#i know this would be a stronger post if I linked to posts addressing the issues in question

[sunder-the-gold]

Do you think that Scott Pilgrim Takes Off was a series that was written by people who either hate the source material so much that they want to change it or love the source material so much that they want to make improvements to it?

First, I want to make it clear that I'm only strictly answering your question, and I'm not addressing the unrelated question of "Is Scott Pilgrim Takes Off any good?"

Second, a confession upfront. I haven't read Scott Pilgrim or watched the movie. I was definitely interested in watching this animated adaptation as my first introduction to the story, but I currently don't even have my own Netflix account, let alone have watched Takes Off for myself.

But I've been paying attention.

In that linked article, Grabinski, the writer for the 'adaptation', admitted that "There's a lot of ideas I did end up having that Bryan felt were wrong for Scott. Most of them end up in there..." (emphasis mine)

Have you heard about the Criterion of Embarrassment? It's the realization that historians had, that no person or nation would have a reason to record a lie about a great defeat or embarrassment. That if they passed such a story down in monuments, writing, or legends, it must be because they suffered a very real tragedy that they were desperate for their descendants to not repeat.

You may be more familiar with a modern take on the idea, through social media. "Posting your 'L's online", "telling on yourself", or "you could not have paid me to confess that".

Netflix is a corporation, and there is very little difference between a corporation and a nation. They seek profit to survive and grow stronger in a world filled with vicious rivals and would-be allies. Maintaining a strong, confident image keeps rivals from becoming too aggressive, and convinces would-be allies to continue investing support into what seems like a profitable venture.

Grabinski is a servant of Netflix, and will do his master's bidding for money.

Remember all the bullshit that Kevin Smith told the world about Revelations? Market strategy. Profit at any cost. Never admit when someone catches you with your pants down.

I'm not saying you should assume Grabinski's positive claims are lies. If a corporation tells me that grass is green and the sky is blue, I don't immediately assume everything I knew was a lie. That would be paranoid and self-defeating.

But what I will do is step outside to double-check, and see what the corporation may be lying about. The grass may currently be dead-brown, and the sky may currently be storm-green.

Grabinski admits that he asserted his vision in direct, knowing opposition that of the original creator, many times.

The same original creator who would have to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement with Netflix that would gag him from saying anything negative about a venture into which Netflix invests a lot of money. So we also have to remain skeptical of silence and a lack of counter-claims.

But although we have to take positive claims and silence with a grain of salt, we absolutely should believe someone when they confess something that they would have EVERY REASON to not make up or confess unless it was a genuine fear and embarrassment to them.

"There's a lot of ideas I did end up having that Bryan felt were wrong for Scott. Most of them end up in there…"

"At the end of the day, if I don't feel like I've gotten away with something or like I robbed a bank and I'm not getting arrested, then I kind of feel like I fucked up when I made something anyway."

"There was a very long time where I felt like someone was gonna knock on a door and say, ‘Actually, you guys shouldn't do this.'"

A guilty conscience, by itself, isn't absolute proof of guilt. A conscience can be burdened with unworthy premises.

But this man couldn't reorient his conscience despite working with Bryan on this project for THREE YEARS, while wanting us to believe that he has Bryan's full, uncoerced blessing. And Grabinski can't stop telling on himself.

So we must use those embarrassing confessions as a fork to winnow the chaff from the grain.

"Our rule was that nothing would go on the show that either of us didn't like..." which is a positive claim that directly contradicts the embarrassing confession that Grabinski directly defied the creator "many" times to include things that "felt wrong" for Scott Pilgrim.

"If there's something Bryan didn't think was funny, it didn't go in there." But he'd already confessed to including things Bryan didn't agree with, and everyone can find something funny on its own merits without agreeing that it should be funny or that it belongs in some particular piece of art.

The Test of Love

How do you know someone truly loves something? That they seek to serve it, and not merely to use it?

Jesus of Nazareth had some things to say about love.

When asked what God's most important command was, he didn't just answer that the most important command was to love God. Because anyone could claim they loved God and that everything they did was in service to God. Madmen and monsters have done terrible things 'in God's name'.

So Jesus also told the people what the second-most important command was, because obeying this second command is how you know whether someone truly loves God.

"Love your neighbor as yourself." Because when you hurt God's other children, you are hating God.

What Am I On About?

Netflix does not love Scott Pilgrim if it disrespects Scott Pilgrim fans.

Netflix does not respect Scott Pilgrim fans when it uses False Advertising to avoid the possibility that some of them wouldn't have watched Ramona Flowers Takes Over.

Netflix does not love the fans when it is counting on hurt feelings to drive internet backlash, and for backlash to give it free marketing through Tumblr controversy.

Netflix DOES NOT LOVE. It produces and consumes. It is a corporation, designed to profit and survive.

A corporation will only sell worthwhile products as long as it fears you won't otherwise buy its products. But if you buy its products after it has blatantly lied to you, the corporation loses some of its fear.

It will lie to you again. It will try bigger and nastier lies. Because it does not love you, and you stopped making it fear you.

Netflix already did this with Masters of the Universe: Revelations.

Square-Enix did this with the Final Fantasy 7: Remake.

The corporations are all watching eagerly to see how successful this strategy is. Because none of them love you, and they are always hungry.

A final word: "Even THOSE fans? But I hate those fans!"

I don't think someone who focuses on how Scott Pilgrim is a 'bad person' is superior in any way to someone who denies Scott Pilgrim is a 'bad person'.

I think both sorts of people are myopically using Scott Pilgrim as a way to deny that they are ALSO 'bad people'.

And this meme also applies to what even the other characters of the story conclude about both Scott and Ramona!

"You two deserve each other -- not in the sense that no one else is good enough for either of you, but in that both of you should be quarantined together."

Ramona doesn't deserve a free pass denied to Scott.

If Ramona Flowers can be a good character because she's a 'bad person' who selfishly hurt a lot of people and who has to go through an entire story where she confronts her flaws, makes peace with her past, and tries to improve as a person...

Then Scott Pilgrim was not a crime against humanity for getting VS The World to tell the same sort of story.

Guess what! We're ALL 'bad people' who have selfish desires, who don't fully understand other people or what we're doing to them, and who have to learn how to be better people!

You don't get to point at a main character with real, ugly, human flaws and say "I'm better than him, so he shouldn't exist!"

You don't get to ignore a main character's flaws and say, "He's perfect the way he is and so I have every right to act exactly like him without any criticism!"

Because when you deny you're another 'bad person' like the rest of us, you not only refuse to improve, you become an even WORSE person.

#scott pilgrim #scott pilgrim takes off #sunder says

[themarydragon]

So my friend sent me this link to a youtube video about why the TotK lore isn't interesting. I couldn't get through it without a ten-screen discord rant (on my PC monitor, not my phone) so I thought I would put some thoughts here.

I don't delve too deep into TotK story but there are def some spoilery statements below, consume at your own risk.

The initial assumptions here seem to be that (1) BotW was more respectful of "The Lore" than TotK, and that (2) TotK made some unforgiveable sins that BotW absolutely avoided.

Both of these are completely false. And I am NOT saying that neither BotW nor TotK shat upon accepted lore. They did. There is no recovering the Hyrule Historia timeline, objectively. Instead I contend that the truth is the precise opposite: Nintendo has NEVER actually cared to try to make LoZ games have ANY amount of continuity.

Take the slide at the 5 minute mark of the video linked, above, in which we see the Master Sword was created specifically to be used against Ganon, and then the 7 sages set out to find somebody valiant enough to wield it (this is from the user manual of A Link to the Past, from the SNES, which also was about The Imprisoning War). Which, if you're playing the home game, you know got ret'conned TWELVE YEARS AGO by Skyward Sword. He's using the slide to explain why it was ridiculous that Ganondorf was able to shatter the Master Sword in the prologue to TotK, which tells me they didn't pay much attention to the mechanic in BotW in which the Master Sword "runs out of power" if you use it too much. If Ganon is an aspect of Demise (again from Skyward Sword, far more recent lore than the slide being used in the vid) then the secret stone he's wielding is amplifying DEMISE (WAY stronger than just some dude), which is why he's able to shatter the blade - but still isn't enough to destroy the sword. His entire complaint about the Sword being broken suggests to me he either didn't play Skyward Sword or has forgotten it existed, and has DEFINITELY forgotten the 'weapons breaking' mechanic started in BotW.

He makes another complaint later about there not being an explanation for the disappearance of the Divine Beasts. Which, sure. I wondered what happened, and figured the 5ish years since then made it old news nobody was talking about it anymore. I get why that might have been a breaking point for somebody else. But it's not just a TotK problem; BotW didn't address it, either. We see the Divine Beasts being dug up by the Sheikah in Rhoam's flashback - how did they get buried? The towers shoot out of the ground, how did THEY get buried, after the last calamity? Who put the guardians underground? How? HOW, if nobody is allowed into the tunnels under Hyrule Castle? It didn't get explained for BotW, so why is that an unforgivable sin in TotK? They give more than a passing suggestion that Purah has repurposed the guardians - just LOOK at the Skyview Towers. The jumpscare for BotW players when you get grabbed in the Lookout Landing tower TELLS YOU where the guardians went.

There is a significant section in which video creator is quoting an interview I haven't seen (and don't give two shits about), and I think it needs to be said: what is in the game is canon. What is in the interviews from other people is, by definition, not game canon. If it was meant to be game canon it would be in the game. Neil Gaiman talks about this when people ask him for clarification of his stories, go check his FAQ if you want a really good delineation of canon from somebody with way more clout than me.

So let's just look at the lore he's defending from BotW. The map is wrong. Straight up wrong, from all the earlier Zelda games. Nintendo cannot decide where the Lost Woods should be, much less Spectacle Rock. The Temple of Time, which again is mentioned early on as a clear homage to the lore, is in the wrong damn spot. If this is the new Hyrule formed post-WindWaker (as indicated by the existance of Rito), the Temple of Time should have been destroyed. And why do the Rito and the Zora both exist? According to WindWaker, the Rito evolved from the Zora, who couldn't live in the salt of the sea. Which is a pretty big jump from the original game that had Zora in the ocean, and the two games following THAT in which they were straight-up monsters. I don't want to get into ALL the ways BotW breaks from the established lore, but there's a LOT. They don't mention the fucking Triforce ONCE, ffs, that's sort of a big damn deal.

I get there was a canon timeline published in Hyrule Historia. I bought that book for that exact reason. And, as someone who has loved this franchise since I got that first golden cartridge in 1987, I looked at that timeline once, laughed at it, and moved on with my life. BotW de-canonized that timeline already, in a LOT of ways.

So saying that TotK is evidence that Nintendo no longer cares about continuity or lore, and by NOT villifying BotW (or TP or SS) for the exact same problem is disingenuous at best. Saying that TotK is just nostalgia-baiting is ignoring the BotW map (Lake Saria, anyone? Ranch Ruins, anyone?) in general, as well as all the game-specific loot that had NO other reason to be there but straight-up nostalgia. The only reason for Zelda to mention the other heroes in the blessing we hear in the first memory is to (1) destroy the established timeline (skyward bound, adrift in time, or something about twilight, all in a world where Rito exist), or (2) prey on our nostalgia. TotK isn't any worse for putting the WW shirt and the Awakening armor into the game, in terms of wrecking the timeline or trying to feast on our nostalgia.

I'm not going to try to hypothesize what this person (or all his commenters) didn't like about the game, or why they're so willing to overlook all these problems in BotW to villify TotK. And everybody is welcome to like to dislike a game for whatever reason they want, IDGAF, you do you. What I AM saying is that for someone who's upset about the lore, he really doesn't seem to actually be aware of how inconsistent it's ALWAYS been. If TotK is the game that taught you that Nintendo isn't trying to follow their own lore, then I don't think you have been paying attention to the lore for a good long time.

tl;dr this is still my favorite series and if you hate that it breaks its own continuity then you've been asleep for the last 12 years of lore drops my good dude.

