malice │ fear │ rage │ hatred │ despair

Cinema Studies Minor Gets Super Into Analyzing K-Pop Videos 2.1

Disclaimer: I'm still a student, no where near an expert, I will be wrong in some technical aspects. Also my interpretations are my opinion which means you may disagree and that's okay. Awesome even! Just be normal about it fr. This is also very out of order bc that's how my brain works. Also I am but a baby loretiny, which means my interpretations are shaky at best compared to what's been established. But the lore is confusing anyway so....

The World EP.FIN: Trailer Analysis pt 1: Sections

Why Not Film?

K-Pop's Obsession with Wong Kar-Wai

Ateez and Metropolis

Why Not Film?

I mean like filming on film stock. Because there is a film grain/noise... (overlay? mask? idk man i'm not an editor I forgot my terms) texture to parts of the video that I think is supposed to evoke the idea of a security camera (I would have LOVED some high-angle shots to drive this home but oh well) BUT could also just be representing that it's old/in the past because it is also in black and white.

the texture is especially evident on San's face. I think they just put a noise filter over this part, which creates grain that you'd find on old film

So why not just film on film stock? It's expensive and cumbersome my guy. they filmed this between schedules like.... digital editing and stuff is just so much easier.

Which leads me to the next section:

K-Pop's Obsession with Wong Kar-Wai

STEP PRINTING!!!! 8/10FPS!!!!! STREAKS!!!! WE! LOVE! IT!

I fucking love this effect which WKW first did by filming (on stock) at 8 frames per second (fps) and then repeating the same frame 3 times to create that streakiness. Filming at a low frame rate then playing it at a higher one (usually 24 fps, which I'm guessing is also what they used for this trailer, 24-32(ish) fps is the cinematic standard) creates fast motion. This process is called step-printing.

The subject(s) would stay still/ move very slowly while filming to give the effect that everything is moving fast around them while they're normal speed. Super cool, gives sense that time is passing around them and/or isolation from others, which is what I think is intended here since HJ and the teezers are isolated from society as they're trying to fight against the government. sweet sweet storytelling through style. OBSESSED!

Here is an example from Chungking Express:

But also: K-Pop in general is OBSESSED with WKW's style. I will make a list of MVs that rep that eventually, but off the top my head, Mamamoo's mv for wind flower is inspired by Fallen Angels. The color grading, cinematography, the scene references etc.

Ateez and Metropolis

Now for something completely different: Before I get into it I really want to emphasize how fucking instrumental cinema was in globalization, because when cinema first became an industry it TRAVELED like TRAVELED. and resulted in a mix of styles since the fucking like 1920s. AMAZING

Okay so speaking of 1920s, let's get into IT! German Expressionism was a film movement that was born out of post-WW1 Germany and society's need to express (ha) the horrors of war they went through and since hyperinflation fucked up the economy so much, film companies were like "spend whatever" and blew budget on super elaborate film sets and facilities.

Expressionism is focused on the physical and really emphasizing features and such. It's hyperbolic as show in the screen shot from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari:

The subject's face is deepened by the make-up and lighting and shows their state of mind, a mindless corpse being controlled by another power (think Master/Puppet, but we don't have time to rly get into post WW1 Ger's anxieties)

It's also hyperbolic, as I said, which sometimes takes form in the sets. Specifically the establishing shots. These would traditionally be miniatures or painted, as they are easy and you can see how they're similar:

1- Metropolis & 2- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Notice anything? The lines maybe? Perspective? Symmetry? These are all qualities seen in German Expressionism which I will get into in a momement but first. Let me explain why I use Metropolis as an example. In short, they already referenced it in Guerrilla:

click to get the whole picture! Guerrilla MV and the film poster for Metropolis, the book cover is similar.

See the lines and perspective? The establishing shot at the beginning is the same, let's compare it to Metropolis again:

THE WORLD: EP.FIN Trailer & Metropolis

German expressionism is alive and well in film style and I'm so in love with how the director utilizes it.

Next, we're going to talk about structure and lines, along with style and how it helps the narrative.

[TO BE CONTINUED]

Kinn’s Family Is Rich As Fuck - Tankhun Edition

I was gonna do Kinn’s costume meta post first but @moerusai​ requested Tankhun so here we are! 

Ok so we all know that Tankhun is a Fashion Icon in the show, I said in a joke post that his style was a combo of peak Elton John and Lady Gaga (monster era). I hold to that, partially. I think another influence in Tankhun’s fashion is Billy Porter: 

What’s cool about Tankhun’s costuming is that his styling is purposeful. It’s not just a bunch of mix-matched colorful items. There’s thought and purposeful to Tankhun’s style, without being overly complicated. Like, for example, Tankhun wears a lot of sets, patterned pieces, and textures. Which gives me a lot of Randid Rahm, Francis Libiran, and The Blondes influences. 

His style is flamboyant perhaps, but neither strictly what is considered masculine or feminine. He operates in a fashionable in between that resembles a lot of big couture collections. 

Tell me Tankhun wouldn’t rock one of these outfits with some modifications. The cape from Randid is actually similar to the one he wore in ep02 as well. 

Tankhun is supposed to look rich as fuck. 

And he does! And you can see from the following pictures, his outfits work as a unit. Whether they’re a set - like in image 4 - or just complementary pieces - images 1, and 2 especially - there’s thought being put into each outfit. 

What this is meant to instill to the audience is a couple things: 1) set him apart visually from his brothers Kinn and Kim, 2) showcase his wealth, 3) make him visually loud looking which enhances his personality

Tankhun is chaotic, he’s loud, and he’s very separate from the others in the estate. We know that he doesn’t leave the estate because he was kidnapped and as such as developed agoraphobia. This leaves him unfortunately very isolated, removed from much of society and other people. I believe @the-wayside​ had some really good meta on Tankhun and his agoraphobia. 

So what way does he choose to express himself? Via clothing. His clothing is a way to express himself in an otherwise cramped world of walls, suits, and glittering objects. It’s the one form of physical self-express we’ve seen that he can employ in narrative. 

Out of narrative - a Doylst view - his clothing signposts to the audience that this character is LOUD, he’s in your face, but he’s not unlikable. He’s not weird for the sake of being weird, or a punchline. Like his outfits, carefully put together and crafted, Tankhun has personality and character. He’s quite likable and his reasons for staying at the estate are understandable. It also says this character is RICH and places him visually above other characters - namely his bodyguards, Porsche etc as they are all presumably of a middle class to poor background. 

I think what I want to reiterate is Tankhun’s styling is, again, very purposeful. It has influences in couture/runway-esque fashion, it speaks to his personality and his personal self-expression, and it showcases his class status. 

Now, what I’m really curious about is if Tankhun’s costuming will change if his character changes in the show. His character poster was much more toned down in comparison to his in-show looks. 

His shirt and pants are all monochromatic, and he lacks any major embellishments save the fur coat which breaks up the outfit with a strong textural element. It gives a POP while still feeling overall cohesive with his character. But the lack of bright eye-catching colors (as seen above) make me wonder if his character also goes through a minor transformation as the show goes along. Perhaps he gets more comfortable going outside, or being a part of the family business, or begins to recover from his trauma(s). All speculation on my part - idk if he had any major role in the novel - but I’m curious!

When I breakdown Kinn’s costuming I’ll probably talk more about class status as his wardrobe is often directly compared to Porsche’s (especially in the dock scene!! Chucks vs Loafers!!). 

**disclaimer: I am not an expert in fashion, check out ModernGurlz and Mina Le on youtube for an experts breakdown of costuming, I’m just a simple puta that loves costumes and kinnporsche**

Idk if this qualifies as a request, but yandere Diavolo. Being the Prince of hell surely come with its perks. His darling will be totally isolated, at his mercy, and there's nothing others can do to help them. Dressed in the finest clothes, having luxurious meals... but at what price? And even better if his darling is not the MC from the game, just some random human playing with salt and gylphs and pooff! The Prince of hell is there and lovestruck on the spot!

I think I’ve been in a supernatural mood, lately. It helps that Lord Diavolo is such an intimacy-starved, impulsive little creep. He’d just latch onto his Darling so *quickly*... it makes for good content. 

TW: Non-Consensual Drug Use and Unhealthy Relationships.

~

You should’ve known better than to trust him.

Everyone said you should be careful, when playing with these things. The spellbook was old, older than any other piece of text you’d ever come across, and everyone said to be wary of whatever you tried. You hadn’t taken it seriously (you still didn’t, honestly), but that hadn’t stopped him from materializing in his winged, gold-plated glory with a smile that almost made you forget it’d taken a bowl of your own blood to get his attention. You tried to be apprehensive when he said he’d taken a liking to you, tried to hesitate when he took your arm and told how lovely his domain was, but it was all you could do not to jump at the offer the moment it was extended.

Everyone said you should be careful, but they were thinking of monsters and curses and evil things. Diavolo wasn’t evil. He was nice, friendly, kind, more lonely than malicious. He needed a friend, and you considered yourself a candidate fit for the role. The Devildom, Diavolo, all of it seemed too good to be true.

But, it was true. And no one could’ve blamed you for taking advantage of your host’s generosity.

With that in mind, you didn’t stop yourself from collapsing onto a velvet-lined chair, as plush as it was gaudy. Diavolo wasn’t a subtle man, but you hadn’t expected the Prince of Hell to be, nor did you see an issue with his extravagance. He sighed as he slid into the seat across from you, watching as you leaned back and made yourself comfortable. Bags were scattered at your feet, each logo colorful and unfamiliar, the contents equally as foreign to you. Part of you knew they’d remain untouched for far too long, but you buried the guilt as soon as it arose. Diavolo would’ve teased you for being so frugal, especially when his budget was practically non-existent. “I’m exhausted,” You mumbled, if only to take you mind off the wasted revenue. “I don’t see how demons keep themselves so busy. It’s only been a few days, but I could go comatose and be happy.”

He hummed in acknowledgement, waving over a butler you didn’t know the name off. Diavolo seemed hesitant to introduce you to... well, anyone, but that was to be expected when dealing with demons and creatures known for preying on humans like you, even if those creatures seemed more intent on providing tea and pastries than flaying you alive. Still, your attempts to thank and smile at the nameless man barely earned you a disinterested glance, and you sunk into yourself a little farther. “It’s only natural. Humans have always been on the weaker side.” You scowled, shooting him a glare, and he waved you off with a dismissive laugh. “Don’t give me that look, you’re the one who was whining about having to carry your own purchases.”

“Purchases you insisted I make.” There was an edge to your tone, but a playful one. You took a sip of tea that’d been set in front of you to hide your smile, finding the flavor unexpectedly sweet. You took another without being forced, your mind beginning to switch gears as you relaxed. “It’s been a while, though, hasn’t it?” You asked, averting your eyes to the wooden tabletop when he nodded. “I should check-in… with the human world, I mean. I know I told everyone I’d be gone for a while, but--”

“It’ll be fine, then.” He cut you off, unwavering. He’d never done that before. “It’s not your problem if they start to worry.”

You sighed, shaking your head. “I don’t know what kind of friends you have, but people don’t just… disappear, where I’m from. You make a call every couple of days, or tell someone when you’re coming back. I was in such a rush, I just spouted something about leaving before taking off with you.” You paused, laughing to yourself. Diavolo hadn’t touched his porcelain cup, something jarringly out of character. “Besides, I’ve got a life, y’know. I don’t want to let things get ahead of me, even it’s been nice to take a break.”

He scoffed, squaring his shoulder’s defensively. You attempted to meet his eyes, but your body felt so heavy. You must’ve been more tired than you realized. “Still, four weeks is hardly a--”

“Four weeks?” You couldn’t hide your shock, perking up and bracing yourself on the tabletop. You felt like getting up, pushing yourself to your feet and making a more desperate display, but it would’ve been useless. You couldn’t leave without Diavolo’s help, and he didn’t appear to feel an ounce of the same urgency you did. “I can’t… It’s been a month? People are probably looking for me, they probably think I’m dead. I have to--”

“You don’t have to do anything.” He was calm, utterly tranquil, refusing to pity your outburst with a reaction. You gawked as he pushed himself up, toying with the cuffs of his sleeve absentmindedly. “You’re happy here, aren’t you?”

You cringed, biting back a handful of choice words. “Yes, but--”

“Then you don’t have to leave.” He took a step towards you, then another, towering over you once he decided to make his full height apparent. You should’ve staved off the intimidation, gritted your teeth and told him you wanted to go home now, but it was all you could to do keep yourself sitting up straight. “I take care of you. You summoned me, and I’ve served you. I���ve fulfilled every desire you’ve wanted fulfilled.” You weren’t talking, but your throat felt dry, the tea’s aftertaste turning bitter on your tongue. “You don’t have a reason to leave. You have everything you could ever want, here.”

You opened your mouth just as his hand found its way to your head, carding through your hair lightly. Affectionately. You’d asked him not to touch you, but he never seemed to listen. “I can’t stay,” You reiterated, although your tone lacked the force it’d once had. “I need to go home, before something comes up that I won’t be able to handle.”

His response came in the form a quiet hush, a gentle tug to the back of your head that left you pressed against his chest, your face buried in the fabric of his blazer. You made an attempt to bat his arm away, to push yourself up, but a spike of pure fatigue pulsed through your body, leaving you collapsing into Diavolo. The taste turned caustic, burning the inside of your mouth. Eating away at your resolve like battery acid.

“You worry too much,” He assured, a hint of something blissfully happy worming its way into his demeanor. “We’re together for a reason, aren’t we? You’ve got to let me take care of this, (Y/n).”

