#inception positivity

[inceptionpositivity]

It's Inception Positivity time, y'all!

July has come back around, which means the time has come to drop your little (anonymous) love notes to anyone in Inception fandom! Write some kind words to any of the friends and creators who have inspired you and made you feel all warm and fuzzy!

As always, fill out this submission form, and your words will be turned into a colourful post on the inceptionpositivity blog for everyone to appreciate!

Key dates:

June 24: Submissions open

July 1: Posting begins

July 28: Submissions close

July 31: Posting ends

For more information, check out the FAQ, or feel free to send a message or ask!

#inception #inceptiversary #inceptiversary2023 #inception positivity #mod post #inceptiversary ip 2023

[darlingandmreames]

@inception30daychallenge Day Thirty-one: A letter to Inception fandom.

Dear Inception fandom,

Sometimes the world isn’t fun. Sometimes I look at my writing or my art and I wonder why I make any of it when there are so many people doing it better than I am. Sometimes grad school burns me out to the point that even my hobbies feel like burdens. Sometimes simply trying to exist and be an adult is rough and annoying and I just want everything to slow down for five minutes until I can catch my breath.

But there are still bright spots even when everything else feels a bit like shit, and you, Inception fandom, have been one of those bright spots for me over the past two years. 

You read my self-indulgent fics and leave sweet comments. You encourage me to make art and be proud of it even when it isn’t quite what I pictured in my mind. You laugh at my memes and silly shitposts and leave wonderful tags on my HCs. You help me celebrate the little things like a tasty meal I made and give me a sympathetic ear to bitch about things when I just need to vent. You make me feel welcome and appreciated and remind me why I love this movie so much.

So thanks. You guys are one of the kindest, most welcoming online communities I’ve ever been part of. Don’t ever stop dreaming bigger.

Your local trash goblin,

Newt

#inceptiversary #inception30daychallenge #inception #inception positivity #local trash goblin speaks

[thenwhatthefukcisthis]

..... yeah.. arthur is the poised, mannered one with proper etiquettes out of those two..

#the way arthur just #plonks #limbs all askew #arm slung over like no care to the world #bet his leg are just as haphazardly positioned #while eames sleeps #so petite and prince like #not a hair out of place #inception #arthur and eames

[mister-eames]

Hi hi hi can we please discuss in more detail how eames and Arthur’s love for one another might manifest in their dreams, especially during the PINING YEARS since their dreams are possible their only outlet for this love!! Because when they’re awake, in the real world they have to repress it, seal it away, pretend it’s not a big deal... ahhh! Going insane over this thought! The power of the subconscious!!

Yes!! I keep thinking how pieces of people must show up in dreams, how our subconscious simply can't help but bleed into dreamscapes - even in the most detailed build, even with the most experienced dreamer. It's your brain being used for the foundation, there must be some cross-over! And if it's a powerful emotion like love or hate or grief, well we've seen it in the latter, so why not the rest?

They both take forever to notice it. And even then Arthur, who notices it first, doesn't even see it until Cobb points it out. They're doing a test run in Arthurs dream - and the menu at the restaurant they're not even supposed to stop at has items with titles of AC/DC songs.

While Cobb is astute enough to know that and assumes Arthur has an earworm, what he doesn't know is that on Arthur knows that Eames listens to the band when he works out and taps his fingers to the rhythm of thunderstruck and you shook me all night long when he's restless.

After that Arthur can't unsee the things he's picked up from Eames in his dreams. At first he tries to convince himself that of course Eames is just that annoying he infests Arthurs subconscious. A literal parasite.

But then some of his projections have crooked teeth, and he starts seeing more and more of Eames' forges as projections - and the projections that aren't echoes are forges are wearing Eames' watch, or the trucker cap Eames' wears when they're not on the job and he's back at home, recuperating from not being himself. There are little pockets in his dreamscape that are from stories he has heard Eames tell when he was eavesdropping, like the antique store his mum used to temp at during his primary school years. The playground where he got into his first fight. They look innocuous to anyone else but Arthur knows they're from his own imaginings and daydreams. Parasite, he reminds himself.

Every time he wakes up a little more perturbed, afraid of the magnitude of his own feelings. Maybe if he can pretend to loathe Eames in the real world his brain (and body) will get the memo.

One day they go into Cobbs dream and he notices a pair of feminine, cat-eye sunglasses folded and hooked into Cobbs dress-shirt. He points it out and Cobb mumbles something about Mal and Arthur stops listening. His first thought is: I don't want to know.

Then he remembers all of the little details he'd flat out ignored his own dreams. How his subconscious seemed to lovingly envelope itself around such tiny details.

His second thought is: Oh no. I'm fucked.

