#two traits that are very not associated with masculinity

[allthepandasintheworld]

Maybe this is a hot take but Clark Kent is sexy specifically bc he’s really strong but chooses to be kind and gentle send tweet

#not art #clark kent #Superman #i like him soft and gentle and a little awkward!!! #I’m like so gay for men who are sweet… who choose to be kind…… #like yes yes I know people think being good is boring whatever #i don’t give a fuck I think CHOOSING to be good #CHOOSING to believe in good things #that’s interesting and engaging and can be written extremely deep and very well #evil or dark Clark is… Noah fence but it’s kinda a bad take? like people think it’s subversive or whatever but it’s actually not #superman is actually very subversive already. he’s the pinnacle of masculinity and he is choosing to be kind and sensitive #two traits that are very not associated with masculinity #but you know what is? domination conquest and power tripping #like idk but I’m a little bit sick of the patriarchy I don’t really want to see more of it than I have to in the fiction I consume

[pagannatural]

2.07 The Usual Suspects

-Sam being interrogated about Dean is so so good because we get to see Sam being told that his brother is a scumbag criminal and the way he reacts by rolling his eyes like he’s heard this before. It’s almost like seeing a teenage version of Sam. The detective keeps telling him to throw Dean under the bus and the whole time he’s just giving attitude and plotting how to help Dean and work the case. He keeps looking out the window. Some of his reactions are raw and some are fake and some are both and his mind is running through his options assessing what to do and how to get out of this.

When confronted with the cliff notes on his and Dean’s life, Sam runs the gamut of emotion from sad and grief-stricken about Jessica to defending Dean and acting all scandalized to being a smartass, to whatever the hell this is when she says “it’s not your fault he’s your brother, we can’t pick our family”

The double meaning here. The not meeting her eyes, the tension on his face, the disdain. It’s giving Bitch don’t I fucking know it, yet I would choose him a thousand times and every time I would be a little bit miserable. “It’s not your fault he’s your brother, we can’t pick our [soul mates]” is probably what God tells him in his most comforting dreams.

-So the detective’s theory is what? That after a shared sordid serial killer childhood Sam escaped the life and then Dean murdered Sam’s girlfriend in a house fire to lure him back in and make him his crime wife?

Because I mean yeah I would read that AU. That fits their vibe pretty nicely.

-She says “Dean’s a bad guy….his life is over, yours doesn’t have to be” and Sam looks at her like that’s the dumbest thing he has ever heard.

She doesn’t know that they become sickly and depressed when they’re apart like a pair of bonded sewer kittens.

When she tells him he can get on with his life and Dean’s as good as gone you can almost see him tuning her out and calculating how to lie about this.

-Sam starts on his cover story, using his trademark Sweet-Innocent face. He relies on his charms and on appearing helpless to manipulate people into doing what he wants. He would’ve learned to do this when he was a child as a survival skill, and I can just imagine how well this complemented Dean’s tough but earnest seduction thing. Acting sweet and helpless when you’re actually savvy and resourceful is a trope commonly used in female characters. These traits (innocence, sweetness, feigned helplessness) are associated with women gaining/utilizing agency in the ways available to them.

Because narratively, Sam is the girl. It’s stuff like this, plus the way he’s depicted as Dean’s tempting damsel in distress in other episodes. It increases the sexual tension between Sam and Dean when they rely on these archetypes because we know what it means when two leads are masculine and feminine, when they need each other and the plot hinges on their conflict. It means they’re the love interests.

-Dean makes a joke about Sam being Scully, and Sam’s like I’m not Scully you’re Scully, and Dean says “No I’m Mulder. You’re a red headed woman.” Really spelling it out.

Dean is smirking and making prolonged eye contact and just— he’s flirting. There’s a Bruce Springsteen song titled “Red Headed Woman” about how “it takes a red headed woman to get a dirty job done.” I have no idea if this is what Dean’s referencing or if it’s just a Scully reference but it’s a very specific thing to say and Sam is brunette. The song is very suggestive.

-Dean HATES waiting around while Sam works. Within seconds he becomes insufferable and has to leave to go do something, flirting with Sam again on his way out.

-“Sam’s story matches Dean’s to the last detail” they didn’t even SEE each other before talking to police! They’re just so connected that they tell the same exact story. Then they both work on the case in their separate interrogation rooms using different methods and arrive at the same conclusion at the same time. They also make the same joke about their public defender.

-I keep seeing this post about who knew Dean better, Sam or Castiel, and I just want to point out that these two are so in sync they can essentially read each others minds.

-We have an outsider perspective on their lives and relationship a few times this episode, and the detectives comment more than once on how weirdly connected the brothers are. Like, Dean communicates to Sam via movie reference to escape and Sam is already all over that, he’s been assessing how to climb out the window since his first scene.

-Dean tells the detective to go to Sam so that Sam can save her life, giving her their info on “how we find each other when we’re separated.” That’s very practical. It’s also true that when they aren’t together they are obsessed with finding each other and making sure they know exactly where the other is at all times. They must have felt so untethered when Sam was at Stanford. I’m imagining Sam going on a little trip over spring break and feeling like he’s forgetting something really important and starting to panic only to realize it’s just that Dean won’t know where he is.

#samdean #supernatural #spn meta #sam and dean #wincest #spn 2x07

[ichayalovesyou]

Why Do Old-School TV Duos Have SUCH MLM Vibes?!

I think there’s something very specific about the formula and writing style of non-serialized/semi-serialized shows from the 60s to 80s that featured two grown men going on wacky dangerous adventures that makes my gay little literary analysis brain go absolutely off the wall bonkers. I’m trying to figure out why!

I’m writing this on my Trek blog because I don’t think this pattern in people actually shipping these types of relationships the way they do if fandom as we know it wasn’t born via TOS in syndication. That being said! I also think it has to do with the way these shows are designed that makes myself and others OBSESSED with a specific character dynamic that feels (to me) damn near impossible to replicate in modern television. In a way that’s more than just fandom, it’s in the way TV like this was written at the time!

Further explanation under the cut!

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

I think what it usually boils down to is this. There’s a charming protagonist whom without the series could not operate, frequently top billed or the title character! (See: Wild Wild West, Starsky & Hutch) BUT he doesn’t have anyone to play off of! So what do they do pretty much every single time? Give Mr. Idealized Vision of Time-Period Masculinity For Genre a second guy to rhyme with!

See but the other guy has to play opposite but parallel to our hypermasculine protagonist. So what frequently ends up happening is that in order to play off our “normal” guy, even though he’s also a white dude, is that he’s still somehow Other.

They’re always perfect for each other, and they always get into scenarios that would be written, shot and interpreted by conventional audiences as romantic IF either one of those characters were a woman! Especially at the time these shows were made in.

If the one is aggressive, the other is gentle. If the protagonist is violent, his counterpart is intellectual. If the one is stoic, the other is emotional. Which (while one size def doesn’t fit all) usually makes the second guy come off as much more queer-coded (and sometimes other minorities like neurodivergent/disabled etc) than the other because of the traits associated with masculinity vs gayness at the time! Our prime examples in these gifs are Spock, Hutch, Artemus, and also *BJ!

*(M*A*S*H is a bit of a unique case since the show flirts with queerness more openly in ways that people more into the series have explained better than me but I think it still fits the formula I’m discussing.)

Here’s the thing though right? We’ve got two best friends, and the show NEVER really feels right if one of them is missing unless the focus of the story is how A & B operate without each other while trying to find the other one. They stick with and rescue each other unfailingly in scenarios that might destroy a regular friendship.

Hell, there’s often stuff that would emotionally/physically destroy a regular person/character in modern media. But because it’s not serialized they always seem to pull through seemingly through the power of friendship alone or dealing with it off-screen! Emotional consequences? Yuck! (Unless it’s M*A*S*H or Starsky & Hutch, like I said, not monolithic)

Here’s the thing that some people might say throws a wrench into the interpretation I’m discussing. What about the absolutely non-stop parade of conventionally attractive women the main protagonist (and less frequently the supporting man) goes through?

I would reply: how many of those female characters actually emotionally impact our protagonists as characters long term?

The answer is of course, because it’s NOT serialized, almost none! Kirk can watch Edith Keeler get killed by a car accident and still be making eyes at Spock the next episode. Hawkeye can have a “life changing” romance with a Vietnamese humanitarian woman, then share a blanket with BJ next episode like she never existed!

The Doylist explanation of course is not just the fact it wasn’t serialized but also just, constant, blatant 20th century sexism. Which SUCKS!!! As well as not wanting a long term love interest to throw off the character dynamic of our duderagonists. It’s the 20th century tv equivalent of bros before hoes.

However the Watsonian explanation always seems to result in no love interest EVER being more important than what the two protagonists have no matter whether you think they’re queer or not. No attractive woman could make our reputed babe-hound protagonist abandon his buddy. There’s no earnest romance our more queer-coded supporting man doesn’t end (or get ended for him) often for the protagonist’s sake.

Now some of these women are incredibly well written and straight up GOOD matches for our guys. So why wouldn’t they get involved in something long term UNLESS!! They were in love with each other the WHOLE time?

What if protagonist (frequently the babe hound) doesnt know he’s queer, or knows but doesn’t know he’s in love with his bestie, or any number of similar fruity explanations? The supporting man also runs into this explanation but people tend to believe he’s already aware that he’s queer but either also doesn’t know he’s in love or is keeping it to himself because time-period homophobia and/or thinking (probably not unreasonably) that babe hound is straight?

Between the inherent closeness of being narrative foils. The regularly scheduled life or death drama creating sometimes insanely romantic (in the narrative if not a literal sense) drama between the two. The revolving door of weekly women they never seem to get attached to enough to leave one another. The non-serialized nature resulting in sparse personal information/history about the protagonists as a result.

I think between the very NATURE of the way tv shows were written at the time. Plus the way fandom was shaped by a dynamic that has rippled through how media works and is interpreted by fans for decades upon decades. It’s not hard to imagine getting really emotionally invested in the possibility of the protagonists being in love is a fantastic way to enjoy the media!

In conclusion, it’s really fun and easy to go “these bitches gay! Good for them good for them!”

#Star Trek #star trek the original series #Star Trek tos #tos #james kirk #Spock #spirk #k/s #James west #Artemus Gordon #wild wild west #Jim west/artemus Gordon #m*a*s*h #hawkeye pierce #bj hunnicutt #Hawkeye/bj #Hawkeye/trapper #starsky and hutch #starsky/hutch #ken hutchinson #dave starsky #vintage television #queer #lgbt #gay #meta #meta analysis #queer analysis #queer representation #mlm

[aspoonofsugar]

Charlie and Vaggie: Anima and Animus

There's something that I've been dying to say More than anything, more than anything Need you to know I love you more than anything More than anything

Charlie and Vaggie have intertwined and complementary arcs, which are beautifully explored through the jungian archetypes of anima and animus.

WHAT ARE ANIMA AND ANIMUS?

According to Carl Jung, the anima and animus are parts of the human mind. In particular, the anima is the feminine and the animus is the masculine. Everyone has naturally both, but society promotes specific gender values and drives people to repress traits culturally associated with the opposite gender. So, to fully be complete, a person should integrate the negated part. In stories, this usually happens through a meaningful romantic relationship.

Charlie and Vaggie are two women, but they still exhibit opposite gender traits:

Charlie is a princess, who sings her heart out at every chance. She is focused on words, ideals, feelings and she strongly believes in love. All traditionally feminine traits.

Vaggie is a soldier, who shows pride in her fighting abilities. She is focused on actions, pragmatism, battles and she strongly believes in strength. All traditionally masculine traits.

And yet, things are not so simple. Let's consider Charlie and Vaggie's designs for example:

Charlie usually wears masculine clothes, as she prefers androgynus suits. Not only that, but her name means "free man" and she goes with the gender neutral "Charlie", rather than her given name "Charlotte":

Valentino: YEAH! That BITCH Chuckie or Chandler, or I dunno- Something mannish like that.

Vaggie usually wears feminine clothes, as she sports a short skirt and loose long hair. Even her name is linked to femininity, as it literally means "vagina":

Angel Dust: You're doing great, Vagina.

Even when it comes to Chaggie's The Nightmare Before Christmas's allusion...

