#duty vs beliefs

[redrosewhiterose]

My BE hot take is that Edward and Mary should have been the protagonists this season, with the main plot focusing on how their love for each other entered in conflict with their religion beliefs until these differences were irreconcilable, all leading to Edward excluding her and Elizabeth of the succesion and naming Jane his heir instead. Elizabeth should've been a supporting character, with the Seymour affair lasting only two, three episodes top (and no gross graphic scenes), and then she would lay low for the rest of the season but she still would be there in the background, watching and learning from everyone else's mistakes. Also I would show her bonding with Anna of Cleves because unlike the show runners I do not think that this show has that many characters for a short cameo of her to be "confusing". Oh and her plot with Robert can be almost exactly the same, because I really like the angst they're delivering. Then in season 2 Elizabeth would become a main character, with the main plot mirroring the plot of season 1 (i.e. two sisters who loved each other but their differences also ended up being irreconcilable), except that this time is Mary the one that is the the place that Edward was in season 1, and unlike their brother, Mary does name Elizabeth her heir because she understood that it was the best for England, putting the stability of the country before her personal beliefs, and thus completing her character arc.

#the themes would basically be Familial love vs Personal beliefs vs Duty #also in my version of BE Anne Stanhope and Frances Brandon also exist and Catherine Parr is actually loving towards Elizabeth #becoming elizabeth

[geminimoonmadness]

NATAL

RETROGRADES

Copywrites Reserved ©️GeminiMoonMadness

A retrograde in astrology is when a planetary object appears to move backwards, which essentially means the planet's energy is somewhat effected, so those life areas that fall under that planet's domain are not as easily expressed. It’s a very karmic thing to have in the natal chart, your soul chose to incarnate to learn deeper lessons regarding the areas of life ruled by that specific planet/asteroid. To know if you have a natal retrograde in your chart, look for Rx or R on a generated chart calculator.

Fun fact: Mars is the rarest retrograde.

❤️🖤❤️

Planets

If your Ruling Planet is Retrograde it will make you doubt yourself more and you may experience self image issues.

For example: A Gemini Rising with a natal Mercury retrograde or A Sagittarius Rising with a natal Jupiter retrograde.

Mercury Retrograde gives you lessons around communication, learning and intellect. You may struggle to articulate words and speak up or may even talk too much and not know when to be quiet.

Venus Retrograde makes someone’s nature more intense & deep. They take their connections very seriously which may cause these individuals to go through difficulties in regards to their one on one relationships. Since socialising is not taken lightly there can be some sort of awkwardness when participating in small talk and general shyness in order to avoid superficial connections.

Mars Retrograde individuals may lack forward movement, assertive abilities, have a dulled passion & drive. They may feel fatigued & tired more than often. Your sex drive may also be effected because of this.

Jupiter Retrograde individuals tend to have different or unusual perspectives, belief systems, or sets of morals. They prefer to learn from their own experiences rather than from others. This placement gives me “what do you know because you’ve experienced it yourself VS what do you know because you were told” vibes.

Saturn Regrograde burdens you with responsibilities and a sense of duty in your life. You may struggle with boundaries and find it difficult to say no to others.

Uranus Retrograde may make it hard for you to fully express your inner originality and unique side. These individuals are born a rebel and may also experience unexpected & sudden karmic events in their life.

Neptune Retrograde takes away your rose coloured glasses, you may have to face hard and painful realities as the neptunian illusion is stripped away. You’re meant to discover the truth behind your illusions, realise what is sacred and be a source of light in others lives.

Pluto Retrograde brings more growth opportunities into your life. You may have a fear of letting go which you’re here to learn the importance of doing so. You need to take control of your life as your shadow side may take over if you don’t do the work to transform/grow. (Shadow work is necessary with this placement)

(I know Lilith isn���t a planet, just adding it)

Lilith Retrograde can make you a sexual deviant (because sexuality is part of Lilith’s nature and here it's manifesting differently). You may struggle with following your instincts and acknowledging your desires. For example: Someone with a retrograde Lilith in Virgo would not be the typical control freak Lilith in Virgo person, instead they will be very messy.

ASTEROIDS

Chiron Retrograde means that trauma is deep within and may even come from a past life. In this lifetime, these individuals are here to re-evaluate your relationship with anyone & anything that doesn’t support you anymore. They may find it challenging to accept their feelings and the simple fact that humans are imperfect and vulnerable.

Ceres Retrograde individuals can struggle with having the nourishment, support, resources they need and may experience a lack in some way. This usually means that your upbringing failed to teach you the proper lessons about nurture and self care, so you'll have to learn it yourself. Check your Ceres sign and it will teach you what you need to nurture.

Juno Retrograde individuals may have commitment issues or trauma they need to work through. This also is an indication of past life karma in regards to relationships. These people are the lone wolves, they tend to avoid partnerships & may even prefer to be single and independent.

Vesta Retrograde individuals may lack devotion and discipline. It can bring up issues around fear of sexuality or intimacy, obsession, prostitution or selling yourself short in some way. They’re here to learn the value of service, this will examine how much dedication they’re putting into their life. When we put in little dedication, we can suffer. When we put in too much dedication, we can suffer as well. They may struggle with feeling like they fit in because they tend to lack devotion and/or generosity for others.

Pallas Retrograde may make someone aggressive, immature, have criminal tendencies and daddy issues. These individuals strategy may not be accept by society, with a ‘pick me’ vibe. They are inclined to manipulate and lie but can overcome these traits with self awareness and shadow work.

Amor retrograde individuals have some sort of discomfort when it comes to romance. You may have some old love issues and traumas to work through. These people tend to take a different approach to romance.

Cupido Retrograde may mean you have way too many crushes or rarely have any. You become too infatuated at times, or lack passion, and need to find a balance between the two.

Eros Retrograde may cause some issues around sex. This indicates there may be past trauma on a soul level, so you need to work on acknowledging your desires and acting on urges and fantasies in a healthy way.

Hermes Retrograde people tend to be in the wrong crowd and often find themselves taking the fall for others mistakes. These people tend to be good people but they may not be the best at balancing their life and managing their time. Possible fertility issues. Due to past accidents or incidents they have experienced in a past life may give them travel-related fears in this life. (fear of flying, fear of water, fear of driving, fear of bikes, fear of trains, fear of horses, etc.)

Eris Retrograde people may unintentionally cause trouble by doing things they thought wouldn’t be an issue. They may not like confronting others because it feels uncomfortable or they feel attacked whenever they speak up for themselves - They tend to experience a lot of gaslighting yet they usually hate fighting with others. They may often feel as though they are alone even when surrounded by other people.

Aphrodite Retrograde individuals may experience extremes from having stalkers to not being adored by others at all. They may feel unseen and unappreciated by others, making it often difficult to appreciate themselves. They tend to experience a lot of drama and may not be the most jealous person but rather the person who is too insecure to be openly jealous as if it’s like they expected it, “too good to be true” vibes.

❤️🖤❤️

I tried to be as informative as I could and added as much variety as I can with the asteroids I’m familiar with. There are other retrogrades I haven’t listed here.

Let me know which of these you have!

#retrograde #astrology #astrology observations #astro community #astro posts #astro notes #astrology community #astrology posts #astro observations #astrology notes #mercury retrograde #mars retrograde #natal retrograde #Venus retrograde #Jupiter retrograde #Saturn retrograde #natal aspects #Uranus retrograde #Neptune retrograde #Chiron retrograde #Pluto retrograde #eros retrograde #asteroid Retrograde #Lilith retrograde #Juno retrograde #karma placements #Vesta retrograde #Pallas retrograde #Cupido retrograde #amor retrograde

[favvn]

Pairing these two scenes together because there's Something about their phrasing that is driving me Insane. (Is it the use of religious imagery turned on its head--purgatory is not a thing to desire much less create for yourself, losing paradise is normally a tragedy to be mourned--to highlight a unifying belief that both Kirk and Spock live by? That both accept the loss of paradise for the uncertainty of life?)

Like. I Know Spock's line about "self-made purgatories" (and what a line! I am gnawing on it like a dog with a bone) is referring both to his Duty to The Enterprise and Kirk as the First Officer vs his experience of love from the plant spores, but it's also referring to him being both human and Vulcan and trying to adhere to one half at the expense of the other and finding himself fitting in nowhere as result (although, I would argue The Enterprise with Kirk is where he fits in as Kirk has consistently shown he doesn't expect Spock to be More Vulcan or More Human but to just be Spock).

And Kirk.... knowing his past on Tarsus IV and how he shouldn't be alive had Kodos had his way.... His dogged determination to beat the odds against him.... Dare I say it's giving Born To Run vibes? The mindset of, "Fine. Paradise is lost, but I'll keep going anyway."

#trekposting #star trek tos #spirk #this side of paradise #good morning! i cannot learn the simple fact that i cannot watch star trek before going to sleep otherwise i start my day like this #spirkposting right out of the gate bright and early #i am thinking more and more about a web weaving post about spirk #putting these two in a jar together for scientific study #i am not only compelled by their relationship in any sense of the word but truly the ways in which these two characters think #trek meta

[thevulturesquadron]

'Why did Charles leave everything to Magneto?' I love that almost every character has a moment in ep. 2 where they either question that or express their inability to understand the reasoning behind it. No one knows (almost no one). Magneto's own explanation is the one logical conclusion he could draw: that Charles simply left him with the duty of continuing his dream where humans and mutants can coexist.

So why did he do it? Did Xavier think that Magneto was the most capable mutant to lead them to acceptance? Was it to give the X-men a leader? Was it to save their future? Was it because he trusted Magneto's judgment over his own X-men?