The world around you was fading steadily, the corners of your vision already going dark, but Betrayal’s blade was dull. You couldn’t find it in yourself to be surprised.

These things were always too good to be true, right?

fuckspn’s mini deancas fic rec

i said a few days ago that i would write a mini fic rec list, and here it is! i tried to limit it to fics i hadn’t seen on other rec lists before, but there are a few that i couldn’t resist adding even though everyone and their mother recommends them. there’s a whole section for “dean pulls cas out of the empty” fix-it fics because i know what the fuck i’m about. also literally all of these are deancas because i don’t read any other type of supernatural fic, and they all have happy endings because i’m not reading supernatural fanfiction to make myself sad.

a quick disclaimer before we start: i generally don’t like explicit sex scenes in fic unless i feel like they’re really narratively earned, realistic, in-character, and necessary to the emotional arc of the story. so while there are explicit fics in here, all but the last two on the list are sufficiently character- and plot-driven that you can skip the sex scenes entirely if you want.

Finale Fix-Its:

(they’ll never break) the shape we take by ~ME~ (Teen, 9k) Yes, this is my own fic, but listen, I wouldn’t have written it if it didn’t hit what I wanted to see in a fix-it! I’m not gonna make any promises as to whether or not you’ll like it, but I do, and that’s what matters here. Read it if you want to see basically every wrong prediction about the finale rolled up into one fic, if you wish they’d kept the Empty as a morally neutral outsider instead of a villain, or if you just like somewhat uncanny, slippery dream logic and gratuitous callbacks. Also even though idk if I’ll ever finish or publish it, I’m working on a fluffy domestic follow-up featuring, among other things, fixes for both Jack and Billie’s endings. I’m just saying that so if you read this fic you know that even though it’s not mentioned, Jack does come back and get to be a normal toddler with his two dads.

my heart a compass by lagaudiere (Teen, 10k) Again, I REALLY hope you like uncanny, slippery dream logic because that’s in this fic too! Cas POV is such a rare and difficult thing and I think lagaudiere nails it. Literally my only complaint about this fic is that at one point Cas imagines Jack having missing baby teeth at age 4 and my immediate reaction was to worry about why Jack would be missing teeth that young. This is because my brain is broken. Your brain is presumably not broken in the same way mine is, so you should enjoy this fic fine.

The World At Large by cenotaphy (General, 4.9k) This fic is so sexy because cenotaphy was like “hey what if there were actual stakes for Dean in the Empty besides the threat of losing the love of his life? Like what if he had a time limit? What if he got fucking stabbed?” and then somehow turned it into the softest little thing about how much all the characters love each other. Truly incredible artistic decisions made here. Despite being relatively short and deancas-centric, Sam and Jack get a lot of screentime here too and they’re absolutely delightful. Tbh you should probably read all of cenotaphy’s season 15 fix-its but if you’re only gonna read one, make it this. (Or Bring Home, but I’ve seen that one on so many rec lists that I think statistically everyone on Earth has read it.)

Other:

You And Your Husband by mikaylamazing (General, 17.9k) 5+1, Dean and Cas getting mistaken for a couple, 80% fluff then 10% angst that genuinely hit me like a gut punch then 10% fluff again. Dean and Cas are at PEAK old married couple in this fic. Yeah they bitch at each other constantly, but they also will tool around the country in their car like a couple of retirees and Dean will indulge Cas’ random flights of fancy even when they’re for something he hates, like the original Starbucks at Pike Place Market. (I’m with Dean on this one.)

Command Me To Be Well by prosopopeya (Explicit, 28k) Not gonna lie, this one hits the “angst with a happy ending” trope hard. The author is NOT fucking around with the warning for internalized homophobia, and I damn near cried at how Dean and Cas clearly loved each other and wanted to be together but just couldn’t because Dean’s psychological hangups were hurting them both. But not only does the happy ending come, the fic luxuriates in it—this is no band-aid slapped over the end, they genuinely fix their shit. Also, this fic has my favorite “Dean coming out to Sam” scene I’ve ever read.

Bring Up the Deep by deathbanjo (Explicit, 22.6k) Okay. Listen. Yes, this is the fic I was talking about the other day, with the tags that make it sound way kinkier than it actually is. And yes, technically this fic does contain dom/sub undertones and sex pollen. But look at me—hey, look at me. This fic owns. It’s a horror case fic, so it’s mainly plot (and three brief sex scenes, but two of those are part of the plot). The monster is genuinely creepy and creative, the supporting characters are enjoyable to read about, the setting is well-drawn, and the ending is something I’m still digesting but in a very enjoyable way. As far as the kinky tags go, the fic basically plays out like Dean and Cas (who are in an established, albeit new, relationship) are slightly randier than normal due to case weirdness: the dom/sub undertones are so light that I barely noticed them, the “sex pollen” is a deliberately unnerving plot device, and both Dean and Cas have nuanced emotional reactions to the whole situation that they are allowed to process and talk through with each other. I’ve never read A Complete Kingdom and never will, but if you’ve ever wanted a Deancas horror casefic set in coastal Maine that won’t leave you a shattered husk of a human being, Bring Up the Deep is for you!

Though The Course May Change by imogenbynight (Explicit, 51.5k) I’ve seen this one on a number of rec lists, but I couldn’t not include it because it’s just so fun. Another case fic involving Dean and Cas staying in a cabin in a rainy, semi-isolated location surrounded by colorful OCs, but this time the only horror is the prospect of fake-dating the guy you’re secretly actually in love with. It’s a delightful read.

More Than Ever by Sass_Master (Explicit, 20.2k) Canon-divergent fic from 2015 about Cas choosing to become human and Dean being a real bitch about it. It’s very fun, but I’m mainly recommending it because it’s part 1 of a series and therefore provides the necessary backstory/buildup for the next fic on this list.

You’re There by Sass_Master (Explicit, 11.5k) This is part 3 of the same series (part 2 is not required reading, it’s just a short explicit fic set in between these two fics), and while most of it is about sex, it’s also a fucking A+, 10/10, award-worthy character study of Dean and his internal relationship to his sexuality. Literally I was reading it going, “That’s it! That’s the Dean Winchester who lives in my head!”

till the juice runs by deathbanjo (Explicit, 8.4k) The epic saga of Dean’s terrible knockoff-Grindr hookups while Cas waits at home for him like if you could see that I’m the one who understands you been here all along so why can’t you see you belong w— Listen, I’ll be honest here, this fic is completely not my usual speed (lots of sex, relatively light—but not nonexistent!—romance, zero Big Emotions), so it doesn’t have much in common with any other fics on this list besides a rotating cast of fun OCs. It is, however, the single funniest fucking deancas fic I’ve ever read in my life. Fun minigame: count how many times one of Dean’s hookups is described as having messy dark hair and/or blue eyes.

we interrupt the usual fanwork spam with some original stuff. This is Ilassan, a character I've developed around 16, so god damn it, 16 years ago or so. I even wrote a story with him at 17/18 and tried to get it published. Ahhhh, of course, I was too silly to know that other kids who get works published at 18 know the right people in the industry and thus get to become "storytelling prodigies", same as JKR was a poor single mom writing on tissue paper, and it has less to do with real undiscovered talent. That, or self publishing on Amazon, which thank god is a little more accessible now, but was definitely not an option back in 2006 (it's for the best).

The real gimmick was when Avatar came out, and the few friends who'd seen art of him told me "hey this kinda looks like those cat people you used to draw!", which of course to me translated to "so then if someone beat you to it, why bother", and it had all been scrapped. But it still lives in my head and heart I guess?

More info for those interested:

So a few of you have seen talks of Eye of the Storm or My Original Work(tm) or at the very least know Anders isn't originally a SWTOR OC, but an OC-OC I just used in------

<blah blah blah later>

So in my youth, when I was still big eyed and energetic and passionate and nerdy and hadn't had my self esteem and creativity completely eroded, I'd decided to write a low fantasy AU of history, as many do. And it had a lot of stories, spanning dinosaur age to present times. Because I was a really creative child (bless my heart). And yeah, it had everything. Because back then I thought it'd be a cool idea to mix mythology with science and history. You know, the whole "well see, dragons exist in several continents so what if dragons were really real but vanished magically somehow" or whatever. A lot of stuff was scrapped from then, but some I've kept into what eventually became the single, isolated, standalone story some of you have heard / seen snippets of. The whole WW2 AU thing, which I GUESS is a dead giveaway that it's gonna transcend into urban fantasy sooner or later, but that's where my hints for it end.

Well, alongside the many other stories, there was Ilassan's.

So, I used the whole multiverse / wormholes / aliens thing in the setting, because of fucking course I would. And I also used the alien sightings on earth mixed with mythology - and bam! The Fae were an alien species that used wormholes to travel to earth (and spawned in mushroom rings. Fuck it). Well, back on Fae-land, a long long time ago, there was civil unrest. There's several subspecies of Fae, with a common ancestor but different evolutions. Think Neadenthrals and Sapiens, for example. So there were the Noble Fae, who were more evolutionarily blessed, and a few different fae more suited for other environments. Such as the Wild Elves (wow creative yes), of which Ilassan is, who were adapted to live and hunt in forests and mountains - a lot more agile, and a lot more catlike looking than the 'blessed' Noble Fae, and thus deemed by them too bestial and inferior. Yes. Fantasy racism at its finest. What can I say? I read a lot of fantasy growing up.

So to avoid the civil wars, a lot of Wild Elves simply traveled to Earth (or other planets) via the wormholes, and settled in suitable environments thereabouts. But of course, this is fantasy racism, so the British standins eventually followed through to exterminate them. So back at 17 or whatever, what I used Ilassan for was the very basic storyline of "the british elves invade, he gets separated from his sister Aissa, he spends years trying to find what happened to her with the help of a ragtag team of allies, and eventually faces the Big Bad Elves (but is captured in the meantime)". I remember he originally died to save a friend but that's been long since scrapped.

Well, over time the story shifted to a totally different take, and the one I do eventually want to return to covers a time of him already being a prisoner to the Big Bad Elves. See, as you may know from mythology, humans can get lost in Fae Land too, not only Fae visiting us. So there was this human girl, Kendra, who's a tomboy/transboy, and who gets lost in Fae Land. Fae welcome Kenny with open arms until the point she starts being all "stop expecting me to wear dresses and jewelry god damn it." At which point they're like bad girls go scrub the prison shit, and send Kenny down to the prison, where she and Ilassan bump into one another, eventually planning an escape together. This story dates back to 20 fucking 14 or so, but I've also discarded it for being too on the nose. Surely, noone wants to read about an allegory of "normal" society shunning queers and people of color, huh? Well, times fucking change and now that's a super popular subject, so I've been more and more tempted to write it out. At least I know there's a possible audience now, whileas back then I was simply trying to write my own experiences being shunned by other people for being gender non-conforming, and when I presented it to my very straight very gender conforming friends for opinions they were kind of doing the whole "ha ha <transphobic jokes>" thing. Oh well. Times change I guess.

So I gotta admit, this short story has been burning and itching more and more to get out throughout this year. Maybe I'll have the time for it, maybe not, who knows. But I sure have the time to answer questions if any of you have any, since I tried to keep this as short as possible to not bore anyone, cause idk if there -really- is possible interest? dunno.

Thanks for reading <3

Hi can I rant a bit here, it’s nsfw so please ignore me if you really don’t care. You’re one of the first persons I thought of idk why maybe it’s because of Only You, that I felt like maybe you would understand. It’s a bit long so I do apologize. 1.

I met this guy a couple of months ago, he’s older than me and I’m sure it will cause people to look at us with judging eyes. I am 19 and he’s 25, it’s not much but when people see it as a girl that barely enter high school and a guy that is just a cradle robber. I genuinely hope not, since it’s not that much of an age gap. He’s been very kind to me, sweet, helpful. He’s a lot more mature than I am, he is as good as he is bad to me. Half and half situation. I’d like to see what you advice me. 2.

Last week, I decided that I wanted to make the next step with him. I trusted him and felt ready. And he was so sweet and had the whole day plan out, he set up everything. A romantic dinner and the bed set up with flower petals, honeymoon like. He wanted to make my first time special, I appreciated that. We were in the middle of getting to it, I’m sure there is no need for details. And I got a call from a friend, she called and we talk for a bit. Normal things, yet important to her. 3.

When I got hanged up me and him giggled and he asked me who call. Just normal things between giggles and whispers, however. As we try to get back at it, I started talking about things. Which brought me to a mental breakdown in the middle of our night. He was obviously taken off guard but instead of being annoyed or quickly assure me to get back at it. He embraced me, listened to me and softly advice me. Told me it was okay that I was more than enough. Assured me in my fears.4.

I apologized for ruining our night and he told me not to apologize, that he loved me. That he wanted me to smile, not to force it. I cried for a while and when I was better, I joked about ruining the whole day. He shook his head and kissed me, not sexually but idk emotionally? We felt asleep, I was too tired for anything anymore. Still classified as a virgin lmao, we are finding time for us. But not everything is honey with him.6.

Idk if it might be the age difference or what. But he treats me like I’m naive, he still sees me as the stupid girl that finished high school. He tries to manipulate me in a way, I think. Telling me that I am still young and I have a lot to learn. That only he properly gets me and that only he can protect me. That the other people are the reason why I have mental breakdowns. That I’m just young and that I am clearly lost. In need of his guidance. It pisses me off, but I’m not sure if it’s true.7

He is the best person I met and he treats me like I am the best person as well. He’s patient and sweet, he’s everything that I once wished in a man. But he’s everything I been scared of. He constantly calls my phone, asks me who I’m texting. He wants to know everything about my life. If a spend an extra minute talking with a friend, it’s the same question. ‘Do you like him?’ ‘Who do you belong?’ 8.

