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youngandwild99-blog1 · 3 months

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Worldbuilding Categories | Part 1

I'd like to preface this with two things:

worldbuilding is complex; none of this is exhaustive, but rather a starting point

unless you're doing this for RPG purposes or you're George R.R. Martin, you don't need to have a comprehensive bible on every aspect of every little thing. start with what is important to you and the story you're telling.

Languages

Most common by geographic location, demographic, religion, etc. Dead languages. Pidgin + creole languages. Different dialects, pronunciation, and communication issues within a language. Class and economic influence. Generational differences, slang, and evolving connotations of words. Education and preservation of languages. Monolingual, bilingual, polyglot prevalence.

Folklore

[Folklore encompasses legends, tales, proverbs, and myths.]

Origin of lore (religion, morality, societal need/panic, historical sightings or explanations of (super)natural events...) Focus of lore (agricultural, seasonal, health/wellness, lessons...) Common themes (deities, supernatural, cryptids...) Expression of lore (oral tradition, art, dance, rituals...)

Literature/Storytelling

Oral vs. written. Types of recording + distribution. Common and popular genres, themes, lessons... Importance in society and certain demographics.

Art

Folk art, "high" vs "low" art, fine art, popular art, classic art. Common mediums. Popular themes. How it's valued, displayed, traded/sold. Influence of socioeconomics, religion, region, history, demographics... Societal view of artists, mediums, and importance of art.

Drama

Stage plays, narrative dance, operas/musicals, radio, television, film, literary/poetic performance... Geographic and socioeconomic access. "Art" criteria can be applied here as well.

Music

Instruments. Purposes (religious, traditional, entertainment...). Lyricism and composition. Performance, recording, + distribution. Genres, themes, popularity. Perception of different variations. Prevalence and importance. Interaction with political movements and modernity. Accessibility of composition and consumption.

Celebrity

Who is valued above others (royalty, politicians, public figures, artists, performers, writers, certain families...) How gossip and information about celebrities are shared + consumed. Trends and crazes. Reality vs. generated press.

Fashion

Available fabric, dyes, labor, + technology. Expectations of modesty. Class and occupational influence. Social importance of style + quality (+ possibly brand or designer). Gendered considerations (both of wear and creation of fashion). Implications of certain colors, materials, symbolism...

Food

Access. Restaurants, street vendors, chefs... Recipe distribution. Popularity or disapproval of cuisine from different groups. Agricultural considerations. Preparation, processing, health and safety regulation, trade/sale... Diet culture. Delicacies and comfort foods. Hunting + gathering. Who's in charge of each stage of food from acquisition to plate.

Water + Sanitation

Cost and accessibility of clean water. Sewage. Running water. Bathing. Hot water. Rural vs. city. What happens to gray and black water. Toilets.

Religions

Historical significance. Modern view + prevalence. Branches + denominations. Conflict between groups. Church vs. state in government. Religion-based assumption of rights/ownership (colonization, crusades...).

Religion (individual)

Monotheistic, pantheistic, polytheistic, no deities... Prophets, messengers, spiritual beings (like angels or demons)... Closed or open religion. Written or documented material. Historical and cultural significance. Traditions, holidays, and other sacred practices. Buildings, sites, objects, and other sacred physical things. Afterlife belief. Magic. The "soul" and values/morals.

Holidays, Traditions, + Celebrations

Cultural and religious influence. Government recognition. Birthdays, equinoxes, lunar/solar calendars, anniversaries, births, marriages... Parties, parades, gifts, gatherings, ceremonies. Food, dress, location. Associated symbolism.

Marriage, Family, + Parenting

Age, gender, socioeconomic, religious, race/ethnicity considerations for partnerships. Marriage definition, importance, + practices. Birth vs. adopted children. Surrogacy. Community and extended family involvement with childrearing. Morality and ideas of "sanctity" around partnership/marriage. Legality and legacy of family. Strict vs. gentle parenting. Views of parental involvement vs. nannies, wet nurses, + other childcare. Single parenthood. Polyamory and multiple "direct" parents. Divorce, remarrying, + step-parenting. Family pride, loyalty, name importance...

Non-Religious Beliefs

Anything that (even if originally rooted in religion) has become mainstream, commonplace, universal, or widespread. Etiquette and manners. Superstitions. Understanding of science and the natural world. Ethics.