#loz #loz lore discussion #loz lore #botw spoilers #totk spoilers #botw #totk #totk directly contradicts skyward sword #and its fine #because SS directly contradicted all the original games #there has never been continuity #never #the total lack of continuity is one of the reasons I love it so much

[versadies]

「 BE WITH YOU ! 」

SALUTATIONS. BE WITH YOU!

ADDRESSED. tartaglia, kaeya alberich, scaramouche, and thoma (w/ gn!reader)

STAMPS/SYPNOSIS. 4 characters, 4 different drabbles, 4 (almost failed) attempts of fluffiness <33

CONTENT. fluff/no-angst, spoilers to scaramouche’s real name, ooc characters, mentions of being sick (kaeya), mentions of violence/fighting (childe), second hand embarrassment (scaramouche), slight crack (scaramouche), harbinger!reader, novelist!reader, adventurer!reader

PENPALS. @scaraslover @saving-for-xiao @dawgimsohot @kazu-topia @chiruru @aqualesha @renamichii @mrkamisato @shenhesl0ver @serami00 @serenareiss @hiqhkey @emperatris-rinaka @bystander36 @irisxiel @ladycoleigh @034ven @dear-dairiess @owozi8 @hadesaedes @chiro-chiro-kun @hersscherofyatta @mariusvonhangme @yuzuricebun @nejibot @hoshikistarlette @solaaresque @crowbird @lordbugs @flowersforayato @headintheclouddd @estelwrld @giyusimpsassemble @irethepotatosblog @moonlightaangel @alice0blog @shotosbrainrot @sniffoat @chihawari @mxsomn @kuni-kuzushii @jiminscarmex @mitsukii14 @ylimeprive @sachispet @loreleis-world @sn-owo @starforecasts @someonetookmynamelmao @ceylestia @lychme @ymikkos @reallysporadicarcade @melodyyamino

POST-SCRIPT. came back from buying milk just to write this b4 today ends (def did not deadass crammed this 🤡🤡🤡) anywayz hope you enjoy <333 !!! this fic is for @bluexiao & @anantaru ’s sweet 'n spice collab :DDDD

LINKS. SOMETHING SWEET MASTERLIST | MAIN MASTERLIST | TAGLIST

Sometimes, you often wonder what goes on inside CHILDE’s head.

Most days — if not everyday — without fail, the 11th Harbinger would often come to you and bother you for the sake of having a duel with him by the training grounds, something that you always weren’t in a mood for.

Sure, it’s established that you’re much stronger than him — but so are most of his seniors. It didn’t make sense for him to bug you of all people to fight him besides the fact that you’re the same age as him.

“Care to have a fight with me?” The harbinger asks for the nth time as he follows you around Zapolyarny Palace much to your dismay.

“No.”

“Aw come on! It’ll be great, don’t you want to let out some steam? I could destroy the world for you to fight me ag—”

“No. Don’t you have some work to do, Tartaglia?” You said, walking towards your office. “Go ask someone else to fight. I’m not in the mood for your silly antics.”

“But I want you!”

You stop your tracks and turn towards his direction with a raised eyebrow, causing him to realize his words and stop his tracks as well.

“…Wait, I didn’t mean it like that.”

You would’ve believed it, if it weren’t for the fact that he’s covering half of his face that’s obviously red.

Huh, cute.

You try to stop yourself from grinning at the sight of the now flustered harbinger.

“My my, I didn’t know the 11th Harbinger would see me that way. If you want me so bad, you’ll have to do a lot more than just ask me out to fight.” You teased, not meaning any of those words. You just want to see him getting more flustered, nothing more, nothing less (at least that’s what you want to believe).

Unnoticed by you, Childe’s eyes widen a little. He did get flustered, but your words left more than just embarrassment for your comrade.

It left him a signal. A sign that he can shoot his shot with you!

You watched the ginger-haired man, who now has a new idea and determination, run away from you. You thought he left out of embarrassment like you hoped, but a part of you thought otherwise.

You shrug to yourself before continuing walking towards your office. Oh well, we’ll just have to see next time when he decides to bother me again. You thought, unaware that you just made things escalate more and gave Childe a reason to start asking you to go on dates with him instead of fights.

Today’s a lovely day.

Not only are you free to do what you want after finishing your tasks, but you also have all the time in the world to relax without a certain Cavalry Captain bothering you for reasons unknown.

“( Name ), care to deliver this to KAEYA Alberich’s home?”

Or so you thought.

You slowly look at Sara with a “really?” look on your face, looking at the packed meal your colleague dropped by the counter. “Care to ask why you want me to do that?” You asked.

Sara giggles in response. “Well for starters, you’re one of the only adventurers that’s available at the moment and have nothing to do.” She said as she started cooking up another meal. “Besides, this one’s sort of important. It turns out that Kaeya got sick, so he needs some soup for him to eat.”

You raise an eyebrow. You didn’t hear anything about Kaeya getting sick… Is that why he hasn’t come around Good Hunter for the past few days?

Sara notices the look on your face, giving you a teasing look. “What? Concerned for him?”

You feel your cheeks warming up, grabbing the packed meal instantly. “Of course not. I’ll be back soon.”

Or so you thought once again.

It took a while to look for the cavalry captain’s home, but you could’ve gone back instantly once Kaeya opened the door and grabbed his meal, if it weren’t for him dragging you inside for you to suddenly become his caretaker.

“I’m starting to think you only ordered the soup because you wanted me here.” You commented with a raised eyebrow as you blew the soup gently before moving the spoon towards his mouth.

“Is that what you think? I wouldn’t mind that enticing thought.” He retorts with a small smirk before opening his mouth to eat the soup.

“You can eat the soup yourself, Alberich.” You rolled your eyes,

He swallows his food. “How can I do that when I’m terribly sick?” Kaeya asks with a chuckle.

You rolled your eyes once again before feeding him. “Because you can, you’ve done it for the past few days, haven't you? You only used this opportunity to make me spoon feed you.”

“If that’s what you want to believe, ( Name ).”

Yet despite knowing the fact that Kaeya is capable of taking care of himself (after catching him opening a bottle of wine while standing up), you found yourself sticking with him the whole day, helping him in every way you can (not without you two replying to each other’s comments every now and then).

As much as you didn’t want to admit, you missed talking to the cavalry captain after not seeing him for a while. It’s no lie that you always find yourself spending time with him despite always claiming he’s just trying to find a way to tease you whenever he gets the opportunity to.

Perhaps that’s why you’ve been unknowingly smiling the whole day, something that Kaeya noticed very well.

By the time night comes, it is time for you to come home.

“I have to go now.” You said, packing your things up. “You’ll… be alright here alone, right?”

“Why? Are you worried?” Kaeya comments teasingly.

You chuckled in response. “In your dreams. I’ll come back tomorrow morning with breakfast.”

“Oh what would I do without the ever so caring ( Name )?”

“Crash and burn, maybe.” You then bid Kaeya goodbye before walking out from his room.

If only you knew it’s the world he’d crush and burn had it not been for you.

I could destroy the world for you.

It’s no lie among those in Inazuma that THOMA has a huge crush on you, an infamous novelist.

People could see how the way he looks at you is reserved for you. Whenever you’re in the same room or area as him, he can’t stop looking at you even if he doesn't want to. He’d sometimes suddenly just smiles when you come to his thoughts out of nowhere, feel like he’s on the verge to faint from even just talking to you—

Ah, he’s so helplessly in love!

Every week, he’d come to where you are and help you with whatever you need, be it shopping out with you, cleaning your place, taking care of your plants, accompanying you on your daily strolls around the city, and so on. It’s honestly one of the only ways he gets to spend time with you and hopefully get to know you more.

The thing is, you really thought he was just doing this because he’s a fan of your work and because of how he always helps people out, so you never considered that he’s doing this because he has a thing for you. He probably sees you as a weirdo for your exaggerated words.

A shame really, you have a thing for him.

It wasn’t until he confessed when you realized how wrong you were about him.

The two of you arrive at your home after having dinner together at Komore's Teahouse when Thoma suddenly confesses out loud.

“What?” You ask in disbelief, eyes widened in surprise.

Thoma shyly looks away from your gaze, laughing nervously. “I have… feelings for you, ( Name ). I want to be more than just friends, but if that’s not what you want then—”

“Why wouldn’t I want that?”

The blonde-haired man looks at you in surprise. “What?”

You start to grin, cheeks warming up. “I have feelings for you too, you silly man.”

Thoma’s eyes brighten. “Re-Really?”

You laugh at his reactions. “Yes. I love you just like one of my characters loves their love interest in the story, I could destroy the world for you!”

He laughs at your exaggeration. “Oh I wouldn’t want you to do that.”

“Take me out on another date next week, then maybe I won’t destroy the world.” You said teasingly.

He nods eagerly. “How does 15:00 on Wednesday sound? My treat of course!”

As SCARAMOUCHE’s lover, you are not exempted from his harsh demeanor.

Of course, his treatment towards you isn’t as harsh as how he treats others, and you really didn’t mind since his “harsh” words don't affect you. Besides, should there be a situation where he’d cross the line, he’d apologize through physical affection and a sweet quiet apology.

You really didn’t mind, because there are many things as to why you love your lover so much and many things for him to show you that he cares.

He just came back to your shared home when he noticed how you didn’t greet him, much to his confusion. He looked everywhere the house and found you by the bedroom, wiping your eyes as if there are te—

Are you crying?

“Why is this happening to me?” You asked quietly as you tried your best to wipe your tears away, your back facing him.

Scaramouche didn’t know what to do, wondering what on Earth is making you so sad. Is it because of something he said before he left? Is it because of your insecurities? Or… Is it because someone hurt you?

He doesn’t really know what’s wrong, humans are so complicated with their emotions and feelings.

But.. He wants to be here for you.

He slowly walks towards you hesitantly before giving you a hug from behind, causing you to gasp in surprise.

“Kunikuzushi? What…?”

“I’m here for you.” He said quietly, trying to not feel embarrassed. “I don’t know why you’re crying but if it’s because of something I said, I’m sorry. I… I didn’t know you got affected by it, I’ll try harder on not hurting your feelings anymore. But if it’s because of someone, you know I could destroy the world for you, rig—”

“What are you talking about?” You asked, turning around to face your lover. “I’m crying because I was yawning a lot.”

…

Oh.

Scaramouche feels like a part of his soul passed away when he heard your reason.

“…So you’re not sad?”

You furrow your eyebrows. “No…?”

He immediately turns away from your direction. “I’m gonna go out again.”

#bloru.sweetnspice #— ( writing collab 😍 ) #genshin impact fanfiction #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin x gn reader #genshin impact x gn reader #genshin x gender neutral reader #genshin impact x gender neutral reader #kaeya x reader #genshin kaeya x reader #kaeya alberich x reader #kaeya x gn reader #kaeya alberich x gn reader #scaramouche x reader #scaramouche x gn reader #thoma x reader #thoma x gn reader #genshin fluff #childe x reader #childe x gn reader #tartaglia x reader #tartaglia x gn reader #genshin x reader fluff #genshin scenarios #genshin drabbles #genshin impact fluff

[dimonds456]

ATTENTION MINORS

I know you guys have been seeing the posts going around about Earn-It and KOSA and things of the like, and talking about how bad those things are. And you're right, they're really, really bad. But, you're not old enough to help participate in helping out, right, since you're a minor? 

WRONG.

Minors out there who are concerned about these issues: YOU CAN HELP US. KOSA and CSAM specifically are acts to create widespread censorship and invasion of privacy to "protect kids," so if anything, your younger voices are stronger than ours! 

I've compiled some resources for you guys to help out. Note that if you sound old enough, you do not have to disclose your age if you don't want to. The point is that there is a public outcry, not that you're under 18.

If you don't know what the bills are or what they do, here's a Doc that explains all that with links to different reading material where you can learn all about it there (note: as of posting this, the Restrict Act is not currently updated. Check back in the future for updates to the doc). 

The two we really need to worry about right now are KOSA and CSAM. 

KOSA is a bill being passed that would effectively let the government censor anything they want online, which can and will include minority voices, LGBTQ content, and anything they deem "unsafe" for kids (such as the suicide hotline).  

CSAM is another law that preaches about protecting kids, but would actually be used to spy on everyone. It's a trojan horse. 

