I haven't enjoyed a Marvel movie since I stopped bothering to keep up with the MCU in 2014. I don't care for most Marvel movies. I think Marvel Studios is a case study in things that are shitty in the entertainment industry. But holy shit, pretentious posts along the lines of "haha, I don't watch Marvel films, I have real taste, go watch another movie!" are so fucking annoying.

Like, go put up your middle finger at some preps or something. People are allowed to watch whatever they want and enjoy whatever movies they want and make whatever fandom stuff they want, and that doesn't say anything about their intelligence or morals or character. It doesn't mean they are somehow bad at watching movies, or are too stupid to realize whatever nugget of wisdom ye high-and-mighty Marvel Haters think you're the only ones to understand.

Again, not personally a Marvel fan, but this whole "haha, I'm better than Marvel fans" relates to something I've been musing on about media analysis as a whole. There is a persistent idea that mass entertainment is inherently lower quality or less artistic because it's made for a wide audience, and that bad art isn't worth analyzing or engaging with just because it's low quality. In this mindset, the only art that has the possibility to be any good at all is 100% independent projects made by amateurs, and anything produced by a studio or with wide appeal is inherently poser art with absolutely nothing meaningful to say. In this mindset, you can't possibly learn anything or take anything from bad art, and if you find meaning in bad art, you're clearly just stupid and uneducated and have bad taste.

The thing is? Liking bad art is not a sin. Having a different opinion about what constitutes "bad art" is not a sin. Finding something entertaining despite its flaws is not a sin. Studying bad art is not a sin. You can learn a lot from bad art, you can learn a lot from interpreting propaganda, you can learn a lot from engaging with things even if you don't think they're very "good."

My vaudeville research keeps turning up author after author who talks about vaudeville as some sort of "point of no return," like the performing arts all turned to shit the second things were intended to be seen by more than a single audience for a single show. Popularity gets equated with lack of skill or quality, because all the performers were "just pandering to the audience" instead of relying on "real skill."

For one, what the fuck does that even mean, but for two, the theatrical quality of vaudeville isn't what makes it interesting and worth engaging with. Every single thing that ever came out of vaudeville could be 100% total utter garbage, but vaudeville would still be worth studying because of how influential it still is on arts and entertainment today. It has significant historical and educational merit. And some of it is still genuinely fun and entertaining, once you pick out all the things that didn't age well or were just plain bigoted. There's artistic merit in those old sketches and songs, and there's meaning to be drawn from plenty of it even here in 2023.

You want to learn about the Hays Code? Well, let's talk about how early films were shown on projectors on vaudeville stages, so vaudeville censorship went on to influence American film censorship. Let's talk about how we still use slang to this day that originated on vaudeville, such as "skit" or "one night stand" or "ad lib" or "the big time." Vaudeville is still in the bones of the modern American entertainment industry and pop culture, and you can't really escape that influence.

People in modern day use Marvel movies as proof that big studio films are singlehandedly responsible for the decline of art, and there is nothing to learn from them or see in them at all, ever. But to me, "Marvel movies are bad" is such a flat, uninteresting observation, because when it comes to media analysis, it doesn't really matter if Marvel films are good or entertaining. If you want to actually dig into the problems with big-budget summer Hollywood blockbusters, and the way they're impacting the industry as a whole, you have to go deeper than "pop culture is all stupid stuff for stupid people, unlike me, who isn't like other girls actually has good taste in media!"

There are so many more factors at play than "mass entertainment = bad art." Let's look at the ways capitalism screws over small creators and forces them to seek funding from the very same studios that fuck them over. Let's talk about how the actual workers in the industry are fighting tooth and fucking nail against the exact same things all the Marvel haters harp on about. Let's talk about studios that accept funding from the United States Government to turn superhero comics into propaganda films, and then threaten the actual workers with never having a career again if they complain or quit. Let's talk about how the actors are regularly abused and treated to hostile work environments.

Let's talk about the people who made the films, because the films were not made by a CEO pressing the "make movie" button. The workers made those films. The workers were exploited by those studios. Let's try giving a shit about them, instead of taking the "haha, Marvel fans are stupid and cringe" route.

There is so much more fucking nuance and detail and conversation about mass media as a topic, and boiling it down to, "art made for a wide audience is inherently shitty and has nothing to say."

You're not a better, more intelligent, more educated person just because you don't like Marvel movies. Making posts about how much better you are than Marvel fans does nothing to either explain or tackle the issues in the entertainment industry.

It just makes you look like a dickhead.

What are your ships for Batim? :D

VERY GOOD QUESTION- I know my answer should be rather straightforward but I feel I have to put some context to my answers since they may seem contradictory/paradoxical otherwise, so bear with me-

Sammy x Norman : Well. I think that one was pretty obvious, anyone who's seen more than 3 of my posts knows that I'd die for these two. They're just so PERFECT for each other, from their complementary personalities to the fact that their relationship allows us to delve deeper into batim's historical and social context. Sammy and Norman have one of the few relationships that develop the most during the game's lore : Norman originally complains vehemently about Sammy's frenetic behavior, only to end up lamenting to Buddy and Dot how 'Sammy isn't the same anymore'. What's interesting about this statement is that he says it in relation to Sammy's strange behavior : clearly, the two men have grown close enough for Norman to differentiate Sammy's extravagant habits from his ink-influenced behavior.