Government

The type of government and its popularity among the masses. Voting + the people's voice. Political parties + important families. Politicians. Corruption. Inherited vs. elected vs. appointed positions. Divisions (local, designated counties/states, federal...). Branches of government. Executive power. Inherited power.

Law (Enforcement + Judiciary Systems)

Who defines and implements the law. Geographic divisions of law and enforcement. Systems of law enforcement and judiciary procedure (e.g. police vs FBI, local court vs. Supreme Court). Investigations, trials, sentencing, punishment or rehabilitation efforts. Forensics and law enforcement ethics. Community-based efforts. Non-government positions (lawyers, advocates, informants, clerks...). Procedures, protocols, and protection of individual rights. Emergency response and law enforcement patrol.

Crime

Religious + cultural influence/view on criminality of acts or substances. Prevalence of crime and prejudiced/preconceived ideas of certain crimes/criminals. Legality of certain substances or services (such as marijuana or sex work). How it affects perception or traffic of certain areas/times of day. Disparities in who is victimized, suspected, and prosecuted.

As always, take what is helpful and leave the rest.

Again, this is far from exhaustive and more of an attempt to kickstart your brainstorming. There are always caveats and asterisks and whatever else because every world, universe, galaxy, etc is incredibly varied.

Take what ya need and happy writing!

[Call it Good] Writing

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youngandwild99-blog1 · 3 months

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A Nightingale Sang in 1941

This is my inaugural meta (yay!) Eventually I will learn how to add gifs and whatnot to make this more interesting but today, I give you a wall of text.

I need to give credit where credit is due to three existing metas that I’m drawing upon heavily here:

A speculative continuation of the 1941 story, which includes an almost-kiss while “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” plays on the gramophone,

A behavioral analysis of Aziraphale during the S2E6 finale (will find ref later if possible)

A meta-analysis of the way in which “coffee” is used as a symbolic equivalent for liberty and freedom of choice, a running theme of this show (will find ref later if possible)

I’m going to expand upon meta #2 and #3 and explain why I think there is are very compelling reasons to believe that #1 will be canonized.

At the end of S1E6, an instrumental version of “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” plays diegetically, but the lyrical version plays non-diegetically over the credits (we hear it but the protagonists don’t). So we the audience could plausibly say “that’s their song,” but as of the close of S1, we have no reason to believe that they know that it’s their song. Even Aziraphale’s S1E3 (1967) suggestion that they dine at the Ritz could be a reference that only he gets, or just a fancy restaurant suggestion.

So when I was watching S2E6 and Crowley said “no nightingales,” I was jarred. What does that even mean? We know it has something to do with dining at the Ritz, but what does it mean to them? The reference only works if they know it’s their song. But we’ve only ever seen them hear it together after the averted apocalypse; if this is the direct reference that Crowley is making, it leaves our 1967 reference contextless and twisting in the wind.

If we assume that there was a romantic story beat in 1941, wherein “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” (which, incidentally, was written in 1939 and saw the height of its popularity at the end of 1940, so timeline-wise it’s spot-on) became their song, then a lot of events get renewed interpretations through this lens, in a way that makes this story much more cohesive and the “no nightingales” comment even more soul-shattering than it already was.

Let’s presume that immediately after this became their song and just as they were discovering their romantic potential, they were forced back into hiding. Forever after, references to the song serve as a macro for “I’d like to pick up where we left off that night.”

The 1967 suggestion of “dining at the Ritz” now becomes a directly romantic suggestion. It also gives better context for “you go too fast for me.”

Actually going to the Ritz in 2019 is not simply a celebration or even a callback to 1967, it’s a callback to their almost-romance of 1941.

When Crowley says “no nightingales” in 2023, this isn’t to say “we’re not going to eat together at the Ritz anymore.” It’s saying that the romance that began that night, the precious, fragile romance, is over.

I’ll give you a moment to dry your eyes before we move on to metas #2 and #3.

In light that this is what has been going on - they know they want a romantic relationship but have gotten so used to hiding and denying it that they are more comfortable keeping the status quo static and quo-y then trying to achieve their ideal - a lot of S2 behavior can get a fresh view.

