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autistichalsin · 4 months

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I know a lot of people find it boring how much Halsin talks about nature, and I do get it- it is repetitive. However, I also find that if you break some of his statements down into what he's implying, you end up with something a lot more interesting. (ESPECIALLY because a lot of these support the "Halsin is autistic" interpretation.)

Take, for example, Halsin talking about his place in the world, specifically relating to relationships:

Halsin: I still have hot blood in my veins. Nature gifted us our desires, and the means to act on them. But we muddied its beautiful simplicity with rules, social strictures... clothes. So, I am not bound to nature. I am unbound in nature.

Halsin: Relationship? Such terms belong to civilisation - a little unfamiliar to my lips. You know what we share is more fluid, more founded in the principles of nature.

Implications: Halsin finds society too complicated. He enjoys nature because its rules are simpler and more sensical; rather than social rules and structures that are beyond him (especially when you take into account the autistic Halsin interpretation), he feels comforted by nature, which is complex in a way that he understands.

There's also Halsin's friendship with Thaniel.

Halsin: I had a friend when I was young, long ago. He played with me in the forests where I grew up... but eventually, I realised no one else had heard of him. It was Thaniel, of course. Nature was my very first friend. I get older, but he hasn't changed a day. I knew then that I had to be more than a companion to him. I had to be a protector.

Implications: Nature, by being Halsin's first friend, has always been what Halsin is comforted by. It has been a steady and comforting presence for him, something he can rely in, in contrast to other people who are unpredictable. Nature is consistent and comforting for him.

Halsin, infamously, is not happy in the city of Baldur's Gate.

Halsin: Too much noise, too many lanterns kept burning... nature's rhythm is ignored here.

Implications: Halsin is overstimulated easily by excessive noise and other sensory inputs. Nature provides him somewhere quiet.

Halsin: I wish... I wish there was a better way. I wish everyone could see the sun, have a full belly, and know nature as a friend. There is a balance that is yet to be found.

Implications: Again, Halsin sees nature- not just Thaniel, but all of nature- as a friend. A source of comfort and companionship.

Halsin: I think on [politics and high art] also. But nothing matches the splendour of an ancient tree.

Implications: Halsin loves the beauty of the natural world as much as anything else. Rather than art or music (which he can appreciate), what he prefers is something that grew rather than being made.

Halsin: I am... less anxious to find myself in a city. So removed from nature's power - I do not know how I will fare.

Implications: Not only does Halsin prefer not to be in the city, but he is actually, to some extent, frightened of it (likely due to how overstimulating it is for him), in contrast with his feeling of being right at home in nature.

There's other things to note as well. If a Dark Urge player embraces Bhaal and then tells Halsin to bow, Halsin has this to say:

Halsin: Nature bows to none. It will fight on and survive, no matter what madness your god has inspired you to undertake.

Implications: Halsin views nature as strength, and admires that very much. He draws a lot of his tougher qualities from this aspect of the natural world.

Or a line where Wyll gently points out that he talks about nature a lot:

Halsin: When you care about something deeply enough, it consumes every thought and word.

Implications: Halsin isn't thinking of little else besides nature because he's "boring"; it's because it's important to him. (A special interest, one might say.) And when something is deeply important to a person, they think of everything else in relation to that thing; think of a sports fan who constantly uses sports metaphors to understand the world around them.

There's another party banter with Wyll that is telling when combined with what he has to say about the city, too.

Halsin: It is most unfair to pour such scorn on rats - they have their place in nature, same as you or I.

Halsin: I thought cities were supposed to welcome folk of all walks of life. Clearly I was mistaken.

Implications: Halsin feels everyone has a place in the natural world, yet that the city shuns those it deems different. As someone who has struggled greatly with fitting in/finding a place he "belongs", Halsin feels more sympathetic to nature, where all living things belong, than anywhere else.

I think that when you break up Halsin's love of nature into all the little things it implies, it paints a much more interesting picture of him, personally. It also supports the "Halsin is autistic" interpretation, which makes him even MORE interesting.

#halsin #halsin silverbough #bg3 #baldur's gate 3

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sapphiewritesstuff · 1 year

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Dude I need a hardcore yandere Namor x reader!

Where your Riri’s friend and specialize in chemistry and biology so you know how to make different materials for her and even make money off the side with selling your stuff to the government. And Namor definitely wants to kill you like the scientist but after finally seeing you in person has a change of heart, his mind convincing him it’ll be a waste on someone so intelligent to die, especially someone so beautiful- Namor then rizzes you up enough to manipulate you into staying with him after the war

(Extra points for tension and possessive)

love your work please drink more water 💧❤️❤️❤️

Hi!! Thank you for the request and I’m really really glad you like my work, thank you for supporting me <33 I will try my best with this ask, as I usually don’t write hardcore Yandere, so if it’s not what you expect I’m sorry, but I am a soft girl at heart and Namor is my bby girl <33

Warnings: GN! Reader, Yandere, Violence, manipulation, kidnapping, Namor is dark but not darker than he is in the movie, isolation, punishments, murder, not proofread.

-You were kidnapped along with Shuri and Riri, knocked unconscious by Namora and taken to Talokan.

-Namor takes an almost immediate interest in you, wanting to talk to you and learn more about you. At first, he tries to excuse it as trying to get closer to the enemy, even though he doesn’t treat Riri the same way, but later learns to accept that he thinks that you’re beautiful.

-He accepts the fact that you're a genius, your inventions and experiments are like none other, and it intrigues him. Talokan could use someone like you, it would be a waste to kill you.

-The more time he spends with you, the more infatuated he becomes. Everything about you is perfect, from your brain to the way you act to the way you look, he needs you as his own.

-You plead with him to let Riri and Shuri go, but never beg for your own freedom, and Namor respects how selfless you are.

-Nakia soon comes to rescue the three of you, but as Namor started keeping you in his private hut, she was unable to take you back to the surface.

-You told yourself that they would come back for you, that they were just planning their next move, but days turned into weeks, and nobody ever came.

-Namor took pity on you, he hated seeing such a beautiful person be ruined by the surface dwellers, but he knew that he could use this to his advantage.

-One day, he sat down beside you, taking your face into his hands, and very firmly, yet gently, told you words that you'll never forget.

-"They're not coming for you, my love."

-He 'takes care' of the Wakandans soon after. (Interpret that as you will, if Wakanda and Talokan become allies he convinces them that you're in Talokan willingly, you're too afraid to say differently.)

-Life with Namor isn't spent as a captive, if you can overlook not being allowed to leave Talokan, he treats you like royalty (which you are, he has already made you the other ruler of Talokan through marriage). His touches are soft, and he feeds you only the freshest of fruits.

-Namor has a temper, there is no denying that, many poor servants have been subject to his yelling and wrath after disrespecting him or you.

-Despite this, he never lays a finger on you.

-Punishments? He doesn't like hurting you, his little scientist, but he knows that if he doesn't teach you, you'll stray away.

-He isolates you. You have been down in Talokan for god knows how long, with Namor being your only interaction, as much as you hate to admit it, it's nice having someone to keep you sane. Namor knows this, and uses it to his advantage. Whenever you act up or break one of his rules, he'll ignore you until you're begging for him to look at you again.

-He also makes you watch as he guts some innocent who 'wronged' you in his eyes. Sometimes it's an act of love ('look at what I would do for you!'), other times it's a punishment ('this is what happens to people you get too close to, it's your fault, stay by my side and nobody will have to suffer')

-You'll never see the surface again, he knows that the government will just come after you, he must keep you here to protect you and his kingdom. He's doing this for you!

-If you ever try to escape, god help you.

#namor imagine #namor headcanon #namor x you #namor x reader #mcu x reader #yandere x reader #x reader

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ajollybirdcollector · 2 years

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HOTD: Succession is messy and Alicent has a point

I’ve seen many takes all over the internet that Alicent is power-hungry and wants to usurp the throne from Rhaenyra in favour of her own kids. That the Greens have no rights, that Rhaenyra is the heir, that it doesn’t matter that her kids are bastards because they have their claim to the throne through their mother, etc... And I wholeheartedly disagree.

