#look I'm just making the list of war crimes they committed

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

Now that submissions are closed, we can talk stats. There were 881 valid, unique submissions for 474 characters! Woof, women have it rough out there!

The most submitted characters, with a relevant propaganda snippet included, are:

1. Sakura Haruno (Naruto): 28 [where do i even fucking begin]

2. Cordelia Chase (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel): 21 [OH SO MANY THINGS]

3. Misa Amane (Death Note): 20 [The author of Death Note invented new forms of misogyny just to apply them to Misa.]

4. Kaede Akamatsu (Danganronpa V3): 15 [Oh, you thought we would have a female main character in one of our mainline games? With a cool defining talent, no less? That's stupid of you]

5. TIE: Kairi (Kingdom Hearts): 14 [I'm so mad. I think she deserves a gun.]

5. TIE: Stephanie Brown (DC Comics): 14 [She does eventually get retconned as surviving the event and hiding out in Africa (don't ask, it does not make more sense in context)]

The canons with the most submissions, with a relevant propaganda snippet included, are:

1. DC Comics: 61 [DC has SO MUCH sexism it's laughable]

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: 35 [Fuck Joss Whedon, man.]

3. Naruto: 33 [because Kishimoto hates women]

4. Warrior Cats: 26 [Warriors is one of the most misogynistic children's series I've ever seen]

5. Danganronpa: 25 [I honestly had to think about it just to decide which woman is treated the worst because this series hates them so much]

The canons with the most characters submitted, with a relevant propaganda snippet for a specific character included, are:

1. DC Comics: 21 [Free her from the huge tits back breaking pose.]

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: 12 [Anyways she was so hot and for what. 10/10 my lesbian awakening.]

3. Supernatural: 11 [Yeah, she got randomly killed off-screen for shock value and manpain, but she sent an email right before she died so at least her death wasn't in vain, right?]

4. TIE: Star Trek: 9 [She literally gets teleported out of her clothes in one episode.]

4. TIE: Yu-Gi-Oh!: 9 [One loss is particularly brutal as she falls from a large height directly onto her head and goes into a coma (again. yes this was the second time).]

5. TIE: Warrior Cats: 8 [I'm sure she'll get submitted again just ask any reasonable fan they'll tell you about her and her sister]

5. TIE: Attack on Titan: 8 [As a child soldier, she does commit some war crimes]

And here are some charts to show how some of these entries fucked the scale on my charts:

Look at Sakura, fucking up my chart with her numbers.

On a similar note...

Good god, DC, I know what you did, but add fucking up my charts to your list of crimes.

And now, enjoy some rankings of my favorite things:

My favorite universal sentiment quotes from propaganda are:

She lived she served cunt and then she got killed off super early so that the male characters could experience man pain and also because I guess she would have been too powerful if left alive. [Wen Qing (Mo Dao Zu Shi)]

That design. Dear god. I don't want to live on this planet anymore. [Mitzi (The Queen's Corgi)]

In the end she may have girlbossed too close to the sun, but I support her anger. [Ling Wen (Heaven Official's Blessing)]

the victim of “writer doesn’t understand women and also hates them” disease. [Naomi Misora (Death Note)]

She could 100% kill somebody but nobody ever effing lets her. Rip queen. [Kairi (Kingdom Hearts)]

My favorite raging at a writer quotes from propaganda are:

1. You took every single protagonist to weird lion heaven, Clive, but suddenly Susan isn't good enough. [Susan Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia)]

2. Being a woman written by Joss Whedon should automatically entitle her to financial compensation tbh. [River Tam (Firefly)]

3. A lot can be summed up in a couple words, namely, "Furman, why?" [Arcee (Transformers)]

4. Can you tell respect women juice ran in Tolstoy's veins. [Lise Bolkonskaya (War and Peace)]

5. TIE: (specifically a guy called Dan Didio, who we all hate) [Stephanie Brown (DC Comics)]

5. TIE: until Geoff motherfucking Johns comes into the picture [Pantha (DC Comics)]

My favorite quotes from propaganda that have nothing to do with misogyny, y'all are just funny:

I wish I could use bold here, because there's no such thing as uppercase numbers. [Arcee (Transformers)]

the most convoluted and lore dense piece of media this side of the afton criticality. [Jane Crocker (Homestuck)]

ended up starting a gang war by accident [Stephanie Brown (DC Comics)]

Ashfur, who later turns out to be a murderous incel [Squirrelflight (Warrior Cats)]

Hawkfrost is actively seeing Brambleclaw and his evil father in cat hell. [Squirrelflight (Warrior Cats)]

#not polls #stats

[ceescedasticity]

Silmarillion war crimes

(Finally motivated to make this because someone said the Silmarillion elves committed 'all the war crimes', and while I know, I know they were just exaggerating for comic effect it still drives me up the wall.)

First piece of housekeeping: Technically speaking war crimes are war crimes because they were defined as such in various treaties. You aren't technically violating the Geneva Conventions if you aren't signatory to them. But, they do often get talked about more like universally applicable rules.

Second piece of housekeeping: I think no one is actually accusing the Fëanorians of, like, cutting undersea communications cables or impersonating the Red Cross. There are some war crimes which are obviously not applicable and I'm not going to discuss them.

Third piece of housekeeping: There are a lot of provisions in the Geneva Conventions. Someone else can go through all of them if they like. So, I'm going to go with this list gleaned from the section of the Wikipedia page on war crimes about the international criminal court:

Willful killing, or causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health

Torture or inhumane treatment

Unlawful wanton destruction or appropriation of property

Forcing a prisoner of war to serve in the forces of a hostile power

Depriving a prisoner of war of a fair trial

Unlawful deportation, confinement or transfer

Taking hostages

Directing attacks against civilians

Killing a surrendered combatant

Misusing a flag of truce, a flag or uniform of the enemy

Settlement of occupied territory

Deportation of inhabitants of occupied territory

Using poison weapons

Using civilians as shields

Using child soldiers

Firing upon a Combat Medic with clear insignia.

Summary execution

Rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution or forced pregnancy

Fourth piece of housekeeping: I'm not just going to look at the Fëanorians. That's not fair. There's elves vs. other elves, elves vs. dwarves, dwarves vs. elves, Angband vs. everyone, everyone vs. Angband, etc. I should probably define some of these groups starting out but I'm not going to.

So. This will be long.

1. Willful killing, or causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health

I'm a little puzzled about this one, actually. I thought that was just… assumed to be part of war???

Killing as more than a means to some non-killing-related end???

At any rate I'm inclined to say everyone conducting war in the Silmarillion did this. I don't think anyone was trying to minimize military casualties.

Edit: Have been informed it's meant to be killing of people protected under the conventions. In which case it's a lot more questionable. For some people.

2. Torture or inhumane treatment

Angband did this, obviously.

A lot.

Really a lot.

We don't have any record of any elves doing it, or dwarves, or Edain.

…Except Túrin's outlaws but they're kind of a weird circumstance.

3. Unlawful wanton destruction or appropriation of property

(Seems like there might be a lot of wiggle room in 'unlawful'…)

Well, anyway, Angband also did this, obviously, a lot.

The dwarven sack of Menegroth counts as this.

Seizure of the swan-ships arguably counts as this one, though I'd actually hesitate on that one. I think that wasn't a war crime, that was a crime crime, because they weren't at war.

If the Fëanorians scavenged from Menegroth before leaving that probably counts, but that's speculation.

The Host of the West did destroy Angband, if you want to count that.

Edit: And the Fëanorians destroyed the Havens of Sirion.

4. Forcing a prisoner of war to serve in the forces of a hostile power

Angband, yet again. It's a little less obvious here since it's not like they put prisoners in the regular army unless you count orcs, but brainwashing prisoners and sending them out as agents probably counts.

Also their treatment of prisoners of war generally violates a lot of stuff in the Third Geneva Convention.

I do not think we have grounds to say anyone else did this, partially because I'm not sure we have grounds to say anyone else ever took any prisoners.

Elrond and Elros are a gray area, but if they ended up fighting with the Fëanorians there's no reason to believe it was against anyone but Angband.

Oh, and I suppose the Host of the West took prisoners, but I'm sure they didn't do this.

5. Depriving a prisoner of war of a fair trial

I mean, you could say that prisoners of war in Angband got the same kind of trial that anyone else in Angband got?

But otherwise Angband again, yeah.

The Host of the West… I'm not sure. Do you count the judgments of Ëonwë as a fair trial?

Everyone else: No prisoners, not an issue.

…Look I don't know what to say about Túrin and Mîm. I'm inclined to say a lot of the outlaws' bad behavior was crime crime not war crime. I don't know.

6. Unlawful deportation, confinement or transfer

Angband back in the definitely column here.

I don't think anyone else is. Sure, Menegroth and Sirion were abandoned, but it wasn't because the Fëanorians stuck around chasing people away.

7. Taking hostages

Angband, explicitly with Maedhros and I think implicitly elsewhere.

The Easterlings serving Angband also explicitly took hostages.

The Fëanorians took Elrond and Elros. It doesn't seem to have been terribly effective, but it was hostage-taking.

Celegorm and Curufin holding Lúthien could be this if you consider the Fëanorians to have been at war with Doriath at that point, but that's sort of dubious? Maybe a war crime, maybe a crime crime.

8. Directing attacks against civilians

Angband.

The Fëanorians attacked the entire communities of Menegroth and the Havens of Sirion. They may or may not have made any attempt to avoid deliberately killing noncombatants in one or both cases, but they were unavoidably attacks on civilians.

The dwarven attack on Menegroth is similarly an attack on civilians.

If you consider any orcs, trolls, balrogs, vampires, werewolves, etc. to be civilians, then the Host of the West almost certainly did this. You can argue that none of them counted as civilians; you can also argue that the Host of the West managed not to attack e.g. orc children, but I don't think that's very likely.

The Easterlings serving Angband did have civilians, but I think it's more likely the Host of the West avoided attacking those.

9. Killing a surrendered combatant

I don't think anyone is directly attested as doing this?

The overall impression one gets of the First Age is a general deficit of surrender.

But: if anyone surrendered to Angband's forces rather than trying to fight or escape until they physically couldn't, I'm sure some of them were killed (and some weren't, because Angband wanted slaves).

If any orcs/werewolves/vampires/trolls/dragons/balrogs dared to surrender rather than fight to the death or escape, I'm sure some to most of them were killed.

If any dwarves of Nogrod tried to surrender to Beren and the Ents, they were killed.

We don't know about the dwarven sack of Menegroth or any of the Kinslayings (on either side).

The Host of the West accepted at least some surrenders, but we don't know if it was all of them.

10. Misusing a flag of truce, a flag or uniform of the enemy

Angband doesn't get much of an opportunity for this because no one trusts their truces and it's not like switching flags or uniforms would help, insofar as there are uniforms.

But they did propose a negotiation under false pretenses.