There are a couple more, which are all covered more in-depth here on this site (scroll down):

Here's a few more resources for you guys, and then I'll get into how you guys can help!

KOSA

CSAM

EARN-It

(Light flash warning for this one, just in case)

RESTRICT Act

Alright, with all the reading out of the way, let's get into what to do.

How YOU can help!

Minors: you are not helpless. You are not powerless. The point is that there is a public outcry, and the fact that you are so young could be an advantage to stopping bills like KOSA and CSAM. 

If your voice can pass as an adult's, YOU CAN CALL. If you don't think your voice can pass, YOU CAN EMAIL, TEXT, SIGN PETITIONS, and honestly, you MAY STILL be able to call. 

Here's how calling works. It's gonna be scary the first time around, I know, but you've got this.

First: find out who your representatives are. This website right here makes that very easy. Go to the dropdown for your state and find it, and your two reps should automatically pop up.

Next, see if they're a Republican or a Democrat. This should be in parenthesis next to their names. Here's Michigan's and Mississippi's reps as examples of what that looks like:

How you phrase your words will differ depending on the party they're in, this is important.

Next, you'll see under their names an address, phone number, and some bibliography. (I kept using the Michigan ones cuz I was already on their page, so if you're from Michigan, here's the numbers right here.)

Let's get ready to call now.

Now, when I say "call," I don't mean exclusively by phone. You can also fax them or email them. 

Here's a website you can use to fax them.

To find their email address, google it. [Name] email, and if they've got one, it should pop up there. 

Now, the hard part: actually calling.

Before we go any further, reminder that these people are just that: people. They're not idols, they're not gods, they're not worth any more than you are. Dehumanize them as much as you need to in your head. They're not scary, they're human. 

Now, for each bill, you can either make it all separate or keep all your words in one email, as it were. How you want to do this is up to you. But, if you're feeling lost for words, there are also scripts you can use as a base. 

Here's an email to a Democrat about KOSA, for example:

And this one has emails for both sides:

The long and short of it goes like this:

Your name and something about you (I'm a retail worker) (I'm a minor) (I go to [name] school)

Explain why you're calling (I urge you to stop [bill])

Explain why the issue matters to YOU. (I am a minor, and pushing this law would do irreparable damage, not help us. Here's a bit of why.)

Ask the representative you're calling to help 

Thank them for listening. 

Keep it courteous- they'll be more likely to listen to you if you're calm and collected. I know emotions are high right now, and it's okay to let desperation in, but don't yell or scream at them, you'll only drive them away from trying to stop anything. 

More than likely, you won't be speaking to that rep directly, but the message should still be clear and reach them. 

If you're faxing or emailing, there's more room to go off about issues in more depth, since there isn't someone on the other end of the line. You can say as much as you'd like, but still try to keep it polite. 

You guys are powerful, and your young voices can add to this fight. You do not have to be an adult to call something unjust. Stand with us. Together, your voices will make us stronger.

#Youtube #stop earn it #stop kosa #stop csam #stop restrict act #fuck online censors #fuck online censorship #important #psa #important psa

[wantonlywindswept]

@lucdarling replied to your post “so all of the fic where the GAR and Coruscant...”:

pls give me your fic recs, friend. this sounds very relevant to my interests.

​oh heckie yes i got u boo @lucdarling

Fics Being Mean to the Coruscant Guard:

Two Strikes / Crowning Glory A variety of steps Cody takes to ensure the Guard doesn't get abused as horribly -- Fox and his men might not be on the front lines, but they're still Vod'e -- and their consequences.

linking to the first fic in the series, the story starts out mostly with Cody being a slut (affectionate) but then goes on to get into the Tragedy of Darth Plageius the Coruscant Guard and Fixing It and tbh if you read nothing else read this series it is So Good. make sure to follow the links, things are slightly confusing and non-sequential if you don't

it also actually addresses post-trauma stuff too which is AMAZING, yes def read this but be sure to put some time aside for it the series is like 500k and you Will want to read it all in one sitting and then you might get yelled at by your wife for not sleeping for three days or that might just be me, 100/10

Galaxy-Saving Memes You can only access the page if you're GAR. The Coruscant Guard decides to infiltrate it because they are tired of being ignored, and honestly? Their memes are way better. Or, the Guard saves millions of lives through stupid internet posts.

second on the 'if nothing else read this' list, unless you dislike epistolary stories, in which case you can skip. but it is short and it is fucking HILARIOUS which you would think wouldn't be possible given the subject matter but no, it is great, 100/10

The Adoption Wars The only thing stronger than the dark side is Rex's ability to get adopted. Or: the one where Rex would really like everyone to know that he is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Oh, and Fox finally gets to kill a sith.

only somewhat about Being Mean to the Guard but by god it is cute and adorable but also makes you Feel Emotions, excellent story 10/10

Their Days Are Darker After the death of ARC Trooper Fives, an altercation at 79's leads Wolffe to spend his leave snooping around the Coruscant Guard. Fox assumes he'll drop it and leave the Corries to their fate; it's what everyone else has done. He is very, very wrong.

so this is heartbreaking in the whole 'doesn't understand that what is happening is wrong' kind of way and tbh Cody is a little bit more of a dick than i usually imagine him but it is still Quite Excellent 10/10

exploitation, hesitation The Coruscant Guard makes a mistake while working with the 212th Attack Battalion. Fox prepares to take the heat.

EXCELLENT writing with the whole 'pov character thinks one thing is happening while outside characters Definitely Do Not', fox is so self-sacrificing which is why and how we love him 10/10

learning solitude It's a gradual, insidious thing, Fox's absorption into the Chancellor's office. The Chancellor wants a clone commander of his own, so he gets one. All Fox gets is a position far away from his brothers, a lesson in how to work around natborns who detest his very existence, and a seemingly endless list of monotonous jobs to keep him occupied through all his waking hours and beyond. Fox misses Kamino.

less Guard more Fox, but man what a way to emotionally stab you in the face! lots of gaslighting and manipulation and it is part of a series but the series also gets Extremely Dark at the end before having a recovery/happy ending, so ymmv 10/10

Blood Iron Fox has seen many things seized during raids. Illegal weapons, Spice and other assorted of banned drugs, slaves, carnivorous beasts trained for the fighting rings, the list goes on. Nothing prepared him for finding beskar among the crates of contraband and bad life choices.

so much worldbuilding fuck yeah! semi-the mandalorian crossover, the Guards have it Real Fucking Rough but then they run into some traditional mandos with hearts of gold beskar, v excellent 10/10

i'm sure there are others! well i know there are others, but these are the ones i remember standing out/have read so far. all of these have happy endings, i wouldn't do that to you (and tbh don't really read stuff w/o happy endings myself)

go forth and read whump!

#lucdarling #fic recs #coruscant guard #commander fox #tcw

[lilflowerpot]

How much better is the galra sense of smell than humans? I remember you mentioned it once but as tumblr is a barely functioning site I can’t get to the links on mobile. I’m asking bc it would create a pretty funny/painfully awkward situation if Keith and Lotor were like returning from a quickie or something way in the future looking put together but the those in attendance are like… Sa save me from having to be here

It took me a hot minute to find, and frankly I don't blame you for being unable to locate it if you're on mobile, rip, but this is the only post (I think?) in which I've notably addressed the galra sense of smell!

While I do think of the galra having a heightened sense of smell in comparison to humans, it only really comes into play for stronger scents, such as that triggered by the fight or flight response; pheromones serve as an early warning sign to nearby galra that there is a potentially dangerous situation afoot, assisting them in locating the distressed individual as well as preemptively protecting those members of the group who may not be able to protect themselves. So while I suppose you could argue that this means the galra can “smell fear” as it were (though technically these pheromones would release due to arousal of any kind: be that horror, anxiety, surprise, excitement, or -yes- sexual stimulation), they cannot smell moods/emotions as a general rule of thumb.

So, yes, your funny/awkward situation of Keith & Lotor being betrayed by their own scents technically //could// happen lmao, but probably not if they actually had time to -ahem- calm down afterwards, and properly put themselves back together.

Though pheromones can linger for around 6-8 hours after being released, a great deal of this would be dispersed into the air—and given that the galra do have a somewhat decent sense of smell, they'd likely invest in ventilation of equal quality for enclosed areas—and therefore be too weak to really pick out the nuances of who exactly they belonged to. Those pheromones that were applied directly to skin, clothes, or various surfaces would, naturally, stick around that bit longer, but these would only really be detectable up close; it's less a case of Keith & Lotor walking into a room and all it's occupants immediately Knowing™, and more that of someone who leans over to pass something directly into their personal space that might get a hint of their scents being intermingled... though even that wouldn't be particularly surprising. The galra are, remember, an incredibly affectionate people (Zarkon's inner-circle notwithstanding) and given that Lotor so obviously values Keith's council and companionship, it would be far weirder if they //didn't// smell a little like one another.

Of course, this is all dependent on them having a respectable amount of time to compose themselves. If they failed in this regard—by which I mean if it was more an unexpected knock on the door that barely allows more than a dobash of hasty scrambling to look halfway put together—then all those pheromones from their canoodling would only be exacerbated by a healthy dose of adrenaline,,, and that wouldn't be subtle at all.

#not to mention Keith's a terrible liar so jot that down #the most likely victims of terrible timing would be the galra girl squad and probably kolivan rip #judgemental family vibes galore #also there's eyiintak to consider: given that it's the galra's fertile phoeb their hormone production (pheromones included) is UP- #-and greater quantity means stronger scent / longevity / likelihood of others noticing #Ao3 Little Blade #sa screams back #galra history & culture #((yes it is—it's a very scientific post about pheromones—shush)) #keith kogane #prince lotor #keitor

[khaire-traveler]

you get enough asks of people with similar questions and i told myself i wouldn’t add to the list, but i’m rly struggling rn.

i’ve been an active hellenistic polytheist for 3 years now, and an apollo worshiper for around 2.

yet, i haven’t really felt a connection to apollo for a year now. anytime i pray to him, it feels hollow.

i know that the advice people typically give is to move on, but i feel like then it’d be a waste. its quite terrible of me to say, but ive spent so much money and time setting up such a dedicated altar just for it to collect dust.

any ideas or advice? no worries if not. have a lovely day my friend :]

Hey, Max, thank you for the ask! I apologize for the delay.

So, I originally wrote a whole ass post that had paragraphs of information, suggestions, and advice, but Tumblr hates me and decided to just crash and not save literally any of it. 🙃 I'm hoping I can give you good information regardless of this setback. Also, please don't feel bad about asking questions; I honestly enjoy it, especially since some information can be hard to come by. All my information is merely advice and suggestions based on my own experience, but I hope it's helpful to you - and maybe even others - regardless.

The first thing I'll do is share some links that could be helpful for you. This one talks a bit about Deity Disconnect™ - something that I feel I can safely say has happened to every pagan and polytheist. Sometimes faith and spirituality come in waves, ebbing in and out as naturally as the ocean, but it doesn't always mean that a deity has left us. If you'd like to try reconnecting with Apollo through bonding activities and the like, this link and that link both lead to posts that mention some ways you can bond with a deity. Although I'm not sure if any of these will be helpful to you, I hope that they are. 🧡

I feel it's also important to mention that many devotees of Apollo find it difficult to connect with him during the winter. For me, I feel the feeling of disconnect begin as early as the middle of Fall and stay as late as the very beginning of Spring. Many attribute this to the myth of Apollo leaving for Hyperborea and leaving his seat in Delphi for Dionysus to temporarily take over. If you've been trying to reconnect during Winter, or even potentially Fall, the disconnect from Apollo may feel even stronger than usual because of this. I would wait to readdress this issue with him until Spring rolls around, personally, just in case this disconnect could be contributing to your problem at all.

Along with all that, I'm inclined to ask whether you've addressed this topic with him directly. Have you been able to communicate with Apollo directly about this and get his thoughts? In my experience, deities will typically let you know if they're stepping away, rather than yoinking away super suddenly and without a given cause (or at the very least, they are more than willing to provide a reason if you ask them); this tends to be especially true when it comes to deities you've been very close with in the past. If you haven't already, I'd highly encourage you to speak with Apollo in a format that allows him to provide a response to your questions, such as divination or meditation.