I do not think Alicent necessarily wants the throne, actually, we are given quite clear indications in the earlier episodes that Alicent did not want Aegon to be named heir ahead of Rhaenyra but she quickly becomes to understand that things are not going to unfold smoothly and it’s mainly due to the patriarchal system of Westeros but also how Rhaenyra behaves as an individual. Early in the show, Alicent is made aware by her father of how ugly the situation could turn out, she also understands that Viserys is not willing to clean up the mess (much of it of his own making), that Rhaenyra is going to act however the fuck she wants and that Alicent can trust neither with her own safety and the safety of her children. Alicent knows shit is going to go down regardless and that she and her kids will die if her side loses.

* DISCLAIMERS: I just want to make it clear that I am pro-absolute primogeniture, I do not agree with the male preference within the patriarchy and overall misogyny of Westeros. This post is not about justifying Rhaenyra being passed over or anything like that. It is more about highlighting that Alicent does have a point and that viewers are short-sighted and unfair when they bash her and judge her action with their 2022 worldviews, completely ignoring the different social structure of this fantasy world and the implication it has for how the characters within it behave. Personally, I am neither really on Team Green nor Black when it comes to who has a right to the throne because... It should be Rhaenys Targaryen, she should have be Queen instead of Viserys... so Team Queen Who Definitely Should Have Been? Or even better, Samwell Tarly’s idea of I don’t kow... democracy? Like a government chosen by the people and not some random dude who happens to be the son of some other random dude but hey... We are a couple of centuries too early for that in this world. Furthermore, this post is mostly sticking to a political cost-and-benefit analysis of the situation and won’t got to much into details about how those characters’ personal feelings and traumas obviously affect their decisions.

Alicent has every reason to be fearful of what will happen once Viserys dies. It was already the case before Rhaenyra had children and it only got worse once she gave birth to obvious bastards. You may think what you want about Otto but he puts out a very fair assessment in the show when he says that most lords won’t easily accept a woman as the Queen, especially when there is a healthy dragon-riding male heir (Aegon) available. There are rules of succession in Westeros but nothing is set in stone and many scenarios can unfold. The judicial system is really more like a set of loose customs rather than organized laws that are rigorously enforced like in our world. The laws of inheritance are not clear cut. George R.R. Martin says himself that they are “vague, uncodified, subject to varying interpretations, and often contradictory”. So yes... succession gets messy when several people have a claim.

The ideal situation in this world is to have a strong, healthy and adult legitimate first-born male as heir but when you can’t have that, what is chosen instead? If you know about the lore of ASOIAF, you will see that there are many instances of succession crisis when a choice must be made between different pretenders that all have a claim but none has the absolute best claim (ideal situation above). So what do we choose? The female heir (daughter) or a more distant male relative (half-brother, uncle, cousin, etc), the infant heir who can’t rule or go to war on their own or an adult relative who can, a sickly/insane heir or a healthy relative, the heir with dubious parentage or the relative who is undoubtedly legitimate, etc... There are quite a few messy successions in ASOIAF’s history like the succession of Beron Stark, of Walder Frey, of Aenys I Targaryen, of Aegon IV Targaryen, of Donella Hornwood, of Jeyne Arryn, of Jaehaerys I Targaryen, etc... And most succession disputes involve a lot of people dying. People pick sides and start scheming and fighting and it quickly turns into a bloodshed (the Dance of the Dragons is the most famous one).

In HOTD, there is no first-born male heir to Viserys. So what would the lords of Westeros choose? A first-born female heir (emphasis on the first-born) or a second-born male heir (emphasis on the male)? Viserys might think he settled the matter by naming Rhaenyra his heir, but it doesn’t really mean anything. The lords are technically subservient to the king but in reality, their collective opinion matters more than his individual one, especially once he is dead. I believe Jaehaerys knew that and it’s why he had the lords choose the future heir at the Great Council of 101 rather than declare an heir himself.

And while I’m mentioning the Great Council, the characters in the show are right to say that it sets a precedent. Rhaenys and her children (which included a boy) were passed over in favour of the next male in line, Viserys. By the very precedent that put her father on the throne, Rhaenyra and her children should be passed over in favour of the next male in line who is Aegon. Without that precedent, Rhaenyra would not even be in a position to be heir to the throne or to fight over it with Aegon because Rhaenys would be Queen and Rhaenyra would be way down the line of succession behind Laena, Baela, Rhaena, Laenor and their “Strong” children (although in a world where Rhaenys became Queen instead of Viserys, Laena and Laenor probably would not have married Rhaenyra and Daemon). If you go against that precedent, then what would stop Rhaenys and the Velaryon to start their own war for the throne since Rhaenyra becoming Queen would nullify the precedent set and actually make Rhaenys the person with the best claim to the Iron Throne. Without that precedent, the Iron Throne ‘rightfully’ belongs to Rhaenys. Now, this could have been solved by the marriage of Rhaenyra and Laenor Velaryon. Rhaenys compromises. She forgoes her claim to the throne and in return her son becomes consort and her grandchild will be the monarch after Rhaenyra. She, Rhaenys, never becomes queen but at least her descendants do eventually get the Iron Throne and a war is avoided. Except... Rhaenyra and Laenor do not have children. Worst than that, Rhaenyra passes off bastards as Laenor’s children as well as Rhaenys and Corlys’ grandchildren (in the world of GOT, it doesn’t matter that Laenor is on board with it, especially since Corlys is still the head of House Velaryon and not Laenor). Because of that, both the Iron Throne (Rhaenys’ birthright) and Driftmark (Corlys’ birthright) will go to the bastard sons of their daughter-in-law (Jacaerys for the throne and Lucerys for Driftmark) who are blood-related to neither of them (in a feudal, patriarchal world like ASOIAF in which bloodlines, ancestry and houses are the most important social institutions, it doesn’t matter that Laenor liked those boys as if they were his, it doesn’t even matter if Rhaenys and Corlys like the boys, they are still bastards that aren’t related to them. Equal rights for adopted/non-bio kids do not really stand in such a social system like it does in our world in 2022). And this is why the betrothal of Jacaerys and Lucerys to their cousins Baela and Rhaena was essential to keep House Velaryon on Rhaenyra’s side. Through those marriages, the Iron Throne still goes to Rhaenys’ descendants through Baela and Driftmark still goes to Corlys’ descendants through Rhaena.

Coming back to what the lords would choose between the two claimants (Rhaenyra or Aegon)... Well, every house is going to take a side based on what they think is “right” but mostly according to which side they believe they stand to gain the most on and which side won’t upset the social hierarchy for everybody else (how many succession disputes would break out all over the kingdom if it becomes acceptable for women to have a claim as strong as their younger brother? Most lords will want to avoid that). And it doesn’t matter if Alicent and Aegon do not want to throne (which was made pretty clear that they indeed don’t really want it). It doesn’t matter if they are perfectly fine with letting Rhaenyra become Queen.

Daenerys said it quite accurately to Jon in the last season of GoT which is (roughly): “It doesn’t matter what you (Jon) want. What will happen went they (the lords) demand you press your claim and take what is mine (the throne)? [...] It will take on a life of its own (the truth about his ancestry) and you won’t be able to control it or what it does to people.” She knew that it didn’t matter that Jon had bent the knee to her and that he didn’t want the throne. The lords and ladies who had something to gain (or even just had a preference) from Jon being on the throne instead of Daenerys will plot to get him there and to get her out of the picture. Similarly, Alicent knows very well that many lords (because of misogyny and because of how recklessly Rhaenyra behaves) will force a war on her sons against Rhaenyra.

Furthermore, she knows that if she lets Rhaenyra take the throne before a war can be forced on all of them, her sons will still most likely die. For the Blacks, Alicent’s sons will always be a threat to Rhaenyra’s rule and they will have them killed even if the order to do so doesn’t come from Rhaenyra directly (it would probably be from Daemon or Corlys or any other advisors who will make sure “accidents” happen to ever prevent Aegon, Aemond and Daeron, or anyone else on their behalf, from pressing their claim to the throne.)

Rhaenyra does propose marrying Helaena to Jacaerys to ‘reunite’ the Green and the Black but that is also not a feasible option and Alicent refusing it makes sense. As I mentioned above, Jacaerys and Lucerys must marry Baela or Rhaena if Rhaenyra hopes to keep the support of Rhaenys and House Velaryon. Furthermore, Alicent must have known that if anyone still tries to use her sons to take the throne from Rhaenyra, such a marriage would have condemned her daughter and her grandchildren by her to most probably die (see Elia Martell and her children, they had to be killed even after Robert had won the throne because they will have always been a threat to him).

