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lizardinkart · 1 year

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Lizard Reads Ward

Arc 2: Flare

Lizard Cry Counter: 2

TL;DR: Cool shit happening this arc with more fun worldbuilding around the state of Capes, Victoria’s coping mechanisms and hero complex, and some especially funky stuff exploring other Earths and how the shards/triggers are getting extra-special fucky after Gold Morning. We finally get to meet the rest of the PHO group and they are all wonderful, and Wildbow is flexing with the extended metaphor of powers as trauma. 8.75/10

Alrighty, let’s get wormin’!

Once again, splitting this into mini-arcs so I can keep track of it: 1. Job-Hunting, 2. Broken Trigger Shenanigans, and 3. Group Therapy(?).

Part 1: Job-Hunting

Oh, if this did not capture the soul-crushing nature of the job search so well lol. I really enjoy Victoria’s engagement with each of the big groups that have cropped up since GM, their ideologies, and the optics that each group focuses on. Because if Victoria Dallon understands anything, it’s Aesthetic (in both physical and ideological appearance, thank you Carol (derogatory)). I think the bit where the recruiter asks if Panacea can also be part of the package deal crushed my soul so hard cause mmmmmm. We all have that family member that is perceived very differently from how they actually act towards the people they ostensibly care about. Adding this to the list of times I wanted to hold Victoria gently in my hands.

Crystal continues to be a treat, I appreciate that she doesn’t own scissors. I find it so interesting that she wanted to be part of the Parahuman Paramilitary, but I guess stability has its allure in times of absolute chaos. Also gonna slide in here the bit about the people Victoria talked to about joining the totally-not-a-cult that comes back later in the arc, I appreciate the “if I can save even one person it will have been worth it” mentality.

The hospital scene was really nice, both with Tempera/Fume Hood and then taking the kids flying. I think a lot of people can be very cynical about how doing stuff for others can be very self-serving (esp someone as famously cynical as WB /affectionate), but I think that this came across very genuinely, and it’s actually something that can be very good for trauma recovery by just doing things to get yourself out of your own head. Especially when it came to the kid with the friend who had triggered, Victoria really didn’t have to go out her way to make sure that the kid was taken care of. I think that this once again shows her character. Taylor could never (shoutout to the kids that triggered in her territory).

Part 2: Broken Trigger Shenanigans

Oh man oh man oh man. I really did come into this part with a sigh because really, up until now Wildbow had not wowed me with the new stuff he was exploring with powers/shards, but this section grabbed me by the throat and threw me across the room into a brick wall. I appreciate that this is carving out Ward’s new identity as its own story with more to say outside of just Victoria, but also work as reflections of her and her unique experiences with her power/shard. It’s neat!

But aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa man this was downright tragic to read. Once again, WB hits with the suspense of “something is happening on a timeline, and all you can do it be there for when shit hits the fan.” The Parahuman Paramilitary was funky and off-putting as any type of military institution tends to be. Because ACAB, that’s why.

Corona Pollentia warfare was enacted here, and the fact that people were literally stopped in space was horrifying and distressing as all hell, Worm never really got to touch on when triggers went wrong because shit was already bad enough being, well, triggers. But the bit at the end with the last guy standing not wanting to be subsumed into a collective (shard/entity?) consciousness was haunting as hell and so, so cool. I can’t wait to see how the entities continue to fuck around and Victoria and the Gang continue to find out.

Part 3: Group Therapy(?)

Subsisting off of a comfort diet of brownie ice cream and shit TV, Victoria hangs out and Dr. Yamada pulls back the curtain on doctor-patient relationships. Therapists are people too! But it was nice that she thought of giving Victoria something therapy-related to do, even if it was ultimately a ploy to get Victoria to join her little group therapy team and (unsuccessfully) talk them out of doing the whole hero team thing.

But mmm, I do love me these guys now that we get to really meet them, so down the line we go again!

Kenzie: Still the love of my life, I would kill and die for her. She is so damn earnest and I can respect the hell out of that. Include her in things!!! Give her friends!!! Be nice to her!!! Let her make all the boxes!!!!!! Also I will be deeply upset when we figure out her whole backstory. Preparing to be devastated.

Sveta: I love that she and Weld are dating and that she is so happy but knowing Wildbow he’s gonna fuck it up somehow and it pisses me off so bad. But for now I will revel in her joy!!! Let her be happy goddammit!!! Also shoutout to her absolutely owning the disability label, I really was like “ah man this is gonna be implied subtext huh” but nope! And I’m really happy about that! But on god the fact that she has a body now??? And she gets to make it pretty and expressive how she wants it???? Kissing her on her forehead she is too good, great even. Unironically the best character.

Tristan/Byron: Knowing that I have to go back through the PHO chapter and check the timestamps to see which one was in control is simultaneously infuriating and exciting lol. I can’t remember if case 70s appeared in Worm cause if they did I do not remember them. But yet again adding to the weird shit shards do is a thing I will applaud because the specific scenario of “twins who were touching when they triggered” is just horrifying in concept and seems that way in practice as well. I’m placing my bets for the human trafficking being so that they can try to separate themselves. Or something like that IDK. I also wanna slap Tristan on his dumb jock head because sometimes he needs to shut up (tho I feel him. I, too, talk incessantly, see this post series lol). But he gets a pass because he’s nice and makes arms <3

Chris: Breaking out my trusty spray bottle to spritz him every time he’s an antisocial prick. Not necessarily an actual character flaw, I am interested to see what’s gonna happen with this exceptionally small lad, but mmm. He’s an interesting fellow who I think would benefit from touching some grass every now and again. But progress looks different for everyone I guess!

Ashley: She also gets the spray bottle but for being an edgelord. Shadow the Hedgehog called and said tone it down. Once again, very much the Bitch-type of “I have a singular trajectory and will do what I want fuck you all” but in like, a friendship way? Idk, I know everyone loves her (and ships her with Victoria- *cough*) and I also love her, but I would also like to punch her sometimes and I think that is ok! She’s getting better! Maybe! I hope!

Rain: I can smell the little-meow-meow coming off of this guy. This man is a protagonist of another story but got shoved into Ward instead. He is scientifically crafted to be pocket-sized, and if he’s not dead or beat to shit by the end of this story I will eat a shoe. I can tell a sopping wet whipping boy when I see one lol. But in all seriousness, I know that everyone has a lot of shit going on, but Rain’s “it’s complicated” catchphrase is like “Yes, Wildbow, I know he’s your special little guy. It’s ok, you don’t have to be coy about it.” Kinda the way that Amy was in Worm tbh, Wildbow just has favorites he likes to torture sometimes and I have to respect the honesty lol. But yeah, he is genuinely interesting and has some nifty stuff going on w/ his cluster. Very intrigued that Snag is his clustermate, and how their power-exchange works. Again- cool shit! But oh my god someone’s gonna step on him. Too small lol.

But all that being said, I appreciated the actual group therapy going on here, and that Victoria is getting some buddies to talk stuff through with, even though this really does seem like a setup for failure. The talk about logistics triggered the “gotta schedule D&D” part of my brain and whoo boy that was some anxiety lol. But I am intrigued to see where this lil team goes and what they do in the story moving forward! Also, a very strong end to the Arc with “This is the way things are now” “...Fuck that.” Stuck that landing, let’s get some change rolling!

(Also the interlude was funky, love seeing Weld and Crystalclear again. The theocracy seems like it mayyyy be an issue tho moving forward. Maybe lol)

Final Thoughts

I think that this arc had a lot to offer, and really started to solidify the direction that Ward is gonna try to go in. I can already feel the length of the story though, that 2 arcs have felt like 6, but ya know. It’s the format! But there’s a part of my brain that really wants to go in and cull a lot of stuff that I know people love but is just like...this is so long. But other than that- I think that finally getting around to the new group is good, and I think the biggest takeaway from this arc is the diversity of Shard Shenanigans. Looking forward to that making shit go sideways lol.