Furthermore, Sammy is a very gray character morally, a perfectionist who is extremely socially maladjusted (surely due to the fact that he's coded on the spectrum and autism wasn't properly diagnosed at the time), naturally ostracizing him. For his part, Norman comes from a rural background (which surely earns him the animosity of the people at the studio, given the historical context and the fact that he could very well be poc) and also seems ill at ease socially : to me, it's fascinating to see two characters excluded from their peers because of differences they can't change (being autistic or poc and gay) getting closer to each other, to the point where Sammy, who is deeply misanthropic, naturally compliments Norman by describing him as very bright. To me, Norman is the perfect partner for Sammy : ready to apprehend him as he is, since he's completely free of social conventions, without taking any shits from him.

I think Sammy and Norman can really get the best out of each other, during a historical period when being different was strongly proscribed. I think I'd have trouble enjoying Batim as much without their dynamic at its heart (considering how narratively rich it is) : Norman is Henry's confidant, Sammy is Joey's, both remain morally gray deuteragonists fundamentally opposed to the ink machine, while remaining fascinated by its powers. And who wouldn't love a good old enemies to lovers ending tragically with the unwitting murder of one by the other ? After all, Norman's main flaw is that he's too curious for his own good, and it was Sammy who inevitably led him to his doom..

Allison x Tom : what more can I add. She's everything. He's just Tom. I've always been drawn to characters/ships with a vibe completely opposite to the vibe of the work they originally came from, and the 'turning poison into positivity' energy that Tom and Allison bring to Batim has always fascinated me. In a world as tragic as their own, I find it touching to see these two find beauty in all the ugliness and manage to ask themselves 'what if we were happy after all ?' It's really striking and brings a narrative richness to the work, since they directly mirror what failed with Sammy and Susie : Allison is perfect, but that was never what was at stake in Tom's eyes. Tom was looking for humanity, not perfection, and he managed to go beyond the image of the muse to discover a friend, unlike Sammy with Susie. They're literally Romeo and Juliet but, well... Not dead.

Joey x Henry/Henry x Linda : oh boy. These three... Let me get it straight right away : Henry and Linda are perfect for each other. She's exactly what he needs to be happy : she's present, patient. There's no denying that he loves her immensely. But Joey... oh Joey is undoubtedly Henry's soul mate. The subtlety is that Joey can't bring him the stable happiness Linda can : Joey tugs at him, pushes him over the edge. He knows exactly what to do to push him beyond his own limits. The love Joey offers Henry is an uncomfortable but unconditional one, one that would allow Henry to go beyond what he thinks he's capable of achieving because no one knows Henry better than Joey ! And let's be honest, Batim only exists because Joey refuses to move on, to live his dream without Henry in it. He's stuck in unrequited love and refuses to learn to live with it. And that's the tragedy of this trio : Henry sincerely loves Linda but is truly himself with Joey, which prevents him from hating OR loving him (And Joey exploits this information by remaining extremely toxic and convincing himself that he can wear him down lmao). Henry is stuck with this dilemma : Existing peacefully with Linda or living painfully with Joey. And that's why I love the dynamic of this love triangle : because there are no solutions that will satisfy everyone.

Joey x Sammy : okay, don’t get me wrong : these two are HORRIBLE for each other. Does Sammy periodically want to quit just to piss Joey off? Yes. Isn't Joey's fascination with Sammy intimately tied to his refusal to forget Henry, who was a genius like Sammy? Yes. Nevertheless, it's impossible for me to read The Illusion of Living without feeling embarrassed and like I'm reading Joey's diary : whether you ship them or not, Joey is practically canonically smitten with Sammy. I sincerely don't think Joey and Sammy can sustain a healthy relationship with each other, but oh boy, surely that won't stop me from exploiting their bizarre obsessive love-hate relationship, where it's hard to determine whether they're going to throw hands or make out.

Quickie (but important) thingies

I've got like 15 minutes in between CT scans so of course I'm on my phone checking on Jikook because the crazy obsession is baked into my DNA by now. Y'all caught me.

Good news: Jimin is linked back up on Spotify. Well done, ARMY, for raising the red flag high and helping get this fixed today!! Let's always have Jimin's and BTS' backs!

Interesting news: It seems that folks Shazamed JK's behind the scenes video and the song that came up is called H-Thirteen (I can't check because the hospital won't let me access YouTube links). Can anyone confirm?

Request: I'm totally not trying to gaslight, minimize, or police anyone's fandom experience. But it feels like folks are on a hair's trigger out here these days. I get it, especially when it comes to Jimin. He has suffered so many insults over the years.

But before we assume Jungkook is a thief or plagiarist, before we assume his music video will be raunchy, before we assume the worst of any member, could we just hold out a bit for more information? It is possible all these concept choices for Seven are an homage to Jimin and Face. (I'm going to especially think this is so, if the song in the background is number-coded to Jimin and Jikook.)