Crowley’s reaction to Nina isn’t a realization that he’s in love - he knew that already. You can only ask someone to run away with you so many times before you are forced to admit some things to yourself. No, he’s realizing that trying to hide it (which was justified by survival), hasn’t been working, but despite failing at being stealth nothing bad has happened. He’s realizing that it may finally be safe to show it.

Crowley’s confession, then, is not a revelation. It’s making the subtext text. He’s not telling Aziraphale anything he didn’t already know. He’s saying it now because he thinks he’s safe to do so. Pin in that.

Lots of people have lots of theories about Aziraphale’s motivations in the S2 finale, which can more or less be divided into 4 camps: the genuinely held belief, the coffee theory, the lie theory, and the mutual trick theory (some version of the body-switching at the end of S1). Let me start by saying that I love all the fans and all their theories and I find their analyses to be insightful. The genuinely held belief theory, while I believe it to be erroneous, has been incredibly conducive to so many wonderful conversations and I love being in a community that has those conversations. But I’m going to explain why I think the lie theory finds the most support in canon.

Re-watch the finale (when you feel like you can) from 35:18 to 36:19 and then from 40:45 to the end, paying very close attention to Aziraphale’s words and his eyes. Michael Sheen is telling us a LOT with his eyes, and in the back half of the finale scene, with pacing.

For 60 seconds of footage, this setup is doing a lot of work. If Neil Gaiman wasn’t doing enough to beat us over the head with how evil the Metatron is, that glare at Crowley at the end with the non-diegetic ominous horns should convey the message. But again, focusing on Aziraphale. He initially refuses to talk to the Metatron; he’s made his position quite clear. There is no hint of regret or wavering; this is not someone who’s aching to return to the fold. The Metatron ignores his refusal and functionally forces him to accept a “cup of coffee.” The coffee isn’t spiked, but it is a metaphor. It is symbolic of choice. The Metatron is going to force Aziraphale to make a choice. Meta #3 does a great job of exploring the idea that a choice between anything and death is never really a choice. Hang onto that thought.

Notice I had you start up again 3 seconds before “The Conversation.” That’s because it’s important to note where the Metatron is right now. He is across the street, staring straight in through those giant windows to where our protagonists are about to have The Conversation. He is watching.

When Aziraphale returns, Crowley begins his “let me talk” riff. Aziraphale ought to be interested in what Crowley has to say, since the preamble is pretty compelling. You’ll notice that Aziraphale quickly turns to the window and back, through which he (but not we) can see the Metatron standing there, watching them. Aziraphale is then doing his best to get Crowley to STFU without raising the suspicion of the Metatron, eventually having to cut him off.

Because unfortunately, Crowley’s entire impetus for speaking up now is that it’s safe to do so. Only Aziraphale knows that they are in very real danger (or at least, Crowley is, but I’ll come back to that).

You might take something from the fact that he’s shaking his head while talking about “incredibly good news,” and seems to self-censor his criticism of Metatron (or more specifically, he takes ownership of any criticism of the Metatron, censoring out Crowley’s role in that, with the emphasis on I in “I might have misjudged him”).

Notice in the flashback that he begins the conversation reasonably relaxed. The Metatron also says a series of things about him that not only are false, but everyone, including the Metatron and Crowley, know are false: Aziraphale is not a leader, he’s a defector; he’s not honest, he lies all the time, in fact this entire season revolved around his one huge lie of hiding Gabriel. Not only does the justification not make sense coming from Metatron, but it shouldn’t make sense that Aziraphale would accept these reasons and it shouldn’t make sense to Crowley either. So is Aziraphale including these details in his recounting to Crowley so that he will get suspicious and figure out the jig? Maybe. Let’s continue.

Immediately upon being offered the job of Supreme Archangel, Aziraphale says “but I don’t want to go back to Heaven.” This is direct evidence against the genuinely held belief theory. If returning to Heaven and making a difference was a genuine motivation, we would have gotten a different response at this moment. But then we get something more.

“Where would I get my coffee?”

This is a beautiful response for a number of reasons; coffee should be trivial compared to the opportunity to be a Supreme Archangel, so it serves to highlight just how little interest Aziraphale has in returning. Taken at face value, it’s the Aziraphale equivalent of “not even at gunpoint.” But remember that coffee is a metaphor for liberty in this universe and this season. So what Aziraphale just said, in the language of Neil Gaiman metaphors, is:

I don’t want to go back to Heaven, I would rather have free will.