But yeah! That’s all I got, not as insightful perhaps as the last couple entries but I hope y’all like the more first-impressions type rambling. As always, would love to hear what y’all think of this arc!

Until next time- Ward out ✨

#lizard’s ward thoughts #on god doing 2 of these in a day has me dead on the floor #it feels like i procrastinated my homework lol #ward web serial #ward #ward spoilers #wildbow #victoria dallon #kenzie martin #ashley stillons #rain o'fire frazier #sveta #tristan vera #byron vera #chris elman

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supercorp-hosie · 3 years

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Josie and Lizzie personality, dynamics and popularity in reality

I've kind of done this before, like in my thoughts for 315. Now, I've made some additions to them, so I think why not start a new post? There are some points that remained the same with my thoughts for 315 and I've integrated some points from my rating of the writing of Legacies characters too.

Starting from Alaric being an absent father since the twins were 11. Caroline wasn’t there either. What’s left for Lizzie? Josie.

Josie had to handle herself and Lizzie alone. Sure Alaric might not always be absent, but the intensity of Lizzie’s perspective begs to differ. Josie had to understand Bipolar at a very young age; be there when Lizzie had her outburst; constantly checks on Lizzie to take her meds; digest the emotion impacts after the outburst; understand how Lizzie functions when she was down. None of that are easy. No one asks about how Josie feels. How she pent out? What does she need? Josie might feel the need to be not needing things and always be good so that she can get the love and attention from Alaric (in s1, Josie felt the need to lose the game to get on Alaric good side). As results, she just started to suppress her voice and her needs, because Lizzie needed them the most. Over time or years of suppressing in front of her dearest family, she most likely felt unneeded by her parents, and forgettable to her parents (the girl so quiet that her parents forget about her, the girl that Penelope won’t fight for anymore). She needed to feel needed, so she just let Lizzie take all of her, from whom she felt needed the most. It started a vicious cycle for the twins, shaped their dynamics and how Josie is in present days. Unfortunately, her problems were never solved, they accumulated, leaving the good and dark side from Josie being so separated and unbalanced, as no one has helped her to sort them out. The inner turmoil is always there, leading to the extreme polarity of Josie’s good and bad side.When she’s doing bad, she would be especially aggressive than she needed to be because that’s an instinct to compensate the lack of action before. After long suppression, once being released, the instinct would be stronger than usual and more uncontrollable. Under the influence of dark magic, Dark Josie felt like another personality taking over the whole Josie and protect their interests that true Josie are neglecting. Kind of like dissociative identity disorder but not really it? Fear the dog that doesn't bark.

From Lizzie perspective, we can see how she perceived Josie when they were little. Like Lizzie being princess but Josie being her android, personal valet? It just showed that after what Josie had endured and done, Lizzie thought of herself being princess but didn’t think Josie as her equal? Like Josie was programmed to bow to Lizzie. That’s the twins dynamic showing, partly Josie's mistake, but Josie deserved more than that, even when she’s derogatory to herself, Lizzie should uphold that for her. What really warms me from the Android situation, is that from how Josie is the combination of two Androids, showing that Lizzie actually looked up to Josie. For Lizzie, Josie can really take care of her so well that Lizzie can count Josie as her personal valet. Derogatory, yes, but that place is also very important to prince and princess. Remember that Lizzie can’t cook but Josie is like expert in cooking or baking? The knowledge for Android part means that in Lizzie’s mind, Josie actually is like the person who knows everything. Usually that figure should be our parents, but for Lizzie, Josie knows the answer to all. The fact that the special sword was in Josie’s thigh the whole time, just show the trust that Lizzie had in Josie. The security of her needs that Lizzie got from Josie and the validation Josie got from Lizzie, it’s kind of how the codependency between them works. Lizzie voices, Josie listens; Lizzie wants, Josie gives.

About Lizzie mental illness, after my research, I think that Lizzie situation is more like borderline personality disorder rather than bipolar. Lizzie has this low self-esteem issue, she sees herself lowly sometimes. Evidently, she always thinks that she had to better herself more, even in 310 where she misjudged Finch, she forgot the fact that she had improved a lot along the seasons and just go straight to a retreat, because she thinks she’s still a very bad person. A second before she saw herself like holy almighty, the next second she saw herself so bad that she was like the person in season one (and even in season one she wasn’t that bad). However, we can also see Lizzie thinks very highly of herself sometimes, or uses a narcissistic attitude to cover up her insecurities regarding her self-image, they just doesn't match with people's view of it. The most alarming one must be the whole thing about her funeral. It's clear that she hasn’t had a stable self-image of herself, which is more of a personality disorder rather than Bipolar, a mood disorder. About Lizzie’s mood swings, they are too sudden, abrupt, it triggers by events and the outcome of the trigger is quite immediate. As for Bipolar, the mood swing is more of a consistent cycle, not abrupt. Yes, events might trigger something, but they take time to set in. Patients will be overly energetic during maniac while feeling overly fatigue during the depression state. They can’t actually control their mood, it’s a mood disorder.

Tbh, the twins really have their personality issues to deal with. I totally agree with other about them being each other's foil. Like Lizzie being the one in between, while Josie being the one in extreme. Turning out that under the mean girl cover, Lizzie has such big heart; while Josie being the model sister on the extremely good side, turning out that she can be extremely dark. For real, they had like six personalities as a whole. The polarity in Josie; the polarity of Lizzie's self-image; plus the twins themselves being the foil and mirage to each other. They both have serious mental problems, Lizzie's apparent, Josie's invisible.

How does these reflect on their relationship? People would choose to get along with someone like Josie, they benefit from her habit of caring, listening, giving, and she doesn’t seem to have serious problem. As for Lizzie, people mostly like to be heard and to not be covered by another voice, they would want enough reciprocation, a habit which Lizzie is not that familiar. Not to mention, having a mental condition being well-known is not the best trait for strangers to start a new friendship or relationship. Moreover, when people observe their dynamic, they jump to conclusion rather quickly, that Lizzie is always taking things from Josie; she doesn’t care for Josie, etc. It doesn’t help Lizzie much as Josie tends to hide under that too, as being quiet is kind of a routine for her. She wants the spotlight but habitual instincts make her tend to hide from the spotlight. Therefore, as for popularity,Josie is definitely at the top, adored dearly by her peers, thus won an election herself wasn’t even running; while Lizzie, you know. Between a dog that always barks and one that doesn't bark, which will you choose? (not derogatory) However, if someone attack Lizzie, Josie will still protect her, like she did tell Penelope to leave Lizzie alone.

To shed light on Josie’s jealousy, it rooted from the abandonment issues of the twins. It is a consequence of them being Alaric’s second choice and the absence of Caroline. For Lizzie, the issue remains with only Hope, Alaric’s betrayal for Hope in her fanfics; in 314, people prioritising Hope over her is very triggering; even in 316, the heavenly state she’s in because Ethan asked her out after the whole "Hope is perfect" speech, indicate that how she can’t believe someone would choose her over Hope. As she never thinks that she can hold a competition against Hope and win. Lizzie’s abandonment issue is minimal because of the presence of Josie, it provides the security in Lizzie’s life, as she is the first choice for Josie.

The abandonment issue is worse for Josie. Even if Josie is Lizzie blind spot, this part of Lizzie is not usually make known of. Josie would feel that she is second choice to everyone, including Lizzie. Like the personal valet that has no needs? Lizzie is just 11, but 11 is an important age in shaping people’s security in a relationship. Josie couldn’t have got much security from all her important relationship, hence the abandonment issues. She always feels helpless in them, afraid to voice her needs, desperately needed recognition from her parents which is probably very few. She needs control but she didn’t know the way to get it, so she got none. The insecurities heighten when it comes to her love life, making her easily provoked if she saw something she didn’t like. Results from the habitual quietness, her way of defending herself and gaining control is to lower her competition, like hurting the girl hitting on Landon, being hostile to Hope. She hated Penelope for abandoning her, she remained control mostly, when provoked, Josie’s abandonment issues and the insecurities in being the second choice were triggered so badly that she set her on fire. The time she did what she need to do, she overdid it, because her dark side needs to compensate what hadn't been done to protect oneself and tend to the needs – to balance out the imbalance. As she loses more control over the issue while desperately wants to suppress the need of control, the polarity in her keeps worsening and the dark side of her keeps surfacing.