Really, the only way the Dance of Dragons could have been avoided would have been either to marry Rhaenyra with Aegon (best solution as they would have ruled together and the throne would have passed down to their legitimate son who should have then been married to a daughter of Laena Velaryon, effectively making both Rhaenyra, Team Green and House Velaryon happy) or have Rhaenyra and Laenor actually have a legitimate son that would have married Helaena (different combination, about same result).

Alicent was put in a difficult position in which her life and that of her children would have been on the line no matter what. She could either let everybody uses them as pawns, or take charge of her own side as much as she could and try to get the best deal out of it because everybody else in her life (her father Otto, her husband Viserys, her best friend Rhaenyra) made it clear by their words or actions (or inactions) that she and her well-being are not their priority and that she would always come after them and their interests. She is not a man, she is the daughter of a second son who might be Hand of the King (a title that can be given or taken away on a whim of said King) but is no lord and has no army (unlike say Margaery and Cersei who were the daughters of great lords and had the red cloaks/green cloaks in King’s Landing to protect them as well as brothers in the Kingsguard), she has no power of her own and unlike Rhaenyra she doesn’t have a dragon, she is the Queen but that is really just an honorary status because her husband is the King and it only lasts as long as Viserys is alive. She is in survival mode and it is understandable that she is going to be as ruthless as need be. For all that I support this woman’s rights and this woman’s wrongs (mostly).

* English is not my first language, please forgive my poor grammar and convoluted sentences.

#team green #team black #house of the dragon #alicent hightower #team alicent #team rhaenys #rhaenyra targaryen #rhaenyra #alicent #aegon #targaryen #dance of the dragons #iron throne #hotd

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loserharrington · 8 months

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i’d like to preface this by saying i am not an expert on religion (or non-religion) this is simply information i’ve learned over the years of research and talking to those who do practice satanism. if i’ve got anything wrong feel free to correct me

with that being said, i’ve always had this idea that The Munson Doctrine followed the rules of the church of satan. be it the 9 satanic statements or the eleven satanic rules

eddie has a laveyan cross patch on his vest so he must practice satanism to some extent. Especially since it’s a pretty large patch in an obvious place.

it’s sort of complicated because it’s not really a religion but it’s still a practice. (one of personal freedom and rationalism.) it’s basically things he lives by to better himself and the way he interacts with others. the “rules” don’t need the approval of any deity because satanism rejects the idea of all gods. (it goes hand in hand with atheism) it simply encourages individuality, skepticism and living your life the way you want to no matter how “sinful” it may seem to others.

i think it’s safe to say eddie resonates with this. he’s seen blatantly rejecting and criticizing societal norms and questioning why he and his friends are seen as freaks and targeted because of their interests

now here’s where i start inferring things about how he practices

i’m sure he’s added to these rules (hence the name Munson Doctrine instead of a direct reference to the rules of the church of satan) but i think it still loosely follows those rules. eddie just seems like the sort of person who’d take something like this and make it his own, which is essentially what satanism is. (again, it’s not a religion so it doesn’t require specific rituals to be done)

or, he misunderstood or interpreted some of the rules given to him differently than others might’ve, which lead to the quote that started this whole rabbit hole i’ve fallen down.

Quote: “I just couldn’t accept the fact that Steve Harrington was actually a good dude. … No way man, NO WAY, that like, flies in the face of the laws of the universe, and my own personal Munson Doctrine.”

i’m leaning toward the idea that he added his own rules and beliefs to the list because satanism encourages freedom and self expression, so he can essentially do whatever he’d like with his practice as long as he’s not infringing on the rights of others. (again, this would explain the name Munson Doctrine)

he might have added things (such as bullies/bystanders never changing. i.e: steve harrington now being a good dude when, in eddie’s eyes, he wasn’t before) because of his own experiences with people like that. [read here for more on that]

regardless of what he might’ve added or why, i do think that the Munson Doctrine is something he actively lives by. (ignoring the fact it could have just been a joke he threw in there to express his shock on how much his perception of steve had changed)

now here’s the fun part. my head canon i built off of this head canon.

i like to think that eddie didn’t come up with the munson doctrine on his own. his mother might’ve been a big influence in why he practices laveyan satanism.

now here’s why i think that:

1. it’s obvious eddie has some sort of ill feelings about his father, going as far as to say he told himself he didn’t want to “wind up like he did”.

this could just be him referencing the fact his father has been incarcerated for various crimes or it could be him referring to his character as a whole including his religion

this ties into fact that we see Wayne (who we assume is Eddie’s father’s brother due to their last names) is actively religious — at least enough to have religious decor around the trailer so it’s safe to say the munson brothers grew up religious

2. we know absolutely nothing about eddie’s mother which means i can make it all up !

eddie referring to his personal beliefs as his “Munson Doctrine” could imply that he’s not the only munson who follows these rules. he does say it’s his “personal” doctrine so i will choose to believe that is in reference to the new things he’s added as he’s grown up and experienced more things in his life

but before then, his mother could have instilled rules into him that he still follows to this day. rules such as these:

i just love the idea that eddie still has some connection to his mother and this is just one of the ways he honors her, but the idea of eddie finding comfort in satanism later in his life due to feeling alienated by the people of Hawkins because he’s different is just as good

in conclusion:

i choose to believe the munson doctrine wasn’t just a silly throw away line, and it ties into the religion he seems to practice

#stranger things #eddie munson #character analysis #eddie munson character analysis #steve harrington #steddie #stranger things 4 #the munsons #the munson doctrine #steve/eddie #steve x eddie #☕️

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thewertsearch · 10 months

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Ask Comp 28/6

It's in the recs list! I'm very much looking forward to this one.

I've certainly enjoyed what I've read so far - it's been nice to get back to the story's original protagonists.

The main mood of Act 5.2 is one of anticipation. We've been getting glimpses of the kids' Grand Plan ever since the Act began, and it very much feels like it's all building up to something. If Homestuck sticks the landing, and the Act 5 finale lives up to all this hype, then this might end up my favorite part of the story so far.

Yeah it's a session tag - although a 'reading session' is a little ambiguously defined, especially when I stop posting for a few hours and return later in the day. How long a gap does it need to be before it qualifies as a new reading session?

I've just been tagging every post made in the same day as the same session. It's not a perfect solution, but it'll do.

Wow, it started in 2010? I could conceivably have been reading Paranatural in school - although I'm glad I came to it a little later, so I wasn't constantly waiting for updates.

Big red peepers. I'll admit I didn't really think of this as a reveal, but I suppose it is our first true peek behind Dave's shades.

Based on this, it's it's probably safe to assume that all the kids have eyes matching their text colors. Has Rose been blessed with the legendary mutation, Alexandria's Genesis?

A few people mentioned this Squiddles meme. I like it, it's very Trunk & The Grunks.

I've really gotta catch up on those albums at some point...

I did wonder if Bro's sword shenanigans were something to do with Dave's Quest - like, maybe he was bequeathing his anime sword to his brother, to accomplish some objective. Now that Dave has his own Quest sword, I think that interpretation is less likely.

Symbolically though, I do think it's notable that Bro's sword is intact, and Dave's is broken. It ties into how Dave sees himself as a worse version of Bro, on some level.

As far as Jack is concerned, I doubt the game intends for him to have anything to do with Dave's journey. The whole point is that he's ignoring the game's rules - so if anything, his antics might start to break the Quests.

It sounds like the style was supposed to take readers aback - although I didn't find it particularly jarring myself!

Homestuck's art style is constantly changing, with this, the Earthbound sprites, and Hero Mode, among other things. Honestly, I had just assumed that the comic's art just fluctuated depending on Hussie's mood.

I quite like the HussNasty panels, and I hope Hussie keeps experimenting with the comic's art. It sounds like this is the beginning of a more general trend, so I'm hopeful that it will continue.

Oh, so it just straight up is Excalibur.

New theory about his Quest, then. It's about worthiness, and Dave is being tasked to 'prove himself' as a hero, despite his insecurities. This ties neatly into the next set of asks below:

Anonymous asked: my headcanon (partially supported by the text, as you've seen from rose's conversation with jaspers) is that each quest is designed to help you self-improve, so that you can responsibly preside over an entire universe. whether you agree with the game about the ways you need to improve is another story.