It seems to me that Jimin has always been Jungkook's inspiration--perhaps even his muse.

And I'm not saying we have to blindly trust or believe the best in everyone. (I mean, I do, but that's me.)

Honestly? I have no great love of Hybe at the moment. I have too many suspicions around all the things that happened after Jimin's Hot 100 #1. But the people who work there are just people; I'm sure most are good and some are jerks, just like anywhere.

The members are also human beings. And human beings are always works in progress.

So I just would like to ask that if something a tannie is doing seems alarming, we say "Hm, that seems alarming!" rather than scream with our whole chests that a member is actively trying to hurt or sabotage another member. Especially when we've had years and years of evidence that BTS really love and trust each other.

Look, every member has flaws; they will make mistakes--sometimes big ones, as they grow. And we have a right to criticize behaviors we don't like. But I guess because of my past family life, I am personally triggered whenever someone automatically assumes mal-intent without asking any questions or waiting for more info to come to light.

Not saying we have to love everyone, or we can't call a spade a spade. I guess I'm just recommending we give a little grace until we get the whole story. I see folks on the timeline who just love Jimin so much, who fear the worst because of the lack of transparency or explanations. My heart beats with you, but I encourage you to hold on a bit longer. Let's see what Jimin has to say about all this.

It's entirely possible that Jungkook saw the way Jimin's hard work and sexy style was amazing but unappreciated by the company and he decided to pay respect to that with his single because he knows he's got the social capital to insist on it.

It's possible that stylists and marketing teams think these looks are the hot, sexy, edgy trends for this year and went with it.

I suppose it's also technically possible that Jungkook decided to "rip off" Jimin's style... and go all-in on payola for radio (which isn't confirmed yet)... and also lean heavily into a straight-acting macho-man raunchy music video (again, not out yet) -- but until we are very sure of any of that, may I ask that we speculate instead of accuse?

If it turns out anyone did Jimin dirty, I promise you I will grab my torch and pitchfork and be second in line (behind Hobi) to rage. But for our own health as a community, and as individuals combatting our own stressors, could we... could we just hang in there and give ourselves some time to do our due diligence before we assume evil or selfish intentions? That's my request.

(Caveat: of course--your blogs, your rules. You get to say anything you want in your space and I will never police you. If I'm really worried about something you're saying or doing, I'll just ask you about it directly. But I won't shade you, I promise. I'm just gently asking us to withhold judgement until we figure out what actually is going on. I hope that sounds reasonable and not condescending. I truly do value different perspectives and would absolutely love to count every person in the Jikook tag as a friend, even if we wildly disagree on things. So please don't read this post as me trying to be harsh or holier than thou. I'm simply trying to say: let's judge based on what is, not on what appears to be true.)

Ah, time to put more dye in my veins. Got to go. Love to you all!

P.S. Jimin smiling so happily while killing it in TikTok challenges is panacea.

Hello dear, can you do 🥀🌸 💗 ❣ 🌵 💝 💖 🌹 🌺 for the love of my life (Bandou) <3 <3

Of course!!

🥀 - Do they handle breakups well?

He definitely won’t handle break ups well. This is the same guy who couldn’t get over his kindergarten crush kissing another kid 🤷‍♀️

🌸 - What's their idea of a perfect date?

He likes to take his partner to those really cool looking retro arcades and play all types of video games there. Sometimes they would even go to local gaming tournaments together to watch those nerds go at it (Bandou’s words), and sometimes they would just play video games together in his apartment

💗 - How long does it take your muse to fall in love?

I can see him falling in love maybe around 5-6 months? Or at least thinking that he’s in love. While he’s not the most friendly and trusting person out there, I feel like Bandou can catch feelings easily, which only gets stronger as time goes

❣ - Are they secretive about their romantic relationships or do they not stop talking about it?

He will always be loud and proud about his partner, bragging about their dates, their sex life and how often he’s getting laid now, how his partner is the most sexiest person in the world

🌵 - How toxic would a relationship be with your muse? Would it be able to be fixed?

Similar to what I posted here, his relationship can get toxic if his insecurities get the best of him, causing him to be paranoid and not trust his partner, sometimes even snapping at them out of frustration

💝 - What's their love language?

Act of service!!!!! He’s alway showing his love and respect through actions, not words. Examples include carrying his partner’s bag for them, helping them with a coding assignment, carrying a large bottle of water around to make sure his partner is hydrated, etc

💖 - What traits does your muse find physically attractive?

Big boobs and a big butt tbh

🌹 - If asked to define love what would your muse say?

Someone who’s loyal and always has his back; someone who still loves him despite all his flaws

🌺 - Would they be willing to change any part of them for a partner? If not how far would they be willing to go

Hmm i don’t think so. He’s pretty stubborn and sticks to what he likes and feels comfortable with. He’s willing to make a change if it is something that hurts his partner or relationship (i.e. sometimes being an asshole)

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith

Series: Hell's Library, #1 Read Time: 6 Days Rating: 5/5

The quote: Stories are, at the most basic level, how we make sense of the world. It doesn't do to forget that sometimes heroes fail you when you need them the most. Sometimes you throw your lot in with villains. — Claire Hadley

I really enjoyed The Library of the Unwritten so much more than I anticipated. With a very enjoyable plot, likeable and unique characters and alternating perspectives between several characters. This is a book that truly needs that alternating perspective to allow readers to see that not everyone is what they appear. To humanise them. To only present one perspective in The Library of the Unwritten would do the characters a disservice. Because the characters are a ragtag group (aside from Claire and Brevity) no one knows or trusts each other. That switching perspective allows the reader to see when the characters move from ragtag travellers to little found family. As the groups split up it allows for everything to be seen and if not understood at least known.