Of course the Fëanorians also agreed to it under false pretenses.

The Silmaril Quest is absolutely full of people disguising themselves as Angband's forces. If you want to get pedantic about it uniforms and flags were not the key part of those disguises, but I think it's the same idea?

Edit: Unless you want to count them as spies, not soldiers. There are different rules for spies, which is to say I don't think there are any rules about spies, either what they can do or what can be done to them. I think that may be a better frame for this.

I feel like the Easterlings who announced their allegiance change mid-battle may also count as this?

11. Settlement of occupied territory

Angband generally prefers the scorched-earth approach, but they do settle their Easterlings in occupied territory.

No one else does this.

Like the Fëanorians had enough people left to 'occupy' anything.

(Or I guess arguably the Host of the West occupies Angband but not for very long and they definitely don't settle there.)

12. Deportation of inhabitants of occupied territory

Angband does some of this in the form of enslaving them back in, uh, Angband, but it's true that mostly it depopulates by slaughter and most of the survives flee with no deportation as such. It doesn't deport the Edain.

Again, most others have no occupied territory.

Though everyone does have to leave Beleriand. :( Should that be attributed to the Host of the West?

13. Using poison weapons

Angband: yes.

Everyone else: No evidence of this. I wouldn't necessarily rule out them trying it against Angband if they thought it would work.

Although I suppose you could argue that weapons inimical to Angband by nature could count as poison…? Naahhh.

(Edit: Eöl used poisoned weapons, but that was murder not combat.)

14. Using civilians as shields

I don't think Angband did this one, actually?

Edain civilians as hostages, yeah, but Angband didn't have much in the way of its own civilians and didn't expect anyone to try to avoid hitting them.

Angband's Easterlings most likely tried to keep their civilians out of the way like sensible people.

15. Using child soldiers

Whether it was possible for Angband to do this with orcs depends on your interpretation.

Everyone else…

Not child soldiers in the 'take them from their families, indoctrinate them, send them out for shock value' sense.

But child soldiers in the sense of 'people we would consider children are considered adults and treated as such', yeah.

And I expect also in the sense of 'people who are not considered adults and who no one really wants fighting, but there is no true place of safety and no one wants them helpless, either, so'.

16. Firing upon a Combat Medic with clear insignia

Existence of combat medics with clear insignia is uncertain.

If they existed I'm sure Angband fired on them and tbh I wouldn't bet against anyone else doing so.

17. Summary execution

Okay, this can mean killing combatants who surrendered again, but to avoid double-counting let's say we mean non-combatants.

Well, Angband, regardless.

It would not surprise me if the Fëanorians did this in Menegroth, considering that Celegorm's servants expected to get away with murdering children, but that's not definite.

18. Rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution or forced pregnancy

Angband's Easterlings did this in Dor-lómin.

The rest of Angband…

It seems likely? In one context or another. But I don't think there are direct statements on it.

—Or actually I guess they made promises to Maeglin about Idril! Not sure if that should count when they didn't actually do anything and I'm not sure they ever meant to.

Eöl and Aredhel in the worst interpretation was not part of a war. It was a crime crime and a diplomatic disaster.

Celegorm and Curufin's behavior towards Lúthien was only questionably part of a war and I'm not sure whether it qualifies here, so I'm going to say no.

Eighteen in the somewhat arbitrary list…

Fëanorians: Definitely five four (1, 3, 7, 8, 10), possibly/arguably as many as nine (1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17).

Non-Fëanorian Exiles: Definitely two (1, 10), possibly/arguably as many as five (1, 9, 10, 15, 16).

Iathrim+Lúthien&Beren: Definitely two (1, 10), possibly/arguably as many as five (1, 9, 10, 15, 16).

Dwarves of Nogrod: Definitely three two (1, 3, 8), possibly/arguably as many as five (1, 3, 8, 9, 16).

Host of the West: Definitely one (1), possibly/arguably as many as seven (1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 12, 16) (that's what you get for winning).

Angband and associates: Definitely thirteen (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18), possibly/arguably seventeen (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18).

Admittedly it's silly to look at Angband at all when it was in a constant state of total war against basically everybody…

#tolkien #unsolicited fandom opinions #pedantic woman strikes again #a tolkien tag #i know i know i'm no fun at all

[utilitycaster]

I haven't seen WBN, so I can't comment on the comparison, but on the subject of Liliana, one of my favorite parts of last night was how Matt anwsered Fearne's question about how Liliana got involved with Ludinus. The whole scene with Liliana was stellar, but that answer made it so clear that is she is in a cult. The way Ludinus found her while she was unsure and looking for answers, mentored her, and showed her the "truth" about Predathos is a classic cult recruitment story. And her reasonings for staying in the cult after having recognizing some of its faults also rang true. She needs to "protect the children", the methods are wrong but the "truth" at the heart of their mission is right, the us vs. them mentality and fear of the exandrian authorities, etc. And I can see how that can make her sympathetic. She was taken in and conditioned by a charismatic, powerful leader. But Matt and the others have also made it clear, including in that scene, that she is complicit, and that the pcs at least recognize that her guilt does not absolve her. The members of the Manson Family who committed the Tate Murders may have been indoctrinated by Charles Manson, but they still killed 5 people in an incredibly grusome manner. The fact that they were following orders doesn't absolve them of their crime. And historically, cult leadership (which Liliana seems to be) who attempt to "fix" a cult either don't make any meanful change, or actually make it worse. I, at least, am very curious to see what will have happened in that regard when she next shows up. In short, people need to learn about nuance, and maybe sociology, and the Liliana scene was fantastic.

Hello anon. Are you spying on my Discord messages. This is not an accusation but I literally brought up the Manson Family there in discussion of how a lot of the WBN fandom in that like, people see wizards of the citadel (rightfully) as The War-Mongering Establishment, but forget that actually, there exist plenty of counterculture groups that also suck and just bc the US Government does horrible things doesn't mean the Manson Family doesn't. What if the Citadel AND a lot of Witches fucking sucked.*

To get back to Critical Role though, YEAH the Vanguard has been hitting every single aspect of a cult, and look. I get that the best way to get people irl out of a cult is to just be present for them when they decide to leave and not cut them off (the same is true for how to help people in abusive relationships) but also once they start murdering I feel that is no longer the move. The Liliana scene made me deeply uncomfortable and unsettled in the best way, namely, I knew they were talking to a cult member who is in too deep for them to get her out right now, and who has done terrible things to innocent people in service to that cult. Which brings me back to the first paragraph: a very true twist on "what if both sides of a conflict sucked" is "what if the victim of a system can still perpetuate the harm of a system onto others". (Also, if we want to throw Midst into the list of things where people have no-nuance no-sociology takes, and talk more about Steel? "what if someone with power within a system can still be a victim thereof."

Like, that is a really consistent set of issues in media analysis, actually. There's a lot of "this is the good side, and this is the bad side," and "this is a victim, and this is a perpetrator" and no understanding of "both sides are bad (or even complicated)" and "wow it's almost like the way systems and especially cults keep running is because everyone except the very top is to an extent a victim, but also everyone is a perpetrator." Very few people are unfettered evildoers doing it just for kicks. You can have sympathy for Liliana and also acknowledge that it's pretty valid for Orym to have no room for that sympathy. Traumatized and manipulated people can still be shitty people.

*I'm neutral-to-faint-positive on Suvi/Ame as a ship but actually "wow both our establishments really suck, how can we make something better together" is a great basis for a ship and "oh my god no witches are perfect and right and wizards are Bad and Wrong you're so correct about everything" is a dogshit basis for a ship which I think is worth highlighting given that we are in fandom spaces here although I may come to regret this when I'm sober.

#cr spoilers

[fuck-customers]

🎂(8/21/23) This will be a bit long but now that I don't work at the bakery anymore I felt like sharing the list of things that customer's did that genuinely irked me amongst other feelings:

Things customers do or say at work that make me want to commit a war crime (+ my thoughts I can't say outloud):

"I want to get one of everything. 🤪" (Fun fact, 1 of everything is about $100)

"I'm shouldn't even be in here right now." (Then why are you???)

"I'm breaking my diet for this." (I don't care.)

I shouldn't be eating this I'm diabetic." (I have family that's diabetic. Please actually take care of yourself. 😐)

Does __ count for the B5G1F?" (No, it's actually only the vanilla cake squares. /s)

"Can I have one of that and one of that?" (The name. Is on the display case. SAY THE GOD DAMN NAME.)

"Are yall still open?" (You were able to open the door weren't you? You were able to step inside…weren't you??)

"Wow I got here just in time huh?"

(Yeah. You did. Now hurry the fuck up.)

after paying for the things they've already wanted "Can I actually get _ too?" (I can't really tell you no but holy shit why did you just now think of this?)

after paying for their things they proceed to look at all the merchandise and find something else "I'm gonna get this too." (Of course you are. 😐)

points at the devil's food cake, which is clearly labeled "Is this a brownie?" (Does it look??? Like a brownie??? If you move to your left about 4 feet you'll see actual brownies.)

"Can I get a devils food cake square?" "With which icing?" "…what do you mean?" "We have 3 different icing flavors for the devils food cake. Which icing?" "Oh. Chocolate. :)" (Fuckin- you can clearly see that we have 3 different icing flavors on display why is this so hard.)

"I don't get how you can work in here." (I need a paycheck and I get a good discount.

Also after a while you get bored of all the sugar.)

"I wouldn't be able to work in here. I'd eat everything. Haha" (Haha, yeah, I bet you would. 🙄)

literally anyone who comes in reeking of weed (…can you don't though? Idec that you smoke but why are you coming in when it's so strong???)

"Can I get a pint/quart of this flavor of ice cream?" (…why. I hate making pints and quarts its stupid and if the ice-cream is super frozen it's an actual pain in the ass.)

any family of 5+ that comes in all wanting ice cream (Please go away.)

"Can I get the pieces that have a lot of icing?" (Not really, cause the baker spread it pretty thin.)

*grown adult gets pouty when they realize that the cake squares I gave them had a

thinner layer of icing than the display* (Much like when you were a kid, pouting doesn't help. Do you want the cake or not?)

someone asks how good a certain item is I generally say it's pretty/really good. "Oh, its just pretty good?" (Yeah, cause I'm not a huge fan of that item. But you might like it cause, you know, different taste.)

Literally anyone who doesn't know the pick up name for a cake, or any details about the cake.

Wanting a fondant cake with a 24 hour notice and getting upset when we can't do it (fondant takes a least 2 days to dry)

People who forget which store they placed their order at. (We only have 2 locations????)

People who don't understand that we close early on Sundays.

People who leave the store reeking of weed. Like, the smell stays for like 5 minutes.

People who come in for a specific flavor that

we've never made. And get upset that we dont/wont/can't make it.

Everyone who doesn't understand that pumpkin spice and carrot cake are seasonal flavors that replace each other during the year. (And no. We can't just make you a carrot cake cake during pumpkin spice season because we physically don't have the ingredients.)