This is why Josie is written to embrace and take care of herself, tend to her needs, like her never need to better herself. Lizzie is written to constantly better herself when she seems like a better person than Josie. Josie’s issues root from years of neglecting her needs, while Lizzie has years of habit of ignorance on how to care when she does care. Therefore, Josie taking care of herself = bettering herself, providing a balance in her so her mental can be stable even when provoke. If Lizzie cannot construct a good self-image, while getting positive feedback to reassure her self-image disparity, she can never overcome her personality disorder. Hence bettering herself to meet her own needs.

Their behaviours as presented are cultivated and shaped by each other under the unhealthy circumstances of their household. It is not logical to only accuse of one twin regarding their behaviours to each other without bringing the other twin and their parents into consideration.

@legacies-supremacy I still remember our twins dynamic discussion, I hope this bring my response as a whole. Btw, you kind of said that in 106, Josie tell Lizzie to go to their party without her several times and Lizzie waited for her? It's not true.

Regarding the whole situation, Josie spent all her time helping Lizzie get ready. When Lizzie is done, she said, "You’re not even dressed, I don’t want to be late on my own party." Josie said, "I’m done, I’ll catch up with you, okay?" Then Lizzie take off to the party and enter without Josie without question. After wearing the talisman, Penelope appeared. She expresses her desire to continue to make Lizzie uncomfortable or unhappy or angry. Josie wanted Penelope to ease up on Lizzie. Penelope said, "You have crawled so far down the codependence rabbit hole that you think taking care of yourself is selfish. Party starts in five. It’s a shame you spent all of that time helping Lizzie get ready." When Josie was dressed, she needed someone to help her braid, so for once she try something out of desire, she goes to Josette Laughlin. When Josette asked her whether Josie will be late to her own party, Josie said, "no one will notice". She expressed her thought that if Lizzie knew about her crush on Rafael too, the situation will look bad, so she kept silent.

During the party, Lizzie immediately enjoyed herself with MG. They had flirty moves with each other (i think). Once the soft music set in, she immediately changed partner. Penelope was the only one that notice Josie was no where to be seen (meanwhile Josie was getting buried alive). While Alaric encountered Hope to save Josie, Penelope is still the only one actively searching for Josie without request. After Hope met with MG and Penelope, the three of them started saving Josie together. Meanwhile Rafael told Lizzie the truth that he still hadn't moved on. Lizzie seemed like she was starting to melt down, and started asking for Josie. Hope, Penelope and MG saved Josie without Lizzie.

It is what it is, and I'm not blaming Lizzie. The whole getting buried alive thing just kind of enhanced Josie's feeling bad of getting what she desired. I kind of remember that she said that for once she listened to people urging her to pursue her desires and it ended up getting herself buried. Then Penelope like rewarded her with a kiss.

#legacies cw #legacies #josie saltzman #lizzie saltzman #josie x lizzie #twin dynamics #analysis #posie #hope mikealson #penelope park #hosie #milton greasley

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capriccio-con-espressione · 4 years

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Sub!Yuta portrayal? Also girl u good- I miss u

Miss u lots too :(

Alright let's get to the point

Yuta'd be a shameless kinkster, open to lots of ideas such as hardcore shibari or even some borderline edgeplay, like toying with fake guns or fake knives since that renders him into a more vulnerable state and adds to the adrenaline boost. It can be easily pictured that he is into abduction kink, where he would be securely tied down and gets tortured for hours while fucked in compromising positions with dildos or gags forced in his mouth.

Also, he's got a great stamina, making him a great material to get edged for hours (think about those secret hours). He's also got the duality to be subserviently sweet or die-hard defiant smart-mouthed brat. He can worship your body really thoroughly and attentively, making sure every inch of your body is intimately pleasured when he's in his meeker mindspace, but when he's opting for something more hardcore and extreme, he would make good use of his wits and attempt to roast you with his smart mouth, just to rile you up and gets put back in his place with some bondage or overstimulation later on where you would chastise on how he should control both his upper head and "lower head".

He likes it nasty and feisty as well, loves it when his face is smeared with your or his cum, or even some fake cum ejaculated from your dildo after you've finished pegging him. It doesn't matter to him that when you're finished he's a fluid-stained mess, instead, he likes how degrading this is and how this exactly reflects his "filthy nature".

Yuta is definitely into some real degradation, where he gets called names or unique combinations of derogatory terms that even his clever mind could never think of. He likes the way he gets outwitted and overpowered both physically and mentally, and he even would affirm your demeaning words by repeating them just to boost your ego and satisfy his needs as well.

Last but not least, he's openly communicative, provocative and seductive. He's the type to straight up discuss with you his needs and wants. You can easily tell what he desires just from a naughty glint in his wink as he pumps his fist in front of his lips, not only learning what kinks or toys he would like to utilize, but also you know how much he wants you to punish him for this over blatancy. During the session, he would shamelessly showcase his enjoyment by letting out lewd moans and grunts, or even bucking his hips that makes you wanna smack it harder. And during post-sex afterglow he would be complimenting you how good you made him feel, and even brings up more interesting scenarios later on.

To sum up, Yuta is a kinky and communicative sub who is into lots of things, and be all shameless about it. Perfect material to ruin 😈

#yuta #yuta smut #nakamoto yuta #nct #nct smut #yuta imagines #nct imagines #nct 127 smut #nct 127 #nct 127 imagines #asks #nyanpug55 #sub!nct smut #sub!nct #sub!yuta #dom!reader

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rokkr-witness · 4 years

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Primordial Thurs: Ymir and Surtr

So this project started because quarantine has been keeping my kindred apart, so we’ve been doing zoom meetings to discuss some interesting themes in Norse Mythology. I haven’t cited all the references used for these but I hope I got enough of them. This particular work is going to talk about several important concepts, them being Chaos, creation and Destruction and how those concepts are represented by the Primordial Thurs Ymir and Surtr. I will say I’m not a scholar, and a good portion of this is UPG, take it or leave it.

Ymir

Ymir is the first of the giants in Norse mythology, he dates back to the primal times before Odin, Thor or any other God existed. He is created when the fires of muspelheim meet the ice and rime of niflheim in the ginnungagap, the void. He’s representative of the first shared Ancestor, but also the first “consciousness” to come out of Chaos. When referring to consciousness we do not mean sentience here. Thematically, Ymir is the personification of the chaos before creation, which is also depicted as the impersonal void of Ginnungagap. Both Ymir and Ginnungagap are ways of talking about limitless potential that isn’t actualized, that hasn’t yet become the particular things that we find in the world around us. His name means Screamer so connect that to birth, not just the birth of the womb but also the birth of the universe (the Big Bang).

According to Snorri Sturlson Ymir was suckled by the cow Audhumla for his nourishment, but whether this is a Christian literary device or not has been debated. It may be that Audhumla, who also licked Buri out of the ice, was introduced as a way to present a dichotomy in the myths, that being Buri, Ancestor of Odin as Good and lawful, and Ymir, primordial chaos as inherently Bad and therefore deserving of destruction. But we’ll get to that.

When he slept, several other giants were conceived asexually in Ymir’s hermaphroditic body, and spontaneously sprang from his legs and the sweat from his armpits. A man and a woman grew under his arms and a six headed son under his foot. Þrúðgelmir is the name of one son, who’s son Bergelmir is the only one to survive the ocean of Ymir’s blood after his slaying. This is accounted in the book Gylfaginning in the Prose Edda.

