#roman is actually free and that other post was just phrased that way to make the joke work LMAO

[brookheimer]

roman is free in the sense that he is free from waystar, but he is not free in the sense that he has 'escaped the cycle.' roman realized everything is bullshit and left, but that's not what actual meaningful freedom would be for roman. what rome needs is for business and family to finally make a clean separation, for him to be allowed to love his family without molding himself into an image of logan that he isn't. waystar has always been the only way the roys know how to interact with one another, and it still is. in that sense, nothing has changed. roman's declaration about the nothingness of waystar is not actually a change, because he still marries waystar to family, and thus believes family is nothingness as well -- functionally, there's little difference between that and the opposite belief that both waystar and family have meaning and are 'real.' what the roys need is to realize waystar is bullshit and family is real, but roman went from thinking both have meaning (family has meaning thus waystar has meaning) to thinking neither do (waystar is bullshit thus family is bullshit). nothing changes, the cycle keeps on cycling. finally family has been severed from waystar (what he's needed all along -- he's never really cared about the business, only his family, and the business was the only way he could be with his family, so he tried and failed time and time again to mold himself into the businessman his dad wanted him to be), and while this is a good thing, it's coupled with his realization of the hollowness of the family itself. in hindsight, this was inevitable, i think -- if waystar royco was the beating heart of the roy family (which it was), there's no conceivable severing of the two that would allow the family to maintain functionally intact.

i do think that roman will have relationships with his family after the finale (shiv is definite, con is likely, kendall is also likely because roman is incapable of not being around his family and can't imagine a world in which they don't return to each other somehow), but he's aware for the first time of the nothingness of their bonds, something that everyone has already known except for him -- something, i think, that isn't even entirely fair. they do love each other. there is something there. and now that waystar is no longer part of the equation, maybe there's hope for real relationships beyond transaction, beyond business, beyond logan. but none of them believe that to be possible. roman always used to, but for the first time, i think he's not sure. he's free of waystar, but the roys never managed to functionally healthily uncouple family and business, so being free of waystar also means being free of family -- it has to mean that. he's convincing himself it's all nothing and he doesn't care, and that won't last. but, in my opinion, neither will the distance between the siblings. i think it'll take time, but they'll come back together, albeit in varying degrees (i doubt shiv and ken will ever have quite the same relationship again, for instance). roman is free of waystar but not because he realized it's not necessary for family -- because he 'realized' family is not necessary, that family is nothing too, that everything is nothing. it's an empty sort of happiness, unsustainable and hollow. but i do think there is hope. i think it'll be okay for rome in the long run (family-wise, at least). i just don't think nihilism is a salve capable of healing deep cuts, only a bandage allowing them to stay hidden for a little while longer.

in life and in death, waystar royco and the roy family are eternal partners, inextricable from each other -- and so long as the two remain conceptually married, it'll be hard for roman to find legitimate happiness: if one is dead, then the other must be too. he ends the series the same as he started it, believing fully in logan's conception of family as a business unit (meaning now that both are bullshit), people as economic units (meaning now that both are bullshit), and roman himself as the son who couldn't be the heir and thus was never much of a son at all. logan dominates his worldview just as much as it always has. sure, roman acknowledges that everything is bullshit now, but that's even more logan than his previous viewpoint which was a naive sort of belief in family. now, it's all just bullshit. everything's bullshit. it's logan with nihilism as the dominant frame (rather than capitalism), but regardless of roman's thoughts on the meaning of things, the structure of the world is the same one that logan taught him. he is free from waystar, but he is haunted by its ghost and always will be.

#yes i said the 'roman is free (by choice) thing in one post however that was literally just to match the format of the #other parts of the post to make the con punchline work LOLL. needed to clarify my actual thoughts - that was mad oversimplification #anyways tl;dr - he's realized the business is nothing (!!) which means family is nothing (...) and logan's worldview prevails (fuck) #don't know if this makes sense or is even accurate to my thoughts bc 77% of my brain is focused on shiv rn lmaooo #succession spoilers #roman roy #casey shut the fuck up about roman roy #succession #so many thoughts to think. #idek if this is what i actually think LANDASJDNk i might change it later or post a new thing i just needed to clarify that i do not think #roman is actually free and that other post was just phrased that way to make the joke work LMAO #long post #100

[theguyfromthesequel]

KINDA LONG, PLS BEAR WITH ME(or not, it’s a free plane of existence) (this post is about like 5 seconds of Succesion btw)

I’ve seen a lot of people talking about the whole “a child weaned on poison and so on” thing with Succession, and while I agree, this is a valid take, I want to add my two cents specifically in regard to the protest scene in the latest episode.

To first explain my framework for this, I think out of all the Characters on Succession, Roman is the one with the least personality. And I don’t mean that as an insult to the character or the writers or Kieran Culkin. I think, ironically this is his biggest and most defining character trait. Roman Roy is a man who seemingly cares about nothing. When a rocket blows up under his oversight, he washes his hands and gets out of the bathroom. And still, from the very first scene, this man is explosive. He doesn’t stand up from chairs, he practically throws himself off them. Anytime the room is silent for a second, he bursts out with a sex joke, every second word out of his mouth is “fuck”. Because that’s what happens when each of your actions are calculated. Not in a rational way, he doesn’t act logically. But to perform the simplest tasks he first needs to convince himself to continue existing. Roman Roy is a wooden boy. There is no person inside him, he is a carefully crafted amalgamation of collected habits, motions, phrases, ideas, quite possibly even political ideologies(I wouldn’t be surprised if he believes in nothing he is saying). He is mot the firstborn, not even the secondborn, he has no family of his own and nothing to fight for. Roman Roy is a nothing craving to be SOMETHING.

That’s where Logan becomes important, because he, for all his faults, is undeniably SOMETHING. He is a monument, en emperor, Citizen Kane on steroids, the king of the world, but most importantly, he was THERE. Logan Roy was undeniable. When he looked at you, you were marked for life, he walked into a room and everyone went silent. “He made me breath funny.”

Meanwhile Roman was a child. I’ve seen people analysing the way Roman basically becomes a 5 year old when he’s under pressure, and I think all those interpretations are great, but I’d like to take it one step further. Roman isn’t a hard shell harboring a soft core, he is a child who just learned the f-word and is now shouting it at full volume to impress the adults at the table. Because he thinks there’s nothing else he can contribute. He himself is nothing.

Logan, for better or worse, was complete. He was a fully grown man with beliefs, ideas, means and a strong right hook. He was a presence in Romans life, as much as Roman bent over backwards to please others or benefit himself, he would always know that there’s something that never changed. As long as Logan lived, there was SOMETHING in Romans life. That might he the source of Rome’s respect for him in the election episode.

So taking all that into account, I never really saw the protest scene as Rome craving violence. For me, it’s him looking for SOMETHING. This man, this child actually, just lost the only thing in his life that was defining. For years, there was something that made him hold his breath when he saw it. Something that was, in one way or another complete. Logan Roy was a monument, he wasn’t a poison that quietly slipped into Roman’s veins, he was the sound of a thousand screeching nails for 30 years or more in his ears. When Logan Roy was in a room with a thousand people, it was his room. When Roman Roy is in a room by himself, that room is empty. There’s no one around to hear the tree make sex jokes as it falls. If the two of them were together, at least there was SOMETHING there. So for years, decades SOMETHING was there, and then, out of the blue, it was just gone. What do you think it meant for Roman to be in Logan’s presence? It meant stability. Despite all Roman went through, however he slipped and slivered and bent to be accepted and make his way, his no good, piece of shit father was always there, always the same.

So when he walks out of the funeral and stumbles into the street, he doesn’t care about anything. Police? Protesters? Who cares, not this “guy”. It’s only when he sees masses of people go by that he “joins” them. Because maybe, just maybe, a thousand angry people stomping all over you, is kinda similar to being in a room with your dad. The people who walk past and over him, just for the moment are SOMETHING, an undeniable presence. They’re the placebo to the monument Roman needs to justify his existence.

Roman Roy doesn’t like pain. He doesn’t like heartbreak. If he could seal himself in Carbonite, he would. Because the relief he feels upon feeling a hand striking his cheek or a boot on his chest isn’t derived from the pain it causes. Roman loves them because they’re definite proof that there’s something besides him and his charade, that some things are real and true and just like they are, that there’s forces in the outside world, that there’s SOMETHING outside of him,

because there is certainly nothing inside

#succession spoilers #hbo succession #succession season four #succesion #roman roy #church and state #it’s basically social SH #roy family #a child weaned on poison #this could be a cool little joel type video essay but unfortunately I am super lazy

[jasontoddiefor]

okay so, i realize that's probably not your current fandom, but i'm (once again) in a pjo content binge and i when i checked your pjo tags (Trading Tomorrow fan here) the first post was "no mist au". Which sounds really, really awesome. would you be willing to share some ideas about it or something?

I am always willing to talk about my AUs!!! And I'm glad you like Trading Tomorrow! That fic is still very dear to me!

Right, as the name says, the "no mist AU" is essentially an AU where the mist ceases existing when Percy is still like toddler age and the world is thrown into chaos. We end in some sorta post apocalyptic state where we see the return of the old worship mixed with new ways because demigods are still pretty much the only ones who can kill monsters. But now, well, normal people are praying to the gods as well again.

Some plot points include

Sally taking Percy and running and establishing herself as a person who knows what's up, and more than that, has a kid. She ends running a city alongside the coast as Poseidon's priestess.

The Roman Empire makes a return. Ne Rome adapts quickly to these new circumstances and they do it really well, expanding territory. Thalia and Jason both grow up in New Rome!

On that note, there is kind of a constant power struggle going on between various territories and gods and Kronos is also Awake And Having Some Thoughts

Camp Halfblood is the other big player. I'm not sure which name it'll get but it'll definitely will be renamed. I like New Alexandria (as opposed to New Athen as I've seen in a couple fics) because of Alexander the Great kicking off the Hellenism (just bear with this phrasing I know that's not how history works) and PJO seeming to rely more on late stages of ancient greek history.

But here are plenty of other bigger settlements with their own leader, goals and protections. Though being a demigod guarantees having kind of a higher status in society and people that are/would have been born clear-sighted have a sort of sense for when monsters are near, opposed to normal people.

But yeah, mostly this is post apocalypse meets ancient greek civilization?

And Sally doing everything she can to keep her kid safe and being very badass in turn.

Uuuh take a snippet?

Sally had devoured entire volumes about Greek mythology and the gods’ worship during her pregnancy. She’d never breathed a word of it to Percy, choosing ignorance as protection, but in their changed world, her knowledge needn’t be summoned. It was already there.

“Does anyone have sweets on them or alcohol?” Sally asked.

The people in her group only stared at her in confusion, some even in mistrust.

“It’s important.”

“What are you doing?”

“Prayer,” Sally said. She hadn’t ever been religious, meeting Poseidon hadn’t changed that. But could this really still be religion if she knew it to be truth?

Sally tossed the chocolate bar and the vodka from the flask into the fire.

“To our Lord Poseidon, for protection and safety of this commune.”

Actually take two snippets:

Leo does not like to admit that they might be in trouble, but he’s so nervous he can’t think of a weapon to aid him, never mind focus on making any fire. He glances to the right where Bryce’s body was already cooling, and nearly threw up. The scorpion’s sting had ripped right through his stomach, leaving behind an ugly, revolting wound. Luke is still holding onto his sword, but he can’t even stand properly, never mind fight.

The realization that they are utterly fucked hits like a brick to the face.

He’s survived the end of the world, myth becoming reality and this is what kills him: a regular patrol in an area that should be free of monsters. Leo hadn’t even been scheduled to go on this patrol, only volunteered at the last minute. He’d hoped to impress Luke, maybe see if he could secure permission to move outside the safe perimeters to get more parts to work with.

How stupid, not even their base is truly safe.

With an ugly roar, the scorpion turns around, aiming straight for Leo. Behind it, Luke struggles to get on his feet.

That’s it, Leo’s done for.

He tries to smile so Luke won’t blame himself and maybe do the smart thing and get away. Optimistic last thoughts so that Leo can rest peacefully in the underworld, having died a hero’s death. Phrased like this, dying doesn’t even sound that horrible.

The thought does not make the scorpion look any less terrifying and just when Leo decided to scream, he is cut off.

“Hold this for me.”

Instinctually, Leo holds out his arms and a bag gets dropped into them. The bag is warm and soft and has bright green eyes and oh, gods, that’s a baby.

Leo looks up and there’s a blur of black and blue standing in front of him. His brain is a bit slow on the upkeep, still reeling with the realization that he is holding a baby, and in the seconds it takes him to realize a stranger had come to their aid, the man has already drawn his blade. It’s made from pure celestial bronze, which is enough to make Leo’s jaw go slack. He’s only seen pure celestial bronze or imperial gold only a handful of times. The metals are incredibly scarce and Leo wants to touch that sword right now.

But he can’t.

Because he’s holding a baby and the sword is in its wielder’s hand, who is using it to systematically decimate the scorpion without ever breaking a sweat.

The monster surges up on more time, and the man simply adjust his hold on the sword and drops low, piercing the beast from below.

And just like that, it’s over and the clearing is silent.

#percy jackson #leo valdez #sally jackson #luke castellan #pjo #no mist au #fanfic #ask #anon

[meshlasolus]

Hey, I just wanted to be informed about what “from the river to the sea” means? I’ve been looking it up but all I’ve found is free Palestine bullshit. In one of your posts you implied it has a separate meaning so can you please explain if you’d like? Sorry if I’m being rude or anything I just want to be informed.

"From the river to the sea" (Arabic: من النهر إلى البحر, romanized: min an-nahr ’ilā l-baḥr; Palestinian Arabic: من المياه للمياه, romanized: min al-mayeh lil-mayeh, lit. 'from the water to the water') is a political slogan that refers geographically to the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, which currently includes the State of Israel and the Palestinian territories: the West Bank, which includes East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

At first glance, it has no other connotation to it other than the meaning people are shouting, which is 'Palestine will be free.'

It sounds very progressive and helpful to Palestinians when that's all that's said... but with the additional words that belong to the phrase: فلسطين ستكون عربية

It translates to: from water to water, Palestine will be Arab.

Not 'Palestine will be free', Palestine will be Arab.

Little white liberal ppl are writing these inscriptions on signs and protesting against the killing of Palestinians, but when they do, they don't even understand that they are encouraging Hamas to make Palestine an Arab only state. They claim they want to save lives while literally chanting for the extermination of jews using Hamas Nazi rhetoric.