I do also have to say that sometimes deities leave but return later. It's entirely possible he is simply taking a break or stepping away temporarily. Maybe he feels you need to focus on other deities more at this time or he has simply taught all he can (or all that's relevant) at the moment. He could return full force later on in your life, be it a few days from now or a few years. This is something I'd ask him about specifically in order to clarify his intentions.

Ok, but what if he really is leaving and doing so in a more permanent fashion? Well, in that case, I encourage you to do whatever feels right for you. Take down his altar, or leave it up; it's entirely your choice. Even when deities leave our lives, they never truly leave, and most of the time, if we need a deity's help, we are still welcome to call upon their aid, even if they've "left". It's also possible that he is still ok with you worshipping or venerating him, even if he does choose to step away. There are some deities that I mostly just venerate but don't do much else past that, and that's perfectly ok. Sometimes it just feels nice to acknowledge a deity and show them appreciation, even if you're not particularly close to them. These are all things you need to have a direct conversation with Apollo about, however, as I cannot speak for him or what he is comfortable with.

Although it can feel like a waste of time, energy, and hell even money, please do remember that it is never truly a waste if your relationship to Apollo meant something - and still means something - to you. You put genuine time, love, and care into the altar you created, and regardless of what happens going forward, I'm sure he still appreciates that. It's important to know that when a deity feels the need to step away, it's not because they stop caring for you or the time you've spent together; they simply feel it's in your best interest for them to be more distant for the time being, but regardless, they are still there. They are still present in the world and life around you. Apollo can still be felt in the warmth of the sun on your skin and the rush of excitement you feel when the beat of music reverberates in your chest. He is still near, even if he feels far. He is still there, even if he feels absent. These are not things you're required to focus on or even acknowledge, however, if it makes you uncomfortable or you'd rather terminate your relationship with Apollo. I just figure it may be comforting to hear.

If the following doesn't apply to you at all or you simply disagree with my perspective, please feel free to completely disregard all this; it's heavily based on my own personal experience and beliefs. Do you work with Apollo or worship him? I know it sounds rather silly and somewhat ridiculous to ask, but I have personally noticed a significant change in my deity relationships when I focused more on worship than work. I have noticed that, a lot of times, deity work can end in that deity eventually departing because the things you're working on can eventually be resolved or improved enough that you no longer need them. To me, personally, deity worship often has a more permanent meaning, although that obviously doesn't ring true for everyone. If you were doing deity work with Apollo, it's entirely possible that he feels he's helped you the best he can with whatever you originally reached out about and has decided that you no longer need his assistance or guidance. If that's the case (which it obviously could not be), then you can absolutely ask him if he's comfortable switching your relationship to something that is more long-term worship based rather than short-term "please assist me with this specific thing" based. And since I'm sure someone will mention it, I do want to acknowledge that there is nuance in every type of deity relationship, and you can absolutely have a long-term "deity work" based relationship and a short-term "deity worship" based relationship. There are exceptions to everything, and everything contains nuance and complexity. I don't want to discount either of those things; this is just me sharing something based on my personal understanding, and no one has to take me at face-value.

Anyway, I hope I was able to answer your question and give you some suggestions or advice that helps. Regardless, I hope you're able to figure this situation out and that Apollo can address you more directly about it. I wish you the best on your spiritual journey. Take care, and have a good day/night. 🧡

#asks #answered asks #deity worship #apollo deity #apollon deity

[mandos-mind-trick]

The Thing About Soulmates...

Okay, so I've been wanting to make a post like this for a while, I just haven't gotten around to doing it until now. I considered kind of dropping bits and pieces of stuff like this into the fics themselves, but then I decided I really wanted to make them all about the clones and that this kind of stuff might take away from that a little bit. I also wanted to leave things a little bit intentionally vague because I feel like it sort of adds to the more common understanding of soulmates in the galaxy and how little is really understood, at least from the common being's perspective.

So I'm making a sort of master post explaining a little bit deeper in detail about soulmates and clones and the Republic and how they all kind of work. That, and I know not everyone is going to want to read the entire series so sprinkling bits in every fic wouldn't really work if someone prefers not to read one, they might miss it. So here's what's gonna be a really long post about how soulmates work in my AU.

So, I've touched a bit in the fics about this thing called Fate. Most of the readers call the thing that designates soulmates and their links "Fate." It's a sort of invisible force that is sort of omniscient and a bit omnipotent. In the Wollfe Soulmate AU, the idea of Fate gets addressed a little deeper, simply because the reader's culture heavily believes in Fate being this all knowing, guiding force and things will just happen because they're fated to. There's also probably some species and cultures that even view Fate as being a sort of deity almost.

In reality, though, "Fate" and the Force are the same thing. The Jedi understand that it's the Force that's creating these connections and driving people to each other. Every being in the galaxy is made up of midi-chlorians, but some have more than others which is what allows them to be sensitive to the Force, blah blah blah we all know that much.

It's a bit simplified to say that it's the midi-chlorians making the bonds between people. They do play a role, at least in forming the physical side of the bonds. Marks, dreams, all the ways soulmate links can present themselves, the midi-chlorians have a hand in, and the physical feelings one experiences when touching their soulmate is brought on by the midi-chlorians reacting and interacting with each other.

But it's ultimately the Force that's behind the matching, the influencing of actions that lead soulmates to each other. How exactly the links work, how they're able to influence such strong emotions and feelings is still relatively vague because that's just something that can't really be put in words. It just is.

Allowing the soulmate bond ultimately makes the two stronger. Two Force-wielders who are mated together, if they allow the bond to form, would be able to utilize the Force better and ultimately be stronger in the Force by allowing the Force to flow through their bond.

That's partially why the Jedi enforce rejection.

I like to think many many many thousands of years ago, the Jedi did allow soulmate bonds, as it did allow for them to be stronger in the Force, but it came with the downside of weakness with one's emotions. Since soulmates invoke such strong emotions, trying to remain balanced in the Force can become harder. That's why so many fell to the Dark Side and there were so many Sith. The Jedi had to decide that, while rejecting your soulmate made you weaker in the Force, and also caused some pretty agonizing physical symptoms, it kept the temptation of the Dark Side at bay.

So the Jedi, for thousands and thousands of years, had to reject their soulmates once they inevitably met. This practice continued into the time of the Clone Wars, though, as we'll see shortly, not all Jedi necessarily agreed.

The decision on the Kaminoans part to make the clones reject their soulmates was easy, since they were tasked with creating perfect, loyal soldiers. It was unknown early on whether the clones would even have their own soulmate links, seeing as they are clones, but it became very prevalent early on that they do, in fact, all have unique, individual soulmate links. That stems from the Jedi being able to tell all of the clones individually in the Force, proving that though they may be genetically the same, they're still all individuals.

The Republic was quick to agree to the same rule that clones should not be allowed to form bonds with their soulmates, and the Jedi were expected to uphold that rule if they discovered a clone had in fact found their soulmate. They needed numbers in their army, and having clones desert for their soulmate was not a good look, nor was it beneficial to the army trying to win these big, impossible battles.

While the Kaminoans were strict in enforcing the rule that all clones must reject their soulmates upon meeting, the Jedi were not. Though Jedi can sense the connection between two beings since it is based in the Force, many of them simply refused to, or were so busy they didn't have the time to. After all, it would be exhausting walking through thousands of clones, trying to sense a soulmate bond in just one.

And, most of the Jedi, unlike the Republic, viewed the clones as being individuals. Stripping yet another piece of their humanity away felt cruel. Not to mention, most clones didn't have the time to go through the process of rejection. Though the initial pain of the link being broken would fade eventually, the lingering pain and emotions was something that could last a lifetime. How can one be an effective soldier when they're still mourning the loss of half of their soul?

This led to many of the Jedi Generals choosing to ignore if they happened to feel a bond formed in a clone. Some upheld the rule, some even enjoyed enforcing it (*cough cough* Krell) but most just chose not to pay that much attention to the private lives of the troopers.

Obi-Wan is proof of that, in the Cody fic, he's the one who figures out reader is Cody's soulmate. Though he chose to uphold the Jedi Code and reject his soulmate (*ahem* Satine) since it would be far too complex for both of them to even try to keep it, he never forgot his feelings or what could have been. So of course, he's going to look the other way, despite being the one to figure out Cody had just met his soulmate.

Anakin also does not care to uphold the rule. He literally is secretly married to his soulmate so like...he's not gonna force his men to uphold something he didn't. I actually had a part written for the Rex fic where Anakin discovers them and of course reader freaks out but Anakin's just like "I trust Rex to keep my secret, so I'll keep his," but I decided to omit it cause that's kind of easy to figure out if Anakin ever did find out, he'd obviously keep their secret. Same with the others in his Battalion.

Aayla and Bly are literally married so that speaks for itself.

This is going to come up briefly in the Wolffe fic (which at the time of this being written has not been posted yet) but Plo Koon definitely has a "don't ask, don't tell" policy about his boys. He obviously cares deeply about the clones under his command and he's definitely not going to enforce that rule and force them through that, when really they don't need to. Obviously the war's gonna end eventually, and the clones deserve something to look forward to after. Even if he does figure it out, he's not gonna report anything. Let his boys be happy.

I chose to omit a lot of this simply because I wanted to focus on the clones and how just the general public in the galaxy understands soulmates. Obviously the Force is mostly unknown or mysterious to the general public so they're not going to have the understanding the Jedi do. I did want to kind of give a deeper dive into it for those interested and kind of explain that the clones and most of their Generals don't uphold the rule about rejection when it comes to them.

The original fic that actually started this whole series (that is also unfinished at the time of writing and posting this) takes a deeper look into soulmates and how they work from the Jedi's perspective. It touches more on how Force-sensitivity affects soulmates and vice versa, how soulmate links affect the Force and Force-sensitivity. It goes a lot more in depth into things like this versus just the more surface understanding the clones and most of the galaxy has about soulmates. I do plan on finishing it and posting it once I get the clone series done. I intended to post it first, but then it grew into more than just a simple one-shot and I got clone brainrot so I'm doing things a little backwards.

Anyway, I thought I'd post this just cause it would be fun and some people might be interested in getting a deeper look into things and how they work beyond just the explanations in the fics.

So I hope you enjoyed this nerd brain dump as much as I loved writing it.

#i'll be getting the wolffe fic out soon i promise #star wars fic #clone soulmate au #a bit of an info dump #my imagination astounds me sometimes

[hologramcowboy]

Hi HC. I just read your lovely answer to the anon asking what question you would ask Jensen. I was struck by this part: “Which is why I am a strong believer in getting into a charismatic state by focusing on the appreciation you feel because, like I wrote above, people can sense it strongly and it will draw those who resonate right to you.” This lead to a non-Jensen related question. I’ve been doing a lot of work on myself lately, addressing my issues, leveling up internally, etc. and your comment really resonated with me. Would you elaborate on it? Do you use self talk to reach that state or meditation? I’m sure it gets easier as you do it, but as a beginner, I’d love to hear your input. Thanks for sharing!