#inception #arthur x eames #i wanted to write a five plus one about this so badly #positive emotion MHMMM #as much as they are career dream criminals #they can't control everything #and i think that is beautiful #it would be so interesting to do a character study out of all inception characters #based on what their subconscious bleeds into their dreams #food for thought

[maddy-ferguson]

controversial opinion but i dont think the duffers set up byler well, lets be real most of the fandom outside of our echo chamber doesn't think byler is going to become canon. and like idk but i agree that they should have at least broken up mlvn and resolved the monologue issue (preferably not include it even) if they were going for the byler route. same for will's importance or even mike's importance for the plot. removing them from the show's main narrative doesn't make a good case for their importance in the story in the penultimate, esp when they received minimum screentime in this season. it's not the audience's fault to think mlvn is endgame or will or mike are unimportant when the way they've been handled were lackluster and when cali plot.... Was Like That. plus they gave it all to el's character lol. ofc ppl gonna think she's the protagonist when she was the one who opened the gate and created vecna and when mike spends the entire season talking about her. redpill but it's not making much sense here when the narrative is criticized in the byler fandom, acting like the writers did a perfect job in terms of setup is just being wilfully blind atp.

i think people not expecting it is the point though. like yeah it's obvious because when they did the same thing on a smaller scale with nancy's love triangle at the end of season 1 (her spending most of the season with jonathan them bonding and her and steve fighting but then still being together in the epilogue) most people could see that jonathan and nancy were gonna be together and not one person was called delusional for thinking that. but i really think the juxtaposition is the point, it's a queer couple so even with a similar storyline people don't expect it because of heteronormativity etc which is kind of depressing but it's also what's gonna make it happening even better...#imho

for the monologue, obviously i don't ENJOY IT but i don't hate it because i think it's interesting for el? whether you think she believed him or not, whether or not you think she was gonna break up with him at sbp, i think having him tell her he loves her makes it so no one can be like "but if mike had said he loved her everything would've been fine!" i like them going all the way in that sense. i think it's good for us as an audience to have that, this way there's no what ifs. it makes it apparent that their relationship couldn't be fixed by mike saying i love you and also that their fight in lenora wasn't only about mike and about their relationship, like mike never thought she was a monster that was all el, and him telling her that she's not a monster won't fix that internal struggle for her. and it also won't help her grow beyond the monster/superhero dichotomy.

i don't like will and mike being away from the supernatural plot either but yk i do think it's because they're important for the resolution of that storyline and that that's also supposed to come as a surprise. for mike well i don't actually know that he is, but i certainly know will is and i think they did set that up pretty well. he's not in episode 7 but they reveal that the upside down is frozen on the day he disappeared, he's in hawkins for five minutes but the season ends with him talking about his connection to vecna and everyone and their mother is reminded of the fact that will is a vital part of the supernatural plot. people don't necessarily think he's gonna be the key to resolving the upside down and vecna thing for good (no matter what that looks like, i'm expecting it to be both el and will because it kind of is the el show + we'll fix it together + lucas and erica (siblings) being the mvps of the basketball game and the dnd game that has a lot of foreshadowing in episode 1 etc) because el's the one who's always done it pretty much by herself...but it's also never worked. not for long anyway. i would say that like byler (but not as shocking because it's not someone assumed to be straight turning out to be gay) it's supposed to make people go oh why have i never thought of that of course will would be an integral part of the ud resolution this makes so much sense!!! when it happens. and characters also always expect el to be the one to fix it just like they don't expect byler to happen. meta.

and again i don't LOVE mike and will's thing being the conversational roadtrip only in season 4, but i get why they did it like i see the vision. i see where you're coming from and i agree that most people not seeing byler coming isn't necessarily their fault (even though i said it's similar to nancy's s1 triangle and everyone expected it then. nancy never gave steve an i love you i've loved you forever i'll love you forever speech, major difference), i really think it's NOT supposed to be that obvious. even though it is kind of. i get wishing they had broken up mlvn in volume 2 and i certainly would've liked not having to see bylers be called delusional 24/7 but i think mlvn breaking up would've made byler endgame wayy too obvious and if they wanted it to be obvious to the girls that get it only i think they've accomplished that. same with will and the supernatural plot. and everyone is free to not like it still, i just don't think that means the set up isn't good.

very last paragraph. i don't think everything they've ever written is perfect. i don't even think every decision that's been made by the st team regarding WILL's queerness is perfect like (this is another conversation) having noah deny the gay allegations on will's behalf a month before having him say oh yeah he is gay it's obvious is crazy to me it's no surprise that people feel like it's an afterthought and like byler is never gonna happen. even though i obviously disagree with them. fin.

#parenthesis inception #obviously i think the monologue is also interesting for mike and for byler and for will depending on how they deal with it in s5 (can you #imagine hearing your bff that you happen to be in love with tell your new sister who saved your life a bunch of times that he's in love #with her that's bad enough but also that his life started the day he met her which also happens to be about 24 hours after your life change #4ever in the worst possible way like you were fighting for your life in the ud and he makes it sound like #he was having a great time and falling in love and yeah he was #looking for you but also finding himself a girlfriend and that's the thing he'll remember for the rest of his life. you're being mean stop #it wouldn't even be enough in this situation like i would have a very hard time believing that my bff i'm in love with loves me back or #even cares about me at all. but yk i'm not the duffer brothers' oc who knows what they'll do) #el fixing it and it not lasting long is also true of everyone trying to fight the ud with guns btw like yeah nancy is very badass and it's #great that she...likes firearms? idk. idk how to say it but i get that it's a positive thing for her character but at the end of the day #vecna literally walked away lmao like that was not a win #ask

[slashmania]

A little positivity

I double checked and didn’t see any Valentine’s Inception Positivity, so I’m going to give myself a little positivity right here, right now. I’m too used to participating!