Nah, he did it out of love. Not in order to save the X-men - he trusts them, he taught them everything he could - but to save Magneto from himself. Or, better yet, it's because he hopes and trusts that they can save each other. Charles knows that once he is gone, his oldest friend and rival (and anything in between), is going to be left alone. He knows that there is balance between his dream (his unbending belief in tolerance) and Magneto's dream (his fight for survival), and he dreads what would happen to Erik in his absence. He did it out of love for Erik, because if he gets pulled towards the X-men (a group shaped by his beliefs) maybe, just maybe, that balance can go on.

And do you know who didn't question Xavier's decision? Who understood the answer to that question? Rogue. Because both her and Charles share something - they have both known Erik/Max in times when his pain and grief have not governed his decisions, when love wasn't turned into vengeance, but into hope. And they both fell in love with that. They both know that Erik is capable of being a great leader if only there is something to constantly pull him towards an ideal and away from his anger. She knows! It's in the way she approached Magneto; she understands Charles because she's been there herself - asking Erik not to give up on something good (during the events in Savage Land) and she hopes that this time around Charles's love is enough to keep him anchored to the right path.

____

note: please don't use this post to start any ship vs. ship arguments on what's wrong, what's right, etc. etc. This is meant just as a meta take on the show and the comics behind it. There is more than one way to love someone and different ways to love different people. It can be complex and there's something really beautiful in that.

#magneto #erik lehnsherr #charles xavier #cherik #rogneto #rogueneto #rogue #x men #x men 97 #x men '97

[drconstellation]

Obligatory Reminders and Crossing the Lines

Have you been wondering why Shax tries to do a mail delivery to Crowley as he escorts the shop keepers to safety from Aziraphale's Eldritch Ball? It seems a pretty random thing to do at that moment.

SHAX: I brought your mail. CROWLEY: Why? SHAX: It stacks up by the front door. CROWLEY: Keep it for now, not a good time.

It's not the first time Shax has tried to give Crowley his mail. We first see her hand a pile over on the park bench in S2E1, while they have an introductory spy vs. spy catch up, in St James Park.

SHAX: I brought your mail. CROWLEY: Anything interesting? SHAX: Bills, mostly. I don't understand why they won't just deliver them to your car. CROWLEY: Send the bills to Hell's finance office. SHAX: I did. They say they can't accept my signature as your replacement.

Bills, mostly. That aren't being accepted by Hell's finance office, unless Crowley signs them. And they expect to find him in the official residence of Hell's ambassador plenipotentiary to this corner of Earth, in Mayfair.

Next, we see Crowley redefining all that mail as "junk" and discarding it.

uh huh. Lets ignore the conveniently placed disposal unit for the moment...

We need to stop and define what those "bills" actually are. Because they are not actually the financial type of bills. Well, they could be. But this is the GOmens AU, so they have a second meaning as well. Paying your bills is also meeting your duties and obligations to another party, and this is something Crowley is refusing to do right now.

I don't think its as simple as Hell being short staffed and they just haven't got around to doing the change over (I know I suggested the latter recently, sorry) and that's why they aren't recognizing Shax's signature. It's that Hell actually hasn't let Crowley go - he is still "on the books," so to speak, despite all that has been said and done since the Nope-ocalypse. He might call himself a "former demon," and he might call Hell his "former side," but that is definitely NOT how Hell sees it, despite the fact they aren't harassing him or giving him tasks to do.

Actually, that should be haven't been harassing him, because since Gabriel "disappeared," they have been back on his case. The mail is a warning sign, but Lord Beelzebub's summons really should have given you the chills.

Crowley protests that they had a "generalized understanding" that he would be left alone, but Beelzebub declares that "we don't."

Ah. So all is not as it appears. They are just playing nice because they want something (Gabriel) and in reality Crowley's position in relation to Hell really is fragile. Yet outwardly he seems more worried about Aziraphale.

It goes downhill from here. Shax begins to stalk him.

This image of Shax is just delish. The sharp "V" of her her decolletage reminds us of a stork's bill, her avatar animal, and it's stabbing down at the snake on her belt. She might be seeking the Frog Prince who escaped Heaven but she's also got a certain snake in her sights.

Shax can't can't cross the threshold of the bookshop without an invitation from Aziraphale. This plays into the old belief that supernatural creatures such as vampires, demons and faeries can only enter a house if invited in. We also see this extended to the Bentley, once "ownership" is extended to the angel, but the door of the bookshop is the important border here for now.

Then have this threat of war being declared:

War on Aziraphale, not Crowley, as they still consider Crowley to be on Hell's side. They don't see it the way Crowley does as Us and Them, to Shax there is still only Heaven and Hell.

So we come back to the second round of mail delivery:

Crowley is about to escort the human shopkeepers to safety and Shax confronts Crowley right on the threshold with his duties and obligations. He really doesn't want to have that conversation right now, not here and not with Shax. As far as he is concerned, he has no obligations to Hell any more, and he's not taking any notice of their demands in any form, either, so Shax may as well just get out of the way and take the mail with them.

And with that, Crowley crosses the threshold, leading the humans out.

At this point in the story you might be asking what's the big deal about that? Crowley has been going in and out over that doorstep several times a day lately, and has crossed it hundreds of times over the last couple of centuries since the bookshop was built. It's not a barrier to him.

The significance of this boundary line has been highlighted to us in S2. We have Shax actually telling us that she knows she can't cross the "threshold" in S2E3, then she asks again in S2E5 where the boundary line is just before Mr Brown is hauled off into the demon Legion. But its even more than that.

On one level its the line that Crowley has drawn for himself. He's not going back to Hell if he can at all help it, and he's quite resolute about that. It's his side or no one's side, from there on in. He reinforces that when talking to Aziraphale in the Final Fifteen.

On another level, I'm wondering if we could consider this a step on the eponymous Hero's Journey? Crossing the Threshold is one of the early stages of the journey where the hero crosses into danger or the unknown. We're shown things aren't normal outside by the mist and green light. Then he diverts off unexpectedly to Heaven with Muriel. Just throwing it out there to see if its worth exploring a bit further. I'd say we've only got the early stages of the journey in S2, with the remainder to come in S3.

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #crowley #shax #your mail #junk mail #crossing the threshold #drawing a line in the sand #not a good time #duties and obligations #how will our hero cope?

[bonefall]

Clan Culture: Familial Terms and the Mi/Ba System

[ID: A brown tabby and a ginger tabby laying together]

A Clan is a large, extended family of cats, knit together by blood and mentorship. In Clanmew, a Clan directly translates to "Whole Family"-- Ulnyams, further divided into an individual cat's Gan (birth-kinships) and Nyams (created-kinships).

Because of the ancient cultural practice of Kitten Stealing and its modern-day replacement, the Queen's Rights, Clan cats have developed a surprisingly progressive view of adoption. There are many ways that couples incapable of producing their own biokits can find children to raise, leading to the Mi and Ba System.

The Mi is the primary parent of the kittens, the one who is the "legal" decider of the important choices regarding the children. The Ba is the secondary parent. These are not gendered; it does not matter who gives birth in this situation, if either of them even did.

Glossary:

Kin: Gan vs Nyams

Parents: The Mi/Ba System

Types of Love: Friendships, Mateships, In-Laws

Offspring and Siblings: Runt-ness, Litter Order

Gan Starter Set: Auncles, Cousins, Grandparents

Ancestors and Beyond

FAQ (Last Update: 10/5/23, Mi/Ba questions)

Kin: Gan vs Nyams

Blood relation is simply Gan. Historically, this would apply to the family of whoever raised you before you were apprentice-aged, the point where "Clan Loyalty" was supposed to set in. Gan includes everyone within three degrees of separation; Grandparents, auncles, and first cousins.

In a Clan, which is supposed to act as a whole family, Gan that "clots" can become a danger to the fabric of society. Mentorships serve an important purpose in "breaking" the coalition that Gan naturally creates, encouraging relationships outside of the bubble.

The rough Clanmew term for "nepotism" is Byykabrawk/Byykabraw/Byykabr-- the 3-stem verb for "Scab-forming."

Nyams in contrast is the relationships forged through life, and applying this term is a choice. Nyams is applied to most of your Gan, a good mentor, apprentices you remain close to after their graduation, and beloved friends.

Nyams is largely considered more important than Gan, both for the health of the Clan overall and for the ability to 'cut' bad Gan out of your family... but cats have their own stances on this. There are some that even argue that unchanging Gan is always above the conditional Nyams.

Keep your ears pricked for this mindset; it can be an indicator of deeper, more hidden beliefs.

Gan = Blood-kin

Nyams = Family-kin

Byykabrawk/Byykabraw/Byykabr = Scab-forming/Nepotism/Loyalty to one's blood over one's Clan

Parents: The Mi/Ba System

The one constant for all Clan kittens is that they are expected to have a Mi.

A "Mi" is a primary parent, the one that spends the most time in the nursery looking after the kitten. This is a non-gendered term; there are many reasons why a non-birthing parent may be the Mi of their litter. It also doesn't necessarily refer to whoever suckled the kittens.

There will be one Mi. To have multiple cats 'competing' over being a Mi is not considered a good or 'cute' thing, at best it means that one of the parents is unnecessarily shirking on supporting the Clan and their mate, and at worst, it means they're using their kittens as pawns in a domestic argument.

Two parents that, for some reason, have nearly equal time split between their kits will typically choose one parent to take 'Ba' for clarity.

In the case of a Mi who can't be responsible with their kits, such as if they become sick, die, or commit neglect or abuse, the Ba is socially expected to become the Mi. A terrible Mi can even be "evicted" from the nursery entirely, if they were particularly cruel to a child.

(BB!Rainflower is an example of a cat who earns this punishment.)

The "Ba" is a secondary parent, but still one that is actively involved in their child's life. Ba can also spend time in the nursery and take their duties a bit easier. In the case of polyamory, there can even be multiple Ba!

Mi Limit = JUST ONE.

Ba Limit = As many as you want.

A cat that spends no time with their children is not a Ba. To try and imply that a bioparent that did not raise their kids is a "Ba" is something that supporters of Thistle Law do in order to conflate Gan with Nyams.