There is some suggestion that Buri might have been one of the beings created from Ymir’s body, and by extension so Bor and Bestla, the parents of Odin. I actually prefer this interpretation, because it removes the dichotomy of jotun = bad because they are inherently evil and the descendents of Buri, imposed(cultivated) order, are inherently good. With all beings originating from Ymir you have one source for creation and one "race" for lack of a better term, and it changes the designation of Aesir, Jotunar and vanir to a more tribal understanding, that being the family or group we choose to belong to.

Anyway, Ymir’s son Þrúðgelmir appears in the poem Vafþrúðnismál from the Poetic Edda. When Odin (speaking under the assumed name Gagnrad) asks who was the eldest of the Æsir or of the giants in bygone days, Vafþrúðnir answers:

"Uncountable winters before the earth was made,

then Bergelmir was born,

Thrudgelmir was his father,

and Aurgelmir his grandfather."

—Vafþrúðnismá

Odin, Vili and Ve, The divine brothers then slew Ymir and fashioned the realm of midgard from his corpse. His flesh made the earth, his bones the mountains, his blood the oceans and his brains the clouds. It is also during this creation that the Gods establish Utangard and Innangard by giving the giants the shoreline and using Ymir's eyelashes to build a wall between the rest of the Cosmos and Midgard- the realm of future humans. Through this the tribe of the Aesir, imposes the order necessary for life(as we understand it) to thrive and begins the push and pull between that order and the primordial chaos of the Giants. A push and Pull that ultimately culminates in Ragnarok.

Surtr

And that brings us to Surtr. If Ymir can be considered your primordial Rime, or Frost Thurs, then Surtr is your primordial Fire Thurs. Likewise if Ymir represents the chaos of creation, Surtr represents the Chaos of destruction and the completion of the natural life cycle. Because he is associated with the south (Muspelheim), Surtr is then associated with the idea of fire, which is common in Icelandic Norse mythology. It can be argued that the figure of Surtr was, at the very least, a local figure given over to Iceland’s relatively tumultuous volcanic geography that was incorporated in part into the larger Nordic cycle by Icelandic-born writers, but this theory has never been proven.

His Consort is Sinmora. Less is known of this figure than Surtr himself, save she possesses/is the guardian of the legendary weapon Lævateinn*. Some theories suggest Sinmora as the Same entity as Hela, but personally I find they hold very little water.

Surtr is demonized as a malevolent antagonist to the gods, positioning himself against the world as a whole. And, I want to dispense with the idea, immediately, that Surtr is inherently demonic or otherwise evil. I cannot emphasize this enough.

“If we associate Surtr with the Icelandic writers, an etin with an affinity towards fire and the volcanic landscape of their homeland, then it is easy to see how they could put a greater derogatory emphasis on the being. After all, fire is well attested to being both a savior and a potential threat to civilization, ” Marc, Axe and Plough

It is my understanding that Surtr is in Muspelheim before the worlds are created. Which makes him the perhaps oldest entity in the Northern Pantheon. (excluding some ideas that the Void itself is an entity) Surtr is the lord of Múspellsheimr and the leader of that realm. We do not know when he became the lord of Múspellsheimr, so it is fair to assume that he has always been. That Surtr has always been. This is supported by Muspell, the primordial world of fire, as the primary impetus for the creation of the universe. The interactions between Muspell and Niflheim, within the great void of Ginnungagap was what birthed the universe (Faulkes 1995: 10).

This Idea is one we see regularly, paths of Destruction as paths to rebirth, creation. It is possible that Surtr is a regular arbiter for that rebirth, and has been through the founding and destruction of several universes. What can be gathered from this is something we see regularly in Northern Traditions, the understanding that though things die, life continues, renews and grows.

Natural science does a good way of illustrating Surtr’s importance in this example.

Take Andisols for instance. These are soils that form on volcanic ash and contain volcanic glass and compounds of elements such as Fe, Al and Si. (Ions of those elements, which are released by leaching and weathering of volcanic rock, can form complexes with organic matter; in addition to an andisol’s ability to retain water, this can make for very fertile growing conditions, after it has had the chance to weather, break down and release it´s nutrients. Eruption(destruction), break down, and then growth.

Now let's stop right there for a second. There is very little information on Surtr however there are some conclusions that can be drawn with some mental gymnastics about his role at ragnarok. His role at Ragnarok is to do battle with Freyr, be victorious and cover all the realms with Fire. After Balder will return from Hel and a new cycle of life will begin.

If you look at Ymir as the beginning and Surtr as the end, and both of them in a system of chaotic creation and destruction, then Freyr, the vanic god of fertility and agriculture( one of the ways in which humans mastered the natural world), is the obvious Foe. Freyr represents creation in the system created by Odin Vili and Ve after Ymir’s slaying. To return to the primordial creation you have to remove it, you have to remove everything. And Surtr is the obvious answer to that, an ever present being that sees the same cycle completed over and over. I’d even argue that Balders return to the world of the living is christianized to reflect Christ and maybe a better ending to ragnarok is simply to return to the natural state of the cosmos, Muspelheim in the south, Niflheim in the north and the Void between them.

Conclusion

So i Started this with very little information and so have had to draw a lot of my own conclusions. Some heathens who have also written on this subject, like raven kaldera and his associates, i think over humanize Surtr and by extension Ymir in ways to make the entities more approachable. but i see that for myself as sort of counterproductive. Others like Ljossal Lodursson idk, i just don’t find that his conclusions hold up to my interpretations, that is I don’t support Audumla as an essential part of the cosmos, but that’s my UPG and so i think it’s important to remind everyone that your UPG is yours and you’ll draw your own conclusions through journey work and research. My dissatisfaction with others who follow the path of the jotnar is not a reflection of the validity or quality of their works.

How you choose to incorporate any deity is really up to you.

For myself, I like Ymir for organic inspiration, but I also just sort of feel close to him as I'm a human living on earth, obsessed with the way the universe is held together. If you accept the big bang theory as the scientific beginning of the universe there is a place you can drop ymir in there. Ymir, Screamer, Bang...you get it. I have found if you stare too long at Ymir you sorta fall in and getting out again is rather difficult. I began to feel very unconnected to other parts of my faith, including Loki the longer i stayed trying to connect to Ymir.

Surtr is sorta similar for me. When you want to start over with a clean slate he'd be the one to help you, or rather his is the power you would seek since I'm not certain I could see something omnipresent and everlasting, that is the personification of ultimate entropy as being able to offer conscious help.

I don’t think of them as meeting people or interacting with persons. Try seeing them as simply being, events or states. Powers, elements, eldritch entities beyond sentient consciousness. Like some kind of Norse Jellyfish or giant space Apatosaurus. They just are, they have functions and they are or have fulfilled them.

***

*Lævateinn

Lævateinn is etymologically considered to be a kenning for a sword (Old Norse "damage twig"[1]

Henry Adams Bellows translation:

41. Svipdag spake:

"Now answer me, Fjolsvith, the question I ask,

For now the truth would I know:

What weapon can send Vithofnir to seek

The house of Hel below?"

42. Fjolsvith spake:

"Lævatein is there, that Lopt with runes

Once made by the doors of death;

In Lægjarn's chest by Sinmora lies it,

And nine locks fasten it firm."[3]

Bellows comments that Lægjarn means "Lover of Ill" and, like the name Lopt, refers to Loki

There is some suggestion that the weapon may be the misteltoe used to kill Baldur but this theory has never been proven.

More Reading

Arith Hargar- he has an excellent video on Ymir

http://www.northernpaganism.org/

a site with lots of information on various Jotnar as well as digital shrines

Raven Kaldera's Jotunbok

https://axeandplough.com/

Marc has several articles of interest- including one of the few written about Surtr

Ljossal Lodursson has written several texts on Thursatru that offer unique perspectives

#heathenry #heathen #rokkatru #asatru #norse #norse pagan #pagan #ymir #surtr

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keldae · 7 years

Text

Drastic Measures

Theron Shan had never been known as a quitter before. While he had a unique talent for taking a perfectly normal situation and making it a chaotic disaster (and somehow still coming out all right in the end), and had some of the worst attachment issues and workaholicism in the galaxy, he’d never been accused of simply laying down and giving up (and in fact had been known to tell people off for resorting to that themselves).