What does the Metatron do next?

He brings up Crowley.

Watch Aziraphale’s eyes before and after the mention of Crowley. He goes from confused to eye-flicking panic in the space of two syllables. Aziraphale already understands that his “no” is not being accepted, and that bringing Crowley into it can only possibly serve as a threat.

So the coffee, the choice, is a false choice. No one ever orders death. The Metatron has forced Aziraphale into a situation that looks an awful lot like a choice (it comes in a blue cup, after all) but it isn’t.

We definitely have some reliable narrator problems here. I’m going to presume for purposes of analysis that these cut-outs are accurate but incomplete, and that a more explicit threat about what would happen to Crowley if Aziraphale did not return to Heaven was made.

If we assume that Aziraphale has been made aware of a threat and is trying to hide that from Crowley, the rest of this scene reads very differently. Aziraphale cannot say, “you are in danger but you will be safe if you swear your allegiance to Heaven” or “I have to go, no matter what, and the only way we can be together is if you come with me,” but nonetheless he now has to convince Crowley to do the one thing he ought to know Crowley definitely doesn’t want to do all through subtext. Which we’ve spent an entire season establishing that they can’t communicate well when they are allowed to use their words. Disastrously, this is not a magic trick that Aziraphale can make work when it counts. Their failure to practice good communication means that, right now, when it counts most, they are not going to pull it off.

We see that Aziraphale is very hopeful that Crowley will pick up on his cues and play along. Obviously, he doesn’t.

If the whole riff about Hell being bad guys and Heaven being the side of truth and light is taken as genuine, it discards a massive amount of character development that we’ve witnessed in Job, Edinburgh, etc. (again, to all the genuine belief subscribers, I think it’s a compelling argument but it simply doesn’t account for the evidence). So if it’s not genuine, why say it? Again, to alert Crowley that something is Off, because Crowley should know that Aziraphale doesn’t actually believe that. They saved humanity from Heaven and Hell. They hid Gabriel from Heaven and Hell. Crowley knows that Aziraphale knows that Heaven and Hell are just two sides of the same coin. Notice again that Aziraphale glances out the window while he’s talking up Heaven; he knows the Metatron is watching, he can’t not defend the position of Heaven. I think it’s also worth noting that Aziraphale forcefully glances and gestures off to Crowley’s left (away from the window) when talking about Hell, and then turns his head to Crowley’s right (towards the window) to try to get him to realize that a representative of Heaven is literally standing right over there, just look out the window please dumbass!

When Crowley is asking Aziraphale if he said no, and we see the back of Aziraphale’s head, again we can see him turn his head to glance out the window. This is also when he changes strategies, and admits that Heaven could use a little reform. Because now there’s a problem almost as big as getting caught, which is that he won’t be able to get Crowley to go with him.

Which unfortunately makes the next part of this so much more heartbreaking. Because when Crowley begins his speech about being a team, Aziraphale wants to hear it. He can’t bring himself to shut down Crowley again, even though it could get them both in massive trouble. Notice that he glances out the window again during this, and the look of panic on his face. He begins to shake his head when Crowley mentions that Heaven and Hell are toxic; this can be taken a lot of ways but I’ll argue for the interpretation that he’s trying to get Crowley to STFU and stop saying shit that could get him destroyed.

After Crowley puts on his sunglasses we are in the “back half” and Sheen is doing a lot with phrasing here, specifically pregnant pauses.

“Come with me… to Heaven!”

“We can be together… as angels!”

Based on the pacing decision I am thoroughly convinced that the first half of each of these statements is intended to be the message to Crowley and the second half is always a qualifying statement to satisfy the Metatron.

Unfortunately, these pregnant pauses are completely backfiring in their effect on Crowley. The sentiment gives him hope and the qualifying statement crushes it again immediately. He is being taken on a horrible emotional rollercoaster with these declarations which are only further amping up his instinct to run away.

The only truly genuine, unaldulterated statement I think we get from Aziraphale is

“I need you!”

When it becomes clear to Aziraphale that there’s been an irreparable breakdown of communication between them and the subtext is not getting across, he says:

“I don’t think you understand what I’m offering you.”