Charlie references Jack Skellington, as she is the Princess of Hell and a passionate dreamer

Vaggie references Sally, as she is a run-away and Charlie's level-headed helper

So, Charlie seems superficially more feminine and Vaggie appears more masculine, but their looks and inspirations suggest otherwise. Why?

In truth, even if Charlie is a singing disney-like princess and Vaggie is a badass super-soldier, they don't perfectly fit the typical anima and animus characterization. This is true for their appearances and on a deeper level. Specifically:

Charlie is linked to the anima (feminine), but she is active (masculine) and stronger than Vaggie. Finally, even if she is passionate about feelings, she is often insensitive. For example, she doesn't notice her loved ones' struggles, like Angel's pain and Vaggie's insecurities.

Vaggie is linked to the animus (masculine), but she is reactive (feminine) and very sensitive deep down. Moreover, she is weaker than Charlie in terms of raw power, so her obsession with protecting the princess is misplaced.

Charlie is an anima character with a strong repressed animus and Vaggie is an animus character with a strong repressed anima. They have to integrate with each other to become whole. Still, what should they learn from their partner?

LOVE AND HATE

Charlie and Vaggie have the same problem declined in opposite ways:

Husk: Princess, is a bleeding heart who wants to solve everybody else's problems 'cept her own.

Husk about Vaggie: This one judges everyone and everything because she hates herself.

Charlie wants to fix everyone in an unconscious attempt to fix herself. She loves everyone because she herself wants to be loved.

Vaggie is cold and closed off out of guilt and self-hate. She is suspicious of everyone because she can't really forgive herself.

Both girls have low self-esteem, but Charlie tries to compensate with love, whereas Vaggie tries to defend with hate. These different coping mechanisms stem from their upbringings.

Charlie is the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith, who love her deeply, but are also distant and neglectful. As a result, she admires them, but feels unworthy of their attentions and legacy:

Lute: The only reason you're still here is because daddy gave you and your hellborn kind a pardon from an exorcist blade. How does that feel, to know how little you matter?

She is stuck being the lovable, but useless princess.

Vaggie is brought up in Adam's army, which is an abusive environment, where hate is seen as strength. Vaggie has a place in the world because she kills and is good at it:

Adam: You were on the front lines, I wouldn't forget a bad bitch like you. It's why I named you after the best thing ever. Vaggie. Anyway, you sure fucked up, didn't you?

She is stuck being the ruthless and remorseless soldier.

The path ahead for both girls lies in discovering they are more than just the princess and the soldier. In particular:

Charlie must accept she herself is capable of feeling negative emotions, like pain and anger. She can be aggressive and this doesn't make her mean. It makes her healthy.

Vaggie: Well, I mean… You're the princess of Hell. You don't really use the power that comes with that, which I love about you, but maybe you can… I don't know, command a little more… Authority? Charlie: But that's so mean. Vaggie: It's not mean, exactly. It's… uh, aggressive kindness.

Vaggie must learn to open up to others. She must show vulnerability and express her positive feelings more. She has a merciful and sensitive side, which doesn't make her weak. It makes her strong.

Chaggie have the potential to help each other bloom. Vaggie is the first person to tell Charlie she should be more self-assured in her role of Princess of Hell. Charlie is the first person, who takes care of Vaggie as she is hurt and unable to defend herself. Charlie can teach Vaggie to embrace her inner maiden (love, mercy). Vaggie can show Charlie how to be a real warrior (aggressivity, strength). At the same time, their opposite mentalities lead to some problems in their relationship.

TRUST FALLS (APART)

Charlie: I trust everyone, so maybe you know better on how to build it properly!

Angel Dust to Vaggie: To be fair, do you trust any man? Any men? Men?

Charlie trusts everyone, whereas Vaggie trusts no-one. So, none of them really knows how to trust properly. This becomes obvious in the episode Scramble Eggs, where:

Charlie trusts Vaggie so much she doesn't realize she is putting a lot of pressure on her partner:

Charlie: Oh, come on. It'll be easy! I'm sure you can handle this. Vaggie: Yeah, um, Sure, I can handle this. No problem.

Vaggie trusts Charlie so little she isn't able to confide nor lean on her partner:

Charlie: It's no big deal, Vaggie. You know, maybe I can just help, uh- Vaggie: No. I told you you could trust me, and I'm not going to let you down.

Charlie acts like the damsel and lets Vaggie handle the whole situation. Vaggie plays the knight and refuses to share the burden with Charlie:

So I, I'll be your armor Do whatever it takes, I'll make the mistakes I'll spend my life being your partner

The song Whatever It Takes plays the princess/knight motif straight. Vaggie sees herself as worthy of Charlie only if she can be her knight in shining armor. This may seem sweet, but there is something to be said about Vaggie echoing Carmilla, a mother who is singing to her daughters:

So I, I'll be your keeper Do whatever it takes, I'll make the mistakes I'll keep you safe and keep this secret

It makes sense for a parent to shoulder the burden for their kids' sake. However, a person wanting to do the same for their lover is unhealthy. Especially, when the secret of a balanced relationship is established early on:

Charlie: From the dust of Earth, they created Adam and Lilith, equals as the first of Mankind.

The two partners must be equals, but Vaggie sees herself as inferior to Charlie and tries to over-compensate. In this way, though, she takes away Charlie's agency. Charlie instead knows something is off deep down. However, she does not address the matter because she would need to go deeper into herself, her feelings and her relationships. And Charlie wants to avoid it at all costs.

Chaggie's communication issues are conveyed meta-narratively in Charlie and Vaggie's individual songs:

-Charlie's Happy Day in Hell has our princess sing so loud that she almost covers Vaggie's warning:

Charlie: If I can show them the dream I've dreamed That any soul can change! Vaggie: Those angels' minds are hard to change Charlie: Then they will know everyone can be redeemed From the evil to the strange! Vaggie: They're bloodthirsty and deranged!

She doesn't listen to Vaggie.

-Vaggie's Whatever It Takes is sung by our knight to her princess, but Vaggie has Charlie leave before the beginning:

Charlie: Vaggie, don't say that! You do so much! It's- Vaggie: I'm sorry. I'd… I'd like to be alone for a minute.

She doesn't talk to Charlie.

Eventually the couple's trust exercise is solved positively:

Charlie: No, no, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I put pressure on you. We work as a team. I guess I just thought all this would be easier, but, we'll figure it out, together. I mean, look what your exercise did for them.

Charlie goes out of her way to talk with Vaggie and Vaggie's team-building works. Charlie puts both her and Vaggie's feelings into words, whereas Vaggie builds trust through her actions.

Despite this, Chaggie don't really address their problems, which come back stronger:

Adam: Don't you act all high and mighty Did you ever think your little girlfriend might be a liar? Vaggie: Don't, Adam, please! Adam: What's the fuss? Why hide the fact that you're an angel just like us?

Charlie has been ignoring Vaggie's dark side, so she is devastated when it comes out. Vaggie instead has been hiding the truth from Charlie, so it is revealed in the worst way possible. After this, there is an inversion in Charlie and Vaggie's dynamic:

Vaggie: Charlie, can we talk about this-- Charlie: We can talk later. Right now, we have a job to do. You with us?

Vaggie is the one looking for a conversation, whereas Charlie pushes her girlfriend away. Before they can reconcile, the two girls need to go through individual trips and to find the guidance of two mentors.

A singer

A dancer

SINGING AND DANCING

Rosie and Carmilla are mature versions of Charlie and Vaggie:

Rosie is the Ruler of Cannibal Town, one of the nicest place in Hell. She is good-natured, but respected by her people. Moreover, she runs an Emporium, where she helps her clients with their personal problems. This is pretty much what Charlie would like to do with the Hazbin Hotel. Rosie is also a singer and is inspired by Dolly, from the musical "Hello, Dolly!"

Carmilla is Hell's top weapon dealer, so she specializes in war and is herself an exceptional fighter. However, she is not ruthless and mostly fights to protect her loved ones. She is the kind of person a more balanced and self-assured Vaggie might become. Carmilla is also designed as a ballerina and her two daughters are called after protagonists of famous ballets.

Why do Charlie and Vaggie's adult selves have a singing and dancing motif? That's because Charlie and Vaggie are respectively a singer and a dancer.

Charlie is a singer:

Charlie: My name is Charlie, I like to sing! And when we get to know each other it's the greatest thing!

She always conveys her feelings through songs, like her many attempts to pitch her hotel (to the Sinners, to Adam, to the Cannibals). What is more:

Charlie: But Lilith thrived, empowering demonkind with her voice and songs.

Charlie wants to become like Lilith and to empower people with her voice. Her objective is to grow into an inspiring leader, who changes minds and touches hearts with words.

Vaggie is a dancer:

The problem is that she has yet to realize it. Vaggie struggles with self-expression, which is why she has very few songs in the first season. That said, she shows her devotion through actions, like her determination to fight for Charlie. What she needs to learn is a new fighting style rooted in love. That is dancing, a way to express one-self through the body. This is made clear by the two cut episodes Challenge Day and The Baphomet Ball:

This cut plotline had Vaggie fight proto-Carmilla and lose. Charlie would later cheer her up by inviting her to a Ball. There proto-Carmilla would be impressed by Vaggie's dancing skills. The basic idea is obvious. Vaggie is a fighter, who must evolve into a dancer.

So, once again Chaggie is complementary:

Charlie is linked to singing, words and "soul", as she herself is the Heart of the Hazbin Hotel.

Vaggie is linked to dancing, actions and "body", as she herself is the Arm of the Hazbin Hotel.

As a result, they are given opposite missions to save the hotel:

Charlie must convince the Cannibals to join her army (singing). She must find people, who will help them fight.

Vaggie must discover from Carmilla how to fight the exorcists. This means both learning her fighting style (dancing) and obtaining the angelic weapons.

And yet, to succeed in their respective areas of expertise both Charlie and Vaggie must step into the other's shoes.

Charlie learns to better understand Vaggie and by doing so she realizes the importance of actions:

Rosie: If there's anything I've learned, it's that words are cheap, but actions, they speak the truth. So, what have her actions said? Charlie: That she believes in me, and what we're doing.

Not only that, but she is forced to take a look inside and starts unpacking some of her negative emotions:

Charlie: My girlfriend is an Exorcist angel, and she never told me Rosie: Oh, shit! Quite a secret. How does that make you feel? Charlie: Just, angry, because we share everything, because she always supported me, and my ideas, and-and- and now, I don't know whether or not that was just more of the lies! Oh no that's a horrible thing to think! Do i think that?! Yes! N-no. Kinda?

As a result, she comes up with a song that combines her natural showmanship and charisma with a new resolution to act:

Charlie: For the first time in my life I might have to be ready for this Ready to be the one who's leading from the front Gotta come into my own Gotta come into my throne Gotta take charge and defend my only home And although I kinda feel unsteady Now I need to be ready for this

Charlie steps into the role of leader and is ready to take action:

All: For the first time in our lives We know that we are ready for this Rosie: We'll show Heaven a fight they won't forget! All: It's time to take a stand Charlie: It is time to lend a hand! (Cannibals: Huzzah!) Against the angels and their deadly threat! All: We cannot take it anymore The time has come to go to war Prepare to fight, we're ready for… THIS!

Vaggie inspires the residents of the Hotel to stay and convinces Carmilla to help. By doing so, she shows how much she has grown thanks to her time with Charlie:

Vaggie: What's important now is that we're going to have a fight on our hands. Look, this hotel is about to become the most dangerous place in hell, and we….I, can't guarantee your safety anymore. I still believe in Charlie's dream. I know this place can work. But none of you signed up for this. I'm gonna go learn how we can fight back, and when I come home….Well I'll understand if none of you are here.

Moreover, she learns to fight in a new way intertwined with music (Charlie's passion and world):

This fighting style is focused on defense and survival, rather than attack and killing:

Carmilla: Angels attack quickly, viciously, and without mercy. You'll need to defend better than that.

Carmilla: Well, look at that. You might just survive this.