Everyone who doesn't understand the big 5 get 1 free deal.

People who try to open the door an hour before we open or an hour before we close and look visibly upset when they see me not move to let them in like we arent???? Open???

People who don't even try to open the door at our smaller store and think we're closed when we are open. (And people are often inside.)

People who try to hold a conversation for way too long

People who don't take an extra 2 minutes to look for what they want before asking me

where it is only for it to be a foot to their left.

People who dawdle at closing time.

People who leave their phone/cask/card in their car and have to run out to get it. They normally don't notice until their rung up.

People who try to break a $100 bill within the first hour of being open then get surprised when we don't have enough change to do that.

One of the worst interactions I had was in the bakery. This lady asked me if the strawberry cheesecake was good. I said "if you like strawberry it is." I guess that offended her somehow and she made it her mission to see my try a piece so I can tell her if it's good.

The problem with her plan is I'm allergic to strawberries. She was not having any of my "lies" and found anyone and everyone one and told them I am a horrible worker because I refused to "accommodate her request." She eventually ran into the only douche canoe manager we had at the time and got him to start insisting I try a bite to make her happy. I ended up just walking out on the rest of the shift and he tried to write me up. HR forced him to drop it when I threatened to sue.

-Rodney

[dgtn]

Hey all! So I wanted to take a few to introduce myself. Another blogger did this a few days back and I was just like omg I need to do that too!

So my name is Diane and I am at midlife now in terms of age. I have been married for over 20 years and have 2 amazing kids, a young man and a daughter.

We live in Tennessee. I love so many different genres of music - my playlist has everything from BTS to Carrie Underwood, Troye Sivan, Coldplay, Bon Jovi, Metallica, Aretha Franklin…you name it…it’s probably on my list!

Outside of BTS and Jikook I love spending time with my family, health, fitness, and making jewelry, and yes that includes BTS themed jewelry of course 😏

My favorite shows to watch are crime dramas and anything sci fi. I’m a huge Star Wars fan (I still remember going to see A New Hope when it came out!)

I have 5 fur babies- 4 dogs and a cat. We also have a gecko.

I am a cancer survivor, coming up on 8 years now. I've also had brain surgery - crazy crazy!

So now that that’s out of the way….let’s talk BTS.

I’ve always heard the saying: you don’t find BTS, BTS finds you when you need them. This is true for me too (more on that later ).

I discovered BTS when I heard Butter for the first time back in 2021. I thought it was a catchy song and wanted to know more about the band behind the song. And so it began. I looked up BTS on the internet and the first member I came across? Jimin of course. My first thoughts were my god he is gorgeous. And his voice - are you kidding me! I’ve been around a long time and I have never heard a voice like that! So of course I needed to know more. Next came Jungkook. Uh….wow! That man is beautiful too! And his voice! I mean come on!!!! I had never heard of kpop before BTS so I had no idea about the world of kpop or any of its inner workings.

So into the world of BTS I dove. I went on line and started watching their music videos and started listening to more of their music and really really liking it. I slowly discovered the world of BTS online; Bangtan Bombs, In The Soop, Lives, Run Episodes, etc. Of course, watching all of these...I started to wonder, what's up with Jimin and Jungkook? Definitely caught a different vibe from them. So.....started watching jikook videos. Then, I discovered GCFT - and that sealed the deal for me. No looking back from that point. I remember the first time I watched it (yup, like yourself Ive watched it way more than once!!!) I was blown away and my reaction was "these 2 are in love with each other".

I absolutely love love love Jimin and Jungkook (as I’m sure you can tell from my blog!). I love them as individuals and I love them as a couple. They have something SO very special together and I just get so much joy out of seeing their relationship now and how it has grown over the years. They went from seriously crushing on each other in the early days of BTS to being in a long term fully committed monogomous relationship. I do believe that they are in this for life and have committed to each other for life. What that exactly looks like I'm not sure as they are still "In the Closet". My hope for them is that one day they will be able to show us their love for each freely and openly.

So getting back to BTS and how they found me when I needed them. I am officially mid life, in my 50's. I have always been a stay at home mom. My son is high functioning autistic. Throughout his schooling we really struggled with finding the right fit for him academically. When we moved to TN we eventually decided to home school him which became a huge priority of mine. Homeschooling was not easy. When he graduated high school it was such an accomplishment. I will admit that it also left me very emotionally drained. Being a mom in general is really hard (best job in the world!!!). We always put our children first before everything else; it's just what we do.

As my children have grown and continued to become more independent I actually started thinking about what I want to do for me. It's a foreign concept because as a mom I've never really thought that way. That was right about the time I discovered BTS (see where I'm going with this?). Their message of love yourself, take care of yourself, was something that really resonated with me. I know it might sound crazy but that "glow up" that some people have experienced through BTS happened to me too. I have found the time to "love myself" as BTS says. I am really putting myself first for the first time in my life. I am still here for my family 100% but I am also finding the time to take care of myself :) I am on that journey to find balance in my life and BTS has most definitely played a big role in that!

I absolutely love BTS as a band and as individuals. I have really enjoyed getting to know them and I look forward to sharing my love of BTS and jikook with all y'all for years to come :) I have met some wonderful people through Tumblr; some of whom I have become very close to and consider dear friends; and I feel so grateful and blessed to have these peeps in my life. I am really excited to see what the future holds for these 7 incredibly talented young men who came into our lives.

One thing for sure, The Best is Yet To Come.

Xoxo 😘

#me as a blogger

[gh0stlyfixation]

Winter

Part one

Paring Simon Riley x fem winter soldier reader, uses she/her, using Y/N.

Warnings: none? Let me know. May have put you inside of she/her in some spots haven't written like this in a while.

A/N: This is set after End Game, Nat and Steve are still around. This does not follow any of the MARVEL plot and it's move of a love story than action-packed. Not sure how this will play out, may be a mini series or another longer series if y’all like this part. This is just a test run really, so please let me know what y’all think.

Winter master list

“By the United Nations, we hereby pardon James Barnes and Y/N Y/L for all forced crimes committed. Both parties have agreed to court-mandated therapy and the court place of residence. James Barnes will reside in New York and Y/N Y/L will reside in her chosen place of Manchester England. Each party will be allowed to resume work with SHEILD, the newly founded organization after the HYDRA overthrow.”

That’s how she found herself here, alone in an unfamiliar town with unfamiliar faces. She hated it but as part of her pardon, she’ll stay as long as she needs to. She looks up at the three stories building full of apartments. She didn’t have much but the money the government gave her, would help. After all, they did provide a place to live with the necessities she needed.

“Door 102.” She says quietly to herself as she twists her head each way. Her eyes land on the number 102, she searches for her keys, and in the corner of her eye she sees a masked man doing the same with his door. She doesn’t question it though. The tenant told her of her neighbor, a masked man, quiet and reserved, in the army never really home much, but Jesus he could pick a better mask.

It didn’t help she was an ex-criminal, all her red alarms signaled in her brain, but she was able to ignore them. The words have been wiped from her memory, she now holds her notebook of herself in her bag so she can lock it away and never see it again. She realizes she’s been staring too long and mumbles a sorry to the man before hastily unlocking her door and shutting it.

The man recognizes her from the news he’s watched, an ex-criminal that was tortured and granted a pardon but also a hero who brought down Thanos. What in the hell is she doing here? Now that he was retiring, forcefully, medically discharged, he had nothing to do. The girl intrigued him, he wanted to know more about her kind, not that she’s a different species, just the serum and its effect, but he knew damn well that was classified and personal.

Simon showers and sits down on the couch and pulls his laptop out and sees if he can find any information on her, why is she here, this is creepy, he thinks, fuck what else can I do? He yells at himself but he continues to look her up.

The winter soldiers, James and Y/N have been pardoned following specific guidelines made by the United Nations. Those have been kept confidential but we are glad to see they are free as the crimes they have committed were forced by brainwashing, manipulation, and other tactics of fear. We know James “Bucky” Barnes was captured during World War Two and Y/N Y/L during the 50s, both in and out of a cryo freeze preserving their body’s as if they haven’t aged a day. Congratulations and may the rest of their lives be peaceful. A news person spoke.

Simon scoffed, her life will never be peaceful, she’s been through hell and back. He doesn’t know what to expect of his new neighbor, the last ones were quiet, and he hopes she will be too. He knows the walls are thin so when he hears the phone ring he thinks it’s his, but stops when his phone doesn’t light up.

“Hello?” her voice spoke, it was on edge, “I’m fine Fury. I'm supposed to be at the base tomorrow morning to meet Natasha … yes, thank you for letting her come, it certainly makes things easier for me … Fury? Really?” He hears the slight humor in her voice but knows that her face is stoic, it had to be. “We’ll tell Steve and Bucky that I’m fine and to stop worrying. They can call me a whine..” You grumbled, “okay bye.”

Fuck these walls need to be thicker, Simon thinks. What base is she talking about. It certainly isn’t the British base. Is there a SHEILD base? There was, about 20 minutes from here know that he remembers.

She glances around her apartment, it’s furnished, at least. Needs a few decorations. Maybe Nat can help with that, not now though I need to sleep, it’s late. She wonders to the bedroom and thank the heavens there were sheets and a comforter. After changing into a pair of leggings and a t-shirt she hops in and quickly falls asleep.

Simon sat in the quiet reading a book he picked up from the shelf, this shit is boring, he says to himself. That’s when he hears faint quiet screams, mumbled almost. His ears start to perk up and realizes it’s the new neighbor. Fuck these thin walls! Something could be wrong. Simon argues with himself but when the noise starts getting louder he runs to her door and knocks, but no answer. He twists the knob and thankfully it opens, she needs to fucking lock her door, what is she stupid?

No, because she can kill someone in point two seconds. But he runs to the screams and finds her sweating in her bed. A night terror. He knows how to wake one up properly without a fight or struggle, he nudges her arm hard a few times then lightly once she starts to calm down, “wha-what- who are you?” She scrambles to her feet, pissed that she let her skills out the window. She tugs down her sleeve and Simon sees metal flash by her now covered hand.

“You had a night terror. The walls are thin and the door was unlocked. I’m your neighbor Simon.” His voice was soft and deep.

She stands there for a moment, embarrassed at herself. “I’m sorry.” she tells him

“It’s no problem, um, I have them too. I'm ex-military. It happens.” He says, trying to relate himself to her.

“Oh, well maybe we can help each other then.” she shyly says. What the fuck is wrong with you! Why are you getting shy? She yells at herself. Simon smiles slightly under his mask, she doesn’t notice though, “you know when we start to scream? So we don’t wake the rest of the building.” She explained clasping her hands together in front of her.

Simon looks up at her and nods, “it’s probably best. Do you have an extra key?” He asked. She nods and looks for it on her nightstand that she threw her wallet and essentials in. She hands it over to Simon and he takes it in his hand. He pulls out his ring of keys and picks off the extra key to his door and hands it to her.