Another Inception Positivity Message to Myself (For Nothing Shall Stand in the Way of My Shameless Self-Love, Folks!)

Dearest slashmania,

I know that everything has sucked a lot, but you’ve got it in you to write a fun Valentine’s fic! Make a smoothie, have your chocolates, and be sure to cook a lovely dinner for yourself tonight. 

Today is going to be a lovely day. Write about love, give yourself a little self-love, and do other nice things for yourself! 

You deserve it!

#self-love #personal inception positivity #I will write myself positivity messages forever #writing fanfiction

[andoutofharm]

sometimes you just have to look yourself in the face and say what are we gonna choose. are we gonna keep making everything into a joke and something to mock and survive that way or are we gonna look for the light that has to be there on the other side of this. i have to fight for it. you have to say i do value sincerity and hope and i want to look for the light coming through and fight for that instead of just getting by on spite alone.

#to be clear this is not about the shipping polls directly but. it IS about some of the comments ive seen from some people on why they #vote the way they do #on this and other polls #and also because i started thinking about everything everywhere all at once again #and just hearing people talk and hearing my own thoughts and just. #and just. life in general and things going on in my own life and also inception and also the fob smileysad face #i promise im not going for like. toxic positivity here. shit sucks and i get that. i do. #but. there is always some pinpoint of light to be found and sought after #there’s always a crack in the wall where the light is shining through and you have to find that crack and dig your fingernails into it #and rip the wall down to see the sun on the other side. #but you only do that if you’re LOOKING for the light in the first place. #if you spend your entire existance with your eyes fixed on the ground instead of looking for that light and TRYING to find a way out #and a way forward #you will never make it out of the darkness. #anyway i am in a weird place mentally and have been for a while so. im just thinking about a lot of things and this is me attempting to put #them into words. #journal posting #ok to reblog btw <3

[killerchickadee]

Man, for a movie full of so much love the Old Guard fandom really is a flaming hellpit. There was some fake racism drama that went on for about a year, then there was some REAL racism drama that demolished what was left of the fandom after everyone got sick of the fake racism drama. Now I guess there's real racism drama going on again, related to the fake racism drama? Unclear cause all I'm seeing are reactions to whatever happened.

But also... at this point the fandom only really has two active fanartists because literally everyone else was either ignored (hello!) or hassled about the fake racism drama. And very few people are writing fic anymore also due to the fake racism drama.

None of this would have happened if cishets weren't so goddamn weird about gay sex.

#yes hi gay sex positions do not indicate a personality type #stop being fucking weird about it #every fandom I've ever been in has been toxic as fuck #except the inception fandom which to my knowledge has never had any drama #you go you funky little dream thieves

[inceptionpositivity]

@inceptionpositivity + @inceptiversary + @inceptionwatchparty + @inception30daychallenge + @inceptgen + @inceptiontrick-or-treat + @arthursanonymous + @secretsaito + @aeldws + @inceptionart + @inceptionkitties - To all of the amazing event organizers and moderators out there, who keep our month of July the happiest, most joyful month of the year, and who keep the love and creativity and connection flowing through the Inception fandom throughout the year with such dedication and hard work: THANK YOU!!! (Those two little words don’t seem adequate for all that you do. But thank you, thank you, thank you!)

#inceptionpositivity #inceptiversary #inceptionwatchparty #inception30daychallenge #inceptgen #inceptiontrickortreat #inceptiontrick or treat #arthursanonymous #secretsaito #aeldws #inceptionart #inceptionkitties #inception positivity #inceptiversary organizers #inceptiversary ip 2023

[moodyhaaze]

just me ranting about s*lmare again,,, sigh

it’s kind of getting on my nerves seeing people getting mad at others for pointing out s*lmare’s shitty behavior. like, i get that people may not want to see negativity about the games/devs but acting like people aren’t allowed to be negative is a whole different thing.

look. i’m not trying to be seen as the like “ultimate s*lmare hater™︎” or anything (or maybe i am), but i’m just going to compile a quick and nowhere near exhaustive list for everybody so they understand why i and so many other fans are still so mad. because quite frankly i’m sick of people crying on twitter that i’m “just being mean” when what i’m really doing is calling a spade a spade.

for an ENTIRE YEAR before nightbringer was released, devs never told anybody that a new game was coming out. everybody grinded for an ENTIRE YEAR because we were kept under the impression that a new season was coming to OG only to be told “haha we’re going to make you pretty much redo the whole story again (but in the past :O !!!) only after which you’ll get a conclusion for OG :)” [the end of lesson 80 of OG literally said coming soon until AFTER nightflop was announced.]

devs waited until a reddit ama to even tell us that a new game was coming, but only when asked by a fan who’s question subsequently got buried in all the other responses. the only reason anybody else saw it is because it was screenshotted and posted to twitter and in its own post on reddit. no official announcement was made prior. the first official announcement we got was like a week or two before nightflop was released.

they keep pushing out terrible quality events back to back just to milk money from fans even though the vast majority of fans have said they don’t like back to back events because the quality of them are horrendous. most players would rather have fewer events with better writing then to have constant shit ones.