This, of course, does not mean that all Palestinians are Arab or that there are not Arab jews. However, the notion of Hamas wanting to irradicate only the Israeli government is completely false when their mission was to mainly kill jews and try and take the land by force of killing innocents on October 7th. My friend Hasharon had sent me video attachments of hamas recruits shouting their kill count to one another and saying in their language 'praise allah, for all these dead jews.' They also screamed things on the phone like 'father, i killed ten jews, be proud of me, father, i killed ten of them.' They quite literally committed the exact same attrocities but on a deeply personal level. (Y'know, the same thing that people are condemning Israel of doing... except commiting numerous war crimes in the process.) Obviously, it is too complicated of a situation to take one look at and choose sides. For the most part, I side with Jews as I am one, but we must not forget about our muslim brotherhood in this time. Jews and Muslims are cousins, and they have the ability to live in peace. They have for thousands of years, and the discourse is only now coming from the ways this notion of 'there has to be only one bad guy' is being portrayed in the media.

There is no one bad guy. That would be the easy thing, to say 'oh Israel should be wiped off the planet because they are settlers and have no right to be there and by existing in that land, they are causing Palestinian suffering,' or to say 'Well Hamas is the literal government that Gaza chose for themselves and not only did they use secret tunnels to invade Israel and kill over a thousand innocents, but when Israel responded, their people hid them in hospitals and schools and made Israel look like the bad guy for irradicating terror.'

Do you see how both notions seem to fall on the radical of either side? It's why the conflict not only gets out of hand through the media, but starts to paint a picture that 'if you don't choose the right side you are an evil nasty person and you also deserve to die.' Or at least that's what my anons have been saying, but I digress.

The point is, by going to one extreme or the other, we make even more chaos in an already complex and sad situation.

Very few people in Israel actually believe Gaza should be destroyed, and likewise, I've not seen any of posts from actual Gazans saying they condone the death of others in their name. There are always going to be extremists, because unfortunately, there are some adults who behave like children and think they are of the highest possible knowledge in this world. Being well educated means nothing if you're only educating yourself based on the things you already believe. There's some Jewish wisdom that my grandmother taught me saying: to achieve knowledge is to experience the discomfort of realizing you may have been wrong.

Many liberals are very confident that they have all the answers in this time. I'm not condemning anyone, and I'm not excusing other's behavior either, but I want to make it known that you can't just say something without backing it logically and with context. 'From the river to the sea,' is a perfect example of that.

Sorry for this long rant I've just been wanting to get it off my chest as I've seen even more non arabic people posting the arabic signs around my city and non even realizing what they actually mean.

#israel #gaza #palestine #fuck hamas #jewish lives matter

[hyperfixation-or-death]

headcanon for the kids' concepts of their own ages during the time immediately following the finale:

i.

Post-finale, there was exactly one instance of Victor being unsure of how old he technically is. He regrets letting that slip, partially because of how concerned everyone looked, partially because Sam wouldn't drop the issue despite Victor very much not wanting to discuss it.

But Sam does drop it, eventually, leaving Victor free to ignore the age question. (Because seventeen feels wrong, but so does thirteen, and everything's a little fuzzy but some things are all too clear and he doesn't want to think about it.)

Until one day, he's talking to Sofia Belkebirs, and she's explaining why, exactly, he can't do [some risky thing with his powers, idk].

"You're thirteen-" She starts, slightly exasperated. "Seventeen." He interrupts, just to be difficult. "Fifteen." She continues without missing a beat. Victor blinks. "...okay." Average out the numbers; that was a fair compromise. Why didn't he think of that?

ii.

Romane doesn't care how old she was. She's fourteen now; that's what she wanted. She wants to be fourteen. And she can almost convince herself that it's that simple, except for the days when everything feels off. When she nearly stumbles with every step, disoriented. When she can't fight off the swirl of anxiety telling her how fragile everything is. When nothing feels like the fresh start it was supposed to be.

On days like that, she eventually figures out, it helps to count back and forth.

14 years old on that night in the bunker. 15 years old was her first birthday since age 10 that was spent without her friends. 16 years old was the birthday that Camille helped make cupcakes. 17 years old was the birthday her mom gave her a necklace and talked about the future with her for hours. 17 years old, in the bunker with Victor. 17 years old, in the bunker with Victor, Sam, and Bilal. 14 years old on that night in the bunker. 14 years old, at Bilal's house for cake and presents. 14 years old, remembering.

It's grounding, in a way, to straighten out the years in her head. The details don't matter as much, as long as she keeps moving forward. And she does.

iii.

Bilal doesn't want to know. There's too many contradicting memories, too many conflicting emotions. They all culminate in piercing headaches when he focuses on them for too long. Everything's more vague for him then it is for the others. There are gaps in his memory; sometimes he has no idea what he actually lived through.

A classmate asks him how old he is. He blanks, his head feeling like a static screen: inconsistent, loud, rapidly moving, and a signal that something was wrong.

"Um-"

Without looking up from her paper, purposefully nonchalant, Romane answers. "His birthday's [I forgot what his canon birthday is]."

"Oh. So...15, right?"

"Sure."

Yeah, that works.

iv.

Sam is fourteen years old. If the topic of age comes up, he'll recite birthdays and let whoever's asking do the math.

Sam is fourteen years old. When it isn't enough for Romane to go through the years in her head, he's fine with listening to her list what she can remember.

Sam is fourteen years old. As long as Victor stops claiming to be, "technically, in a way, older," he'll go along with the phrase "fifteen years old in theory".

v.

(As time goes on, its effects begin to settle. Some memories fade; others sharpen. Within about two years, the kids feel more tethered to this timeline, and more normal about their chronological ages.)

#yeah i think there'd be an adjustment period where everything feels weird and out of time. #but i also think that would settle down after a little while and they would kind of just gradually return to normal. #paralleles #disney parallels #disney paralleles #also i don't think victor ever actually felt older than sam post-finale. but he absolutely claimed that he did. #because if my siblings were in a similar time travel situation i know they would hold the age thing over my head forever #and i think that's kind of universal for siblings. to some degree. #ALSO I WROTE THIS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. SO IF IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. THAT'S WHY.

[dallasareaopinion]

Are we talking about separation of Church and State or what exactly

Okay I admit I am not the most prolific reader, nor writer, but I do read occasionally. I also write this blog, but what you call the amount of writing I do here is waiting on a description.

Anyway I am reading four books right now, yet again do not consider me a prolific reader. I am barely covering twenty pages a week in two of them and less in the other two, however I ran across this quote and it got me to thinking:

“For see that you do not give a further ground for the charge of irreligion, by taking away religious liberty, and forbidding free choice of deity, so that I may no longer worship according to my inclination, but am compelled to worship against it. Not even a human being would care to have unwilling homage rendered him.”

The argument behind this quote is that true devotion must come from free will. The author is a Roman legal scholar who converted to Christianity and wrote Apologeticus or Apology around 197 AD. Tertullianus or Tertullian converted to Christianity and became a theological writer. Previously he was a legal scholar. If you are a religious scholar you probably know much about him, for us lay people it is quite a surprise to realize how much he influenced the early church. It is important to note though unlike many of the early writers he is not a saint and later in life he took up with or was heavily influenced by a sect called “Montanists” which took him away from the Church. His main works though are important pieces of early theology, highly regarded and are highly quoted.

So to get back to the title of this post, what on God’s green earth are we talking about here. When I read the quote for some reason I started thinking about Christian Nationalism. I do not think there is a direct correlation here, however, the rise of Christian Nationalism seems to fall into the lines of the arguments Tertullian was making against the Romans who were persecuting Christians.

You need to remember that the Roman government at times forced people to worship the Roman Gods. Actually it was required throughout the Empire, however there were times when certain leaders would issue new edicts and create times of extreme persecutions of Christians.  Tertullian was alive during one of these times and witnessed Christians being martyred. He was arguing against the Roman State and these persecutions.

Now I am not saying the Christian Nationalists are martyring people right now, but their philosophy leads to the same problem the Romans developed for themselves. By forcing a religion upon people, the people will respond against that very same religion especially if there is a choice or that phrase many Christians struggle with, free will.

 Of course at the time Christianity was a new religion, yet they were different in the way they acted and believed. In 2023 it is hard for us to understand what it meant to be a Christian in 200 AD. Most of their belief life was shrouded in secrecy yet they still tended to the basic fundamentals of Christianity. They helped each other, they lived a life free of the excesses of the Romans, they married for life, they worshipped in houses, they were being taught by apostolic teaching which meant they were taught directly from people who could follow a line back to the original apostles and this was just a few generations removed from the actual apostles.

The Christian Nationalist movement is breaking away from the true teachings of Christianity so they are breaking away from Christianity as it is historically taught. They pollute the very word, but this is not a modern theological argument.

Going back to the original quote, it is more a realization of irony that Tertullian used the argument that the State or government cannot force their religion upon people, in this case Christians, because it is less likely to have people believe in that religion. The Christian Nationalists may want to make note of that thought.

And also there is the fact our Constitution allows for the free choice of religion and that the State or government or Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. This essentially bans a national church. Another point the Christian Nationalists seem to miss, yet they are trying hard to change this fact. And another fun point the Constitution doesn’t exactly say separation of church and state, but the above sentence that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.  The phrase separation of church and state came a few years later.

And I do not think there is a direct correlation from Tertullian to our founding fathers in the creation of the infamous separation of church and state, yet even early Christian theologians understood that it is faith and living the life of a Christian which brought more people to Christianity than how a government tried to force people to believe in their gods.

And with true free will most people do not choose the excessive secular liberalism or the extreme religious zealot who wants to dictate their version of their religion over the actual living and teachings of faith. It is the old phrase, lead by example and that changes more hearts than threats, spears and demagoguery.

[startupam]

#StartUpAm

[theboombutton]

Please say more about aspirated medial stops, I was talking with my brother in law the other day about how we (Californians) don't say t's in the middle of words and I'm really curious about why that is and if this is a universal thing in all accents of English now

Disclaimer: I do have a Bachelor's in linguistics, but I got it more than a decade ago so it is possible that some of the information in this post will be misremembered or out of date.

tl;dr

Knowing how to pronounce t in different locations in different dialects is a nightmare. Old-fashioned British Received Pronunciation pronounced t in the middle of words, but there's a UK language drift called T-glottalization in which ts except at the start of words are often being replaced with glottal stops? It's really obvious in lower-status dialects but it's been creeping into RP as well.

American English usually does a weird muscle flex called a "flap" or a "tap" that's something like a really short d, or a single roll of a rolled r. I think there are some UK dialects that use this tap as well.

I belieeeeeve that Indian English usually pronounces word-medial ts, but I haven't run an actual analysis on the applicable coworkers' speech because that'd be kind of creepy?

No idea about Australia or New Zealand.

As far as I know, there's no special reason why these particular drifts are happening. Linguistic drift and accent shifts are just something that happens with living languages. If anything, we have immensely slowed the natural process of language change through the invention and widespread teaching of standardized writing.

Glossary

Sorry, I tried doing this without a glossary but I kept having to do weird info cul-de-sacs to explain myself. I've ordered them according to approximately when they'll come up?

lol I failed so hard at this, about halfway through the post I started using words without putting them in the glossary first and man idk I've been working on this post for 4 hours now and I don't want to go back through and put definitions for some of this shit, sorry

Phoneme - A single language sound, as it is stored in your brain. Represented with slashes around it, e.g. /t/.

Phone - A language sound as it actually comes out of your mouth. Represented with square brackets around it, e.g. [t].

Phonology - The study of speech sounds, from internal representation to external expression, but not including the study of how they are physically created in the mouth (that's phonetics). Not to be confused with phrenology, the racist pseudoscience of head shape.

Word - Can have a few different meanings in a linguistic context. In this post, will usually refer to either a lexeme or a phonological word. You should be able to tell from the context.

Phonological Word - What you probably think of when you think of a "word." A unit of speech that you could naturally pause on either side of, but could not naturally pause inside.

Lexeme/Semantic Word - A single phonological word and its attached meaning; or, phrase of multiple phonological words, which holds a meaning which is different than the sum of its parts. For example, "Carry the bucket" is not a single lexeme; but "Kick the bucket" is.

Voiced/Voiceless - A sound is voiced if you use your vocal cords to make it, and voiceless if you don't.

Stop - Also called a plosive. A stop is a kind of consonant you make by stopping all air flow. The stops English uses are p, b, t, d, k, g, and the glottal stop.

Aspiration - A puff of air following a sound, usually a voiceless stop. In phonetic notation, it is indicated by a superscript h following the consonant, like [pʰ].

IPA - International Phonetic Alphabet. A standard set of symbols based on the Roman alphabet and used to refer to roughly the same sounds regardless of language.

Glottal stop - A stop which is performed not by your tongue, as in most stops, but by your vocal cords. Think of the word "Uh-oh" - the way you completely stop airflow after the "Uh" instead of just letting it flow into the "oh." That's a glottal stop.

Praat - An audio analysis program tailored specifically for viewing waveforms of speech sounds.

INFODUMP TIME

So the thing about saying words is that the ideas of sounds that you have in your head ("phonemes") don't translate one-to-one to the sounds that come out of your mouth ("phones"); and the ways that these sounds get modified vary between different dialects.

Please keep in mind that when you try to speak slowly or clearly, the sounds that you make change. Linguists are primarily interested in natural speech patterns, not what we do when we're trying to enunciate.

Tater-Tot

Let's take the lexeme tater-tot, because it's the first word I can think of that has all 3 of the major weird things that /t/ does that vary by dialect.

Let's start with the word-initial t. Phonologically there are actually two word-initial t's in tater-tot, the one at the beginning of 'tater,' and the one at the beginning of 'tot.' This is because "tater-tot" is two phonological words despite being one semantic word.

In American and British English, we aspirate our word-initial voiceless stops if they're immediately followed by a vowel, which means we pronounce /p/, /t/, and /k/ as [pʰ], [tʰ] and [kʰ] respectively if they're the first sound in a word (and immediately followed by a vowel). This means we add in a little puff of air following the consonant if it's the first sound in the word. In Indian English, they don't do this - a word-initial /t/ is pronounced [t], without the extra puff of air. To American & British English speakers it can almost sound like they're saying [d], because we're not used to hearing a word-initial /t/ without aspiration.