Ig’s silent for a moment but you sit back down on your bed. Does he know who I are? Who doesn’t, I’m all over the news. “Do you know who I am?” she quietly ask. She needed to know.

He looks into her eyes, “You're Y/N. I’ve heard about you.” He tells her honestly.

“Are you scared of me?” She thinks it’s a ridiculous question,

“What they say on the news, what your crimes were, what your capable of, doesn’t make you who you are. We both killed hundreds, but it doesn’t make us who we are. You’ve saved the world, give yourself the credit for that.” Simon tells her.

Who knew i’d be getting a pep talk from a stranger. You think. “You don’t know me though, what the news says, you don’t know the half of what I’ve done. I’m dangerous. Unpredictable.” She say.

He does not doubt that she's dangerous and unpredictable, he doesn’t know her and she’s right. “Well now that we’re neighbors and I no longer have a life, I hope to get to know you. Your the only interesting person around here anyways, besides that old man who’s constantly screaming at the kids down the hall.” Simon tells her.

“What? Don’t have any friends?” she tease, your face still stoic.

He rolls his eyes and gets up. “Go back to sleep.” He walks out the door back to his apartment, what the fuck was this feeling? Happiness? No, I rarely feel that. Is he a friend now? Fuck. What the fuck?

#simon riley imagine #simon riley x reader #simon riley #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley imagine #simon riley x y/n #simon riley x you #simon ghost riley #ghost x you #ghost x reader #cod mw2 x reader #cod mw2 #mw2 x reader

[sihakadan]

Arcane cast pining. That is all.

Fuck me, I'm going to die. It is either angsty or so deep it's gross with me. So much fluff lol. These are not established relationships with the reader, just if they were wanting it bad.

SFW, just some language

Have a request, looking for something, or have questions? Check out my master list

•🐀Silco

-Favoritism is a problem if he likes you. Jinx gets away with literal terrorism, just think of the war crimes you could commit and he'd just say it was your favorite holiday tradition.

-He gives you very subtle hints because he isn't sure if you feel the same way and doesn't want to make you uncomfortable

-You do, however, receive lots of flowers from a mysterious 'admirer'. They always seem to be delivered when you are in his office, working. "Ah, more flowers? This 'admirer' must be very smitten with you."

-You know he really likes you when he asks Jinx to not terrorize you or be rude towards you

•💣Jinx

-She makes you personal little drawings and your own little mascot, like her monkey

-Is a little touchier with you. If you are uncomfortable with that, she will request air hugs/ high fives often

-Names one of her grenades after you. Always draws a heart on it and it emits your favorite color smoke when it blows up

-Lets you hang out in her lair with her and touch her things. This is where she is the most vulnerable and only Silco and you are allowed in.

•⌛Ekko

-Is a bit oblivious at first that he may have feelings towards you

-Watches you a lot. Not in a creepy way, he is just fascinated by how you move, talk, act.

-Even if it pisses you off, he does not like to take you on missions or give you dangerous task. You know how to take care of yourself, but he has lost so many and if he lost you-

-Shows you his workspace and makes little gifts for you to keep on your windowsill.

•🦇Scar (bat guy from the Firelights)

-Since he doesn't really talk, actions and body language is how he communicates

-He is like Ekko and observes. If you catch him looking, he gives you a sweet smile and nod

-You get to hold and play with the baby more than anyone else in the Firelight base. It wrecks him because it is so cute watching you two together

-Brings you little gifts like pretty little rocks and shells, a book, things that interest him to share with you

•💪Vander

-He is pretty upfront about it, but he backs off a bit if you get embarrassed by the attention

-You never pay for your drinks, no matter how many times you try. He once gifted you back all the money you had given him for the drinks. Thought he was really clever about it.

-His eyes brighten around you, and he never stops smiling at you when you talk. Just hearing your voice makes him happy.

•🔥Finn

-You get spoiled. What kitten wants, kitten gets

-You get your own security detail, the best clothes, invited as his plus one to all the parties.

-He isn't ashamed to let you know his feelings, but how deep they are he will never share because he is too afraid someone will use you against him. He'd raze the undercity if you were ever hurt.

-Will actually share silent moments with you because they can be comfortable, but he is giving you the 'fuck me' eyes the whole time

•⚒️Jayce

-He tries to impress you a lot. It can be overwhelming, but he is just nervous that maybe you won't feel the same

-Flowers, candy, jewelry all the time. Will tell you they're from him but he won't tell you why he gave them to you. "I just think you deserve something for your hard work." (Viktor will literally bang his head on the desk because how can his friend be such an idiot?)

-Tells you about his dreams and hopes. It makes his heart swell when he sees how your eyes sparkle when he talks about making things better

-Viktor will throw a book at Jayce if he doesn't admit his feelings for you because, damn it, it is interfering with their work! (He also thinks you two were made for one another)

•📖Viktor

-Smooth with flirting, but if you flirt back, he won't know what to do. He isn't used to someone returning the interest.

-Asks you to get coffee with him daily on his breaks or the one he will take because Jayce demanded he move from his spot in the lab. Walks with you around campus if the weather permits. If not, you both sit in the lounge and talk about little things.

-Gives you lots of books and leaves notes in them for you, like which part was his favorite or what he thinks you would be interested in

-If he has to go to events, you are going with. You two stand back and laugh together about how everyone looks like they're walking with a stick up their ass.

•🖌️Mel

-Invites you to lots of places, to spend as much time as she can with you even while it is for work purposes

-Gets your favorite treats delivered to you.

-Straightens your clothes or hair while talking to you. It is a habit, and it is how she shows affection, but it can be taken as 'you look dreadful, let me fix you'. She means well by it.

-Shows you all her paintings and even teaches you a bit. Even if you are terrible at it, it is not the point, and she is happy to share a passion of hers with you.

•🚬Sevika

-You get silent conversations with her a lot. All she has to do is look at you and you know what it means. Not a word needs to be said.

-She is soft with you, but in a very romantic way. Brushing your cheek with her fingers, glaring at people who are getting too close, telling you that she will protect you

-She can't get you flowers but pays your tab at the bar. To her it is the same thing

-Teaches you cards so you both can gang up on the others and wipe them out of their money

#arcane netflix #arcane #arcane league of legends #arcane league of lesbians #arcane silco #arcane jinx #arcane ekko #arcane scar #arcane vander #arcane finn #arcane jayce #arcane viktor #arcane mel #arcane sevika #mel medarda #jayce talis #arcane headcanon #arcane firelights #arcane x reader

[questforgalas]

Sibling moments in the Bad Batch that live rent free in my head

S1E3 "Replacements"

Omega as youngest smallest sibling and getting the floor to sleep on

The shove backwards to have a sibling meeting about a sibling

Wrecker's second youngest energy

"Yeah add it to the list" as Echo casually noms on his ration bar

Tech COMPLETELY ignoring Echo as he rattles off about the ship's state LITERALLY RIGHT NEXT TO HIM

"Repairs would go faster if I had some help" combined with pointed head tilt and glare. A+ passive sibling sass Echo

"I thought you said they were defective?" Echo loves to call out Tech

"Getting thrown out of hyperdrive. I'd say that's pretty critical Tech." "It's not affecting life support. We are fine." "Are you kidding me?" Siblings 101: maintain sass levels at all times even when crashing towards a planet

Hunter's glare at Tech

Hunter's glance at Echo for support

Wrecker and Hunter both making sure Omega's strapped in

"We're gonna die we're gonna die we're gonna....be fine! We're gonna be fine"

THEIR CRESTFALLEN LOOKS WHEN OMEGA TAKES OUT CROSSHAIR'S KIT 😭😭😭

Allow me to go feral over over analyze this scene because it's one of the best examples of siblings confused and betrayed but still sad

Tech's sigh and frown deepening, eyes never leaving the kit

Hunter's deeeeep sigh and the way his shoulders sag

Hunter's glance away and eyebrow furrow when he says "Crosshair"

Echo's careful observation of Tech and Hunter

Echo's sad glance down when Hunter finishes explaining

Omega's big sad eyes 😭😭

Literally none of them take their eyes off of his kit

"I'll say it. I kinda miss 'im" and Tech immediately glances back down at the kit

Hunter's eyes softening and the brief nod he gives

"He shot you, remember?" "Ha! I sure do! That hurt!" Wrecker may be confused and hurt by Crosshair but he is still so proud and impressed by his sibling I cannot with him

The hope in Wrecker's voice and the hopeful glances they all share talking about the inhibitor chip

Hunter going full big brother mode focusing on the task at hand

Love the rollercoaster of going from soft, confused siblings to Tarkin experimenting on my fave. I want to throw a rock at his head

"Careful, those capacitors hold a massive charge" at the literal experimented genius. Echo is the sibling who needs to explain everything

"I'm a little busy at the moment"

Echo and Hunter both have the same tone and drawl when they say "Tech" in an exasperated way and that's hilarious

"That would've been good to know beforehand, Tech" Echo is so done with and also loves Tech so much

FUCK THAT LAST ONE REALLY HURTS NOW

"I'm part of this squad too now, right?" followed by Echo's shoulder shrug at Hunter like "I don't fucking know what else do we do with her?" was literally my siblings every time they had to babysit me

Hunter's "what's the worst that could happen?" shrug at Tech

Now for the scene that whenever someone says "Hunter doesn't care about Crosshair he never shows any emotion towards him" I will shove their face in the screen and make them watch until their little brains comprehend it

Little Omega copying everything Hunter does down to the same knee bend and finger sifting of the dirt

Omega asking a question every 10 seconds while Hunter is trying to complete a mission

"Can I learn to track like you?" BABES 😭

Hunter's glance back at "Crosshair" and the deep sigh he follows it with

His eyes widening and then turning down with sadness and some anger

Hunter's shoulder sagging sigh at "He can't help it"

"I'm angry at myself. We don't leave our own behind" someone sedate me

Hunter's determined nod after Omega says they'll find a way to get Crosshair back

Cut to the toothpick committing war crimes. IT'S FINE it's fine, he's just going through some things *anxiously sweats in Crosshair fan*

"I tracked the dragon, like you did" Omega is so precious dear god

"Is that my blaster?!" A+ older brother slightly concerned and slightly proud

Crosshair standing to glance around their barracks (keep in mind, last time we saw him enter them, he just shoved his way in, not giving anything a second glance, and in this shot we follow his gaze go across Tech and Hunter's bunks that still have their markings on them)

THE GLANCE DOWN AND PAUSE AT THE MISSIONS BOARD SERIOUSLY SOMEBODY SEDATE ME

Obviously all of these are solo and not actually interaction with the Batch, but Crosshair's slow walk to his bunk to be followed by a deep sigh and obvious look of contemplation/thinking on his face is 10000% him thinking about his brothers you cannot tell me anything differently because you are wrong they set it up for exactly that and the lone shot of him on his bunk, shoulders slumped and clearly defeated wrecks me

"Yeah took you long enough" Wrecker your brothers literally just fixed an entire ship

Hunter's fond and proud look at Wrecker as he unveils the room to Omega 😭😭

Just, like, Hunter that whole scene

Echo's tap on Wrecker's shoulder and his and Tech's approving glances at him

#tay rewatches the bad batch #the bad batch #star wars #hunter #echo #tech #wrecker #crosshair #omega #divider by djarrex

[davidmariottecomics]

Stuff That Sucks, Part 2 (Not Everything is Terrible)

Hello! 