He means this literally. Crowley has not understood that Aziraphale is offering him protection from whatever threat the Metatron has made.

Which makes this part extra-devastating and also absolutely in keeping with a major running theme of this season.

“I understand. I think I understand a whole lot better than you do.”

Your understanding and my understanding are different understandings.

Crowley views the offer to return to Heaven through the lens of his trauma. He understands what life in Heaven would be like. But he doesn’t understand that Aziraphale is offering him protection.

But Aziraphale just heard Crowley say that he understood everything, and he’s still going to leave. There might be a little suspense of disbelief here to believe that Aziraphale really interpreted the statement this way, but we know that Aziraphale isn’t always the brightest battery-operated candle in the drawer. So under the assumption that Crowley did understand him and is still rejecting the offer, rejecting him—

“Well, then there’s nothing more to say.”

Please pay very close attention to Aziraphale’s body language for the next part. He’s active, agitated, turning side to side, arms swinging. This is a very fidgety angel.

“No nightingales.”

Aziraphale is now completely still. He’s feeling that feeling. You know it. The one where your entire body is getting sucked into the pit of your stomach. The aching paralysis.

This is their song, the one that began their romance in 1941, the secret code for all other attempts at flirtation. Crowley has walked out on him before, Aziraphale has been stubborn and obstinate before. But they always came back together, sometimes with an apology dance or other rituals that belonged solely to them.

But now the song is over.

By saying this, Crowley has broken up with Aziraphale. We can see in Aziraphale’s sudden transition from fidgety to paralysis that he has understood it this way.

Then he turns away from the window so that the Metatron won’t see him cry.

The kiss was heart-wrenching already. But we’re not done with this analysis.

During the kiss, Aziraphale has a choice to make between two very compelling bad choices. This is the Job dilemma. But worse.

If he doesn’t kiss Crowley back, he will let Crowley think that he doesn’t love him. He will have missed out on this (maybe/probably their first kiss?) and regret it forever.

If he does kiss Crowley back, in full view of the Metatron, they are in deep trouble.

He seems to do his best to split the difference. I would even go so far to say that the awkward arm waving is Aziraphale acting for the Metatron’s benefit, to try to portray that he doesn’t want this even though he absolutely does (just not like this). The anguish when they break the kiss is absolutely real, and the first thing he does is glance out the window. Through all this he has remained painfully aware of their spectator.

He wants to say I love you. He mouths it. He breathes it.

But the Metatron is watching.

He can’t tell Crowley I love you. So he has to say the only other thing that has always unequivocally meant “I love you” when he said it to Crowley. He has to hope that Crowley understands him now, even though he never has before.

Spoiler alert: Crowley doesn’t.

My forgiveness and your forgiveness are not the same forgiveness.

One more point against the genuine belief fans (I love you): if the offer to let Crowley back in is what changed his mind, then Crowley declining removes that incentive. Aziraphale should/would have consequently retreated to his last stated position of “I don’t want to go back to Heaven, where would I get my Crowley—I mean, coffee?” [post-publication nod to @theonevoice for a great little meta] It simply doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.

I think a lot of fans were already making these assumptions about the use of the nightingale song so this meta may not feel revelatory, however, it isn’t canon (yet), and I’m sure I’ll find company that agree that canonization of this connection would strengthen a lot of these story points, as evidenced by how it is already assumed by many fans.

If you made it to the end - omg thank you! Please leave a note and tell me your thoughts!

Bonus: somebody already made the song connection here

~~~

if you liked this, you may also like:

Book of Life and what it means for Crowley

The Erasure of Human!Metatron

Baraqiel and Azazel

~~~

Recommended related (lie theory) metas by other people:

making the subtext text by @theonevoice

Aziraphale's Decision Matrix by @yowlthinks

Nothing Lasts Forever: META by @phoen1xr0se

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youngandwild99-blog1 · 5 months

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Worldbuilding Categories | Part 1

I'd like to preface this with two things:

worldbuilding is complex; none of this is exhaustive, but rather a starting point

Languages

Folklore

[Folklore encompasses legends, tales, proverbs, and myths.]

Literature/Storytelling

Oral vs. written. Types of recording + distribution. Common and popular genres, themes, lessons... Importance in society and certain demographics.