Next we've got a word-medial t, the second t of "tater." Here, Indian and British RP English speakers pronounce it as a plain [t], with no aspiration. American English speakers pronounce it as what's called a tap or a flap, which is sort of like a half-formed [d] but is actually more like a single roll of a rolled r - and so its IPA symbol is [ɾ]. And many less prestigious British dialects, including Cockney and I believe Scouse, replace it with a glottal stop, with IPA symbol [ʔ].

And our final t is the word-final t of tot. This is a tricky one to peel apart. English generally doesn't release word-final stops - that is, you put your tongue in the correct place to stop airflow to create the stop, but you never actually move your tongue out of the way to "release" the airflow you stopped. So the easy read on the word-final t's pronunciation is that it's [t̚], an unreleased t. However, in many dialects and situations /t/ is replaced with or co-articulated with a glottal stop - for example, after an [n] or an [m], /t/ is almost always pronounced as [ʔ] in English. But unreleased stops after an oral vowel are difficult to tell apart, and if the tongue is in t position while the glottis cuts off airflow - I genuinely don't know.

Tuck/Stuck

These are good for a comparison between an aspirated [tʰ] and an unaspirated [t]. In American English, tuck is [tʰʌk] and stuck is [stʌk].

Truck

American English does weird things with syllable-initial /tr/.

I want to introduce you to the "sh" symbol, ʃ. ʃ is a voiceless postalveolar fricative, which means it's created by air rushing through a narrow space when your tongue is behind the alveolar ridge. Incidentally, when you move your tongue from [t] position to [ɹ̠] position (ɹ̠ being the symbol for the version of non-rolled r that most English dialects use), it will naturally create the ʃ sound as it moves.

We have a special letter combination to the phonemic /tʃ/ in English. It's "ch". As in "change."

You almost certainly pronounce "truck" as [tʃɹ̠ʌk] "chruck" and just don't notice.

So what's going on with Martin?

So first off, Jonny is probably wrong about how the Archivist says "Martin." Complete deletion of the r in that position is standard in RP. I haven't fed The Magnus Archives into Praat or anything, so it's possible he's letting a hint of a rhotic accent bleed in to the Archivist's RP - but I really doubt it.

This isn't unusual! It's very common for people's internal concept of what sounds they mean to make, to get in the way of them accurately identifying what sounds they're actually making. No one thinks they've ever said "chruck" until you point it out to them.

I would probably transcribe the Archivist saying "Martin" as [mɑ:tɪn].

Jonny's attempt at saying "Martin" in an American accent was something more like [mɑ˞ɹ̠tʰɪn]. He did a good job of rhoticizing the vowel, but in his focus on the r completely messed up the second syllable.

I'd transcribe my own pronunciation of "Martin" as something like [mɑ˞ɹ̠ʔn]. It's been my observation that t-glottalization in American English is especially common when adjacent to nasals - and if there's one thing American English likes, it's syllabifying liquids in word-final syllables.

OK I've run out of steam now

This was fun. Sorry about the declining quality of explanation. Please feel free to ask more if you dare to reignite the flames of infodump

#infodump #linguistics #the letter t #phonology #english phonology #english dialects #dialects of english #ask button #ask boombutton #ask theboombutton #jonny sims

[warsofasoiaf]

Its been awhile since you've done any character analysis on Fallout New Vegas, but would you be willing to go into one for some of the minor characters? I'm actually curios of your opinion on Silus the captured centurion and his motivations.

I’m more than happy to, although this won’t be about Silus so much as it will be about the quest Silus Treatment. It’s one of my favorite quests in the game, since it does a great deal just with dialogue and some creative use with the engine to create an engaging quest that showcases some of the failures of the NCR and the Legion. Given that the central theme is about picking a faction, warts and all, having a quest that puts the two main faction of New Vegas on full display is an absolutely good idea. The game is too old for spoilers, but it’s a long analysis so I’ll put a cut in.

Silus Treatment starts off simple enough, going to Camp McCarran, in the old McCarran International Airport, now the regional command post of Colonel Hsu. McCarran is not in a great spot when you first get there; there are periodic Fiend attacks, tensions in Freeside are causing havoc for NCR civilians, the overstretched NCR supply lines are making it difficult even for their central point of operations, and there’s a strong possibility that they’ve been infiltrated. It’s all Colonel Hsu can do to keep order and function in the base. Perfect protagonist fodder, in other words, for a nice quest hub.

It’s a tough needle to thread in any RPG to build a quest hub where there’s stuff for a character to do. If everyone is incapable of solving even the most basic of problems, it gives a great deal of quests for the player to do but it makes the quest-givers look incompetent, especially if the quest-givers are supposed to be capable figures in their own right. Conversely, if the NPC’s are competent, then the quests would be solved and that would close out on content for the player. There’s plenty of ways to settle this, and the devs do an adequate job here. The war effort means prioritization, and Hsu is dealing with being torn from both angles. He can’t just hunt down the Fiends, because he needs to organize patrols and deal with NCR settlers in the area. He can’t just pacify Freeside because it will engender hostility with House and so he’s delaying the order from his butcher superiors like Moore to go in with fire and sword. He doesn’t have a solution to the Kings but he’s trying to find one, which as far as writing goes is a good solution. Hsu is a decent man but overworked. He’s hoping that he can develop a solution in time before Cassandra Moore decides to pull rank and go on the warpath against all who oppose the NCR, which leaves a convenient spot for the player.

It’s this person that gives us our introduction to the Silus Treatment questline. Hsu has a valuable prize: Silus, a captured Legion centurion! Typically centurions always commit suicide rather than be captured to deny any useful intelligence to the enemy, so to capture a centurion alive should be quite a find. But it’s not going so well. Lt Carrie Boyd, in charge of base security, can’t get Silus to talk. Again, perfect quest writing to get the PC involved in the plot. Normally such a sensitive operation would never be given to an unknown civilian contractor, even for a bureaucratic mess like the NCR. Frontier desperation, hitting a wall via official channels, and the fact that the character is the protagonist in a sprawling open world help it pass ludonarrative muster.

Boyd is a real piece of work, she’s openly sadistic hiding beneath of veneer of civility. She considers the humane treatment of POW’s as an impediment, and so looks for ways around it. Notably, while she wants information from Silus to deliver to her superiors, she’ll settle for just having Silus beaten so bloody that he can’t speak anymore, calling it “entertainment.” This is a person who simply should not be in charge of interrogating a prisoner, she is neither humane nor effective at her job, but here she is by virtue simply of being the chief MP on base.

Not that Silus, the prisoner and the other side of this duo, is better. He openly revels in the barbaric practices of the Legion’s slavery system, even trying to ensure that the slaves can never achieve some level of comfort by tightening the collars and making it difficult for them to feel at ease while eating or drinking. Even if Silus is mostly saying those things simply to get a rise out of Lieutenant Boyd, he knows what the Legion is up to and enjoys it. Silus is arrogant to an extreme degree, he is filled with confidence that he can outlast any interrogation by the feeble NCR without giving up any intelligence, that he could easily escape NCR confinement and that he is so valuable to the Legion that following Caesar’s order would be a waste. Good fodder then, for the protagonist to bring him down to size.

Silus Treatment as a quest is relatively simple. Boyd signs off on the Courier beating the ever-living tar out of Silus and then steps out for a smoke, letting the player do whatever he or she wants to the prisoner. Silus, sneering, dismisses the Courier as just another piece of NCR trash, and it’s up to the player with how to succeed. Violence is always an option, you can beat Silus, and eventually gets something useful, that the base itself will be the target of Legion destruction. Silus admits that his fantasy of escape was always a fantasy, he was dead to Caesar just as surely as he as if he had committed suicide before capture. 

Yet if the Courier has points in Speech or Intelligence, he can completely upend Boyd’s methods and actually deliver a worthwhile interrogation. The first technique, with speech, uses an interrogation technique known as Pride-and-ego-down, where the interrogator routinely belittles and demeans the prisoner, usually their technical competence or soldierly qualities, in an attempt to get the prisoner to “redeem” themselves by explaining a piece of useful intelligence that would explain the deficiency as opposed to it just being a terrible personal quality. The Courier mocks Silus as a coward (bravery being a key soldierly virtue) and he defends himself by stating his bravery and that suicide is a poor death for a soldier of his intelligence and caliber, then saying how good a soldier he is for a “self-appointed megalomaniacal dictator.” Silus then spills that Caesar held his unit for three days because of “headaches,” in actuality, it’s Caesar’s brain tumor. The technique works to an exceptionally high degree, not only does Silus divulge that McCarran has been infiltrated as in the violence ending, but also that the Legion is suffering a crisis of command due to Caesar’s illness. The Courier gets a lot of useful intelligence out of Silus and doesn’t compromise the humane treatment of prisoners in the process. If it actually caused some self-reflection in Boyd, that’d be a complete win, but I suppose we can’t have everything.

My favorite option is the intelligence option, because the Courier goes full-on PSYOPS, posing as a Legion assassin sent to kill Silus for his failure to commit suicide on Caesar’s order. Silus denies it at first, but as the Courier continues to sell the performance, Silus begins to express real terror at the thought that the Courier is actually a frumentarius sent to kill Silus before he divulges anything to the NCR. The Courier fully sells the deal using Latin phrases as the language of Caesar’s elites. The Courier can quote Cicero, “legum servi sumus” - we are all slaves to the law, in what is perhaps a perfect example of Caesar’s philosophy of totalitarian obedience. The full quote "Legum servi sumus ut liberi esse possimus” - we are slaves to the law so that we might be free, means little in Caesar’s totalitarian state where all are subject to his whims and contingency plans for Caesar’s incapacity aren’t even considered. Of course, the Roman Republic was hardly a free state, but Caesar really takes the cake with his dictatorship. If Caesar’s dictum holds true: “Corruptio optimi pessima” - the corruption of the greatest is the worst outcome. how much worse is it when Caesar himself is corrupted? But totalitarians rarely raise the possibility that they themselves are corrupt, because the good of the dictator is the good of the state. After all, L'etat c'est moi is the dictum of any dictator, not just a Sun King.

Of course, fitting New Vegas, you can side with Silus, and facilitate his escape. There, you feign beating him to unconsciousness and slip him a silenced pistol, then Silus makes good his escape, killing the guard sent to bring him back to his cell and sneaking out. Of all the endings, this one isn’t as satisfying. Some of it, of course, is that you never interact or see Silus again, so there’s never any reward to the quest except for the knowledge that the base is infiltrated, which in the pro-Legion side of the quest I Put a Spell on You allows you to complete Curtis’s sabotage operation (and a far better Legion quest, in my opinion, with the NCR quest side being even better given the multiple outcomes), but also it’s not referenced again with Caesar. What would Caesar’s reaction be to the Courier springing Silus? He is quite fond of reciting a litany of the Courier’s accomplishments in Act 2 at Fortification Hill.

If I could improve Silus Treatment, I think I would have made it so the violent path wouldn’t have produced enough valuable intel, and the player needs to do some more detective work to actually get to I Put a Spell on You, or even being mislead by Curtis and becoming the unwitting patsy of the Legion. But overall, I think it was an incredible quest and a testament to the writing in the game.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

#fallout: new vegas

[dwellordream]

“...Today, most – though by no means all – free countries (along with a number of rather unfree ones) have shifted from mass conscription based militaries to professional, all-volunteer militaries. The United States, of course, made that shift in 1973 (along lines proposed by the 1969 Gates Commission). The shift to a professional military has always been understood to have involved risks – the classic(al) example of those risks being the Roman one: the creation of a semi-professional Roman army misaligned the interests of the volunteer soldiers with the voting citizens, resulting in the end (though a complicated process) in the collapse of the Republic and the formation of the Empire in what might well be termed a shift to ‘military rule’ as the chief commander of the republic (first Julius Caesar, then Octavian) seized power from the apparatus of civilian government (the senate and citizen assemblies).

It is in that context that ‘warrior’ – despite its recent, frustrating use by the United States Army – is an unfortunate way for soldiers (regardless of branch or country) to think of themselves. Encouraging soldiers to see themselves as ‘warriors’ means encouraging them to see their role as combatants as the foundational core of their identity. A Mongol warrior was a warrior because as an adult male Mongol, being a warrior was central to his gender-identity and place in society (the Mongols being a society, as common with Steppe nomads, where all adult males were warriors); such a Mongol remained a warrior for his whole adult life.

Likewise, a medieval knight – who I’d class as a warrior (remember, the distinction is on identity more than unit fighting) – had warrior as a core part of their identity. It is striking that, apart from taking religious orders to become a monk (and thus shift to an equally totalizing vocation), knights – especially as we progress through the High Middle Ages as the knighthood becomes a more rigid and recognized institution – do not generally seem to retire. They do not lay down their arms and become civilians (and just one look at the attitude of knightly writers towards civilians quickly answers the question as to why). Being a warrior was the foundation of their identity and so could not be disposed of. We could do the same exercise with any number of ‘warrior classes’ within various societies. Those individuals were, in effect born warriors and they would die warriors. In societies with meaningful degrees of labor specialization, to be a warrior was to be, permanently, a class apart.

Creating such a class apart (especially one with lots of weapons) presents a tremendous danger to civilian government and consequently to a free society (though it is also a danger to civilian government in an unfree society). As the interests of this ‘warrior class’ diverge from the interests of the rest of society, even with the best of intentions the tendency is going to be for the warriors to seek to preserve their interests and status with the tools they have, which is to say all of the weapons (what in technical terms we’d call a ‘failure of civil-military relations,’ civ-mil being the term for the relationship between civil society and its military).

The end result of that process is generally the replacement of civilian self-government with ‘warrior rule.’ In pre-modern societies, such ‘warrior rule’ took the form of governments composed of military aristocrats (often with the chiefest military aristocrat, the king, at the pinnacle of the system); the modern variant, rule by officer corps (often with a general as the king-in-all-but-name) is of course quite common. Because of that concern, it is generally well understood that keeping the cultural gap between the civilian and military worlds as small as possible is important to a free society.

Instead, what a modern free society wants are effectively civilians, who put on the soldier’s uniform for a few years, acquire the soldier’s skills and arts, and then when their time is done take that uniform off and rejoin civil society as seamlessly as possible (the phrase ‘citizen-soldier’ is often used represent this ideal). It is clear that, at least for the United States, the current realization of this is less than ideal. The endless pressure to ‘re-up‘ (or for folks to be stop-lossed) hardly help.