This is going to be a long one covering a lot, so y'know, feel free to take breaks, stretch your legs, get some water. Take care of yourself. Because I took one week off and man, there is toooooooo much to talk about! One of my first blogs on my site, way back when was called "Stuff That Sucks, Part 1" in which I went over a bunch of stuff in the world that was bad. This time, I'm kinda revisiting that idea, but am also trying to put some silly or nice or just life-updatey things inbetween the bad stuff to have some balance, as much for myself as for anyone else! 

Palestine

Since I've last posted about Palestine, a ceasefire agreement has been floated. Early reports were expecting it to be resolved this weekend, but we'll see. It's hard to be optimistic (generally, given the state of the world) after 120 days of violence and an agreement that's still seeking pause more than permanence (and, in that, seems more for the benefit of the aggressor). But maybe something good can come of it. 

I also believe that it is because of the actions of brave people all around the world that we're starting to see more pressure and movement to resolution. Obviously, there are plenty of people and places who got it right in the first place, like South Africa bringing Israel to the International Court of Justice on genocide charges (still in review, but the ICJ did impose their rulings to not continue to kill people or commit war crimes and Israel... has ignored that). But there have also been so many protests, actions like last week's Global General Strike, and continued efforts in hitting them where it hurts (the pockets) with concentrated BDS plans. Even if it's happening slowly, minds are changing. The latest AP poll shows 1 in 2 adults in the US thinks Israel has gone too far, which I'm sure is bolstered by the repeated statistics that over 27,000 people have been killed, over 66,000 wounded, 85% of the population has been displaced, 25% is facing starvation, aid continues to be blocked, and hospitals and journalists continue to be targeted. 

But, even if things seem to be developing, don't slow down on the pressure and the help.You can still contact your representatives: Call. Fax.Email. Contact the White House. Join actions from organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace, American Muslims for Palestine, and the Democratic Socialists of America, or whatever local organization is making efforts near you. If spending money brings you any comfort and you feel a need to put something into good practice, the Cartoonist Cooperative's page still lists a ton of resources for E-Sim cards.

The other thing that feels obvious to say, but I won't not say it anyway, is even if the coming week does bring a ceasefire and some sort of agreement or resolution, the work's still not done. There will be so much rebuilding to do and aid needed in Palestine. There must be measures taken to not allow this to happen again. Even if Palestinians are given full free unfettered access without the threat of violence to Gaza and the West Bank, they're still living under colonization. There're so many other places that are getting wrapped into this in various ways (like the US getting into it with Yemen and Syria). And, of course, there are still so many other places under similar circumstances, like Ukraine and Sudan. The work will change, but it won't cease. 

(SIDE NOTE: You'll notice that one of the organic boycotts noted by BDS is Wix. I know a lot of people, particularly young people who are in school/freshly out of school use that for their portfolio sites. Might be worth looking into other options)

Barbie and Godzilla Okay, I'm going to try to alternate serious things with less serious ones. Because I didn't post last week, I am late entering the Oscar conversation, but my two cents is that Barbie did just fine (though... really, nominating Ryan Gosling for Ken???) with what they got. If there was one significant snub this year, it's that Godzilla Minus One only got a single nomination, when it rightfully should've been a contender in all major categories. Like, it was certainly the best picture I saw last year. 

KOSA and the Invest in Children Act

I've talked about KOSA a few times here. It's the "Kids Online Safety Act" and it's notable for being bullshit. So, tell your reps to vote no. The reason KOSA sucks--as if the CEO of X being in favor of it wasn't enough--is it doesn't actually addresses the problem it claims to, but is a tool of censorship overreach. As has always been the case, preventing access to information doesn't stop people from seeking it, it stops them from getting accurate information and limits who is in the conversation. So, while KOSA seeks to "hold companies responsible for eating disorder and suicide content" or whatever to protect the kids, as co-sponsor of the bill Senator Marsha Blackburn has LITERALLY SAID, (quoted here from the Melissa Mira Grant article linked above) “Protecting minor children from the transgender [sic] in this culture and that influence,” is one of the most important issues conservatives can take a stand on now, Blackburn said, in an interview with the Family Policy Alliance, a group pushing anti-LGBTQ rights laws. “And I would add to that, watching what’s happening on social media. I’ve got the Kids Online Safety Act.” This bill, she claimed, “would put a duty of care and responsibility on the social media platforms, and this is where children are being indoctrinated.… They���re getting onto YouTube to watch a video, and all of a sudden this comes to them.” 

Other advocates against KOSA have pointed out that not only is it seeking to further marginalize queer folks, but it'd also be bad for sex workers (who we'll get back to in a second), and potentially abortion information, as well as actual resources for people who are seeking help with disordered eating or suicidal thoughts. The only "good" that comes from this bill is, well, if you're an evil person in a governmental position looking to suppress information, you can do that if it passes. And if you want points for "protecting the kids", the name says you get them to people who don't know what's actually happening. 

BUT, with all that said, instead of just saying to reject KOSA, we now have legistation we can point to as what we want instead: the Invest in Children Act! Unlike KOSA, or it's shitty predicessor, EARNIT (which I've also previously rallied against), the ICA actually seems interested in fixing the problems that do actually exist in the gaps between internet companies that already widely report issues of child sexual abuse online and a lack of action from NCMEC and the DOJ. But, y'know, the name isn't as snappy and this bill would actually protect children (something that given their response to what's happening in Palestine and the US, most of our representatives don't actually care about) and would do good for the world, so unfortunately my expectations are low. 

(SIDE NOTE: Because this literally just happened while I was writing--I was listening to music on YouTube [not that they're great either because, I guess just everything is terrible now, but nominally better than Spotify???] and the video for Collective Soul's The World I Know was next in my queue and it paused. Y'know why? Because the website's already set up to tell me if a video may have references to suicide or self-harm! A thing that is already in place and doesn't need KOSA to happen!!!) 

Original Comic Art

Be on the lookout for a couple original pieces by J.G. Jones that were stolen from him at OAX. Poor guy had these commissions stolen from his table during the show and I'm sure everyone in the situation (barring the thief) would like to see this beautiful Poison Ivy and Fairchild go to their proper homes. And, semi-relatedly, there have been a lot of creators this week announcing they're parting ways with their current art dealer and if you'd like a commission or to buy their art, you should contact them directly. I don't have a full list, but if you were in the original art market right now, might be worth double-checking where you can make your purchases from. 

The War on Porn and Trans People

As if KOSA wasn't enough, it's been a bad few weeks for y'know, most people. In Oklahoma, a bill was introduced that sought to criminalize porn on an incredibly wide definition, brought forth by the sort of far-right Christian who despite being a preacher, has literally 0 understanding of what the Bible actually says because to him, religion is not about practice or belief in a shared understanding of how the universe was formed and how we got to this point, it's a tool of control.

There's a report that the owner of OnlyFans pleged $11 million to a pro-Israel group in the last few months. He has denied that claim. Regardless, as these things so often do, it has dragged performers on the site into the conversation despite A. OnlyFans not (yet) being a BDS target and B. with everything else going on, there are only so many places to move to left. At time of posting, PornHub is blocked in... 6 states. There are a lot of walls being thrown up to try to limit our access to adult material and further deplatform and marginalize sex workers, which was already a massive problem and it sucks. 

Meanwhile, this week, Florida's trying to revoke trans people's driver's licenses and Ohio's banning trans kids from sports or gender-affirming care in their quest to ban trans people from existence entirely. And these are part and parcel of the pattern of trying to further criminalize, censor, and legislate women's bodies, trans bodies, sex workers, and anyone who isn't a cis straight white man. In the US, the New York Times, and in the UK, the Guardian are both doing the Tim Robinson hot dog "we're all trying to find the guy that did this" thing despite how much anti-trans bullshit they've spread. 

As there are more bills introduced that forbid (or have to shield against consequences for) interstate travel of trans people and people seeking abortions, we're really reaching a breaking point and coupled with the dissatisfaction of both promient Presidential candidates for their records of *checks notes* inaction or hostile action toward the majority of the American people... let's just say I'm not looking forward to how this year shakes out for the most part. 

Wedding Plans One exciting thing, though, is Becca and I soft-announced our wedding plans. We'd still like to try to organize something in San Diego for our friends and family presumably around SDCC time, but tha'ts up in the air because that's expensive and coming up much quicker than I think either of us would like with no plans firmed up. But our plan for the wedding itself has largely shifted to doing it internationally. 

We were always thinking of a honeymoon in Japan and now have kinda figured that if we're going to do that, instead of trying to do a ceremony in the US and then also pay for a trip, it's cheaper and maybe more special for us to roll it into a single plan. Becca's been looking a bit at Sanrio PuroLand, the Hello Kitty amusement park, because they have reasonable packages and you can bring in an outside coordinator (and we'd love to find someone who has experience with queer weddings in Japan, if anyone might have any recommendations). I'm not quite as sold, but that is generally what we're looking at. 

As things maybe solidify around SDCC or otherwise we get our picture all figured out for Japan, I'll share more news. 

Virgilio Mendez Virgilio Mendez is a 19 year old migrant who has been held for a crime he obviously didn't commit. He's been charged with aggrivated homicide for a cop who confronted him for the crime of being brown and not speaking English. Mendez was literally just on the phone, repeatedly communicated that he does not speak English (and recently the court found the case couldn't move forward because, as a product of that, he has no understanding of the American justice system), the cop harassed him, ultimately called back-up, the cops proceeded to batter and tase him, and then the original offending officer had a heart attack and died, as the coroner has reported, of natural and pre-existing causes, and all of that has been pinned on this poor kid's back. It's just depressing and despicable. 

Baldur's Gate

Okay, so... at one point I thought this was going to be shorter (haha, I don't know why I thought that) and I was going to talk about how I've been playing a lot of Baldur's Gate 3 and my thoughts on it. But I've run out of room for this time, and soooo... next week. I'm going to talk about BG3, Persona 5, Honkai Star Rail, and the ways that things that might activate similar sensations can leave you with very different impressions in the long term. But that'll be next week, so see ya then! 