I've speculated that the Quests are teaching the Players how to sculpt their universe. Building on from this idea, then, these asks speculate that Quests are also trying to improve the Players as people, so that the nascent universe will flourish under their care.

It's an interesting idea - although it does beg the question of why Sburb is creating such flawed Players in the first place. If it's looking for self-actualized custodians for its universe, why did it create Players like the trolls, who wanted to rule over their universe like tyrants?

I guess it's possible that a flawed Player who self-improves is actually more resilient than a flawless Player who never needed to change. The former would potentially be more resilient, capable of adapting to the changing circumstances of their universe as it grows and evolves.

I wish! That's more of an aspirational schedule, really. I should probably delink it, if it's causing confusion.

I'm not sure whether this is Karkat's canonical birthday - but if it is, I like the irony inherent in the fact that he's not even a Cancer.

Yes - although I don't blame you for forgetting, since I don't think I've referenced it since the literal first post of the liveblog!

Oh, god, messages from 2024? Is Tumblr using Trollian as a backend?

Bizarre. I assume, then, that the trickster code was cut as well. :(

If we assume that Sburb did evolve, then it makes sense that it works this way. However, if it was created by some intelligent being, then holding the Players hostage like this seems pretty malicious.

I mean, there are ways to ensure participation in the game that don't involve destroying an entire planet. No matter how clear you were about the risks, if you asked the population of Earth for volunteers, you'd be guaranteed millions of responses.

All that said, if Sburb worked this way, we'd have a very different story. I understand why Sburb works the way it does, in the context of Homestuck's themes.

Speaking of Kingdom Hearts, I'd kind of love for Sora to visit a Homestuck world. His Keyblade upgrade could be the Wrinklefucker - and he'd have to unlock Vriska as a summon, right?

Do it. I've been rereading GtN this week, and as far as I'm concerned, Alecto can't come fast enough.

It is she. The million dollar question, of course, is whether Taylor is ultimately more of a constructive or destructive character.

I mean, I have an opinion, but resurrecting The Great Taylor Hebert Debate on this blog would be an exercise in hubris.

@wickedsick asked: The typically accepted name for Girl Egbert is June, after that one time Vriska spelt John with 64 O's and Egbert said they read it as a really long "June". [...]

Oh man, imagine being trolled by Vriska was your trans awakening. How would you ever recover?

Jokes aside, I like June, It's cute. I feel like if John transitioned she'd choose another 4 letter J-name like that, or a name from one of her movies, like Dana or Janine.

Come on - I'd be shocked if Homestuck didn't end with the straight characters getting outnumbered at least twenty-to-one.

Looks fine to me, I think. I assume the website just hiccupped - wouldn't be the first time!

It blows my mind every time I remember that Undertale came out in 2015. The beginning of the Undertale Era feels like it started simultaneously six months ago, and twenty years ago.

You open the TYPHEUS web browser and direct it to what is indisputably the most amazing website ever created.

Au contraire, my friend - Typheus showed up way back in Act 1!

[ I can't send them yet because they'd tell you a lot about the aspects, but someone sent classpect headcanons for discworld characters and they're SO GOOD - C ]

Damn it, I can't wait. Just based on what I've recently learned, I am convinced Rincewind would be the Something of Light.

#asks #full liveblog #act 5.2

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numbknee · 1 year

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Why do you think Kyman gets so much hate? I can understand some things about what people don’t like about it but some of the things they say, the harassment is so out of pocket. Especially on Tik Tok! It is like a battle ground out there and they all will shoot you down immediately if you SAY anything. I just wanna love Kyman without it seeming like a punishment 😭😭

Dude I totally feel you. It's so much easier to live and let live so I don't understand how these ppl have the energy to be so aggressively hurtful all the time. This has been said before ad nauseum but for god's sake, it's JUST a fucking tv show. I'm too old for this shit.

(longer explanation under the cut! like... extremely long lol I'm so sorry my thoughts about this have been building up for a while 😅)

I think the extremely aggressive kyman hate is a symptom of growing poor media literacy and the larger "purity culture" trend that's been present online for a while now. It's very reminiscent of American Evangelicalism or Puritanism, where members of the church have to follow a very specific set of rules for behaving and thinking and if you deviate from those rules in the slightest, you're shot down immediately by the community and shamed for being sinful and blasphemous, all to keep you on the "righteous path" and avoid burning in hell for eternity. This is why so many puritanical christians in the US hate themselves for doing what most of the world sees as normal behavior, and simultaneously force that self-hating worldview onto others to "save" them. (For example see this video by FD Signifier on youtube explaining how hardcore religious ppl/conservatives are doomed to be bad in bed because they see sex as "evil" when in reality it's a normal part of human behavior 😬 It's long but very good).

Though, it's important to note that ppl who think this way may not even be christian themselves, but the behavior is so pervasive in american culture that you absorb it even if you're not a puritanical christian. (for example, to quote Ian Danskin, athiests may think "I don't believe in god, but the god I don't believe in is Jehovah). Tons of the first generation of white USAmericans were exiled British puritans who were kicked out of their home country for essentially being self-righteous assholes and trying to force their shit worldview on everyone else lmao. And I think because so many online spaces are so USAmerican-centric, people from all over the world have started adopting that purity culture as well.

Now, South Park is extremely popular (duh). It's been around for decades so it has a ton of fans both old and new. Unfortunately a lot of new fans, especially young people, follow the show for very different reasons than the average normie/not-terminally-online viewer does. They take the characters out of their original context, use them like dolls to make their own stories and fan content, and ignore all the other blatantly controversial shit that's been going on in the show since day 1 (which is why so many exclusively make blasé creek fanworks imo). They want to keep their thoughts "pure" and only engage with content that's approved by the puritanical online community

It's extremely fitting but also sad that Cartman is the scapegoat for everything wrong with South Park, both in the show and in the real world. Either ppl don't want to acknowledge he exists, or ppl latch onto him and project all of that puritanical hatred toward him or anyone that likes his character. Hell, even I'M guilty of this kind of thinking before I watched the show and understood Cartman's character better.

Kyman in particular is a target BECAUSE it involves Cartman, but also because people boil it down to shipping a nazi with a jew which, at the surface level, seems horrible! But if you've ever actually WATCHED the goddamn show, you know that is an extremely reductive and inaccurate interpretation of their characters. It's horribly poor media literacy. These ppl CANNOT seem to comprehend that you can enjoy watching a character who's a "bad person" without condoning their actions, and that enjoying the shipping dynamic of such characters DOES NOT make you a bad person by proxy.

A huge role of fiction as media is to explore ideas that may be harmful in the real world in a safe way because... *gasp* it's imaginary!! It makes you think and experience emotions you may not have the opportunity for otherwise! However, in the eyes of puritans, the fact you're even thinking about something like that makes you a sinner. It's a thought crime, which is why they consider us mentally "sick" for shipping kyman. So, they send hate at the drop of a hat and publicly vilify kyman shippers to reinforce that behavior with each other, all to say "Hey look at me!!! I'm a Good Person! see how much of a Good Person I am??? I'm gonna go to HEAVEN, and YOU'RE going to HELL". Like I said before, it's not that they necessarily believe in heaven or hell, but that's the general root of the behavior. It's performative puritan dog-piling. Also, because they haven't even fucking watched the whole show, they conveniently ignore all the other horrible shit the show portrays because random kyman shippers online are easy targets while Matt & Trey are gajillionaires who are essentially un-cancellable for things they do on the show at this point because, to quote Trey: For anyone to go up and go "Did you see this thing on South Park? That was really offensive" someone's gonna be like "Dude shut up 😒 that's just South Park".