What a beautiful, beautiful question. Thank you for sharing a bit about your journey, sounds like you are leveling up and I'm loving it. I am humbled by your ask and will try to share some of what has worked for me. For those who want context for this ask, here's a link to the post the Anon is referring to. When it comes to Appreciation, it's one of the fastest and most powerful ways to step into a charismatic state, the way you practice it is highly personal but, like you noted, the more you practice it the more those neural pathways become stronger and the easier it will be to access that state. I use lists, meditation, visualization, even musical playlists. If I know I’m about to meet someone that is highly important to me I always take the time to tune in to the energy of them and all the things I adore about them. This may sound woo woo but it’s actually extremely practical because by reminding myself why I appreciate this person, why I value them I also tune in to what I want to express, what experiences would fit us and other aspects that bring about inspiration and allow me to speak from the heart. If let's say you meet someone by surprise you can still totally do this quickly in your mind, focus and tune in to how you feel about them and let those emotions emerge. Self Belief - I've written before about how self image is key. To have a charismatic presence one has to be in harmony with themselves and believe they are worthy of whatever it is they are going for. If you can't view yourself positively then try viewing yourself through a person that loves you's eyes. Imagine what they would say about you and step into that. Imagination - Your inner talk about someone is later revealed by tensions in your body language around them so ensure you practice your inner self talk towards them in constructive ways. Goes without saying but inner self talk towards your self also needs to be healthy and empowering, especially if you want to be charismatic. Presence - I would say the biggest thing is presence, because when you engage people while fully present they will feel like the only person in the world in those moments. To be present you need to release worries, fears, monkey mind and ground yourself in your current experience to be able to listen charismatically to the person speaking. This means priming your mind for the upcoming interaction by taking a moment to use any exercise that helps you become present. Because any stress you feel will be revealed in your body language and you will send out the wrong message, if you are not careful. Depending on what works for you, that might mean doing a grounding exercises, taking a few deep breaths, meditating, maybe grooming a special way if the occasion requires it, whatever helps you step into a relaxed, resourceful state, a Peak State. Vulnerability - It's so powerful. Share a few things about yourself that allow others to connect to you. Compliments - Express something you genuinely love about someone because it allows you to connect to them and most importantly, learn how to take compliments instead of dismissing them. Denying or minimizing the person's compliment towards you is like refusing a gift. When you do compliment, always clearly explain why you love what you love about them. Warmth – People decide if they trust you in the first milliseconds they meet you. Which is why your micro-expressions and body language are highly important, that’s a more scientific way of saying your energy speaks for you when you walk into a room so approach people with warmth and good intentions. Important note: I do mean genuine warmth, never force yourself because people will always feel the dissonance. The way you approach someone is key, people sense ulterior motives so make sure you are coming from a pure place.

Focus - It's very important to know who you are, what you want and how you feel about things because it allows you to tap into key emotions and communicate effectively. Especially in high stakes situations. So define your objectives clearly. „If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” Yes, I just went there. So consciously design your experience by asking yourself empowering questions like "How can I make the most of this experience?", "What do I bring to the table in this situation?", "How can I most effectively communicate appreciation?", "What could I add to this person's experience that will enrich this moment?" Balancing Perceptions – This is for those cases where, let’s say, someone makes you feels extremely nervous because you place them on an impossibly high pedestal, to avoid freezing or reacting in weird ways, it’s really important to rebalance those perceptions by asking yourself what it is that most floors you about that person, which specific qualities you hold them on a pedestal for and then genuinely asking yourself „Where do I demonstrate these same traits?” I’ve written about this before and as silly as it seems it’s actually and extraordinary exercise because it helps people own traits they are in denial about and therefore their perception of the people around them shifts and they can then appreciate them from the heart with gratitude as opposed to out of overwhelming infatuation or other emotions that might be hindering their own self expression. Self Care - Make sure your needs are fully met before stepping into an important situation because even things such as being hungry, wearing something uncomfortable, etc can affect your demeanor and body language. If, for whatever reason, whatever is making you feel uncomfortable is out of control, to avoid from people noticing it on their own and assuming other bad things instead just let them know that you are feeling discomfort over X so that's why you are a little off. People will then accommodate you. It's perfectly okay to come in and say "Hey guys, I apologize but I am having an off day and I need some space".

Gratitude - I've mentioned this on this blog before but Gratitude is a really healthy way to shift perspectives, whether express aloud, written, visualized or meditated upon. If you feel yourself falling into nervousness switch to reminding yourself of why you are grateful about the experience, the people involved, the opportunities or if you are in a particular heavy situation just tune in unrelated things you feel deeply grateful for. Especially if rendered fully practical, for example, actually telling someone why and how they impacted you is one of the most beautiful gifts you can give them. Cognitive Reappraisal -During key moments it's very important to find ways to view things from empowering perspectives because it allows you to stay in a resourceful mind state. Some of these will make me sound like a broken record because I've already written about them in the past but I find them highly effective. Outside of this blog where I express dissent over some things, I actually practice harmony religiously and focus on tuning in to the best of whatever I am experiencing so appreciation is my most favorite practice in this Universe, which is why I love learning about other people's experience with it so if anyone has any other pointers and experiences to share please send them in. Sorry this got way too long but as I kept thinking more things came to mind. To summarize, to get into a charismatic state you need a combination of self belief, authenticity, presence and warmth, when you take that heartfelt appreciation and direct it at an object of attention it can be a very powerful, bonding experience. It already sounds like you are on a very healthy track so thank you for being vulnerable and sharing all of that because you never know who it might inspire. 💕

#charismatic mind states #appreciation #love my anons #hologram cowboy #hologramcowboy

[sephiraa]

Hiya 😃 I wanted to know what is the significance of Sun Trine Neptune. The deeper meaning with this Sun-Neptune aspect. I like your content btw. ☺️

First of all thank you!

I suppose you asked about Sun trine Neptune in regards to healing emotional wounds, so i'm going to address this specifically. If you have this placement in your natal chart, then essentially you can use your dreams to get stronger and wiser. I would advise you to practice writing down your dreams before you get out of bed, that way, your consciousness gets a direct link to your unconscious thoughts.

It gave me some inspiration so I might make a separate post on how to remember your dreams and train your conscious & unconscious thinking to meet somewhere only they know.

#healing myself #self healing #healing journey #astrology placements #astrology notes #neptune #sun trine neptune #my dreams

[kurt-wagner-official]

Post #73: NM issue 36 and UXM issue 202 and Secret Wars II issue 8

Last issue, Berto began to see the merits in Max as a headmaster, but their relationship is far from being in a solid place, as we see here. In Asgard, Berto loved being a hero, but now he's back in the real world, where he sees Xavier as another in the line of people he wasn't able to save. Between that and the disheartening existence of the Beyonder, he's fed up with the idea of being a hero, which puts him at odds with Max. When Xavier first brought the New Mutants to the school, he was insistent that they'd never become X-Men, but it's obvious to the reader that that's what'll happen eventually. Over time, Xavier kinda shifted his mindset, but it's always been a little vague to the New Mutants what their future at the school is. While Xavier hoped he could make a future where the New Mutants wouldn't have to fight, Max knows that's not possible, so he's training them not just to control their powers but increase them. For some, like Sam, that's appealing, but Berto is wondering why he's still at the school. We shift focus to Illyana, who's greeted by the Beyonder again. He's come to help her, which he does by removing the evil from her soul, making her the person she could have been if not for Belasco. The Beyonder shares a part of his essence with her, and she begins to see him as a benevolent overlord who can bring all of humanity to their full potential if they join him. She goes to the New Mutants to try to convert them to the Beyonder's side, and shockingly, they resist. Their fight is interrupted when the other plot thread comes into play: when the Beyonder cast out Illyana's evil magic, it latched onto Kitty, who's soul is linked to Illyana's in a totally platonic way. It's the same reason Kitty was able to wield the soulsword in the last tie-in. Because of other separate Beyonder shenanigans in Power Pack, there are some demons invading New York, and when the soulsword falls to Kitty, she picks it up and fights a demon that appears in front of her. This demon is from Limbo, and takes advantage of Kitty's inexperience to overpower her and try to use her for his spells. Along with the soulsword, Illyana's bloodstone pendant transfered to Kitty, and the demon begins filling it with Kitty's soul. To save her friend and the world, Illyana has to reclaim the evil part of her soul, which drives the Beyonder's essence and influence out of her. She successfully sends the demon back to Limbo and saves Kitty, but is left despairing how she'll never be free of Belasco's corruption. To be honest, this issue didn't really make any sense. I love Illyana, but we've seen a lot of "I hate this evil part of me, but I can use it for good, so maybe there's hope for me yet," and usually it's better than this. It probably would have been a lot better if there had been another catalyst for the Big Evil switching to Kitty, but with this plot combined with the Beyonder brainwashing it just gets confusing and very abrupt. I'd have much preferred Berto or Rahne be the one to be imbued with essence of Beyonder, or Amara since she has nothing to do. This is definitely the weakest of Claremont's six SWII tie-ins, but the next issue of New Mutants will be his best.

Anna enters Rachel's room to find a holographic message left by Rachel, telling her team that she's gone to kill the Beyonder. They rush to track her on Cerebro, where they're shocked to see Rachel's energy signature stronger than any mutant since Jean's death. Finding her enemy on Alcatraz Island, Rachel unleashes her full power on the Beyonder, but it doesn't affect him in the slightest. He tells her that his new purpose is to heal and guide others, and he begins by timeshifting them to Rachel's future, where she helplessly watches the scenes of her family dying. He also shows her Kate dying at the hands of Nimrod, the first confirmation for Rachel that it's the same Nimrod, although that's not addressed here. He then offers her a choice. He augments her power to the point where she could destroy him. But he also teleports the X-Men (minus Kurt) to their location and throws a bunch of future Sentinels at them, telling Rachel she could kill him, but it would take all her strength and leave her unable to save them. She doesn't hesitate to choose the X-Men. She has to hold back to avoid causing too much destruction with power she isn't used to, but with her help the X-Men are able to destroy the Sentinels and keep all the civilians safe. The fighting takes most of the issue, but I'm not complaining cause it's some really good action. It's also great to see Max fighting as an official X-Man in the field for the first time. At the end, Rachel returns to the Beyonder and tells him that as long as he keeps using his powers to play God, all he'll ever do is harm people before she flies off, disgusted.

I don't think there was very good communication on the transition between these two issues. At the start of SWII 8, the Beyonder is chilling in San Francisco when Rachel flies up with the X-Men and tries to kill him, which doesn't really line up with the ending of last issue. The Beyonder tells her that she only had a chance before because he allowed it and swats them all off before teleporting to New York. He has some more adventures there, including a very brief fight with the New Mutants, and after some deliberation and a short time skip, he decides to destroy the multiverse cause he's been having a bad time lately.

These issues were a mixed bag. NM 36 had some good stuff, but the tie-in parts made that stuff a lot worse. The Uncanny issue was actually pretty okay. And SWII issue 8 was one of the better issues of that series, but still not great. It's almost over.

#wes reads xmen

[les-belles-infideles]

What happened with Kora @princesshamlet: A start at contextualizing the events of the past week

While I am writing this because Kora expressed that they would like it if someone would post something contextualizing what happened, I do not speak for them; my opinions and perspective are my own. I think the general response has been wildly disproportionate to their actual words and actions. Let me know if you have questions about anything or if my writing style is hard to read and I’ll do my best to clarify.

Tl;dr: Last fall, Kora, a new Supernatural fan, started rewriting Supernatural to be more racially diverse and to more overtly address social issues such as homophobia and misogyny. They continually asked for feedback, particularly from POC, and received overwhelmingly positive responses.

Earlier this week, Kora posted something that unintentionally played into ideas that harm trans men. They were horrified to have hurt people, immediately apologized and made an effort to learn more about the issues involved.

Yesterday, some of Kora’s friends cut them off, presumably over the abovementioned. Some people read Kora’s Supernatural rewrite and were offended by portrayals of various ethnicities; Kora tried to learn from these criticisms and apologize for them. People organized to spread bad-faith, extremely hostile claims and Kora left Tumblr.

Background:

- last fall, Kora started watching Supernatural, and posting about it, including making some popular reaction videos and an elaborate summary of the events of season 16 as of mid-November. They got really attached to Cas as a character and DeanCas as a ship.

- Kora made a post along the lines of “what if I drew Castiel as Indian?” and got encouraging responses, so they made a drawing. A lot of Desi people left comments saying that they really liked the drawing and that the representation was meaningful to them, so Kora started posting and reblogging a lot more about recasting Supernatural to be racially diverse.

- Kora accumulates a lot of ideas around how they wish Supernatural had been, and starts casually writing it up into a story. It didn’t even have a title for the first few chapters, but it quickly amassed a small, enthusiastic following.

- I started reading it at first mostly as a way of getting to know Kora, who was at the time a new friend irl (they didn’t mean to give me their Tumblr; I had followed them for Hamlet and Star Trek posts and then recognized them when they posted a selfie) but wound up getting pretty invested. I started watching Supernatural despite the fact that I can pretty much never commit to finishing a TV show.