But encouraging soldiers (or people in everyday civilian life; we’ll come back to that in the last post in this series) to identify as warriors – individual, self-motivated combatants whose entire identity is bound up in the practice of war – does real harm to the actual goal of keeping the cultural divide between soldiers and civilians as small as possible. Observers both within the military and without have been shouting the alarm on this point for some time now, but the heroic allure of the warrior remains strong.

...But as I noted above, we’ve discussed on this blog already a lot of different military social structures (mounted aristocrats in France and Arabia, the theme and fyrd systems, the Spartans themselves, and so on). And they are very different and produce armies – because societies cannot help but replicate their own peacetime social order on the battlefield – that are organized differently, value different things and as a consequence fight differently. But focusing on (fictitious) ‘universal warriors’ also obscures another complex set of relationships to war and warfare: all of the civilians.

When we talk about the impact of war on civilians, the mind quite naturally turns to the civilian victims of war – sacked cities, enslaved captives, murdered non-combatants – and of course their experience is part of war too. But even in a war somehow fought entirely in an empty field between two communities (which, to be clear, no actual war even slightly resembles this ‘Platonic’ ideal war; there is a tendency to romanticize certain periods of military history, particularly European military history, this way, but it wasn’t so), it would still shape the lives of all of the non-combatants in that society (this is the key insight of the ‘war and society’ school of military history).

To take just my own specialty, warfare in the Middle Roman Republic wasn’t simply a matter for the soldiery, even when the wars were fought outside of Italy (which they weren’t always kept outside!). The demand for conscripts to fill the legions bent and molded Roman family patterns, influencing marriage and child-bearing patterns for both men and women. With so many of the males of society processed through the military, the values of the army became the values of society not only for the men but also for women as well. Women in these societies did not consider themselves uninterested bystanders in these conflicts: by and large they had a side and were on that side, supporting the war effort by whatever means.

And even in late-third and early-second century (BC) Rome, with its absolutely vast military deployments, the majority of men (and all of the women) were still on the ‘homefront’ at any given time, farming the food, paying the taxes, making the armor and weapons and generally doing the tasks that allowed the war machine to function, often in situations of considerable hardship. And in the end – though the exact mechanisms remain the subject of debate – it is clear that the results of Rome’s victory induced significant economic instability, which was also a part of the experience of war.

In short, warriors were not the only people who mattered in war. The wartime social role of a warrior was not only different from that of a soldier, it was different than that of the working peasant forced to pay heavy taxes, or to provide Corvée labor to the army. It was different from the woman whose husband went off to war, or whose son did, or who had to keep up her farm and pay the taxes while they did so. It was different for the aristocrat than for the peasant, for the artisan than for the farmer. Different for the child than for the adult.

And yet for a complex society (one with significant specialization of labor) to wage war efficiently, all of these roles were necessary. To focus on only the warrior (or the soldier) as the sole interesting relationship in warfare is to erase the indispensable contributions made by all of these folks, without which the combatant could not combat.

It would be worse yet, of course, to suggest that the role of the warrior is somehow morally superior to these other roles (something Pressfield does explicitly, I might add, comparing ‘decadent’ modern society to supposedly superior ‘warrior societies’ in his opening videos). To do so with reference to our modern professional militaries is to invite disastrous civil-military failure. To suggest, more deeply, that everyone ought to be in some sense a ‘warrior’ in their own occupation sounds better, but – as we’ll see in the last essay of this series – leads to equally dark places.

A modern, free society has no need for warriors; the warrior is almost wholly inimical to a free society if that society has a significant degree of labor specialization (and thus full-time civilian specialists). It needs citizens, some of whom must be, at any time, soldiers but who must never stop being citizens both when in uniform and afterwards.”

- Bret Devereaux, “The Universal Warrior, Part I: Soldiers, Warriors, and…”

#writing #warfare #bret devereaux #ancient #roman #medieval #history #the universal warrior

[0ffgun]

Alright so!! I got some requests from people for me to make a post with tips on how I self-study my languages, so here we are! It’s not perfect and everyone studies differently, but I hope some of these tips can help you out.

Personally I study Korean & Thai so this list is aimed at those but a lot of the study tips are pretty general and can be applied to whatever language you’re learning. 

I’m an energetic puppy in human form - I simply CANNOT sit still and study for longer than 20 minutes before getting insanely restless and distracted, so I tend to only actually sit down and actively study once a week. If you’re expecting something clever and insightful this is absolutely the opposite of that... I basically trick myself into learning! So here is my silly little guide, let’s go!

General Tips:

★ Get ridiculous with sticky notes. Seriously, do it. If you’re just starting out and don’t know the words for all of those household objects then go ahead and scribble them down on those post its and stick them EVERYWHERE. It might drive your family members/roommates crazy but hey... you’re doing it for a good cause, right?

★ Don’t rely on romanization too much - if your language has its own writing system, focus on that using as much as you can. Romanization seems helpful but in the long run you’ll rely on it too much. It’s better to get familiar with the native writing system asap!

★ Pick out a word/phrase of the day and write it somewhere you’ll see it often. I have a whiteboard in my room that I’ll scribble a few phrases onto and then every time I walk past it, I’ll say them. Or if I’m not gonna be home all day then I write something on my wrist and glance at it throughout the day! This one is the most fun because when people see it they’re like “ooh that looks pretty!” or “ooh does it mean something deep and profound?” when in reality you have the phrase I like cheese written on your arm and it never stops being entertaining. Bonus points if someone native to that language reads it and looks at you like you’re crazy.

★ Say the words in silly voices. It sounds weird but if you’re sitting there repeating words (like the word banana, for example) from an app in a monotone voice you’re definitely less likely to remember it than if you’re yelling out “BANANA!!” in an opera voice or squeaking out “b an a n a” dramatically as you let go of Jack’s hand and let him sink into the ocean. 

★ Don’t isolate vocabulary. Learning new words is great, but it’s useless and you’re more likely to forget it if you don’t learn to use it in a sentence. 

★ Keep a diary! One of the absolute best ways to practice your writing and improve your skills is to just jot down a few things every now and then. It’ll be rusty and you won’t have much to say at first and will definitely keep needing that dictionary every 2 seconds, but after a few weeks you’ll really notice the difference. Buy pretty pens and stickers to motivate yourself to write in it! It’s also fun to do this around people who can’t speak it as they’ll look at it in awe and you can show off when in actual fact your writing is usually a clumsy scribbled “today I snacks eat and go sleep” but hey what they don’t know can’t hurt and it’s always fun to look like a genius.

★ Talk to your pets in that language. They’re not going to judge you, they actually don’t even care what you say as long as you say it in that entertaining pet voice. I don’t have any friends that speak Korean or Thai so the majority of my speaking practice is hurled at my dog. If you don’t have a pet, then plants or stuffed animals work perfectly too!

★ Listen to language podcasts while you do household chores, heck if you’ve gotta do something boring, might as well yell foreign words while you do it!

★ Change your phone settings to your target language. That way you’re literally forcing yourself to use it, and it becomes second nature and you pick up key words so quickly. Only do it if you know how to get back into your settings and change it back if you have to... or else you’re stuck and lost. 

★ Listen to music and sing a lot. Just scream those lyrics! A little off-key screeching never hurt anybody!

★ Get comfortable with numbers. They’re something that is dominant in ALL languages and you’re going to use them on a daily basis. Start with learning how to count to ten and get comfortable with it, and then go higher. Once you’re used to numbers individually, make it harder. I used to get my mum to write out 10 random numbers between 1 to 10,000 in the morning and I would translate them, and then I would do the same for myself in the evening. After a while you get quicker at them and before you know it you don’t have to awkwardly translate them in your head anymore, the numbers are just there ready in your brain.

★ Don’t only watch dramas! Watch more natural stuff too - variety shows, vlogs, instagram lives... anything where people are just chatting like they normally would do. That way you’re subconsciously learning more casual speech patterns and casual language too!

★ Don’t just study at home! Always make sure you have a dictionary handy (like on your phone, for example!) and keep your brain busy while you’re out and about. Buying some groceries? Try to name everything in the fruit and vegetable aisles and if you don’t know the name of something, look it up! You’re more likely to remember vocab this way as your brain has a situation to associate it to.

★ Be mean and make yourself work for things you normally do - check your horoscope on a regular basis? Read it in your new language instead! Want to check out the weather forecast? Do it the hard way.

★ Don’t feel like studying? Not in the mood? Then don’t do it! Instead put on your favourite show in your study language of choice. Not every study session has to be a hard one. Just relax and watch a foreign movie! You have no idea how much your brain picks up without you even noticing, chilling out and watching a drama absolutely counts as studying. Don’t force yourself to study if you’re not feeling it, you’re more likely to learn if you’re having a good time.

Advanced Tips:

★ Get keyboard stickers - if your new language has a different alphabet and you use your laptop to study it a lot then you’re definitely gonna need these! You can buy them SUPER cheap on ebay!

★ Change the language on your Netflix account and get ready to binge watch your faves! If you change your profile language to the one that you’re studying, you’ll notice that a lot of the shows available will now show subtitles in that language too. If you’re pretty advanced then now is probably the time to drop your native subs and start watching with the original subtitles in the original language.. good luck! 

★ Play Pokemon. When the latest Pokemon games started coming out with Korean language options I JUMPED at the chance - what better way to study than to just laze around playing video games? This is great for any other kinds of games you can snatch up in your target language too.

★ Read a favourite book in your new language. A common one is Harry Potter! It’s pretty much available in every language at this point and it’s a story you probably already know, which means you never get too lost because you know the plot already.

Resources:

Here are a bunch of apps and things that I use for studying that I find super helpful (and all of these are free!)

Drops (for Thai and Korean - available in both the apple store and the google play store)  - I use this app every single day without fail. It’s brilliant for expanding your vocabulary (there are TONS of languages available on there too!) HOWEVER: It only lets you study for 5 minutes and then you have to wait around 9-ish hours before you gain another 5 minutes to work with unless you want to pay for more. But honestly? That’s a good thing. You only need 5 minutes of vocab study before your brain wants to dissolve into mush anyway. I get up, do my morning stuff (usually just involves rolling around and blinking in confusion before grabbing a coffee) and then sit and do 5 minutes of drops, and then by the evening my 5 minutes have replenished and I do it again. Rinse and repeat, and you’ll be learning more words in a week than you even realise!

Duolingo (I use this for Korean, there is currently no Thai option) - This app is fantastic. I don’t recommend it for beginners as it should be used as more of an aid alongside your natural studies, rather than as a study resource itself. This app expects you to already know the basics so I’d dig into this one once you’re starting to get a little comfortable with your language!

Naver Dictionary (for Korean) - I use this every single day! Not only does it help me when I need to find a certain word, it also gives me lists of example sentences which is PERFECT and super helpful when I’m trying to memorize words!  And for Thai I use Thai-English Dictionary (I can only find it in the Apple store sadly) and that’s incredibly handy too, I wouldn’t be able to cope without it! I also use this website as a Thai dictionary when I’m not on my iPad!

Talk To Me In Korean (for Korean) - This has been a core element to my Korean studies. They have tons of lessons available on their website, they do regular YouTube videos (usually only 5-10 mins long, perfect for just a mini casual study session!) and they also sell textbooks and do podcasts too. If you learn best from textbooks then these are by far my favourite ones I’ve found, give them a try! They’re not too pricey.

Lingodeer (for Korean) - It’s cute, it’s friendly and it’s helpful!! I learned a bunch of new phrases using this one and it’s perfect for casual study!

Memrise (for Korean) - Fantastic if you’re a beginner! There are tons of languages available on here too. Although, there are only 3 levels in Korean so I got through this one pretty fast. 

Eggbun (for Korean) - An app that encourages you to learn using a texting format! I haven’t really used it much but I have friends that have said it’s really useful!

Ling (for Thai and Korean) - This one was pretty good, once again though I wouldn’t use it if you’re a beginner, it’s probably a lot more helpful if you know the basics before you attempt this one! I’ve only used it for Thai but there’s a Korean option you could try checking it out!

Mondly (for Thai and Korean) - This app is cheeky and it wants your money. You get a bunch of free lessons to start with which are GREAT but that’s it. Then it reduces you to one free lesson a day but honestly? Still useful so go ahead and use it. They also have speaking practice available too!

Thai2English (for Thai) - This website is an absolute LIFESAVER!! If I’m ever browsing and come across a sentence that just throws me, I simply copy and paste and this legend of a website just breaks it down for me word for word.

Extra Korean links:

Children’s books in Korean

Learning Korean through fairytales - a textbook used in Korea for children who are learning to read, it’s helpful as a Korean language learner too! You get a little story and then it’ll ask you questions about what you just read. 

TOPIK previous exams - these are so good for practice and if you want to get a general idea of what academic level your Korean skills are at. 

Learning to type in Hangul - this one was fun and I now type Korean pretty comfortably on my laptop so if you know you’re gonna be typing a lot, I recommend this program!

#the way I learn languages is so weird I am so SORRY #I kinda just implement my language into my daily life and it works perfectly for me... I hope this is helpful to at least ONE person djgsjk #thai resources are sadly not that common but I'll add more if I find them! #language studies

[sojourner-between-worlds]

Why the Idea of Disabled Jesus is Heretical

(Or, at best, a gross misinterpretation of Scripture. But really, it's heresy.)

@aspiringautistic asked on this post from my side blog: "what would be so harmful if there were people who perceived jesus as disabled?" and I am happy to oblige in expanding on those thoughts (though since the answer has little to do with autism and everything to do with Christianity in general, I thought it more appropriate to answer here on main). In case you hadn't prior seen the linked post and don't feel like clicking through, the short of it is this: the Gospel Coalition recently published an article in which the author, Andrew Abernethy, argued that Jesus was disabled. I'm here to tell you where he went wrong.

Hold on to your hats, folks. This is a long post.

(All Scripture quotations taken from the ESV translation.)

1. Disabilities are a result of the Fall. Before I get into anything else, I need to make this point abundantly clear. While being disabled does not dictate worth and it is not an indication of personal sin, it is still not how we are meant to be. Adam and Eve were created in the likeness of God, and were, therefore, created without sin or any of the things that came with sin. They were perfect -- at least until they disobeyed (Genesis 2-3). Sometimes people ask "if there is a God, why do bad things happen?" and the answer is because we live in a sin-cursed world. Disabilities, illness, and death itself exist because Adam and Eve sinned. (Romans 5:12: "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.")