He is weird, he wants to meet my parents. However, I’m sure my parents will freak out once they find out. Even if they don’t know about his bad habits. Besides, we have only been dating for 4 months. He makes me feel loved. I wanted to ask what you’d do? In a way I look up to your advice and I understand if this is out of nowhere and you don’t want to answer it. Thank you for your time anyways, have a good day.10.

As nice as your older boyfriend may seem, there are large red flags in this relationship that makes me believe that even his good behavior is riddled with bad intentions. 

I have seen it all. I grew up with women who fell for men exactly like your boyfriend. They convince you that their possessiveness is love, they know exactly the right things to say when you’re upset or sad, they start to tip the scales a little more to see how much they can push your boundaries until you don’t have any. 

Your boyfriend is training you, not dating you. First, the age difference is a big red flag. No matter how many times he, or the people around you, tell you that you’re “mature for your age”, you are 19 years old. Your brain isn’t even fully developed. You haven’t discovered yourself enough to know what you truly want out of a relationship and a lot of older men exploit this vulnerability. Second, abusers often isolate their victims. Constantly asking who you’re texting, who you’re talking to, creating a suspicion that any man within five miles that you know are out to get you - bby, that’s him tipping the scales. That’s him indirectly telling you “I don’t like you conversing with people who isn’t me, if you don’t stop I will keep doing this until you do”. When people show their true colors, believe them. 

Another thing is you’ve only been dating him for 4 months and he wants to meet your parents already. That’s something an abuser I know does; he wins over his partner’s parents to pressure the woman into staying in the relationship because it’s him showing: “Everyone loves me, can’t you see we’re perfect together?”. On top of that, he treats you as a child because he knows you are still in your late teens and wants you to succumb to his wishes to “prove” to him that you’re an adult, even though you are not in the same stage of life he is in. There are plenty of women around his age that he can choose but he sees you, a girl fresh out of high school, and decides he, a 26 year old man, wants you. Isn’t that very shady?

I won’t label him as anything but I do want you to be extra careful and decide what is best for you. Because you asked for my advice, I personally recommend that you leave him and learn about yourself more and experience life a bit more before jumping into a relationship this serious with a man far older and far more experienced as well. Trust your gut. Remember that abusers look like everyone else in this world. They know how to search for your pain points and exploit it, they know exactly what to say to get you to react in a certain why that may look innocent at first but gradually makes you succumb to their wishes, they weaponize your insecurities. 

You may think “you don’t know him like I do” or even say that he has good qualities more than he has bad ones. Then tell me why your gut told you to come to me for advice? It’s hard to leave someone you grew fond of. I understand you completely. A lot of women I know who have dated abusers or are dating (or married to) one have that same gut feeling as you but have been trapped by children, by familial expectations, and by the “honeymoon” phase of the relationship. I beg you not to end up like one of those women. 

Please, please, please take care of yourself and stay safe. When it comes down to choosing this relationship or choosing your freedom, please choose your freedom. 

- 🐰

[ RONEN RUBINSTEIN, HE/HIM, CIS MAN ]  —  [ SHILOH ECKHAUS ]  is a child of  [ THANATOS ]  with the power of  [ DEATH NEGATION ] .  they were born in  [ 1994 ]  and have been in nemean lion since  [ 2010 ] .  with the change, they  [ HAVE GRADUATED FROM ]  the  [ STANDARD ]  role which makes sense since they’re usually  [ READING BIOGRAPHIES & WATCHING NATURE DOCS ] .  if you’d like to meet them try the  [ MOON ]  building .

anyway...i have a disease where i have to write angsty men regularly

BASICS

hometown: boone, north carolina

eye color: blue

hair color: brown

height: 5′10

sexuality: bisexual

birthday: november 7, 1994 ( scorpio )

BIO

i think...thanatos has a thing for damaged women, and another thing for women who just want to help others, and ruth eckhaus was both. he draws women in who either hate themselves or can find the good in him, which isn’t easy to find. thanatos was cold and often volatile but there was something in him to love. so she didn’t do anything wrong in falling for the literal personification of death, but she made a mistake when she got pregnant.

even if he had been mortal, ruth never thought he was the kind of man who would stick around, even less likely when the ultrasound revealed she was pregnant with twins. part of her was unsurprised, since he’d mentioned having a twin brother.

the twins were born after a hard, long labor, which ruth swore was ripping her apart inside. but she survived, and she was happy for two healthy babies, because she knew she could never put herself through that again.

she met a man when the twins were still young, who wasn’t bad, especially compared to the father of her children. but he said a similar mysteriousness and she often didn’t know where he was or what he was doing. it got better once they got married, but when the police came knocking asking about his whereabouts on the day a young woman was taken (and later killed) a few miles away, she didn’t have a good answer.

with very little evidence, her husband was sentenced to life in prison, and while she never once wavered in her belief of his innocence, it wasn’t as black and white for shiloh. the prosecution had presented a compelling argument, at least that’s what the jury had thought. and at the age of eight, shiloh might have agreed.

his already tenuous relationship with his step-father became even more strained, visiting prison regularly with his mother and sister, but as he got older, it became his choice and he didn’t often want to be there, in that place, seeing the only father he’d ever known like that.

shiloh had always been a quiet, slightly moody child, which only got worse once his father was sent away and his mother was forced to pick up the slack on top of paying the newly incurred legal fees. since shiloh and ariel had each other, they didn’t always notice how harried their mother was, or how isolated they had become at school, because no matter what they’d always have each other.

when the twins were fourteen, riding bikes but already dreaming of getting their permits, ariel challenged shiloh to a race and set off down the street. she looked behind her shoulder to jeer at him when she was hit by a car. she died almost immediately on impact, by which time the driver was long gone.

shiloh didn’t know about his power yet, or...not really. he’d once seen a dead baby bird, the sight twisting his stomach, a nausea which only grew stronger when the bird suddenly got up and started squawking for its mother. he wasn’t sure why the relief of being wrong about the bird made him feel worse, or why he had a headache for the remainder of the day.

but when he ran over to ariel and watched her breathe her last breaths, he grabbed her hand and begged her not to leave him. he’d never wanted anything so desperately in his life, and after a few minutes of crying, he was starting to feel faint himself. his breathing grew more and more shallow, as if the life was leaving his body, but then he saw ariel inhale. in fact, it was the last thing he saw before he blacked out.

he awoke in a hospital bed next to his sister, who by all accounts, was perfectly fine aside from some cuts and bruises. somehow, shiloh was the one sore all over and struggling to get air into his lungs. they looked at each other, simultaneously understanding what had happened, and quietly agreed not to tell anybody else.

but their mother, knowing the truth of their paternity, was immediately suspicious and terrified, so she sent them off to nemean lion the next year in the hopes that neither of her children would die before her.

RANDOM FACTS

sooooo yeah shiloh is an Emo Boy but can you blame him, no <3 maybe he’s valid but i’ll only say that once

basically he brought his sister back to life when they were kids and nearly died himself with the energy exerted and he’s never brought another human being back to life since (and doesn’t plan on ever doing it again)

i guess you could say he...respects the circle of life? he doesn’t want to play, ahem, god, so when someone dies he just accepts this as being a part of life. but ariel’s death was so sudden that he didn’t think before bringing her back, nor did he fully know what he was doing

but he’s pretty sure he could never survive without her and he doesn’t actually know, realistically, what he’d do if she ever died again

POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS

maybe someone he dislikes but is friends with ariel, or vice versa?! they’re both assholes so this seems unrealistic but uwu

that said, someone who wants to be his friend fsr, or just acts like one without him ever actually acknowledging their friendship /:

i suppose he could bond with someone over not knowing what the heck they’re doing here or what to do with their life or ahhhh!!

he’s been at nl for a decade so mb he do have at least one good friend who he’s almost actually kind of vulnerable around and knows him better than most people

someone who just likes to annoy him bc he is no fun but it entertains them to get on his nerves idk u kno the vibe

More headcanons from my main doc? Why of course.

(God this doc is so long, ple ase help me it's like 6k-)

Remus and Roman eventually thought up getting tattoos. They both have half of a heart on their right and left wrists respectfully. Remus' is red and Roman's is green, so when they hold up their wrists together, it makes a heart that's red on the left and green on the right. Both are outlined with orange, since that's what green and red are mixed together. 

Of course, it wasn't too hard of a decision, since conjuring a tattoo for them is as easy as waving their hand.

The others, though, don't have it that easy, so they end up asking them for their own hearts. All of them are whole, and their own color, and they're on their left wrist, since they're all left handed.

Just as Roman and Remus have nicknames for the others, Janus has his own set. 

For Roman, of course, they have their little two sided thing. He also calls him Sir Roman or My Knight at times, and does the same for Remus.

When the King was around, he called him accordingly, often addressing him as 'My King', sometimes with a bow.

If or when the twins ever fuse again, he may dust off the old name and bow once again, taking his hand and simply saying, "Hello, my new King."

The twins don't mind. (Being called the same name as him is...undesirable, as they aren't him anymore, but...at the same time, together, they are more. And besides, My King is an excellent name, and simply makes them feel royal. And they adore feeling royal.)

For Logan, he sometimes calls him Dr.Who, The Brain, or Mr.Logic.

Logan himself has some rebuttal nicknames, calling him Jekyll or Hyde depending on whether he's being nice or fuckin with him, like Roman and Janus' system.

For Patton, he'll call him Heart or simply Pat.

He's been calling Virgil Stormcloud for ages, same for Little Spider. 

He'll sometimes call Remus Little Rat, because Remus loves rats in general and also really wanted him to call him that when he was younger. Now it's just another nickname, really.

When Roman jokingly asked for a version of it for him, Janus answered seriously with 'Little Lion', and now that's a thing too. 

The others have their own nicknames for Janus, of course; Jan, Snake, Mr.Snake (though that's usually Patton or Remus when they're being Silly), Roman also uses Jekyll and Hyde sometimes, Scar (which is usually Remus, for shits and giggles), and whatever the hell else they end up thinking of.

I like to think the rooms work almost like they do in canon

Like they have the same layout as Thomas' actual apartment

But they can be changed slightly, whether that be certain fixtures like chandeliers or even shifting the layout of the area itself, though the twins are the best as this, of course.

And then there's the extension garden that they can go out the front door to find, too; all it takes is them simply deciding whether they wish to leave their rooms to the halls or to their garden. Though, it's isolated from the others, somehow, even though their rooms are right next to each other. The logic in it all is rather odd, and Logan has been trying to wrench an explanation from the twins for ages.

Roman and Remus themselves made their rooms much more extravagant, with the door to the Imagination being the closet closest to the door instead of...you know, a closet, and their couches much bigger. Even their kitchen is a much more decent size. Both of them made their bedrooms bigger, too, with their own canopy beds and an extra loveseat nestled in there. Not to mention all of the extra decorations they have everywhere. And, of course, they've got their desk, covered head to fucking toe with papers. Remus' looks disorganized, but to him, they are. Roman's are just disorganized.

They also have Balconies, Of Course, with seats and hanging plants and all

Remus really likes hanging off the balcony railing 

Like just hanging himself halfway like a towel out to dry or even just holding on to the bars and swinging around on the outside edge

Roman was a bit 'idk dude :////' at first but eventually he was just like 'ok yeah he just does that' and even sits on the railing every now and then when he's feeling Dangerous

Remus will sit on it, yeah, but he'll also rock back and forth really hard and walk on it precariously for shits and giggles

Roman just holds his hand and waters his/Remus' plants, just to make sure he doesn't fall, cause he doesn't know what's down there or how their rooms really work with these balconies that somehow don't show the other sides' rooms beside them and a long field a story or two below and he does not want to figure out how it does work by watching his brother fall into the abyss, even if he could probably snap himself back up

Janus has absolutely used that balcony to dry clothes before, whether over the railing or with a clothesline

It's rare, but he still uses the twins' balconies for that to this day

Patton made his own kitchen a lot bigger-for baking!!!-and his living room, too-for cuddling!!!!!!-and his bed a bit comfier-for sleeping well!!!!!!!-and overall, the whole place is just. A bit more,,,,,,Homey. And as we know, there are all those old items scattered about, along with a absolute fuck ton of old stuffed animals stacked up in his room.

Logan's room is almost exactly the same as Thomas' apartment, since he didn't see much reason in changing much. There are, however, some more science-y posters and memorabilia, and that damned picture has been changed to one with squares instead of circles, which makes much more sense to him. He also implemented a decently sized desk to work at, but beyond the garden, there isn't much change besides that.

Besides the decorations we've already seen, Virgil's room isn't too much different, mostly cause he thought it was fine and it felt nice and familiar. He made his bed a bit bigger and nicer, though, and made his closets bigger, Just In Case. He also has extra cabinet space and a bigger fridge, for Snack Storing. There's also a blanket and pillow on the couch 24/7 for when he wants to go to sleep w the TV on (mostly for having smth on in the bg), but that's less smth that's part of the room and more somethin Virge set up for himself.

Janus' room isn't much different either, honestly. Bit bigger rooms, just for the sake of the place being less cramped, and a good sized kitchen bc A Bitch Gotta Cook. His closets are a bit deeper, too, for storage reasons. He also has his own washer/dryer/dishwasher for when the ones in the main area get full and things are still a goddamn mess. He'll just snap it to his room to deal with later. He also has piles of laundry scattered about-mostly in his bedroom, so it doesn't clutter up the rest of the place. The Vibe is a bit different, too, with how he's decorated it. It's very...like...classy. I guess. Just...lots of black and gold. Very like...old fashioned, kinda. 