- Kora’s general strategy was to post ideas on Tumblr and get input before including them in the fic, particularly regarding race and ethnicity. Plenty of people gave them feedback -- I remember one really long conversation where people swapped headcanons about what music a Mexican-American Dean Winchester would have liked growing up.

- iirc, they actively collaborated with multiple Latine fans of the fic on one chapter that foregrounded Mexican-American culture. These fans are credited in an author’s note.

- they received substantial encouragement from Supernatural fans of color for how they were writing the fic, and afaik no negative feedback.

- they also used the fic as a way to discuss and joke about their personal experiences with misogyny, repression, and homophobia, including writing Dean Winchester as undergoing a character arc involving working through and overcoming severe homophobia. When we called recently, they described going from homophobic to not homophobic as “the best character arc a man can have.”

- afaik they had beta readers or at least people to run ideas by for most chapters.

First incident:

- earlier this week, Kora posted a somewhat poorly-worded vent post about Dean Winchester’s misogyny in Supernatural canon.

- I think I reblogged it because I don’t have super high standards for my SPN blog and yeah, afaict Dean said some pretty gross things in canon? I’d seen a lot of people talk about it, particularly Asian women, it’s clearly a thing.

- several people expressed hurt at the post’s wording, which could be read as bigoted against trans men.

- Kora immediately apologized and started looking for ways to learn more about trans men’s issues (afaict, mostly asking friends and going through the trans dean tag)

- they messaged me about it (Tuesday 4/13/2021), and I took a closer look at the post and explained how in isolation it looked harmless, but some of the rhetoric fit into wider patterns of transandrophobia, i.e. part of the impetus for this post was Kora being surprised that some of their trans male friends project onto Dean, since he’s a pretty bad role model for gender -- I pointed out that one way trans men are marginalized within queer movements is by people perpetuating the idea that we’re more misogynistic than cis men (which makes no sense), and their post could be read as playing into that trope (that reading had occurred to me when I first saw the post, but I had initially dismissed it because Kora and I had been spending a lot of time talking about gender and I never felt that they distrusted me or saw me as a threat).

- they made another hasty apology post, quoting my message to them.

- I encouraged them not to worry too much about what strangers online thought about them, but they were very insistent that they had hurt people and needed to learn and make amends.

- I think what happened next was that the conversation sparked a larger discussion about transandrophobia in the Supernatural fandom? I’m not sure about this though, I was off Tumblr most of Tuesday and Wednesday. I saw a few well-written posts refuting the idea that it was misogynistic to headcanon Dean as trans. I did not see anyone claim it was misogynistic to headcanon Dean as trans, but again, I wasn’t looking.

The Discourse™:

- yesterday, Kora started getting a lot more and a lot meaner messages.

- a large part of their social circle cut them off all at once, saying they felt unsafe and that Kora was transphobic. Kora did not/was unable to receive further clarification, while actively seeking the chance to learn more and repair harm done.

- someone made a dedicated hate tag for them.

- a new group of people read their Supernatural rewrite, and were offended by their portrayals of race and their writing about homophobia, and additionally mocking their writing style. The tone was often extremely mean-spirited.

- Kora responded to and apologized for some of the concerns around their portrayal of race, and refuted some of the bad-faith readings of their depictions of homophobia.

- Kora made an effort to understand what they had done wrong but a lot of the posts weren’t very specific.

- some of the claims got fucking wild. A lot of them involved taking stuff out of context. I think w*ncest got brought up at one point???

- Kora wrote another apology and took a break from Tumblr, on the advice of another friend.

- I spent like a day gearing up to write this because I vastly underestimated the speed at which Tumblr discourse moves.

#i know this would be a stronger post if I linked to posts addressing the issues in question #but I kinda just need to post Something at this point #supernatural #spn #princesshamlet discourse #discourse cw #ask to tag #tooth speech #lore

[sparkledragons]

We know more about dinosaurs than you give paleontologists credit for

I’m not gonna link the post here, because I don’t want to actively rag on the people involved, but I can not stress enough that we do not shrink wrap dinosaurs anymore and paleontologists reconstructing dinosaurs know more about bone structure than a random person looking at a hippo skull and going “that looks like a monster”

Every time I see the post I can’t help get annoyed. It mostly references this book:

and how it talks about how much we don’t know about dinosaurs and then presents images of modern animals if they were given the same shrink wrapping.

What that post CONSISTENTLY fails to address is how OUTDATED it is. This book was published in 2012. Paleontology moves FAST and at the time, yeah, we were overly shrink-wrapping our idea of what dinosaurs looked like. The concept of speculatively adding fleshy tissue was generally frowned on and this book was Instrumental in opening the eyes of scientists to what they were doing to our image of these animals.

And THEN THINGS CHANGED! We don’t DO this anymore! (or at least, reputable paleontologists don’t).

Look at all these beautiful reconstructions of popular dinosaurs that do Not shrink wrap them!

A gorgeous Spinosaurus render by Julian Johnson including the newly discovered tail information.

A feathered Velociraptor by Fred Wrierum

A reconstructed microraptor published with this paper on evidence of it’s plumage coloration

The lifelike model of Sue! The largest and most complete T-Rex found to date! This piece was made in a collaborative effort by scientists in connection with the Field Museum where their fossil is displayed!

And the end all-be-all of accurate dinosaur reconstructions? Sinosauropteryx! These images were published as part of this paper which argues the discovery of it’s Real pigments based on fossil evidence!

Wow! Look at those animals! We’ve come a LONG way since All Yesterdays and there are a LOT of techniques paleontologists use to make the most educated guesses they can about how soft tissue and feathers and coloration laid on bones along with behavior.

Obviously the best evidence we can find are impressions, such as these famous fossils:

The Sinosauropteryx we were able to get body shape, feather density, and color from!

Just one of the many, MANY microraptor fossils we have that shows us exactly how their feathers were laid out (these imprints are also how we were able to discover they have darker pigment on the ends of their feathers if not whole body. Which makes sense because darker pigment makes for stronger feathers)

But of course not all dinosaurs have this. Many we don’t even have complete fossil records of, just scattered bones to make best guesses from.

Example: We didn’t know what Spinosaurus’s tail looked like until last year?? Until then we guessed based on what other dinosaurs it was related to that we Did have tails for, which is what we do for a LOT of incomplete dinosaurs because it’s the best evidence based option we have. By doing this, we didn’t realize how heavy its tail really was, which warped our perception of how it walked and lived because we didn’t have the evidence needed to make other claims yet.

INACCURATE TO WHAT WE KNOW NOW! But knuckle walking Spinosaurus theory my beloved.

But! We can still look at JUST BONES and get a LOT of information. We can use the AMOUNT of bone present and where and what shape to determine how much muscle they had. Muscle must attach to bone SOMEWHERE so we can get a good idea of, for example, how powerful a T-Rex’s bite force was, by looking at where it could have anchored those jaw muscles. We can even see evidence of feather roots, and impressions of scales on rock in fossil records!

This is T-REX SKIN!!!!

We Think, based on evidence of prto-feathers on closely related cousins, that juvenile T-Rex had feathers, but lost them as they aged because they wouldn’t need them to keep warm and would want to avoid overheating.

A feathered, 4-year-old T-Rex reconstruction by Zhao Chuang

Things like fat and skin connections are MUCH harder to infer and it’d be irresponsible to wildly come up with concepts without evidence, BUT we can still look at modern day animals for ideas of what to do!

This is WHY we more or less just stretch skin over parts of dinosaurs, because we know they are related to birds and certain reptiles depending on where you go on the evolutionary tree. Birds have feathers, yeah, but most also have more or less skin stretched over bones on their feet and faces.

TLDR: While All Yesterdays was a good book to be critical of paleontology practices when it was PUBLISHED, it did it’s job and changed how we approach fossil reconstruction. Today paleontologists put a LOT of work into getting as much evidence as possible to be accurate when making claims about how dinosaurs looked. Please stop discrediting the work these people put in by saying they have no idea what they’re doing. Please also understand that it is very unfair to ask paleontologists to make wild theories about dinosaur behavior and features for which we have NO evidence because that would be unscientific and an even greater disservice to our understanding of these animals.

Please feel free to chat with me about this stuff. I’m not a paleontologist by any means so may have gotten stuff wrong here despite my best efforts to research. It’s just a special interest of mine.

#dinosaurs #dinosaur #dinosaur evidence #please stop discrediting paleontologists they are doing amazing work with so little to work off #also highly recommend you watch Your Dinosaurs Are Wrong on youtube it goes into some great information on dinosaur appearances #long post

[beauty-and-passion]

Time to talk about the flower shirt

You read the title. Time to talk about this.

This is the infamous flower shirt Thomas put on in his store and, since the fandom is the fandom, everyone started to speculate about those flowers.

At first, I didn’t want to do it. They’re just flowers and other people already talked about them, so what could I possibly add to the conversation?

But while I was writing about Orange, I had to talk a moment about the orange flower. It was supposed to be a small parenthesis, just a couple of words about that.

But then I looked at the other flowers and what other people told/not told about them and how some didn’t find Patton’s flower... so here I am, adding my two cents to this theme.

You needed it? Probably not. Well, I’m writing it anyway.

So let’s take a closer look at those flowers and see each one in detail:

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Roman: Red rose

Should I really explain why it’s perfect for Roman? Red roses are the universal symbol of love. Basically in all cultures red roses symbolize passion, true love, romance and desire. Also, according to this website, even the shade has a meaning! In fact, the deeper the red shade is, the stronger is the passion.

And even the number of red roses has a meaning! In this case, we have only one single red rose and that "represents love at first sight, or if it’s coming from a long-term partner, they are saying “you are still the one”.”

You know what that made me think? About Thomas telling Roman “You’re my hero”. A perfect symbol that he was “still the one” for Thomas.

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Orange: Lantana camara

This is an incredibly peculiar flower.

Lantana Camara symbolizes severity and rigour. And this alone can be analyzed in all possible ways, but there are other interesting details about this plant I think it's worth mentioning.

Lantana is toxic for livestock, such as cattle, sheep, horses, dogs and goats. According to Wikipedia, previous studies suggested it could be toxic for humans too, especially the green unripe berries. However "other studies have found evidence which suggests that its fruit poses no risk to humans".

Lantana is a freaking invasive plant. In some areas, it's so predominant, to reduce biodiversity, because its presence "can significantly slow down the regeneration of forests, by preventing the growth of new trees". Also, as if this isn't enough, this plant can also produce toxic chemicals which inhibit other plant species.

Lantana has also a great adaptability, that helped it to be so invasive: it can live in a wide range of different environmental conditions, it can survive long periods without water, heck it's even resistant to fire. It's not a plant you can underestimate. Like Orange, I assume.

But Lantana isn't just an invasive plant. Lantana has always been used for medical purposes, because it showed good antimicrobial, fungicidal and insecticidal properties and its extract helps against respiratory infections and ulcers.

Also, since it doesn't have many pests or diseases, lantana became a common ornamental plant. It even attracts butterflies!

In other words: isn't that the perfect plant to symbolize the double nature of a dark side? It can be a threat, change the environment, destroy and even kill. But it can also be a medicine, something useful, something beautiful.

Whoever Orange is, Lantana camara tells us that, whithout a doubt, he’s a dark side.

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Janus: Sunflower

Do you think Janus isn't perfect enough as he is? Do you think there's not enough husband material in the snek?

Well, you’re wrong and the sunflower is here to prove it.

Sunflower symbolizes loyalty, adoration, longevity, vitality, worship. Now add this up to the sunflower’s behaviour and how it follows the sun... and you’ll get Janus. Janus literally acts like a sunflower: Thomas is his sun and everything Janus does is for him. His whole existence is centered around Thomas.

But we already knew that, because it's the same message that shone through his playlist. Everything about Janus tells us how much he adores Thomas, from his canonical behavior in the series, to his playlist, to this flower.

Oh, do you need another proof that this is flower is perfect for Janus? Some societies use sunflowers as religious symbols. Ah, some good ol' reference to religion: it’s like being in his playlist all over again.