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2. Old Testament laws regarding sacrifices. The Old Testament Law is very specific when talking about what makes an acceptable sacrifice. There are a lot of different types (everything from bulls to grain), but the relevant ones to this discussion are sacrifices made for the atonement of sins. 

There are two categories of sacrifices made for sin: sin offerings made for unintentional sins, and burnt offerings made for sin in general. Burnt offerings and sin offerings both ranged from bulls to doves (or flour for the latter, if nothing else could be afforded) and sin offerings varied depending on both the person and the sin as well (Leviticus 1, 4-5). But all of the animals sacrificed had two instructions about them in common: that they be "without blemish", and that the sinner must place their hand on the head of the animal. The difference between the two was that a sin offering was required as an act of repentance and a burnt offering was voluntary. In the case of burnt offerings, the requirements for bulls and sheep or goats are laid out very plainly: "a male without blemish" (1:3, 10). 

In addition to all of this, once a year, on the Day of Atonement, one bull and two male goats would be sacrificed for the people to remove their sins (Leviticus 16; only one goat was killed; the other was sent away, symbolizing the removal of sin). Again, these animals had to be without blemish, just as all the others. The person offering the sacrifice was to place their hand on the head of the animal. The action of placing their hand was symbolic: it was a way of showing that the person's sin was being "transferred" to the animal so that the animal could take the person's place and receive the punishment for sin instead. "Without blemish" meant that it couldn't be sickly or diseased or crippled in any way. It had to be as close to perfect as was possible in a sin-cursed world because anything less than perfect had to die for its own imperfections. 

Because these sacrifices could never be truly perfect, they had to be repeated, but all of this was pointing to the time when Jesus would come as the final sacrifice made for the sins of the world.

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3. Jesus as the final sacrifice. If you know anything about the Christian faith, you know that this is at the heart of everything we believe. Without Jesus, there is no gospel. So here's why that matters to this discussion: 

"But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by the means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God" (Hebrews 9:11-14, emphasis mine). 

This passage in Hebrews (as well as verses preceding and following) are all about how Christ made atonement for us with His death, and how His voluntary sacrifice of Himself is superior to the OT sacrifices. 

So allow me to direct your attention to the bolded phrase above: “offered himself without blemish”. If this sounds familiar, it should, since I talked extensively about this in the point above. “Without blemish” in Leviticus meant to be not crippled or disfigured or ill in any way. If this same phrase is also applied to Christ, then the same must be true. If the OT sacrifices were required to be so, why would the same not apply to the Final Sacrifice that ended the need for sacrifices to be made? It wouldn’t make sense. It doesn’t make sense. Not when the OT sacrifices were pointing towards Jesus; not when we have a God Who created order and purpose. Jesus had to be perfect to take our places -- and that includes being free of deformities that are a result of a sin-cursed world.

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4. Isaiah 53, misinterpreted at best. This was one of Mr Abernethy’s main points, and it’s one he got disastrously wrong by reading what he wanted into Scripture (eisegesis) rather than letting Scripture say what it says (exegesis). See, the thing about interpreting prophecy is that you have to be careful how you do it, and, just like all Scripture, make sure it’s within the proper context. 

In the case of this chapter of Isaiah, the wider context is that it’s a prediction of Jesus’ suffering on earth and His death. One of the verses he tries to pass off about Jesus being ugly or deformed is the second part of verse 3: “and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” The problem is, this verse and one directly after it are not about his physical appearance at all. They are about emotions and grief: “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteem him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted” (vs. 3-4, emphasis mine). This is about Him bearing our burdens and our rejection of Him anyway. This is a parallel that continues as the chapter moves forward. 

There is only one physical description in this passage that is not related to His death, and it’s the second part of verse 2: “he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” And this is the only point that Mr Abernethy got correct: Jesus wasn’t the Hollywood definition of drop-dead gorgeous. He looked like your average Joe. In order to not be conventionally beautiful/handsome, that does not dictate that a person must be deformed or “ugly” in any way. The only thing this verse means is that he didn’t stand out from the crowd with His looks. He didn’t look the way they thought their Savior should. That’s it. That’s all it means.

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5. Tradition isn't truth (no matter how much anyone wants it to be). I have to admit, adding in a section about a so-called “tradition” that’s nigh on impossible to find anything about was brilliant. The average person wouldn’t even bother looking in the first place, and most people who would look, would give up after five or ten minutes of searching. I spent an hour and found exactly nothing on this “tradition” of Jesus being a leper. So you just... have to take Abernethy’s word for it. 

Aside from not being able to find anything on it myself, the argument he uses is faulty anyway. Because tradition doesn’t equal truth, in the first place, especially a tradition that didn’t pop up until the 16th century. There’s no basis for something that apparently wasn’t known until 1400 years after His death. 

Aside from that, he calls on Jerome’s Latin translation of Isaiah 53:4 that translates a phrase as “he was like a leper.” First of all, “like a leper” does not mean He actually was a leper. C’mon, man. Any fifth grader in America could tell you that similes are used for comparisons and aren’t literal. 

Second of all, if you’d like to make a point, it’s a much better idea to go back to the Hebrew manuscripts rather than to any one translation. Now, I don’t know Hebrew myself, but I do have access to a little thing called the Internet, where you can find a plethora of commentaries from people who do know Hebrew. For this particular problem, I went to Albert Barne’s Notes on the Whole Bible. I’m not going to put his whole notes here (because there’s a lot), but if you’d like to read all of his notes, you can search the verse on studylight.org and use the ‘jump to’ feature under the verse to find him, but the bottom line of his notes on it are this: Jesus wasn’t literally being rightfully punished like the Jews would incorrectly think; leprosy was used here as an example because it was seen as a divine punishment for sin. It has nothing to do with literal leprosy at all. 

And to top off this cake of incorrectness... well, has he even read the New Testament? If Jesus had had leprosy, He: a. wouldn’t have been allowed in temples or synagogues, b. wouldn’t have been allowed in towns period, and c. wouldn’t have been nailed to a cross because no one would have risked touching Him in order to do so. Abernethy shouldn’t have even brought this up in his argument, it’s so far off base, and no artist in the 16th century should have painted a painting of a leprous Jesus nailed to the cross because, quite simply, it never would have happened.

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6. Jesus relates to us -- but not in the ways Mr Abernethy says. While he never cites any Scripture on this, I’m pretty sure I know where this idea came from. In his article, he states that in order for Jesus to have related to the disabled, He had to be disabled Himself. Since He relates to us, then He must have been disabled. 

First of all, the logical fallacy of this statement is this: if He must be disabled to relate to the disabled, then can the abled still relate to Him? The answer to that, of course, would be no, because if He wasn’t abled then He can’t relate to the abled in the same way that Abernethy asserts that He can’t relate to the disabled without being disabled. It’s one of those things where you can’t have it both ways. Another example of how this logic falls short is pregnancy. Can Jesus not relate to pregnant people because He Himself was never in such a state? And the rabbit hole just gets deeper from there: Can He relate specifically to the blind when He was never blind? How about the deaf or hard of hearing? Or people missing limbs, either from birth or through amputation? All disabilities are different, and experiencing one doesn’t mean you understand them all, so by Abernethy’s logic, Jesus had to experience all of them. Do you see how ridiculous Abernethy’s logic here is yet? 

Second of all, Abernethy is, once again, taking Scripture entirely out of context -- if, indeed, he got this idea from Scripture at all. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” The problem with trying to use this verse as proof is, obviously, that it’s talking about temptations (Matthew 4:1-11), not lived experiences. If he was, again, referencing Isaiah 53 -- well, that doesn’t work either, because, again, that is in reference to His death and the sins He bore for us on the cross. The fact of the matter is, there are no Scriptures to back up the idea that He had to personally experience everything we do in order for Him to understand our pain and suffering. 

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The source of this heresy is the same as many heresies, actually: People want to make Jesus into something He's not. I listened to a podcast recently where the host was talking about a couple of heretics, and while I don't remember the heretic's name, he said that to him, Jesus was Latinx because he himself is Latinx. Except that, ya know, Jesus was a Middle-Eastern Jew. It's the same fallacy to say that Jesus was disabled. Everyone wants Jesus -- and God, for that matter -- to be something He's not, rather than for Him to be what Scripture tells us He is, but you can't force God into the box you've carved for Him. He is who He is, no matter how much you want Him to be something different.

There's no getting around it: to make Him out to be anything other than what Scripture tells us He is -- especially when it contradicts Scripture, is heresy.

#christianity #for the record please ask questions #I'm happy to clarify #also don't just take MY word for any of this either #I am but a fallible human myself #and it's good to question what other people say #sorry this answer took so long #I wanted to be thorough

[ecoamerica]

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[please-return-to-villanelle]

This Is Not A Game, It’s My Life

S3E6 recap

The bitter pill of reality has been a hard one to swallow for Eve, Villanelle, Konstantin, and Carolyn over the course of this series. What this episode highlights well is that this spy-life and entanglement with the Twelve is no longer a game for anyone one, but rather a reality they are all living in whether they like it or not.

One of the ways this episode roots the characters in this newfound reality is through select color choices of the title cards and the character’s attire.

Light blue is associated with understanding and tranquility while darker blues represents knowledge, power, and seriousness. This title card is indicating that this episode will revolve around realization for the main characters while each of them uncover new information that allows them to come to terms with their realities.

Eve’s reality

The title cards in season 3 have transitioned from establishing where characters are located and are now giving insight into the psyche of the main characters.

Piss Off Forever

Forever flashes to signify that Eve is coming to terms with finally accepting the reality of her failed marriage with Niko.

It's interesting that this title card is yellow. The color yellow can symbolize optimism or cowardice. Maybe the yellow words are ironically representing the optimism with which they once viewed their relationship; but that is not the reality they find themselves in now.

This whole situation happened because neither Eve nor Niko were brave enough to express what they wanted and end their toxic relationship once and for all. The act of ending their marriage has played out like a game between the two of them. Both of them waiting for the other to make the final move to end it.

We learn that Niko is usually asleep every time Eve comes to visit. Is he avoiding her or actually unconscious? I’m thinking the former as Niko’s injuries wouldn’t equate to an unconscious state (see my other post for a medical break down if interested). Niko deliberately avoiding Eve would play homage to how the two of them are not being direct with each other. Neither of them has the courage to cut ties with each other. While it’s clear that Niko is over having Eve in his life, he doesn’t directly verbalize this to Eve until he is lying in this hospital bed after almost being murdered himself. It’s worth noting that Niko is still wearing his wedding ring in this scene, again showing that neither of them has fully let go of the other up until this point.

I told him, don’t marry her. She will make your life a great big ball ache.

This statement from Niko’s family member indicates that there was inequality in this relationship from the very start that was noticeable to people observing Niko and Eve’s relationship.

I’d also like to point out Eve’s outfit in this scene. She is wearing earth tones as she often does, which are muted and flat colors. This could signify Eve hiding her true nature, as she often does when she ties her hair back, and existing in the moment rather than living in it. I think it’s significant to this scene with Niko because she is taking this interaction and mulling it over internally while Niko makes his move to end the game.

This can’t be about the bus.

Still got it... this is the phrase used by someone playing a game, but Eve knows that this is a game Villanelle isn’t playing with her. They made that clear with the kiss.

Someone else is playing a game with Eve.

Sometimes you just need to let it win.

But Eve, ever the control freak and someone that needs to be right all the time, would not easily let someone else, let alone her own emotions as Bear alludes to, beat her at a game.

She teaches wee kinds to do roly-polies.

Eve puts two and two together that Dasha trains others to imitate and therefore was imitating Villanelle to mess with her. 

Game on, Dasha.

Before confronting Dasha directly, Eve visits Carolyn to collect intel on her opponent. She is wearing the same outfit as before but with a purple scarf

Purple combines the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red.

Through her wardrobe, we see Eve slowly transitioning from plain MI5 Eve that was married to Niko to the Eve that is more in tune with her own desires and feelings. She does what she wants and answers to no one.

But if it’s the Twelve Eve, does it really matter who?

I could say the same about Kenny.

This scene shows that the Twelve murdering and harming loves ones is personal to both Eve and Carolyn. Eve is homeless and jobless (does the Bitter Pill even pay her?) while Carolyn is working off the clock to find out what happened to Kenny.

Up for a game?

The title card depicts the location Barcelona in red letters. Red is the color of fire and blood, passion and strength, desire and love. With a such a passionate color choice, we would expect to see a more state of mind title card rather than a simple location. I think this is because Eve is calm and collected when she comes to see Dasha rather than overtly emotional. She is wearing a purple turtleneck to show us this.

Purple combines the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red.

She has found a balance and is wearing her hair is down. The real Eve Polastri has arrived and is here to end this game with Dasha.

You think you are winning. You will never win at this game. You can’t beat us, you understand?

I think this is the crux of what is happening in the overall plot with the Twelve. We have 4 people who became inveigled with this organization and are all trying to escape their ties to it. But they are all slowly realizing that dealing with the Twelve and working for the Twelve is not a game.

I know you’re working for the Twelve. I know you’re working with her.

I just love how Eve and Villanelle don’t use each other’s name when taking to other people and everyone just understands they are referring to one another. It’s as if everyone on the planet is aware of their sapphic relationship. I just love it.

She will never be loyal to you.

Eve does not view her relationship with Villanelle as a game and knows there is some thread of understanding between them. It’s the only thing she can rely on anymore and I think we will see more of that in the final 2 episodes.

In the final moment of Eve’s storyline in this episode, she plays her last move and in her purple turtleneck with her hair down she finally lets go of Niko.

End of game.

Villanelle’s Reality

Villanelle is a visual contradiction of projecting power with her wardrobe (dark blue suit and gold shoes) contrasted with her unhinged emotional state in which she is powerless to her raging emotions.

Helene’s phone conversation sets the stage for the game Villanelle is trapped in.

This exposition gives Villanelle insight into how Helene and Dasha are managing her.

At first Helene is speaking directly to her daughter. She tells her daughter what she wants to hear to placate and calm her down. Afterwards, she has a conversation with grandma who has full knowledge of her daughter’s complaints and Helene’s tone and verbiage shifts to reveal her true intentions.

She’s doing all this to get our attention.

Villanelle acts out because she seeks attention.

Put some cream on it. That’ll calm her a bit.

Give Villanelle things to make her feel better temporarily: money, houses, the illusion of freedom and control.

Its official. To Villanelle the Keeper.

Villanelle smiles and downs the entire glass of champagne in triumph. She is temporarily basking in her freedom until... she receives the post card and the illusion of power is shattered.