Art

Drama

Stage plays, narrative dance, operas/musicals, radio, television, film, literary/poetic performance... Geographic and socioeconomic access. "Art" criteria can be applied here as well.

Music

Celebrity

Fashion

Food

Water + Sanitation

Cost and accessibility of clean water. Sewage. Running water. Bathing. Hot water. Rural vs. city. What happens to gray and black water. Toilets.

Religions

Religion (individual)

Holidays, Traditions, + Celebrations

Marriage, Family, + Parenting

Non-Religious Beliefs

Government

Law (Enforcement + Judiciary Systems)

Crime

As always, take what is helpful and leave the rest.

Take what ya need and happy writing!

[Call it Good] Writing

#worldbuilding #writing #writing tools #fantasy #science fiction

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youngandwild99-blog1 · 6 months

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youtube

I'm a year late to the party, but here's a video I put together over the past few months for a challenge that was going around last summer. Hope you enjoy, and don't forget to like, comment and subscribe.

#the batman 2022 #the batman #robert pattinson #zoe kravitz #jeffrey wright #paul dano #colin farrell #andy serkis #barry keoghan #john turturro #batman #catwoman #battinson #as explained by john mulaney #john mulaney #first video #Youtube

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youngandwild99-blog1 · 7 months

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Arcane animators self referencing!

This animator got to use his son for young Ekko's reference and it's so damn sweet!!

Imagine acting up this incredibly heart-wrenching scene in your lounge to a rolled up sock on a bag... They gave it their all too!

This scene's acting fidelity is incredible! Especially the shakiness of Ekko's movement to punch Jinx...

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youngandwild99-blog1 · 7 months

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yes babe you’re so american psycho taxi driver donnie darko drive fight club nightcrawler pulp fiction joker the godfather scarface goodfellas blade runner the silence of the lambs the wolf of wall street inglorious bastards a clockwork orange the dark knight saving private ryan django unchained can you shut the fuck up now

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youngandwild99-blog1 · 7 months

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why some teens believe everything the light of their internet-capable device touches is their kingdom

(‘what about that shadowy place over there?’

‘that’s pornhub, simba. you must never go there.’)

we all see plenty of posts about how adults on the internet need to remember that ‘kids’ (read: teens) are around and we must bear that in mind. and these posts are not entirely without merit. It’s important to keep conversations being held with teens carefully teen-friendly and appropriately distant. but the entirety of tumblr and twitter aren’t designed to cater to the safety of minors, and all the adult self-policing in the world won’t make all the kid-unfriendly content go away.

not all teens believe the internet should have gutter bumpers for them, either. but those that do have mystified me for a while … until I started to understand just how pervasive ‘helicopter parenting’ is in parts of American (and UK) culture, and how that affects the adolescents and young adults of today.

anonymous asked:

a thing worth noting re anyone who pulls the ‘you can’t blacklist on mobile, minors can still see it’ thing to say even tagged content isn’t okay: even if washboard didn’t exist, the tumblr app is rated 17/18+ in app stores. if people under that age get on the app and see things they shouldn’t, that’s on them and their parents/guardians, because they shouldn’t actually have been using the app in the first place.

agreed.

Honestly, though, the argument has moved past this in some ways. It’s not so much about whether or not teenagers are allowed to see this thing or that thing; it’s a well-known fact that most teenagers will break rules if it suits them and they can get away with it, and internet time is a prime space wherein they can do so.

What’s happened is that some adolescents - teens with parents that are overly protective and crowd their schedules with supervised activities, usually - have been taught by their life experience that:

all adults in their vicinity are there to protect them. and no wonder: the large majority of their contact with adults will have been as supervisors. Teachers, teacher assistants, instructors, daycare employees, and coaches are all adults who are paid to watch their activity and will be held responsible for the teen’s wellbeing by their guardians. when have they ever spent time with adults who aren’t in charge of making sure they’re safe?

any space they are in will be designed and maintained with their safety and comfort in mind (no matter how they obtained access). all spaces they enter are specifically meant to revolve around them: schools, sports, playgrounds, etc. The few occasions that they have to enter spaces not meant specifically for them (stores, etc) they are closely watched by adults and any harm they experience will be blamed on adults as a result.

if they can get access, it must be a space that’s safe for them. Having spent very little of their lives unsupervised, they have always been actively prevented from entering spaces that are not meant for them. They’ve never had to learn to set boundaries for themselves, so they naturally reason that if a boundary is not actively enforced, it must actually be a space they’re meant to enter.

they are not responsible for themselves. adults around them are responsible for them. if they come to harm, it’s because an adult wasn’t doing their job properly.

for teens of this mindset, ‘18+ ONLY’ warnings are merely a suggestion. Nobody is stopping them, after all, and it has never been their job to stop themselves. and if they can get access, the space is now theirs - because all spaces they are in are theirs. they couldn’t get there unless it was meant for them; that’s how it works, right?