never told us that daily chats were ending in OG. we only knew this was happening because someone sent a ticket to the devs and it was then screenshotted and posted to twitter.

s*lmare has proved time and time again that they only care about whales. they’ve proven this by paywalling a lot of features in Nightbringer. and before anyone drops in with “but they give us more devil points in battles >:(“ shut up. haven’t you noticed the increase in need to spend devil points? whether for character outfits, sprite outfits, level up sales (that they’ve made more frequent by making leveling up easier), ap sales, etc… they’ve only given you more DP so you’ll spend more DP.

they literally shoved an ad down our throats as many times as they could (in NB) by putting it on the HOME. SCREEN. as well as making it one of the first things you see when you boot up the app and in the side news thing. they didn’t do anything about it until fans complains relentlessly for WEEKS.

they took away the 10x free pulls for HDD 4 (which is OG’s birthday NOT Nightflop’s). they have always done the free pulls since the games inception. they did this so that fans are more likely to use they’re own vouchers or pay irl money for the cards they want.

they lowered nightmare drops EVEN LOWER to force players to draw more if they want certain cards (this goes back to putting players in a position to use irl money to buy devil points for nightmare summons if they want certain cards).

wanderers whereabouts and fabsnap are lazy and unnecessary and from what i understand, most people barely fool with it. the models are cheap and horrendous. (i get it’s a mobile game and the graphics are not going to be like PS5 level, but come on.)

they took away birthday events without an announcement. people were saving AP and demon vouchers for their favorite boys’ birthday events only to instead be given ONLY a birthday nightmare with a pity OF 200. they also stopped doing birthday events before asmo’s 2023 bday, leaving him as the only brother without a prince card. never mind the fact that they’ve paywalled birthday items in wanderer’s whereabouts for $3.99 (usd).

they changed some devil grams (in OG) to please a loud minority of players that didn’t like having to kiss the brothers in the devilgrams. in a game about dating and kissing demons. they pandered to a small (but quite loud) minority of players BITCHING that they didn’t want to kiss the brothers. in a game about dating demons.

they’ve infantilized the game and lowered the age rating (to 12+) to make it more accessible to younger audiences which has significantly lowered the quality of the writing. this is a game about demons !! they are not child friendly and they don’t need to be written as such. a game about dating and romancing demons is a kids game now.

i want to express very sincerely that i absolutely adore obey me. i have for the past four years. (you should see my collection of luci merch LOL). it’s the first franchise i have devoted myself to so strongly. i just really hate s*lmare and how they keep getting greedier while offering NOTHING to fans but lukewarm content and constant money pandering. this franchise means a lot to me, and i know that rings true for most of the players, and it hurts to see it going down the drain like this considering it is so special to me. i love this community (except when people are crying over misinterpreting criticisms against s*lmare/devs as personal attacks) and i love what everybody creates. it’s all so so very special to me and it’s important that we all understand this. these games and franchise could be something so very special. it started out so different (in a good way!) than almost all other otomes i’ve played, but now it’s getting left in the dust because a multimillion dollar company is more worried about how to milk an extra $3.99 from their fans than they are making quality content that fans would be WILLING to pay for, instead of locking content behind paywalls.

i wish nightbringer was never a thing. the story they wanted to make could have easily been a 1-2 season arc in OG. but instead we were forced to essentially play the same game over again, just in a different setting and time, and pretty much be told that the time we’ve spent grinding and leveling up our cards and getting through all the battles in OG was wasted. all for a new game that nickels and dimes players while offering shit in return.

solmare was proven that they have no intention of being transparent with fans. that they only want to milk whatever money they can from us. it’s created a lot of distrust and aversion in the community. and believe me, after all this, and even after obey me is run through and isn’t a cash cow for them anymore, i’ll never play another fucking solmare game ever again.

❤︎ it’ll always be ‘one master to rule them all.’

#˗ˏˋ moody talks obey me ˊˎ˗ #literally fuck nightbringer #and fuck solmare #obey me #obey me satan #lucifer obey me #obey me mammon #obey me diavolo #obey me leviathan #obey me levi #obey me solmare #obey me fandom #obey me! shall we date? #obey me lucifer #obey me shall we date #obey me! #obey me barbatos #obey me belphegor #obey me nightbringer

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

I don't even go here, and very rarely interact in this fandom, but now that it seems to have gotten an uptick of notice with the last book for Tian Guan Ci Fu, I am honestly in shock to see how many try to say that Hua Cheng (Hong Hong-er) had not been a victim of classism by Mu Qing.

I'm annoyed enough to have to rant about this as it also dismisses that Hong Hong-er had been abandoned without guardianship due to superstition inherent to lower class positions that relied on the will of heavenly principles that also were classist from inception.

This did include Mu Qing who had consistently told Xie Lian not to help the child throughout the plot and continued the rule of class segregation despite him having been of the same social caste as Hong Hong-er. Yet due to circumstance Mu Qing was able to rise within the ranks of position due to not having the physical and superstitious reputation that plagued Hong Hong-er from birth. This jealousy from Mu Qing that had been exhibited when he refused to continue to let Hong Hong-er rise within the ranks of the Xianle army was not out of subconscious good will to protect a child. He did not see Hong Hong-er as worthy of any sort of position as he had been with rising through ranks. It is a consistent theme between Mu Qing and Hua Cheng that Hua Cheng's dislike of him is due to Mu Qing's callousness of dismissing regard towards the same class of people he came from and the benefits of social rise.