This is the same stuff I was doing before. This is bullshit

You bargained for what you wanted, and we are giving it to you. You’ll get all the material perks you were expecting. What more do you want?

It becomes apparent that the Keeper position Villanelle was granted was nothing more than another tool her handlers were using manipulate her with.

This made me think of Villanelle’s Roman centurion and emperor metaphor. A centurion, or foot soldier, is someone who takes orders and carries them out similarly to how assassins are told who to kill by their handlers. While the title of emperor holds power and gives the perception of being in charge, this is not always true in reality. Sometimes a political title can be nothing more than a symbol of power for the figure head of the state while the minor politicians give the orders behind the scenes. This is Villanelle the Keeper’s reality.

Villanelle is over the Twelve and seeks the only family she has left: Konstantin.

They kill you the second they realize it.

I want this.

He reveals his plan to exit the Twelve for good likely with the 6 million euros he has stolen and his daughter Irina in tow. But exiting the Twelve is no simple task.

Do you know what this means? It means you have to leave everything: the clothes, apartment, and her.

I know.

This dialogue parallels with the end of season 2 when Konstantin encouraged Villanelle to run away after killing Aaron Peele. She wasn’t ready to let go of Eve then because keeping Eve was still part of her ultimate end game. But now the game is over, and she just wants to be free and at this point in time is prepared to give up everything including Eve to get the one thing she wants: her freedom.

This is bullshit.

At the end of the episode we see Villanelle completely botch a kill and get injured in the process. Killing and watching the life drain from people’s eyes used to be something that made Villanelle feel powerful and gave her a sense of ultimate control. This is no longer the case as Villanelle comes to terms with her complete lack of autonomy and her inability to escape her emotions.

I’m done with this shit. I’m done with it, I’m leaving.

Carolyn’s Reality

Carolyn finally gets Kenny’s phone records that were being withheld by her boss Paul (confirmed plant for the Twelve). She is over this game the Twelve is playing with her as well and she decides to go straight to the source of the several in going and outgoing calls Kenny received before his demise: Konstantin.

Carolyn is also done with the game Geraldine is playing with her. She confronts her directly about the secrets held between them with regards to her involvement with Konstantin. I suspect we will get more answers to whatever is going on here in the next episode. Regardless, Carolyn is over it.

The drought can be endured but rot is an instant killer.

Konstantin’s Reality

Carolyn’s “I’m over these games” energy leads he straight to Konstantin who, judging by the title card, wishes he was free in Cuba. The color pink could symbolize love and romance. In this context, I think it is alluding the romantic history between Carolyn and Konstantin and his love for his daughter Irina.

Are you in a rush?

No, impatient.

During their car ride, he reveals that he might be Kenny’s father and while that is interesting information it is likely not a conversation that requires several phones calls to clear up. Indicating once again that Konstantin is being deceitful with everyone around him as a way to survive this game.

Interestingly, the aria Carolyn was listing to when taking to Mo about Kenny is playing in the background during the car ride. The song, Dido’s Lament, is about an apocalyptic romance between Aeneas and Dido in which one of the lovers leaves out of duty and the other is left to die (foreshadowing?). I’m wondering if this song is signifying that this is the last time Carolyn and Konstantin see each other. Much like Aeneas and Dido, these lovers leave a lot unresolved between them as they part ways.

Later on, Paul, Konstantin’s boss this season, orders Konstantin to track down the person that ordered the hit on Kruger’s wife, which we all know is Konstantin.

Game over for Konstantin.

He immediately packs his bags and goes to collect Irina. But his desire to be free does not outweigh his love for Irina as he stays behind to watch over her in the next episode after she kills her mom’s new boyfriend. Really interesting that he made sure Villanelle was ready to leave Eve behind, the woman that has her heart, but Konstantin was not willing to leave behind his daughter, the girl that has his. Perhaps Konstantin can’t imagine a reality without his daughter or maybe he has more loose ends to tie up before heading to Cuba.

#killing eve #killing eve analysis #end of game #Eve Polastri #villanelle #Carolyn Martins #konstantin vasiliev #villaneve #dasha #killing eve season 3

[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S2 E1

Previous season Prologue

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Maandag 20:25

The ambiguity of this clip, showing us Zoë’s POV as well as Robbe’s, was intentional. Unfortunately, wtFOCK decided to queer bait us at that time. Their banner on their website even portrayed Robbe as S2 main, before the release of the second clip. 

C is for culture: 

"I collected your favorite easter eggs" - During Easter, it’s a tradition for children to search for chocolate eggs hidden 'by the Easter Bunny’ or ‘the Roman Easter Clocks who flew over’ in the gardens of (grand)parents. This is usually followed by a brunch with the family. During the weeks before, friends/colleagues might gift others mini flavored chocolate eggs, with praliné, pistachio, marzipan, mokka, ... 

"I’m looking forward to it" - It’s back to school time in this episode. They just had two weeks of Easter break, which is situated somewhere in April - depending on the date of that religious day. They also have this Monday off, since it’s Easter Monday.

They just came out of the ‘Wasbar’ (= laundromat bar). Still a relatively new concept, but slowly gaining more and more popularity in the cities. These types of bars are perfect for students, tourists or locals, who love to eat or drink something, while waiting for their laundry. At some locations, they even organize concerts and events. 

Hello from the outside: Right before the release of this clip, a Belgian influencer filmed Jana and Zoë in 'De Wasbar', at ‘the same time as he was there’. He acted all excited and tagged the characters insta’s.

Where’s Wally: We kinda forgot about Robbe’s first girlfriend, Maud. Whoops!

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Robbe immediately stopping his girlfriend from going further than just making-out and deflecting the question about going to his house. 

Nod to the OG: Robbe saying "Hell and damnation" about his mother being angry. This is a subtle hint towards the religion obsession of Isak’s mom, a storyline wtFOCK never truly explored in S3.

Perfect parallels: Robbe’s "Can’t we go to your house?" with Maud’s "Or to yours?" in S2 and Sander saying "At my place or yours?" in S3.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jana has the same phone case from S1 (the birdies!).

°

Dinsdag 08:25

C is for culture: 

"No, just porno" - More than half of Belgian teens don’t watch porn. Those who do, are mainly men, but a surprising 2 out of 5 female teens also like to explore. Though, this development has a huge impact on the average age to start sex: teens are waiting longer and longer to have their first time, due to insecurities formed by these types of images.

"Bedankt für die blumen" - A phrase the Pope uses every year during Easter in the ‘Urbi et orbi’ to thank the Dutch flower suppliers. This is used as a joke a lot by Dutch and Belgian people, because of the way the former Pope pronounced the phrase so weirdly. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Robbe was wearing his oriental vibe t-shirt from S3. Yasmina pulls off her hijab at the entrance, due to the school’s policy.

°

Dinsdag 12:52

C is for culture: "Vijgen na Pasen" (= figs after Easter) - This expression for ‘a solution that's too late to have purpose’, comes from the former fasting ritual before Easter. Back then the only sweet thing people were allowed to eat were figs. But the import didn’t always run smoothly. So they sometimes arrived after Easter, which was too late, thus defeating the whole purpose. 

Perfect parallel: An annoyed Zoë asking Senne “What’s your plan?” in S2, a happy Sander asking Robbe the same in S3. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Luca is throwing very annoyed glares towards the two lovebirds, Robbe and Maud. According to the FreeFest poll, ‘Beam Team’ is at nr. 1, ‘Blonde Ambition’ (Britt’s group) is at nr. 2 and their team - called ‘GRL PWR’ - is at three. 

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Woensdag 18:21

Perfect parallel / Funny coincidence: Milan having sexual acts in the same room as Sobbe's reunion later on, both accompanied by a song of a LGBT+ singer. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Each shelf has a name label and they’re all filled with products by 'Colruyt' (a discount store). Milan’s one is almost empty, due to his money issues and Lisa’s has a gluten-free product with a post-it ‘mine’ on it.

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Woensdag 19:42

C is for culture: The girls and Jens are going to a concert of ‘blackwave.’ - an Antwerp hiphop duo, who’ve gotten more attention due to their hit single ‘Elusive’ ft. David Ngyah. Their style is rather funky with oldschool influences. 

Hello from the outside: The hiphop duo (mentioned above) actually did have a real concert on that exact Wednesday 24th of April 2019 in ‘De Roma’ Antwerp. The actors went to this, put videos on their characters’ insta and made some pictures with fans who spotted them in real life. 

Perfect parallel: Amber sending a topless pic to Senne and him screenshotting it in S1, the beat girl doing the same and Jana encouraging Jens to screenshot in S2. Also, Zoë stating they don’t have permission to see this, foreshadowing Viktor taking nude pics of her without permission. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Look at these adorable pics with girlssquad and Robbe! 

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Donderdag 12:53

Perfect parallel: Amber thanking the girls “You were there for me” in S1, her saying “All four of us are there for you” to Zoë in S2.

Nod to the OG:

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Vrijdag 20:42

Perfect parallel: Jana saying to Amber that if someone spills a drink, her dress will be ruined in S2, Aaron actually spilling and ruining her dress in S3. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it / Oopsie: The candle letters behind Zoë says ‘Hapyp Days’ instead of ‘Happy Days’.

#wtfock #wtfam #cpm rewatch #skam belgium #skam

[aspiestvmusings]

WV1: PARALLELS

Parallels, Callbacks, Foreshadowing... 

SUPER LONG POST!

PARALLELS, CALLBACKS, REFERENCES 

...WITHIN WV + MCU + TO OTHER TV/FILM

Wanda/SW doing “astral projection” - reading a book while “another her” is making tea at the same time VS Dr. Srange astral projecting himself in his film as he was studying. 

Wanda sitting on the porch in the countryside after everyone calls her a villain after her actions VS Thanos in his countryside cottage after the snap. Smilar aesthetic VS Hulk going to a cottage in the middle of nowhere at the end of rhe 2008 film to reflect on the damge he did + learn about his powers. 

Wanda vs Agatha VS Tony vs Thanos: Agatha cheering that she has won, ready to direct her power (Wanda’s power she “drank”) against/at Wanda & then nothing happens has the exact same energy as 2014-Thanos snapping and just the hollow noise happening... The realization of the villain that their opponent has outsmarted them, using tricks (”magic”) - misdirection. If you’re not powerful enough or don’t have as much knowledge as the other, you can still win...because misdirection works. All those powerful & evil characters have one thing in common = they think they are “inevitable”, but they always fall for the tricks played on them. In here knowledge is not “power”, but weakness as it overboosts the villains confidence. Flourish! 

I want to break free... Hex Vision wanting to get out of the hex & free from Wanda’s “mind control” (she can’t control him, but she tried). He wants to find answers, and help people in 1x06 VS White Vision after regaining his memories (but most likely not his soul & humanity & connection to Wanda) wants to get away, to break free of Hayward’s mind control (hence letting other Vision unlock his memories). He most likely wants to find answers, and help himself & others.... 

In ep 2 Vision's (stage name: Illusion) magician in their magic act uses the word "Flourish"" as his magic word [instead of abracadabra] before/after every trick VS In 1x09 Jimmy Woo says "Flourish!" after he uses the magician trick (he learned from Scott Lang) to free himself from cuffs. It is a reference to Jimmy watching "WandaVision" & hearing Vision say that because, as WAnda points out, you don't say the word out loud when doing your magic tricks. Hence it’s not a reference to just Jimmy being a magician..since Antman film, but to that ep 2. 

In episode 2 Vision as "Illusion" wears a cape as part of his magician outfit VS part of the real Vision's outfit is a cape! (that he originally added to his costume in AoU after seeing Thor’s costume & cape)

The show starts with Wanda & Vision arriving to WV in 1950s as characters & doing everything they can to hide their identity and powers from everyone. Being afraid that everyone finds out about their secret... [until they start to realize that somethings wrong & what Wanda did...] VS The whole family walking through WV as themselves...in their superhero outfits. Not hiding the true selves from anyone. Coming in terms of who they are. Works both as MCU development & reference to sitcom development of how “ideals” have been portrayed on screen.

Wanda's birthing screams & energy spending: Wanda "giving birth" to Vision in ep 8 flashback VS Wanda giving birth to the twins in ep 3. I feel like in a way her subconcious was reminding her of the "birthing pains". 

Wanda mind controlling Agatha - giving her “nightmares” in WV ep 1x09 = is so similar to how she mindcontrolled Tony in AoU...giving him “nightmares”. Sneaking up on them...  VS what Agatha did to Wanda in ep 8 looked similar...she “mind contolled her” and showed her a story...she wanted her to see (her origins...) Both mentioned that it was easy to do, because the controlled person was so full of doubts that it didn’t tke anything to make them “see things”...

Vision telling Wanda in a past film that he wants everyone to see her the way he does (the way Monica does in WV) - that she is not simply a villain, not someone to be afraid of like the WV people are after the hex, as the world was after Lagos... VS The Hex! Vision telling her that "I just wanted to see you” & “and there you are”... at the beginning of their goodbye scene as the hex goes down...

Wanda & Visions final goodbye scene being them standing in front of a window ...the end of their journey together VS The Wanda/Vision scene in Scotland...the first scene that reveals their relationship to viewers...is also of them standing in front of the window...  Visual Parallels 

WV series setting up the next decade/phase looks a lot like IM  films setting up first decade/phase. Both more character centered & more character driven spries & journeys. Personally...my favourite kind. WV setting up Wandas journey VS IM setting up Tony’s journey. Question is... will she choose the “hero” or the “villain” path. Go Tony’s route, or opposite? Time will tell. 

In ep 9 when Wanda throws a car at Agatha & goes to check on her, we only see her/the witches boots under the car VS The classic image of the Wicked Witch of the West’s boots/shoes under the rubble in Wizard of Oz.

Visions co-worker, Jones says: "I wore a turtleneck" in episode 1x02, when Mr. Hart is firing him VS Vision wearing a turtleneck as they say goodbye to the kids & to one another in 1x09 

In ep 8 flashback to the day Wanda arrived at Westview, and was driving throgh the town, she saw the people she cast in supporting roles in her show. Among them was Jones' (Harold), who was putting up an add on the billboard about teaching piano lessons VS In ep 2 Jones was playing the piano during his performance on the talent show. 