This is why some teens are utterly flabbergasted by the idea that adults on the internet want to interact with fellow adults on an adult level in a space the teen can access. They’re here! That means the space is specifically meant to cater to them! The adults are automatically tasked with their safety! If teens do get into trouble, it’s because the adults weren’t responsible enough! that’s how this has always worked.

And when adults say ‘no, I do not take responsibility for your actions, the internet is full of things that may frighten or harm you and you must set your own boundaries,’ it’s distressing and scary all at once.

(no wonder so many people in their late teens/early 20′s want to still be considered as children.)

EDIT (10/9/2017, 4 days after originally posting): if you’re seeing this post in its original form, I hope you’ll read some of the excellent reblogs disagreeing with it. I think that this post kind of misses the point, which is: some of it may be emotionally invaded teens, but some is just that teens who grew up around this kind of behavior from their parents and adults have learned that they can use their minor status as a kind of power play and thus stand up to demand coddling in fandom spaces.

the culprit that I still maintain is the heart of the problem is the structure of sites like tumblr and twitter, which knocked down all barriers and moderation in fandom and made fandom feel chaotic and uncontrollable. we’re all looking for ways to control our experience in an environment of this kind; some find it by demanding others change what they produce, and others do it by curating what what they see of the production of others. this post doesn’t reflect that well, however, and I apologize for talking down to teenagers who have the agency to think for themselves no matter how their parents behaved.

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youngandwild99-blog1 · 7 months

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What I mean by strong female characters is

I want a female action hero who comes away from her fights with sweaty armpits and messy hair. Not messy-chic, but actually messy. I want to see rough fights that give her chipped teeth and puffy broken noses and ugly dark shiners. I want to see actual cuts and scrapes that don’t exist to accentuate her cheekbones. I want injuries that aren’t used as makeup. I want to see a female action hero on the receiving end of a slow-motion face-punch. And then I want to see her get back up and try again.

I want a female comic relief. I want to see a woman who makes jokes, not just to be snarky or to put others down, but because she loves it. I want to see a woman who slips on banana peels, who falls down staircases, who puts on a hilarious disguise without hesitating, even though there were like 5 other options that would have worked just as well. I want a female comic relief who is socially awkward, but not because she’s shy or just needs to believe in herself.

I want to see a female character who is dumb. Not dumb in a “bimbo” way, but dumb like “not book smart”, the way Philomena Cunk is "dumb". I want to see a woman who can judo flip a mook with perfect technique, but doesn’t give a flying fuck about proper grammar. I want to see a woman who can scam people out of their lives’ fortunes without breaking a sweat, but always yells “Speak English, doc!” at the sound of sci-fi jargon.

I want a female protagonist who makes mistakes. The kind of mistakes that matter. I want her to get it wrong. I want her to fuck up, not because she’s worse than a man, but because she’s a human and that’s what we do. And then I want to see her own her fuckups, and work to fix them, and do better next time. Because that’s what heroes are supposed to do.

I want to see a strong female character. And by that, I mean I want to see a female character whose strength comes from her humanity.