New Releases (2/7/24) Godzilla Valentine's Day Special (Editor - IDW)

Announcements: Happy Black History Month! This week, I want to spotlight Clarence Matthew Baker! He is notable for being one of the first successful Black men in American comics and one of the first successful gay men! That's a lovely little profile of him and his work, including some classic Phantom Lady and It Rhymes With Lust! The man had gorgeous art and influenced comics so much, not in the least because his art was one of the primary examples of the "seduction" of Seduction of the Innocent, the famous anti-comics book that turned comics into a witch hunt for pornographers because the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

Check out my Patreon where you can access this blog as well as a ton of cool other stuff! Some recent highlights include the holiday catalog I made at the end of last year is now available to all backers (though $10+ backers got it almost 45 days early) and I've previewed some materials for something I'm working on and hoping to launch in the next month or two. Patreon will also be where I start posting some of my new original comics work later in the year, so keep an eye out for that too! 

You can also check out my webstore, my Kofi (I still need to throw up my updated Anti-AI Zine), and Becca's site (also pending a new update)! 

What I enjoyed this week: Nancy (Comic), Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Links (Video Game), Baldur's Gate III (Video Game), Blank Check (Podcast), Dungeons & Daddies (Podcast), The Traitors Season 2 (TV show), The Sopranos (TV show), Almost Famous (Movie), Heartburn (Movie), the mango pineapple chicken from the local Indian food place, getting new comics and making friends with an employee we don't know at the comic store (If you ever read this, hi, Clay @ Nuclear Comics North Park!), having had a good first couple of weeks at the new job! 

Pic of the Week: Feels like it has been a while since I did this, but here's a cute picture of Tiansheng for what it's worth, but Hourly Comics Day was this week and Becca put together some strips. First one's linked and you can find the rest on their Bsky page! 

#minus one snubbed #oscar snubs #godzilla #barbie was nominated for a lot and deservedly so #dumb cats #matt baker comics #wedding plans #personal update #world news #comic art theft #free palestine #free gaza #fuck kosa #stop kosa

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

It drives me up the fucking wall that on a purely theoretical level, Darkhold-controlled Wanda could indeed cause more destruction than Thanos, but as far as we know, she didn’t.

That said, imagine seriously thinking she actually killed more people than him. Thanos is hundreds of years old, and he was going from planet to planet “saving” them for probably centuries before Infinity War. Even if we assume Wanda destroyed Defender Strange’s Kamar-Taj (which I guess is possible), that still leaves her body count miles below Thanos’s. (Unless my cynical theory about her inadvertently causing incursions is true, but hopefully it isn’t.)

And also imagine seriously thinking Wanda is morally worse than Thanos. Even if I were to concede to her having destroyed multiple universes… none of it was her fault. Just like the incursion Illuminati Strange caused wasn’t his fault. Yes, wiping out quintillions of lives is an absolutely diabolical crime, but how much can a person who is under the control of an evil book and doesn’t even know such a thing is possible be blamed for what the book causes?

Those comments are insane and it's even crazier that they were upvoted. You know I always try to stay away from the "you hate this character because she's a woman" crowd but at some point I wonder, if Wanda was a man and Thanos a woman, would they be saying the same thing? I doubt it. Look at how mad they were at Carol for being so powerful and yet we never heard any complaints about Thor withstanding the power of a star or Thanos being capable of wielding the 6 stones for no freaking reason.

I will admit though I had never expected to read anybody writing "Thanos wanted existence to continue and not the genocide of imaginary infants". No, he didn't kill the imaginary ones, he killed very real ones across the universe.

But what I hate the most about these comments is the comparison purely based on what, number of victims? Wanda never killed so many people but even if she had... that's not enough to compare the two. That's like saying Steve and Bucky can be compared to Zemo and his squad in Sokovia only based on the fact that they're military or the number of deaths they caused. Zemo was a terrorist, Steve and Bucky were fighting the nazis. It's not the same thing.

This reminds me again of that post with all the Avengers listed next to the crimes they committed, it's such a superficial reading. But I'm not surprised with the way Marvel is handling the story lately: The Snap is treated as a joke, Loki claims in his show he went to NYC because he was mad at Thor and Odin, the Asgardians have a Thanos-themed ice cream in Norway... but Loki is blamed for the invasion, Bucky is told to make amends for what Hydra did and now Wanda is called worse than Thanos and the Darkhold's hold on her is completely erased (to be fair, that's what MoM did after the first 20 minutes so I'm not surprised these fans are doing the same).

With the amount of hate Wanda gets, I don't know how we got so lucky to have a show like WandaVision.

#wanda maximoff #pro wanda maximoff #anti thanos

[romancomicsnews]

Where would I put Chris Pratt in the DCU?

It's no secret director and now head of the DCU James Gunn loves himself certain actors.

He continues to add additions to his DCU from past work, including Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner and brother Sean Gunn as billionaire Maxwell Lord.

While these castings are both fun and exciting for the future of the DCU, since both of these castings, a realization came upon me. Jame Gunn will likely cast many of his friends into this universe. And while most are talented, accomplished actors, there is one man who has been looming over my soul...

Chris Pratt.

No do not get me wrong, he is a talented actor. From The Lego Movie to Guardians of the Galaxy, Pratt has a way of impressing me. Granted every now and then he is a Mario or an Owen Grady, but he continues to be a big star and be a draw for financial success. Which is kind of the problem.

I worry if Chris Pratt does join this universe, due to his stardom he likely will be given a major role. Granted I don't think Gunn would make him Batman, but could Peter Safran? Could larger execs?

He's a big white guy and a big draw. By that logic, he could play The Flash, Booster Gold, Green Lantern, or really anyone he chooses.

So in order to save those for actors who I can more properly see as those characters, I put together a few roles I think Chris Pratt can play in the DCU, some more fun, some more serious, some more longterm, and some for a fun one off, ending with the one I like most.

Let's start by going over a couple of things like:

What is Chris Pratt good at?

A lot actually.

Chris is very good at playing characters who are losers. From Star-Lord, Barley Lightfoot and Emmett, Chris voices or plays lovable underdogs really well.

Chris also loves playing army guys. It's clear from the Terminal List and Tomorrow War, he likes to be a soldier. Perhaps we find something military for the guy to do

The man can do funny, but has range. Particularly in James Gunn flicks, Star-Lord has some really emotional scenes that resonate every viewing. We don't have to go silly.

Other Stipulations

No matter who we pick, Chris Pratt will be compared to Star-Lord. It may be wise to stay away from characters like Star-Lord (so you won't be seeing Adam Strange, or Booster on this list).

Chris is also a draw right now, and a busy one at that. If he is entering the DCU, it may be smart to give him a vital role, but not one that needs to be in every movie. So we're probably not looking at Hal Jordan, but Kilowog isn't off the table.

Finally Star-Lord didn't wear his helmet at all last movie. So I'm guessing we'll want to pick a character where Chris can show his face.

5. Kite Man

We're starting off our list with a bit of a joke turned icon much like Pratt himself.

Kite Man is a C list villain who is often the butt of a joke and never taken extremely seriously. Chuck Brown uses Kites to commit crimes, and while he is an excellent glider, he's rarely ever a threat. He appeared in Batman the Brave and the Bold but is mostly known as a background character in the Harley Quinn Series.

While the character is usually around Gotham City, he could absolutely be put in any city in the DCU and make just as much sense. He could be fun as a one and done Batman villain, but even more fun as a recurring villain, kind of like Turk Barrett in the Netflix Marvel shows.

He's silly, pathetic, but likable, and leaves a lot of room for Pratt to make it his own. It feels like going back to his Andy Dwyer days, which could be fresh at this point.

While this is fun and I would love it, I don't know how overall useful this is of Pratts skills, or if him being so big takes away from the fun of Kite Man. It may be too small or too frequent for the mans schedule as well, but I thought it was worth a mention.

4. The Ventriloquist

If we wanted to tap Pratt's voice work and serious acting, The Ventriloquist is a character I've been hoping to see for quite awhile.

Arnold Wesker is a crime is a meek meager man who has a psychotic break and uses a puppet, nicknamed Scarface, to execute crimes and become a mob boss.

This is a a great duel role I think a comedian can strive in, and one that can push Pratt into another level as far as acting goes. It could put him in talks with actors like Paul Dano or Heath Ledger for the greatest Batman villain.

It also wouldn't be a role Pratt would have to do for long or frequently. He could be the start of the Batman trilogy and die in the first film.

My main concern is if he can pull off the meager nature of Arnold. I think an actor like Charlie Day, Ty Burrell or even Will Ferrell might put in a performance that get people talking about it much more.

Again I wouldn't be mad at it, it would definitely be a different and weird pick. But not my first choice for the character or Pratt.

3. Jor-El

I kind of love this one.

Jor-El is a role with big potential for a star. Being played by both Marlon Brando and Russell Crowe, it may require a modern day mega star. Is Pratt that mega star?

Utilizing Pratt here would be extremely different then how we've seen him before. He would be militaristic and more dramatic than we've seen him before. Plus he's big enough to believable be Superman's dad.

It may be smart to put Pratt in an older mentor role. But will he be too distracting as Jor-El? And is his voice as iconic as Brando or Crowe?

I think it's still a role I'd be happy to give to Pratt. But I have two more I think would be more fun for his set of skills.

2. Jay Garrick

He'd look pretty good in the tin hat.

Jay Garrick is the original Flash, a speedster who is often over 100 years old and a major mentor to Barry and Wally.

Now he may be very old but is often much more spry due to the speed force. And we can age up Pratt using VFX or just give him a little gray in the temples. Depends on how old you want to make him.

Having Pratt as the original Flash Jay Garrick would hint at a larger DC Universe, one with a Justice Society, and him play a role much different than Star-Lord.

As Jay, Pratt would be crucial to the universe but not as needed in the big team ups as Wally or Barry. If he did want a prequel, we can set one in WWII similar to the Justice Society movie.

As The Flash, Pratt can be funny, charming, but now wise and mentoring, which would be a good change of pace for Pratt. This would be a lock for me, if there wasn't a role I think he may nail even better.

1. Pat Dugan - STRIPE

A sidekick. A has been. A loser. Connected to a wider DC Universe. A Mentor. An inherently silly character. Very midwest.

Chris Pratt is Pat Dugan.

Originally the driver and sidekick for the Star-Spangled Kid who eventually became Star Man, Stripesy finds himself mentoring the younger new Justice Society after his step-daughter Courtney discovers Star Mans staff and becomes Stargirl.

Due to being useless in the past, he creates a make shift Mech suit known as STRIPE and uses it to fight evil with his step-daughter, who both form a special bond.

Pratt would be hitting many of the keynotes he's great at while playing a character extremely different from Star-Lord. Unlike Peter, Pat is very human, and relatable. He was not accepted as a hero during the Justice Society days, so he has something to prove, and feels tremendous guilt for what happed to his old team.

This would be a great role for Pratt. As secondary lead, he could appear in big team up movies, or stay out of the fight and be a mentor character only. He'd have a huge impact on the universe, be a window into the past, and play a role that is dramatic, funny, and gives us something new and different from what we've ever seen from Pratt.