He also has a huge bed, partially for the fun of it, but partially because the other two used to come to him when they felt bad.

Now they do again, and it finally serves a purpose.

Rarely, the other three will even come to him, knowing he has a solution for their problems; they all have so much trouble with caring for themselves properly, and he knows about that, is all.

He's happy to let them come to him, really. It's his job to help them take care of themselves, anyways.

So ik we all write Patton as knowing how to clean and shit

But we all know how he actually is in canon

I'll give him the ability to cook for Family Dinner Purposes but I'm also saying he doesn't know how to clean for shit

The only one that cleaned before Janus came around was Logan, and that was purely because a clean area is better for someone to live in, not for any actual desire for things to be clean 

He was usually too busy doing other Important Logic Shit to clean anyways

So the dumbasses lived in relative dirtyness

Until Janus came along and flIPPED HIS SHIT

Basically, Janus got a good look at the light sides' area and went 'oh my god what the fuck.'

See, he's got all the Cleaning Want, being self preservation and all. Aka, yknow, wanting to keep your area clean so you feel better about shit. 

So even with Remus around, the dark sides' area is usually relatively clean, and when Virgil was still around, he kept his room clean, too.

He tries his best with Remus, but Remus has that kind of chaos where he knows how it works anyways, so he just does his laundry and not much else.

The first time he happened upon the light sides' area, though, he,,,,,yeah, he highkey flipped his shit.

All the others were there, so it was a whole ass show. Remus just laughed his ass off and Virgil just blankly stared, thinking 'yeah, I expected this.'

He flitted around the living room for a good while, cleaning things and saying 'why is this confounded place so dirty? There's laundry everywhere and the couch is a mess and the carpet! The carpet! How are you even living here?!' 

And the others finally found out where every drop of cleanliness went to.

They're at Janus' whims for a couple hours, forced to help him tidy up the area. Virgil and Remus are sent off easily, like trained troops out to war. Jan says 'Remus, dishes, Virgil...check that fucking closet.' (It was filled with random bullshit. No surprise honestly.) And they're off, with salutes and all.

By the end of the session, the living room is clean and Janus is vowing to keep this godforsaken place clean for once. 

"I'll take care of whatever it is you all need me to," he says, sighing as he closes the closet. "Just as long as this place stays clean, and as long as I'm the one that's allowed to handle it." He shrugged, a smile on his face. "It is rather fun after all."

Oh yeah, that's exactly where all the cleanliness went to.

He even asks to be allowed to see about helping the others with tidying their rooms up a bit. Even Remus mentions that his has gotten a little out of hand, surprisingly, and unsurprisingly, Roman is basically worshipping the ground he walks on, because his room is a fucking mess and he just. Doesn't know what to do with it.

(Remus eventually helps Roman figure out a good organization system For Him when Janus' system didn't really...work. They end up with smth super specific based on themes of items and shit.)

Virgil is first, since, with what he represents, he honestly doesn't have the energy for cleaning most of the time. (And yet, a messy area just makes him feel worse.) It's one of the main reasons Janus used to come by and do it for him every now and then; he respects the fact that Virgil simply can't do it himself, and so he doesn't mind helping out a bit.

The mess hadn't gotten too out of hand without Janus around, so they mostly just have a nice chat while Janus makes some piles and finally makes use of the basket Virgil has in there for clothes again. They even trade some old stupid jokes for really specific shit, like saying 'cup' super excitedly when there's a cup. (Janus found one under Virgil's bed one time when he had been missing so fucking many from the kitchen and he got overly excited for a second.)

Remus was second, considering the fact that if he was saying it was getting out of hand, things were really getting bad. 

See, he usually doesn't keep things like dishes or clothes in there, surprisingly; usually the only mess is a hell of a ton of papers and different craft supplies, with some costumes here and there, but not actual clothes. He'd forgotten to haul some of that shit out recently, though, and it was fucking up his Chaos Organization.

Yet again, Janus had to fight off his need to Organize This Shit as he dug through stacks of papers to find the few dishes that were scattered around in the middle of them all.

At least they got to have a bit of conversation on their own again; it had been awhile. As always, they made the classic cup joke that all three of them knew (and would likely soon teach to the others) and generally talked about some other shit. 

Third came Patton. Now, this one's a little...special. Yes, Patton's room is a Whole Ass Mess that needs Organizing, but that organization honestly includes throwing out some...old things.

See, a part of self care is absolutely throwing away things that remind you of bad things or past relationships that you don't need to think of anymore, or even just things that are cluttering up your space.

So after they got the general cleaning out of the way, having a moral debate or two along the way, they had to take a good long couple of hours organizing things, and then a couple more making a 'trash' pile, which took an awful lot of convincing from Janus and even more discussion about what things are good things to keep and what weren't.

Like the difference between all the old guys and dolls pamphlets and the card Virgil gave him on Christmas.

One reminds him of a long gone relationship that needs to be forgotten and the other is a reminder of a great friendship.

There was certainly a small conversation around the second, though, where Janus mentioned all of the little things he had from Virgil and the relationship they used to have, the relationship they finally had back.

And there was certainly a long discussion on the emo they both know and care for almost like a parent.

Fourth was Roman, mostly due to how grateful he seemed at the idea in the first place and how much that worried Janus.

And boy, did he have a right to be.

Roman's room was simply chaos. And not even organized chaos like Remus', no, he has no idea where anything is ever. The whole place was covered head to toe with papers, clothing, dishes, books, any and everything. Walking was a hazard in itself.

Janus just sighed, sat down, and started his piles.

He gathered all the papers around him and said, 'get me a box and grab all the dishes you can find. After that, grab the laundry.

We're making piles.'

Janus ended up doing a 'throw shit away' method with Roman, too, because he had ended up holding on to way too many old ideas and costumes, etc. and it really needed to go. 

He also forced Roman to put some of his papers in binders, because for heaven's sa kes, there was so much loose leaf in that goddamn room that Roman didn't even know of. There were also some really fucked up notebooks they tried their best to salvage.

Lastly, and happily, leastly, was Logan. His room was mostly clean except for like 50 stacks of books and notebooks that he didn't know what to do with. 

He insisted on keeping most of them, surprisingly-'so many of these are informational, or have records of important information!'-and Janus actually let him keep most of them, believing him and his pretty-solid reasoning. He ended up throwing a lot of the notebooks in a box and finding a place for them in one of the closets in his room and fitting in a new bookshelf-he just called in one of the twins to throw one against the wall behind the couch-to fit all of the old books into.

He actually had to force Logan to throw away some stuff, too. Old college textbooks and even age-old children's books tucked away in his closet, rotting away. (He found them while looking for room for the notebooks.) Logan had to finally admit that he was attached to them because...well, Thomas just doesn't learn nearly as much these days, and while he listens to him a lot more now, there was a time when he didn't, and just...he just missed when Thomas listened to him more. He missed when Thomas was striving for something so educational. He still has that old diploma hanging up just above his desk. (It was one of the few old things he let him keep.) 

Janus had to drill it into him that Thomas does listen to him now, and holding on to the past, no matter how much better it may seem, simply isn't good. He ended up making a deal of sorts; "I'll listen to you rant about whatever you like, whenever you like, if you promise to let go of this all. Listening to you talk is usually fascinating anyways."

Janus ended up with a teary Logan in his arms and a whole box of old children's books and college textbooks to throw away, but he certainly didn't mind. (Remus had fun burning it all in a bonfire later anyways.

That was a fun night; all 6 of them at a little bonfire party in the Imagination.)

(Their chess matches were filled with explanations of astronomy and further chemical engineering knowledge after that, and Janus simply smiled and listened, making winning moves while Logan wasn't looking.

Janus wouldn't have it any other way.)

*Stumbles over myself* ok, hear me out here-

Remus and Virgil, one day, started calling Janus 'mom' as a joke in reference to how he was literally the mom friend among them.

Eventually, though, it was revealed that he actually...really liked the nickname. 

It is part of his purpose to keep the others happy and well, after all. And besides, it just...made him feel. Important. Recognized for trying to help them. 

Also it was a fun little in-joke and it gave Janus a reason to make up cute little nicknames like 'little spider', 'little rat', and 'stormcloud'. 

After Virgil left, though, he...stopped calling him that. Remus kept it up, of course, and Janus was grateful, but still…

It simply felt...wrong.

Eventually, Janus and Remus found their way to him again, and Janus began holding out hope...just a little.

The first time Virgil said it again, it was as a flippant joke after Janus had fretted over his lack of sleep, rolling his eyes and snorting. "Sure, Mom."

Janus immediately paused, tearing up, and a great big smile grew over Remus' face. The others simply watched in confusion, unknowing of their little joke.

Janus smiled softly. "Of course, Little Spider."

Virgil was then left with a crying Janus, an explanation that he didn't mean to but that it was probably fine anyway, and a bunch of confused friends who needed an explanation of their own.

This is gonna sound kinda weird but I like,,,,,have my own ideas for how The Dorks look

Like when I'm writing them I go 'yea they look like that, mhm'

Like Virge has a pair headphones around his neck, 24/7

Jan's hat has a yellow ribbon, Of Course

They switch up their outfits sometimes cause I like that idea and it makes writing more exciting cause I get to explain what they're wearing when they go to hang out and stuff uwu

Also....sides. In skirts

Specifically Jan

Lolo in button ups…...yes pls

Same for Jan tbh

If Pat's not wearing lil friendship bracelets, what's the point??

Ro? Green eyes. Rem? Red. That's it, no debate

*Vibrating* I'm listening to 'I Miss My Mum' by Cavetown and I'm only half a minute in, but,,,,,,

Janus leaving post it notes around to help Virge/possibly Remus/maybe eventually the others remember to take care of themselves is an immaculate concept

Like Virge moves in w the lights and he's like 'shit,,,,,I never realized how much l relied on Jan and his damn post it note system' and now he's just always forgettin shit

And it's not like the other dumbasses there are any good at remembering that shit anyways

Then Jan shows up and he starts up his post it note system again by pure habit, not thinking to tell the others

Rem is like 'business as usual', Virge is like 'oh thank god I missed these things', and the others are like '????'

Pat asks Jan if he knows anything abt the weird post it notes that have been showin up a couple days in and he's like 'oh yea, those are mine, sorry I forgot to tell you guys'

And he's got a color coded system, too

Like if it's a note for Virge, it'll be purple, Remus green, etc

And then notes for everyone are yellow

Yet again, you all have been laid bare to my stupid thoughts that I get at random times!! Hope they were at least a little cool.

where the grass is greener

[sebastian x reader]

author’s note: just a quick thing i wrote over the last couple days, idk where the sudden inspo came from but enjoy <3

word count: 4,532

The twinkling lights of Zuzu City are the stars of some faraway galaxy, and Sebastian wishes he were an astronaut.

He’s yearning for the great beyond, and that’s the natural course of things, isn’t it? To look past the edges of the world within reach, and hope to one day explore the unknown, a search for life, for the future, for a place to call home. The rolling hills of the valley never seem more restrictive or suffocating than when he stands here, high on a cliff, elevated enough to view the bustling city. For a while now he has felt an urge deep in his gut to go there and experience a life so different from his own as it is currently, with the noise and the vastness. The mountains are walls keeping him contained and in the hours that bleed into days that bleed into weeks, he resolves that he’ll break past them when he’s older, and he’ll set course for his goal, for those glittering skyscrapers. What should he name his space shuttle?

Winters in Pelican Town are a special kind of cold, colder than normal due to the basin-like structure with the mountains on either side. The cold crawls in, settling at ground level, and the heat rises and seeps out. Pelican Town, sitting right in the middle, is forced to deal with the remaining chill.  

This morning, the tip of Sebastian’s nose is flushed red from the harsh winter wind. His preference for not wearing scarves leaves him with nothing with which to shield the sensitive skin of his face. It may reasonably be believed, then, that this is cause to hasten his trek to the town center, but his decision to take the long way into town serves evidence to the contrary.

An old man had once owned the large farm to the west, but since his passing, the weeds have festered, and the few buildings on the property are in various states of disrepair. Sebastian walks by on occasion, observing the debris and decay. In winter, the weeds have rotted away and left the wide field barren save for rocks and stray logs. But by spring, they’d be back, and perhaps the new bursts of color from the trees still standing there will lessen the eyesore the steading has become.

Some nights Sebastian comes here to sit with himself and think because he knows he won’t be disturbed. No one comes this way anymore. He likes to sit on the edge of the porch and observe the expanse before him. The small house behind him has darkened windows, once illuminated with a soft yellow glow in the late hours. If Sebastian were to pull open the door (which would require some tools, given that it’s been boarded up, though acquiring them wouldn’t be an issue given his mom’s profession) and glance inside, there would only be cobwebs and silence.

The ponds on the property are frozen and snow clings to dead tree branches and Sebastian can see it all even without the aid of lights, for there are hardly any in this tiny town. Instead, the moon is the main source, a gentle white glow washing over the farm. Sebastian takes a long drag from his cigarette and exhales steadily. The cloud of smoke looks like a puff of air similarly breathed out in cold weather like this, except without the numbness he loves to find in the stick between his fingers. His brows furrow and he glances down, flicking off the ash. It lands on his jeans. Is he just tired all the time, or has he been carrying a pack of sleeping aids in his pocket?

Tired of this place… Sebastian huffs, is faintly amused, is exhausted.

Spring arrives and with it, another year bundled together with another bout of wishful thinking. Sam’s sitting by his desk, one leg crossed over the other and strumming lazily at his guitar. Sebastian sprawls out on the bed, staring at the ceiling and focusing on the sensation of the blood rushing to his head. They’ve been looking into securing a small gig in the city, nothing too big, but something to get their name out there. It stirs Sebastian’s thoughts of moving to Zuzu City permanently, and he loses himself in them as Sam experiments with riffs for the opening of their newest song.