The title can even be rejected entirely; as Bramblestar did to the Three, and Breezepelt eventually does to Crowfeather.

Relevant biological parents are given the same terms as wild animals that don't care for their young; Usually Mwaow, an egg-laying mother that deposits its eggs and leaves. Though, occasionally Wairre (a buck or boar that had access to several females) is used for "sires" specifically. Wairre is more derogatory than Mwaow.

"Honor Sire" is most often used for a cat that donated material for a pairing to have children, though due to the nature of the Queen's Rights, the true identity of these cats is usually kept secret. The word for them in Clanmew is Kurruaow, Honor-Egglayer.

(In English, Honor-Dam and Honor-Sire are sometimes used depending on if they gave birth or sired, but Clanmew has no distinction.)

An Honor Sire is not a Ba, nor a Mi. Do not use these terms for Honor Sires unless they are specifically co-parenting.

In the case of parents that can't provide milk to their kittens, they will often have a third person step in to nurse the kittens. This person is referred to as a 'suckler', Ssuow. In Clanmew it has a connotation of favor-giving, and can be used outside of parental contexts in that way. A sucklemate is called a Ssuwi.

A mentor, auncle, Educator, den-helper, or any other parental figure who you consider important to your development, yet was not a Mi or Ba, is called a Yyan. It is an honor to be someone's Yyan!

Mi = Primary parent

Ba = Secondary parent

Mwaow = Biological parent, egg-laying animal that doesn't care for its young, slightly derogatory

Wairre = Biological sire specifically, a reproductive buck or boar, very derogatory

Kurruaow = Honor Sire/Dam/Parent

Ssuow = Non-parent who nurses a kit; associated with doing a favor.

Ssuwi = Non-sibling sucklemate.

Yyan = Non-Mi/Ba parental figure.

FAQ on the Mi/Ba system

"are Mi and Ba gendered terms?" no.

"can Mi be used for male or nonbinary cats" yes.

"What happens if the Mi is changed halfway through?" a Ba becomes the Mi

"What if Mi dies when kit is almost apprentice aged" a Ba becomes the Mi

Types of Love: Friendships, Mateships, In-Laws

In Clanmew, love is not is not a verb, it is a noun. You don't love someone like an action, it 'exists' for them. The largest, most powerful word for love is Mirri.

Mirri isn't inherently romantic, but it can be. It's everything. It's concern, compassion, adoration. Love must exist for your Clan, the cats in it, your nyams, and so on.

Other forms of love are "below" the Mirri, contributing to it. Kind of like different springs that spill water into the same pool. EVERYONE contributes to Mirri, just by existing in the fabric of Clan society.

There are FOUR types of love below Mirri in Clan Culture; Ardor (Sseeo), Trust (Wrarri), Enjoyment (Piwarri), and Righteous Love (Yyaawr)

Ardor = Sseeo Passionate attraction, in the 'honeymoon' romantic crush way. Ardor notoriously fades over time. It is considered very powerful, but something that by nature doesn't last. For a good example of Ardor, Fallowtail claimed she had this type of love for Reedfeather when she had his kits, and that is why she has no love for him now. This made perfect sense to RiverClan, home of the Queen's Rights. Ardor that lasts is a rare and special thing.

Trust = Wrarri Personal, platonic affection. Rapport built between friends, mentors, mates, family. It's not until recently that this has also come to apply between Clans, too. A very strong, reliable kind of love; it is considered traitorous to have a lot of this for someone in another Clan. Bluestar had this for the Forget-Me-Nots, and them for her in turn... but also, it was more than Wrarri. It was Piwarri, Sseeo, and even Yyaawr. They were everything to her.

Enjoyment = Piwarri You know when you find someone entertaining? Or you have a particular friend you love playing a specific game with? You wouldn't fight for them, but you may do them a favor, especially if it means you get to hang out more often. THAT is piwarri. This is used a LOT with inter-Clan friendships. Piwarri is considered easy, soft, and friendly, but not strong like Wrarri is. It is something that can contribute to Mirri, but is also not a threat to it. Buddy-love.

Righteous Love = Yyaawr When Firestar received a life "for the love of a mother for her kits", he was getting 20 kilos of this slammed into his face. It's a difficult translation, because it isn't just for a mother and her kits. It's righteous anger at injustice, the fury in seeing smashed songbird eggs. It's the need to protect helpless things. It's love that makes you sacrifice your food for for kittens, or a leader's lives for their Clan. Sometimes, a person's yyaawr for you can be suffocating. It's not always welcome. ThunderClan identified Millie's feeling towards Briarlight as yyaawr. Brambleclaw (though he, obviously, was mostly saying it to upset her) accused Squilf of wanting to receive one-sided yyaawr over mutual wrarri.

Love in Clan Culture can be understood through these four ideas. Family is Trust and Righteous Love. Courting is Ardor and Enjoyment. Co-Parenting is Piwarri and Wrarri. Together, they all form Mirri.

Mate = Irre Someone that you would share a nest with. You can have multiple mates, but it often becomes logistically limited by how big you can make a single nest. They also don't HAVE to be romantic. If you would call them a 'spouse,' they're your mate.

Significant Other, Partner = Iwaw Co-parents, particularly close friends, a metamour of a mate in the case of polyamory... people who are significant enough that you would consult with decision-making, but you wouldn't describe as a 'mate.'

Date/Boyfriend/Girlfriend/"We're courting but not seriously" = Sseerr When you're in a state of ardor or just dating, this is the word you use. It could become serious, or it could just be for fun. When it gets serious, even if they don't end up becoming a "mate", it becomes Iwaw.

And, lastly, there are a few terms for in-laws of each one of these stages, 3 for Irre, 2 for Iwaw, and 1 for Sseerr.

IN-LAWS OF YOUR IRRI (MATE);

Mi of your mate = Rrimi

Ba of your mate = Rriba

Family of your mate =Rriga

IN-LAWS OF YOUR IWAW (Significant Person, this CAN be a best friend.)

Mi of your SP = Iwmi

Family of your SP = Iwga

IN-LAWS OF YOUR SSEERR (Date)

Family of your date = Ssega

Offspring and Siblings: Runt-ness, Litter Order

The average size of a Clan cat litter is 2.5 children (Nia'u), and most parents will have at least 2 litters (Neewarr) in their lifetime. A cat's first litter is something to be very proud of, and the children within it are called Niak. Children of the second litter are Niawi. Any more litters than that are called Nia'eef.

Long ago, stolen kittens who were not from a particular litter were called Kurrnia, "Honor-Children." This word is not used now for reasons that are hopefully obvious.

So, having absolutely no siblings is quite rare!

You refer to all of your siblings as your Firra. The ones from a litter above you are your Kafrrif, below you are your Eefrri, and your littermates are Wifeerr.

So, in addition to having words for an older or younger litter of siblings, there are also words for your size within your own litter. Clan Culture is more concerned if you were a large kitten or a runt than your birth order.

This is because growing up, size would mean you had the upper paw in brawls, to your suckler's milk, and ability to explore the world. A bigger kitten is one that can mature faster. Runts are considered to need more protection and 'babying' to make sure they grow up healthy.

Your larger littermate is your Wikfrra. A smaller littermate is your Weefswa. If you're equally sized, you squabble endlessly over who's REALLY the larger sibling until one of your parents snaps and insists that you're JUST Wifeerr-- similarly-sized littermates.

Nia'u = Child/son/daughter

Neewarr = Litter

Niak = Child of first litter

Niawi = Child of second litter

Nia'eef = Child of third/any more litters

Kurrnia = Stolen kit, rightfully won through battle (Archaic)

Firra = Siblings (Broad term, often assumed to be innately plural and referring to several types of siblings at once)

Kafrrif = Sibling of older litter

Eefrri = Sibling of younger litter

Wifeerr = Littermate (Generic and of a similar size)

Wikfrra = Larger littermate

Weesfwa = Smaller littermate

Gan Starter Set: Auncles, Cousins, Grandparents

Kittens receive a LOT of orbital care. Even if they only have a Mi, the entire camp is expected to become acquainted with the new kits. This one stops a kit from touching a hot soup cauldron, that one explains where clouds come from (starclan ofc), another one keeps them entertained with a funny story.

And, of course, the immediate relatives of the new kitten go out of their way to make sure their new kin is cared for. Is their Mi fed? Are their Bas overwhelmed? Is someone watching them? Grandparents provide advice from their life experience, Auncles make sure their siblings know they're not alone, and Cousins are there to go through it with them.

An Auncle is either your Myami (Sibling of your Mi) or your Byami (Sibling of your Ba). They call their nespring a Rabnif, regardless of their sibling's Mi or Ba status. First Cousins are Rabir.

Grandparents are quite special. While Auncles are defined on if they are your Ba's sibling or your Mi's sibling, the labels of Grandparents are 'looser.'

Your Ami is, by default, the Mi of your Mi... but can easily shuffle around if that specific cat is not present in your life. Like a Ba, your Garrmi is any other grandparent involved in your life who is not your Ami, but is by default the Mi of your Ba or the Ba of your Mi. Finally, a Genrrarg is technically the Ba of your Ba, but more often applies to Grandparents you're more distant with.

And, like Mi and Ba, these terms are exclusive to cats who are in your life. Your father's uninvolved Honor Sire is not your Genrrarg.

Grandparents have two terms for their grandchildren. A Nini is a grandchild that they have a significant role in raising. This is especially common for kittens that only have a Mi and no Ba. "Niauga" implies a bit more distance.

Myami = Mi-Auncle

Byami = Ba-Auncle

Rabnif = Nespring/nephew/niece

Rabir = Cousin

Ami = Mi of my Mi (This can also be applied as a term of endearment. For example, Heartstar is the Ba of her kittens, but Tawnypelt is still Shadowsight's Ami)

Garrmi = Ba of my Mi AND/OR Mi of my Ba

Genrrarg = Ba of my Ba/Someone who is still a grandparent, but not a close one.