This seems to be dismissed that Hua Cheng, as a ghost, had denied heavenly principles to become a god in the overwrought and classist heavens to stay a ghost and stay a calamity considered disgusting as an existence to those of heaven. It's considered an arrogance by those of safe position and standing for Hua Cheng to deny the offered will of those in power within the system that maintains the caste hierarchy.

Because Hua Cheng was able to create another entity of social life, it exempts him now of the classism that Mu Qing perpetuated when he had been Hong Hong-er. Yet the society that Hua Cheng had made is seen as lesser and base to those in Heaven. Yet at the same time his position as the Lord of Ghost City means he is not the target of the classism he had been attacked by within his previous life. Because somehow he is now Mu Qing's equal in social standing despite this still being untrue. For his power Hua Cheng is still labeled suspicious and of evil intent, very much so from Mu Qing through the present day plot.

What is viable for one is not for any other, or dismissed by the own fandom as not honorable in comparison. The overt theme of classism that is present in the book itself also carries over with how much of the fandom perceives this theme regarding Hua Cheng and his overt opposition of navigating it next to Mu Qing. One did deny the system of classism while the other did continue to follow it without change.

#tgcf #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #hua cheng #why am I seeing that somehow Mu Qing does not perpetuate inner class segregation #or that he denies those of his same standing the same benefits in being able to rise #or because Hua Cheng was still able to prosper in an atypical fashion it's still lesser

[usnatarchives]

The WAVES of Change: Women's Valiant Service in World War II 🌊

When the tides of World War II swelled, an unprecedented wave of women stepped forward to serve their country, becoming an integral part of the U.S. Navy through the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) program. This initiative not only marked a pivotal moment in military history but also set the stage for the transformation of women's roles in the armed forces and society at large. The WAVES program, initiated in 1942, was a beacon of change, showcasing the strength, skill, and patriotism of American women during a time of global turmoil.

The inception of WAVES was a response to the urgent need for additional military personnel during World War II. With many American men deployed overseas, the United States faced a shortage of skilled workers to support naval operations on the home front. The WAVES program was spearheaded by figures such as Lieutenant Commander Mildred H. McAfee, the first woman commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy. Under her leadership, WAVES members were trained in various specialties, including communications, intelligence, supply, medicine, and logistics, proving that women could perform with as much competence and dedication as their male counterparts.

The impact of the WAVES program extended far beyond the war effort. Throughout their service, WAVES members faced and overcame significant societal and institutional challenges. At the time, the idea of women serving in the military was met with skepticism and resistance; however, the exemplary service of the WAVES shattered stereotypes and demonstrated the invaluable contributions women could make in traditionally male-dominated fields. Their work during the war not only contributed significantly to the Allies' victory but also laid the groundwork for the integration of women into the regular armed forces.

The legacy of the WAVES program is a testament to the courage and determination of the women who served. Their contributions went largely unrecognized for many years, but the program's impact on military and gender norms has been profound. The WAVES paved the way for future generations of women in the military, demonstrating that service and sacrifice know no gender. Today, women serve in all branches of the U.S. military, in roles ranging from combat positions to high-ranking officers, thanks in no small part to the trail blazed by the WAVES.

The WAVES program was more than just a wartime necessity; it was a watershed moment in the history of women's rights and military service. The women of WAVES not only supported the United States during a critical period but also propelled forward the conversation about gender equality in the armed forces and beyond. Their legacy is a reminder of the strength and resilience of women who rise to the challenge, breaking barriers and making waves in pursuit of a better world.

Read more: https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2023/11/06/historic-staff-spotlight-eunice-whyte-navy-veteran-of-both-world-wars/

#WAVES #Women’s History Month #Veterans #Women’s History #Military #U.S. Military #World War II

[mutfruit-salad]

read your criticism and have a genuine question about your thoughts on the branding scene. i completely understand how max's branding is inherently tied to a racist history, and it always will be, but i dont feel like the scene itself was written with that bias/intent. thaddeus also gets branded in later episodes and it's implied to happen to every aspirant upon their promotion. at what point in writing are black characters morally barred from specific story points because of their similarities to a history that's not directly related? sort of similar with barb, at what point can black characters not do bad things at all, especially in a story where there are near a dozen non-black characters who do worse things? also considering it's implied (at least, i understood it as) she's sticking to vault-tec to protect her family?

I am not in the best position to comment on this, because I am not black. I will do my best to add what I can, but this is a space for others to chime in.

Barb is interesting because she's essentially become the person who did the most heinous crime in the entire setting- by far and away worse than anything anyone has ever done. There really aren't white characters who did worse things- because all the crimes of Caesar or the Enclave or whoever else pale in comparison to being the one who literally set into motion the total annihilation of all nations on Earth. (This is setting aside her willing participation in the inception of the vault experiments- which is an entirely separate also horrific crime.)