His actions and situation over the past several months wouldn’t have really confused anyone who’d known him before the Zakuulan invasion, even though he was currently on the enemy’s homeworld itself. He didn’t really stand out- a human on this world didn’t attract too much attention. And he was a spy, never minding that he no longer was employed by the SIS- it wasn’t unreasonable that he’d been able to infiltrate the Spire’s officers and got the opportunity, after weeks of work, to scout out the majority of the vertical city. And he was on comms blackout, why else would he have not contacted Korin to fill him in on whatever he might have found?

But today was a big day. Theron had already programmed a few messages to the people he still cared about, set to be sent when he activated his plan. One for his father (This wasn’t your fault, it’s all on me. There’s nothing you could have done. It’s better this way.), one for his mother (I forgive you for leaving me. Don’t spend the rest of your life kicking yourself for this. There’s nothing you could have done that would have made a difference in this.), and one for Korin (Remember that idiot plan I mentioned and you punched me for even thinking of? I did the thing. Please don’t do anything stupid, that’s my job.). He’d collected his gear, with the necessary additions today, and hid his equipment in his deep pockets. The charges he’d acquired were small, but extremely powerful.

He started at the bottom of the Spire, placing the charges on strategically-important pillars and supports that balanced the majority of the city’s weight. He kept his focus around one area in particular to cause as much damage to his preferred target as he could. It wouldn’t do to unnecessarily kill civilians- and besides, she wouldn’t have approved. But blowing up Emperor Arcann and his legion of minions and thralls (and his psychopath of a sister)? That was perfectly acceptable. He could almost hear her encouragement in the back of his mind- that’s right, kick his ass, make him regret it all.

And yet, more often than not he would glimpse little bits of her- a flash of red hair out of the corner of his vision, enchanting green eyes reflected in a mirror, the scent of her (a strange mix of a lightly floral shampoo, the light smell of whatever cleansing detergent her protocol droid used on her clothing, and something intoxicatingly unique that was her) drifting on the wind. And sometimes he swore he could actually hear her voice. Don’t do this, Theron. Please don’t do this.

This must be what going mad feels like. Theron shook his head as he set another charge on a power relay that would hopefully knock out the emergency response droids. Please stop haunting me, Xaja. I’ll get justice for your murder, and then I’ll see you again.

Theron, stop.

Soon, dearest. Theron shook his head again, more emphatically this time, to try and focus around the distraction that Xaja’s spirit (or his hallucinations of her) seemed dead set on creating for him. I need to do this, for you. I don’t care what you thought about your Jedi humility, you’re worth this.

No one life is worth destroying an entire city for.

It’s the only way to blow the bastard to the hell that he belongs in. Theron let himself into another maintenance shaft and placed another charge on a structural support. This one, according to the blueprints, supported a significant chunk of the weight that held up Arcann’s throne room in the upper atmosphere. Someone has to get justice for what he did to you. It hurt, but he forced himself to shut out Xaja’s distracting voice and continue on. The less he thought about her or what she’d do if she knew what he was planning, the better.

And if he actually focused on what he was doing, he’d be able to avoid thinking about the reactions of everyone he’d remotely cared about. Marcus would be furious, Korin would be straight-up livid, Jonas was probably going to punch through a wall, Reanden (if the old agent still lived) would probably grumble something derogatory about SIS hotheads, although Theron wanted to believe that the man once known as Cipher Nine would be secretly proud of him… Jace would probably shut himself in his office and drink himself into a worrisome state… Theron wanted to insist that Satele would just shrug off the news with Jedi stoicism, but truthfully, he suspected his mother would be devastated. There is no death, Mom, remember?

Why did he suddenly feel like Master Zho’s ghost was haunting him for the sole purpose of kicking his ass, with or without Teff’ith’s help?

There was one more charge he still needed to set before he could take down the oppressors and murderers in a brilliant blaze of revenge-driven glory. And the large chamber in the middle of the Spire, right over a Skytrooper production factory, was the ideal location. Hopefully the credentials he’d swiped earlier would give him access.

The chamber was way colder than it needed to be, in Theron’s opinion. He shook his head as he slipped through the door and stepped into the dim lighting. What is this place anyway? he silently asked himself as he squinted through the shadows.

His face paled when he saw the sheer number of carbonite slabs around the room, most hanging on the walls prominently. He could see signs of the poor souls trapped within- the odd hand extended out as though to defend themselves, a face twisted in terror. One poor guy even had a foot extended like he’d been trying to kick his way free. Huh, maybe being frozen will save you lot from the Spire imploding, he mused as he looked around. Then again… at least you won’t feel anything. You’re already asleep, you just won’t wake up.

The pillar in the centre of the chamber was an ideal spot for the last charge, and Theron approached, reaching around the prominently-displayed carbonite-frozen victim to access the wall. “Sorry, buddy,” he muttered as he bumped the slab and the frozen knee of the victim. “I’m sure you’ll understand why I’m doing this. You can’t be too fond of the powers that be yourself, considering they stuck you in here.” The charge was set, and Theron stepped back, mentally preparing himself for the final, fatal task of this mission.

The label beside the slab caught his gaze. “The Outlander assassin”? Huh. Someone else already had my idea to kill Arcann? He frowned as he read more on the label. “Murderer of our beloved Immortal Emperor Valkorion”. Right, it was a Core Worlder they say killed the old Emperor. Some sources had said that Xaja Taerich had been the one to commit the deed, but that was impossible. She and Darth Marr had both died on the destroyed flagship under Zakuulan fire.

Curiosity piqued, Theron looked up at the Outlander. It was a female humanoid- the carbon freezing had been close enough to detail the outline of her slim, feminine build. She’d had her hands raised as she was frozen as though trying to ward off the carbonite. Sorry, lady. Awful way to go. Theron had been carbon frozen once, and hadn’t been fond of the freezing process- and even then, Jonas had been trying to be careful and gentle about it. He doubted the Zakuulans would have been so merciful to an apparent assassin.

Her face, though… Theron stretched up on tip-toe to look at the woman’s face, and felt his heart stop. “No…” he whispered and stretched a hand up to gently touch her frozen cheek with his fingers- she was too high up for him to reach, and his fingers fell to meet her unmoving hand. They killed you and entombed you here?! Xaja Taerich’s face had been frozen in a terrified-looking flinch, and the expression made Theron’s heart break. “Not like this, Xaja…” he whispered, fighting to keep the tears he’d refused to shed at bay. “You deserved so much better than this.” He rested one of his hands on her leg and clenched his jaw, felt a tear escape his closed eyes despite his efforts and trickle over his stubble-covered cheek. “Not you, not ever like this!” Why did the son of a bitch need to freeze you and keep you around?

Why indeed? The spy part of Theron’s mind that never shut up kicked into gear. Even as demented as Arcann was, there would have been no need for him to carbon-freeze the corpse of the woman who’d killed his father. It would have been more logical to burn her body or otherwise dispose of it. This can’t be a Zakuulan tradition, can it? Theron opened his eyes, frowning in thought- and blinked when he saw the carbonite readout signs on the side of the slab-like tomb. He knelt to read them, and nearly had a heart attack when he saw the signs. “Alive?” he whispered, staring up at Xaja in disbelief. “He froze you alive?” A hibernation state would keep her alive…

The first hope flared in Theron’s heart in two long years, along with the sudden need to change his plan (and the horror of thinking that he’d nearly blown her up along with the rest of the Spire, Arcann and Vaylin, and himself. For kriff’s sake, the last charge was literally right behind her!). He looked over his shoulder, mentally calculating- it was well into the early hours of the morning when most sane people were asleep. The factory nearby would be all but empty, and if he moved fast enough, he could escape with her before the Skytroopers were alerted to something being amiss. He couldn’t lug a slab of carbonite across the Spire, but if push came to shove, Xaja had never been a large or heavy woman. If she didn’t panic when freed from the carbonite, he could probably carry her to safety. If she did panic… well, he still had his darts with him. Knocking her out with a stun shot and carrying her out that way wasn’t ideal, but it was better than leaving her and attempting a rescue later.