On the characters. There are six main characters. Hero a fictional character escaped from his book. Leto, a demon of Entropy, an amnesic demon. Andras Hell's Arcanist, a demon. Claire, Hell's Librarian and former human. Brevity, a failed muse, Claire's assistant and trainee librarian. Finally Ramiel, an angel looking for redemption. No two characters are the same, their motivations are different and you do get physical descriptions of them all allowing for visualisation. Claire is something of an intriguing character. She has a lot of layers, secrets and a past that comes back to haunt them. She is self sentenced to 200 years as Hell's Librarian. Bonus points for creating a soft coded demi character. Leto's whole arc broke my heart a little but I do like how twisty it is. He is so incredibly soft and sweet. Hero is the character that has the nicest development arc. He also is one of my fave types of character complicated, full of redemption and a prism. (This sort of character is why I love Sherrilyn McQueen so much).  Brevity is so, so bubbly but has her human flaws. I think her full backstory will likely come out in one of the later books. Not going to go into Rami or Andras because spoilers.

The story is one you will either enjoy or not. It asks you to follow it down the rabbit hole, check your faith and belief system at the door and believe in the world Hackwith created. If you have strong religious (and I mean any religion here really) views I would advise avoiding this series. While The Library of the Unwritten only challenges perceptions of Christianity and Catholicism (and those based thereon) it does make illusions to others. While I know some people even with strong views will be fine others will take offence. I say this but religion doesn't play a massive part, it more dictates the surrounding politics. Another warning for suicide is alluded to not shown but it is a key moment. The plot is strong enough and with enough going on that while I thought I had it figured out I didn't. Each of the characters has their own moment of strength and weakness that we as the reader see. The ending pulls together all the learnings from throughout the book into a climax that becomes somewhat bittersweet. And kinda left me think what if? The plot is just fun. It's always moving, always surprising and I'm really hoping that A.J. Hackwith can keep it up in the second book.

I want to add just briefly that the lore which I appreciated is revealed through quotes at the start of each chapter. Quotes are taken from journal entries by the various Hell's Librarians and their trainees from many, many years. This is a similar style to Neal Shusterman's Arc of the Scythe (first book Scythe). I always did like that way of revealing the lore of a series. Rather than just giving a massive just dump of lore somewhere for the reader to absorb. There is other lore given as the reader needs it but not as much as I initially expected for a book so heavily built on the other.

For a book I found Libraries -- Fiction subject and came into totally blind I'm immensely happy I read it. It's a combination of what we all want to believe in books, well-written librarians and interesting paranormal lore. There are so many fantastic quotes, mostly in the world-building about libraries, librarians and their cultural positions and importance. Disclaimer as always I am a trained librarian and have a love for my profession written well. This was both written well. It is so rare to see that practice of bookbinding done with such care though and with a solid reason for it to be done. I really do recommend this to libraries and fans of the supernatural.

5 MUSE THEME SONGS

When you get this, list theme songs for your muse and why (i.e. explanation, lyrics). Tagged by @jocundcompany, thank you!

I'm gonna kiiind of cheat since I just did a 5 songs meme yesterday, and listed some of the major Svern vibe songs there. So I'm going to take the chance to talk more about 4 of those and then swap out the last one for something else. Under readmore since it gets a bit long.

"NO ONE LIVES FOREVER" by Oingo Boingo

I once said this is the Svernest song to have songed. Because it is.

The sound? Chaotic and offputting. The tone? Snarky, carefree in a nihilistic way. The lyrics themselves? Svern's code for living, presented in four minutes. There's a reason why I use this song as the title for his blog.

Everything's temporary, and nothing matters half as much as you think it does. You don't know when you're gonna die, either, so you may as well muck around and have fun while you're still alive! Some of the words might seem free, but it never lets you forget that there is an inescapable end (and this isn't something that you can, or should bother trying to flee from).

Plus I want to use these lyrics when I make him a promo one day:

I'm so happy, dancing while the grim reaper cuts, cuts, cuts... But he can't get me! I'm as clever as can be, and I'm very quick But don't forget, we've only got so many tricks... No one lives forever!

"CATCH ME IF YOU CAN" by Set It Off

It's self-explanatory babey!!! This is literally his in-character tag!!!

This song is all about running, being too fast to catch, living on the edge and being unapologetic about it. It's a taunt, too. Other people can't keep up with him and he doesn't care! Go ahead and try to catch him, he's always going to be a step ahead of you. He doesn't give a crap. This one is the fun Svern "main theme" instead of the existential one.

I already posted the chorus lyrics, so...