Niauga = Grandchild (General)

Nini = Grandchild (That you have responsibility for)

Ancestors and Beyond

Clan Culture doesn't typically track beyond immediate family, using the same general terms for wide swaths of distant relationships.

Great-grandparents, grand-auncles, and distant cousins are Garrmwa. It could roughly translate to "ancestor" or "relative." These are cats that a connection can be made to with some deduction, but are not relevant.

If a cat ever did become particularly close to their Garrmwa, they would replace the title with the closest approximate term. For example, Jayfeather's mentor was his grand-uncle Longtail. After a while, he was simply acknowledged as his Myami, as he was the brother of Squirrelflight's Mi.

A Sharrarram is an Ancestor. A cat of your kin that has joined the ranks of StarClan. This isn't just direct ancestry; this could include the brother of your great-great-grandfather who died of an adder bite as an apprentice.

StarClan refers to its living relatives as Shegarra, "descendants."

Garrmwa = Relative (For relatives that can still be tracked with deduction but are not close enough to be within Gan.)

Sharrarram = Ancestors (For ancient ancestors, beyond modern memory, who live in the stars.)

Shegarra = Descendant

FAQ

Mi/Ba System FAQ

"are Mi and Ba gendered terms?" no.

"What if the Mi dies when kit is almost apprentice aged?" Ba becomes Mi legally, probably doesn't change the words they use.

"What happens if the Mi is changed halfway through the childhood?" Ba becomes Mi legally but family figures out if the kit will change the words they use.

"Can the Mi of the first litter decide they want to be Ba of the next litter?" Yes that's fine! The kids will just use the title that was relevant to them.

#Clan Culture #Mi/Ba System #Better bones au #Familial terms

[hmsindecision]

I hope one day you realize how horrid bigotry is, and can look back on these days with shame and embarrassment, but also with pride how one became a better person. When the people who want to oppress us are done with trans people they'll go after bisexuality next, then lesbians and gays, then women. We need to stand together or they will push us back into the 1700s.

In order to become an adult you need to release this “us vs. them”, black and white, dichotomous vision of the world. It doesn’t exist. There is no cohesive “they” that I must bond with any ally I can in order to resist.

Do you really think that I have gone any period of time without suffering from systemic homophobia and misogyny? Do you really think that I am sitting from a place of privilege looking down at people who are “one rung below me on the oppression ladder”? What a childish way of thinking.

A large proportion of the homophobia and misogyny that I have experienced has been from people who identified themselves as on the left, as trans, and whose values in some ways align with my own. That really sucks. It really sucks that I have been verbally berated and called slurs by both conservatives and trans people alike. Those who believe that performatively being homophobic or anti-lesbian to me have varied values, religions, creed, and political beliefs. They are a deeply heterozygous group. People approaching my short haired wife to ask her for her pronouns and therefore implying that she is improperly signaling womanhood are the most frequent gender police I encounter.

Why is it that I must accept things like being called names for being exclusively same sex attracted? I by should I accept that because other people have been targeted by the same people who have targeted me?

Why is it my womanly duty to provide solidarity with people who tell me I deserve to be raped, beaten, my career destroyed, my friendships rescinded…. Because I don’t ascribe to their philosophical beliefs? I don’t believe in gender as a framework to be upheld. I hold gender in the same regard as capitalism or the divine right of kings. It is a system of oppression designed to place men over women. It has had loopholes in many societies, mostly to create a third sex for homosexual men. It operates differently in different societies. But I think it’s anti-woman and anti-human. To ask me to believe that someone has an inborn gender identity/gendered spirit is like asking me to believe that corporations are people, that God chose a king, or that the world is flat. There is simply no evidence for that to be true, because it would require there to be something that makes us men or women beyond biology.

There is not. Non-biological differences between men and women are purely socialized. If it isn’t inscribed on the X or Y chromosomes, it’s something you were taught. The clothes you wear, the way you act, the things you like, they are all influenced by the society you live in. The associations of colors, toys, interests, and other things to our sex assignation is partially arbitrary and party about subjugation. Women aren’t born loving makeup any more than serfs are born loving to serve.

I believe everyone should express their vision of themselves as they please. I hate the micro labels that are now applied to all aspects of appearance because people cannot conceive of human difference. I think that even things which I consider anti-self and anti-human can be things which adults do to themselves. If you need surgery or pills, then it isn’t about identity, it’s about fantasy. I understand the necessity of fantasy in an oppressive system.

But gender isn’t just a source of oppression against women. It is also fuel to create and sustain oppressors. That is part of why the anti-feminism of the trans movement feels so comfortable to people raised in patriarchy (all of us). Because the idea that we all have a muliplicity of gender identities is also about absolving men of thousands of years of terrorism and oppression against us XX chromosome havers. Why should I assume my oppressed has good intentions because of their clothing? Because they got surgery? Does that make a trans woman any safer than any other male under patriarchy? Or is that just a safe illusion so you don’t have to deal with the reality?

Even your trajectory in this ask—you think they started with trans people, then bi people are next? How are they going to go after bi people without going after gay people? Unless you mean just angry social opinions as opposed to systemic oppression? Then women last? Literally what fucking planet do you live on? I’m assuming you are American based on… this ask lmao… but…

They have already come for women. Abortion is illegal in many places. Rape is such a constant that we can’t even meaningfully address it. Teen girls are killing themselves over male violence just into puberty. Famous rapists and abusers are constantly fawned over. In my state, DV services are so taxed with women that last year they turned down over 50,000 asks for shelter in the statewide network.

50,000.

And my local LGBTQ community center has a ban of events that say they are for lesbians, or even AFAB people. Did you ever think that maybe *you* need to start showing some solidarity?

When it comes down to it, men always, always choose each other.

I’m doing the most radical thing I can think of, and choosing women every time.

I don’t hate you. But you sure are good at falling for propoganda. Are you wasting your time fighting feminists because it’s easier to attack women than to stand up to your oppressors?

I’m very proud of myself and the woman that I am, and the activism I do (which.. is not on tumblr). I hope you can find the things that make you deeply proud of yourself as an individual, and that you live in accordance with your own values.

#feminism #gender theory

[achillea-astro]

Chiron Observations: Chiron in the Houses 🍄

Chiron is an asteroid named after the Centaur who taught Achilles, who used his own traumas to become a great teacher. Chiron is not the only place traumas can show up in a chart, but it does show up in places where trauma can be your biggest teacher if your work through it properly— those instances in your past that hurt you greatly that you can turn into your greatest strength. These traumas usually happen in early life.

Chiron in the Houses show us where your trauma shows up, more than exactly what the cause was or how it happened.

Note: you might also relate to the experiences of the house where the ruler of Chiron’s sign is. Ex. if you have Chiron in Aquarius, you will relate to whatever house Saturn is in.

1st: Being made to question who you are or who you want to be. Feeling uncomfortable or out of place physically. Feeling unwelcome in the world. The source of your basic physical needs being uncertain (food, shelter, water).

2nd: Trauma around revoking agency. Having possessions lost, stolen or broken. Issues with self-esteem. A lack of security, possible feelings of helplessness. Things challenging personal values.

3rd: Trauma surrounding miscommunication or being misunderstood. From community or siblings, or childhood traditions. Issues in grade school and with learning.

4th: Trauma from homelife, things that happen “behind closed doors”. Involving parents or ancestors, possibly generational trauma. Feeling unstable, unsafe, like you have no home to return to if things get rough, lacking stable support systems. Issues with the environment you grew up in (including home changes, political shifts where you lived that made things uncertain, etc)

5th: Issues surrounding forming a family or ability to marry. Parental disapproval of marriages. Trauma surrounding childbirth. Trauma around limiting self-expression and creativity. Restriction of fun or over-promotion of seriousness. Sexual performance issues.

6th: A sense of duty that denies the self (self care, identity, etc). Chronic health issues in the self or others. Longterm mental health issues that manifest physically. Trauma from the demands of work or school, or from the school/workplace peers.

7th: Issues with relating to people and forming relationships. Possibly a loner. Getting into relationships that repeatedly don’t work out. A sense of guilt or shame regarding how you perceive others vs yourself— dissonance between yourself and others.

8th: Trauma involving power dynamics and people exerting power over you. Being in debt. Possibility of depression or substance abuse.

9th: Trauma involving relocation and moving far from your childhood home (often to follow a career or education). Difference in belief systems, forced belief systems. Philosophical uncertainty and obsession over it. Trauma that causes interest in bigger pictures than most people at a young age. Feeling too perceptive, a wider world you’re trying to make sense of.

10th: Having an early start to your career, a career starting in childhood. Traumas that result in issues with authority and rebellions. Trauma that arises from early recognition of talents or lack thereof. Traumas that result in the desire to “make a name” for oneself and high ambition; to be the top or in charge.

11th: Being half-way in and half-way out of social groups. Difficulty finding or maintaining a community identity. Exclusion from a community, causing trauma, or vice versa. Having a community identity that raises conflict, controversy, or harm to the native.

12th: Issues that don’t feel like they were caused by a single traumatic instance, but instead feel like they’ve always been a part of you. Consistent depression, anxiety, and other mental issues that make the day-to-day difficult. The need to be secret about your life, or be secret about the struggles you’re facing. Trauma caused by reoccurring or consistent mental illness. Traumatizing hospitalizations. Trauma caused by institutes.

— 🍄

If you have any questions, please use the ask box! It’s easier for me to keep track of ✨ Notes made by using theory in combination with celebrity charts.

If you like my work, please consider giving me a tip!