A wrong note is plucked and Sam curses under his breath, then with a heavy sigh he sits up straight to stretch out his spine. During this momentary break, he seems to remember something, for once he relaxes, he grabs Sebastian’s attention.

“Hey, did you hear?”

Sebastian hums and he isn’t certain whether it’s meant to be a hum of question (Hear what?) or of half-hearted approval (That progression sounded good). Perhaps it’s neither, merely a signal to show he’s actually awake, listening for whatever Sam has to say.

“Someone’s moving onto the farm this week.”

Upon this revelation, Sebastian feels a mild irritation. He’d enjoyed having time to himself on that property. It offered an isolation he couldn’t get anywhere else in town, since he was basically the only person to bother passing through. The only ones to know about his late night visits to the abandoned farmstead are Sam and Abigail, but they don’t interrupt him when he’s there, understanding his need for space. Now, however, Sebastian would have to return to the train tracks.

“So the old man did have relatives after all,” he comments quietly.

The reason nothing had been done to the property is that no one in Pelican Town had the authority. After the previous owner’s death, the land had come into the possession of his family. The news had been passed along to said family a while ago, but there wasn’t a response, nor did anyone even come to appraise the farm with the intention of selling it. So there it remained, untouched for months, long enough that some grew skeptical that anyone would ever come to reclaim it.

Sam chuckles. “Guess so. But you have to wonder why now.”

“Yeah…”

If Zuzu City is a galaxy, you’re an asteroid drifting away from that system into the vacuum of space, floating aimlessly until you’re pulled into the orbit of another. And perhaps it is your aspirations and dreams of what you hope to find in this sleepy town that reside within the shooting star Sebastian sees pass overhead a few nights later, outshining the rest who hang in place.

Though if Sebastian’s honest, he has no idea what dreams might involve the valley and the town. It might be a great place for tourists to visit, sure, to bask in the quiet and the freshness, a temporary change of pace from the city. But for him, the quiet is too overbearing to stay here, and he wants to get away. He’d like to switch places with you. You, for some reason, have growing interest in the country life, and he has always had vested interest in the city life. A fair trade, right?

You’ve got quite the fixer-upper to take care of, that’s for certain. However, the sheer amount of work it will require to get the farmstead in an acceptable state doesn’t appear to deter you. You make many trips into town to buy supplies, and Sebastian has seen you when you stopped by his mom’s shop, the two of you working out blueprints for adding a new water well here or a chicken coop there.

The first time he spotted you had been in passing as he ascended the stairs from his room with the plan to get lunch from the kitchen (his first meal of the day). He heard the front door open and close and his mom’s friendly greeting, and he turned to see you walk right up to the counter she stood behind.

You didn’t look like someone from the city. He wouldn’t have guessed that you were if he hadn’t been told previously by Sam, who’d heard it from his mom, who’d heard it from Pierre. You wore a yellow t-shirt beneath light blue overalls (scuffs and dirt marks already marred the denim), the bottoms of which were rolled up neatly, and a pair of dirtied work boots. A red backpack sat on your shoulders and you had your hair pulled back into a messy ponytail.

He briefly listened to your conversation, and you sounded bubbly, excited as you shared your ideas for repairing the farm. And he still might not understand why you had the dreams you did of leaving the city and coming to Stardew Valley, but they’re yours, and you’re making them real, and he’d never fault anyone for that.

Day by day, new life is breathed into the steading you’ve come to call your own. The rocks and logs have been cleared out and you’ve set aside a small section to grow crops. There’s a fenced off area designated to be the site of a new chicken coop, with work beginning tomorrow. You even have a dog now, a stray Marnie came across and brought to your doorstep. Her name’s Daisy. She follows you into town sometimes.

Sebastian sees you often but hasn’t talked to you, other than a curt hello during your first meeting. The short of it is that he doesn’t have much interest in being your friend. He likes his small friend group, and when he isn’t hanging out with them, he’s perfectly content to be alone in his room. Maru brings up over dinner how nice you are, having stopped by the clinic earlier to drop off a basket of strawberries. Then she turns to him and mentions how he really should talk to you because You’ll like her, she’s sweet! But instead of convincing him, it does the opposite and only continues to dissuade him, and he merely sighs, shrugging noncommittally.

Sam and Abigail have taken a liking to you too. They wave you over on a Friday night at the saloon, and you join them in the game room. You excuse yourself from a conversation with Gus and walk over, but once you see Sebastian, you slow down, standing by the doorway. Grinning politely, you lift a hand to wave and give a quiet hello. Evidently you’ve been able to sense Sebastian’s disinterest in you, having kept a similar distance as he at any other time. But tonight, given Sam and Abigail’s invitation, such a distance would be impossible to maintain.

The two of them tell you to relax, and Abigail assures with a laugh Don’t worry, Sebastian doesn’t bite! and you chuckle good-naturedly but Sebastian can surmise you are nervous. For Sam and Abigail’s sakes, he will be a good sport and be friendly. He’s not so childish as to carry on as if you aren’t there. So with a smile, he grabs another pool stick for you.

“We can reset the game,” he informs you as you gently take the stick. “Sam was getting his ass kicked; I was expecting him to ask for a do-over soon anyway.”

“Wha—I was not!”

After that, Sebastian is considerably less averse to speaking with you if you happen to run into each other. He’s still curt, and never tries to carry on a conversation longer than the basic hello’s and how-are-you’s. You don’t push or pry either, to get him to open up, and he appreciates that. You understand he likes his space, and you let him have it.

Ultimately, it’s Sam who encourages him to get to know you better, and he won’t take no for an answer. She’s got plenty of stories to tell about the city, he remarks. I’m sure she’d be happy to share them if you asked.

Sebastian begrudgingly agrees to have an actual conversation with you the next time he’s able to, and he already knows he can’t lie and pretend that he has because you’re friends with Sam, and Sam will inevitably ask if you and he have talked lately. Though ironically, after this, Sebastian doesn’t see you a lot. The end of the season has you scrambling to harvest and ship the remaining crops, and your farm has grown quickly since you’ve been here, which means you’re out in the field most days.

It isn’t until the final day of summer that Sebastian gets the chance. The appearance of the moonlight jellies has everyone out on the beach this evening. Multiple lanterns have been placed on the water to provide better illumination, both for the purpose of viewing the jellyfish and to ensure no one accidentally slips off the edge of the docks. You’re one of the last to arrive, looking tired but satisfied as you speak with Elliott. You make your rounds saying hi and sheepishly brushing off comments on your diligence in preparing the farm for the next season.

Conversations die down to quiet murmurs as the ethereal glow of the jellyfish illuminates the water. Sebastian notices you in his peripherals coming to a stop a few feet away, sitting down and letting your feet dangle over the edge. He hesitates momentarily, but takes a deep breath, resolving himself to just do it, and, sticking his hands in his pockets, he walks towards you.

His boots thud quietly on the wood but if you notice, you don’t react. Not until he talks.

“No Daisy tonight?”

You blink and glance up to see him standing next to you, at a far enough distance that you don’t need to crane your head back painfully to meet his eyes. At his question, you smile lopsidedly and shake your head.

“No, she was too tired to come. She’s been working hard all day.” Usually Daisy accompanies you to the beach, running up and down the shore while you get comfortable on the docks, fishing rod and bag of bait in hand.

Sebastian smiles too, then points at the space to your left. “Mind if I join you?”

“Oh, of course!” You scoot over slightly as Sebastian sits down. The jellyfish are closer now.

“I was thinking of bringing her tomorrow,” you continue the original topic regarding your dog. “To take in that crisp fall air.” The humidity of summer had been fading this past week, leaving in its wake a colder, fresher breeze.

“I bet she’d really like that.” Sebastian might not have much to say, but what he does, he finds himself saying with ease. Perhaps it’s due to to the relief of tension now that he’s finally talked to you past a few courteous remarks, that he’s no longer anticipating the moment because it has already come to pass. And suddenly the prospect of talking to you more doesn’t seem so bad, despite his initial reservations.

“I hope so,” you respond quietly. You flash him a quick smile, then you both turn your attention on the ocean.

The approaching jellyfish are soundless, and with everyone silent, all that can be heard is the gentle lapping of the waves on the support beams of the docks. Spots of light move beneath the surface, the blurry forms of moonlight jellies venturing closer. They pass beneath your dangling feet and the lanterns on the water are poor competition for these creatures.

Sebastian feels you tap on his shoulder a couple of times to grab his attention, and he glances at you. But you draw his attention back to the jellyfish, pointing at one in the distance. Whereas most of the jellies are blue, as is their natural coloring, you’ve spotted a lone green jellyfish. Sebastian smiles and whispers you have a good eye. He’s not sure if anyone else has noticed, but he doesn’t bother to speak up, the silence so full of awe and wonder that he doesn’t want to break it.

The jellyfish congregate near the docks, as if to say goodbye, then slowly they drift back out to sea, and maybe the galaxy called Pelican Town has its own twinkling lights right here.

Green leaves fade to brown in the following days. They detach from the branches and float to the ground, and they’re the satisfying crunch beneath Sebastian’s shoes. The temperature has dropped quickly, and many townsfolk are bundling up to fend off the impending winter chill. The Stardew Valley fair comes and goes, and Sebastian doesn’t understand quite how to appraise the grange displays, but from the passing comments he overhears from Lewis, you put up an impressive arrangement for your first year. However, you don’t win, coming second to Pierre (it was close though).

Sebastian waits to the side as all the participants are given ribbons. You saunter over to him afterward, red ribbon in hand, and Sebastian pulls out his hands from the pocket of his hoodies to clap a few times. You smile shyly and rub the back of your neck, muttering a thanks.

“Hey, not bad for your first go of it,” he commends.

You shrug as you glance down at the ribbon. “I’ll win next year,” you resolve, and he doesn’t doubt it one bit.

The next event on everyone’s minds the second the sun sets on the valley fair is that of Spirit’s Eve. Sam, in particular, has begun to brainstorm costume ideas, first only for himself until he proposes a group costume—for him, Abigail, Sebastian, and you. He starts rattling off movies and games from which to draw inspiration, and Sebastian guesses he was meant to give his approval (or disapproval) for each idea, but Sam is listing them so quickly, excited as he is, that Sebastian hardly gets the opportunity to speak up. But he’s fine with simply listening.

“We really should have a costume contest,” Sam murmurs, voice low in a way that Sebastian isn’t sure if he’s talking to himself. “I wonder if I could ask the mayor to have one this year…”

Sebastian chuckles before he sits up and stands from Sam’s bed. He stretches his arms above his head and glances out the window: it’s completely dark out. The daylight is minimal this time of year, so this fact isn’t satisfactory evidence for the time of night. Rather, it’s the glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand that alerts Sebastian that it’s time to leave, for it’s growing late.

“I think I’m gonna head out,” he announces once Sam’s rambling has quieted down.

Sam nods and stands up as well to walk Sebastian to the front door, but pauses with his hand on the doorknob of his room as he twists around.

“You wouldn’t be taking the long way to your house, would you?”

Sebastian tilts his head. Walking past the farm? He hasn’t done that since you moved in. “I wasn’t planning to. Why?”

“Well it’s just my mom patched up one of [Name]’s shirts and asked if I could give it to her when I see her, but I figure if you’re going to pass by tonight…”

Sebastian nods. “Sure.”

With a smile, Sam picks up a folded long-sleeve from his desk and hands it to Sebastian. “Thanks, man.”

It feels strange to make his way towards the bus stop instead of the park on his way back. He hadn’t taken this route for almost a year, having never been one of the people to pay a visit to your farm. He’s not sure why he never did. Perhaps he didn’t want to be a bother. You’d always given him his space, and he figured it would only be right for him to do the same in return. Though unlike him, you never shy away from visitors, always glad to greet whoever comes over for a quick chat. So perhaps you won’t mind. Hopefully. The last thing he wants is to be in your way.

He’s unsure if you’ll even be awake at this time because you work a lot, and it leaves you exhausted. You don’t tend to stay up late. But as he approaches your farm, he not only spots the light shining through the windows, he sees you sitting on the edge of the porch, right where he has sat so many times prior.

He calls out your name to grab your attention and you look over, smiling when you see him.

“What’s up?" you ask as he comes closer, and your smile widens when he holds out your shirt. “Oh, Jodi’s fixed it! That was fast… I’ll have to bake her a cake to say thanks.” Then you turn to Sebastian and thank him for dropping it off.

But he’s not in a rush to leave, and he inquires what it is you’re doing staying out here so late. You shrug. Just basking in the quiet I guess… and taking it all in. You motion to the field, and Sebastian understands why you’re content to sit and observe the fruits of your labor. He hardly recognizes the expanse, so different from the way it was just a year ago. You’ve poured your love into it and it shows.

“You deserve to be proud of it.”

You smile and the lack of lights conceals the reddening of your cheeks at the compliment. Momentarily your eyes are downcast at the ground, but then they slide back up to observe Sebastian standing there. You take the thermos next to you and hold it out.

“Hot chocolate. Want some?”

He glances at the thermos but shakes his head no thanks, and you retract your hand. The nights are increasingly colder as winter nears, and even if he’s wearing a hoodie and jeans, you’re certain that he’s feeling the brunt of the weather. You speak up again.

“Okay. But it is cold and, well…” You grab the edge of the large, fluffy blanket around your shoulders and stretch out your arm to extend it. “There’s room for two.”