I pull out every trick, I don't regret a thing, no You're running after me, chasing apologies When you can't get a grip I paved my path somewhere hard to follow Outplayed, outclassed, I said...

(Catch me if you can!)

"BE AFRAID OF WHO YOU ARE" by Euringer

A song about Kids With Issues. Pretty straightforward. (Can you identify which lines I used for tags and blog theme cameos...)

For a while I wasn't totally sold on the aggression in some of the lyrics, but after getting more sure in his character... yeah, it's fine. The general sound is again, kinda edgy and unhinged, which is always a win. There's something not right with you, isn't there? Something that makes you dangerous?

Svern says, yeah, there is. And you better watch out! This is a song for the side of him born from others' treatment of him for being flawed.

Now, off like a prom dress Live in the moment Embrace the darkness

Now, king of the misfits Lines on the mirror Off in the distance

"MISERY LOVES COMPANY" by Emilie Autumn

This is actually pretty new on the list. The original topic of the song isn't really applicable but you know how it is with making character playlists, you need to stretch things sometimes.

The tone is aggressive, unapologetic, and resentful. It sums up Svern's inner feelings toward most people pretty well. He doesn't like them.

He's with others on a regular basis, both because he has to be and because being around them gives him something (fills the void a bit)... but that doesn't mean he feels positively toward them, no, not at all. At all times he maintains a mistrustful, jaded distance inside himself.

Shoutout to these two sections in particular:

You're so easy to read, but the book is boring me You're so easy to read, but the book is boring me You're so easy to read, but the book is boring, boring, boring...

Pray for me if you want to, pray for me if you care Pray for me if you want to, pray for me if you dare

"DREAM STATE" by Son Lux

Finally, the song that I chose to represent Svern's alt verse.

This song is about change. It opens with being impervious and invincible, goes through uncertainty and turbulence, and ends on a similar but different note with reminiscing about how things were in the beginning. Those days are gone; through everything that's happened, you've changed.

In the alternate verse, a catalyst sends Svern off the road he would otherwise, ordinarily, have gone down. He suffers a loss, experiences grief and confusion that he doesn't in his main verse, that he's never dealt with before, something he doesn't know how to handle, and the actions spurred by that change the course of everything else. The song's energy is driven, thoughtful and reaching, mirroring his mental and emotional journey.

And of course, the lyric I chose to use for the verse tag itself...

Out of the dark day, into the brighter night...

Love that light/dark theme. Not only is it aesthetically fitting, it also alludes to things diverging from their original course. It's not without suffering, but he ends up healthier here than if he'd continued on his original road.

{ What's your true role in the story }

Muse: Will Byers

The Antihero

Ah yes, hello edge lord. It is lovely to see you again. You my dear, are the incarnation of duality, and you might think of claws and venom mixed with grace but alas, nothing near as poetic. You, my friend, are mixture of what is seen as right, and what is questioned. You follow the path of your own two feet, you know the twists and turns of life’s forests quite well if I do say so myself. And you can meander along them wonderfully. You strive to stay true to a certain sense of principles you might call your code, but whereas in reality, those would be your morals. People tend to see you as strange. sharp edged and glinting you hide behind a cloak of chain mail but really you just prefer to show off your imperfections first. Unlike many who scramble to make it as if their flaws never existed, you proudly raise yours up. Saying, “This is me, this is the worst of me, now you know what to expect”. And might I say, it is quite an intriguing mindset, for truth be told, the ones that love your spikes and craters are the ones who appreciate your softness the most. You wish not to be loved as something lovable, but as a monster. For aren’t we all just beasts in human skin? You are brave, but you are lonely. You know quite well how to scare off most, making even the heroes with the boldest bravado creep away with their tails between their legs. You are not a villain, sometimes you play the part a bit too well. But nevertheless you are no hero either. You put yourself first, but if one wins your trust then may the gods have mercy on those who might wrong them. you long to be a poetic mess of sorts, and well, if the ink sets in long enough you might just become that sooner or later. But for one who is so dead set on truth you sure do hide a lot, don’t you? Please, step out of the shadows, there is a difference to not making your flaws visible and to simply acting as if you’re the most despicable person in all the realms. It’s because you’re afraid of attachment is it not? Well, let me tell you a little secret, everyone is. you say you wish to be left alone for eternity but than why are you craving connection. you wish to be known and understood truly, but you snarl and push the ones that might be trying away. please little wolf, accept you are lovable. You are not some ravenous beast that terrifies the multitudes, sure, you are not for the faint of heart but that does not make you an inkling less perfect as you are. Young antihero, step into the sun. You would do better actually reaching for the things you want rather than pining for them in the darkness.

Tagged by: @smalltownbcy​ (( thank you! )) Tagging: @imprvdente​ @hvbris​ (Eleven) @omniishambles​ (Max) @mikewheelertm​​ & whoever wants to steal it !

# CULLING , ( n. ) the action of sending an inferior or surplus farm animal to be slaughtered.

an indie, semi selective, & canon divergent portrayal of ( * ALASTOR ) THE RADIO DEMON from amazon prime's hazbin hotel. unaffiliated with v*vziepop and heavily centering around the theme of : redemption may find you anyway.