Art credit (left): Fletcher Sidthorp

#chiron #1st house chiron #2nd house chiron #3rd house chiron #4th house chiron #5th house chiron #6th house chiron #7th house chiron #8th house chiron #9th house chiron #10th house chiron #11th house chiron #12th house chiron #astronotes #astro notes #astroblr #astrology #traditional astrology #astro observations

[clangenrising]

I want to take a second to talk to those of you who find it funny that Scorch has been calling the Clans a cult. I agree, it is kind of humorous, but I do want to be a wet blanket for a sec and point out that the Warrior Cats Clan structure IS actually very cultish. As far as I can tell, the Clans meet at least three out of four criteria laid out in Steven Hassan's BITE model of Authoritarian Control.

The BITE model lays out 4 kinds of control that Cults and groups like them use to keep their members in check:

Behavior Control Information Control Thought Control Emotional Control

And Warrior Clans exibit most of these traits (keep in mind I haven't read past Omen of the Stars). More below the cut

Behavior Control

Dictate where, how, and with whom the member lives and associates/isolates (Clans live in specific areas and only really socialize with their own clan)

Dictate where, how, and with whom the member has sex (half clan and outsider mates are extremely discouraged and even punished)

Major time spent with group indoctrination and rituals (Warrior Clans are full of ritual ceremonies that create group cohesion)

Rewards and Punishments used to modify behaviors (breaking the code results in punishments ranging from disliked duties to physical harm and cats can be rewarded with things like the best patrols or getting their warrior names early)

Impose rigid rules or regulations

Separation of Families (if a kittypet joins they are discouraged from ever talking to their family again.)

Information Control

Compartmentalize information into Outsider vs Insider doctrines (Clans discourage their members from listening to kittypets, loners, and rogues)

Extensive use of Cult Generated information and propaganda (I would argue the ubiquity of StarClan in Clan life would count. StarClan's word is seen as pure truth not to be questioned.)

Thought Control

Require members to internalize the group's doctrine as truth including organizing people into us vs them and adopting the group's reality as the only reality.

Change a person's name and identity (this is a big one! If you join a clan you are highly encouraged to take a Clan style name. You become a warrior and that is your new identiy)

Forbid critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy allowed (The leader's word is law. StarClan is not to be questioned.)

Labeling alternitive belief systems as illegitimate, evil, or not useful (A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet)

Emotional Control

Promote feelings of guilt or unworthiness such as Identity guilt, not living up to full potential, etc (Half Clan and kittypet bigotry within clans ticks this box when applicable)

Instill fear of enemies, thinking independently, the outside world, leaving or being shunned by the group, losing one's salvation, etc (Again, more present in Clans that are depicted as 'evil' by the books but things like fear of losing one's salvation is present in kit tales that warn cats about ending up in the dark forest)

Phobia indoctrination: instilling irrational fears about leaving the group or questioning the leader, saying things like there is no happiness outside the group, shunning those who leave so people fear losing their friends and family if they do, never allowing for legitimate reasons to leave aka anyone who does was weak or selfish or brainwashed. (This one is fairly self explanitory)

So yeah. The clans tick all the boxes that cults do.

Now, I want to be clear, im not saying you should start hating the clans or that you're bad for thinking they're cool. Part of that is that Cults inherently try to sound cool to draw in members and part of it is that its okay to enjoy fiction about things that are bad or immoral. The important part is being able to recognize and understand those things.

So my real intent here is to get you to examine the media you engage with more critically and, most importantly, as someone who was born into a cult and managed to escape:

Be careful not to let fun depictions of cults normalize cult behavior. You are not immune to propaganda and I would hate for any of you to get sucked into a group or religion that will control you in these ways. I recommend you take a look at the BITE model in its entirety and really think about how it may apply to groups you are in. Cults are really good at painting themselves as welcoming and fun and they are not. Look out for yourself.

I love you. Your regularly scheduled Warrior Cats content will resume shortly.

#not art #warrior cats #warriors #warrior clans are a cult #cult tactics #BITE model #cults #The BITE model #please look out for yourselves <3 and don't feel bad if you are in a cult #being tricked doesn't make you stupid #anyone can become indoctrinated #the only way to avoid it is to be aware and critical

[zoeywades-spouse]

As someone who has romanced both Aerin and Valax I honestly enjoy the enemies to lovers route with Valax over Aerin. The reason why is that with Valax it’s about how her and MC have the same ideals about justice and loyalty but view their side as representing it and their enemy’s side as against it

When we meet her we truly believe that she’s evil but over time we learn that her motivations for siding with the enemy isn’t because of power but a deep sense of duty and loyalty to her people. Valax believes that working for the Ash Empire is the best thing for her people.

Despite the clear abuse she suffered at the hands of her only family that obviously has a factor in why she has stayed with the Ash Empire she doesn’t want to get revenge against them. Everything she does is for her people and that affects her every decision. When she goes against MC it isn’t because MC is standing in the way of her gaining power but she believes that they cannot help her people the way the Ash Empire can.

I honestly find that to be a more compelling enemies to lovers route because it’s never been about power or revenge but about ideals. And when you have two people who clearly care for each other but side against each other because the side they chose aligns with their core ideals and beliefs about the world (Ash Empire is evil and will hurt so many people vs Ash Empire is good who will help my people) it is just such an engaging route to play

#yet I still simp for both of them #although Valax has won my heart #choices #playchoices #choices stories you play #blades of light and shadow 2 #bolas 2 #aerin valleros #prince aerin #valax #princess valax #valax x mc

[spyskater]

After writing that analysis on Jade's hair, I wanna word vomit about Jade's mask and what it means for Jade's story (even though we only see it in two sequences). Bear with my messy train of thought. Some of this might not even be fully realized or might be a reach. To recap what I wrote in the analysis, Jade's mask represents an identity that is intrinsically tied to Tir Asleen. Based on the way it's constructed, it forces her to keep her hair tight and bound, which could be read as Jade being trapped in the values that she's grown up with in Tir Asleen. She's forced to conform to the mask physically and to her duties to the crown ethically. If the hair analysis is read as valid, then Jade can never be truly liberated while she holds onto the mask.

Jon Kasdan has said that the show is meant to explore "a more fundamental conflict... between your desires and your ideals." Jade's mask is the ultimate symbol of her ideals while Kit is the embodiment of her desire. The primary function of a mask is to conceal or hide one's self. If her mask is representative of Tir Asleen and her knightly ideals, then it is also the tool she hides behind to cover who she really is and what she truly wants. The opening scene of Willow is our first visual representation of ideals versus desire: the mask vs. Kit. The first time we see Jade remove the mask, it's so she can look up at Kit and reveal to us the truth of her feelings for the princess. These two images coincide at once to present two opposing ideas living together. In order for Jade to see Kit (desire) fully and clearly, she must remove the mask (ideals).

It’s interesting, then, that when Jade loses her mask, Kit is essentially offering to give Jade back her identity and ideals. It’s one of the key factors keeping them apart, because as long as Jade hides behind it, she’ll never be able to love Kit the way they both want her to. She can't love Kit fully if she lives under the belief that her duty as a knight requires that she can never be with the princess she serves. There's a boundary that must be observed and Jade's desires can never come before her duty. Kit, as much as she won’t admit it, fears change, especially in her relationships. She needs Jade to take that mask back, because then it means everything is okay. But it’s not okay and Kit and Jade continue to not see eye-to-eye until almost the end of the next episode after Jade has properly grieved Ballantine and her previous life. Ballantine’s death quickly sets her on a path of being able to confess her love to Kit two episodes later. Duty and honor lost her someone she loved already. It’s not worth losing Kit for.

Jade refuses the mask, because, unknowingly to her, she’s refusing to return to who she was, to the identity and ideals that Tir Asleen instilled in her. She’s begun wrestling with the ethical and moral implications for what it means to her as a knight to have killed Ballantine, someone who was not only her Commander, but essentially her father and someone she loves. Ballantine is the one to tell her in episode one that "a knight is defined... by the oaths they keep." If duty and honor is of the highest ideal, how could it ever ask her to kill someone she loves (and, essentially, sacrifice love)?

When Kit suggests killing Graydon in episode four, it should immediately align with Jade’s ideals of duty, but she quickly denies it. This is pure speculation, but after killing Ballantine, it must occur to her that duty and honor forced her to kill Ballantine while love has saved Graydon from the same affliction, not even 24 hours later. If Jade had chosen love instead of duty, could she have saved the only man she’s ever seen as a father? Again, ideals versus desires. And this ultimately ties into Elora's and the show’s message that love is the most powerful thing in the universe, because Kit is given the same opportunity to mirror Jade’s actions with Airk in the finale. The ideal of sacrifice for the greater good vs. the desire to save someone she loves. But the text says it’s the wrong choice for Kit to kill Airk out of dutiful sacrifice when love can ultimately save him. It's important that Jade refuse that mask, refuse the lessons that have been ingrained in her by Ballantine, who ultimately acts as an extension of Tir Asleen and her ideals. 

I think it's also important to note that masks play a key role in both of Jade's identities. The reason I relate her mask, not only to her ideals, but to Tir Asleen is because it's visually paralleled to Ballantine's helm in episode three. When Jade lowers her mask to fight him, he does the same motion. His mask also has a similar facial structure to hers, because they serve the same military. It also draws comparisons of a child resembling and mirroring their parent. In episode five, we discover her Bone Reaver origins and that community is known for and identified by their masks. Returning to our mask metaphor, her identity in Tir Asleen was used to mask her origins as a Bone Reaver. It might be assumed that Jade's Tir Asleen mask was also meant to foreshadow and mirror the Bone Reaver masks, possibly hinting early on that everything about her is not as it appears and that she is in fact one of them.