The idea that maybe he should actually sit down and form a plan briefly floated through his head as he reached for the control panel, and was immediately squashed. I can’t leave her here. She wouldn’t leave me behind. His fingers hurriedly tapped in the command to thaw out the block of carbonite, and then Theron stepped back as the grey started to turn red while it melted away. His heart leaped into his throat when he got that first glimpse of pale skin and worn brown armour, then red hair loose around her shoulders, wet with sweat and the lingering effects of the thawed carbonite.

There was the sound of a ragged gasp, loud in the chamber, and Theron lunged forward just in time to catch Xaja before she landed face-first on the floor, ignoring the skidding sensation of the durasteel against his knees through his trousers. “Shhh,” he murmured as he carefully held her up, his heart racing as he felt her hands groping up and down his arms, his shoulders, his chest. “I’ve got you, Xaja. You’re okay.” He’d never thought that he would be able to hold his Jedi in his arms again, real and warm and solid and breathing- and the mental shift from planning an explosive, destructive suicide to rescuing her still left him reeling. “You’re real. You’re alive. You’re alive and I’m never letting this happen to you again.” Was he babbling? He was pretty sure he was babbling. He didn’t really care.

Xaja looked up at the sound of his voice, squinting as she tried to adjust to the lights of the chamber. For a moment, Theron feared carbonation sickness had made her temporarily blind- then those brilliant green eyes widened, and her hands found his face, fingers scratching against the stubble on his skin and brushing away the tear that still lingered. “Theron?...” she whispered, her voice hoarse with two years of disuse- it was the most beautiful sound Theron had ever heard in his life.

“Yeah, it’s me. I’ve got you.” Theron pressed his lips against Xaja’s forehead, then left a series of near-frantic kisses all over her face, finally feeling her lips against his own as she kissed him back. It’s not a dream. This is really happening. She’s alive and I have her! Those kisses had never felt so solid or warm or real in his dreams, vivid as they were- and usually by this point she’d faded back away into the void and Theron would have woken up with tears on his face and his heart breaking again. This was real. “I’ve got you. You’re gonna be safe with me.” The sudden reminder that she wasn’t quite safe yet despite being out of the carbonite made him look back up and toward the door. No alarms raised yet, but he’d done his research on the patrols around the Spire in preparation for his original plan- the next patrol would be two Knights in about twelve minutes. “I’ve gotta get you out of here.”

“Where is…” Xaja looked up at the strange architecture of the chamber, and her already-pale face went a little lighter when she saw all the other carbon frozen victims on the walls. “... Zakuul…” she finally whispered, a frown marring her face. “That son of a…”

“We’re gonna make that bastard wish he’d never been born,” Theron promised with a growl. He got back to his feet, but didn’t let go of Xaja’s arms. “If I help you, can you stand?”

“I think so?” Xaja gripped tightly onto Theron’s forearms as she shakily stood up, helped in no small part by Theron practically pulling her upright. She let go of him only long enough to shift her grip to his shirt, leaning most of her weight on him as she rested her head against his chest. “Sorry,” she mumbled, “I’m just… dizzy.”

“It’s okay.” Theron gently rubbed her back and pressed another kiss into her hair. “I’ll carry you out of here if I have to. You’re not spending any more time here, I promise.”

“My hero.” Xaja looked up, and the smile she gave him, small though it was, lit up the shadows still lingering in Theron’s heart and melted all the icy grief he’d endured over the last two years. “Theron, I-” Her gaze drifted around him to the empty slab she’d just been freed from, and Theron saw her eyes narrow dangerously. “I am not a kriffing trophy, and neither are they,” she hissed, and now Theron saw the container overhead that contained two familiar silvery hilts, proudly displayed. Chances were that she’d sensed her crystals within the lightsabers. The Jedi reached out her hand and focused despite the dizziness; Theron saw the lightsabers tremble, then suddenly fly out of the open case as the bindings holding them in place broke. Xaja caught one weapon, but fumbled the other- Theron snatched it out of the air before it could land on the floor and took the liberty of attaching it to Xaja’s belt. “Thank you,” she said, giving him another smile as she safely attached the other blade on the opposite side. “What would I do without you?”

“Probably still be frozen,” Theron said with a lightheartedness he didn’t quite feel at the reminder of where she’d been only minutes earlier. “C’mon- next patrol passes by in seven minutes, and we’d better not be here.”

“I hear you.” Xaja started toward the door with Theron at her side, her steps shaky at first, but stronger and more confident as her muscles remembered how to walk. “What’s our escape route?”

“Uhh…” I can never tell you what I nearly did. You would never forgive me. “... I kinda wasn’t expecting to make it this far. We’re making up the escape plan as we go.” Theron palmed open the door and took a look around. No Knights yet, and the only Skytroopers were well away. If he and Xaja hurried, they could hopefully escape the complex before an alarm was raised.

“Heh, sounds like normal then.” Xaja squeezed Theron’s hand and sent his pulse skyrocketing. “I trust you, and the patented Shan Exit Strategy. Lead on.”

I can’t believe I have you back, forget you trusting me. Theron swallowed hard around the lump in his throat, and had to force himself to think strategically for their escape. A quick blink brought up an overlay of the Spire layout to his implants, and he quickly plotted out a route. “Okay... the quickest exit route’s going to be this way. Let’s go.”

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gfiedlerbi214 · 4 years

Text

Unit 2

Nutrition, Physical Fitness, and Sleep

Go through the lecture. For each item take general notes. Does anything seem important to know?

Prior to deciding to change my degree plan to Early Education, I studied to become a Nutritionist and aspired to become a personal trainer. I also used to work in Nutrition stores as a sales representative. For a number of years, my entire life centered around the multi-facets of fitness. This was a period of time where I felt I was in the best shape of my life and ate very well. I would like to say I have used this unit as a refresher for information I already knew. I can also say I have learned quite a bit of new information as well.

What was the point of the videos? What are a few things I learned on the websites, and might the site be useful in the future? What questions do these resources bring up? If you were telling someone else about this class, what would you share from this unit.

I found the provided video material per the unit’s lecture extremely fulfilling. I am a kinesthetic and visual learner by nature and I genuinely appreciate a well-constructed instructional video, I also have a new attraction towards podcasts and TedTalks frequent my playlist algorithm. The Dietary Guidelines pdf was excellent and I plan on keeping it stored onto my hard drive for further use. It will be useful when I begin to plan eating regimens for myself and for my family. With the changing society and economic state, I wonder if this will affect the guidelines themselves. It will definitely be something to look out for and stay aware of. The Dietary Guidelines and the information regarding the major components of fitness would be two sets of information that I’d pass onto someone else regarding this unit. It’s super helpful and can easily be implemented along existing lifestyles.

youtube

As/after you engage in the Discussion: Can you summarize the question and the conclusions you and your classmates found? How do you feel about the issue now?

youtube

My discussion post: The advertisement I have chosen comes from the Always campaign “Like a Girl”. The commercial highlights how the phrase of doing something “like a girl” is used as an insult and as something lesser than the opposing. The producers of the commercial chose to film the responses of both males and females at different ages and ideas of what it means to do different actions “like a girl”. The responses are both expected and unexpected as most of the interviewees took the concept as an insult while the young girls saw it as a positive and powerful statement. The advertisement dissects the phrase and leaves the viewers feeling empowered, especially amongst the female audience. The underlying message behind the ad is that as a female, we should be proud of everything we do and should not feel ashamed of their capabilities. The ad intends to leave people feeling good about themselves and to understand why we feel feelings of bad when the phrase is used in a derogatory way.