SALUTATIONS ! joining me here today is @cacology , ( carrd + hazbin hub )

& guest stars : @xluciifer , @secondwife / @wingedfail , @spidersins ,

DISCLAIMER, largely important thing to note before interacting is that i am highly critical of hazbin hotel and v*vziepop as a creator. while i wasn't expecting to love the show as much as i did ( and i will openly enjoy aspects of it, praise the things i enjoyed, etc ) i still believe it's riddled with writing flaws and i simply don't like v*vziepop as a writer or a person. you're obviously allowed to have different opinions! i just want it out there that nitpicking and complaining may be a thing on this blog, so don't follow if you're averse to seeing that.

one. usual dni criteria applies. don't godmod, don't be rude, if you're racist / homophobic / or transphobic kindly take your leave! i also don't think this needs to be said but considering this is an rp account for a show about awful people in hell, i don't condone harassment towards people for what they write. if you support hateful anons or smear campaigns then please don't follow either, this space is very much not for you.

two. as for activity and ooc engagement : while i love rambling about my muse and talking to others, i do apologize if my response time / writing is slow going. this isn't at all a testament to my interest in a thread or a person! chatting with others is my favorite activity and i encourage anyone to reach out whenever they please, but if i take a couple days or a week to get back to you or a thread, that's primarily because of my awful brew of chronic fatigue, severe depression, anxiety, & bpd. as you can imagine this makes engaging super hard sometimes!! so please be patient with me <3

four. if i'm not on here, you can find me on my multi, @deathwis, where i wrote alastor for a small bit prior to the making of this blog. and yes, other hazbin muses can be found there!

three. i mainly operate through memes, plotted threads, and any personalized asks in my inbox! occasionally i might do a starter call but those will be rare and i can't promise to do them in a timely manner, which is code for : inbox hijinks are your best bet for interaction!

five. this blog and portrayal of alastor is heavily affiliated with cacology's vox, meaning our lore is shared. but i'm still down to interact with other vox accounts! we can form our own dynamic as we write or plot, however as it stands if you see vox mentioned in a thread or a lore post, it'll be referring to pan's version of him.

six. as stated, this blog is canon divergent & heavily headcanon based! while i'm mostly canon complaint in regards to s1, i probably won't be following the events of s2 unless they align with how i perceive alastor's arc or i simply enjoy an element of it! for now, i'm just here to have fun! so i wouldn't worry much about the diverging details unless you're genuinely curious.

seven. this blog is duplicate friendly btw! much love!

"Don't let your guard down - especially when all is going well."

Nayen | 27 | it/its only | Germany

Ind. Raifort of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Scarlet based, potentially Violet depending on context.

Probably low activity.

Mun | Muse | Tags

Read the rules below or perish by my wrath and sword. I'll know if you haven't read them.

Absolutely no drama. I don't touch anti/proship discourse either. So long as what someone writes isn't fucking illegal or abusive I do not care. - If you have proof (screenshots, etc.) of a mun being abusive or doing illegal shit, feel free to send them to me.

Shipping only with chemistry. - I reserve the right to say no. - Multiship. - No romance/sexual ship with minors (mun AND muse). -- Platonic ships are welcome and encouraged. - We do not ship with pokemon at all here, UNLESS it is a legendary pokemon played similarly to a GREEK GOD (e.g. human form, intellect, comprehension, and ability to consent.)

Oc friendly. So long as you have a decent amount of information on them for me to work with and I can see that you put effort into your blog and muse, I welcome you.

Do not softblock me. If you want to get rid of me, hardblock me. That way I will not think that tumblr made a mistake and refollow again. This'll ease the stress and work for both of us.

I reserve the right to drop any and all interactions any time I want. - You're free to ask why, but then don't get butthurt if I say it's because of your muse or the thread topic.

You can remind me of a thread once every three days.

I fucking ADORE crossovers. I fucking LOVE AUs for other fandoms. - Ask me what fandoms I'm familiar with. We can work something out!

I will absolutely never write anything noncon/dubcon/r*pe related whatsoever. Mentions of such may be the case, as well as potentially be part of my muse's story or backstory, but I will never actually post anything that actively describes that assault.

Do not aim to kill or maim my muse without my consent. - Raifort is antagonist/villain coded, but that does not give you the right to have your muse hero-complex on her for no fucking reason. If that is the type of conflict you want to write with me, approach me privately first. - - If you still do try without talking to me first about it, I will ignore you. - Unless your muse is directly involved with Ms. Raifort, they cannot know of her real motives and history. If you want our muses to have pre-established history together, approach me in DMs, I love that sort of thing! But only if you give me a chance to put my own mark on it as well.

I adore villain redemption arcs, but that's going to take a lot of time for Raifort. She's pretty antisocial, and doesn't like people much. Which means that it's going to be harder to get through to her. - She's not perfect. In fact, she's an insanely flawed woman. She WILL fuck up. She WILL do awful things. But she's still a PERSON.

If you have any problems with me, the writer as a person, approach me in DMs. I promise I don't want to fight. But I will also not let myself be bullied into compliance.

More rules will be added or removed as they become (un)relevant.