While Jade has given up her original mask and, therefore, her Tir Asleen identity and ideals, it doesn't mean that she has given up on Tir Asleen or that she can't return to live peacefully there, and vice versa for the Bone Reavers. It also doesn't mean she can't find a way to unite those identities. In episode six, Scorpia gives her the ultimatum of choosing between Tir Asleen and the Bone Reavers. We see her wear her Bone Reaver armor and embrace that part of her, but she also is still fully devoted to Kit who, as princess, is already a symbol of Tir Asleen. I personally foresee Jade coming to terms with both of those identities and using that to form an alliance between those two communities. I can also see Jade making a new mask in the future, that reflects both aspects of her. I think it'd be cool and kind of full circle for her to create a mask that is an extension of herself.

#jade claymore #willow #willow 2022 #tanthamore #this somehow came out longer than the hair analysis #but it's weighing on my brain for a while #so let me know what y'all think #meta #willow meta

[thevernofficial]

Contacting your Rep 101

Hello my dear people!

I was chatting with one of my friends recently and we were chatting about contacting a representatives office because she didn't know who to call or what to say.

So (for the Americans) here is some advice from me:

(Disclaimer while I work in politics I do not represent the beliefs of the people I work for) (also every office is a little different)

Finding your Rep

Okay, here is the thing. We can only technically take opinions from Residents of our state. So its important that you find YOUR state representatives.

Find some by zip code here:

Generally your specific state will also have a website with state and federal representatives.

2. Call vs Email

So, many places will have email options rather than call. I will let you know at least for my office calls or voicemails are kept track of more often. We have a team of people on the phone lines.

I don't know if this is the case in other offices. But in general (if your comfortable with talking with someone for 2 minutes) calling is better than emailing. On those contact my rep info sites they also have the main phone lines for your representative.

3. What do you say?

I have a bit of a script here for those who have never called or are nervous about talking with an intern on a phone line.

Intern: (THE POLITICIAN) office how can I help you?

You: Hello my name is __________ I am a constituent of (THE POLITICIAN) and a resident of (YOUR STATE). I am calling today about (YOUR OPINION HERE). My phone/email is ______________.

Intern: Thank you for your voice and opinions. I want to assure you (Script that has been given to the interns). Is there anything else I can help you with today?

You: Yes/No. (If yes state more opinions and cycle repeats).

Intern: Have a lovely day then!

I have to say how IMPORTANT it is to say your name. In our office logs we take down all the names to send to our boss to know that there are different people calling in their opinions.

4. How many times?

In general we tend to notice if the same number has popped up more than 3 times in a day. Then we can't log it as a new opinion anymore. But if you call once a day, we record a new log for politicians everyday so you can get your name on the daily list again.

5. Does this even matter?

YES. I cannot stress enough. YES

CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES!

It's our civic duty to do so. But it also gives staffers of politicians reasons to lean one way or the other (regardless of what you call in about). Every call helps.

We take down the names every day and we listen to all the stories that are sent in. Trust that someone WILL listen to what you have to say and it will be written down and sent to the politicians. That is literally our job.

6. Phone Etiquette

Politics are emotional. These times are emotional. If you need to cry, do it. If you need to cry while on the phone with an Intern, do it. If you need to break away from the script and talk about everyday stories, do it. This is your call. The intern won't judge you for crying on the phone. If you want to shout or express your anger, maybe don't shout at the intern but you can express anger.

But please be nice to the people on the phone. They've had to listen to hundreds or thousands of people in these emotional times. And we're happy to do so. This is why we do this job.

But we're still human. So saying an occasional thank you, might not help your opinion, it does help the person on the other end of the line.

That's all I can think of right now. I hope this helps...for someone at least.

#politics #house of representatives #palestine #israel #advice #social justice

[courtneysartblog]

An Angel's Duty to Forgive

Content Warnings for discussions of religion.

Like a lot of people, I have been mulling over the final scenes of Good Omens 2, particularly Aziraphale’s “I forgive you.” What is he forgiving? The kiss? The time and place of the kiss? Crowley refusing to go back to heaven? What does he mean?!?!?!? To get to the bottom of this let’s look back at the use of forgiveness in the show.

(And please let me know if I missed one somewhere).

S2E2

The first time Aziraphale forgives Crowley comes in season two during the Job minisode. In this episode Aziraphale is trying to stop Crowley from killing Job’s kids. Even though this is God’s plan, it’s a step too far for Aziraphale. The scene reads:

A: Surely the great thing about being a demon is that you can do whatever you want.

C: You sound jealous angel.

A: Certainly not. I get to do what God wants.

Then we have Aziraphale inciting he knows God does not want the kids killed and that he knows Crowley doesn’t want to kill the kids either. Aziraphale also incites that he knows who Crowley is because he knew him as an angel, which Crowley states, is not him. He then asks Crowley to prove he wants to kill the kids by looking him in the eye. Crowley complies and then Aziraphale says:

“May God forgive you.” 

I mainly want to analyze text over performance, but I will say the kind of disgruntled look Crowley gives Aziraphale as he is forgiven is brilliant. Like “can you believe this guy?”

This forgiveness is interesting because it’s the least personal of all the “forgive yous.” Which makes sense for where the characters are at. It might be the first forgiveness from Aziraphale to Crowley and it in my mind this minisode is when they start to become closer, which is why it is such a distant forgiveness at the beginning of the episode. This forgiveness is Aziraphale is inciting God rather than his own personal forgiveness. 

S1E3

Our next forgiveness comes from the infamous bandstand scene. At this point Crowley is at his wits end, he believes Armageddon is coming and that there is no way to stop it. This moment is interesting because Aziraphale is struggling with what he should do, much like he will at the end of season two. He’s wondering if he should tell Crowley where Adam is. He’s wondering if he should go off with Crowley and abandon the earth. It’s the beginning of his struggle of duty over self, and with the context of the job arc, it's a continuation of heaven’s goodness vs. his own. There’s a lot of conflict, doubt, and I think, a lot of guilt in this moment for Aziraphale. He lashes out, condemning the implication that he’s on a side with Crowley, that they are even friends. His own guilt turns him back to what he thinks heaven wants. 

In the scene Crowley basically swears at God and the Great Plan, condemning ineffability. This is significant because even when Aziraphale toes the line against heaven, he still believes in God and the ineffable, that there is some higher power working for good. That’s what’s so vital about the ending of season two. Even when Aziraphale doubts heaven, there is still some belief in the ineffable, in God.  

In scene, Crowley’s blasphemy earns a “May you be forgiven,” from Aziraphale. 

Which in turn spurs, “I won’t be forgiven. Not ever. Unforgivable. That’s what I am.”

And like the Job minisode, Aziraphale calls back upon history, stating that Crowley was an angel once, which Crowley once again pushes aside. 

Again this scene is the job minisode repeating itself, but this time it’s much more personal. Aziraphale’s forgiveness is still not personal, as he is still inciting God to forgive (although less directly), but unlike the job arc, they have a longer history working directly together and Crowley is taking this forgiveness to heart. There’s a lot of hurt on both sides here. Crowley is hurt that Aziraphale always turns to heaven, refusing the existence of what they share, while also feeling the pain from his Fall. He is a demon. He cannot be welcomed back to heaven or forgiven for what he has done. I don’t think Crowley necessarily thinks he has done something unforgiveable, as he always hedges his Fall saying he didn’t mean to, but he does believe he will never be forgiven and that he will never return to who he was as an angel, nor does he want to. Aziraphale meanwhile cannot let go of his idea of heaven, goodness and ineffability. And because of this, he always finds himself turning away from Crowley. He is conflicted. He sees Crowley as good. But Crowley refuses to be on heaven’s side, which for Aziraphale equates to sin.

But Crowley’s idea of goodness is separate from heaven’s idea of “goodness” unlike Aziraphale’s. Which coincidently is what Aziraphale struggles with all of season two, his free will, his idea of goodness and what heaven wants. 

The next scene of forgiveness comes pretty swiftly after the bandstand scene. 

S1E4

Now with the knowledge that hell knows what Crowley and Aziraphale are up, which puts them in immediate danger, Crowley once again tries to get Aziraphale to run off with him. Throughout the show Crowley is always the one to come back and apologize, and always trying to save Aziraphale. Which is so interesting because it means he’s the one putting aside his own feelings, always willing to forgiving Aziraphale. This is true forgiveness because it shows Crowley accepting Aziraphale for his flaws, unlike Aziraphale’s forgiveness, which asks for Crowley to change. I don't think it's intentional on Aziraphale's part, but that's what his forgiveness asks Crowley to do. And it leaves Crowley to run away and then come back to Aziraphale.

In the S1E4 scene Aziraphale does not listen to Crowley and states that he will speak with God and fix everything. He has a duty to fix things, to save human kind. In his mind Crowley is trying to get them to run away from the problem and Aziraphale refuses. 

We get the lines:

A: I’ll have a word with the almighty and get this all sorted out.

C: That won’t happen. You are so clever. How can someone as clever as you be so stupid.

A: I forgive you. 

I don’t like to use performance over text, but the forgiveness is played so serenely here. But what is Aziraphale forgiving here in the first place? Is he forgiving Crowley trying to leave and trying to get him to abandon his duties? For calling him stupid? For not believing in God? For not believing he can change things? I think on the surface it’s just forgiving the insult, but this scene is so interesting in the greater context of the show because it’s Aziraphale’s first direct forgiveness. He is not bringing God into this one. It’s him forgiving Crowley, nobody else. It’s a much more personal forgiveness. And yet, so distant. And yet we are still building towards that true, personal forgiveness.

Bonus S2E1

Our bonus forgiveness comes at the beginning of this new season where Aziraphale “forgives” Maggie her unpaid rent. This set up was criminal. 

“Oh I’m very good at forgiveness. It’s one of my favorite things.”

Damn this came to bite us all in the ass. 