The issue is they've created a setting that is, as presented, colorblind. Race is invisible to the writers, who did not consider it meaningfully while producing the show- as is often the case with white creatives putting characters of color into their stories. Colorblindness does not always produce entirely racist results- and when done with tact and intentionality it can even be revolutionary. Look at the relative inclusivity of star trek as an example, and the radical depiction of Uhura in the original series.

The thing that makes Fallout different from Star Trek however is that it is not depicting its colorblind future with tact and intentionality. This is a show that is intensely concerned with depicting the specific brand of nationalistic American politics of the 1950s and the Cold War- and they've reproduced that system for the show but with a black woman at the head. That's where the issue comes up.

This was a system that had racism baked into it by design. It still does. American Nationalism and corporate violence are built on racism against black people and other minorities. And this show desperately wants to depict these things, but they've decided to put a black woman at the head of them. They're depicting systems that are, by their nature, violently racist- but they've decided to portray them as being run by a black housewife.

Fallout 3 does a similar thing with how it depicts every major slaver as a black person. Eulogy Jones, the slave buyer at Paradise Falls, the head slaver in the Abe Lincoln memorial, Ashur in The Pitt. Hell Mothership Zeta adds in a black woman from the wasteland and even SHE'S revealed to have been a slaver. This is something Bethesda consistently does- depicting ideologies and practices with a deep history of racialized violence- and then showing black people at the head of them, seemingly to try to avoid actually addressing any aspect of racism in their stories outside of hamfisted metaphors like synths and ghouls. (I use Fallout 3 as an example but Fallout 4 does many of these same things.)

Thaddeus does also get branded, and he does also get treated to the same demeaning servanthood as Maximus. The difference, quite frankly, is that Thaddeus is white. There are just some things that are straight up inappropriate to depict happening to black characters without appropriate thoughtfulness and context. Never before this series has the Brotherhood ever done brandings- and yet this show opens with it in the first episode and introduces this brand new jarring concept with the visceral image of a black man being branded by faceless fascist cultists.

It's also important to note that even if they didn't intend the scene as racist, it still is. Like I don't think the scriptwriter sat down and said "oh I'm gonna do a racism" cuz intent just doesn't matter here. The scene was intended as a way of showing the severity of the brotherhood- but it also thoughtlessly reproduces images of historic black violence.

@orange-coloredsky I know you've been talking about this stuff all day, and your initial posts about the antiblack racism in the series were what prompted me to write my thoughts today- which is what this ask is in response to. I was curious if you have any other input with all this.

I'd also be more than happy to have any additional input from people better suited to answer these questions.

#fallout #fallout show #fallout 3

[beiasluv]

cillian murphy and his ‘daughter-figure’

a/n: i can never make myself write for people in real life with a romantic interest, sorry 😩 but i won’t deny to reading allat. no proof reads :)

enjoy!

cillian had taken you under his wings (awh) a long, long time ago

thankfully, christopher nolan approve of your acting and accepted you for a movie, allowing you to meet him for the first time

becoming the youngest constant actress to be featured in nolan’s multiverse

several years later, you are, once again, walking on the red carpet with your on screen ‘father figure’

oppenhiemer ofc

walking along the red carpet, camera flashed at you and your drop-dead gorgeous outfit for the event. making sure to look around to catch every news headlines, you see flo and emily waving at you. wasting no time, you rushed to your favorite girlies.

“hii,” flo and emily enveloped you into her embraces and kisses.

“my darling, y/n, how’ve you been?”

giggling about the latest girl talk, complimenting flo on her haircut and outfit, and a little bit sprinkle of girls touch up, a third hand wrapped around your shoulders and you turned around to see those set of blue eyes.

“cill!”

“hello, darling,” without a second thought, cillian smiled and wrapped his arms around your waist. not too tight but not too insecure, just the perfect spot.

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yourinsta thank you. xoxo

cillian is just a sweet soul in general

he could get protective if you were rubbed off in a wrong way

if the interviewer ask weird questions, he won’t hesitate to throw hands

he also loves going out with you just for bonding purposes

movies, restaurants, or just going out with his kids

his wife definitely adores you

his kids definitely see you as their sister

a 100 percent some photo booths sessions with him

“ok, pose now!” you looked at the camera while making a serious face, which cillian mirrored. a funny face and a silly face precedes.

“how do you click this ancient photobooth? cill!”

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yourinsta thanks for paying for mi lunch ;)

jessepas NO WAY y/n convinced cillian to do photo booths with her

kanHK trust me! cillian def convinced her 😭

gagahi imagine getting your lunch payed by emily, rdj, cillian, matt, and JOHN?

ynwifie Y/N pleaseeee i can pay for your lunchhh

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you are feeding cillian fans with post and pictures. (come on, we are starving)

dancing to tiktoks with cillian in the background smiling <3

you can never do interviews with cillian and never laugh

it. is. impossible.

he’s just very funny in private and ‘the’ dead face humor

“three, two, one, rolling!”

“hello- cillian,” chuckling as you see cillian staring off into the distance again.

“oh- hello,” he smiled. “i am cillian murphy.”

“and i am y/n l/n, and we are here for…”

what is your favorite scene with cillian?

“are we talking about oppenheimer or just everything?” you chuckled and took a swift glance at cillian who was grinning at you.