Please like this post if you have read it. Thank you in advance.

I promise I'm much more chill than I sound like here. I'm more afraid of you than you of me, probably!

WHAT IS YOUR TRUE ROLE IN THE STORY?

take the linked quiz from the perspective of your muse.

DR. CONSTANCE PIERPONT MORGAN

THE ONE AT THE CROSSROADS

questioning yourself again? well it's a hard choice is it not. you always decide you've made your mind but you seem to nevertheless return to this state of uncertainty. are you good or evil? dark or light? alas, I am not fit for such details in morality. In my slightly skewed sight of it, neither truly exist. they are but a mindset, but mindset or not, they still give you quite the anxiety, hm? you are one who has lived in fear, your heart is hidden, and you don't know who to trust. you doubt you can even trust yourself. the caustic words of poisonous people have corroded into your skull. "you are evil. you are a monster. you are bad." well that is indeed a bunch of poppycock, mind my language, for the only one who may decide that is you. my dear, you are torn between never allowing others to hurt the ways you hurt, and from running away from all who might harm you again, with gnashing teeth. you are a cornered animal who has been kicked by the ones it trusted. you do not know whether to trust again, for your mind is screaming, don't. but if I may, you can be both. it is not the question of whether you are good or evil, it is the question, what do I deserve and how might I reach that? you do not deserve pain, correct? so never chase that, instead kindly decline and flee from those like your past assailants, but trust the ones who you know are good. sometimes you will find people to be a messy combination of both pain and love, but so are you and I. my advice is to simply be kind, but be willing to question. always question, always wonder. do not give away your heart on a silver platter my dear, it is worth far more than the sun himself, but don't fail to allow healing. you deserve good things in life. so as you stand between two roads, walk between the third you just now have noticed. life seems to be made of entirely preposterous choices, but if you look close enough, you'll reveal the right ones that are normally hidden from sight. breathe my dear, things will be well. trust yourself, and carve your own path.

BRUCE ISMAY

THE ANTIHERO

ah yes, hello edge lord. it is lovely to see you again. you my dear, are the incarnation of duality, and you might think of claws and venom mixed with grace but alas, nothing near as poetic. you my friend, are a mixture of what is seen as right, and what is questioned. you follow the path of your own two feet, you know the twists and turns of life's forests quite well if I do say so myself. and you can meander along them wonderfully. you strive to stay true to a certain sense of principles you might call your code, but whereas in reality, those would be your morals. people tend to see you as strange. sharp edged and glinting you hide behind a cloak of chain mail but really you just prefer to show imperfections first. unlike many who scramble to make it as if their flaws never existed, you proudly raise yours up, saying, "this is me, this is the worst of me, now you know what to expect." and might I say, it is quite an intriguing mindset, for truth be told, the ones that love your spikes and craters are the ones who appreciate your softness the most. you wish not to be loved as something lovable, but as a monster. for aren't we all just beasts in human skin? you are brave, but you are lonely. you know quite well how to scare off most, making even the heroes with the boldest bravado creep away with their tails hidden between their legs. you are not a villian, but sometimes you play the part a bit too well. nevertheless, you are no hero either. you put yourself first, but if one wins your trust, then may the gods have mercy on those who might wrong them. you long to be a poetic mess of sorts, and well, if the ink sets in long enough you might just become that sooner or later. but for one who is so dead set on truth you sure do hide a lot don't you? please, step out of the shadows, there is a difference to not making your flaws visible and to simply acting as if you're the most despicable person in all the realms. it's because you're afraid of attachment is it not? well let me tell you a little secret, everyone is. you say you wish to be left alone for eternity but then why are you craving connection? you wish to be known and understood truly, but you snarl and push the ones that might be trying away. please little wolf, accept you are lovable. you are not some ravenous beast that terrifies the multitudes, sure, you are not for the faint of heart but that does not make you any less perfect. young antihero, step into the sun. you would do better actually reaching for the things you want rather than pining for them in the darkness.

TAGGED BY no one.

TAGGING @novaxmuses, @officerwaltons, @audaciiae, @rhaegore, @unwaivering, @insidefantasy, @mvndrvke, @honorhearted, AND YOU.

The Angst Meme

Accepting | Open

@agentjjkelly left a message:

👿: What are your muse(s)’ fatal flaws? Any wishlists to do with them?

😁: So, the muse(s)… do they deserve the angst?

👿:

One of Natasha's fatal flaws is her believing she's expendable.

In the MCU/Marvel this belief comes from the Red Room and the fact all Red Room operatives were treated as weapons, and weapons could be replaced, they could be remade, and they could be fixed if damaged. She learned from an early age that her life was not her own, it belonged to the Red Room, to Mother Russia. In some ways, she did unlearn this, at least to the extreme, but she still believed she owed SHIELD, Nick Fury, Clint Barton, and the other Avengers, to name a few, that she would easily, and gladly lay her life down for and ultimately did end up doing, for the entire universe.

Natasha's fear of losing the people she cares about is also a fatal flaw, which works in tandem with her belief of being expendable. She lost so much in her life already that the sheer idea of losing anyone else, anything else important to her or that matters is unbearable. It's why she made the sacrifice she did, and she would do it again, however many times necessary to ensure that what needs to be protected is.