It is based on love:

Carmilla: I see you're driven by your detestation Your every step is stoked with animus You need a different type of motivation Or there's no way that you can handle this I know you're thirstin' for vengeance, Vaggie You're out for blood But you'll only stand a chance if you're out for love

By the end, Charlie and Vaggie meet each other in front of the Hazbin Hotel. Charlie leads the people (soul) and Vaggie has the weapons (body). They have also grown enough to better understand each other. Charlie empathizes with Vaggie and forgives her lie. Vaggie realizes how much Charlie cares for her and is ready to value herself more:

At the same time, Charlie faces some of her repressed "aggressivity" and makes an important step as Princess of Hell:

Rosie and Alastor: She's bound to pass the test as Princess of Hell Like her Daddy, she is madly power-fell!

Vaggie instead learns some "self-love" and makes progress into becoming a true angel:

Carmilla: You're gonna fight without gloves And when that push comes to shove Yeah, you just might rise above Long as you're out for love

These changes are fully embraced and tested in the final battle.

FINALE: DEVIL AND ANGEL

The fight against the Exorcists is where Charlie and Vaggie's integration is on full display, starting with their designs:

Charlie wears a mini-dress with a heart decoration and wields a shield.

Vaggie fully covers her body with an androgynous and practical attire. She fights with her signature spear.

The usually masculine looking Charlie appears feminine. The usually feminine appearing Vaggie looks masculine. Their outfits also fit their respective fighting styles. Charlie is defensive, whereas Vaggie is aggressive. Wait... isn't something wrong? Shouldn't Charlie grow more aggressive and Vaggie more defensive? Yes and this is precisely what happens as the battle progresses...

Charlie is overwhelmed by her anger and grief over Sir Pentious's death and unlocks her full demonic form. She goes from defense (shield) to offense (pitchfork) and injures Adam. Finally, she transforms her arm into a claw and stops the First Man in his tracks.

Vaggie is attacked by Lute, loses her spear and is forced on the defensive. She protects herself from Lute's relentless assault until she reveals her angelic wings and traps her opponent. Eventually, she has pity of Lute and lets her live.

Charlie's climatic moment is a show of strength, whereas Vaggie's is a show of mercy.

In other words:

Charlie appears more feminine, but acts more masculine

Vaggie appears more masculine, but acts more feminine

In comparison to their usual dynamic, Chaggie go through a complete inversion. This development is conveyed also by a small detail: their hair. Charlie lets hers loose, while Vaggie ties hers.

Charlie's hair usually covers her horns and is tied because she represses her demonic side. The moment she gives in to her inner demon, the horns come out and the hair gets loose, just like her feelings are untamed.

Vaggie: I'm not used to fighting with long hair.

Vaggie's hair is an attempt to hide her past and vulnerability. She has it grow after her abandonement to mask her scars (her eye and missing wings). In the finale, she ties it to fight freely. In this way, her brand new angelic wings can come out in all their beauty.

So, Charlie embraces her demon side, while Vaggie has her inner angel emerge. The twist is that Charlie the demon teaches Vaggie how to be a proper angel. Vaggie the angel instead shows Charlie that there is value in demonic traits. They integrate with each other to become the best versions of themselves. This shows also before and after the fight.

In the Finale, Charlie expresses all her self-loathing:

Charlie: He did it for us, the ultimate sacrifice He gave me his trust, and look how we paid the price This bloodshed could have been avoided If I convinced Heaven to work together I took a hotel and I destroyed it I know I could have done better Better, instead of letting you down

Thanks to this, her loved ones come to her side and support her. What is more, she starts to back up her words with actions:

Katie Killjoy: Charlie Morningstar managed to fend off the angelic attack with more than just nice words.

In More Than Anything Reprise, Vaggie conveys her love to Charlie through words and is there for her in a moment of self-doubt and weakness:

Vaggie: You've already done so much So many lives you've changed So many souls you've touched And in the end, if it's only me you've saved

She shows her sweetness and sensitivity.

By the end of season 1, Chaggie are together and stronger than ever. They have made the first steps into integration and tapped into their respective potentials. Both as individuals and as saviors of the universe.

THE MYTH OF EDEN

Charlie: Drawn in by Lilith's fierce independence, Lucifer found her, and the two rebellious dreamers fell deeply in love.

The series starts with a retelling of the myth of Eden, which is set-up as the heart of the series:

Plot-wise all the characters are living with its consequences

Theme-wise it shows the birth of love between the first man and the first woman...

The twist is that the first couple isn't Adam and Eve, but Lucifer and Lilith:

Who are foils to Charlie and Vaggie:

Both couples have a demon and an angel, who fall in love against the odds.

Both Charlie and Vaggie foil Lucifer in different ways. Like her father, Charlie is a wide-eyed idealist, who doesn't fit in her kingdom and wants to change it. Like the devil, Vaggie is a fallen angel, who is let down by heaven and finds love in hell.

Both Charlie and Vaggie are set-up to foil Lilith. Charlie is a demon full of love, who wants to empower others with her voice. Just like her mom. Vaggie is an angel hidden in hell, who keeps secrets out of a misplaced wish to protect others. Lilith is a demon hidden in heaven... wanna bet that she is keeping secrets from her husband and daughter to protect them?

Why is there such a juxtaposition between the two couples? Two reasons:

Charlie is gonna deal with her complicated feelings for her parents through Vaggie. Her partner is gonna challenge her to grow into her own person (microchosm).

Lucifer and Lilith unwillingly broke the world, but Charlie and Vaggie are gonna fix it (macrochosm)

This is why the two couples are immediately juxtaposed:

After Charlie ends her retelling of The Story of Hell, Vaggie arrives to check on her.

Lucifer and Lilith destroyed the status quo:

Charlie: But this gift came with a curse. And with this single act of disobedience, evil finally found its way to Earth. With it, a new realm of darkness and sin. And the order Heaven worked to maintain was shattered.

Charlie and Vaggie will bring a new and better one:

Charlie: We'll make a difference, wait and see Charlie and Vaggie: We're gonna do this, you and me

#hazbin hotel #chaggie #charlie morningstar #vaggie hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel meta #my meta

[recentadultburnout]

Info for writer in Thai series fandom: More language thingy

Swear words and metaphor

*Some words may have more meaning than what I mention.

ไอ้ Ai and อี ee = words to be added in front of other words (a name or swear word), showing contempt or closeness (in a rude way).

Ai is masculine and ee is feminine, but nobody actually cares at this point.

เหี้ย hia or เชี่ย shia = Varanus salvator

These two words are the same. Hia is an original, and shia is a word that is born from distorting the voice in order to reduce vulgarity. It's kind of like referring to an f-word with any other word starting with f. We also used many other words that mean "Varanus salvator" as a sensor version of the "hia" swear word. little crocodile or chicken eater, for example.

They can also be used to empathize by adding to the end one or two times, for example, "super cool" would be "cool hia hia".

Tbh, whenever I read in English and see the word "hia," I always think of this word before a word that means "older brother." And to make it worse, the placement of both of them in the sentence can be exactly the same. Sometimes it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize the writer intended it to be an older brother.

สารเลว saraleo = miscreant, bastard, swinish, vile, caitiff, rascally

If you are 2gether fan, this is the word Tine calls Sarawat.

There are many similar words, such as

rayam-ระยำ-wicked, disgusting, inauspicious

chanrai-จัญไร-vile, unfortunate, ruined, crush

chatchua-ชาติชั่ว-lowlife

เสือก sueak = to meddle in matters that are not their own; to meddle in other people's affairs

ห่า har = infectious disease (cholera), pestilential disease (plague), and the evil spirit responsible for disease epidemics. 

สัตว์ sus =animal

พ่อง pong=your father

แม่ง maeng =your mother

They are shorten from por(father)/mae(mother) mung(you)

ดอกทอง dok thong=whore

This word sounds like a golden flower, but it's just a coincidence as far as I know.

ส้นตีน son teen=heel=lowest point of your body

ควย kyua=cock

หี hee=vagina

สันดาน san dan=in-born traits

as in bad inborn traits. The "bad" is omitted on the assumption that everyone understands.

ตอแหล tor lear=liar, fake

-->sato (สตอ-Crudia chrysantha Schum)-->strawberry

เปรต pret=The hungry ghost, frequently described as a very tall monster with a needle-sized mouth. = tall(negative meaning) or a bad person

อ้อย oi=suger cane=อ่อย oi=attempt to entice something or someone to be caught (typically used by a woman seducing a man).

For example, a cane truck has overturned here.=Someone here is trying really hard to seduce someone.

งิ้ว ngiw=bombax anceps (thorn-covered tree)

In the story, when sinners go to hell, the adulterer must climb this tree naked.

Mark from Love Mechanics asks on Facebook how hurtful it would be to climb a ngiw tree after having sex with Vee, implying that he is at least interested in someone who is not single.

Gold fish=short memory

Tiger=flirtatious person who is good at getting who they want (typically a guy)

A tiger with faded stripes=old tiger=someone who used to be flirtatious but is no longer. 

Dog can be alot of things depent on the context but usually a bad things.

"Dog with a rotten head" means someone nobody wants to get close to or interact with.

If someone looks just like a dog, that means their current state is bad. Too drunk = like a dog. Crying too much = like a dog.

Giving someone dog food means making someone, usually your friends, a dog. Used when you complain about your love life to someone, ask them for advice and they tell you to leave your current partner since the partner is being awful to you, you say so! Then you turn around and reconcile with your partner. So now your friend is a bad guy whom your partner won't want you to associate with anymore because they incite you to be at odd witn your partner.

Temple's dog = low status, usually used for a low-status man who likes a high-status woman who would be called ดอกฟ้า(dokfha) which translates directly to "sky flower." Use something like, "You are a temple's dog yet want to pluck a sky flower, you should know your place!"

A dog that serves someone means someone who only cares about serving their boss (who is a bad person) and nothing else, like morals or other people. A lackey

Bird(quite a new slang) = Can't get what you want, typically means someone you want as a lover.

Phonix = immortal bird = repeatedly failing to get what you want *We do use phonix as a poetic expression too, not just for this meaning.

Buffalo = idiot/fool. 

You can say A is putting horns on B when A is cheating on B; this means A makes B an idiot for believing in A.

When you fail your exam, you might say that these days you eat grass instead of rice (like a buffalo).

There is a saying that goes like this: "One who remembers when they get hurt (and leaves or does something to not get hurt again) is a human; one who is willing to endure it is a buffalo." If you put up with something you shouldn't, you are a buffalo.

Pig

fat

weak/easy to win against

Fox

Cunning

Sedusing

catfish,termite=ugly

rhinoceros=Someone who tries to steal someone else's lover or just acts inappropriately in general according to the traditional feminine standard. Originally, it was only used to call women, but it is no longer the case.

barking deer=gay man

gibbon=woman

It was originally used by trans women to refer to cis women. can be seen as rude, but like many other words, many people don't actually take offense if it is used playfully. These two words, "barking deer" and "gibbon," are usually used together.

The reason why a character does not always know information stated in the subtitle

Gender of someone

The Thai language, for the most part, is gender-neutral. The she or he in the English subtitle usually has to be chosen by the translator.

Who/what the speaker is talking to/about

Many times, sentence structures in spoken language won't require a subject or object. I guess when that gets translated, it looks weird, so the translator has to pick something to add in. In a lot of situations where I am not sure how to address my interlocutor, I can simply avoid doing it, but when I'm writing in English like this, I have to pick something, right?

When

There are no tenses in Thai the way there are in English. We have words for determining whether something happened in the past, present, or future, but you can say something without using any of those and it will be just fine.

Rice

When someone asks if someone has eaten rice(ข้าว-khao) yet, the word rice usually means meal/food and not strictly rice. The word rice can mean food in general a lot of the time.

Polite words

There are a lot of words that mean the exact same thing but have a different degree of politeness. You may already have noticed it with the way there are so many words that mean you or I. You may also notice it when you watch alot of any Thai series. Like, how when a character says "eat" in the subtitle, there are some varied sounds, such as daek(แดก-rude), kin(กิน-common), than(ทาน-a bit more polite-shorten from rapprathan), rapprathan(รับประทาน-polite).

Meaning of polysyllabic words

Some polysyllabic words, when each syllable is separated, still have a meaning, but their meaning may not be consistent with the meaning of that polysyllabic word. So even when you recognize the meaning of each syllable, the meaning of the polysyllabic word you deduce from it may not be correct. I mean, if we look deeper, we should be able to make it make sense, but yeah.