“just in anything, anything that comes to your mind”

“wow…” poking your tongue a little bit out while you were thinking. “i…don’t know…not- not because i don’t have one but it is a journey back, you know?” smiling at the interviewer.

“we take a long way back,” cillian added while he looked over to you. “i remember meeting her when she was just a little kid in the batman trilogy.”

“i- i was young, yes,” letting out a soft laugh, you thought again.

“um…I honestly don’t know which one to pick,” you chuckled. “i’ll say my favorite one is in inception, it just amazes me how cillian delivers his emotional, tear-jerking scenes, and we got to do a lot of amazing, humorous stunts.”

“cillian doesn’t take compliments very well, does he?”

the comment made you look over to your fellow actor and saw him smiling at you and shaking his head. you laughed and adjusted your position in the chair, “irish people doesn’t take it very well, he will just turn invisible if you keep complimenting him.”

are you going to go watch barbie?

cillian smiled and glanced slowly at you, “ask her.”

“a 100% will do. as a matter of fact, i already went to watch it,” you said proudly and giggled.

“oh really? how was it?”

“it was really, really good. i wasn’t expecting to cry but…you can ask him,” you pointed at cillian who couldn’t hold his chuckle in any longer.

“so you two went to watch it together? wow-”

“yes,” cillian smiled sheepishly. “a lovely movie, made y/n cried, very touching,” cillian chuckled.

“no spoilers but- the ending scene was super tear jerking but the end credits made me confused whether I should laugh or cry,” you laughed at your memories of going to watch barbie with cillian.

what do you have each other on the phone as?

“this is going to be so embarrassing,” you fake groaned and chuckled, while digging for your phone in your dress.

“also girls, this dress has pockets. amazing,” cillian and the interviewer gained a few chuckles. you fished out your phone and unlocking it with a few swipes, and opened the contact app, scrolling to the ‘c’ sections.

“i…have him as ‘cilly shelby’,” cillian went wide eyes and look at the screen of your phone.

cillian grinned and leaned back on his chair, “i saved her as y/n and a smiley face emoji.”

“aw what? that is so nice, i feel so bad now”

one thing about the person next to you?

“cillian, cillian, cillian. i would say he is very caring and an astonishing actor, performer,” you says while putting your hands to your heart.

“no- you are”

“irish modesty, people,” you faked rolled your eyes at him, while mockingly patting him.

“he’s great, just a very supportive…i wouldn’t say brother but i don’t wanna say father figure as well, even though we played a lot of father-daughter roles together,” you laughed at your own response, fixing your hair.

biting your lips, you pondered, “ah, i would say an…‘uncle figure’.”

“what?” cillian chuckled

“it’s someone you can have fun with and someone who you can look after to, for me,” you smiled while cillian cooed his response and gave you a side hug.

“that was very sweet,” he smiled. “i would say y/n is very sweet and brave soul, just someone who you meet and brightens your day.”

cillian cleared his throat and switched his crossing leg, “well, i have two boys but bonding with her will always be special to me, like the daughter i never had.”

“thank you christopher nolan for giving me a daughter,” he chuckled and gave you another side hug.

“aw, i’m going to cry”

last but definitely not the least. a random question from the audience, what is the hottest thing a man can wear?

laughters filled the room, rolling back in your chair, “wow, that was random.”

“i know right?” the interviewer chuckles and wiped a fake tears.

“i think we should ask the man,” you pointed your fingers at cillian and he shifted in his chair.

“wow…that really caught me off-guard,” cillian cleared his throat. “i would say a nice suit or a silk shirt.”

“definitely a black silk,” you added, gaining chuckles from cillian and the crews.

“for me…wow, it’s going to be really weird. I like men who wear watches, like the leather straps one,” you chuckled and hid your face in your palms.

“i definitely rubbed it on her, sorry,” cillian smiled and hid his watch as he crossed his arms.

“hey- yeah- maybe he did…ooo, ah, another thing is properly a teacher glasses, i don’t know man, it’s hot.”

“noted, guys, you’re welcome,” the interviewer says to the camera, cutting off the interview session.

if you like my work, feel free to like or reblog; if not, critiques are appreciated. today’s a great day to take care of yourself 🤍 lots of love.

#cillian murphy #cillian murphy x reader #cillian murphy au #oppenheimer #barbieheimer #instagram au #cillian murphy imagines

[theambitiouswoman]

How To Spot Opportunities

Opportunities are all around us, waiting to be recognized and seized. In conversation, in something you see, even in your own thoughts. Learning how to spot opportunities can lead you to growth and success. People often tend to overlook them, believing that they only come to certain people. The truth is that opportunities are available to everyone. We just need to change our perspective and learn how to identify them.

The Mindset:

Openness to Possibilities: Adopt a mindset that looks for possibilities in any situation. Instead of focusing solely on obstacles, view every challenge as an opportunity to innovate and grow. This shift in perspective opens the door to potential breakthroughs.

Adaptability: Being flexible and adaptable is key to spotting opportunities. Embrace change and be willing to venture outside your comfort zone. Adaptability helps you see potential where others might only see disruptions.

Positive Attitude: A positive attitude can work wonders in identifying opportunities. When you maintain optimism, you're more likely to recognize the silver lining in challenging circumstances, leading to the discovery of new pathways.