I don't know if he should be, but if Chris Pratt is joining the DCU, he should be our STRIPE.

Thank you so much for reading! Please consider following, and check out my socials and other sites here! And let me know: Where would you put Chris Pratt in the DCU?

#dcu #dc comics #james gunn #dc universe #dceu #chris pratt #fancasting #fan cast #kite man #kite man hell yeah #ventriloquist #batman #jor el #krypton #superman #jay garrick #the flash #flash #speed force #pat dugan #stargirl #luke wilson #supergirl #superman legacy #arrowverse #star lord #peter quill #guardians of the galaxy

[bonefall]

How many cats die when Windclan gets chased out? Considering their list in Fire and Ice, you can’t tell that’s all there was before. There’s also a possibility that cats on Shadowclan’s side died too. Just how many cats died from this?

Can we call it the Windclan massacre if that’s the case?

Another thing, did kits/apprentices get stolen? It seems like Brokenstar would do. He stole his enemy’s young and will raise them to hate them and be loyal to him and his clan, to add to his victory of the war. I usually see Ratscar and Snowbird as stolen kits from this but there could’ve been more.

I mostly haven't committed any hard names yet, but I do plan for the losses to be massive. Some of them are infection-related deaths from the lack of herbs while exiled; in addition, Runningnose has a secret battle technique where he applies deathberry juice to the claws of warriors before a battle.

(Would that work irl? No. It's Rule of Cool babey. More war crimes for kitties.)

Brokenstar whittled down the number of warriors immensely while he was leader, leading a lot of underhanded ambush raids and plucking off individual warriors out of patrols... so a lot of the deaths at the WindClan Massacre were elders, and apprentices.

He would absolutely steal kits if he was able to. I didn't think about that before; so I've shuffled some steals in with the deaths. Ratscar and Snowbird won't be any of them, though! Ratscar was a young warrior who took part in this battle, and Snowbird won't be born until later; they are children of Appledapple (Applefur TF).

Apprentices are too old though. They'd just get slaughtered.

Deaths (not a comprehensive list, this is one of my first passes)

Wrenflight (I can't actually remember how she died in Onestar's super edition lol. She might not be his mom any longer though; pending changes)

Stoneclaw (his sister, Thrushwing, is also going to become one of my 'saves' and get some roles as a background character)

ALL elders. The timeline is still undergoing overhauling and some ages are being shuffled, but I'm planning for Cloudrunner, Ryestalk, and one of Tallstar's half-siblings to be there.

Whitetail's two siblings, who were all apprentices at the time. Whitetail is the sole survivor of her litter.

A queen. Unsure who; Ashfoot and Morningflower are both surviving.

TOTAL: 8

Steals (and some kits are probably going to be shuffled)

The dead queen's litter, something like 3 kits.

Two of Ashfoot's kits, Hillkit and Downkit. Shuffled out of Crowfeather's litter. Ashfoot was only able to grab Eaglekit in the chaos.

(Morningflower gives birth during the exile)

TOTAL: 5

ShadowClan Casualties

There were very few in comparison. Brokenstar and Runningnose prepared meticulously for this battle, Runningnose even came with the raiders to make sure they would get immediate first aid.

Still, even though they were ambushed in the middle of the night, WindClan was still defending its home and would fight ferociously. There were still deaths.

Because I'm reducing a lot of the short-sighted kit soldier deaths of Brokenstar's Tyranny, I may move up many of the slaughtered kits to die here; young warriors being used for this all-out assault.

That would be Brownpaw, Mosspaw, Badgerpaw, Blossomkit, and Swampkit.

I'm looking to kill about 4 - 5 ShadowClan warriors here.

#Bonefall Rewrite #Brokenstar #Brokenstar's Cataclysm #WindClan #ShadowClan #WindClan Massacre

[twiststreet]

I'm still playing the remake of Final Fantasy 7, though I'm now on the second disc, I think.

The second game, even more than the first, really brings home how Final Fantasy 7 is a Japanese videogame set in a bizarre fantasy universe where people take perfectly good marjoram and then throw it on the ground and leave it lying around for random mercenaries to pick up, while on their travels. But now Capcom or whoever is leveraging the power of next-generation consoles, so sometimes it's not marjoram that your character is scrounging around off the floor of a corporate warehouse like an urchin-- sometimes the herb-litterbugs are leaving around sage. Someday, they'll invent a console that can simulate a Japanese fantasy universe that is strewn with marjoram, sage, AND thyme, all three herbs. When that happens, the war with the machines will have begun. It's like the old nursery rhyme: "If the herbs are three, humanity must flee." God, I hate nursery rhymes... they think they're so smart...

It also turns out that the island nation of Japan has long wanted to remake Final Fantasy 7 in order to make a powerful statement: that the extremely-minor and easily-forgotten chararacter Biggs should be played by actor Charlie Sheen. The rest of the characters, you kind of say to yourself, "Oh that's the character that used to be made out of legos, except now they're sexy Westworld androids wearing thigh-highs and romancing twinks." All except one character, where it's just Charlie Sheen, and god help me, I don't know why.

All the Final Fantasy characters say "How are things going Biggs, played by actor Charlie Sheen" and he says "we have to save the planet." In real life, I think the actor Charlie Sheen seemed mostly dedicated to committing a series of sexual crimes too horrible to mention here, but in the fantasies of our neighbors to the East, he's basically what they imagine a rugged heroic ecoterrorist looks like. Science fiction really makes us ask the big questions, I guess, which is why we should stop it.

And the Charlie Sheen scenes are like a reward in the second game. I had to switch to Easy mode to get through the worst boss fight I've played in the game so far, I got so frustrated tonight-- the Gi Nattak Boss Fight, and once I finally cheated enough to beat it, the game said, "Here is your reward-- a scene of Charlie Sheen talking to a spikey-haired anime man." It's all a very strange reward system. If I won on Hard mode, would I have gotten to see Emilio Estevez have tea with Goku?? One hopes...

I don't remember the original game that much so it's a very strange experience, because it's either (a) things i find completely incomprehensible or (b) things I find completely incomprehensible but also feel this vague feeling of wistfulness towards, a like "I almost remember this, I almost remember... feeling young" feeling. The second disc is much weirder and sillier, than the first, and the things I don't remember that are really weird and inorganic is becoming a long list. (I didn't remember there being a talking robot cat). Barrett is still the best character, and someone should still basically go to jail for having written him...

Plus, they've remade the game but to build it out, they've just made it wall to wall minigames (and the herbs-- there's just herbs everywhere). I think it's trying to be like Yakuza, except the minigames in yakuza, you would try to help JAV actresses get better at darts or try to help Michael Jackson film the Thriller video-- there were real stakes. Final Fantasy 7, you're just constantly having to kill animals, to make a strange little robot boy tumescent. I kind of have stopped understanding the plot entirely, and I hate the little robot boy-- his torture of animals is an early sign of being a serial killer, Cloud Strife!!! A real vivid experience, overall though I think it'd lose a lot without the "oh, I remember being in Cosmo Canyon before, lifetimes ago, this is where we all get high and go to a planetarium, I used to be young, wha' happened" factor, which for me is sort of the whole experience.

#man is the deadliest game

[home-from-hogwarts]

Book Recommendations for Gryffindor

I'm just making these for fun! I'm looking for adventure books, or stories with a high emphasis on courage/chivalry/honor.

Nonfiction/Memoir:

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. The story of Louis Zamperini, who was an Olympic runner prior to WWII. He was later drafted and survived both being on a raft for over 40 days at sea, and then being held in horrible conditions by the Japanese as a prisoner of war. In light of Gryffindor specifically- his childhood antics and pranks are hilarious, and might remind you a bit of Fred and George. But more than that, he showed incredible bravery throughout the course of world war two.

Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford. I actually read this because JK Rowling said it was one of her favorite books! She's a socialite who rejected her (largely fascist) family in favor of communist politics, and ran away to marry her second cousin Esmond Romilly- who had himself left the family to join the Spanish Civil War. Basically everything about this book is hilarious, and I've read it multiple times. Bits of it will make you cringe, but it's absolutely worthwhile. After the book ends Jessica became a muckraker and worked in a civil rights organization. The story of a socialite running away and standing up against fascism (while at the same time being a bit young and immature) might remind you of Sirius Black, ngl.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. Being real... it's his mother's story, almost more than his. But she's definitely a woman to admire in my book! The book follows Trevor's life growing up as a mixed-race child under apartheid, as well as living in the shadow of an abusive stepfather. It's written in a very episodic way, and things aren't necessarily recounted consecutively. As you'd expect from a comedian, it's written in a very humorous and exaggerated way.

Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals. She was one of the Little Rock Nine, and her endurance during her years at Central High is amazing. I think on a conceptual level I understood the facts of what had happened before reading this, but I never really imagined what it would be like to sacrifice your high school years (and what should have been a happy time of your life!) to a cause greater than yourself like this. Her classmates treated her horribly, and reading this book makes you admire the entire group's commitment.

Fiction- Classic Lit + Modern:

Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green. Ok, the book was targeted at kids... But the charm of it is really in how old-fashioned the writing and sentiments are. It has a lot of emphasis on chivalry and courage, and both Robin Hood and Marian are the types of "paragon" characters who give you warm fuzzies to read about. Maybe try the Howard Pyle version if you want something that feels a little more adult- I've only read the L. Green edition, so that's what I'm recommending. (I'll add on that if you like this to try reading a version of King Arthur- it's the same Gryffindor feeling with its emphasis on chivalry and honor. I didn't want to recommend it because I haven't read it all the way through since middle school!).

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. Full disclosure- this is the only book in this list that I haven't finished. I'm reading it rn and I'm only a few chapters in, but I love it! This introduced the idea of a "masked hero" to literature, and the vibe of it- rebelling to stand up for the lives of other people- is very Gryffindor.

The Martian by Andy Weir. Wonderful story about an astronaut who gets left alone on Mars, and uses his ingenuity to survive. It could be a Ravenclaw book for that reason, but I think that the adventurous feeling will probably appeal most to Gryffindor type personalities.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I read this a few years ago, but I read it in just one day (which is a high recommendation!). The main theme is basically the intense rivalry between the greasers and the socs, and the fallout as a result of it. If I remember correctly the boys in it were all very loyal to each other, and I think the drama in it will probably appeal to those in Gryffindor house. You'll also understand this reference: "stay gold!"

Bonus: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Included for three reasons- a) another of JKR's favorite authors is apparently Jane Austen, b) the romance kind of reminds me of Jily, and c) Elizabeth is definitely a Gryffindor. I think this manifests mainly in her clear self-respect, particularly her commitment to only marrying for love even in the face of potential poverty. She doesn't try to be something she's not. This is a "bonus" because Jane Austen's subtle wit means that it could very easily be a Ravenclaw book.