For example, the word "witch" in Thai is mae mod(แม่มด). Mae means mother or something you can used to indicate that a word it is in refers to a woman and Mod means ant when it's a separate word, but when combined, they mean witch. Or for the word whose meaning is more similar to the words used to create it, the word khun nhu(คุณหนู), which means "young master/mistress." used for address the child of the boss, when sperate khun is a prefix to show politeness or respect, and nhu means mice or a word used for calling children. You can see that while some of the single-syllabic words are arguably related to the meaning of the polysyllabic word, some aint so much.

I hope this explanation doesn't make you more confused.😅 But if it is, do tell me. I will try to do better.

Thai alphabet

Our letters are named after words they used to spell. Like, both letters ญ and ย sound the same(yor), but the word woman (หญิง-ying) uses letter ญ and the word giant (ยักษ์-yak) uses letter ย, so letter ญ is named yor ying and letter ย is named yor yak.

Think of it like if A's full name is "A apple".

Index

#thai language #thai culture

[bored-trans-lesbian]

A Starstruck Odyssey, and Masculinity

I have thoughts and am just gonna unload them on Tumblr. That's what we do here, right? I recently have been re-listening to Starstruck and have had some thoughts on it's depictions of masculinity. This isn't a serious post per se, just some thoughts and observations. Starstruck has a wide spectrum of masculine characters on display, though a lot of it is hostile/toxic. Most men or male-coded characters are either outright villains, or more neutral parties with some toxic and selfish tendencies. Don't get me wrong it's a wild violent galaxy and that's the point, the entire party participates in scamming, kidnapping, exploitations, and unnecessary murder and we love to see it, it's not like it explicitly makes all men out to be inherently more monstrous and evil than others. But I do think the depictions of masculinity can be interesting to observe. Amercadia is a pretty cut and dry critism of the patriarchy and American nationalist culture, which is fantastic worldbuilding to include. Many of the masculine-coded androids are actually pretty nice, friendly and helpful or serious about their jobs, aside from a bitchy one in the beginning who injects our main 'droid with an anxiety spike about being one of a kind. Pretty much all of the Slugs we meet occupy masculine bodies, and they seem to have an abstract gender that picks up pronouns from the body they occupy, though the monarch is objectively a king and uses masculine pronouns even before getting a body, and he's pretty selfish and stupid.

But the main pair I'm thinking of, is Barry and Gunnie. Looking at the two of them, there's a lot you can assume. Big Barry Syx is this massive, bulky dude in power armor and shades with a mullet, while Gunnie is a 4' 11" techie cyborg with a big ol' smile. Listen to them in action and many of your assumptions are reinforced; Barry is a total dude-bro associated with nuts, steroids, working out, and acting much like gym bros in our modern life, while Gunnie is a hyperactive technician just doing his best, despite being mired in sympathetic tragedy. Barry's trauma is fairly fantastical or common to stories, having his family gunned down by one of his own, while Gunnie is mostly weighted down by medical debt after he got in an accident after trusting the wrong person. Based on these apperent details one would assume Barry is this toxicly masculine jackass who's insecure about his flaws, while Gunnie is the smartest man on board and is trying to keep everyone in line, doing the right thing, ect. And of course, you'd be dead wrong. Gunnie, while a sympathetic and likable character, is *mired* in toxic masculine traits. While it was an accident that put him in his situation, it was brash foolishness and ignoring obvious red flags that got him in that position in the first place, not to mention a rebellion against his family driving him to it. Furthermore, as Lou himself admits in Adventuring party, Gunnie's *pride* is the reason his problems are so vast; He comes from a lot of money, his initial debt might have never happened or mostly gone away to begin with if he went back to his dads for help. His toxicity doesn't make him an unlikable character but he does have these traits. He's brash, prideful, and ignores common sense a lot. He is also very nice and friendly with others, listens to people, ect. He doesn't have *every* toxic trait in the book, but has them which I tend to not even notice because he's just a funny little guy. Barry, meanwhile, is just about the most wholesome and giving person in the entire 'verse. Syx *And* Nyne, when not under a slug's control, are these total sweetheart bros. Sure, they shit talk each other with friendly ribbing, and yes they are very good at violence, but this violence is always motivated by helping those in need or fighting for those who can't fight for themselves, the Barry Battalion way. Barrys hate it when people are rude, or hurt the innocent. Barrys fight for their friends, provide endless support and praise, and will throw their very bodies into danger to protect or help, as seen on Rec 97 and in the big finale of the battle of the brands. And while the thing the love most is other Barrys, that does not mean that what they respect is also being heavily macho dudes. Barry one (or was is spelled differently? Barry Won? who knows) was the professor who created the other Barrys, a nerdy and fragile professor type, that the Barrys loved and treated as a fellow Barry *literally* the moment they were created. Even Syd is a Barry now, and that's accepted both by Barry Syx who's known her a long time and bonded with her, as well as Barry Nyne who literally, to his perception, *Just* met her, despite her appearance as like a waitress with an arm canon. Being a Barry, in other words, isn't about being just like them, having the name Barry, or anything like that. It's a vibe, it's a way to be, and the 'verse is better off with these super wholesome boys who, despite embodying many stereotypes of the gym bro, posses *none* of the commonly toxic traits also associated with that. They aren't insecure around smarter people or those with different skillsets, they hold no gendered assumptions, and they never wanna use their might to opress others for their own satisfaction.

Just, some thoughts.

#dimension 20 #a starstruck odyssey #barry syx #barry nyne #gunthrie miggles rashbax

[genderkoolaid]

theres a podcast i really really love but the hosts in a recent episode started talking about "what kind of energy would nonbinary people have?" because obviously everyone has a masculine or feminine energy. the conclusion they came to was that they would have a masc/fem energy but that doesnt invalidate their gender because one of the hosts has masculine energy and her boyfriend has feminine energy

it was so painful to listen to, they didnt take a moment to question whether masculine or feminine energy was real, they just accepted it so immediately. its so weird like how easily squares will just accept the gebder binary if you call it by any other name

as someone whose very into religion & spirituality i see this shit all the time and it never fails to annoy me.

like. there is nothing inherently masculine about taking action, being worldly/physical, being rational, etc. and there is nothing inherently feminine about being dynamic, being emotional, being creative, being spiritual/unworldy. the only reason these traits are combined & associated with those two words is because of (largely Western) gender roles.

if the idea of binary energies is really important to you, you can just. choose not to use those specific words! call it dynamic vs stable energy, call it physical vs spiritual energy, call it lunar vs solar energy, whatever. steal from the pokemon game titles. if it really "isn't about gender roles," then simply choose to not use gendered language!!! Don't parrot the most blatantly patriarchal ideas and then tell trans* & gnc people "no don't worry its actually not about gender!! everyone has some masc & fem energy (and only those exist) so you shouldn't feel excluded because im telling you you shouldn't :)"

I have a personal rule that I do not place trust any spiritual person who uses masculine vs feminine energy. Not that I will be an asshole or refuse to talk to them, but if you are using patriarchal spiritual language- especially if you are claiming to be trans*-friendly- you make me trust you less. Because I really question how much work you've put into your own internalized patriarchy if you think that saying "women are emotional and men are rational" is feminist and pro-trans* if you just pretend like its not gendered.

also if you are a feminine cis girl calling yourself a "masculine woman" because you're decisive, I'm gonna eat through the walls of your house

#m. #ask box

[tomyo]

A long examination of Amy and her character treatment.

This was initially a YouTube comment lol.

I truly loved the Sonic x dub cast but it really always came down to an issue of script and possibly the voice director. It always stung to me how much vitriol Amy used to get and while I like how she is better treated (being more recognized as one of the core 4), I do miss the sassiness she was given in the 00s. Sonic is meant to be kinda edgy and often in the anime he’s portrayed with immature traits because he’s a teenager, Amy often was the counterpart to that, a modern posh girl who was stubborn about what she wanted but not solely defined by that. I don’t think it was revolutionary but I do think compared to the Japanese ideal woman, Amy would be more akin with trickled down gyaru culture (Mat[ure] gal, something in line with the image of posh spice). It’s unfortunate that headstrong translated probably somewhat to boy crazy and desperate to an English audience and where Sonic’s immaturity was toned down removing that feeling they were on the same level. Often my biggest issue with her modern voice is she comes off as a knock off mini mouse (more so in the earlier games with her current English VA).

Maybe ironic is it sounds more alike to her Japanese portrayal which also ironically I’m very conflicted about since it somewhat aligns her more with cream age wise. But what I do like about it is the difference in character portrayal. If I were to guess Sega’s stance on Sonic and Amy it would be two people loosely dating, similar in the way Mickey and Minnie are a couple but that validity fluidly changes depending on the situational need. Keep in mind that Amy’s first portrayal is as a version of Sonic’s girlfriend. Given that there was apparently a valentine’s plush bouquet of the two I think to some degree they’re meant to be as such. When it comes to the Adventure era to just before generations, the context of this relationship is greatly changed between languages. American Sonic often gave off the feeling of a laid back but heroic guy who puts up with a girl because he is too kind and she’s too pushy. And I think even just the voice direction plays into that perception because of how they sound a different maturity than the Japanese portrayal. In Japanese, Sonic is often more playful and less uncomfortable than he sounds in English. A great example is adventure 1’s park segment when Amy gets excited for free couple entry, in English Sonic is clearly annoyed and calling her a pain while in Japanese he’s caught off guard but going along with it. I’ve only just been digging into the Sonic X sub but the comparisons I see give off more the feeling that Amy is casually dating Sonic and regularly fighting with him to take her on dates (gonna point to Goku and chichi in this case). He cares about her enough to go to her place first at the end of the first season but reflexively avoids responsibility, she’s the scary girlfriend always mad at him. Specifically pointing back to episode 52’s ending, they use a song associated with specially the relationship between Amy and Sonic that also is explicitly romantic (and in terms of the song presumably reciprocated) when she asks him to tell her He loves her and the lip flaps of his unheard response *could* match up to “Aishiteruze Amy” (my conjugation isn’t that good and google isn’t helpful but to me vague knowledge a more casual masculine way to say I love you) and a white rose which symbolizes “chaste love”.

Ultimately I read their relationship being Amy trying to find compromise with Sonic’s free spirit. They’re by no means official and probably never will be because it’s not in Sonic’s priority (in his game portrayal). The most I think that would ever become of him being with someone would be almost completely out of the picture and light hearted at best.( But that is also due to him eternally being 15/16 as for now. ) Amy trying to get him to spend time with her and show some reciprocation is I think all Sonic X Amy is looking for. But going back to my thoughts on why Amy got so much backlash for the longest time is I don’t not think the first wave of Sonic fans in America understood that. The image of who Sonic is was completely treated different and even before Amy (who you could technically call the second character created in game universe) could appear stateside, the U.S. already created the answer that “Yes, Sonic is interested in romance and here is the type of girl he likes.” My feelings toward Sally always lie in, I did not hate Sally but I hated the way fans pointed to Sally as the reason to hate Amy. It doesn’t help that when Amy was introduced, she was defined by being young, bratty and blind to Sonic not loving her back. She was the little sister trying to steal your boyfriend and the age gap they share was even more so focused on. Even with just the English dub of Sonic media, it was leaning into the concept that boys should feel disgusted at the ideas of romance that isn’t as prominent in Japanese media. It paints the picture to the average 90s Sonic fan that “Amy will never be his type because he’s more interested in a cool mature girl like Sally.” Of course the same comic that particularly created that shipping divide collapsed leaving Amy once again to be the sole main girl that now had a fandom known for hating her. Already doing a whole reset with Colors on scaling back the grand stories and cast, by the next time we really saw her in generations she was just…….dainty. I remember being very effected by her Disney princess hand posing in Lost World. To be honest she hasn’t been that deeply tied into any mainline stories too much, at least not in her modern styling but to also be fair, I’m trying to enjoy Forces despite being late to the game (There was a decade gap of buying a major console) and while I have seen pretty much the full extent of her rep in Frontiers, I’m holding off on dream team currently(also want to play the murder of Sonic on my own time). From the way I look at it, this has lead mainly western media to define her character and often working off said issues that previously arose with her portrayal. As much as I love Sonic Boom, I see Amy’s straight forward pursuit to awkward denial of even feeling that way as nothing less than an absolute failure of her character. That mixed with making her the “The girl annoyed with the boys because she’s just so much more smarter and sophisticated than them” just switching her to a different girly stereotype that ultimately pacified her, then further extending into prime emphasizing how nature loving she is in a way that again really just feels like a Disney princess cliche. Ultimately she’s become “The nurturing homebody who is a little annoyed at the brutish guys she’s around and doesn’t want to address having feelings for her guy friend because that would just bother him.” Maybe it's just aging to that point but its come to a girl minimizing herself is more frustrating that a girl obsessed with a guy. I get why they chose to pivot her in that way but it often also feels directionless.