Wanda driving through WestView as she first arives in reality - the town & the people seem in a non-happy state (people alone & depressed, town in ruins, she alone) in 1x08 flashback VS Wanda & Vision driving through WestView as they first arrive in the TV freality (everyone fake-happy & not alone, buildings & businesses flourishing  in 1x01

Vision as the magician Illusion using the phrase "fllourish!" for his magic tricks (that Agatha messes up & Wanda corrects) in the TV-freality in 1x02 VS Wanda after seeing the state of the town & people (that to her seem like her own experience) making the place flourish (alive again)! in1x08 flashback

In episode 1  Agatha introduces Wanda to the womens magazine named "Glamorous" as there is an article there about "seduction tecniques". They read the article/magazine together...Agnes plan to trick Wanda into creating kids VS In episode 3 we see Wanda reding the same magazine (but a different edition...now from 1970s) as she relaxes on the sofa while the hoover is cleaning the house by itself. [PS. The title of the womens magazine in eps 1 & 3 nd Wandas stage name Glamour in ep 2 are actually references to the words other meaning... magic]

In 1x01 Vision tells his boss Mr. Hart that no, he does not have a skeleton, when he's asked if he has a skeleton in his closet VS In the 1x02 sitcom opening credits we see Vision go through walls & floor/ceiling. As he moves downstairs from the closet we see wht appears to be a spider/a villains mask & spiderwebs there. And... bones. 

When Monica blips back in the 1x04 flashback scene she encounters a doctor/person in the hallway who says to her "Do you have a phone? I have to call my wife" VS In episode 1x05, when Vision unlocks Norm's mind from Wanda's control, one of the things he says is "Where's my phone? I have to call my sister. (She's taking care of our dad. He's sick)." [and we remember fro Endgame that after being bipped back everyone wanted to call their loved ones...as the 1st thing they did...] 

Wanda throwing a car, her car, at Agatha (when she can't use her power directly againt her) to stop her in 1x09 VS Wanda throwing a car at Iron Man/Tony in CA:CW to stop him.

In ep 8 Agatha tells Wanda "And here you are (making breakfast for dinner)"  VS In ep 9 Vision tells Wanda at the start of their final goodbye scene "And there you are."

In ep 1 the Harts comment that Wanda made "breakfast for dinner" when they see the food prepared for this surprise event VS In ep 8 when Agatha is holding the twins on a leash she mocks Wanda for using her super powers on simple things like that, saying "...and here you are making breakfast for dinner"

In 1x01 Vision saves the day by calling Wanda covering the bosses eyes with her hands " a traditional sokovian greeting" when she thinks she's welcoming her husband home VS in the 1x08  flashback to her childhood we see that her mother covers her eyes with her hands the same way. Yet another subconcious detail from her real life.

We learned during the ep 8 flashback to her childhood that Wanda’s powers manifested (probability hex) at age 10. It mightve been the first time she “properly” used her magic abilities  VS When Billy & Tommys powers manifesting (Billy: mind reading + “seeing the future” & Tommy: speed) in more concrete way when they are 10 -year-olds... PS. 10 = X (roman numerals) = X-gene (mutants)

In ep 1 Wanda says “my husband and his indestructible head” (as a comic lline)...but VS Vision’s destructed head... aka Thanos ripping the Mind Stone out of Vision’s head in 3: IW, and in doing so “destructing his head” PS. THANKS FOR REMINDING ME TO ADD THIS ONE, @ecstaticreverie

Ms. Hart keeps saying "Stop it!" (with more & more concerned voice) as Mr. Hart chokes in 1x01 VS Wanda keeps saying "Stop it!" (with more & more concerned voice) when she sees Visions body being dismantled...like a machine in the 1x08 flashback.

The Mind-Stone shape: The hexagonal shape of the Mind Stone in Vision’s head VS The shape of the Mind stone painted on the “cabinet of mysteries” in ep 2 used for their magic act VS The mind’stone shaped detail in the center of Wanda’s new Scarlet Witch costume’s “collar”  PS. THANKS FOR REMINDING ME TO ADD THIS ONE, @ecstaticreverie

During the 1x08 flashback scene to a time  after the events of A1: AoU we see Vision enter Wanda's room at the Avengers compund through the wall, instead of the door, d then they have a meaningful conversation about grief. VS In the movie CA:CW we see Vision enter her room through the wall...instead of the open door... as Wanda & Steve are talking about the events of Lagos...This is where Wanda says "Vis, we've talked about this [entering though door instead a wall]"

During the ep 3 sitcom opening credits we see Vision build a swingset for the kids-to-be, but it falls apart VS During the ep 8 flashback therapy scene at Avengers compound Wanda & Vision are watching Bryan Cranstons character on a sitcom on TV build something & it falls apart (falls on him, hurting him...and Vision asks qhy it's funny)

Vision quoting Shakespeare in WV 1x02: “All the world’s a stage & all the men & women merely players..” VS a role in a Shakespeare play  mention related to Trevor Slattery in IM3

In ep 4 one of the specialists in the truck tells Darcy (after she tries to question him) "We'e not supposed to talk" VS In ep 7 Wanda tells the director/person [Agatha all along] behind the camera "You’re not supposed to talk", when during her sitcom a voice from behind the camera replies to her.

Darcy’s fist & last scene had similar energy. We first see Darcy in a militay vehicle, on the way to the hex base. She comments that “we got a full cown car”, when she realizes they’re bringing on top experts from every field. VS When Wanda’s expanding hex traps the base everything is turned into a circus...and agents into clowns etc. VS Darcy uses the “clown car” to stop Hayward. She rams his military vehicle as he tries to flee with the funnel ytruck/clown car (it’s changed shape, but since it in reality the same kind of miitary vehicle it can stop Haywards car)

In ep 5 Hayward "shoots" at the kids & Wanda, when he lets his guys take over the drone Monica is using & fires a weapon at the family VS In ep 9 Hayward actually shoots  the kids (from a gun), when Wanda puts the twins in charge of dealing with the military.

Hayward asking Jimmy about Wanda’s superhero name in ep 5: “No funny nickname?” VS "...and that makes you The Scarlett Witch" - Agatha "giving" her the funny superhero nickname in 1x08. Only...in this context it seems more like royal title than a superhero nickname.

Wanda giving Vision the meat tenderizer (it looks like a small hammer) & him holding it in WV ep 1x01 VS Vision lifting & giving Thor's hammer (Mjölnir) to Thor in A2: AoU

Episode 1 ends with Wanda creating wedding rings for them..from "nothing" VS Episode 9 ends with the wedding ring on her finger being the last thing that disappears after she's taken down the hex & "re-absorbed" the energy of the Mind Stone she created him from. We can still see the ring on her finger a moment after the yellow has disappeared...and then that's gone, too

The newstories on the screens et SWORD lobby are all about the snapped people being blipped back & families reunited & celebrating etc during both Wanda's visit we see in ep 8 flashback AND Monica's visit we see in ep 4 flashback. [Wanda's visit happened earlier, but the door had been replaced before Monica's visit... that had to be next day...no later] 

During a flashback memory scene in ep 8 to a time when Wanda was a volunteer for Hydra we see her watching a tv show/sitcom "The Brady Bunch" on TV where a little girl with blonde hair in braids is putting her doll to sleep VS In episode 3 when Vision on practicing changing diapers he's doing it on a (girl) doll with braids..tied with similar red bows as the girl/character on TV. The same exact doll.

Wakanda is located inside a giant protective dome/bubble - an "invisible" energy field protects it & the barrier stops intruders VS Wanda creates a giant protective dome/bubble (hex-shaped) around WestView - an "invisible" energy field that stops people from entering or exiting...

The “fallen/hurt/dying pose” parallels: Vision in A3: IW after Thanos killed him VS Vision in WV ep 1x06/1x07 after exiting the hex & falling apart VS Monica in WV ep 1x03 /1x04 after being thrown out from the hex VS Nat in A4:E after falling on Vormir… #VisualParallels

When Agnes introduces hersef to the new neighbours she brings a plants as a housewarming gift in WV episode 1x01 VS This is the first things that glitches in episode 1x07 as Wanda “loses control” of reality

SNAPS: "Sugar Snaps" is the name of the breakfast cereal Wanda eats in 1x07 VS  “SNAP” is part of the add on the billboard in WV 1x08 flashback scene when the hex take sover the city VS  Thanos snapping his fingers in A3: IW & wiping half of he universe "out of existence" VS  Agatha snaps her fingers in 1x08 when she disappears from the audience seats VS In ep 1 Agnes says that “this menu can be done in a snap” to Wanda 

The heart drawn on the wall calendar on the date Friday, August 23rd was an abbreviation & was referring to Vision's boss & his wife coming to dinner in 1x01... when neither could remember the significance of the heart or date. Also... "Who needs to abbreviate?" (when theyre both superheroes) VS The heart Vision drew on the property deed of the land he bought for them. Next to the text "to grow old in" - V. (abbreviating his name) in the 1x08 flshback VS The heart on the calendar on the Date Wednesday the 10th in the opening credits for Wandas sitcom freality in 1x07 VS The heart on top of a building in the 1x02 episode sitcom intro

In ep 8 flashback Wanda says "I can't feel you", when he cannot read/feel Vision & the Mind stone (connection) as she is trying to connect to the dissected parts of Visions physical form/body VS In A3:IW when Wanda is trying to read the Mind Stone during the scene at the hotel in Scotland, she says "I just feel you" (not what the stone is trying to warm him about) VS In A3: IW as Wanda is about to destroy the Mind Stone & Vision along with it, he tels her to not worry, cause she could never hurt her, and adds "I just feel you"

In ep 9 when Wanda meets White Vision he puts his hands around Wanda's face, and she in her delusion expects that this is  her Vision & he's just doing "their thing" (when they can share a "mindstone link" like that), but instead this machine starts squeezing her face/skull...because it has been given the order to destroy/kill Wanda VS In the end of episode 9 as Wanda & Hex Vision are saying goodbye she puts her hands around his face (doing "their thing"...trying to feel him as long as possible...as his face is the last thing to disappear with the hex) and doing so lovingly. 

In ep 7 Monica lands the "hero landing" after Wanda "throws" her into the air VS In  ep 9 Wanda lands the "hero landing" when Hex Vision attacks White Vision who is trying to crush Wanda's skull VS In ep 9 Hex Vision lands the "hero landing" when both visions fall to the gground & create a crater into a road. 

In the ep 8 flashback Wanda descibes her grief as "I'm so tired. It's just ike this wave washing over me...again & again.  It knocks me down, and when I try to stand up, it just comes for me again. And...its just gonna drown me." to Vision VS Monica describing the feeling she felt under Wanda's mind control in the hex as "There was this feeling keeping me down. This hopeless feeling. Like drowning. It was grief."

When Vision was born in AoU he flew to the window....and saw  reflection of himself. This is how his journey in MCU in this form began  VS The scene with Wanda & Vision saying goodbye by the window in ep 9 starts with Vision moving to the window (before Wanda joins him) to look at the hex world shrinking outside & seeing his own reflection on the glass). His last scene in this form was a direct parallel to his first scene(s).  #visualparallels

Wanda & Vision saying goodbye...to say hello again some time & some place at the end of WV 1x09 (the scene by the window is similar to the scene we were introduced to the couple) VS Wanda & Vision at the beginning of A3: IW having a conversation by the window, in Scotland (the "I just feel you" scene)  #visualparallels

In episode 2 when the sitcom world goes from b&w to colour, the camera circles around Wanda & Vision...making a 360 degree trip around the room VS In episode 9 as Wanda & Hex Vision are saying their final goodbyes in the saem living room the camera circles around them...doing several 360 degree circles around the room...as Wanda/the hex takes down the house layer/decade by layer/decade...  #visualparallels

Wanda & Vision family watching TV  every night before going to bed in Wanda's TV freality on WV VS Wanda watching TV with her family in Sokovia - the last happy memory before trauma hit her (1x08 flashback scene) VS Wanda & Vision first bonding at the Avengers compound whilw watching TV together (1x08 flashback scene). He's learning "being human" with her help & she's learning about dealing with her trauma.

In ep 8, when Agatha takes down the "walk on memory lane" illusion & Wanda finds herself in her basement, she hears her twins [Billy & Tommy] calling for her "Mom!" because Agatha has kidnapped them... VS In the post end credits scene when we see Wanda make herself a cup of tea + read the Darkhold at the same time, we/she hears her twins [Billy & Tommy] call for her "Mom!" It is not revealed if she's just having a "nightmare" of that moment from ep 8 or is she imagining it, or is she hearing them for real...calling from somewhere [other dimension] 

Vision's plan was for them to move from big city to a small town, build a house & start a family/life together. Grow old together (even if he as a synthezoid presumbly doesn't grow old like Wanda as human would. Though maybe his human form could & perhaps she as  Nexus being/witch can/will live for centuries..but they didn't know it back then?) as he had planned their life together in IW (making me suspicious if they got engaged or something...) as revealed in WV 1x08 flashback to the property deed that lead Wanda to WestView VS Wanda creating a sitcom world where decades change...she literally created an alternate reality where they live his plan for them..they grow old together..in a small town... as seen throughout the WV show...

Wanda seeing Vision dressed as the WV character, but looking exactly like when he died in A3: IW w. the mindstone ripped out... in WV 1x04 VS Wanda seeing Fietro dressed as the WV character, but looking exactly like when he died in A2AoU w. the bulletholes in the shirt in WV 1x06 VS Peter seeing Tony as an Iron-Zombie rising from the grave in the illusion Mysterio created to play tricks on him in SM2: FFH

Wanda seen as "evil” by her castmates..when she thought she did nothing wrong. She did not understand her power & as a byproduct she hurt others...unintentionaly & unknowingly...and now seen as the villian by WV people & world...more.   VS Agatha seen as bad by her coven...when she thought she did nothing wrong. But she was messing with power that she didn’t fully understand. The question here is will Wanda’s journey ahead copy Agathas or will it be the opposite? Will she choose to go toward “good” or “evil” path? Agatha’s own mother did not believe she could be good. “I can be good.” / “No you cant.” Wanda had Vision, who had always seen the good in her & she had Monica, who could she the good in her, too. As Vision once said: “I wish to understant it (the Mind Stone). The more I understand it, the less it controls me.” If we adopt this to Wanda & replace stone with her power, this is a powerful lesson...that she’s carrying  his message within her. He keeps being her moral compass even if not physically there...the memories remain. Vision’s "Be good, Wanda.” combined with the other truths he’s told her as her moral compass might and possibly will help her learn from Agatha’s mistakes. Because at the end of WV she chose the ”good side”, like Tony did at the end of IM. So I see them not copying her journey from comics, but making it a bit different. While in Agatha the book overpowered her, Wanda will overpower the book. Time wlll tell which route they actually chose for her.   Wanda & Agatha - analysis TBA 

Wanda in WV finale...as her character journey starts saying “you don’t get to say who I am... I decide that” mimics Tony’s character journey start, when he says “I am Iron Man” - he makes the decision to decide who he is, define himself (everyone was caling him a superhero, Iron Man...but he then took how everyone perceived him in his new role & made it his own). VS Carols’ origin story - she chose to “stand up” & define herself VS Monica’s origins story - she decided who she was & didnt let the Hex chnge her. VS  What we see with (White) Vision also references this kind of, cause this new re-born Vision comes to a realization on who he is "I am Vision” Wanda & Tony - analysis TBA

THE END

There are many more, but those are the ones I first noticed & the ones I remembered to write down. 