And, of course, sunflowers are used for a variety of reasons, like cooking oils, skin care and so on. Even the flower says self care.

This man is perfect.

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Remus: Green chrysanthemum

Here's another interesting flower.

Chrysanthemum symbolizes death and it’s the typical flower used for funerals. And I thought this was its universal meaning. It was perfect for Remus just like that.

But then I found out that Europeans use chrysanthemums for funerals and to honor the dead. This flower actually has a whole lot of meanings, some completely different from this.

In China, for example, chrysanthemums are associated with wealth, prosperity and long life. Also they're symbols of new life and reincarnations, so they're the perfect gift for old people or newborns.

While in Japan chrysanthemums are symbols of power and royalty. And that's even more fitting for Remus, because he's a Duke, so he is royalty.

But chrysanthemum also symbolizes friendship - and not just "a friendship", but a meaningful one. It's a symbol of loyalty, devotion, romantic/platonic love and, in general, positive energy. It's a flower with an incredibly strong meaning, so it can't be given too lightly.

And this makes it even more perfect for Remus. It's a flower with a huge plurality of meanings, it's both associated with life and death, it's powerful and it's royalty.

Also, you can eat it. Isn't that the perfect Remus flower?

(On a side note: please notice how chrysanthemums and sunflowers are both associated with joy, loyalty and devotion. I would have never considered "joy" a common trait between Janus and Remus while loyalty and devotion... well, they both care about Thomas and his career and they both work for him despite not being accepted, so I can see why those are common traits.)

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Patton: Nemophila

Surprise surprise, this flower wasn't easy to find. I’ve never heard of it, so I had to search among endless lists of blue flowers, hoping to find one that would perfectly match the one on the shirt.

And that’s how I found nemophila.

First of all: nemophila is also known as "Baby Blue Eyes" and it's an extremely rare color to find in nature. It’s very famous in Japan, thanks to the Hitachi Seaside Park. Open this link: it’s a literal sea of blue and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Of course, it attracts people every year.

Nemophila represents prosperity, congratulations on success and victory. Not the first things you would associate with Patton, right?

Well, while I was searching more informations about this flower, I found out this website about the essence of Baby Blue Eyes and the passage I quoted down below has the exact same words you can find on that link:

With its pronounced affinity for water, the Baby Blue Eyes flower essences addresses qualities of tender sensitivity, innocence and trust associated one’s early childhood relationship to the father, or other significant masculine figures that are in some way disturbed.

Very often the father was absent, or there was a lack of support or genuine presence. The Baby Blue Eyes type attempts over time to cover this wound of vulnerability with a false “hardening,” such as emotional distancing, mistrust, cynicism or spiritual alienation. It is a flower that can be equally helpful for men or women, although it is especially needed for many men who struggle to become strong, by disowning their pain.

So nemophilia’s essence has qualities associated with childhood, to the father figure and attempts to “repress” and hide emotions.

That’s Patton. That’s him, period. The childhood-related emotions, that are linked to Patton’s longing for “a simpler time”. The mentions of a father figure - who migh be absent or showing lack of support (like, idk, suggesting you should die so your friends live?). And the attempt to “cover the vulnerability” doesn’t remind you anything? Like the Nostalgia episodes?

This flower is Patton.

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Logan: Blue petunia

I would like to say, from the bottom of my heart, a huge "FUCK YOU" to this flower, because I spent TWO DAYS searching all the blue flowers in the world and all possible variants, asking myself why this goddamn flower looked so familiar and why it was so hard to find. Blue isn't even a common color in nature, so why couldn't I find it?

I've learned more about blue flowers in these two days than in my entire life. I've searched among flowers I never saw before, like glandora diffusa, leschenaultia and omphalodes verna. I was so desperate to consider this flower a new species, with the petals of a bellflower and the corolla of a morning glory. I even found a goddamn chinese variant of the morning glory that was somehow similar but not that much and why, WHY this was so hard to find?!

And then, after two days and a lot more desperation, I remembered: my dear friend @reptilianwithscallions​ told me about a post they made, regarding this shirt and the flowers. Maybe they had some idea about Logan's flower?

Well, let's all thank my saviour and this post, because otherwise I would've kept searching until the end of my days.

Long story short, Logan's flower is a fucking blue petunia.

And it's a very peculiar choice, because petunias have multiple meanings, several of which can be contradictory.

In general, petunia symbolizes anger and resentment. It reminds someone that you're still angry or disappointed by their actions and you haven’t gotten over the things that caused these feelings.

Oh my, I didn't know we were back in Logan's playlist. It's basically what he kept expressing towards Thomas with his songs: that he was angry at Thomas for his decision, that he doesn't approve that Thomas hasn't "a real job" and so on. Petunia is a flower that screams passive-aggressive, so it's perfect for Logan.

But petunia's meaning deeply changes, depending on the color of the flower. And while petunia in general symbolizes anger, a blue petunia is a symbol of peacefulness, intimacy and deep trust, shared between two or more people. It's so wholesome, because the deep trust reminds me - again - of Logan's playlist and how it ended: no matter what, he and Thomas are always best friends.

Also, petunia flowers have even a secret meaning behind. Since they’re also gifted to new neighbors or to people who have just moved into a new home, they represent a perfect welcome and a way to express affection and kindness to others.

You’re lucky to be so wholesome, you tricky flower.

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Virgil: Perennial Geranium

Geranium is a confused flower.

Some of the other flowers have conflicted meanings, but not as much as this flower. These are the most common meanings I found:

Folly or Stupidity

Gentility and kind nature

Clever minds

Ingenuity

Melancholy

Perfect gift for a bride

You can gift it to someone with whom you have planned a meeting 

You can gift it to someone with whom you haven't planned a meeting, just to make them feel welcomed

True Friendship

See? It’s confused.

Aside from jokes, this variety of meanings is due to its great diffusion: since geraniums grow everywhere, every culture gave them a different meaning. And sometimes these meanings depend on the situation too.

Awww, isn't it perfect for Virgil? He can be good and bad at the same time. Anxiety can be bad for Thomas and detrimental for his life, but it can also be the alarm Thomas needs. It depends on the situation.

And, just like geraniums in general symbolize positive emotions, happiness and friendship, so Virgil is in general a good guy. All he does is for Thomas' wellbeing, not against him.

And this is confirmed by the vast use of geranium's essential oil. It's one of the most popular and it has a ton of properties: anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant, decongestant, relaxing and so on. Just like our Virge boy can be incredibly useful under the right circumstances. (Did someone say "Flirting with social Anxiety"?)

Also, geraniums are simple, humble flowers that usually grow outside, but then we take them and make them part of our homes. Once again, it’s Virgil: he's an outsider, he's humble, he talks bad about himself - but Thomas and the others took him and made him part of the famILY anyway.

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Thomas: Cherry blossom

I searched this flower everywhere and the only one that looks like the one on the shirt is the cherry blossom. Why did Thomas make a cherry blossom with eight petals, when they all have five? I have no idea. Is this a different flower, maybe? Maybe, but I’m done: I've looked at enough flowers and I don’t have any strength left.

As you probably already know, cherry blossoms are extremely important in Japan. They're beautiful, they're everywhere and they're meaningful.

Why? Because cherry blossoms are considered the perfect metaphor for human existence. When they blossom it's a pink ocean, a party, people go to admire them - but they’re short lived, because in two weeks, the blossoms start to fall. It's just like human life: a small, rich, glorious parenthesis in the void. Something little and precious that ends soon.

But cherry blossoms also symbolize rebirth, optimism, hopes and dreams. When they bloom, it means springtime is coming and spring has always been associated with renewal.

That’s a very good choice for character Thomas. He’s basically a cherry blossom, the whole series is: something that reminds us how beautiful life is, how multi-faceted, how important. Just like Thomas' single being encompasses seven different sides of himself, so life presents a wide range of choices, of aspects, of flavours. All beautiful, all worthy of appreciation, no matter how different they can be from you and your experience.

And this becomes even more important, in relation to the passage of time and the transience of life. Because life is short and, after that, there won't be any more time to appreciate anything.

In addition to that, I would like to point out how the theme of passage of time is something we already saw in the series. And not just one time, but several. Since the first season, we have episodes all around the concept of growing up, growing old, not being a child anymore, becoming an adult. And the last Aside keeps going in this direction. It's clear this is a big theme and its connection with the cherry blossoms proves it.

But why is the flower so different on the shirt? Because Thomas wanted to mess up with us? Probably. Almost certainly. Once again, thank you Mr. Sanders for making me question everything.

The floor is (figuratively) yours now: if you have any other information, thoughts or opinions, feel free to share them.

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[chocoladieimagines]

Mind if I request a Muichiro Tokito x black reader?- I would appreciate it tehehe

I don’t mind at all! Muichiro is interesting to me because I always thought he didn’t seem to care about things or just not observant but I learned much more about him~ Enjoy!

Muichiro Tokito x Black!Reader

- Muichiro Tokito and his identical older twin brother, Yuichiro Tokito, were born to a woodcutter and his wife.

- At ten years old, their mother caught bronchitis, an inflammation of the bronchi or the large airways in the lungs that causes coughing. It can either be acute or chronic, chronic being a respiratory disease marked by overproduction of mucus and mucins. After catching a cold it worsened into the illness, while their father had gone to fetch medicinal herbs for their mother during a storm. Their mother died from the condition and their father fell off a cliff during the storm to his death.

- The Tokito brothers became orphaned, surviving together as Muichiro developed an emotional and kind nature after his father and Yuichiro held a cold and impassive outlook on life—possibly telling the twins apart.

- That Spring, Kagaya Ubuyashiki’s wife, Amane Ubuyashiki, recruited the twin boys for the Demon Slayer corps. Yuichiro was distasteful of his brother’s excitement, blaming the death of their parents on their hardworking and selfless natures which froze his outward behavior into a cold demeanor. This way, he thought his tough love for his brother would keep them alive.

- At eleven years old, that Summer, a demon arrived at their cabin during the night and attacked them, resulting in Yuichiro losing an arm within the process—trying to protect Muichiro. Muichiro lost himself in a rage and destroyed the demon with all the tools at their disposal and wooden logs. While the fight lead outside, at dawn, the demon withered to ash and it was that morning that he found Yuichiro near death, motionless. Muichiro prayed if he could survive but only laid next to his brother, grasping his hand as he breathed in abnormal respirations; progressively deeper but some inhales became faster. Then he passed away.

- Amane and her daughters later arrived to heal a severely wounded Muichiro but while he recovered, she remarked to her husband that Muichiro may have suffered memory loss of what happened. “Some may think that it is a blessing for such traumatic events or episodes to be forgotten, especially when it is weighing on the shoulders of a child such as him—so young. But, our scars may also heal and make who we are as a person stronger. It may be through an eye opener or trauma that awakens this omnipresent power source underlying the ignition to your abilities.” Kagaya said. “He has been training fairly well; showing massive strength and highly extensive training. I’m afraid sometimes if he’ll overwork himself.” Amane said.

- “Yes, I do have faith that my children will become stronger if not more powerful than demons. But, they should have proper treatment and the caretaking for all they’re going through. They deserve it.” Kagaya stated. “Can you send him to the Mental Health subdivision where the L/Ns are? I believe if he were to fit treatment into his training, he will fully prosper in blossoming into a true demon slayer.”

- Over the years, The Demon Slayer Corps grew into a large organization, large enough to branch off into smaller subdivisions that were clinics. They were meant to treat demon slayers after they may have gone through trauma or be traumatized by an experience of losing loved ones and those who they care about. Twisted memories within others could lead to mental disorders; depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) otherwise insanity.

- Amane echoed the words of Kagaya to Muichiro, wondering if he was even listening to her. Thus, she gave him a piece of paper with a four digit address to your subdivision. “A mental health clinic? For what?” Yeah just as she thought. She deeply sighed but smiled, “It’s to help with your memory loss. We believe you developed Amnesia and would like proper evaluation of your condition so we know that you’ll be in the right hands and guidance.” “I don’t need to be babied by some doctor. It won’t help me with my training.” Muichiro refuted. “It will. This is not a negotiation matter. It is an order from Oyakata Sama.” With that, she bowed and left the boy to himself.