Actually looking back at all the media that sparked this, even Sonic X doesn't feel that bad as she was made out to be. Granted I'm only a 7th of the way in but she's not often making a huge deal about sonic as much as sonic is the heavy hitter especially with knuckles gone and he's not taking his duties seriously. But it's also interesting to try and see what's going on in the Japanese dubs of the games now that I also have a decent hold on the Japanese language. Sonic adventure 2 gives the impression of her being a part of the crew just constantly not caught up in what's going on. Naturally she'd be invested getting her beloved out of prison but he is so tied up in what's going on that he (and tails) don't stop to fill her in before she's also a wanted criminal. Notably as well, when the island is set to explode, where sonic says "I got to warn the others!" Others is addressed as "Amy-tachi". The word the Japanese use for we is "Watashitachi" which is the word for I with Tachi denoting people with them (watashi can also be replaced with of pronouns if you don't use watashi). It took my by surprise that between tails and Amy, sonic refers to any instead. Something about Japanese sonic makes Amy feel more a part of the group and part of me cries the many ways English sonic fans did not get it.

Edit: I have now played The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog and the writing team GETS Amy. I'm starting to wonder if Amy's Disney princessness is due to most of the media being kids shows right now and this was a steam game (mainly aimed at an older crowd). What's best is if plays well into the whole "Sonic is a bad boyfriend" concept I was talking about, he forgets her cake and is panicked. But Amy is also much more aligned with her old portrayal, she's excited and a little hot headed. Clearly she's had to organize a lot but also lavishes in it being her birthday. She doesn't over obsess on Sonic but she's definitely happy that he supposedly brought her cake and she gets to avenge his "murder". At the same time she's happy to be with all of her friends who clearly care enough to go along with this, even people you wouldn't expect like rouge and shadow. I know Blaze travelling dimensions is a joke but yeah it is crazy she did that for Amy who I think she only really knows though the Olympic games(I've only just started Rush). A murder mystery feels also such a good take for her, it's something extravagant but also a little occultish. Aligns really well with someone into tarot.

#tomyo says shit #sonic the hedgehog #amy rose #sonamy #sonic x

[tysonfurybattlepass]

i LOVE thinking about how the concept of gender would vary between different nonhuman societies it’s my fav kind of worldbuilding.

the ecology of lions means that sapient lions would likely have very distinct gender roles, but the existence and general acceptance of masculinized females in the pride structure means that there is more to it than just a bisection of the population. masculinized lions exhibit both male-associated and female-associated behaviors (as well as a mixed bag of phenotypical traits). masculinized females would likely represent a third gender class, distinct from the traditional male/female dichotomy. so while azure, a masculinized female, might fit our western understanding of a trans man, within the context of his own ecological and cultural background he is nonbinary/third gender.

solitary, hyper aggressive animals like leopard seals likely have no strong concept of gender. social classes don’t exist when there is no society. it simply doesn’t matter. kali uses it/its pronouns more than anything else because it literally could not care less which of these inane social schemas anyone attributes her to. it makes no difference.

spotted hyenas have a distinct gender hierarchy completely opposite of the most common form of gender-based inequality humans experience. we could not compare the experience of a human woman to the experience of a theoretical sapient hyena woman; the identity of “woman” has two very different sets of connotations to those two people.

i feel like this is a really huge missed opportunity in a lot of furry/anthro media. you could write a dissertation how specific ecologies would factor into both specific cultures and into a mixed-species society in a fantasy world. dont know where i was going with this

#jordan talks

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

I really liked reading your thoughts on hypmic and gender roles!! I would like to add some things about hypmic & female characters :]

I like the way Otome is meant to have a delicate (?) image, but it doesn't make her weak (I remember when her solo Just do it released and people talked about how before they had this idea that Otome was more like ruler who gives orders to her soldiers in the background, but after the song it was clear that Otome is actually in the front lines, leading her army)

And Ichijiku, who is sometimes cruel, with this strong image, this is framed not as a good thing, but a front she puts up to cope with her suffering (not that it's wrong for a woman to have traits usually associated with masculinity, but it's bad when you are doing it for the sake of looking "stronger", someone is not weaker for being feminine, as it seems to be something she internalized for herself/she doesn't seem to project that into others so it's just an unhealthy coping mechanism that hurts only herself), we can see from the drama tracks that before traumatic events her voice was much more high pitched (her natural one), and now she uses this lower, stronger tone, to not be perceived as weak (which I think kinda parallels Ramuda speaking in a higher pitch when his natural tone is lower). Basically a lot of the times when trying to write strong women, authors will take away their feminity from the idea that "you need to be masculine to be strong", that wouldn't apply to any of our female cast, even to Ichijiku who does put up a front to not be seem as weak, this is not a good thing & she still has hobbies/likes things usually associated with feminity (but as an exemple of masculine women also being treated well, we have Asunaro Bojo, she is a tomboy but that's not bad at all!!! Good for her, and there is also Iris from rhyme anima, that I could say is not particularly fem??? Also good for her and her cool motorbike)

And Honobono, I think it's really interesting that, in a society that demonizes feminity, she uses that on her favor, her feminity being her main weapon. Also I like her existence as a contraposition to Hypmic's main themes about bonds/relying on others, the power of words to resolve conflict as an alternative to violence / she wants to break bonds, uses her words as a way to do that, showing how powerful words can be when used for evil

As for them making bad decisions, I agree there were times when it was for the sake of plot moving, I also think some decisions are due to them being flawed characters, just like the rest of the cast is (Otome is impulsive and has a very "now or never" mindset, but so does Dice, Ichijiku blindly follows Otome even on her worst decisions, but that's because of her trauma and it's something she has to work on changing, etc)

And I do think a shifting is happening btw them being antagonistic side characters to them being integrated as part of the main cast in recent times!! That being said I'm very excited for the upcoming stage play focused on the girls only & with 2 new original women, I will love to see what they have ready for them

Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts!

I totally agree with your opinion about Otome. Her "coldness" (like, personality-wise) is a good contrast to Ichijiku's hot temper, but neither are in any way weak or frail. And as you point out with Ichijku, this too seems like her way of pushing away her own feelings in order to process them better. (True gender equality is everyone failing to process emotions in a healthy way? lol)

I also get what you mean about Ichijiku and writing strong female characters. (I'm immediately reminded of this comic. In terms of concept art, Ichijiku could fit right in with them lol.) She's an interesting example of a trope I see a lot. In Japanese, it feels like "cute" (可愛い) and "beautiful" (綺麗) exist as two opposite ends of a spectrum, where the latter is associated with maturity and elegance and the former with youth and innocence. Fictional taller girls or girls with more developed bodies often lament that they're pushed into the "beautiful" role even when they identify more strongly with being "cute." On the flipside, shorter girls sometimes wish that they could be taken more seriously if they were closer to the "beautiful" side of the spectrum. Ichijiku is pretty firmly in the "beautiful" camp but seems to desire "cuteness" (see how she reacts to tea parties with Nemu, who is more stereotypically "cute", and cultivates a hairbow collection). Yet she reacts with embarrassment when anything "cute" is brought up, likely because she recognizes she won't be viewed with as much authority if she presents herself in a "cute" fashion. That ties into what you're talking about with the pitch of her voice and her desire to appear strong. It's funny how there are expected societal roles ("cute"/"beautiful") nested within larger expected societal roles (womanhood). If all the female characters were like Ichijku, I'd be a lot more "eh :/" about Hypmic, but as you say, there's a wide variety of presentations, none of which are presented as "weaker" or more invalid. Like Nemu--she's definitely a "cute" character but is written to have an enormous amount of emotional strength following her decision to join Chuuouku. This suggests, then, that Ichijiku is incorrect in thinking she can't be strong and "cute." Likewise, the female characters as a whole can be strong and feminine or strong and more masculine-presenting. It'd be fun to see more female characters who lean into the latter (I'm not going to pretend that Hypmic is bursting with canonical masc female characters) but that seems a bit more progressive than Hypmic is willing to go. If it's still at the stage of "femininity != bad"... I'll take what I can get, haha.

I love everything you said about Honobono!

And I also agree that some flawed decisions Otome and Ichijiku make are due to them being ordinary, flawed individuals. Which is a good, humanizing writing choice! When I said that in the original post, I was referring to the sort of decisions that exist purely to set up the main conceit of Hypmic. The "Hmm yes I think I shall spend our man!tax dollars on constructing a huge, expensive stadium as a trial run for a future government-sponsored sport. Let's kidnap two children in order to convince one of the trial participants to rap against his friend, which is the most effective way to prevent a coup" kind of decisions. Team Rocket-ass decisions. I'm not knocking this concept as a whole, because goofy villainy and contrived plots can be fun. Even in semi-serious works, there can still be a place for contrived plot nonsense; the audience is capable of suspending disbelief when the silliness is not the main object in focus. But when we're later asked to examine some of Otome's decisions and thought processes in a more realistic and sympathetic light, I have trouble reconciling the two concepts in my head. In my opinion, Otome can either be the shadowy figure behind the Team Rocket desk or a real person with complex thoughts and feelings, but asking her to be both is not a great writing choice.

Finally, I can't wait for the stage plays either. I hope I get a chance to check them out! The Hypstages are always super, super fun.

#not a translation #asks #hypmic asks

[everythingisround]

I think a lot of people who aren’t in the raggedy fandom or are just getting into the fandom may be a bit confused why so many of us headcanon Raggedy Andy as trans, so I decided to compile all the more heavily transcoded traits from across adaptations that fans use to justify their headcanons, plus some stuff I noticed on my own that I decided to add here.

Please note that I am in no way saying that trans/gnc headcanons NEED ‘evidence’ to be considered valid, or that Johnny Gruelle himself created Raggedy Andy with a trans man in mind. I just thought it would be helpful to have a little database of sorts for those who are first encountering this headcanon, and just in general to bounce ideas around that some may find representative of themselves and their experiences. Also, I’m trans, so I’m gonna make every male character in fiction trans too :p

I present to you… Trans Raggedy Andy™️

starting off with his design, andy has eyelashes, a trait commonly associated with female characters. note how other male dolls like clem, henny, and cleety the clown do not have this trait. (clem does have eyelashes in some illustrations, but their design is already EXTREMELY inconsistent lol)

andy’s hair in the early illustrations and dolls is very choppy and uneven, implying that he may have cut it himself. you could make the argument that ann or bessie (andy’s original owner) cut his hair for him, but let’s be honest, it probably would’ve looked a lot more neat and well layered than his current hairdo lmao

andy's arms are very large and disproportionate compared to ann's, which are very slim and feminine. perhaps andy stuffed them himself to give the illusion of muscles?

on the topic of andy's arms, in the books and some of the dolls and animated adaptations, his arm fabric is white, just like ann's. this isn't an issue at a glance; it was mostly likely an homage to ann and andy's design inspiration of scarecrows and clowns, which both typically wear gloves (moreso clowns with their signature white gloves). however, if we assume that raggedy ann stories takes place in 1918 (as that was the year it was published), and the beginning introduction states that ann is physically 59 years old, with andy being sewn a day or two afterwards according to raggedy andy stories, then both ann and andy were sewn in 1859. thing is, andy's outfit is sort of a mismash of contemporary fisherman/sailor attire, and fishermen/sailors didn't typically wear gloves back in those days, and even today. however, plenty of women, especially those of higher classes, wore gloves as a sign of neatness and status. granted, ann's attire seems to be more rural, but if, say, you were a working class woman in the mid 19th century, chances are you'd wear gloves at least some point. or maybe marcella's great-grandma/bessie's mom just used whatever scraps of fabric they had :shrug:

compared to ann's clothes, andy's clothes are a lot more modern (at least for the time period) and put together, with buttons and bowties galore. sure, bessie's mom could've just had those trinkets lying around, but considering the letter at the start of raggedy andy stories states that bessie and marcella's grandma lived next door with no fence, they were most likely lower class. personally, i like the idea of that ann made andy's current clothes herself :) maybe, with the civil war in america going on around the same time, ann might've based his clothes off of some of the sailors from that time...