These beliefs also extend into her Final Fantasy VII Turk verse, where her loss of memories and the work she does for Shinra makes her feel she doesn't have much to lose as far as herself, if something happens to her, it happens, but she refuses to let anything happen to those she's come to care about in that verse. Unfortunately, as with the MCU/Marvel she's had to go through losses that had profound effects on her, the disappearance of her mentor, the Before Crisis incident and that fallout (if I'm writing her post that), and depending on when I'm writing her when she learns the truth about how she came into Shinra's employment, which tends to fall into anything post Dirge of Cerebus.

In her Star Wars verses, this also carries; in her Imperial Assassin verse she lives and exists according to Palpatine's whims, and she's lost a great deal beyond her life not being her own, and in her Outcast Jedi verse, she's lost and trying to find her place in the galaxy, and has nothing to lose if she has to give her life protecting others who cannot protect themselves as a Jedi would do.

On the flip side of her expendability, loyalty, and fear of losing important people to her, is the fact she is willing to do what needs to be done, even if it kills a part of her to do it. I also feel like this is a fatal flaw, her being so dedicated to doing what she feels is right, even if it means having to take down someone she cares about because they've given her no other choice. Doing so means she's making herself experience one of her worst fears, and having to deal with the aftermath of what that will do to her.

The ultimate fatal flaw, which is the cornerstone of all of these things is her stubbornness. Being stubborn can be a good thing or a bad one depending, and she's very much about sticking to her principles and her own code of ethics and morals, very stubbornly so. Once she's made her mind up, good luck getting her to change it, and she's deceptive, you won't know she's made the decision she has until she springs it on you, and she will fight to see it through (i.e. Vormir in Endgame).

As for a wishlist? Look I've been dying to do something with Natasha's current situation in the MCU (my Nat's anyways) and have her get killed only to come back to life. Also, more stuff to deal with the truth about her in her FFVII Turk verse, and similar stuff with her Star Wars verses, her doing something to save someone she cares about, but maaaaybe let it end happily somehow. XD

---------------------------

😁:

I'm going to be bluntly honest with this and say yes. Sometimes she absolutely brings the angst on herself tho. It's very rare for Natasha to do anything without thinking it over first, analyzing it, and pretty much going through it with a fine toothed comb, she's known as a master tactician for a reason because she can understand what will get the best, and most needed results in a situation. So, she knows exactly what she's doing, and what the plausible and most likely outcome will be in the end. She can be ten steps ahead of you and you have no idea. For example, in Endgame, when Nebula is talking about Vormir and that Thanos came back with the Soul Stone without Gamora, Natasha instantly clued into what it was going to take to get that stone. So, before she and Clint even talked to Red Skull, she already had her game plan and knew what needed to be done, and what she ultimately needed to do.

But sometimes, no she doesn't deserve the angst. As much as I enjoy angst, I also very much enjoy Natasha getting to be happy and have nice things and be able to hold onto all of that and not have to constantly look over her shoulder to make sure her happiness is safe.

Tag Dump! (might update later)

Francis 🤝 Dani

Clones who developed Free Will(tm) due to strong feelings about the Protagonist of their shows and Feeling Unappreciated.

But on Completely Opposite sides of Every Spectrum.

Tags for the new boys!

IC: | ☩ Not yet corpses; still we rot; oblivious to our decay ☩ (Sariel: IC) |

Musings: | ☩ Love like a needle full of methadone ☩ (Sariel: Musings) |

Image: | ☩ damaged goods they soon forget; choking on the dust that’s left ☩ (Sariel: Images) |

Headcanons: | ☩ A bittersweet disaster mounting over and over again ☩ (Sariel: headcanon) |

Drabble: | ☩ Like fallen soldiers on these fields ☩ (Sariel: Drabble) |

Verses

| ☩ Drinking poison; drop by drop; destined to die ☩ (Sariel: Verse: Default) |

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IC: | ☩ Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet on its soil ☩ (Cassius: IC) |

Musings: | ☩ I want to learn how to break without falling apart ☩ (Cassius: Musings) |

Image: | ☩ I’ll color me blue; just like the sky that reminds me of you ☩ (Cassius: Images) |

Headcanons: | ☩ I think there’s a flaw in my code ☩ (Cassius: headcanon) |

Drabble: | ☩ Do not lose this strange habit of having faith in life ☩ (Cassius: Drabble) |

Verses

| ☩ Forget not that the wind longs to play with your hair on the gentle breeze ☩ (Cassius: Verse: Default) |

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐍 ?

PRIDE. you cling desperately to the illusion that you are better than everyone else. smarter, prettier, more desirable. you are those things, you tell yourself. you HAVE to be. because if you aren't better than everyone else, how can you ever be their equal ? i am good enough, i am good enough, I AM good enough. am i good enough ? if I cannot prove my right to exist, my right to be here, do i even belong here at all ?

TAGGED BY: @voieur​ TAGGING: YOU !

Sometimes I think the difference between what we want and what we're afraid of is about the width of an eyelash.

Jay McInerney