Always Learning: Embrace a curious mindset. Continuing to learn exposes you to new ideas and helps you stay ahead in a rapidly changing world, enabling you to recognize emerging opportunities before others do.

Examples of Spotting Opportunities:

The Airbnb Story: In 2008, two struggling entrepreneurs, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, saw a unique opportunity in the midst of a sold-out conference in their city. With hotels fully booked, they decided to rent out air mattresses in their living room, turning their apartment into an "air bed and breakfast." This marked the inception of Airbnb, which has since become a multi-billion dollar global enterprise, disrupting the hospitality industry.

From Hobby to Empire: Many successful businesses have started as hobbies. For example, Dov Charney, the founder of American Apparel, began making simple t-shirts for himself. When people showed interest in his designs, he realized the opportunity to create a clothing brand that offered stylish basics, catapulting his hobby into a thriving fashion empire.

Turning Failure into Success: Walt Disney's first animation studio went bankrupt. While many would have given up, Disney saw an opportunity to learn from his mistakes and create a new, revolutionary entertainment venture. The result? The birth of Mickey Mouse and the eventual establishment of the global Disney empire.

Networking: Opportunities often lie within our social circles. A chance encounter at a networking event led to the founding of YouTube when Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim connected with early PayPal employees who provided funding for their video-sharing platform.

You can train yourself to spot opportunities in the most unexpected places. The examples shared above show that success often comes from recognizing potential in everyday situations.

How to train your mind to spot opportunities:

1. Actively Listen: Listen to what the other person is saying. Avoid interrupting or preoccupying your mind with what you will say next. Paying full attention allows you to pick up on cues, insights, and potential areas of mutual interest.

2. Identify Pain Points: While you are listening, look for challenges or frustrations the other person may mention.These pain points could represent opportunities for you to provide a solution or offer assistance.

3. Explore people's Interests: Discover the other person's passions and interests. You might find common ground, or their interests might spark ideas for potential collaborations or projects.

4. Ask Questions: Ask open-ended questions that encourage the other person to share more about themselves and their goals. Ask them about their aspirations and how they plan to achieve them. Seeing how people arrive from one point to another will better help you exercise your minds and use problem solving strategies as a way of looking at things moving forward.

5. Be Curious: Approach conversations with a curious and open mindset. Be receptive to new ideas and different perspectives.

6. Networking: Use conversations as an opportunity to network and build relationships. Meaningful connections often lead to new opportunities down the road, whether it's a job opportunity, collabs, or a chance to participate in new projects.

7. Body Language: Pay attention to non-verbal cues and body language. Sometimes, opportunities can be inferred from the other person's gestures, expressions, or tone of voice.

8. Problem-Solving and Offering Help: If the conversation veers towards a problem the other person is facing, think about how you might be able to help.

9. Be Proactive: Don't be afraid to share your own aspirations and ideas during the conversation. Sometimes, expressing your interests and goals can lead you to opportunities when the other person sees potential in working with you in some capacity.

10. Following-Up and Staying Connected: After a productive conversation, make an effort to follow up and stay connected. This can potentially lead to more opportunities as you continue to build a better relationship with the other person.

#self improvement #self development #successmindset #successtips #successquotes #personal improvement #personal growth #personal development #level up journey

[jstor]

Edward Christopher Williams (11 Feb. 1871 - 24 Dec. 1929) was a pioneering African American librarian, educator, and scholar who played a vital role in shaping library collections at Western Reserve University (WRU) and Howard University. Born in Cleveland to Daniel P. Williams, a prominent African American figure, and Mary Kilkary Williams, a Clevelander of Irish descent, Williams embarked on a remarkable journey of academic and professional achievement.

Graduating from Adelbert College of WRU in 1892, Williams quickly made his mark as he assumed the role of first assistant librarian at the institution. His dedication and expertise saw him ascend to the position of head librarian in 1894 and university librarian in 1898. Eager to deepen his knowledge, Williams pursued further studies in library science at the New York Library School in Albany, completing the rigorous 2-year program in just one year.

Williams's impact on WRU's library was profound; he significantly expanded its collection and elevated its standards, establishing himself as an authority in library organization and bibliography. His advocacy for the establishment of a school of library science at WRU led to its inception in 1904, where he became an esteemed instructor, offering courses in reference work, bibliography, public documents, and book selection.

A founding member of the Ohio Library Association, Williams played a pivotal role in shaping its constitution and direction. However, in 1909, he left Cleveland to assume the role of principal at M St. High School in Washington, D.C. His tenure there was marked by his unwavering commitment to education and leadership.

In 1916, Williams joined Howard University as university librarian, further cementing his legacy in the realm of academia. Not only did he oversee the university's library, but he also directed Howard's library training class, taught German, and later chaired the Department of Romance Languages.

In pursuit of academic excellence, Williams embarked on a sabbatical in 1929 to pursue a Ph.D. at Columbia University. Tragically, his studies were cut short by his untimely passing later that year.

In 1902, Williams married Ethel P. Chesnutt, the daughter of Charles Chesnutt, a renowned author. Their union bore one son, Charles, who would carry on his father's legacy in the years to come.

Read more about Edward Christopher Williams here.

#jstor #librarians #edward christopher williams #black history month