Geez man this got super fucking long lmao. But my advice is to please take care of yourself because, and this super cliché to say, but FUCK the haters dude 🖕🖕🖕 You're engaging with media that brings you joy and exploring interesting ideas with a community of awesome artists/writers/meta-analysts and more. This is supposed to be FUN!! Anyone who tries to take that away from you or shame you into stopping is a fucking immature, holier-than-thou asshole who needs to get a fucking life. The block button is your friend, so use it early and often. You have the power to curate your own online space, and you shouldn't subject yourself to dealing with these dickheads (this is a big reason why I don't have a tiktok lol)

Good luck dude, and keep on shipping kyman 😎🤘❤️💚

#ask #anon #kyman #jesus h christ this is so long ajsfklsdf rip #lots of thoughts to get off my chest. yeesh #my post

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myymi · 3 months

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ohh if you can i would appreciate some tips!! honestly writers are so admirable we dont give yall enough credit🙏🙏🙏

well, for me to give you the absolute best tips i can to help out, i need to know what exactly you're struggling with when it comes to writing. there are about a million different tips i can give you for about a million different things and some of those tips will be completely useless to you

for now though, i'll give you the things that help me getting into a writing mood + general tips i give to new writers and if you still need further help you can explain what exactly you're struggling with and ill do my best to help out;

1) whatever you learned about formatting essays; forget it.

a common thing i see in new writers is they try to write it like an essay. which isn't a bad idea really, but it is restricting. your paragraphs don't have to be four or more sentences. they can only be one if you want. it's your story, format it however you want. you don't need to follow rules

2) listening to music

this is mostly for when you have that one specific scene in your head but have no idea what to do for the rest of the fic. listening to music and connecting the lyrics to the characters you're using is a great way to get your mind thinking. one song can give you several different ideas depending on how you interpret it

3) make sure you are in a good mood

personally, i cannot write to save my life if im upset or just generally having a bad day. i know some people can use creating as a way to cheer themselves up, but it just doesn't work out for me lol

4) if you don't need background noise, don't use it

it's pretty easy to get distracted when writing, especially when you have something new playing. if you do need background noise of some kind, i would advise playing instrumental music or that one movie/show that you've seen a thousand times and could quote in your sleep. keep your focus on your writing

5) brackets will be your best fucking friend when writing

one of the most important things about writing is keeping your flow going. if you find yourself writing sentence after sentence for a good while and then you suddenly hit a stop because you don't know how to word what happens next; throw it in brackets and write the scene after it. its the same reason why you're told to skip questions you get stuck on when taking a test. let your brain do what it knows it can and come back to the tricky stuff later.

6) you don't have to write anything in order

you don't have to write a story exactly start to finish. you can jump between any scene you'd like and find out how to connect it to a different scene another time. this kinda ties into the last tip in the sense that you gotta let your brain do what it knows. if you only know the beginning and the end then write those first and figure out the rest as you go. if you need to edit either one of the previous things then that's okay. there's no shame in changing things around, it's just how creating things go. sometimes change is needed

7) writing prompts

for new writers, i like to tell them to find a prompt online to write a story for before they start their own. using a prompt someone else made keeps your brain from getting overwhelmed, allowing you to focus more on finding a writing style that works best for you. using writing prompts also lets your brain find ways to contribute to a story without having it make everything while also figuring out how to put it on paper. it's easy to overwhelm the brain, so let it get used to writing before you start creating your own ideas. (this is also something i advise to people who experience burnout or just cant think of anything to write. your brain just needs a break from creating ideas right now, go and find a prompt for it)

8) word count

listen to me because this is so important; ignore the word count. you need to focus on learning, not how much you're writing. it doesn't matter if you only wrote 50 words when other people have fics well over 50k. ignore it. you are learning, you'll get there eventually. if you focus too much on how much you're writing you're going to stress yourself out and ultimately drive yourself away from ever writing again. treat word counts as milestones. start with 50, then 100, then 150, then 200, etc. let yourself work towards it slowly rather than push yourself too hard right out the gate. you can't expect to draw the mona lisa the first time you put a pencil to a paper, so don't expect to write thousands of words the first time you write a story. it'll take time, and that's perfectly okay.

9) analyze the shit out of your characters

this is easier when writing fanfiction, but take a few hours to learn your characters. find the content they're in and hyper-focus on what they're doing. pay attention to their speech patterns, their body language, their relationships with others, etc. if they're not in a scene, try to imagine they are and what'd they do and/or say if they were. it'll help out with keeping them in character when writing

10) if you get to a point where you can't write anymore even when using brackets; stop writing for the day

we have our limits. you will get to a point where you can't get another word down and that's okay. it doesn't matter if you've only written a handful of words, close your program and wait until you feel motivation hit you again. if you keep trying to force yourself to write when you just can't then you're going to burn yourself out. the most probable reason for this is writer's block, which means you need to focus on other things for a while. give your brain time to recollect itself. it's annoying, i know, but it's better for you if you just let your brain do what it needs to. it knows how to take care of itself, so let it.

i also have a tag i use whenever i give tips, so you can check those out as well to see if anything helps! it's just writing tips

#if these end up not helping you that is okay #everyone is different #what works for me wont always work for you #mess around with it until something does work #just remember not to push yourself too hard #learning takes time. don't rush it #writing things #writing asks #writing tips #anon #anonymous #anon ask

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so-i-grudgingly-joined-this-site · 1 year

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Part 1: Tragic, but not a Tragedy… Unless you get weird about mental health

Note: this is a part of my essay "The Awkward Meta-Tragedy of The Sandman", see [here] for the masterpost of all links, reading order, and content warnings.

The ending certainly is tragic, in the sense that it is sad—for the reader, at least. But, it seems to be sad, perhaps, only for the reader, seeing the protagonist they’ve followed thus far die and get buried. Full funeral and all—no obvious “never found the body” ways around it. In-story, the ending leaves the book’s world a better place, with all the villains taken care of and the Dreaming now ruled by somebody with a much more level-headed nature. (Which, yeah, that’s a loaded sentence there—I’ll expand upon that in a later part of this essay.)

It’s no secret that, for being a cosmic force and the protagonist of the tale, Morpheus is a very, VERY flawed being. He’s prideful, stubborn, doesn’t listen to others, doesn’t listen to his own advice, communicates poorly, and never reaches out for help when he needs it. He also, especially after the death of his son Orpheus (and immediately prior to that, being dumped by his latest failed romance), seems to be not only aware of his flaws, but also in the throes of extremely deep, self-destructive depression. Honestly, that much-memed panel of him sinking into his chair gutted me upon first read. You could feel how much Orpheus’ final death, and having to be the one to grant it, weighed upon him.

Morpheus routinely denies himself the opportunity to reach out or seek help, because he also firmly believes that he should be tied to his job as the dream-king, ignoring his own more “human” wants and needs, and that he should be able to do this because he’s an Endless, not a human or even a god (who are apparently a level closer to humans than the Endless are in the story’s cosmology). That self-denial and inability to reach out, perhaps, if this were a traditional tragedy, might have proved his “fatal flaw”. If he had died as a result of that, the ending would make sense as a tragedy, in the literary sense.

But Morpheus commits suicide.

Or, at least, that seems to be the most common interpretation, from what I can tell. It certainly was mine upon first read. TvTropes says it. Other characters in the story—ranging from the unfortunate elf girl Nuala to Death herself—even seem to assume that’s the case.

Not only does he commit suicide, but he does so through what, in a twist that apparently spans the entire comic’s run, was an elaborate series of perfectly orchestrated events dating back to the very first volume. He’s aware of his flaws, but apparently despairs at ever changing. Gaiman himself states that the theme of the series is “change or die”, after all. Morpheus knows he’s the problem, and he decides to solve it by taking himself out of the equation. Everything all stacks into place where he knows he will provoke the Kindly Ones to kill him, and sure enough they do. He does not die as the result of some accident resulting from fatal flaws, as tragedy demands. He makes a suicide plan, and succeeds. Tragic protagonists don’t die in the way they INTEND to die. Morpheus doesn’t die from his fatal flaw…unless his fatal flaw is his untreated depression that drives him to suicide.

Which is, for lack of better terms, uncomfortable! I know we’ve come a long way in mental health awareness since the 1980s-early 2000s when the books were planned and written, so perhaps I’m being unfair to the source material by looking at it from a 2020s perspective. But, that does not change the implications as written. If we are supposed to see The Sandman as a tragedy in the literary sense, where the protagonist is brought to his doom by accident of his fatal flaws, then interpreting Morpheus’ death as a successful suicide plan means that his fatal flaw was his mental illness and inability to seek treatment. Which seems… rather cold, honestly.