in many of the adaptations, most notably the 1977 movie and the 1986 broadway musical, andy's arc usually revolves around him trying to prove himself, mostly by asserting himself to be as masculine as possible. one could argue that this is just a classic case of toxic masculinity, and while that could be a byproduct of his behavior, we do see him show sympathy and compassion for others, especially his sister. this indicates, to me at least, that andy's yearning to break away from others' expectations of him and be the strong, tough, and terrific boy he is is an internal conflict rather than an external one.

ill admit this is a bit more farfetched, but andy's voice does kinda sound like someone going through hrt, where the voice is in that awkward state of sounding more like a teenage boy as it slowly deepens with increased doses. (note that i havent gone on hrt yet; im mostly basing this off some of the things that my friend who has been through hrt has relayed onto me) if you listen to the 1977 movie, 1986 musical, and even the chuck jones specials, andy's voice definitely gives off that vibe (at least to me). then again, that may just be a result of the rag dolls being ageless, or the writers not knowing whether they wants the dolls to be minors or adults.

no girl's toy. yeah.

finally, ann and andy look basically identical, especially looking at them from the back view. heck, you can't even tell some of the dolls apart without their clothes on. this most likely indicates that bessie specifically wanted a doll that looked like marcella's grandma's, so that they could play with them as sisters and all that. it's also more common for kids with toys that share the same gender as them (though not all the time, of course), and boy dolls were almost always love interests for the girl dolls back then. even in the raggedy andy stories letter from earlier, johnny's mom (who, considering marcella was directly based off of johnny's own daughter, is most likely marcella's grandma in this context) even states that andy would sometimes be dressed in girl clothes when she and bessie wanted him to be ann's sister on that particular day. while that definitely makes me feel bad for andy if this is after his transition, marcella's grandma is also an old lady at this point, so it's very possible she could be misremembering, or perhaps she didn't want to confuse her son by saying her friend's girl doll magically turned into a boy doll one day. trans people were almost unheard of back then, after all, even though the concept of being trans has existed for thousands of years.

yup. that's the tea. this ended up being WAY longer than i originally intended, so i apologize for that... hopefully ive explained myself the best i could. tldr; raggedy andy has been trans since forever im sorry :(

#raggedy andy #trans raggedy andy #raggedy ann #raggedy ann and andy #trans #trans man #transgender #trans headcanon #trans hc

[artist-issues]

Did you guys know that even all of Zootopia’s SIDE characters hit the theme right on target? All of them circumvent their species’ stereotypes, for good or for bad.  First one we’re introduced to is Gideon. He’s a fox, and he’s a bully, but Judy nails him right off the bat. He’s small-minded—actually, he’s just not very bright. He’s a bully, so immediately we know he solves problems with his physicality. But that’s the thing. Foxes are supposed to be sly and cunning and sneaky. There’s nothing sneaky or sly about Gideon.

He just shows up and mispronounces words and pushes bunnies around. In fact,  Judy is the sly one in their interaction; even while he’s pushing her down, she’s slipping the tickets out of his pocket to give back to her sheep friend.  Okay so fine, Gideon’s obvious. But what about the next side characters we meet?

Clawhauser! Everybody loves Clawhauser. This one is obvious too. He’s a cheetah—he’s not a leopard, he’s not a jaguar. He’s a cheetah. But what do we learn about him as soon as he actually has to do something for his job? 

HE’S NOT FAST. Cheetah’s are “supposed to be” fast, if they’re anything. But as many character traits as Clawhauser has (loves pop stars, loves donuts, loves his job, willing to help, all-around nice guy) the one that he SHOULD have, as both a police officer who’s job description could be “CATCH” bad guys, AND a cheetah, is speediness! But he’s not a runner. And he’s not even very quick on the uptake, either. When Judy is trying to solve a murder and has the evidence laid out right in front of him, and is LITERALLY connecting the dots out loud, he has no clue what she’s talking about. He’s not quick-thinking. 

Okay let’s do the next one. Chief Bogo! This one is, I think, obvious too, but for funsies, let’s talk about it.  Chief Bogo’s whole character design, as a water buffalo, is supposed to be big, square, tough. He’s scarred up and masculine and authoritative and brusque. He even says several times that he doesn’t care about people’s feelings. But he is not big, heavy, and unyielding like a Cape buffalo should be. They’re literally described as “dark, brooding, tough,” animals. But Chief Bogo gets behind closed doors and he’s like: 

“Ooo, an app where I can dance to mainstream pop music!” And on a more serious note, when Judy totally proves him WRONG and could be seen as having HUMILIATED HIM, he instead proudly walks her up to the Mayor’s office for a promotion. And he even consoles her and calls her a good cop when she’s at her lowest point.

Even the other fox in the movie, Finnick. His whole thing is that he looks small and cute; clever foxes like Nick take advantage of that expectation. Other animals clearly don’t realize that his species, which is totally different from Nick’s, is why he’s so little—they just assume he’s a baby red fox (to their disadvantage.) But even if they did, you see a Fennec Fox and you either go, “aw, cute,” or “foxy tricks!” Finnick has neither. The movie makes it seem like the scheming part of their lives is all Nick’s idea and Finnick is just there playing along to collect the money. He’s also not cute when the disguise comes off—he’s ferocious! A bust-heads first, ask questions later fox with no slyness. 

Let’s move on to some even-lesser-known characters—I’ll try to go faster—

MAYOR LIONHEART! He’s supposed to be an animal associated with great leadership, pride, and honor, and the word “heart” is even in his name. But he has no real heart—he exploits everybody, Bellwhether and Judy included, for his own gain. He’s so self-protective and selfish, two non-leaderly traits, that he even exploits the poor sick feral Zootopians that they recover. 

he doesn’t even seem to care about his actual mayoral duties, which is, you know, the hands-on LEADERSHIP part of being a leader that you’d think the King of the Jungle would be great at.  And what about Madge the Honey Badger? Many people don’t like that her role was made smaller after Pre-production and she became a barely-seen doctor character rather than one of Nick’s closest friends, but LOOK WHAT A GREAT JOB THEY DID. She’s a HONEY BADGER. Honey Badger don’t care. They’re just supposed to be these tough-as-nails, vicious littler buggers who not only have thick skin, but attack predators much larger than themselves—LIKE LIONS. 

But the only time we see this Honey Badger, she definitely cares. She cares enough to sort-of suggest that they get outside help for the sick animals Lionheart is hiding, but when he yells at her? Does this Honey Badger use her thick skin to stand up to him and make a stand for justice? No! She cowers and backs down. And she must have been doing it for weeks, too, because the Missing Mammals have clearly been there for a while.  What about Mr. Big? Clearly it’s all in the name; he’s implied to be a huge threat, very dangerous, but he’s little, sure. Not only that though—he’s implied to be ruthless, a killer, even Nick is scared of him. But instead, he winds up being warm and fatherly toward his own daughter and Judy. He gives wisdom, and helps justice more than once. Also, by the way, a Shrew’s brain is supposed to get even smaller in the winter to conserve energy. There are articles online called “how winter makes shrews stupid,” when I looked it up. But is Mr. Big stupid? Absolutely not. 

What are others known for? Being cute and playful. How many times do you see Mrs. Otterton OR FERAL MR. OTTERTON being cute or playful in the film? This has less to do with their personalities, but the point is, we’re seeing an animal known for it’s cheerful and fun demeanor only in sad or scary situations in this masterpiece of a movie. Not to mention the fact that Emmett Otterton, a “sweet little otter” is basically never sweet until the very end of the movie. 

Yax the Yak is supposed to be big, slow, dumb—he even has hair covering his face, as if he’s not all that observant. But who remembers every little detail about his interactions with Emmett Otterton? Even when Nangi, an elephant who is supposed to remember according to stereotypes, remembers nothing, ever?

YAX DOES. And not only does he remember, but he remembers about interesting things, like being able to tell by the sound of a car which cylinder is firing incorrectly. He’s smart.  We also have Mr. Manchas, the panther, who is shown to be less an apex predator (which is what panthers are) and more a traumatized, suspicious, mild-mannered driver. Oh, and he and all the big, stronger animals work for the tiny little shrew, remember that too. 

Sheep are also supposed to be followers, and stupid. They’re supposed to go toddling after one another, and sometimes just straight up walk over the side of cliffs to their deaths out of idiocy. But the only sheep we see in this film, BESIDES Bellwhether, are not only rebels trying to undermine Zootopia’s whole system, but smart. 

Doug, Jesse, and Woolter are all lab geniuses cooking up government-toppling terrorism serums. 

Gazelle, also, by the way, is a gazelle. They don’t stand up to anyone or anything in the wild; they run away from problems and conflict with other species. Yet here she is, not only being a graceful dancer, but spearheading peace rally’s and speaking out against conflict. 

And of course, Flash. He’s slow physically when he’s at the DMV, but it’s implied that he’s no dummy—for all we know, he was helping Nick stall. Because at the end we learn he’s sort of a criminal, too—because he loves to do what ladies and gentlemen? SPEED. 

So. What I’m saying is, there’s a REASON Zootopia’s so good—it just keeps smashing the theme out of the park with every single character that comes onscreen. They don’t stop at Nick being helpful at heart instead of selfish, or Judy being a clever detective instead of dumb. This movie’s a masterpiece right down to the most basic characters.

#Zootopia #nick Wilde #Judy hopps #judy #nick #nic and judy #hopps #wilde #disney #nick and judy #judy and nick #nicholas p. Wilde #chief bogo #officer hopps #bellwhether #mayor lionheart #Finnick fox #clawhauser #meta #analysis

[ashesandhackles]

Prisoner of Azkaban reread notes (Part 1)

Chapter 1, 2,3, 4

Wendelin the Weird really mocks the idea of wizards facing persecution from Muggles, and the anecdote shows how they have more power.

@starlingflight had an hc that the Weasley family went to meet Bill because of the events of last year and because Ginny really looks up to him. In PS, they went to visit Charlie in Romania during holidays, and in CoS, they went to meet Bill. This is the second time they are going to Bill in a very short time. Peak eldest sibling/ third parent moment.

I love the detail in Ron's letter about Molly not letting Ginny into the last tomb, which had all sorts of mutant skeletons. This takes on a layer given what happened to Ginny in Chamber of Secrets.

Uncle Vernon complains about Sirius' hair and then shoots a look at Harry's own. I love the connection the narrative makes between Harry and Sirius from the very beginning - the hair, when Uncle Vernon looks to Harry after he makes a comment about people "deserving punishment"

Ah Marge. The way she treats Harry is special kind of vile. There is a special kind of nastiness to her giving Harry dog biscuits as a present, and then later on in the same chapter alluding to Harry as weak, runty pup that she had someone drown (and then implying Lily has bad blood - "if there is something wrong with the bitch, then there is something wrong with the pup"). Also, although Harry is written as "default white" - this is one of the times I felt such a strong undercurrent of racism here.

And Harry, after first two books of his management of Dursleys, finally rejects them and runs away. ("I had enough" - both Harry and Sirius say at some point with their families)

Interesting that in CoS, Harry is quick to believe Ron and Hermione have forgotten all about him when he didnt get their letters (major abandonment issues acting up, exacerbated by circumstances ofc), but by POA, he is confident that even if he is an outlaw in wizarding world, Ron and Hermione would want to help him. Ron and Hermione slowly help healing Harry <3

Right when Harry is considering his life as an outcast, he is being watched by Sirius, who appears right after Harry has rejected Dursleys as caregivers of any kind, and is the wizarding world outcast. (Also, Sirius has swum the north sea and escaped prison, and he wants to "catch a glimpse")

Sirius laughing at the scene of the crime is such a stark image. We see him do this at the end of the book, when Peter accuses him. ("Black started to laugh, a horrible, mirthless laugh that filled the whole room"). When Peter accuses him of breaking out of Azkaban using dark Powers, Black "started to laugh, a horrible mirthless laugh that filled the whole room." I love this absolutely contrarian impulse in him, that he is laughing at the sheer gall of Peter to accuse him after everything. It also feels like a habit from his home life - designed to piss people off when they accuse him of something, most likely unjust. And it is the same response that happens in his breakdown over James's death on the street - it is the mirthless laughter that begins because of audacity of Peter, and it goes into breakdown over James's death.