#text post #my thoughts #WandaVision #SPOILER #WandaVision spoilers #WandaVision spoiler #WandaVisionSpoilers #Wanda Maximoff #Vision #The Vision #Hex Vision #Soul Vision #Wanda #Wanda Vision #Wanda x Vision #MCU #PARALLELS #CALLBACKS #REFERENCES #LONG POST #LIST POST

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #329

“i keep it all inside because i know that man is everything but kind”

What is the best thing about your life right now? Uhhhhh... I guess from a realistic standpoint, my partial hospitalization program. I'm learning very important coping skills and have some social interaction almost every day. How was your second serious relationship different from your first? Did you approach relationships differently with some experience under your belt? My first serious relationship was made deeper than what was safe because I was 100% obsessed with him; meanwhile, with Sara, I feel I loved her in a wiser way and with a sense of self still present. I was definitely more hesitant to "let" myself fall in love again, though, and was very insecure at the start. Whose death affected you the most? My dog's, Teddy. What was the best time you’ve had with a complete stranger? I don't exactly make a habit of hanging out with complete strangers... Who has seen you at your absolute worst? How did your relationship change afterwards? Mom, Jason, Girt, and Colleen, probably. Girt showed up at the ER after my overdose (I was a dramatic fuck and wrote a suicide note on Facebook so I didn't just... go without telling some people things I definitely wanted to), and that's when my crush on him really kicked into gear again. He was and is just always there for me through everything. For Jason, I am quiiiiiiiite sure seeing me have an absolute catatonic breakdown the night of the breakup just pushed him away more. I probably looked crazy. Colleen also showed up at the ER after my suicide attempt, and it brought us closer. Then there's Mom, who's, you know, my mom, and my darkest times have always grown our incredible bond, too, because she would never fail to be there for me. What’s your favorite planet? Saturn is dope. What’s your favorite pasta dish? Just spaghetti with tomato sauce and meatballs. What color do you really want to dye your hair? My top three are pastel pink, light/creamsicle orange, and silver, but there are more. What’s your favorite eye color? Sapphire blue or emerald green. What’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into? Um, I don't break into places. What’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? Sara gets super squeaky, bouncy, and just in general wordlessly excited at reptile shows. Going with her to one is one of my favorite memories, mostly just by watching her. Tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. Have I ever been (awake) with friends past 3AM...? Idk. Do you have a favorite coffee shop? Describe it! Not a coffee gal. Who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? Sara. (: When was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? Now THERE'S a fuckin question. I don't have the slightest idea. What was your biggest fear as a kid? Is it the same today? Thunderstorms; definitely not. Have you ever been to a Pride festival? No, but I'd love to. How open are you with your parents? I don't tell everything to my dad (though I know I could), but I'm an open book with Mom. Is there anything you’re more open about on the internet (such as on LiveJournal) than you would be in “real life”? I guess my sexual history. I'm just in general pretty open online. What is the most petty thing you’ve ever done? Oh, I'm CERTAIN it involves Jason after the breakup, but I don't know the "most"... What is the longest you’d be willing to wait to have sex in a new relationship? I myself don't want to until we're clearly serious and long-term by that point, and I know for a fact they're in love with me like I am them. I don't care how long they want to wait, though. I said in a previous survey that sex just... isn't that important to me. It's not my most cherished form of intimacy. Who has had the most positive effect on your life? My mama. Are there any relatives that you are not on speaking terms with? What happened? Most of the family doesn't talk to my aunt's literally psychotic, manipulative fuck of an ex-husband. I don't feel like it's my business to share exactly what happened, but yeah, fuck him with a chainsaw. :^) Who was the last person to ask you to hang out? Did you agree to hang out with them? It was more like an open invitation to all of her friends, but I guess you could say Summer. I did. I honestly wanna hang out again. Have you ever had to take a stool or urine test? Why did you have to do this? Urine ones, yes: to 1.) test for UTIs and 2.) ensure I wasn't pregnant before surgery. Is there a food that you eat basically every day? What food is that? Not every day, no. Can you remember the first video game you ever played? What about your first video gaming system? I don't. It was probably something with few controls, like this Barbie horse riding game my sisters and I loved, or an Elmo game that we had on a demo disc. I think you had to follow a path on a pogo stick picking up letters? We had a PS1 when I was born, so that was my first. The last video game you played - did you play alone or with someone else? By "video," I'm going to assume you're not including the computer, in which case I think it was The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon, which I was playing alone. It does have a two-player option though that I wanna do one day. The controls are definitely meant for two people. If there is a disc in your computer, what disc is it? There is no disc. Do you shut down your computer every time after you use it, or do you leave it on? I always leave it on... Do you know anyone who has ever been in a movie? Who and what movie were they in? What was their part? Hm, I don't believe so. Describe the last shirt you saw that you really liked. Where did you see it? It was definitely some sort of graphic tee on Facebook, I'm sure. It was something with an opossum design and a short phrase. When was the last time you brought a pet to the vet? What was wrong with it? The most recent vet visit was when we got Roman neutered. Do you have any bug bites on you right now? If so, where? No. When you go fishing, do you make someone else get the fish off the hook? When I DID fish, yeah. Not because I was afraid to touch the fish, but because I was afraid of nicking myself with the inevitably dirty hook. Did you go to daycare when you were little? Only very briefly; my incredible separation anxiety from my mom made it extremely difficult. She very quickly chose our neighbors as my and my sisters' babysitters. I could handle that because I loved "Uncle Donny," the granddad of the family, and I could see my house from their front door. He was/is (idk if he's still alive) a wonderful man. Do you know what you’d have been named had you been born the opposite sex? No. Would you ever visit a nude beach? NOOOOOOOO THANK YOU. Who was the last person you dreamt about? I don't remember. Where is your favorite place to be kissed other than the usual place? Don't touch my neck if you don't have free time lmaooo. What is your favorite memory with one of your grandparents? I'm going to be completely honest: I have none that are exceptionally important to me. I only knew one grandmother most of my life, and we had a turbulent relationship. Would you date someone who has cheated in their previous relationships? Naaaaah son. What was the most drastic change you made to your appearance? Chopping 8+ inches of hair off. Is there anything you hope your significant other/future significant other never finds out about you? No. I don't want to keep secrets from them above all others. What are most of your Facebook posts about? If you're talking things I actually compose myself and not share, probably pictures of my pets, haha. Or small statements regarding political issues or mental health. What’s your favorite part of the song that you’re listening to? The beat. Who was the last person you got into a small argument with? Probably my mom, idk. How warm do you like your showers/baths to be? Pretty hot. In the past year, have you lost weight or gained weight? How much? Gained... and I'd rather not share. What year was the last car you rode in/drove? I have zero clue, but it's old. What’s your worst/funniest experience with one of your neighbors? The neighbors at my childhood home had two wonderful rottweilers, but one day they got loose and killed at least one of our kittens. It died in my hands. Mom was fucking livid and sobbing. Besides this occasion though, we got along with them. How much alone time is too much for you before you start going crazy and want to be around people? It depends on the day, really, and how entertained I am in my alone time. Generally, one day of total isolation (from people, anyway) is enough for me to want my mom's company at least or to be texting Sara. The last time you burned your tongue or mouth, what were you eating? A pizza roll burned my tongue just a tad. Honestly, are you shallow? Not at all. Besides clothes, shoes, and accessories, what’s your favorite thing to shop for? S N A K E S ! ! ! I could LIVE on the Morph Market website and "window shop." I love planning out the next morph I'm most interested in adopting. If you have/had any facial piercings, what side are they on? Any reason you chose that side? If you don’t have any, if you had to get a facial piercing what would it be and what side would it be on? I have a vertical labret on my lower lip that goes directly down the center of my face. I chose it because I love the symmetry. I've had my right nostril pierced twice, just because I preferred that side for whatever reason. What, would you say, is your sexiest/most provocative article of clothing? I don't own anything like that. I have zero interest in showing off my body. Do/did you have attendance problems in school? I was notoriously tardy for the first class of the day a lot because I was an absolute beast to drag out of bed all the way up to college. Does/did your parents ever go through your computer or cell phone? Mom did. What song reminds you the most of a particular day in your life? Why is that? "Where the Wild Wolves Have Gone" by Powerwolf is a strong one. I played it again and again the day Teddy was put down, even before we went to go euthanize him. It was my inspiration to one day spread his ashes at Yellowstone in wolf territory. As much as I'd love to keep his ashes forever, like, what happens after I die? And my sisters? Eventually, that container will lose meaning and probably be discarded, so I want to return him to nature. Do you have any close friends that were adopted? No close ones. Who, in your opinion, is the best thriller writer? Idk. Does your Mom eat meat? Yeah. Do you prefer thick or thin crusted pizza? THICK. Thin crust is an utter disappointment. Do you have any friends with the same name as you? No. Who has the prettiest middle name you know? Ha, I mention Alon a lot when it comes to beauty... I can't remember what it is, but I do know hers wins. Do you prefer it when it gets darker earlier? No. It makes me go to bed earlier. Can you touch​ your nose with your tongue?​​ No. Is there a particular sport you follow on a regular basis? No. Are there any shows that your friends seem to be obsessed with, but that you just don’t get? Oh, loads. How old was the last child that you spoke to? She's six. What’s a song that makes you feel happy? "Pretty Woman" by Van Halen, for one. How far in advance do you prefer to plan? It depends, but generally kinda far. Do you always smile for pictures? With other people, yes. Some selfies, no, but usually. What are you most excited about right now? my MOTHERFUCKIN tattoo appointment in MAY!!!!!!!!!!! Do you prefer the aisle, middle, or window seat on a plane? Window seat, zero doubts. Where would you like to volunteer? I wanna help at an animal rehab. What was the last thing you ate? A strawberry and grain granola bar thing. How do you find new music? Usually YouTube recommendations. What’s your favorite city? I don't have one. What makes your bedroom special to you and what is your favorite part about it? It's a total nests of my various interests. My favorite part is my meerkat collection. Have you ever had a crush on someone “too young” for you? No. Do you shave your legs more than once a week? God no. I haven't shaved my legs since October lmao. Would you get married if you could right now? Definitely not right now. I don't have a job or my own place. What is your favorite type of jewelry (i.e. bracelets, necklaces, etc.)? Chokers. Do you regret losing your virginity to who you lost it to? No. I was wholeheartedly in love with him. What was the shittiest hotel you’ve ever stayed at and why? I've never stayed in a bad one, to my recollection. Have you ever gone on a boat and been sick the whole time? No. Have you ever kept something from the wild as a pet? A turtle for a little while, yes. Don't do that. Ever win first place for something? Yeah, a few things. What was the last thing you fell off of? Idk. Do you have a favorite local band? Who are they? No. What’s the most confusing book you ever read? The style in which Johnny Got His Gun is written is very confusing, but you adapt to understand it. Jumping back and forth from the past to the present can give ya some metaphorical whiplash. Do you have a funny last name? Does anyone make fun of it? No. Has anyone ever called your personality dull? Do you agree with them? No. Have you ever personally witnessed a drug deal before? Possibly. Ever have an ultrasound performed on you? What was it for? Yes, for my liver. I can't remember what they were checking for, but I was fine. Have you ever been kicked out of somewhere? Colleen's house, yes. Have you seen all the Lord of the Rings movies? Nope; got no interest. Would you ever consider getting a piercing in your septum? Nah, not for me. Do you enjoy being outdoors? Only if it's cool out, in which case yeah. Do you enjoy watching fireworks on the 4th of July? Not anymore. I just think about the terrified animals (wild and pets alike) and traumatized veterans. Do you enjoy tanning? Not at all. Which of the seven deadly sins do you commit the most? Sloth. Did you have a Furby when you were younger? Yeah. Creepy fuckers. How long was your first relationship? I actually don't remember how long Aaron and I were together... other than it was just a few months. Who was the first person to break your heart? My dad, generally speaking. Romantically, Jason. What’s the biggest lie you’ve told someone? I don’t know. Has anyone ever drawn a picture of you? Yeah. What did the last key you used go to? The car's trunk. Is there anything, any event, you wish you could remember more clearly? I honestly do wish I remembered my "first time" because that's a pretty big deal to me. What’s your biggest priority right now? My mental health. If you’ve stayed overnight in a hospital, how did you entertain yourself? I've done that numerous times, and given there was nothing good on the TV ever, I just slept time away or read. Since every time I was suicidal, there were very, very few things you were allowed to have. Have you ever rubbed anyone’s feet? EW no. Are your hands unsteady? Yes; I have what's called an essential tremor in both. Are your legs long or short? They're proportional to my body. Is there a bookshelf in your room? No. Do you own a robe? What color is it? No. Who’s the last person you smoked weed with? I've never done it. Ever had a person who was obsessed with you so much that it scared you? No. Has anyone ever mistaken you for someone else? Yeah, my sisters in the past. Is there anything you need to talk about with someone? No. Who was the last person who cried around you? My mom. Who’s the last guy to give you roses? Tyler. What band was on the last band t-shirt you wore? Korn. What piercing do you like most on the opposite sex? Maybe snakebites. Do you stick your tongue out often in pictures? Nah. I only ever really did once or twice when I had snake eyes. Honestly, have you ever purchased something, worn it, and then returned it? Possibly? If you could have your own house anywhere in the world, where would it be? In the mountains in a nicely wooded area with a waterfall close by. It'd be nice to have a small stream or pond too to sit or swim in. If you could create a holiday - what would it be? I wish the legalization of gay marriage in America was a legitimate holiday. Are you shy about singing in front of people? OHHHHH YES. Do you own a robe? Do you sleep with a sleep mask? No.

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