Sebastian catches on to your efforts to ensure he doesn’t freeze, and while he isn’t bothered to stand in the chill for a few minutes, he appreciates your gestures and agrees to this one, closing the gap between you in a several short steps and settling down on the porch. You drop the blanket around his shoulders as well, and both of you look out on the farmstead. In place of weeds and stray rocks are crops and pastures for the animals you’ve started raising. You’ve mentioned before they can be a handful given how many there are when there’s just one of you, but you’re happy to have them. And Daisy helps with the herding at the end of the day, so it could be worse!

The silence is comfortable, but Sebastian finally breaks it.

“Why’d you leave?”

You glance at him, confused as to what he’s referring to. He elaborates.

“The city.” He turns his eyes from the field to you. “What made you want to come to the valley? I mean… it’s so quiet, too quiet sometimes. I’ve always wanted to move to Zuzu City. I want to get away from here. But you did the exact opposite.”

This is the most he has ever opened up to you, and it surprises him how easily it slips out. But it’s too late to take back the words now, as they hang in the air between you, and his breath catches in his throat because, frankly, he’s embarrassed. He’s never this quick to share his feelings, his thoughts, his one wish to leave this sleepy town and not look back. And he’s worried what you’ll say, what you’ll think, of the candidness springing up from nowhere.

You don’t respond immediately, which fuels his concerns even more, but he realizes it’s the time spent putting your own words together carefully, as you smile gently, a reassurance that it’s okay to talk about these things. You’ll listen to whatever he has to say, and you’ll still be there even if he says nothing.

With a deep sigh, you face forward again to survey the farm. And you explain to Sebastian that you’d been in the city your whole life. Before your grandfather passed away, he left you a letter with explicit instructions only to open it when you grew tired of the hustle and bustle, of the fast pace of the city and the same thing day-in, day-out at your corporate job. I thought I could handle it, you muse, but I just cracked one day. One boring day… I can’t even remember if it was a Wednesday or a Friday because they all felt the same. You chuckle dryly.

Sebastian is watching you closely, patiently waiting for you to continue. You’ve followed his lead and opened up, and he has found himself intensely curious to discover more about you.

You take another deep breath, acutely aware of the crisp air that floods your lungs. “In the letter, he called the valley the place where he truly belonged. And I thought maybe it would be the same for me.” You stay quiet after this for several moments, both of you contemplating what you’ve said, but then you perk up and look at him. “Of course, if you want to go to Zuzu City, if you truly feel you’ll thrive there, then go. I’m not trying to dissuade you.”

It’s Sebastian’s turn to give you a smile of reassurance. He has taken no offense to the story you shared. He understands where you come from. People are different, have different desires and goals. But he’s not ready to turn the conversation on himself, still wanting to focus on you, if only for a minute or three longer.

“Is it the same for you?” he inquires quietly. “Do you feel this is where you truly belong?”

It’s a reasonable follow-up to your story, yet it still gives you pause and you mull it over. Even before you speak, Sebastian can already see the answer in the softening features of your face, as you stare at the field you have worked so hard to turn into something worthwhile. He’s not sure what you’re thinking, but he’d like to have penny for your thoughts because your eyes slide towards him now, and they are fond and your smile is soft and he wonders if it means anything.

“Yes,” you state finally. “I think it is.”

You watch each other, and the corner of Sebastian’s lips lifts in a small smile, unable to be contained after witnessing yours. His chest tightens and he wonders if all this—the town and the valley and him and you—if maybe it means everything. Because the air seems fresher and the moon seems brighter and he finds he doesn’t want to lift off in his space shuttle if it takes him farther away from you. So maybe he’ll stay on the ground just a little longer.

He drops his gaze to the thermos you hold. “I’ll take some of that hot chocolate if you’re still offering.”

You laugh and nod, twisting off the lid. “Yeah, here, hold on…”

The autumn evening is beautiful, and for once, the valley feels like home.

SWAG ANOTHER DREAM SMP AU FIC IDEA THAT ILL NEVER WRITE POG

this is a very long post please im so sorry my brain it just

(tw for like slight possession n shit)

(sorry its all jumbled i write all of these in discord to my friend and copy paste them here please if u have questions ask me im always willing to talk abt this shit please it haunts me)

(context: i saw a tiktok abt the hc that both dream and techno are gods of some sort bc theyre mentioned in the tales of the smp by karl a time traveller and my brain just ran w it)

going back to the techno and dream are gods thing right so dream is a vessel for the god dream xd (??? work in progress youll know what im talking about at some point its really funny tho uve def seen clips of it) and he was possessed?? by the god after the server started (when he started going from super friendly with everyone to control/power hungry) when he started sacrificing everything for power so no one could have power over him? that was the god making him do it bc the god was terrified of not being in control since theyd lost it all to techno in their past. thats why we never see dream and techno fight and why we see dream extend help and support to him at times as well as respecting his boundaries and such bc theyre scared of techno (again w the best of 10 duel reference, techno killed the god in a past life which is why the god has been forced to use a human vessel to get anything done on the mortal plane) but when something that powerful spends pretty much any amount of time in something mortal and mundane like a person, the host body starts to change (hence the mask) i like to think that the god would be akin to that of a biblically correct angel?? like the ones w multiple eyes n shit yk so after time things start to happen to normal dreams body he gets extra sets of eyes and he gets taller and overall his body seems just Too Small for whatevers inside of him and thats why he (hc) started wearing the mask in the first place he knew something was wrong w him but he didnt want anyone to know even tho they would most likely help him he was ashamed that he was different in the first place so he started wearing the mask once the other eyes showed up. and i think that the god would talk to dream similarly to how technos voices work yk? except its just the one voice instead of many many small ones. and again with the mask thing when he lost to tommy and they took him in, part of his mask broke to the point where u could see just a bit of the right side of his face but enough to see that it Wasnt Right there were two eyes where there shouldve been one and spots on his cheeks bright enough to resemble stars and where the color of his pupil should have been is just a sickeningly neon green with nothing else behind it. so they let him keep the mask even tho they already know something is wrong but it clearly makes him Very Distressed when asked to remove the mask or told to give it up. blah blah blah god harassing its host bc it got them caught and thrown in a prison and dream goes ever so slightly insane having to share a mind and body with a literal ancient god w a vendetta against everything hes built whos forced him to sacrifice everything he loved and cared for out of fear yk the usual prison shit and then techno comes a long and breaks him out or whatever but on their way back to his house he drops a really cryptic line abt how 'its nice to see an old friend again' and 'i thought i got rid of u for good last time' and dream is just ???? what are u talking about?? weve never been friends and youve never gotten rid of me? what. until techno spins around and just 'im not talking to you im talking to the thing inside u' or whatever and dreams eyes flash some brilliant gold or sumn and boom this is ur fellow god speaking how may i help you and dream xd (that feels so wrong to say but) and techno bond or well ig just talk abt how the past centuries have gone and ig while xd is fronting (??? i think itd kinda be like DID in a sense w multiple people being able to front yk?) dream is in a sort of semi conscious state but still hears everything going on around his own body until hes thrown back into the drivers seat (i think that xd would only be able to front for short periods of time due to the vessel n shit that makes sense right) and hes so confused someone please help him hes just a dude who happened to get possessed by a god someone help him so when they finally get back to technos house he sits dream down and explains the best he can without literally melting dreams brain. which would also play into the 'technoblade never dies' bc hes. literally a god. mortals cant kill him unless they have idk some sort of super weapon idk and blah blah blah xd gets what they want and finally has the ability to leave finally leaving dream literally the shell of a man with no home friends materials or anything with techno to basically take care of him until he reaches some semblance of stability again (which would take ages, realistically (wdym realistically) going from normal, to a god sharing a body with you and speaking in you brain living as a single being together and hearing their thoughts, to back to normal but with all the memories of what you did and what they made you do and also no more god speaking in ur head it would take a hot sec to recover from) so he lives with techno (whos, not to mention, another god) for a while until he can fend for himself again and after a good year or so passes and no one hears from dream they start to look for him and see what happened bc he went from the biggest threat on the server to just. gone. no one knows where he went after whatever he did and they want closure. is he dead?? who knows. so george and sap set out looking for him and decide to ask techno for help since hes good w directions n shit also he was the last person to see dream alive so he might have an idea of where he is and they walk up to his house and knock on his door and techno opens it and just stares at them he knows who they are, dreams talked about them before but hes never met them really so he talks to them, getting through the polite hellos how are yous before sap finally asks 'do you know what happened to dream? no one knows where he went and we just want closure' techno huffs and tells them to wait there he (this is the basement door im using his arctic tundra house in my head) goes down the ladder to the second basement, they can hear him talking to multiple people (ranboo phil dream) but cant tell who everyone is before coming back up the ladder, back to the door. he tells them to wait outside he needs to get something first (its dream hes getting dream) theyre standing out by carls stable when the door creaks open and dream steps out looking around for who the fuck could possibly be looking for them he betrayed everyone and most people thought he was dead who could possibly be here asking for himself and not ranboo or philza and when he steps out, his green hoodie (memento made by ranboo to help him cope w the loss of the voice in his head) catching the morning light off the snow and he was happy and then he saw them standing by the house hed grown to call home at least for now he breaks. he missed them so so much it hurt. he never expected to see them ever again much less them come looking to see him but hes scared he realizes he doesnt know what to say there is nothing to say he fucked them all over he ruined everything and then hes being hugged. they missed him too. they dont forgive him jsut yet but they missed him and thats enough for him right now. the three of them stand there just being in each others presences and techno creaks the door open to make sure they arent trying to kill each other and sighs and leans against the frame smiling. hes happy again and thats the best he can do for him. he invites them all in and offers to explain everything to them to try and ease the blame off of dream bc in all honesty it was his fault but xd made it far far worse that it should have been (a bit late but foot note abt xd i think that they would be an idle god until someone w intense feelings of powerlessness and insecurity like awoke them from their techno induced slumber and inhabited dream to help him fulfill his desires for power and control) and by the time he and dream are finished its late at night and sap and george are ??? so u were possessed by a god who techno killed centuries ago in a duel and it amplified ur feelings of insecurity and ur thirst for control to the point of isolating urself from us and destroying everything everyone cared abt?? also technos an ancient god who lusts for bloodshed but also makes turtle farms in his free time?? are we getting this right????? and techno and dream are just yea thats abt it glad this all made sense then they all go to bed (its a small house dream has a lil shack like ranboos and sap and george somehow slept over there for the night) and in the morning sap and george leave again but promise to come back, they still arent ready to forgive and forget bc even tho it wasnt all his fault his emotions getting away from him is what caused this all in the first place so they do need time to process now that they know he isnt dead and dream continues to live near techno in almost full independence and eventually moves back with his friends even tho many still hate him. hes happy and for now thats enough. another foot note; even after xd leaves his being, he still has the extra eyes, glowy freckles n is xtra tall n shit that cant just be reversed but now that hes himself again these things take their tolls on human bodies so i think hed have something at least similar to arthritis bc of how his bones were literally manipulated bc of how strong ethereal magic or whatever is. so he would still wear the broken mask but he takes it off now and is ok with it being off hes working on getting better now that hes himself again and everyone living w/by techno is helping him with that. also i think that he would get blinks of xd's memories like from when techno was killing them and have sumn like ptsd panic attacks from it and techno feels super guilty abt it but theres literally nothing he can do except apologize and after the first few times dream stopped him from apologizing bc it is his fault but he didnt do it to him so it doesnt matter to dream at least and they live in pretty much harmony until dream finally moves back in w george and sap the end. he also started wearing the mask in the first place bc of the extra eyes but he played it off as being uncomfortable around new people and not wanting them to know what he looked like until he trusted them (bc that literally makes sense irl how funky is that) so sap and george never pushed him and when they caught him without it on on the rare occasion they wouldnt pressure him to leave it off or anything even tho they already knew what he looked like (when they respect ur boundaries </3) they just assumed that it was insecurity (it was but also mans had like 3 eyes so) and just left him alone

Blending left field jazz elements with club tropes to forge something truly new, Emma-Jean Thackray's work is never less than riveting. New album Yellow is out on July 2, with the composer commenting: “It’s a record about togetherness, the oneness of all things in the universe, showing love and kindness, human connection. I approached the record by trying to simulate a life-changing psychedelic experience, an hour where we see behind the curtain to a hidden dimension, where the physical realm melts away and we finally see that we are all one.” Set to be released via her own Movementt imprint, the album is led by gorgeous new single 'Say Something' - opening with glimmers of Rhodes piano, it leans on that hi-hat shuffle before Emma-Jean Thackray uses her voice to elevate the song. A plea towards communication, it's a powerful introduction. [via Clash]

Philadelphia punk rockers Mannequin Pussy have released the title track to Perfect, their upcoming EP due out May 21. The new song comes with a flashy music video that’s inspired by the kitschy glamor of Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, too. Musically, 'Perfect' is a distorted blaze of rock guitars that sees vocalist-guitarist Missy eviscerating the idea that people must manicure their own social media presence. “Last year, I found myself spending more time on my phone than I ever had in my life… I realized that through years of social media training, many of us have grown this deep desire to manicure our lives to look as perfect, as aspirational as possible,” explained Missy in a statement. “We want to put ourselves out there, share our lives, our stories, our day to day — and these images and videos all shout the same thing: ‘Please look at me, please tell me I’m so perfect.’ It’s simultaneously a declaration of our confidence but edged with the desperation that seeks validation from others.” In the accompanying music video, directed by Missy, viewers get to watch as a 10-year reunion at Sugarbush High slowly unravels. It opens on three former classmates, all three of whom are pregnant, dishing some hushed gossip and talking about how they want to get plastic surgery that’s so good they mistake one another for strangers. Cue two students-turned-drag queens making a grand entrance and strutting their stuff on the dance floor (mirroring the 1997 comedy classic) while old classmates gasp, shield their eyes, and panic. Meanwhile, Mannequin Pussy can be seen tearing up the band stage while they perform live. [via Consequence]

