

- Jon asking Martin if he was a ghost.

- The "Statement of Joe Spooky" quote from Tim.

- The "Except for the vampires." "Yeah, obviously except for the vampires." exchange between Jon and Gerry.

- Mike Crew trapping a dude on a ladder forever.

- Jon asking Martin to gouge his eyes out and run away with him.

- Nikola Orsinov. Like, just in general.

- Elias being a pothead.

- Georgie being literally incapable of feeling fear.

- The bone apple teeth.

- The guy who married a bug.

This person has also posted "art" of Sam and Alice. Please watch out for them and be aware it's ai.

y'all this post is untagged ai. a lot of people aren't realizing it, but if you take a second to look at it, it becomes very clear

tumblr keeps showing it to me and OP has refused to tag it, so when you go in the reblogs it's a bunch of people who don't seem to realize that it's ai either. i recognized a lot of usernames in the reblogs, from people who i definitely know are against ai stuff. so if you've reblogged this thinking a human made it because OP refuses to edit the original post for transparency— now you know.

y'all this post is untagged ai. a lot of people aren't realizing it, but if you take a second to look at it, it becomes very clear

tumblr keeps showing it to me and OP has refused to tag it, so when you go in the reblogs it's a bunch of people who don't seem to realize that it's ai either. i recognized a lot of usernames in the reblogs, from people who i definitely know are against ai stuff. so if you've reblogged this thinking a human made it because OP refuses to edit the original post for transparency— now you know.