#harry potter #book recommendations #gryffindor #bookblr #Hogwarts houses #hogwarts #classic literature #books #memoirs #fiction #novels #book recs #book recs by Hogwarts house #part 1/4

[bookoftheironfist]

Luke Cage interviewed by Ben Urich for The Pulse Defenders (2017) #1 by Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez, Justin Ponsor, Cory Petit, et al.

Full transcript below.

Luke Cage. Of the seemingly endless list of people who have taken on the role of protector of this city, this country, this planet and beyond...Luke Cage, for all of his in-your-face bravado, is actually one of the least controversial and most beloved members of the super-powered community. According to a recent Daily Bugle/Gallup poll, Luke Cage is actually the People's Choice to run for mayor of the City of New York--a role Cage is quick to reject. "Not my world" is all he had to say on the subject. Maybe it's because Luke Cage's story is, oddly, an American story of survival. Carl Lucas grew up on the mean streets of Harlem, only to find himself in prison for a crime it has since been proven he did not commit. In prison, as part of an illegal experiment, Carl Lucas, against his will, underwent a procedure that gave him what the government labels "omega-event-level super-strength" and his signature unbreakable skin. He left prison a changed man in every conceivable way, and has since dedicated each day of his life to doing everything he can for anyone who needs him. Some people even pay for the privilege. Luke Cage has been an Avenger, a Defender and, of course, a founding member of Heroes for Hire. A man has to eat. After a handful of recent salacious tabloid headlines, some perpetrated by this very organization, I sat down with Cage to talk about his career and what's next for those of us who live down in the mean streets of the five boroughs. BEN URICH: Luke Cage. According to my research, this is the first sit-down interview you have given in many years... LUKE CAGE: Yes. I'm not--a lot of people run to the press to ensure they're being heard. I get that. I guess it was the way I was raised--words can be cheap. All that matters is action. You see a lot of politicians saying one thing and doing another, and still, in this day and age where these lies are so obvious, people still fall for them. I can't stand it. I thought the best way was to not participate in the nonsense, allow my actions to speak for themselves. It works most of the time. BEN URICH: What convinced you to sit down with me today? LUKE CAGE: Well, a couple of things. Number one is... There have been some headlines about me and my wife, and they were painting a picture that was the direct opposite of the truth. A good friend of mine pointed out that no matter what I think my silence means, it is interpreted by most as non-denial... If I'm not denying it, it must be true. No one knows that I'm choosing to ignore it because it's stupid. So I thought I would come here and tell people that it's stupid. BEN URICH: So I take it you're here to say you're not having an affair... LUKE CAGE: Perfect example. I'm out on the street, speaking to a longtime colleague of mine, like a war buddy...we hug goodbye, someone takes a picture of the hug from a distance...and it looks like I'm macking on some lady in broad daylight. What bothers me about this is, of course, it's not true. I have a wife and child. It just so happens that I take my role in their lives very seriously. I take my role as an African-American man in the public eye very seriously. Someone else used me to make money...with a lie. I guess I can put up with people using us to make money if it's the truth, but this is the opposite. I don't like being painted as something that I find abhorrent. And the flip side is, I might sound guilty too. I know this. But I have to tell the truth. BEN URICH: You and Jessica Jones are still together... LUKE CAGE: Yes. BEN URICH: You have a lovely daughter. LUKE CAGE: Yes. Thank you. BEN URICH: How is fatherhood? LUKE CAGE: Fatherhood. True story, I once got into a good old-fashioned street fight with Dr. Doom... BEN URICH: And fatherhood is scarier? LUKE CAGE: You beat me to the punchline! (laughs)

BEN URICH: How is raising a family, doing what you do? LUKE CAGE: Ask me in ten years. Is it any different than a cop or a fireman, a federal agent or S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with a family? It's a scary job. But I come home every day, so far, and if I've done it right, I've left the world better than I found it. So does my wife. So does my best friend. My feeling is, if we do that every day, then the world my daughter is going to grow up in will be far better than the one my wife and I grew up in, which, in fact, sucked. I'm not alone in this, but I live by the idea that if everyone woke up one morning and decided to actively be the best version of themselves, or just do their job exceptionally well, the entire world would shift immediately into something--well, frankly, something we all deserve. Right? BEN URICH: Fair enough. It's just a very unique thing for your community. LUKE CAGE: What's that now? BEN URICH: Other than the Fantastic Four, you don't see many public displays of family in the super hero-- LUKE CAGE: Well, that's not true. The Avengers are a family. The Defenders are a family. The X-Men? Most of the super hero community tends to gravitate toward each other, because we came from broken homes or disappointing homes or just bad homes. While we're pulling ourselves up out of the sludge, we meet other people like us and we end up really bonding with each other and helping each other, lifting each other up--then all of a sudden, you turn around and you have a family. I built my family. Danny Rand is my family. He is my brother. Daredevil is family. Literally, I'd do anything for these people. Anything. It's one of the great surprises of doing this--that you get to meet the other people who inspire you and you get to see how amazing they are in real life. These people understand me on levels that other people might not, because we share a common experience. It's cool to have super-powers, it is. I'm not ever going to be one of those people that complains about my power and the responsibility it brings. But, like everything, it comes with its own problems, and you still want to complain about work to your peers. Especially if that work includes getting punched in the side of the head by a cosmically enhanced Doctor Doom. You're going to want to have a friendly, trustworthy ear. It's nice to have that. I know I sound like one of those billionaires whining about tax reform, but when you have super-powers, there are still concerns. BEN URICH: The safety of those around you-- LUKE CAGE: Number one concern. BEN URICH: There's been a lot of talk recently about vigilantism and the role of the costumed hero-- LUKE CAGE: There always is. BEN URICH: So if you have something to lose--if you have family--why do it? LUKE CAGE: We need cops and we need firemen and we need agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. And you know what? We need more of all of them. But we CLEARLY need more than that. There are really dangerous people out there eager to take advantage of everything and anyone because, dammit, they have it coming. I have seen this since I was a baby. I know this. There are people who will do and say anything to get "what's theirs" and they don't follow any kind of code. They run by rules the police cannot work with. BEN URICH: Sometimes very brazenly. LUKE CAGE: Right?

BEN URICH: Recently, a character that calls himself Diamondback has been making some bold moves. A blast from your past. LUKE CAGE: You mind if we don't talk about that? BEN URICH: Okay. LUKE CAGE: It's just, I'm inclined not to give that guy press. You know? BEN URICH: I do. I was more interested in the history between you two. LUKE CAGE: It's just that. BEN URICH: What? LUKE CAGE: It's history. BEN URICH: Okay, today then. Are you surprised to find yourself "married with children"? LUKE CAGE: Surprised doesn't quite cover it. BEN URICH: I'm sure. LUKE CAGE: I don't talk about it much because it is what it is and I have come to terms with it, but there was a time in my life where I thought I was going to die. First, on the streets. Then I thought I was going to die in jail. And for a long time, even after I got my powers, I thought I was going to just die from having something this unnatural done to my body. So for a good long period of my life I thought I was going to die. It's probably why I appreciate how lucky I am--

[Luke Cage pauses for over three minutes. In this time he does nothing but actively control his breathing and look out the window. Eventually, composed, he returns to the conversation as if no time has gone by at all.] LUKE CAGE: What was the question? BEN URICH: How has fatherhood been treating you? [Luke Cage laughs. He realizes the question got the best of him. An omega-level super hero done in by the oldest of concerns.] Obviously, this story is… to be continued.

#Defenders (2017) #Ben Urich #Luke Cage #Luke Cage 50th

[horizon-verizon]

https://horizon-verizon.tumblr.com/post/712266197972959233/httpswwwtumblrcomhorizon-verizon712224861642

It is silly however those two merely looking at each other once and him saying he would marry her could mean more than him just being the dutiful son (what Daeron would have been as anon says) IF the writers decide so in order to make the ship canon in some shape and form (for fanservice or simply because they intended the ship to be their version/copy paste of Aemon/Naerys from the very beginning). I'm obviously playing devil's advocate here, but I think most see where I'm coming from.

It's also very, very unlikely we will be seeing a more book!accurate Aemond. He will progressively commit even more crimes, sure, but his actions will be whitewashed just like Luke's murder. For example, does anyone truly believe the show will stay true to the book and have Aemond claim Alys as his war prize which essentially makes him a rapist? I think this question is important because all of the shipping debate surrounding Aemond will entirely move onto Alys when he leaves King's Landing and Helaemond will no longer be a thing, with people using once again the book against the ship involving her, arguing she's his victim (and not the other way around) or that there's no way the ship is going to be a tragic love story with them getting married like Greens are and will be claiming.

Anyway, the answer to that question is definitely not. She won't be his war prize for sure and Aemond will not be her rapist and abuser. Not when they already confirmed Aegon to be one. They're not going to add another rapist to the Green side after whitewashing most of them so much in the first season. They will, most certainly, make Alys the seductress and manipulator with poor Aemond being her victim OR, alternatively, they could make her fall in love with him because she was abused by her family for being a bastard and, well, she will be grateful to him for killing her abusers. Either way, gross, but Aemond won't look like the monster he is in the book and people who used it as an argument will be disappointed once again. Sure, Greens will be as well if they don't get a love story and Alys will be the evil witch but they will eventually settle for anything that makes their guy look good.

Moving on. The Strong massacre? They could very well make up some BS and have Simon Strong collaborate with Daemon. Even more, make it a misunderstanding. Greens will use whatever reason to claim Aemond was in the right, regardless. We could go on and on and list Aemond's every single crime from the book…and an explanation that whitewashes him could be made almost instantly. When the time comes Condal and Hess will justify whatever they're planning to do by claiming there's a lot missing from F&B or the sources were unreliable. I may also add that Aemond turned out to be and is, even if for all the wrong reasons, a popular character and there's no way they won't cater to that part of the fandom by doing the some of the things mentioned above, if not all. Also, may I ask, has there been any kind of confirmation that they were indeed planning to exclude Daeron permanently from the show? Or is it just fan speculation? Yes, he has not been mentioned by name so far, but frankly a lot of the things we saw in the show don't make a lot of sense. I just don't think the claim that they gave Daeron's characterization to Aemond because they wanted to exclude his character is true. I truly think they did what they did with Aemond because he's the main threat on the Green side thanks to Vhagar and they wanted to give him more of a background and settled on the version of the character we've seen so far.

The post you linked says that the writers "didn't want" Daeron to be in, but not that they actually planned to exclude him. But even that, it's probably fan speculation. It has to be until solid evidence comes up, which I tried finding and couldn't see for myself.

You bring up good reasons for why they won't insert actual canon!Aemond when you bring up how he will eventually move away from Helaena.

Don't worry about the Devil's advocate, I also did a bit of it HERE, so I don't have much to complain about AND I find it still useful.

#asoiaf asks to me #asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #hotd comment #hotd #house of the dragon #hotd predictions #aemond's characterization #aemond targaryen #hotd characterization #hotd writing #hotd accountability #hotd accidents