Harry returns every day to look at the Firebolt. Jock boy.

Sirius = the Grim. XD interesting how he is associated with a death omen. @artemisia-black has a meta about this.

Ron and Mr Weasley share the same stress response: ears turning red.

Mr and Mrs Weasley recreate the same dynamic as Molly as Sirius in OOTP. Molly does not want Harry to know, Arthur wants Harry to know to be on his guard. This is telling of Rowling's fixed ideas on intrinsic traits of a gender - the man wants to give Harry more agency to be in charge, while the woman is cautious (I'm not making this up, there is literally an interview with Melissa Anelli where she said this about Molly vs Sirius scene: that she wants to contrast "cautious feminine principle" with Sirius' "take charge" masculine principle")

This book feels so melancholy to me. There is a suspense aspect built up with Harry spotting the dog, seeing that it is a death omen, and Sirius saying "he is at hogwarts". On first read, these are scary things. But when you know what you know, this is just dripping with sadness.

Chapter 5,6,7

Ginny tries to join the trio and Ron tells her to "go away". @hinnyfied pointed out how Ginny followed both Ron here and when the train is dark. I really like glimpses of sibling relationships like this!

Remus is here - he is asleep. (interesting that they take note that only students use Hogwarts Express and it is unusual for an adult to be there).

Remus does wandless magic, and conjures flames in his palm. I really really love this detail. The "right to carry a wand" is heavily contested among "creatures" as Griphook resentfully mentions in DH - and it feels like something he has trained himself to be good at. @thecat-isblogging-blog also believes it is something for post transformation - when he may not have his wand and would be vulnerable.

"Ginny looked nearly as bad as Harry felt, and gave a small sob." and Hermione goes and puts an arm around her. Again the Chamber comes up. ("Didnt any of you fall of your seats?" "No, Ginny was shaking like mad though.")

Since this is a book where Harry starts to root his masculinity in James, the shame he feels for collapsing on train is a nice touch. ("I am not delicate!" Harry said crossly). Special thanks to @artemisia-black for her metas for this insight - I would not have looked at this with lens of masculinity if not for your metas!

Interesting detail that both Dean and Lavendar also have no idea what The Grim is. Rest of the class knows - so it is embedded in wizarding culture. This is also a hint to Lavendar's blood status i think? I never picked up on this before.

Dean Thomas appreciation, when Slytherins shout at Hagrid after the Buckbeak incident, Dean says, "It was malfoy's fault!"

"giving Harry a look of loathing reserved just for him" - something about this sentence really cracks me up. lmao.

Snape threatening Trevor really hits at Neville's worst insecurities. Trevor is a gift from his family after Neville proves that he is magical (and not a Squib, as they were fearing). So Trevor is a representation of that for Neville. So Neville's fear - is not being good enough, something Snape (and also his grandmother in a very different way, hits - as McGonagall says, "it's time for her to be proud of the grandson she does have, instead of the one she wishes she had" in HBP). Neville grows very subtly throughout the series.

I love how Lyall and Hope's meeting via Boggarts (as per pottermore) adds another layer to why Remus takes it on in his first class.

Remus is polite to Snape, but he slips in the same scene - when he is asking Neville about what his grandmother wears (so Neville can overlay it on Snape), he prompts, "and a handbag?" when Neville can't seem to remember. Remus is a very subtle character, and his slip ups about his feelings are also super subtle like this. There is no reason for him to prompt Neville on this - but there is a part of him is enjoying this. (It's that part of him on the map that goes: "keep your abnormally large nose out of other people's business")

Chapter 8,9, 10,11

I love how immediately attuned Remus is with Harry, and how Harry actually does say what is bothering him after initially saying no. It is the lack of judgement from Remus, and his ability to let silence be. (Sirius does this with Harry too later on, and so does Ginny)

I love that Harry thought Lups will deny what he had observed, but he not only validates it but offers Harry an honest explanation of why he didnt let Harry fight the Boggart. It is a respect for Harry's agency and intelligence that makes Harry immediately take to him. ("I am impressed, this suggests that what you fear most of all is - fear. Very wise, Harry")

Snape, "unsmiling and watchful" that Harry and Lups are spending time together, and he has told Dumbledore that he is untrustworthy and is helping Sirius.S nape's "eyes were flickering towards Lupin more often than usual" even after brewing the Potion - Snape is super hypervigilant with Lups - there is genuine fear here. Given his teenage brush off, I can see why.

Snape being Dumbledore's angry child: trying to hint to Dumbledore that Lups may be the inside help, and Dumbledore shutting him down, and Snape concedes to it because they are in front of Percy.

Percy looked slightly abashed when Dumbledore mentions that no Dementor would cross the threshold of the castle while he is Headmaster. I wonder what Percy's views are on use of Dementors? He is very assimilationist. The next book, he is on Crouch's side for Winky debacle, so it is likely he thinks Dementors should have a look in the castle.

"his robes were hanging more loosely around him" - interesting detail to show the aftermath of transformation on Lups. It is extremely taxing on his body.

Lups both cant help himself from being concerned that Harry is sad about the match and cant help feeling guilty, that Whomping Willow, made for his use, is what smashed Harry's broomstick.

Harry is so comfortable opening a topic with Lups that he finds deeply shameful: that he fell because of the Dementors, that he hears Lily's death when they get close. It is interesting that Jily death hangs so strongly over POA, and both Remus and later, Sirius act as a stand in for James in this book.

"Lupin made a sudden motion with his arm as though he made to grip Harry's shoulder, but thought better of it." - the summary of Remus and Harry's relationship in the entire series, and Harry breaks through this wall in Deathly Hallows.

"White and shaking he was" "Give Harry to me, I am his godfather" "Black argued, but in the end he gave in" - so demonstrative of the fact that his first priority is always Harry

Sirius was absolutely doing a performance of boredom for Fudge. It is his way of fighting, even in prison - his way of saying, "you havent broken me." Because we do see how Sirius really feels around Dementors at the end of the book - hands over his head, and moaning, "No Please"

"Quite the double act" - McGonagall not mentioning Remus in the group while we get gossipy details like Remus mentioning that McGonagall told him about Harry and Trelawney. It feels like such a gossipy thing to say to a former student, and indicates fondness. So I'd like to think she is also careful and wary with regard to bringing Remus up in front of Ministry authorities, esp potentially sensitive things like Sirius and him used to be best friends.

Harry looking into his parents wedding photo, with laughing Sirius :pleading_face:There is so much longing written into these scenes, and sadness. I have said before that Harry's series wide arc is to coming terms with his parents' death.

ooh interesting stuff from Hermione. Hagrid talks about how Dementors werent keen to let him go, and Hermione says, "but you were innocent!" and hagrid snorts, "Think that matters to them?" interesting stuff for Hermione and her belief and disillusionment in institutions arc.

Dumbledore offering crackers to Snape. Love how Snape indulges Dumbledore even as he hates it lollll.

Chapter 12, 13, 14

I know the fight is about the Firebolt, but I always felt the true reason Harry is angry with Hermione is that she went behind his back. And Ron is siding with Harry. (Although it is funny that it is Crookshanks that technically placed order for the broom)

Also, interesting note about Voldemort - he refers to Lily as "silly girl" and in the most disparaging way possible, when in reality it is her sacrificial magic that stopped him. This is in contrast to how he talks about James - "Face me like a man, straight backed and proud, like your father died". It is taunt, but a compliment infused in the taunt. (We will notice this in his fixation with his father, and rather passive interest in his mother as well - and the interest in his mother is because of her lineage - "I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, from my mother's side?")

Hermione disappearing into her workload, and Ron, despite being angry with her, interested in what she is up to. He even asked Ernie if she missed any Muggle Studies classes, lol.

How interesting that Lups mentions that the Dementor's Kiss is the fate that awaits Sirius Black, completely unprompted by Harry. It is clearly something that bothers him. ("Do you think anyone deserves that?"). Since he read it in the Prophet in the morning, it is clearly a news that he was still processing.

"Do you really think so? Do you think anyone deserves that?" - it is obviously one way for him to process the news, but it is also a way for Lups to open space for Harry to talk about what he is thinking and feeling.

Snape reminding McGonagall that Gryffindor will be out of running for 8th year in a row if they lose the match, lol. Snape and McGonagall's background Quidditch rivalry is hilarious. This happened in CoS too ("We should get Potter off the Quidditch team until he is ready to be truthful" "The cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick")

Harry suggesting they make up with Hermione, and Ron tells him where she is. I get the feeling that Ron was waiting to make up with Hermione after the initial anger. He engages with her, tries to figure out her schedule and it seems to me that the only thing really stopping him is Harry's feelings and he was waiting for Harry's go ahead.

"Ok side with Ron, I knew you would" - the beginning of the series, where the boys choose each other, and Hermione knows it. This changes when Ron becomes aware of his romantic feelings for Hermione, and that forces him to step back from his buffer role, and Harry and Hermione dynamic goes through transitional storm as a result.

Hermione came to watch the match. The juxtaposition of the Fred and George juggling bottles and the festivities, and Hermione reading Home Life and Social habits of British Muggles (which she doesn't have to) really adds to the loneliness of the picture.

I don't know if this was mentioned, but Lupin keeps asking Harry that maybe it's time to stop during the Patronus chapter. I do think it's because he is seeing the physical toll it's costing him, but I'd like to think it could also be because Harry has become an earpiece to James' last moments, and Lupin is caught off-guard. His grief is rising back up and it writes "Ready?" said Lupin, who looked as though he was doing this against his better judgement.(via @thecat-isblogging-blog)

We can see Lupin losing a bit of his careful control when Harry asks him about Sirius. Not only has Lupin just gone through the circle of grief again in a space of a few minutes, but now Sirius being bought up is asking for his anger. When Harry assumes Lupins knew Sirius as well, Lupin responds very quick and 'out of character': "What gives you that idea?" he said sharply. (Also via Cat)

Sirius breaks into the dormitory with a knife. He gifts Harry a knife for Christmas later on. (@artemisia-black brought this to my attention, but he seems to have a thing for knives. )

Love how immediately Neville connects Harry to being his protector, he steps behind Harry when he sees Snape.

Obviously Snape enjoys catching harry in trouble, but his dialogue here about worrying about Harry's safety (also his life mission) is also him. ("Let other people worry about his safety!").

"Mr Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business" - this insult is essentially displaying Remus' anxiety over Snape "sneaking around, trying to get them expelled". And Sirius' insult, is on his intelligence ("Mr Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became professor"). Insulting people's intelligence is go to insult for both Sirius and Snape. James' insult goes for his appearance ("ugly git") which is appearance based, and most likely to do with his jealous streak regarding Snape and Lily. And Peter follows James' lead in the ugly insult and "advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball."

I will never get over the detail of Lups clapping his hand and looking around cheerfully when Ron comes in XD covered this scene between Lups and Snape in more detail here

Remus made Sirius and James "feel ashamed of themselves sometimes". I'd imagine it would be similar to how he handled this - cover up for them as he did for Harry, and lets them hear it in private. Although some of the harshness of what Remus said here is because he agrees with Snape, and recognises his own guilt in this situation, so he is angrier.

There is something about the fact that Hermione comes to them when she gets the letter that Buckbeak is being executed that is really, really vulnerable of her? She can wait until Hagrid tells them himself, but she needs them in this highly charged emotional moment.

I love how immediate the trio's priorities shift - both Harry and hermione discuss the unfairness of the situation, and when Hermione says she has no hope, Ron says there is. "You won't have to do all the work alone this time Hermione. I'll help." Ron's offer of solidarity really gets to Hermione and she apologises to him. And that's pretty much all he needed to hear from her ("I am really sorry about scabbers") and he quickly moves to assure her- "he was a bit old. You never know, mum and dad might get me an owl now." (ron's issue with hermione is similar to his issue with Harry in DH - "you are dismissing my feelings and devaluing my needs. What is important to me is not important to you, and therefore I am angry.")