I would let teenagers know that upon seeing this ad, we have to remember that the comparison of actions to the actions committed by a female is not negative nor shameful. Teenage girls are especially more impressionable because at that stage of their life they are still discovering who they are and what it means to be a woman. The struggles between body image, sexuality, and even mental wellness are just a few examples of the factors that the younger generation battles internally. The gender focus on this commercial is important because it’s a message that needs to be heard and stressed upon. It discusses the physicality of the woman; hitting home with those women and those who have a loved one that is a woman. Insults and demeaning intentions are damaging to every level of the human being and can lead to additional damage to that person. Just as the campaign intended, I also hope the female population, both young and old, feel strong and proud after watching this advertisement. I also hope teenagers can view the phrase of doing something “like a girl” as a phrase that can change its context and strike more positivity.

Discussion engagement: “Gabriela, great post! It reminds me of the old saying, "you throw like a girl!" which is an insult in most cases. I think what we need to do is just focus on being the best person you can be regardless if you're a girl or boy. I wonder if there has been a study on this advertisement to see what people's opinions are about this very topic? It would be interesting to see what the opinions would be on this audience? How do you think teens would interpret this video?” (Michelle Gifford)

Response to Michelle: “Hey there Michelle!Thank you! And I agree with your statement regarding that we simply aspire to be our best selves regardless of gender. I think the statement really has grown from what it initially was intended for upon its creation as an insult. I think the little boy in the ad represented the male population that are understanding the negative connotation in phrases like, "you throw like a girl". I think it's good to have hope in our society when it comes to equalizing respect on all gender planes. I think we are on a good path and this commercial was good representation. It was actually first featured as a Super bowl ad, meaning it had a great deal of exposure from the start! Meaning teens were most likely responding well to the interpretation. Teens are very impressionable when they find messages and situations that they can relate to. I also would like to know if there was a study made regarding this ad. It would be interesting to see how each type of individual responded (men, women, teens, seniors).” (Myself)

My summarizing conclusion to the discussion: Body image is an impressionable topic to expose to young adults. Thanks to social media and societal standards conveyed through entertainment, young adults are pushing themselves to be something they are not. We can’t shame those who strive to change their physical image through healthy eating habits and newly added exercises. It’s those that choose the route of body changes that touch body-harming and mental strain and stress. The need to equalize playing fields of gender was something that stood out to me through this interaction initiated by my post.

After you complete the Homework: What did you learn? What do you want to know more about?

The homework required me to engage in research to find all of my answers. I had a number of different sources that I was able to find that described how necessary body fat is to the body. I was able to learn how essential the processes body fat assists with to live a healthy and full life. I would like to know more about these backwards misconceptions and what new information is out there to address it.

After you complete the Project: How was the experience? Any take-aways?

I found using the recommended food tracker very easy to manipulate. I was able to find every food item and was able to break the meal down by ingredient to attempt to get the clearest idea about my food intake. I found no flaws in the program and am attracted to the idea of incorporating this program in my future diet and exercise regimen. I was satisfied with the clarity I received about my diet. From what I was able to see, I enjoy carbs and fats quite a bit. I also liked how the tracker included a water intake tracker. I never used it unfortunately. This project opened my eyes to how poorly my water drinking habits are and where I need to improve in my daily routine. Because I am a breastfeeding mother, the calorie intake necessary to maintain supply is about 2,000 calories. Luckily, I am on track and I am properly aligning my meals to my child’s eating schedule and demand.

General reflection on the unit--is there anything that feels important that you didn't mention above? If you had free time, what topics might you want to look into further?

I personally have a close connection to the field of nutrition as it was a concentration I took interest in as a career years ago. I aspired to become a Registered Dietician for children. I also aspired to become a personal trainer; meaning nutrition was going to be an important component to my training. This unit inspired me to look into my previous aspirations and incorporate what I have learned into future meal plans and exercise routines for myself and my family.

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lostinthemargins · 7 years

Text

Some real talk about Sciles/Stydia/Sterek and the shitshow that is Teen Wolf

Thoughts on Teen Wolf (Scott/Stiles brotp/Stydia/Sterek) after reading a lot of vitriolic and just plain sad TW posts, from ALL ship bases and fans:

For one, I never hated Scott nor wished he’d die or anything, even though I don’t particularly “like” him. That’s because of how’s he’s been written. My issue with him is NOT that he’s imperfect (because he is), in fact, that’s one of the things I LOVE about Scott. He can (and always has been able to) be an utter asshole, and that makes him normal. No one is all good or all bad. Unfortunately, showrunners typically think that way. And partially because of that (I believe), Scott is written as this happy go lucky, gullible, perky puppy dog who loves everyone and has a messiah complex. But that’s not true. He is not the best friend in the whole wide world, although that doesn’t necessarily make him a “bad” friend. He can be both a bad and good friend because he can be both a bad person and a good person. He is not infallible or perfect, as we would be led to believe. Watching all of the seasons over again really cleared my head on this and reminded me why I had begun to build up some animosity toward the character, which surprised me. I began to get really fed up with him and liked it when Stiles and he butted heads because I thought Scott was acting like a total idiot and, yes, a shitty friend. The answer was simply that he’d always had the capacity to be that way, even back in season 1. He was the stereotypical dorky teenage boy who got lucky with a pretty girl and began to think he was hot shit, certainly better than his friend because he was succeeding at having what he called a “normal life.” He didn’t really “need” Stiles at that point, and he just used Derek over and over. It happens to the best of us. To be fair, Stiles was written to type as well as the dorky best friend who’s pining over the girl he can’t have. The difference for me is that Stiles has had Scott’s back more often then visa versa.

So for me, my agitation with Scott stems partially from the writers inability to allow Scott to own up and make some real changes. Think about this, in the final 6a scene, it’s Stiles who’s directing the “I need you” “I miss you” conversation. Scott doesn’t have a lot of self-reflection or heartfelt epiphanies as much as you think he would. His mostly deal with his status as an alpha and the responsibilities that that entails.

Another part of it, again not really the character’s fault, is how his status as a POC is used. I think it’s great that he’s a POC, but I also feel that the showrunners use that as a cop out. It almost lets them feel entitled to shit on other POC characters because they can still point to Scott and say “Look, our main character’s a POC, we’re so modern.” Honestly, Scott could totally be white and it wouldn’t affect his story, that’s how little a role his heritage plays, so the fact that he’s a POC to me just seems like Jeff Davis and company patting themselves on the back for being inclusive. I mean, let’s be honest, his acting ability in season 1 was embarrassing, so I’m a little cynical as to why they chose him. The shitty way they’ve written his character just rubs salt into the wound.

On Stydia:

First, to be fair, I’ll throw it out there that I’m not a Stydia shipper, but that’s not because I don’t like them together or because I ship Stalia or because I thought something crazy like he was secretly with Derek in canon (although I do ship Sterek). I’ll touch on Malia, but I honestly ship Scalia, so there.

I love them in a close friendship (kind of like the one he was establishing with Derek before it all went to hell). I thought it would be SO MUCH more meaningful and have much more of an impact if they remained friends. Why? Because it would have been playing AGAINST TYPE, something TW showrunners can’t seem to grasp. So Stiles was the stereotypical dorky best friend who pined and borderline stalked the hot girl and eventually “won” her affections. Is it a cute love story? Sure. Does it make me want to stab my eyeballs out with how cliché it is? Absofuckinglutely. Do I think it reduces both of their characters to the single purpose of satisfying an artificial and set in stone “ship”? YES. I say artificial because they’re fulfilling the roles that have been laid out for them since EPISODE 1. What is exciting, cute, sweet, or even remotely celebratory about that? And so all close male/female friendships have to end in them dating? Come on people, we’ve been fed trope after trope after trope, starting with the teenagers falling in love at first sight aka Scallison. Not hating on Scallison by any means, just how they got pushed together like wham bam thank you ma'am; although, yes, teenagers do fall in love easily so I can at least understand it even if I don’t like it. Allison falling in love with Isaac and him learning to trust her, someone who had tried to kill him, after everything he went through? Now that was something special. It was sad that it never had the chance to go anywhere.