S2E6

So much of this scene is similar to the bandstand scene of season one. We have Crowley telling Aziraphale to get away from the politics of heaven and hell, to “go off together.” We have Aziraphale trying to go to heaven to fix things and to get Crowley to join him in doing good. But a lot has changed between the two. Aziraphale does not try and say they are not on the same side. He does not try to deny his love of Crowley, in fact we get the line “we can be together,” which to me reads as his own invitation, much like Crowley’s. If Crowley is begging for Aziraphale to see the truth and turn heaven aside, Aziraphale is begging too with that “I need you.” They have come so far but they are not seeing eye to eye yet. And that’s why this scene hurts. Both think they are in the right and are trying to enact it. 

C: You can’t leave this bookshop 

Translation: You can’t leave Earth, you can’t leave me.

A: Oh Crowley nothing lasts forever.

Translation: Earth won’t last forever, things are going to change. Eventually Armageddon will come and we can’t be together if when that happens we are not on the same side because heaven will win. 

What Crowley hears: We can’t last forever as we are.

Crowley closes himself off in this moment putting his sunglasses back on. He knows this is over. 

Then we get "work with me, we can be together.” Followed by the inciting of nightingales, and “You idiot we could have been us.”

The kiss and what comes after, as painful as it is, is probably one of the best performed moments in the entire show. That’s why it hits so well. We see a million emotions run across Aziraphale as he struggles with what to say and we get…

“I forgive you.”

“Don’t bother.”

This don’t bother is so defeated. Crowley is so over Aziraphale’s form of forgiveness. Yes, this forgiveness is the most personal, the most emotional, and it feels like it comes from Aziraphale rather than God. But still there is a history of serene, God given forgive yous that the audience and Crowley is pulling from.

This is a forgiveness where Aziraphale calls on God to forgive Crowley for his sins, for his demonic being. Being a demon is not just a part of Crowley, it’s something he holds a lot of trauma around because he does not think he should have Fallen. He does not want to go back to heaven, he sees the system as broken, he sees God as unjust, but there is still hurt there. And because of this, Aziraphale’s forgiveness will always be pointed for him because he thinks it ignore who he is, what he stands for and what he believes. It’s God’s forgiveness which he will never get and maybe doesn’t even want anymore. 

The scene ends with Aziraphale continuing to struggle. He knows he’s crossed a line. He’s trying not to cry he’s looking out the bookshop window to where Crowley is. And when the Metatron asks him to go, he almost stays back. He tries to find any reason to stay, calling out about the bookshop, which he just stated he didn’t care about if it meant he could be with Crowley. Aziraphale is so close to giving up his ideas and running back to Crowley, picking Crowley over all else. But he puts a smile on his face and leaves the shop. He picks duty, he picks what he thinks will protect humanity, setting heaven straight. And in that final moment before he gets on that elevator he looks towards Crowley who is once again, waiting for him. This scene is shot so brilliantly because even though Aziraphale looks towards Crowley, it’s shot in a way that makes it look like their eyes are not meeting. It looks like Aziraphale turns to Crowley but they are not locking gazes. Once again, like this entire season, they are not seeing eye to eye. They are saying similar things to each other, that they want to be together, but they are not on the same page and have reached a breaking point because of it. 

I don’t know exactly what Aziraphale is forgiving in the moment, but I understand the history here. Aziraphale is feeling his own guilt for wanting Crowley, for wanting to not be a part of heaven, for seeing the evil of heaven. He’s feeling the conflict about heaven and goodness. But this is all just a pattern that him and Crowley have. Crowley wants to escape heaven and hell, Aziraphale cannot give up his duty and his ideas of God. Crowley comes back offering true forgiveness for Aziraphale’s actions, Aziraphale thinks he’s doing the right thing for forgiving Crowley. It’s so personal but it’s so muddled up with God as well. 

So what exactly is Forgiveness?

Google’s dictionary states that it is “the action or process of forgiving.” Or “to stop feeling angry or resentful towards someone for an offense flaw or mistake.”

What is Grace?

In the Christian sense Grace is the gift God gives everyone freely. It's Their favor towards the unworthy. I have always thought of it as something similar to compassion or forgiveness. It’s to give people the benefit of the doubt and to “forgive them their trespasses.” And for a Christian, it’s something that God gives to you and that you are supposed to carry in your heart and give to others. Grace, is a sticky word, hard to define and hard to translate, but it’s basically seeing the good and forgiving their sins or faults. 

Grace and forgiveness go hand in hand. But in modern Christianity it is a double-edged sword and a lot of times, forgiveness and grace are given in place of acceptance. 

Forgiveness in Christianity can be a little weird. When you ask for God’s forgiveness in pray you are basically using pray as a healing tool to forgive yourself. Even though I have stepped away from religion a long time ago I can admit there is something rapturous about handing forgiveness off to a greater force, about finding a way to forgive your own transgressions and remind yourself to have space in your heart for others. But it can also be letting God do the hard part for you. And when you ask yourself if you actually need forgiveness, when you begin to ask yourself if you have actually sinned or only sinned in the eyes of the church, that’s when it gets tricky. 

If you’ve grown up religious or grew up around friends or family who are, particularly the Christian variety, forgiveness gets muddy. From the Christian side, giving forgiveness is the ultimate form of grace. It’s accepting a person beyond their failings and asking a higher power to give them the same grace you have shown that person. But when you are the one being forgiven, it just doesn’t feel like true forgiveness. Hearing “may God forgive you,” is like a slap in the face. It feels like a platitude, it feels like someone refusing to accept who you are. And it reminds you that the devote person thinks of you as a sinner. Crowley sees Aziraphale for who he truly is. He sees his goodness, his indulgences, sees his bastard streak and is fascinated and accepting of every part of it. There’s a reason why the head canon exists that Crowley started to fall for Aziraphale when he gave away the flaming sword. He saw true goodness in Aziraphale when he went behind heaven’s back and did the “right” thing. Aziraphale isn’t at this point yet because he hasn’t given himself true forgiveness. He sees Crowley for who he is, but he cannot see anything other than a black and white way of being. And when he sees goodness in Crowley he cannot separate it from heaven.

For Aziraphale, his forgiveness is God’s grace, it’s a beautiful act. To him Heaven is unwilling to see the good in Crowley. Aziraphale sees the goodness, he sees Crowley should be forgiven, and he thinks himself better than other angel’s because he can show grace to anyone. An angel’s duty is to show grace, and what greater strength is there than seeing the good in all, even a demon. For Crowley Aziraphale’s forgiveness is reminder that he will not be taken back by heaven. And even worse it must feel like Aziraphale is not accepting of his whole self.

Aziraphale’s problem is that he equates goodness with heaven despite seeing the awful things they have done. But because he sees the goodness in Crowley, he thinks that Crowley should be in heaven. Crowley is past the idea of sides, of heaven and hell, Aziraphale is not. Throughout the flashbacks and first season we see this. He thinks of Crowley as good one moment and then calls his side the bad guys the next. Aziraphale’s duty to forgive, his ideas of heaven and goodness, they are all getting mixed up inside him.

But there is also so much guilt attached to Aziraphale. He believes he has transgressed and done the wrong thing and he’s holding onto that guilt. He carries so much guilt for going against God, for indulging in food and human pleasure (there’s a reason why the Metatron brings this up and tells Aziraphale it’s okay). Aziraphale is caught in the crossroads between his duty to heaven and his idea of goodness and his own freewill, and the guilt he feels when he allows himself freewill. 

Crowley is the outsider. He has Fallen from grace; he understands true forgiveness and gives it freely to Aziraphale. H knows the difference between true goodness and heaven’s goodness. Crowley trusts Aziraphale, he even trusts that Aziraphale will try to change heaven. The problem is Crowley understands heaven and hell better than anyone. He knows the system is bad and ridiculous and has taken himself out of the equation. He doesn’t want vengeance against heaven for what it’s done to the other demons. He doesn’t want to be considered good and go back to heaven. He wants to live as a free agent on earth and appreciate the wonder and beauty there. And he wants the same for Aziraphale. He doesn’t want Aziraphale to Fall necessarily, but he wants him to have free will and to live a life away from the machinations of heaven and hell. This is the next step for Aziraphale.

This is where the kiss scene gets messy because I want Aziraphale to get away from heaven, but I also understand Aziraphale. For Aziraphale, Crowley's big plan to get away and be safe must sound like running away from the problem. There’s a reason he always rejects it. He wants to be with Crowley, but there is something holding him back, holding him to earth specifically. Both Crowley and Aziraphale want to be safe and free for all eternity, but while Crowley loves the earth and humanity, Aziraphale is still holding onto the idea of protecting humanity and he knows that the final judgement will come eventually, sooner rather than later. 

Even if Aziraphale is morally gray, he wants to be good so badly. And his struggle between true goodness and heaven’s goodness feels so human and relatable. It's hard for me personally to watch Aziraphale’s journey because I don’t want him to not be an angel. It’s a part of him. But I don’t know what other journey he could go on at this point to accepting himself. I don’t think he will Fall, but something must change. He has to choose to be human or to be erased from the book of life or to be something else outside of heaven to truly choose goodness. He will not abandon his duty to humanity, but he will abandon his duty to heaven. He needs to show himself forgiveness and to show Crowley acceptance. He needs to go against heaven once and for all and abandon his duties as an angel to truly protect humanity. 

At the end of season two we get the kiss, and we see Aziraphale offer forgiveness. A forgiveness that without context sounds strange. But after his forgiveness we see Aziraphale struggle with what to do. He’s choosing heaven, but this is just the start of his journey. He has truly taken a bite of the forbidden apple, and he’s about to gain the knowledge which will forever change him and his path forward. But a snake can’t lead an angel out of the garden, he has to choose to leave.

#good omens #ineffable husbands #goodomensseason2 #aziracrow #crowley #crowly x aziraphale #good omens 2 #aziraphale #long post #essay #good omens essay #good omens theory #good omens thoughts

[thesecretsofthedivine]

The Zodiac (Sun) Signs Pt. 5

Leo/Leo Sun

positive manifestations (evolved Leo): hardworking, glamorous, authoritative, self-assured, and enthusiastic.

negative manifestations (unevolved Leo): performative, high maintenance, controlling, ego-driven, and indulgent.