Following the release of her debut EP I Can’t Cry For You in December, Manchester’s Phoebe Green is back with new bop ‘IDK’. “[It] explores a complete detachment from reality, observing things from a place of total apathy and feeling as though I’m witnessing my life as a bystander with little to no connection to it,” Phoebe explains. “It’s a horrible state to be in, I think it happens when I get overwhelmed.” [via DIY]

Fast-rising French-Korean artist spill tab is unveiling her latest mesmerising single ‘Anybody Else’. Accompanied by a new vid directed by friend and collaborator Jade Sadler, spill tab says, “This song is cheesy as fuck but I love it, it’s pretty straight forward, a little shameless - the lyrics are sort of a way of expressing my love without openly saying I love you. Jade Sadler (the video director) and I just wanted to have a shit ton of fun on this one. We thought about something with narrative or plot and it was just getting to be too corny. I wanted something lighthearted and playful, so we decided we would have all of our homies in this video paired with different colors and angles and set designs. I’m so excited with the way it turned out.” [via DIY]

Willow Kayne has shared her debut single 'Two Seater'. The Gen Z talent links together huge opposing forces, creating her own potent brand of rebel-pop. New single 'Two Seater' finds Willow blazing a trail, upending convention through melding together differing sounds. The lush, 90s inspired soundscape leans on nostalgic impulses, but her punk-like disregard for convention is sheer pop futurism. Produced by DANIO, it finds Willow Kayne coming into her own completely off the bat. [via Clash]

BENEE has shared a video for her single ‘Happen To Me’. It’s the latest cut from her debut album, Hey u x, which arrived last November featuring guest spots from the likes of Grimes, Lily Allen and Flo Milli. “This song is super important to me,” she says. “It’s the opening track [on the album]. It’s the first song where I’ve written about anxiety. The lyrics are pretty dark. Life is pretty crazy right now, and I think it’s important to talk about this kind of stuff.” Of the video, she adds: “Stoked to be sharing this music video with everyone! I filmed it with a bunch of mates, and it was the coolest set! Hope you love it as much as I do.” [via Dork]

Los Angeles-based art-pop artist Kit Major has shared the music video for 'When the Drugs Don't Work,' a more introspective stab at her signature dark, electropop sound. Blending driving dance beats and thumping hyperpop-influenced synths, Kit Major creates an intoxicating elixir of soundbites and grit. Taking inspiration from Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, and Charlotte Lawrence, 'When the Drugs Don't Work' dives into the overwhelming vulnerability and panic of failing to curb a depressive episode with medication. With this release, Kit Major furthers her efforts to be open and make light of her mental health struggles. On the video, Kit Major shares, "'When The Drugs Don't Work' was filmed in one weekend, directed by my best friend in my departed grandparents' now empty house. We filmed this in quarantine without a crew and worked to create a dark & twisted fairytale together. When I first started thinking about the video, I knew I wanted a more lighthearted take to balance the darker theme of my mental health in the song. I wrote the lyric, “little princess hurt locked away inside her palace,” because sometimes when I'm isolated in my room I visualize myself as a Disney princess running inside her castle, instead of being in my bed, surrounded by empty water bottles. This song was written from a mix of different perspectives including my own, my persona, and outside voices. I think we accomplished the storytelling behind WTDDW by portraying the importance of imagination and trusting yourself."  Alongside, director Noël Dombroski adds, "WDDW is a raw, introspective song from Kit that shines a light on parts of herself that at times may be hard to face. We were lucky enough to be able to shoot at Kit's late grandparents' house, an emotionally significant location that acts in the video as the inside of Kit's head. We wanted to challenge viewers to look at every facet of themselves and realize that each part is valuable, even if you may not like it. A conversation we had a lot was about the color scene, where the image of Kit is being pulled apart by color channels. You may hate one of those colors, but you still need it to create that full image. The same can sometimes be said about depression - it may be a layer of yourself that you don't care for, but without that experience, I don't know that WDDW could exist." The music video dives into the psychological turmoil at the heart of the track with a hyperstylized touch. Spotlights wander through a funhouse version of Kit's childhood home, hunting down our protagonist, who we find trapped behind bars, downing teardrops from teacups and champagne from the bottle. Simultaneously unnerving and stimulating in a Paranormal Activity-meets Alice in Wonderland aestheticism, the music video for 'When the Drugs Don't Work' dives into the floating images of a mental breakdown with a fever dream lucidity.

Number One Popstar continues to prove herself as a powerhouse, shaking up the music world with her fresh, unapologetic beats. This week, she shares another one, her new single 'Forever 21.' And no, it’s not about clothes. 'Forever 21' begins with a kicking beat, but subdued with reflective, twinkly keys. It’s a perfect mix of existential dread and dance. Carrying this vibe throughout, it breaks in between with a beaming guitar-driven bridge. Lyrically, the track makes us question why brands and media make it seem like our twenties are our prime, when we still have our whole lives ahead of us? Despite the effervescent pop sound, Hollowell got vulnerable about her past and its effect on the song, saying, "I initially started writing 'Forever 21' when I found myself looking back on my early 20’s, wanting to recapture the hopeful and dumb feelings of my youth. But the longer I spent on the song, the more it became a reflection of the loss I faced when my parents passed away in my early 20s. I started looking at my own fear of death, of dying like them. I really didn’t know where my life was headed back then. […] I eventually turned that painful experience into a motivation to go after everything I wanted in life. To be seriously less serious, recognizing everything is fleeting.” Like her other music videos, Hollowell likes to flip popular culture and societal expetations on their head. While also bringing the fear of aging to life, she also reminds audiences to stay present instead of holding on to youth. [via Earmilk]

Following in the footsteps of Prince and Lizzo, Dizzy Fae is set to become the Twin Cities’ next pop sensation. She just dropped her brand new track, 'BODY MOVE', and much like the name suggests, it will make you want to move. Self-described as alternative R&B, Fae takes a few notes from contemporary hyperpop artists like Charli XCX and Doja Cat with an industrial iciness that plays off the technicolor pop melodies. It’s an influence you can hear on 'BODY MOVE', produced by New York’s Stelios (Young Thug, SZA). The track builds itself off a snappy, rubber band bass line indebted to pop’s recent disco revival. “It’d be so cruel if I didn’t let my body move,” Fea’s voice loops through a robotic filter. A buzzing drum machines barrels in at the chorus, transforming the lightly retro groove to a futuristic club track more akin to the production styles of 100 gecs. But for all the modern influences, the Ying Yang Twins reference shows she’s a student of all types of music. [via Consequence]

Technically, 'Your Power' is not the lead single from Billie Eilish’s newly announced album Happier Than Ever. The album includes two songs she released last year: the jazzy, well received ballad 'my future' and the contemptuous multi-format radio hit 'Therefore I Am.' However, 'Your Power' is the first song Eilish has released since announcing the new album, debuting her new look, and officially commencing her LP2 era, so there’s definitely a deep sense of anticipations around the song. Eilish teased 'Your Power' this week with a brief sound snippet featuring acoustic guitar and the words “Try not to use your power” sung to a Feist-y melody. Now the full song and its Eilish-directed music video have arrived. The completed record remains as soft, pretty, and devastatingly sad as the preview audio. In the clip, a slow pan across a mountainside in the Simi Valley reveals Eilish in the clutches of a gigantic snake. (A press release specifies that it’s an 80-pound anaconda.) [via Stereogum]

i love hearing what you have to say about season 4!! i promise it’s not too long lol, anyway i have a question for you: what do you think the next season holds for mike & el? i’m a little worried tbh

ahhh thank you !! same rules apply: spoilers ahead, so please read no further and blacklist/filter out the ‘s4′, ‘st4′, ‘spoilers’ tags if you don’t want to see anything !! 

i’m going to talk about them both as individuals and as a pair but first, i have to say that i don’t personally feel like you have to worry about them breaking up or anything again this season. i think s4 is really going to establish romantic jopper and once that happens, i don’t see them, mileven, or jancy not being endgame unless someone actually dies. which -- i’m not going to think about the possibility of anyone dying until i’m forced to confront it, so. this is fiction and it’s already unrealistic and i’m gonna take my ‘everyone survives, happiness all around, time to relax’ endings and go. anyway, i would love to add lumax to this list but i honestly think it could go either way depending on what happens in s4. that’s a different essay, though.

i tend to think that the most important dynamic on the show is the one between the whole group and i just don’t really see them spending much more time trying to develop romantic relationships outside of the ones set up since s1/2. maybe steve, robin, and will get love interests, maybe they decide to develop dustin and suzie more, maybe suzie is never even mentioned again, idk. but these will probably all be secondary -- as in less screen time, not less important than the main romances, but probably still less developed. unless it happens to be a new person added to the main cast. which, as of now, the only new mains are brett and priah who has gone from recurring to regular. so.  

i think s3 showed how messy and complicated romantic relationships (or, really just relationships in general) can be. everyone was arguing, there was miscommunication all around, everyone thought they knew what was best, no one was seeing eye to eye. but when it comes down to it, they would do anything for each other. they understand each other better than anyone else ever could. i can’t see them spending another season on breakups and romance drama after the ending of s3.  

mike and el have already been separated once before. this time, mike knows for sure that she’s alive and that’s she’s with the byers. this time, el won’t be kept completely isolated away from everyone else. they’ve made plans to meet for the holidays. they can still call and talk to each other as much as they want. i’m hoping they handle being separated this time better than they did in s2. i don’t want mike to be moping and i don’t want el to spend a lot of the season thinking about how much she misses him. in fact, i think in their case that some distance could be good for them. the same for jancy and jopper, too, honestly. it’ll be nice to see them existing outside of these relationships while still acknowledging how important they are.   

as far as i know, the byers and el stuff has not started filming yet so all there is to speculate on are rumors, the audition tapes, and logical guesses about where the story goes after s3. el obviously moves away with the byers. we still don’t know where. she’ll still be mourning hopper and trying to figure out life without her powers. and, of course, she’ll be in a long distance relationship with mike. i think she’ll be having a hard time and she’ll wish that mike was around, but she’ll realize she’s got a pretty good support system around her now with the byers, too. i’m very, very excited for more joyce and el content particularly, but there’s gotta be some great scenes with her and will and jonathan as well. 

there’s only one audition tape that i can confidently tie into the byers + el plot(s?) and it’s the queen bee/mean girl character ‘angela’. if we’re running with the whole ‘there may be some truth to the audition vids’ thing, then this one teases that el will be going to school and that angela will be bullying her. this is something she would probably want to talk about with mike (b i g troy s1 vibes) but i don’t know if she actually would ? so this is probably more a thing that el and will could bond over or that she could talk about with joyce or maybe jonathan. i do think there will be at least a few calls between the two of them before the action really hits and the whole group is (hopefully...) reunited.

so, el -- at least in the beginning of s4 -- will be going to school where ‘angela’ bullies her, forming a bond with joyce + will + jonathan and becoming part of the family, mourning hopper (+ hopefully having conversations about him + his past with joyce), missing her friends back in hawkins, continuing to learn how to navigate life without her powers, and trying to maintain a long distance relationship with mike. 

mike... i’ve been seeing some wild theories about him today but they aren’t really that far-fetched i think. first, going back to the audition tapes, the ‘eddie’ audition i saw makes it seem like mike is going to be part of the hellfire club with dustin. i’ve recently learned that there’s another version of the scene where ‘eddie’ is only talking to dustin and mike might not be a part of the club after all. if he isn’t part of the club, then the basketball v. hellfire, jocks v. nerds thing turns into lucas v. dustin and mike’s probably there just caught in the middle while max is off distancing herself from everyone.

at this point, i really want mike and max to become good friends. i think the end of s3 gave them the perfect opportunity. s4 max has s2 mike vibes. it’s not the same situation at all, but he knows kinda what she’s feeling and they could connect through that + the fact that they’ll both be missing el. i also just really want... some wheeler siblings content. i’m hopeful that s4 gives us good nancy and mike scenes bc there’s no reason not to give us good nancy and mike scenes (+holly!). however...

while there’s proof that gaten and sadie and natalia and priah have all been filming since production restarted, and while i have reason to believe that caleb has been filming a lot inside/at the studio recently... there’s no evidence that finn has been on set. there’s none for maya and joe, either, but people have said that finn isn’t even in atlanta right now. maybe he is and maybe he just hasn’t been seen and maybe he’ll pop back up tomorrow. or, maybe he already filmed whatever he needed to film for hawkins before production stopped.  

the wild theory that’s popped up today is that everything gets to be too much for him in hawkins and he just... hops on a train to go visit el + the byers. i don’t know if i buy it, but it is interesting to note that he was sitting with them at the table read. and since we can guess that steve and robin will still be working at the video store, robin and nancy will be investigating pennhurst together, lucas and max may have some angst, joyce and murray are probably teaming up for the finding/saving hopper plot, and el is going to bond with will and jonathan, it seems like the order might mean a little something. i’d even bet that dustin and erica have scenes with them bonding over d&d.    

now this theory pretty much only exists because no one’s seen finn on set and one of the paps posted some pics of some trains. there’s also always theories about how there will be issues at home with the wheeler fam and if that’s going to happen, what better time than in s4 when all of his friends are pulling away and el’s gone again. so if he is missing el (and will) that much, and if he has any reason to worry about her and how she’s doing, or if the party becoming distant and issues at home are weighing on him and he feels like he needs to get away, he’s absolutely the type to venture off on a train by himself. i don’t know how it would work since he’s definitely supposed to still be in school and his friends/nancy at least would notice he’s gone, but.. it’s fun to think about and we’ve got zero actual content to go off of right now.  