#the sandman #the sandman comics #the sandman comics analysis #the sandman comics meta #the sandman comics spoilers #the sandman spoilers #neil gaiman's sandman #literary analysis #my writing #sandman essay

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letters-to-lgbt-kids · 2 years

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My dear lgbt+ kids,

I've been really into Stray Kids (the band) lately. I am listening to their songs a lot and have watched many of their music videos, performances etc. - so many that my Youtube recommendations are 100% Stray Kids-related now. If you wonder why I am telling you this, it's because I decided to turn this blog into a K-Pop Stan account.

Gender stuff is important but I'm just much more passionate about Lee Felix's deep voice right now and I hope we can embark on this new journey together... and yes, I am obviously kidding about this.

The real reason is that he got me thinking about gender stuff.

More specifically, my Youtube recommendations did. They show me a lot of fan-made videos - and a surprising amount of them center around physical touch. "10 minutes of Stray Kids being cuddlebugs", "7 minutes of Stray Kids kissing each other", things like that.

You may think "Oh, cute" or "Yikes, problematic" right now. When I look into the comments of such videos, the latter one seems to be the reaction of many people - and they have good points. It's easy to forget that band members are actual people who are co-workers in real life and that a high "fan demand" of physical contact between them may put real pressure with real consequences on them. There is also the obvious issue of ignoring cultural differences and pushing American standards on them (regarding how much and which kinds of touch are "normal" etc.).

With all that said: those videos are evidently very popular - and I don't think it's fair to dismiss it as nothing but voyeuristic stalker behavior. Their popularity is a sign that it fulfills some kind of need. Next to the comments calling these videos out, there are also plenty of people talking about how warm and happy and calm these videos make them feel. And honestly, after watching a few myself, I do see the appeal. Watching them be openly affectionate with each other is a feel-good thing - and a big part of that is probably that they are all men.

The cultural differences come in play there. The unspoken rule in my country seems to be that men do not touch each other unless it's in either a violent or an explicitly sexual context. Male friends don't hold hands or kiss or cuddle or play with each other's hair. Platonic touch between men just isn't a thing. And I am not even American - I believe it's even worse over there.

It's easy to shrug your shoulder now and think "Nobody is stopping men but their own homophobia." and yes, there are obviously the Aggressively Heterosexual Dudes™ who would rather die than have their male friend perform CPR on them because that's too gay for them - but it's oversimplifying it to say that this is the only issue. Deeply ingrained cultural structures just aren't that easy to break on an individual level, not even for men who are far from aggressively heterosexual (or far from heterosexual at all), even though society as a whole would benefit from it.

We were made for a gentle touch. That sounds unnecessarily poetic but it's true. It's one of the main ways human beings communicate. Just think about babies. You could provide them with plenty of the most nourishing food and buy them the most expensive stuff - if nobody ever touches them gently, they are not gonna grow up healthy. It may be a myth that everyone needs 8 hugs a day, individual people have individual needs, but touch is a basic human need.

And yet, society tells us to rely on one person alone to fulfill that need: a romantic partner. Being in a relationship is one of the only "acceptable" ways to fulfill it, especially for men. The possibility of a hug leading to sex somehow makes it a masculine thing. According to the unspoken cultural rules, men can even touch each other... as long as they touch to f*ck.

And that brings us back to the duality of those Stray Kids videos: If you watch a video like that and it has no commentary within itself, no fixed message on how you are supposed to interpret it, if it's genuinely just a compilation of men kissing and hugging and holding hands - how do you interpret it? Which cultural rules influence your interpretation? And if people can interpret it in ways that play directly into toxic cultural structures, does that mean these videos are merely an extension of those toxic rules - or could they be a welcome antidote? A safe space for people to experience and explore platonic male intimacy in ways that they may rarely get to in their own country?

Could they be a mixture of both?

With all my love,

Your Tumblr Dad

#I feel like the intro to this letter falls firmly in the things that are a lot funnier in my head than they are out loud category #But isn't a bad sense of humor a dad privilege? I earned this #On a more serious note: this is more of a thinking-out-loud letter - the questions are genuine questions I am wondering about

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essayofthoughts · 1 year

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Scuttles in

I still think about the Tiefling AU ok

And given your recent blorbo-ing of Kash and Zahra, how that might impact Percy's dynamic with the later especially.

Do Zahra and Lilith teach Percy some tiefling culture basics? Thaumaturgy manners, or that one comic with instinctive tiefling head bonks? Tricks for hiding the horns under a hood ir shawl and making it look natural?

(Also, how Vex potentially sleeping with Zahra might throw a wrench in Kashra's development for a lil longer, maybe? 👀)

Ooh fun questions!

I think I've already said to you that contrary to my usual interpretation and belief, Percy and Lillith do bang in this AU bc Percy is dealing with some shit, not only trauma regarding the Briarwoods' attack and the loss of his family and home but also his own dysphoria due to his change of self, his utter loss of autonomy over how he presents himself and is percieved. And. Because of that baggage, he thinks that it's okay with Lillith because she's a tiefling. He's not passing on his corruption to someone else because she's already got that planar influence. He doesn't know why he's a tiefling now when he wasn't before and he's afraid that whatever taint infects him might infect others - but if someone's already a tiefling... it can't hurt them, right? They're used to it.

As for Zahra, I mean.

This Percy speaks Abyssal because of Orthax, and most tieflings speak Infernal. On the one hand this means Percy can listen in on the twins sometimes - they both speak Elvish and Abyssal (canon Percy knows the former and Celestial, in this he knows both and gains Abyssal after his change) - and on the other hand... this stands out as wierd to Zahra! Because she knows tieflings - Zahra, Lillith, Lillith's sisters (her other cousins) - and she knows they speak Infernal. So... it's definitely a first inkling for him that something's significantly usual what happened. Meanwhile for Zahra... I feel like it might make her wonder a little if that's why he's weird by tiefling standards?

She first finds out he speaks Abyssal because she goes to ask him, the other tiefling in the group, a very quiet, casual, in Infernal, "hey, everyone cool here?" kind of question. A "you know these people, they're not shitty about what we are, right? how worried/on alert do I need to be?" - and Percy doesn't understand her. He also made no move to ask her that in turn, which might be because he's familiar with most of the group but packed in with him speaking Abyssal and not Infernal just makes her think Weird and Wrong.

Thing is, Percy is pretty polite for the most part, so I can't really see him committing a social faux pas - he's so exacting about etiquette I can't see him really prying in a way that'd violate any unspoken rules of tiefling subculture - but because it's a new thing for him, I can see him just not observing it in ways that kind of blindside her? And for her, the way he keeps his tail tucked around himself when he doesn't need it for balance, the way he keeps his claws tucked away or under gloves, the way he seems uncomfortable with his tiefling aspects - that'd make her think of abuse (which she is canonically familiar with!) and wonder if he was taught to be ashamed of himself and kept isolated and that being the reason for his ignorance. So I can see her trying to gently teach him to be a bit more at ease with himself (and maybe some more tiefling subculture specific things, like getting a sense of each other's magic and when it's appropriate to use it, the little check in of "these people cool?", virtue names - though I don't think Zahra has one, or Lillith, but they are a tiefling thing).

This all said, on learning there's tiefling subculture etiquette Percy would absolutely absorb it like a sponge; boy gets so specific about social rules and is so careful not to fuck up. I really do get the impression that some of that is fuelled by anxiety (especially given how he splutters and gets awkward at other points - he likes to have a script, so I'd be shocked if he didn't have social anxiety or some overlapping neurodivergency).

As for that last point. Well.

As I figure it, Vex comes onto Zahra after the tomb because she wants somoene who isn't a mess over it and she wants to enjoy being alive! She doesn't want to have to hide her own emotions for sake of everyone else - she was he one who died, for fuck's sake, she should be allowed to feel her own emotions about it! And, well... yeah it hit her hard, but also she is really thrilled to be alive! (She is repressing hard, and has made her expressed opinion her only Allowed opinion.) And. Zahra is similar to Vex. They understand each other. So Zahra turns Vex down, but probably does talk to her a little, help Vex process things she was avoiding, and probably gives her hugs and cuddles. Vex does tend to seek to be alone when she's going through it, but I think someone who understands and doesn't judge her? I think she'd feel safe and also emotionally and pysically knackered, and so... sleep.