Lucius is still a background antagonist in this novel, even though he doesn't make an appearance. And like Chamber of Secrets, Hagrid is once again in trouble because of his vulnerable status in the wizarding society.

The exam chapters are so endearingly weird - the teapot into tortoise and how they are all worrying about how some of their tortoise still has spout, or breathe steam. And harry overdoing his cheering charms that meant ron had to be taken to a private classroom for over an hour cos he was doubling up with hysterical laughter.

#hp reread #harry james potter #remus lupin #sirius black #ginny weasley #hermione granger #ron weasley

[jimin-bangtan]

JIMIN'S TATTOOS

Jimin is a complex, interesting person, who I personally describe as a dichotomy. 

“A dichotomy is a contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.” 

Early on, I had many moments where I fluctuated back and forth about Jimin overall being more: 

Loud or quiet? Street popping or ballet dancing? Private or revealing? Feminine or masculine? Introverted or extroverted? Strong or vulnerable?

I have come to the conclusion that he is all the conflicting descriptions combined in some degree of equity. If he does not possess the traits equally, he manages them with such finesse that they are represented with equal amounts of ease.  That’s one of the many things that makes him interesting to me. He is a comfortable combination of each of those attributes.  As a result,  for a while I had a difficult time pinning down exactly who I felt he was. I’m still not 100% sure, but I do know he is extremely sincere about all the different characteristics he exemplifies. Even though he has had to mature into the discovery and execution of each, he ultimately embraces both sides with ease - and I’m sure he is still developing himself, as are we all. He is a true Libra, who are often associated with being strong in “balance, justice, beauty, and harmony”. (So says my research, since I’m not into zodiac information a lot.) 

So today I wanted to talk about his tattoos. The reason this is part of the conversation about Jimin being a dichotomy is because it is known that Jimin aspired to and loves being an idol. Well, in Korea, tattoos are frowned upon and yet Jimin was the first of BTS to get a tattoo. He now has a total of seven (or 11, depending how you’re counting them). 

Credit: Alexia Martinez

Jimin got the tattoos slowly over time, and he seems to have chosen ones that have specific significance for him. For example, his ‘13’ tattoo has an attachment to his birthday (10/13), BTS’s debut day and year (6/13/2013), AND his fan-given initials, JM. J is the 10th letter of the English alphabet and M is the 13th letter of the alphabet (10/13) [I wish I could give official credit to where I read that a while ago. Charge my head and not my heart.].  I doubt Jimin connects it to the last item, but it’s cute. ((And for you JiKookers out there, Jimin’s name has 5 letters and Jung Kook has 8 letters.  5 + 8 = 13  Get it?) ) The first two certainly are pretty understandably signficant in meaning.  The ‘13’ was his first tattoo.  His most recent personal tattoo is the continuation of the moon phases on his back. (The top moon was done separately from the lower four.) 

Jimin’s actual final tattoo is the very special “7” he got on his index finger. This is one that all 7 members of BTS got in unison to represent the 7 members of the team. It is their friendship tattoo. They all got it in personally-chosen scripts and on personally-chosen body parts.  I like Jimin’s choice of location on his finger, where he said he chose that location so the fans could see it when he holds his microphone to talk or sing. He has since had many opportunities to flash it toward fans at different events.  I feel all of Jimin’s selections were well placed and well designed.  I feel they were done in a classy way, which does suit Jimin’s style and demeanor as we know him. You can research what (or if) Jimin has said the meanings of the different tattoos are. That wasn’t the purpose of this post.  My question is: if Jimin takes being an idol as seriously as we’ve heard, and he is likely well aware that tattoos are not approved in Korea, why is there such a contrast where he got not only one but 7 tattoos?  I generally have seen Jimin as being a “rule follower”. So is Jimin compliant or defiant? As I suggested earlier about the other traits, I think he is both.

The fact that Jimin embraces both sides of a characteristic comfortably does not mean he is indecisive. It means he’s inclusive. This feature is what likely allows him to be as empathetic and compassionate toward others as he has been described on many occasions. He can understand and accept these different aspects in others because he feels and operates on both sides with comfortable ease.  He realizes that there are times to be agreeable to certain expectations and standards, but that there are times that the restriction is not necessary or satisfactory for personal growth, expression, or freedom.  

This beautiful mixture of what appear to be opposing forces within Jimin actually makes him the unique individual he is. He is someone who incites passion in people on all sides. There are those of us who are in awe of and inspired by Jimin and how he carries himself, while there are others who are confused and threatened by this person who defies typical and stereotypical definitions. Some have even called him fake because they can’t believe that someone like Jimin actually exists or could possibly be genuine, but in fact, he does and is.  He’s my bias, the dichotomous Park Jimin.  He is imperfectly perfect. 💜

Here is a great connecting post by @jeons-catalyst on this final point that would be an excellent complementary read.  

#Jimin #Park Jimin #Jimin's tattoos

[littlemoonastrology]

All About: GEMINI ♊︎ - The Zodiac Signs

This post will cover all the basic information needed to understand Gemini, the third Zodiac Sign!

Take a look at my other posts to see information on: Aries and Taurus!

I bet you can't guess what Zodiac Sign is coming next... Maybe you can. If you still don't know it's Cancer, so keep a look out!

If you feel like this post has helped you feel free to Follow, Reblog or Repost (as long as I'm credited! I'm relatively new to Tumblr so I'm still learning about how all this works)!

~

Gemini ♊︎

Date (Only applies to Sun Signs): May 21 - June 20

Symbol: ♊︎ - The Twins

Associated House: Third

Associated Degrees: 3°, 15°, 27°

Associated Energy: Masculine

Planetary Ruler(s): ☿ Mercury (Modern and Traditional)

Element: Air

Modality: Mutable

Keywords: Charismatic, Intelligent, Curious, Independent, Communicative, Multipassionate

Playful, fun, communicative and charismatic are all words that can be used to describe those with Gemini placements! This sign may be an intellectual and enjoys exploring different hobbies, interests, opinions for their own enjoyment (although there may be one or two things they have a natural affinity for), they're the multipassionates! This sign is insanely curious and always ready to learn more, although they may not do well in a structured environment and prefer to do things in their own way - going with the flow. A Gemini friend will appreciate those with a sharp mind and don't take things too seriously, will hear out their opinion and have interesting debates! If you have similar hobbies with a Gemini friend then the bond will only strengthen further as they are not the person to bond over small talk. These placements need mental stimulation and look for that in most if not all aspects of their life.

To some extent, a Gemini placement may have a knack for "smooth talking" and may beat around the bush in order to get a response or avoid aggression. Whilst Gemini does love speaking about different hobbies, controversial topics and the such they still deeply care about people's opinions of them whether they show it or not and do their best to stay out of drama (however this may not stop them from gossiping every now and then). A Gemini placement usually never has any kind of bad intent and if needed, they will care for their friends and can be pretty wise. (Some natives of this placement however may not care about other's opinions at all and are very stable in themselves, not really caring about getting in drama - they might actually find it fun).

When insecure, feeling stuck or stagnant a Gemini placement may become completely fixed on a goal or end up overindulging in something in unhealthy ways - maybe they have a tendency to become controlling or fall into some kind of addiction as a way of escapism. They may unintentionally start to depend on other people and can come across as clingy - maybe to some extent depending on people for their own self-worth which may hint towards codependency issues. In some cases, a Gemini may resort to manipulation and deception in order to get what they want.

A Gemini placement is at their peak when they are enjoying life, exploring their hobbies, talking to people but also when they are able to go by some kind of structure in order for them to stay committed... This sign's biggest lesson is to not stay in a stagnant energy, but also on the other side not become someone destructive (whether that's towards themselves or other aspects of their life).

~

Notes/Keywords/Phrases

Zodiac Sign

Each of the Zodiac Signs are a constellation. The Zodiac Sign shows how a Planet/Asteroid/Fixed Point/House is being represented and expressed. Once a Planet/Asteroid/Fixed Point/House falls into a Zodiac Sign, it adopts the energy of it.

For example: if Mercury falls into the constellation Sagittarius, Mercury adopts Sagittarian traits. If the 6th House falls into the constellation Aquarius, the 6th House adopts Aquarian traits.

Associated House

The Houses in Astrology are dependent on the time and location of birth in a Natal Chart and there are 12 different ones. Each of these 12 Houses are then assigned to a Zodiac Sign and 1 or 2 Planetary Rulers. The Houses in Astrology show you what area of life the energy of the Zodiac and Planets/Asteroids/Fixed Points is appointed to and helps provide depth into the chart.

For example: Capricorn's Associated House is the 10th House.

Associated Degrees

When a Planet/Asteroid/Fixed Point/House falls into a Zodiac Sign constellation, it will be appointed a Degree. This Degree shows how far along the Planet/Asteroid/Fixed Point/House is in a Zodiac Sign. Each Degree is also associated with a Zodiac Sign, meaning when this Degree comes up it can nuance the way the Zodiac Sign of a Planet/Asteroid/Fixed Point/House is being represented.

For example: Mars is 6° in the Zodiac Cancer, 6° represents Virgo - therefore the Cancer Mars also takes on Virgo traits. The 2nd House is 23° in the Zodiac Scorpio, 23° represents Aquarius - therefore the 2nd House in Scorpio takes on Aquarian traits.

Planetary Ruler(s)

This phrase refers to the Planet(s) that rule a Zodiac Sign. When a Planet falls into the Zodiac Sign it has rulership over, the energy of both the Planet and the Zodiac Sign is amplified.

For example: Pisces' Planetary Ruler is Neptune.

Modern / Traditional

These words are associated with two kinds of Astrology: Modern Astrology and Traditional Astrology. Traditional Astrology refers to Astrology that was practiced before the 19th century, whilst Modern Astrology refers to Astrology that is practiced now. Some people choose to practice Traditional Astrology, some people choose to practice Modern Astrology, whilst some others might practice both types or combine them together.

Element

Each Zodiac Sign/Planet/House/Degree is associated with an Element and this covers certain traits which are unique to the Zodiac Sign/Planet/House/Degree they correspond to.

These Elements are: Fire, Air, Water and Earth.

Modality

Much like an Element, each Zodiac Sign/Planet/House/Degree is associated with a Modality. The Modality describes what the focus of a placement is and how the energy is expressed.

There are 3 different Modalities: Cardinal, Mutable and Fixed.

#astrology #astronomy #astro observations #astro notes #astro community #tropical astrology #birth chart #aries #modality #Element #natal chart #astrology degrees #astrology houses #zodiac #zodiac signs #astrology community #astroblr #astrologer #self improvement #psychology #spirituality #taurus #gemini

[friezaglasiencold]

Hi , my Lord ! :D

I have a queastion , I hope my curiousity doesn't annoy or upset you, but , now I'm thinking.

You have made clear that you enjoy males , men , guys but also wouldn't mind have some fun with ladies too. You also said that it was more a thing of preference about traits and presentation , so I guess you were talking about preference for masculinity ? Or like- typically male associate traits ? But then , what do you consider or understand about the idea of masculinity ? In the women you find attractive do you look for those same traits or your attraction towards women works different ? Or , I don't know , could you explain what did you mean , please ? I think I made a mess with explain my own queastion , sorry, my lord :c

No, it makes sense well enough.

Really, it doesn't matter to me that much. I find different traits attractive on different people. Seeing as society at large has rather strict ideas of what is considered "masculine" or "feminine", attraction is filtered through that lens as well, at least when one attempts to speak about it... but the true variety is so expansive that boiling it down to only two categories is just about impossible. Reductive, even.

It's unfortunate that I have to erase so much of that complexity to explain things to you, but that's just how things are.

Yes, I like traits that are typically associated with men--bearing in mind that sex and gender are separate concepts, and it isn't attached to a genital preference. But that isn't to say I'm not attracted to women. I just don't want a demure housewife.

I prefer people with an even mix of traits, as well. A woman with a masculine edge, or a man with a feminine touch. Or someone in-between, much like myself.

You must understand that, conceptually, gender is very loose for me. I embody a sort of androgyny that many are both unfamiliar with and disquieted by, so I'm flying by the seat of my metaphorical pants here. Explaining my mentality to a race with two sexes or more is like speaking in tongues.

Ah, but I do hope that cleared things up to some degree or other.

#text response #((tldr he's agender and likes gender nonconformity with a slight male preference))