another way i could see mike’s plot going is that he’s the one trying to keep the party together this season. playing mediator with lucas and dustin, becoming better friends with max, being the connection between the hawkins plot and the byers plot (along with nancy). 

there was also talk of him joining the track team bc the track has been set up with hawkins high colors for filming. but mike ‘this isn’t a stupid sports game’ wheeler? i don’t think so... basically, no one knows at the moment what’s happening with mike wheeler in s4 lol.

s4 mike is just like s4 byers fam -- a complete mystery to me currently. i don’t personally think that he’ll be leaving school and hopping on a train to visit el. i think he’ll be a part of the hellfire club with dustin, or that he won’t and instead will be attempting to keep the party from completely disbanding. i hope that we get wheeler siblings scenes and that max and mike have a breakthrough and become better friends. i also feel like he’ll be having some complicated feelings about hopper, the last interaction they had, etc. and, again, the whole long distance thing with el. 

so... mike and el broke up in s3. it was messy. but then they reconciled. and then hopper “died”. s3 ended with them at this weird place where she’s heard him say that he loves her and she’s told him that she loves him back. things are a little awkward in the scene bc everything has changed at this point, but a kiss, an ‘i love you’, planning to meet up on the holidays, and promising to call frequently all sounds like they’re back together and going to try making the long distance thing work to me. 

i think they’ll be together when s4 starts. i think that we’ll probably only see them talking on the phone or their radios for the first few eps. maybe we’ll see flashbacks or something to them being together on the holidays. the distance might be hard and they’re definitely going to be missing each other. like... el doesn’t have mike or hopper with her now and i’m thinking the party is going to be drifting apart, plus they’re both probably going to have other personal issues that have nothing to do with each other or the party. maybe they’ll be experiencing some emotional distancing of their own while dealing with the aftermath of hopper’s “death”, the move, and whatever’s going on with them at home and at school. i think that once they reunite (probably not until the last half of the season), they’re likely to be stronger than ever. 

now, onto personal theories that have zero basis. for some reason, i can’t get it out of my head that this season might dive into psychological horror a little bit ? like a greatest fears type of thing ?? and i keep thinking about brenner popping back up and using the people el loves to get to her or something and 👀👀 

Herald Commentary

I’m happy with the wide range of cards that people jumped into for this contest! There was a wide range, but a lot of modern ideas. I think because of Magic’s contemporary focus on legendary creatures, many people sought ideas that came from more recent sets. Looking at the entries, what do you think?

Let’s get to commentary!

@ace-hobo​ — Caller of Devastation

That’s a pretty cool name, and it’s an interesting flavor that you’re going for. I would have rather seen a card that focused on a singular card and follower, one that fits an isolated flavor. For the sake of this contest, it makes sense that you would name the cards. I could see this printed in a regular set as a card that tutored for a God creature card or something.

@aethernalstars​ — Caller of the Harvest

Alright, it took me a second to understand this card. I don’t think that almost-irremovable devotion is a pain in extended formats, but in a vacuum it’s a pain in the butt, and I’m not a huge fan. Still, a cool idea for mechanical execution. Still trying to figure out how a plant becomes a cleric. Additionally, those symbols: it should be “GW, T:” with the comma and space.

@cas-420 — Crackling Boltkin

Now this is fun. Honestly, I would have liked this card better as either a graveyard summon or a library summon, not both. I’m really proud of you for the wording on this, though. It’s a complex idea that you pulled off well. The double triggers plus the double search makes this card feel like it’s trying to do a little too much, but I like the name and I like the concept. It feels like a contemporary elemental.

@dabudder​ — Gerrard, Legacy Protector

It’s interesting to see white using the graveyard as a “keep this secret safe” kind of thing. I think. Man, that ability though... I can imagine this being pretty crazy broken in some capacity. Stacking a bunch of different legendary artifacts and big bombs or something... I don’t know, this card feels powerful and worrying but it probably isn’t broken. Small note: The card is just “Weatherlight” lol

@dimestoretajic​ — Yar-Kul, the Maggot

I actually remember reading about Yargle way back in the Dominaria days. Man, wish I could have afforded more Magic back then... Anyway. I personally find the “card within a card” concept pretty fun. There’s nothing really objectively wrong with this card. If I had to find a criticism, it feels minorly clunky that one legend is a search while one is just a sacrifice. Comparing that to that Reef Worm thing from the Commander set, it’s just a little iffy. But it fulfills the contest and I like it.

@ezurad​ — Mad Cultist

Looks like you forgot to change the name in that activated ability there? Always always proofread. Conceptually, I think I like this card. For a common, I would have added reminder text to the Madness instead of adding flavor text, as cool as the flavor is. Interesting take on an “any number of X” ability. This card also needs a shuffle clause after the search, FYI. Not a bad entry!

@fractured-infinity​ — Hunter’s Prey

I don’t know enough about the Ikoria storyline, and that’s on me. Regardless, I get it, and it’s a fine enough tutor even if it is pretty easy to abuse. It’s a unique take on the tutor, and it’s a cool flavor to set out prey to summon your Snapdax. Two wording criticisms: One, the name doesn’t need to be in quotes; and Two, the shuffle clause can be added to the previous sentence e.g. “When ~ dies, its owner may search their library for a card named Snapdax, Apex of the Hunt, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle their library.” Minor things, no biggie.

Genex-P — Herald of the Night

We’re going WAY back. I had to search this card because I was actually totally unfamiliar by name alone. I really like that! And holy crap, I didn’t know that Nightstalker was a real creature type. I do wish that the tokens contributed to the search, though. It feels weird that the first ability still requires you to have a different Nightstalker to activate it. Still, neat idea, pretty fun, and a great old callback with modern updates. Amazing flavor text, too.

@gollumni​ — Incarnation of Aclazotz

And I’m also not super familiar with Ixalan story, either, but that doesn’t mean this card isn’t cool. It’s complex, and it’s a little confusing to take things and turn them about, but the card itself plays well. I would really have liked for that token to have indestructible, personally, but that would have been a little too powerful for five mana. Still, cool concept, and an interesting “land tutor” in black.

@greensunzenith​ — Meroe Revane

Flavorfully, I think this card is really cool, even if I’m not positive that it makes sense considering... Would Nissa’s mom be on Zendikar where all this takes place? IDK. Anyway, mechanically, the fact that you have to have to have both the cards to do anything is a big ask. Nissa Revane, the card, was pretty egregious for asking to have that card itself. But yeah, I’m not the biggest fan of this card’s mechanics. Still a fun card conceptually.

@gus-goose — Herald of the Hunt

Another Snapdax stan? Did Snapdax become the ultimate Ikoria stan when I wasn’t looking? Anyway. I think that the combination of cards is a flavorful way to express devotion to Snapdax and I like how you included the mutate clause. I’m not a fan of how the ability works mechanically. Building around this card is pretty moot, because the setup feel like too much when you could just get Snapdax itself. Were there enough of those in Ikoria? There were a lot of creatures there... I don’t know, this card just feels like too much work.

@haru-n-harkel​ — Moonrise Dragster

I like the concept of searching for a flavorful aura like Caught in the Brights. It’s a fun and interesting way of tutoring for control cards. There’s a lot about this card that I’m not sure I understand. Why such a high crew cost? The mana cost to P/T ratio feels all out of whack. I’m also not sure why there’s the “doesn’t untap” clause. Is it flavorful? Is it a mechanical addition? I just don’t “get” a lot of this card’s decisions. Power-level wise, getting the aura from your graveyard is too much. It’s not a weak enchantment. 

@i-am-the-one-who-wololoes​ — Devotee’s Squire

It’s a cute idea, I think. A little bit underwhelming to search for a card to search for a card. I’m not sure why this card mechanically exists. Flavorfully, this also takes place on Theros, Greek mythology, which as far as I know doesn’t have knights or squires.

@ignorantturtlegaming​ — Whirling Waves

This card is...powerful. I think the first ability is crazy, but fine. Second ability is insanely overpowered in limited. Third ability is holy cow powerful, assuming you mean “X on each” and not “X distributed.” Conceptually, I like this card a lot and I think that it’s a cool summon. In practical terms, the power level needs significant tweaking.

@karkatvantasticvantas​ — The Second Scourge

Interesting! “Tapped and crewing” is a fantastic little tweak with a flavorful idea behind it that I fully support. Seven mana for that cost, though, is... It feels like a little much, but it probably isn’t? I would have made this card colorless, honestly. I don’t think the Grixis colors are really useful here. “Menace” should be lowercase. This is a unique card, and I think I like it. Probably should be a rare.

@koth-of-the-hammerpants — Krajling Incubator

“Egg Ooze.” Love it. Great flavor text and a pretty fun card that’s very Simic. Two small notes: “Remove” should be capitalized, and the card needs a shuffle clause. Aside from that, I think that this card is a pretty fun uncommon. I wish there was a way that it could put counters on creatures.

@misterstingyjack​ — End Times Proselytizer

Thirteen colorless nonland permanents is a LOT. Even if you get something crazy off that first trigger, getting up there is a lot. Thirteen creatures would be enough, honestly. If you would have an easier time casting Emrakul by herself than using this card, then things might be a little too crazy. Also, why doesn’t the first ability just say “for each non-Eldrazi creature that died this turn”? I think this is a cool card, but it’s just not as good as the creature you’re searching for. I do love how you cast it from outside the game.

@ozthearistocrat​ — Oketra’s Blade

It’s a concept that I appreciate for sure. Getting a creature at different points in the story feels like a Time Spiral-esque idea. Honestly, though, I’m not a fan of the mechanics here. There are two different sets for a reason, and the spirit of the contest is a little different than that. Still, not a bad idea. FYI, I would really look into getting your MSE set up with fonts, because this card is REALLY hard to read.

@real-aspen-hours​ — Oracle of Oracle of Mul Daya

10/10. In all seriousness, keep this in a file for something that can let you play land and Shaman cards from the top of your library or something. Not a bad concept. I am laughing at the name, though.

@reaperfromtheabyss​ — Terrible Flamespeaker

Once more, the name of the card doesn’t need to be in quotes. As for the card’s mechanics, this one is interesting. I like how it encourages mono-red shenanigans. It’s a powerful on-curve card by itself which is pretty cool. I like how it tells the story of a world more than it does of a legendary creature, even if it is a rare searching for a rare, which feels... IDK, a little off with the nature of this contest. There’s nothing objectively wrong with this card besides the quotes, though, so call it a success.

@shakeszx — Beast Blessed Sword

Was there something about the Eldraine story that I missed? When was there a sword involved? Why isn’t there a hyphen to make it “Beast-Blessed” - unless it’s a different meaning? I’m a little confused. Regardless, the card itself I like. It’s recursion for Kenrith, which is a pain in the ass, but it’s a fun card regardless, I think. Having played against Kenrith, I’m not the biggest fan, but I know he’s fun to play, so I can’t complain.

@shandylamb​ — Scrap // Salvage

Okay. Straight-up, this card is doing too much. If this was on an actual Aftermath card, it would be packed to the gills and be practically unreadable. Scrap is probably the best side, even though it should say “put it onto the battlefield” and just “sacrifice an artifact” since you can only sacrifice permanents you control anyway. Salvage is just... I don’t know, I don’t get it. It requires both a legendary permanent and a target for it, and it doesn’t feel like a legendary event. The thing about “legendary” instants and sorceries was that they had a creature or planeswalker attached to them that made them feel epic. This card just doesn’t have that. I feel like you put too many ideas into too small a space.

@sigiledpaladin​ — Alarm of the Tenth

Why does this card search your graveyard too? That’s one hair in an otherwise fine cupcake of a card. It’s just a bit of a shame that it doesn’t “do” anything when it first comes out. Also, the second sentence should be “This ability costs (4) less to activate if [etc].” It’s a fine tutor, just a little underwhelming.

@snugz​ — Sliver Hivecaller

Would you believe that I actually love this card? Would you also believe that, in my opinion, this card would have been a winner......... if it wasn’t a Sliver? With the exception of the old legendary Slivers, all Slivers should inform other Slivers. And, well, this card doesn’t feel like a sliver. I love it, I really do. But it’s just not Sliver-y. I know that’s useless and boring commentary, but man, trust me, this card is great. Just make it, like, a Human Shaman or something? Ooh, or a mutant.

@starch255​ — Oracle of Ancestry

This card would break eternal formats. Tutoring for Ancestral Recall and Brainstorm is... Wow. I don’t know, I might just be paranoid, but “tutor for some of the most powerful draw and thinning in Magic’s history” is something to be paranoid about, right? I’m not going crazy? Considering the wide range of formats and places that these cards come from, it’s not out of the question to assume that that was the intention of the card. Not sure how I feel about that.

@yesimnotrealanymore — Rise of Emrakul

The good: It’s certainly flavorful. The criticism:

3BBBB is way too costly, and color-heavy.

You don’t necessarily need “a” in that first ability. Just “Create Cryptolith”

Second ability should be two sentences. “Its,” not “it’s”

“Destroy up to four target creatures. For each creature destroyed this way, its controller creates a colorless 3/2 Eldrazi creature token.”

The Roman numeral for four is “IV.”

In order for that last ability to work, Emrakul would need three time counters on it and then gain vanishing. Additionally, we need to suspend our disbelief that both sagas and vanishing exist in the same set as Eldritch Moon.

~

Thank you all for your entries! A new legendary contest starts tomorrow.