The grand and demonstrative Leo always knows how to make an entrance. Being ruled by the Sun, their main concerns are to invite warmth into their environment, celebrate self-love, perceive fortitude and generosity as virtues, create a platform to express themselves or champion the causes close to their heart, and reward their hard efforts with the finer things in life. There is a naive and idealistic side to this zodiac sign – one where their inner child is close to the surface of their personality. Generally, this fire sign is a jovial lover at heart and takes pride in how they contribute to a meaningful existence. They are charismatic, resourceful, entertaining, authoritative, and moralistic. These individuals are very conscious of their appearance, which can result in a heightened ambition, need to feel special, or desire to please/control others. Leos are extremely willful and often set their sights on achieving greatness. Even in their most insecure moments, they often feel the need to put on a brave face and fake it until they make it. The personality of a Leo sun is typically extroverted and flamboyant (depending on other placements or aspects within their chart). A Leo’s identity is rooted in becoming self-aware of their impact on others and navigating how to use it for good. In this lifetime, their main soul purpose is to uncover how duty is much more than just a set of traditional rules, control, or debilitating pressure. Duty can also be about emancipation or the balance between being a teamplayer vs simultaneously encouraging others to celebrate individuality & pursue self-fulfillment. This zodiac sign is born with golden intention, but it can take them a while to filter out their personal beliefs from the expectations that have been placed on them early on. A Leo's physique is often tan, durable, voluminous, primal/feline, and attention-grabbing. Because Leo rules the heart/spine/back area, these individuals may often stand with confident posture or be most vulnerable to heart/spine/back-related tension. Their life force is fed by moralistic aspirations, the need to shine/play, and community. They are motivated by the need for respect and passionate engagement with others, which can cause them to have fixed images of how they should appear to others. Oftentimes, this zodiac sign must master equal give and take in their personal relationships or learn to appreciate themselves by creating from the heart instead of performing. In terms of masculinity, Leo is ruled by the traditional masculine planet (the Sun) so this sign is easily interpreted to be an uncontainable beacon of light with ferocity and loyalty like no other. Depending on the potential positive or negative manifestations of this energy, a Leo may have a notorious and warm relationship with their father or one that’s marked by excessive ego and superficial glamor.

Sun in Leo Transit

When the Sun enters Leo, daily life instantly becomes that much more colorful and dazzling. Leo season is often characterized by inner awakenings, leadership opportunities, the power of charm or rose-colored glasses, social festivities, and a heightened desire to pull through tough situations or heal any ailments. Leo season teaches us to be our own saviors or sources of light when the world seems dim. Of course, this transit can affect every person’s birth chart in different ways and will be most relevant to any Leo placements/Leo-ruled house(s) in a chart. But the general consensus is that Leo season can influence you to become the most empowered version of yourself who refuses to tolerate mediocrity. When the Sun is in Leo, the collective energy is more inspired and collaborative. People may often find themselves undergoing new creative projects, changing their hairstyle, wanting to pitch new work proposals, strengthening their divine masculine essence, or turning to glamor magick as a manifestation tactic. During this time, individuals are most concerned with competence and authenticity. However, it’s important to be wary of any control issues, criticism, egoism, intolerance, or reactivity in your behavior. The themes of Leo season heavily involve taking leaps of faith that prove your resilience and pave the way for something legendary to be created.

#western astrology #astrology #zodiac signs #astro notes #astro observations #astrology blog #birth chart #horoscope #natal chart #sun signs #tropical astrology #sidereal astrology #astro community #solar return #law of assumption #manifestation #witch #spells #sun in leo #sun in aries #sun in sagittarius #fire signs #fire sign collective #tarot reading #sun in the houses #houses in the signs #planets #star signs #astrology signs #natal astrology

[vampire-wizard-solidarity]

im thinking abt totk and skyward sword… in both games u have a beloved female character trapped in the past who needs to deliver a message to our hero in the future and so she makes a dire sacrifice in order to see this through… only when impa did it i actually felt something… AND they had the stones to make her sacrifice permanent (ie impa not only grows into an old woman but straight up dies at the end. or turns into dust at least. potato-potahto). there r just so many moments in totk that echo those in previous games without understanding why those story beats work. anyways the cringefail totk vs the chad skyward sword

so true!!

also part of the reason skyward sword works is it’s a much tighter story. it’s focused thematically and in terms of character, unlike totk which is all over the place with a ton of characters none of whom get any development despite supposedly playing large roles in the story and taking up enough screen time for you to be annoyed with the fact that you’re sitting through the same exact cutscene four times.

and on the topic of impa and zelda as parallel story beats in terms of time travel – impa’s sacrifice has something to say. she could technically just tell link everything he needs to know in the future, she could just time travel to said future and orchestrate events from there as her younger self (as she does), she could explain things to link directly – but she doesn’t, and that’s because of characterization. firstly, the reason she stays at the temple until she’s an old lady instead of just using time travel again is because she’s a devoted servant of the goddess: she’s not just there to wait for link (or zelda), she’s there to watch over the temple, too, she’s a religious servant not just for this one time, she doesn’t just serve link and zelda, she serves the goddess in all her forms.

secondly, the reason she doesn’t tell link everything is because she believes he needs to prove himself. this is another layered part of her characterization: we see her different relationships to other characters, with added complexity of the fact that we see two versions of her react to link: young impa at first regards him with derision, a distaste and harsh judgement of the fact that he’s not ready, he hasn’t proved himself as someone with enough power and skill to protect zelda. old impa similarly believes he isn’t ready yet, however her attitude in this belief is much more that of a wise old lady who kindly wants to see him mature, out of a belief in fate and worthiness coming with time. she won’t give him answers, however she will help him find them.

so, when these characterizations combine in her death it’s tragic but also beautiful: the reason she ultimately dies is because her duty has been fulfilled, and she believes that she is not fated to continue existing in this time, as her prime has passed and her jobs are done, she goes with the dignity of a wise servant.

zelda’s sacrifice, however. firstly it completely disregards one of her defining traits: her curiosity and love of research. rauru literally says that becoming a dragon is a last ditch effort and he believes that before that they must research and understand her power, at which zelda lights up, and yet we never actually see her attempt any of this research or mastering of her power. she seemingly becomes more powerful between cutscenes, yes, however there’s never a scene of her actually training, or trying to do any sort of research or brainstorming solutions. we were simply not shown that she’s exhausted every other option, we were not shown her use one of her strengths (her curiosity and intelligence) to solve the problem, she went with the first solution provided to her.

what does this do to her characterization? shows she’s devoted to link? she’s willing to sacrifice herself to save everyone? cool, nice. ignore all her complex characterization from botw to make her a typical perfect female character defined by her dedication to the male hero. thanks.

this kind of sacrifice could’ve worked hypothetically - if we were shown, for example, her trying and exhausting every other option it would’ve given this story beat a sense of desperation, tragedy (botw hits a similar beat). instead it’s just. underbaked.

it’s only made worse by the fact that the sacrifice is pointless in the grander scheme of things. you literally do not need the master sword to defeat ganon. skyward sword never had to encounter difficulties marrying its gameplay to its story because of its staunch linearity, and botw just? wasn’t stupid? like idk making zelda’s sacrifice be actually vital to the story and defeating the villain is such an easy task the only way i can explain this is the devs were dumb as rocks in trying to marry a more classic epic story with botw’s non-linear structure. like. the fact that you can just ignore all of that and defeat the villain anyway really undermines the story beat doesn’t it. in botw ignoring the main story and gunning it straight for the villain doesn’t really undermine the story, it just makes you see it through a different lens: zelda asks “do you really remember me?” and your genuine answer is “no”. isn’t that cool? isn’t that impactful in its own right?

totk just couldn’t reconcile any of its multitude of elements in a coherent manner. it’s just bad. it’s so shit i’m sorry i cannot write totk posts without devolving into a blubbering mess of “fuck shit fuck”

#ask #loz #botw #totk #sksw #breath of the wild #tears of the kingdom #skyward sword #legend of zelda #totk critical #i love skyward sword <3

[sporticus1234]

Interesting to see Queen Viktoria's reaction to the discussion of the Act for Heir Equity, calling it foolish and getting upset that half the court hear Trystan state he planned on reinstating it. Seeing it further strengthens my belief that she was the royal in the special scene at the end of Book 1.

The way she's handling Nadja's murder vs Juliana's murder is almost night and day. She gave the MC basically free reign to investigate Nadja's murder, but she so easily is quick to dismiss anything surrounding Juliana's murder. Juliana's investigation got like 2 weeks from what Marguerite said, and how it's implied she automatically assumed Trystan was at fault and exiled him.

But the royal at the end of book 1 was getting agitated that the media was bringing Juliana back up again. Funny how we see that and next thing you know, "new" evidence is dropped, the Queen sends Lydea to get Trystan back, and forces him into a trial with no preparation or a non-biased attorney. And even when Trystan was found innocent, she quickly called it an accident and decreed that it would be considered like that from here on out. But interesting...the royal at the end of Book 1 said they wanted Trystan there to keep him busy and distracted. Immediately after finding Trystan innocent, he was quickly reinstated back to the line of succession, and immediately flung back into royal duties.

I'm still of the belief that Viktoria was the one who called the shots on Juliana's coverup, or is the mastermind of the murder if we want to be more specific. From what Luke said, it was implied the person who forced the guard to doctor a confession had to have resources. Who better to have the resources to cover up a murder of a Prince's betrothed than the literal Queen that everyone seems to be scared of pissing off?

But also, Viktoria's old...and PB's main masterminded villains these days all happen to be old...from Guinevere, to the First Crimes of Passion Book, to Phantom Agent...so *insert tea slurping noise*

#choices #playchoices #crimes of passion #choices crimes of passion