I’ll never get over how they really just slammed Stydia in everyone’s faces with 6a. What was it really about other than to force Lydia into accepting her feelings? …Nothing. Literally nothing happened that changed anything from premiere to finale. Except for Mama McCall and Papa Argent getting their smooch on. Which I’m down for. I didn’t buy into her and the Sheriff, partially because it would have been so obvious and I think a little too campy and saccharine. So 6a just accomplished the “full circle” plotline of Stydia, in all its romantically forced and melodramatic glory. Again, I like them together, and I think her devestation felt real and it was sweet. But they really just slammed the romance aspect together like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. With STALE peanut butter and jelly. As in Lydia didn’t really give an inkling of romantic feelings beyond a few shared glances throughout the seasons and both she and Stiles were busy with other people. A Stiles and Erica relationship was baited right before the actress left, and then we were baited with Cora, who Stiles seemed interested in, and then of course we had the underage Stalia sex in the basement of a mental institution AKA one of the few black marks on an otherwise good season. And then he drops her and what, we’re supposed to pretend like they weren’t a thing for 2 whole seasons? O.K. Once again, we have another character introduced to serve very few purposes with no real plot herself, and that’s mostly to be a girlfriend to Stiles and Peter’s reason for self-improvement. What other purpose has she served? But yeah, we’re supposed to forget her because Stydia is a thing that must happen and it’s the last season. Jeff Davis pretty much said about a lot of season 6 plot lines and decisions, “It’s the last season, so we thought ‘Why not? Let’s do it.’” That is so unbelievably shitty and unfair to characters and their actors. Like, have some self-respect. THAT is why a lot of fans think Stydia is fanservice. Because of the showrunners attitude that they’ll just throw it all against the wall, give “everyone” the happy ending they always wanted because Teen Wolf is ending. Davis said he always wrote every season as if it was the last before they knew it would end with 6. HELLO. Stiles and Lydia don’t get together until 6a. That means if the show had been cancelled like Davis suspected it might, Stydia wouldn’t have been endgame after all.

As for Sterek, it’s my otp but not because I think they were romantic on the show. They weren’t that we know of. I just like them as a pairing, always have, and always will. Some of you spout that’s it’s gross because of the age difference, so obviously that means you’re not OK with all of the baiting they did with Lydia and Parrish? And you have a problem watching underage characters having sex on screen and constantly seeing minors being sexualized? Right? You have to if you think Sterek fans are disgusting. So I don’t put too much thought into the like 6 or 7 year age difference because when Stiles is 18 Derek would only be maybe 25. Hell, I’m 23 and I can tell you a few years means shit, especially this particular period of your life. Derek is still pretty much a kid. Not that I’m going to get into the age difference debate and the sexualization of Sterek. I don’t write, nor do I read fanfiction featuring a sexual canon Sterek relationship; if I do at all, it’s in AUs.

I do think there was more Sterek content in 3b and 4, despite them being apart, but what troubles me is how they pretty much did it on purpose to upset Sterek fans. Dylan and Tyler loved working together, they said as much, and they commented on not having as many scenes together. Meanwhile you have certain people making derogatory public comments and putting the ship and it’s fans down. Of course the fan base is going to be hurt by that, why wouldn’t they if they feel like they’ve been disrespected by the very people their viewership supports? And then they watch their two beloved characters have less and less screen time together and it feels very deliberate. Obviously Jeff Davis and company felt the need to send a message that Sterek was not going to happen, which is fine, but they did so at the expense of a very funny and interesting relationship–something that has hurt the show, no matter how much you dislike or disagree with Sterek as a “ship.” Stiles and Derek could have been real friends, something they were working toward; anyone remember Stiles being the one to show up in Derek’s semi-lucid dream state when Kate shot him? Some point out that could mean Stiles is an anchor-like figure for Derek, or that at the least he is someone Derek feels comfortable around to imagine him there at a time when he is hurt and needing reassurance and advice. And that emphasis on Stiles when Derek left in 4 and the touchy subject of his absence in 5a? Yeah, Stiles had begun to like Derek, and the show did a fair amount of queer baiting–not just for Sterek but a lot of other pairings. But that relationship was severed mostly because A. the showrunners were determined to make any ship other than Sterek exist B. they separated them a lot from seasons 1 and 2 to reduce the Sterek support and C. Tyler eventually decided to leave for his own personal reasons (the show wasn’t kind to his character for sure). After that we saw the slow decline of Stalia and the continued crawl of Stydia scenes, meanwhile having the brand new ship of Larrish being dropped on us out of the freaking blue.

The showrunners didn’t really want to commit to going all in with Stydia before the absolute last season. That’s gotta mean something to Stydia shippers. I don’t understand how you guys can gloss over that and ignore how it affects the integrity of the characters. Would I rather see Stydia than Stalia? Yes and no, but only because I acknowledge that Stalia was a crack pairing to begin with and it made no sense storyline wise. Stydia still feels rushed in 6a after a slow burn that could have just meant a strong friendship. And now we have these revelations such as Lydia admitting that everything changed when she first kissed Stiles. O.K. then, now why don’t we get an explanation as to why that’s just now a thing for her when the kiss took place back in freaking 3a, in a scene that was unrealistic to begin with? I understand the excitement of seeing your otp come true, but the lack of romance until the crazy plot of 6a harms the integrity of everything.

They should have made Stydia a thing before 6a instead of saying “What the hell, why not?” Believe it or not, Sterek shippers might actually be pissed if they’d done that to Stiles and Derek. Can you imagine? Having Derek come swooping in at the last season and have Stiles suddenly realize his romantic feelings for him? The fan base would be in an UPROAR for the lack of development and rightly so. Is Stydia more believable? Of course. Has Derek been absent since 5? Obviously. So they had no chance to develop any relationship at all, friendship or otherwise. Stydia makes more sense because they’ve had more time to become friends and have been pushed together, in part as a response to Sterek as an insistence that Stiles and Lydia would always be important to each other and would definitely get together. Meanwhile, characters like Malia are getting used like a rag doll, taking up space as Stiles girlfriend when it’s convenient, and tossed back aside to make way for Lydia once Davis and company feel good and damned ready to make Stydia a thing.

At the end of the day, the biggest reason I don’t want Stydia to be a thing is because their relationship matters more when they’re not doing the thing you expect. It’s much more mature for Stiles to say, “You know what? I always had this childish notion that we’d be together because it was fate, but I realize now that we’re too good of friends for this to be the right decision. I value your friendship more than the desire to fulfill my immature ambition of winning you.” The romantic subplot that never came to fruition between Rachel Green and Joey from Friends come to mind. They realized it didn’t feel right because they were too close, their friendship too strong. They made an adult decision not to pursue it further.

But no. We don’t get that kind of growth. We get the same old regurgitated same old, and that’s why I won’t really miss TW when it’s gone because let’s face it, the real show’s been gone for a while now.

Jeff Davis and company kind of gave up a long time ago for various reasons, but unfortunately by then the oldest fans, making up the loyal fan base, were hooked and still came back for more torture. The fact that we’re less than a month out, have only just been told that, and still don’t have a trailer, makes me livid in ways I can’t describe. MTV/TW showrunners have really shown their disdain for their own characters and their fans for the sake of going out with a bang, and it’s utterly disgusting.

Rant over.

#teen wolf #sciles #stydia #sterek #fandom #otp #teen wolf fans are the best and the worst #stiles stilinski #lydia martin #derek hale #scott mccall #stalia #malia tate #malia hale #ships #shipping #ship wars #mtv

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