This probably does complicate things a bit for Kash though, at least until Zahra clears things up for him. I don't think it'd impede them much, but I do think it might prompt Kash to actually start to think about and process things more, having that tangible example of the kind of decisions one might make when not fully processing things.

After all, if he were to make the decision to take a risk with someone else rather than Z, because he's afraid of fucking up there - well, he'll probably carry that regret forever.

Send me asks about my fic ideas!

#tiefling percy au #tiefling au #vox machina #percy de rolo #vex'ahlia #zahra hydris #kashaw vesh #kash #vex #zahra #blorbologist #ask

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actual-changeling · 11 months

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hello :) first of all you really don't have to answer or acknowledge this since it'll maybe stir this whole thing up even more, but i guess i just wanted to talk about this with someone who feels as passionate about it as i do. there's this very famous writer in the TLOU fandom and the way they portray ellie's character and especially her trauma just IRKS me so bad. it's so obvious they have no idea how PSTD works. at first i was like, ok, don't like don't read, i truly get it and agree, but when you write about such a sensitive topic i feel like you have to take responsability? the don't like it don't read it rule doesn't apply here since A LOT of people are reading your works and there's a possibility that their knowledge of PSTD will be flawed bc of the way YOU wrote it. and ellie's character... like, how much can you change a character's personality before it's another whole person? i just don't understand the point. again, no need to reply! just wanted to talk about this w/ someone (a writer, no less) who gets it

Hi anon!

I'm glad you felt safe enough to send this ask, and I 100% understand where you are coming from. I won't go into the drama because Ellis made his post and I was only watching it from the sidelines because he is my friend; this is done for him so it's done for me.

I do wanna say something on the matter of "don't like don't read" and author responsibility because as everyone who follows me probably knows at this point, I care about accurately writing PTSD and trauma (and any other conditions for that matter), and I have made several posts about it before. This is not about one person, this is about a trend I have see both in this fandom and in other ones, so once again, as always, if you start feeling defensive ask yourself why and have a good look at that.

I want to make something very very clear: people critizing a person's portrayal of a character's trauma and PTSD is NOT about headcanons. It is not about creative freedom. It is not about character interpretation. It never has been and it never will be. It is about accurately portraying actual medical conditions in a way that is both respectful and does not contribute to ableism and stigma.

If your portrayal misses the mark, people critizicing it are not criticzing your headcanons. They are telling you that something you wrote is legitimately offensive and harms actual, real people with that condition. There is exactly one correct response to that and it's apologizing, correcting your mistakes and/or taking the work down if you cannot do so for some reason (too deeply enmeshed with the story, you cannot write it properly, etc.). Saying "don't like don't read" and ignoring it doesn't suddenly make your work not offensive, it just makes YOU a bigot who does not care that they are hurting people.

"Don't like don't read" is about fics that do not meet your personal taste or deal with topics you cannot handle. It does not apply to offensive, harmful content. Would you say the same if someone published an outright transphobic or racist fanfic? Would you say "don't like don't read" and allow them to continue to post outright bigotry without repercussions? And if your answer to this is no, as I hope it is, why is it different when it comes to ableism? Why do you think mental disorders and conditions are somehow less worthy of being portrayed correctly? Why is ableism "less bad" to you?

And anon, you bring up a great point, as an author you not only have a responsibility to make sure that your portrayal isn't hurting people who have it but that it also doesn't contribute to negative stereotypes and furthers the stigma. If a person who does not have PTSD reads it and comes out the other side with an even more flawed view of it, you failed. You failed as an author and as an ally to disabled people.

Write Ellie however you want, but once you get to a certain point at least tag it as "out of character" so people can avoid it. It's not a bad thing to write ooc characters, if you are having fun - go for it! Just tag it as such so people can avoid it. Wrongly portrayed PTSD does not fall under headcanons though, it's a problem and you need to fix it. You need to do more research than one google search. Having a friend with PTSD is also not enough, you need the full picture, you need to understand how PTSD works and why people's symptoms are the way they are.

I have CPTSD, I have enough trauma for several lifetimes, I have several other diagnosed conditions and I'm on heavy psych medications and I still do my research. I draw from my own experienced a lot but I also have years of research under my belt and I still do more. Because I care. I care about my writing and my stories, I care about the characters and the people who see themselves in them, I care about my readers and everyone else who will be (hopefully positively) affected by the education I can provide via my writing. I care and that means putting in the work isn't a chore, I do it willingly and with enthusiasm.

If someone tells me I fucked something up - thank you, I will change it, apologize, and learn from it. That is the only correct response and I hope people will start doing so instead of twisting words and hiding behind "don't like don't read" because it has never been about interpretation and never will be.

This got quite long, but once again anon, thank you for sending in the ask, I'm glad you felt comfortable sending it. Have a great day <3

#alex answers asks #alex writes tlou #the last of us #tlou #ellie williams #joel miller #joel and ellie #also once again my asks and dms are always open and if you explicitly tell me you dont want me to publish something i wont #this was just a got starting point for a lot of thoughts that have been stewing for a hot second #i swear to god if anyone starts drama over this i will block everyone involved and pretend it never happened #this is not about you this is not about drama this is not about anything #it's about me and my passion and portraying ptsd correctly #i am not involved in drama and i wont be over this either so if you are trying to twist this into something it isnt #fuck off and leave me alone

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hibiscxs · 2 years

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Hmm, I must admit that I was confused/conflicted about how consensual rhaenyra/criston came off as in 1x04 bc their primary relationship is royal/servant (well, hes a knight, but it still stands). And i really wanted to think about it bc i didnt want to dismiss a case of a man being SAed too quickly, but i also didnt want to confuse a female-gaze sex scene with male-targeted SA

There is a clear power imbalance that was a point in the previous episode, with criston talking about how rhaenyra changed his life and how he owed her everything he had. Under those circumstances, you would be suspicious of any sexual relationship between them. If she instigates something, then he may not be in a position to refuse or else he could lose his position or even his life. The scene highlights him having a moment where he regards his cloak (a symbol of his status as her knight, status that she gave him) before they have sex. Criston is remarkably more somber than she is during the entire encounter.

But, I ultimately feel that his position as a knight of the Kingsguard specifically changes the circumstances of this a lot. Because, yes, he is sworn to obey her. But he’s also sworn to celibacy. And in general, everyone is forbidden from having sex with the princess.

Kingsguard are Kingsguard for life. Up to this point in the timeline, knights of the Kingsguard have only been stripped of their cloak and sent to the Wall bc they broke their vows of celibacy. It isn’t until Joffrey’s rule that a knight was dismissed for any other reason. Kingsguard aren’t stripped of their station for disobeying commands, but they are for having sex. So it seems pretty safe to say that if Criston had wanted to say no, he could have and felt secure in his station and his life.

And what of the emphasis on his cloak? In this context, it’s easier to see that Criston is very aware that he’s breaking his vow of celibacy, that he’s besmirching the name of the Kingsguard. The act of taking off his armor and his white cloak specifically is a physical manifestation of him casting off his station and forsaking his vows to have sex with rhaenyra. He chooses to do it because he wants to, but its a serious thing to him, which is why he handles the cloak so carefully as if to not do even more damage to it and to himself, why he’s so serious in comparison to her smiles and giggles.

There is, however, the conversation to be had about how rhaenyra shouldnt have put him in that position in the first place. As the person with more power and less to lose if theyre found out, it was irresponsible of her. And thats very in line with her character up to this point. This episode especially highlights how rhaenyra is wild and makes bad choices. Some of it stems from just her being her, a dragon stifled by expectation and rules and society. But some of it also stems from how she wasnt raised as the heir because viserys ignored her in favor of some unborn son and how viserys still isnt treating her like the heir because he continues to waver and be manipulated.

Anyway, back to her and criston

In the end, im comfortable with interpreting this as a fully consensual encounter because of the specifics of their situation. Ive seen a few posts about how because it was framed in a way that focused on her and how when she’s on top it almost looks like she’s fucking him, its meant to show us that he’s not feeling pleasure, especially when intercut with viserys and alicent.