- On his way, he had the piece of paper in his hand but was more attentive to the clouds than he was of himself. He unknowingly let go of the paper as he went in a sense of direction. The subdivisions were connected to the organization by Guzei bridges adjoining to different properties. Each property looked like a huge lush ornate garden. There was varieties of trees; flowering cherry blossoms, azaleas, magnolias, camellias, Japanese maples, pines, cedars and cypresses. Ponds of Koi fish, algae and sheer waterfalls were featured with a peaceful auditory atmosphere of moving water. There was teahouses that also suited as an amenity along each property of the subdivisions. Demon slayers were welcomed into the establishments to chat and socialize while they were served tea and could look into the open view of their tranquil environment.

- Muichiro became so lost into the nature enshrining the place that the assigned task went in the back of his head. Luckily, Amane informed you that you would be having a patient that day by the name of Muichiro Tokito. A young man with long black hair about his back, fading into soft turquoise tips that approach his waist. He wore a gakuran jacket with loose, free hanging sleeves and baggy hakama pants over dark blue tabi socks in a pair of dark blue strapped zōri sandals. You giggled when you saw him staring off into the distance, as she also described to you that he always had a dreamy look on his face. You knew that memory loss could sometimes link with daily functioning since his mind was so easy to trail off from where he was supposed to go.

- “Come! Over here!” You spoke, beckoning to him when you caught the gaze of his minty green eyes. Seeing your kind persona, he slowly walked over to you. “Muichiro Tokito is it? Mist Hashira? It is an honor,” you bowed with the same smile graced on your face. “You were sent here so I could accompany you to hopefully regain your memories.” You thought that he looked fairly young to uphold a rank as high as one of the most elite warriors out of the Demon Slayer corps. But you were also young and was assigned to help other youngsters around your age or even younger. Your family believed that it could establish more of a empathetic bond if it was looked at from a perspective of a person that could easily put themselves in a kid’s shoes. As incredulous as it could be to others, you were a psychologist; identifying psychological, emotional, behavioral or organizational issues and diagnose disorders.

- “You’re a what?” Muichiro trailed off again. “A child’s psychologist. It means to study psychology, ya know—well you wouldn’t know—but studying the human mind and the behaviors that come along with it.” You explained. Muichiro wouldn’t hesitate to say that you were pretty to look at. He’s often fixated on the natural beauty of the world; whether it was the lacy white edged clouds rolling in over the blue sky, a formation of a flock of birds flying or observing the simplicity of a person’s natural looks. You had your hair in two afro puffs; the protuberant strands of your hair accessorized with Craspedia flowers as they were captured in place. There was a type of aura you generated, he couldn’t name it but it positively pervaded the air between you two. He liked the way you addressed him and treated him, as if he deserved the upmost respect since Hashiras have a pivotal role in the Demon Slayer corps.

- They exceeded the limits of an average being, reaching the peak of the human‘s athleticism and condition as they’ve exerted themselves through rigorous training. They were practically the construction of the organization; constantly putting themselves on the front lines and physically capable of going against the Twelve Kizuki or else Muzan Kibutsuji himself. That was the thought process of Muichiro as he sat in a room partitioned with shoji paper walls and lattice screens transmitting light through their translucent sheets. Then the room would be well lit by the rays that pour through the screen soft and muted, bright enough to illuminate the room yet dim enough for comfort. As you sat on cushions upon the tatami mats lining the floor—surrounding a coffee table, the yukimi shoji allowed a panoramic scene of the greenery outside. Bonsai trees were also inculcated as a way of bringing the natural world into your home.

- Yet, what he liked the most was the sound of your voice. While you peacefully presented yourself by the style of your hair and clad of a bright orange kimono with golden flower decals and a tightly bound obi, you gently spoke to him to exhibit your patience. As much as he thought it was babying him, it was a matter of speaking in friendly, congenial, and playful tones. It helped people respond better and learn better when in a hospitable environment. While you took notes of his behavior, you pointed out tips; encouraging him to continue his daily activities of training which would increase blood flow through the whole body including the brain. At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity should be spread throughout the week.

- You gave him mental exercises which could stimulate his brain and keep his memories going. You introduced him to the game shogi: a two player strategy board game that is the Japanese variant of chess. Sudoku, which is a logic based, combinatorial, number-placement game. As well as crossword puzzles and Contract Bridge, a trick-taking card game using a standard of a 52-card deck. The game consists of a number of deals, cards are dealt to the players and the player “calls” or “bids” in an auction are sought to take the contract, specifying how many tricks the partnership receiving the contract (the declaring side) needs to take to receive points for the deal. You noticed that although he was impassive, and at times, obtuse the first time around, he began to show a willingness to learn.

- The way he looked when he was focused; his eyes centered on the shogi pieces on either side of the board, frowning in concentration each time he moved his ranging pieces: The Lance, bishop or rook. You were capable of analyzing his movements like there was an invisible string being pulled by the contraction of his muscles. You could tell every signal his brain sent by his body language; the silent gasps of air he took when he saw a move, the way he eagerly moved in the number of squares as if they were derived of a plan he had up his sleeve. You also amused the intensity in his gaze as he concentrated; propping his chin between his fingers to properly have a view of the pieces; currently seeing you moved a friendly piece adjacent to your king which meant he couldn’t move in that direction at all.

- He was gaining up on you though. Within the pattern of moving your pieces and capturing them by removing it from the board, you had fewer pieces left and had to think more strategically. When another moment of silence occurred, you took a glance at Muichiro’s features but this time he was looking up at you. With the sound effect of a piece snapping against the board, he said, “Checkmate.” At the same time, the sound caught your attention and he was right. Your king was in check, you could no longer make any legal moves to protect it.

- “Impressive. Fair play, Tokito.” You praised him. He was making more progress; there was something that had been added to him. Perhaps it could be his emotions or if he was friendlier. “You know, you should come watch me train some day,” He calmly proposed. “It’s like you’re cooped up in this place. But I can’t blame you, I purposely would be too if it meant getting away from the troubles of this world.” He was much more talkative too although it was a surprise to others. The Hashira were used to his usual laid back nature and obliviously wandering off in his thoughts as if he didn’t care about the situation or someone. Kagaya described that it was like you made him remember his emotions by feeling the introduction of love.

- You were surprised by his words and only shook your head. You were certain to sustain a professional relationship with a client in order for you to make an accurate diagnosis of their condition. He reasoned that “Without waging war, there was the nexus of love. The history of humanity is a bloody tale of genocide. The only survivors are our collective ancestors. The drive toward conformity is a preparation for war and is amped in power by comparison. Thus, in times of fear the proper leaders must have an upper brain capable of dominating their primitive drive and converting that amped power into solution finding over war strategy. Therefore, after our conflicted minds have been revealed to such a feeling such as passion—ardor, their reality has been expanded. Their outlook on the world is being changed to realize there are two of the complementary.”

- After listening, you looked to your shoulder to see Muichiro beautifully move with his katana. As he trained against another one of the Hashira, it was like watching a scene from a movie. Both of them moved with such speed that your eyes processed their movements in a delay, seeing them perform through accuracy as every turn they made resulted in their weapons clashing. It almost made blood roast under the constitute of your espresso cheeks by being able to watch two slayers train. Knowing these people were your protection, it felt promised by the combat proficiently owned by Muichiro. Afterwards, he was able to put their battle to an end after disarming his comrade. They both bowed in respect before the boy looked in your direction with his dolly green eyes.

- “That was great Tokito Muichiro. It is a privilege to know and see that we have our Hashira’s protection.” You inclined your body once again in his presence but he only raised you by your chin. “Y/N, just call me Muichiro.” He said softly. “It’s not like you have to treat me like I’m royalty or like I’m superior above everyone else.” “I-I mean, but you’re a Hashira. You’re...You’re practically the back bone of the Demon Slayer Corps.” You sheepishly said after he tipped your chin to look at him. “Still, it doesn’t give me the right to not have respect for others as well. It should be me kneeling for you. You’ve been by my side for a while now and it feels like I’ve changed. During every moment I’ve spent with you so far, I keep falling deeper and deeper.”

- Your family teased of how there was puppy love between you two. They’ve been seeing the way Muichiro looked at you at times; giving you big eyes while you talked to him—his famous dreamy look but the absence of paying attention to your words was subconsciously made by staring at your features. You would have to pull him back to his consciousness which he would wave off saying that he just liked to listen to you talk. But there were times opposite of the vacant look you were used to, which was when he actually expressed his emotions. His eyes were windows; allowing the transparency of his emotions to come together to form the art of his soul. It formed a picture you saw in an instant and comprehended with full depth. A reflection of his old self; a caring individual with a higher level of kindness and understanding than his demeanor as a demon slayer. Believing he should aim to do good for others if he wanted good to be done for him.

- “What do you mean Muichiro?” You questioned to be clear, although the heat bubbling under your skin had a feeling of what he meant. “I mean that I like you. I think you’re really smart, sweet and pretty. When I go to meet you every week, I wanted to change it to everyday. The place seems so peaceful, especially with caring people like you. Ive come to love the feeling of being cared for. Now I want to care for you.” He confessed with a soft smile, still holding your chin so he could see you process his words. “You...really mean that?” You questioned again. “Yes.” He nodded. “Would you like to have a kiss? Could that prove my feelings for you?”

- The way he innocently inquired it made you shift in place and your heart to sing a song out of melodic and rhythmic sounds. You weren’t sure what to think or what to say, only you went off of the instincts of your gut who spoke to your heart to spell out how you felt. So you slowly nodded, mentally bracing yourself as he raised one hand to cup your cheek and angularly tilted his face. Then, when he leaned in you closed your eyes and felt his lips land on yours. They were smooth to the touch as he gently connoted with his lips. The warmth was cut off when he brought his head back to test the waters, opening his eyes to see your pleasured face. But you wrapped your hand in his hair and pulled him back into you, feeling much more confidence from him when his hand felt on the curve of your hip. His progress has truly improved since he wasn’t necessarily your client anymore but something more.

Thank you for reading! Hope you all enjoyed! 🤎🍫

#demon slayer x poc!reader #kny x reader #muichiro tokito #muichiro fluff #muichiro x reader #muichiro tokito x reader #anime x black!reader #hashira x reader #demon slayer x black reader #demon slayer x reader

[dreamsatdusk]

The Black Heretic

I realized that when I wrote that post on religion in Ravka a while back, I didn’t address the matter of the Black Heretic as a title.  While ‘heretic’ has definitions covering both secular and religious usage, I at least have found it most employed in cases of the latter. 

I think that’s likely the use case intended in the trilogy as well, although it sits in the same area of vagueness about overall religion in Ravka that I described in the post linked above and in analysis about Baghra and seems more to pertain to the even fuzzier picture of Grisha and religion.  What is the religious dogma that the Black Heretic went against?  It seems more in violation of what Grisha philosophers speak of in the books Alina read at the Little Palace, in the curiously religiously toned screeds of Baghra.  He used merzost, seeking more power out of greed so the story goes.  Very naughty, according to the ‘Grisha philosophers’. 

But frankly, I think a lot of this so-called Grisha viewpoint is intertwined with the religious beliefs of the surrounding society, whatever the Grisha tell themselves.  I’ve written before about how there’s little substance provided about the idea of merzost as inherently evil.  People like Baghra say it is, but it’s not backed up very well at all. 

As for how he got the title in-universe?  I think the Darkling came up with it himself.  It would make perfect sense: in the guise of the son of the Darkling who created the Unsea, we know he took steps in the public eye to distance himself from his ‘father’s’ actions.  Coming up with a title for him would help serve that end too - get people referring to him as something else that didn’t involve the Darkling title.  Adopt a penitential attitude - we see that approach a little even in what he says to Alina in Shadow and Bone. I suspect it was an even stronger element in the generations just after the Heretic.  A wise step to take under the circumstances, but doubtless very grating to the Darkling himself.

#Grishaverse #Grishaverse Meta #The Grisha Trilogy #Shadow and Bone #The Darkling