But I do think that’s unfair. The entire scene was directed by a woman and definitely used the female gaze. It’s wish fulfillment for straight women. Theres the insinuation that because it wasnt directed in a way that focused on criston’s pleasure that the encounter was inherently imbalanced, that when she was on top he couldnt be enjoying himself because he was the one getting fucked. And I’m uncomfortable with that

#hotd #asoiaf #hotd 1x04 #rhaenyra x criston #rhaenyra targaryen #criston cole #cw: sa

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psyga315 · 7 months

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Revisiting A Raccoon Whose Actor Caused A Lot Of Problems, A Rewrite of RWBY Volume 9 Chapter 2: Altercation at the Auspicious Auction

Previously

RWBY spend the next minute or so coming to the conclusion that this is the tale of The Girl Who Fell Through the World. Because of how last minute the story was brought up (it was first mentioned in Witch) despite how well known of a children’s story it was, it got me to think of an idea where Weiss, Blake, and Yang’s interpretation of Alyx didn’t come from just their interpretations of her, but also how the book was published.

Let me explain: Each of the cast for this Volume save for Ruby and Yang was raised in a different setting and thus a different culture. When adapting a story to a different part of the world, sometimes people change the story to tie better with that culture’s themes. It’s why Brock insists Ash tries the jelly donuts even though they look more like rice balls.

Especially since we don’t even know how long ago the original story was published (it’s implied via the pre-CNR names and Jaune’s age that it’s at least more than 80 years ago), it’s reasonable to assume that the story got tons of adaptations with different interpretations, so when WBY talk about the story, they bring up certain scenes that just don’t line up with their versions. Hell, even the name of the realm they’re in is different in their versions. Blake thinks it’s called the Everthorne, Weiss thinks it’s literally the center of the Earth, and Yang is closer to the truth, thinking it’s called Aftan.

This comes especially true with how they interpret Alyx. Blake sees her as someone who trouble always followed, Weiss sees her as someone who just wanted to go home and did whatever she needed to, and Yang only saw her as a hypocrite who lied and cheated her way out. Interestingly, all of what they say are projections of their innermost selves.

Ruby, however, says something that should have set red flags but they ignore it: “Maybe Alyx was doing what she needed to in order to survive… but just screwed everything up and caused more trouble…” Instead, they take that as the valid interpretation.

The question though is where to go, as even the chain of events are different in their versions. Little only vaguely knows of Alyx from the stories that his tribe has told of her, but it’s mostly in hushed whispers. Problem is that because even Afteran mice don’t have a long enough lifespan (i.e. they have very simple purposes), none of them have a good memory of Alyx.

However, Little does have something worth their salt in this story compared to Sir Sleeps-a-Lot in the original. We see RWBY try to get past the Jungle Acre, only to find get themselves lost. However, Little is able to point them in the right direction, having an acute sense of smell.

This does lead to some debate on what exactly is going on. Whether they’re in the actual story of the Girl Who Fell Through the World or its setting. Though, Yang decides that she should get her arm back from “that thieving little raccoon”, who Little confirms is Jinxy, the Auction Acre’s ruler. Blake wonders if going for Jinxy is even a good idea, since the story had Alyx going over to talk with the King first, but after Yang’s insistence, she folds.

We’re keeping that Bumblebee Moment #2 because it’s extremely ironic that Weiss fails to notice Ruby’s deteriorating mental health yet completely picks up on Blake and Yang being horny for each other. Little is able to guide them out of the Jungle Acre and into the Auction Acre. It’s here that we discover that rule that there’s many different Acres and that they go for as long as the eye can see. This exacerbates RWBY because this means they might not find the Tree.

Little explains that the Auction Acre is a commonly visited Acre since a lot of business is done between it and the neighboring Castle Acre (as Yang later finds out when a soldier just buys her arm via royal decree), while Blake explains the lore behind it, since the chapters where Alyx visits the Auction Acre was explored much more in depth in her version of the story compared to Yang and Weiss’.

When Ruby tries to buy the jade marionette, Blake tries to stop her, saying not to meddle in the town business despite her clearly wanting it (and it later proving to be one of Penny’s weapons and it being some form of proof that Penny could be out there). Ruby will remember that.

A fight ensues that ends up setting the entire town on fire as RWBY make off with their goods. Before they have time to recoup in the Jungle Acre (and, more importantly, for Ruby to look more closely at the blade), some guards come and arrest them for ruining the Royal Birthday, taking away their items in the process (they didn’t take Yang’s arm though, since they believe it’s her actual arm), causing Ruby more grief that her team just doesn’t pick up on.

Ruby pleads with the guards that the sword is special to her and tells them about its wielder, but all it does is convince them that it will make a great gift. As they chuckle, we see Ruby’s sorrowful face turn rage-filled…

Cut to the flames now simmering as Jinxy is forced to relocate with his cart. Out from the remaining flames comes a knight in rusted armor that scares the shit out of him, though he says nothing, only looking at the path of chaos that was left behind as we end with a close-up of its helm.

#rwby #volume 9 #rewrite

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pomegranarchy · 2 months

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Theres this song I’ve been listening to lately, called Wait by The Dear Hunter. I don’t have the context for the singer’s life or the album or whatever, so I’m speaking about it as a standalone song.

Heads up for religion talk (generalizations about christianity, as i dont have significant knowledge of any other) so feel free to skip on.

This song has really struck a chord in my soul, so to speak. I’m already quite comfortable with the subject of death, and the concept that as living beings we are destined to return to the earth through decay. I find it rather beautiful.

This song lingers on the fear of one’s own mortality, and ties it to religious fear.

The song starts with “I lost my faith when I was young” so it confuses me to see the interpretation that the singer is afraid they won’t go to heaven if it exists. If they were afraid of that, then wouldn’t they remain in the faith? That’s a pretty big scare tactic of christianity. If you don’t believe in god, you go to hell. Without staying in the faith, one already accepts they won’t go there.

There are also calls to religion that imply any faith that the singer practiced was empty.

“I stood in lines to bow my head, I’d fold my hands and speak in tongues”

This is clearly about prayer of some kind, and tongues can be about latin or any other old language, but christian prayer isn’t usually in latin. Its in the language the worshipper speaks. So tongues… to me, that means the words being said are nonsensical. That the prayers for help, advice, good fortune, or anything else— is meaningless and nonsensical. Especially with the following line.

“But I could tell no apparition heard a single word I said”

Whether it be the dead or a god, those prayers are not being heard. It could be willful ignorance, which means a god is purposefully choosing to abandon people. It could be the god physically cannot hear, or that a god simply doesn’t exist. In any case, prayer does nothing. It is an empty act.

So. Back to mortality. “I’ll know when I turn to dust” “but i fear the answer isn’t enough”

To me, this is about knowing one will die. The singer has accepted that. Everyone dies, and so will they. Thats just how it is. But after that…? There is no knowing. And if there is something after, instead of nothing, then theres the possibility that what waits beyond is worth the fear.

“I fear that there is a heaven above” “I hope that there is not a heaven above” says to me more that the singer is afraid of heaven. Or, more accurately, the concept of a heaven. Hell and eternal damnation is not being addressed here. Pain and punishment isn’t the fear.

Because a heaven implies the existence of a god. A being that is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-judging, all-loving. A being that is all-powerful is responsible for evil and suffering, or complicit in this suffering, or is in fact not all-powerful. If it is not aware of suffering, then it is not all-knowing. And if it is all-powerful, and is all-knowing, but allows suffering, then it is not all-loving. If people go to hell, then it is not all-loving.

A god that is all-powerful and sends people to hell is punishing its own creations for things they have zero control over.

It makes heaven completely arbitrary. It is a paradise that belongs to a god that condemns those that it controls, for being the way it created them.

“So will I never know heaven or hell, or is eternity something worse?”

There being nothing after the end is the preferable fate. Should the singer ever know heaven or hell, then eternity is to be feared. It proves an existential fear of something that rules reality and chooses to make people suffer.

And… its cathartic. To listen to this fear. To this song.

There are christians out there that talk about love and acceptance and how the stereotypical christian goes against the message of the faith or what have you— but it doesn’t address what makes me so uncomfortable with christianity. That a god exists. That this god has created a heaven and hell. And because those realms exist, if I don’t have the “correct” interpretation of reality, that I don’t do the “correct” way of living life, then I shall suffer forever.

That’s not love. That’s not a god worth worshipping.

So… yeah. I hope that there’s no heaven above.

Death is more comforting than heaven.

#tw religion #tw christianity #tw death talk #tw mortality #existentialism #religion #atheism #personal talk

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