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fyi punk should be diy. if any of my followers wanna dress punk but feel like they cant because its expensive, here's the secret: a good punk look can and should be made out of literal junk. old bottle caps, safety pins. i recently asked my sister if she'd give me some spare key rings so i could join them up with mine and make a longer chain (its attached to my favorite pair of pants rn). if something doesnt feel shiny and pointy and punk enough, stab it with some safety pins. make your own patches out of spare fabric scraps. cut the logos and patterns off of shirts and turn them into patches. pick up some cheap basic embroidery stuff (thread, needle, bamboo ring, thats all you need--hell you dont even need the ring its just helpful) to sew your patches on & make some of your own. or just embroider right on your clothes! it doesnt have to look good. most real punk patches are self-made with wonky lettering. you can get a good leather jacket, denim jacket, vest, etc at your local thrift store. you can try chains like savers and you can try non-chain shops. (btw thrift shops arent just for clothes, theyre lifesavers in general. i got my favorite table for $15 at savers. its old and ornate with carved designs and shit. please shop at thrift stores theyre the best thing ever.) also, when i was younger i remember i made my own spiky bracelets out of studded ribbon (cheap, get it at joanns or some other fabric or crafts store) and safety pins to hold it together. dont waste money on fucking hot topic. you can make your own shit. thats what punk is all about. i promise anyone judging you for having handmade punk clothes and accessories is a fucking poser.

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Battinson to robin when they innevitably do the death in the family storyline in the batman 3-

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ARCANE | Various Early Beat Boards | Seung Eun Kim

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The Batman Part II: My Theories

Please take this with a block of salt because as of right now all we have are rumors. Maybe take that block of salt home to your cows :)

Theory #1: Clayface

So, word is that Clayface may appear as the main villain in Part II. I've noticed some people in various comment sections being doubtful, because a giant shapeshifting monster made out of clay is a sharp left turn from the "grounded realism" of the first movie. They make a good point, which is why I predict that, if Clayface is actually going to appear, he'll be based on the Golden Age version. This was Basil Karlo, a failed actor who took on the alter ego of Clayface, a villain he used to play, to kill various actors and was thwarted by Batman and Robin.

Now, having two serial killer villains in a row would be repetitive, so I theorize that this Clayface will take a different approach. Imagine Basil Karlo using his skills in impressions and makeup (maybe a cutting-edge prosthetic face mask called a "clay face") to impersonate celebrities in Gotham, only to purposefully get caught in scandals. The real celebrity insists it wasn't them, but it's too late, and they're effectively "killed" in the courtroom of public opinion. And Clayface didn't even need to lay a finger on them.

Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne is finally trying to develop his public image after ~20 years, only to discover a villain with the ability to singlehandedly undo all his progress in the eyes of Gotham. In the comics, this would be the part where Batman and Robin are on the case, which leads me to...

Theory #2: Robin

We haven't had a well-received Boy Wonder on the big screen since Burt Ward played him in 1966. If you're anything like me, that's pretty damn frustrating (Dick Grayson appeared in the comics before the Joker AND before Alfred!). So hearing this rumor of Dick Grayson appearing in Part II is both exciting and nerve-wracking, because writing a believable child sidekick in a "grounded, realistic" superhero movie is a challenge. Just logistically, it works in stories like Logan or The Last of Us, because X-23 is immortal and can shrug off most injuries, while Joel eventually taught Ellie how to shoot. But with Batman and Robin, you have a very-much-mortal kid wearing a colorful costume going up against the kinds of people who quite literally emptied their magazines into Batman's chest last movie. How do you make that character fit believably into the world you've made?

Obviously the only ones who can answer that question are Matt Reeves and Mattson Tomlin, the writers for Part II. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice some ways that Dick Grayson might've been set up in The Batman. First off: the mayor's son. Bats interacts with him three times throughout the movie. He saves the kid's life twice, once as Bruce and once as Batman. Furthermore, the mayor's son is the first civilian to trust Batman after the flood: he walks towards Bats first, and everyone else follows. In the wise words of Red from OSP, if you can't imagine your Batman comforting a scared child, then you haven't written Batman, you've written the Punisher in a funny hat.

Second: HBO's Penguin series. The fact that they're introducing other gangsters from the comics (Sofia and Alberto Falcone, Salvatore Maroni) gives me hope that they might take the opportunity to introduce Tony Zucco, the gangster who killed Dick Grayson's parents. There are quite a few actors cast in undisclosed roles, maybe one of them plays Zucco...? Either way, setting up Zucco's extortion of Haly's Circus in The Penguin and following it up in Part II with the Flying Graysons' murders would be a good way to tie those stories together.

Third: Bruce Wayne's reappearance. Part I was all about Batman discovering that he has to be more than vengeance, and Reeves has said we'll be seeing more of Bruce Wayne in Part II. Perhaps Bruce's first major public appearance is attending a performance by Haly's Circus, and he just so happens to witness the deaths of the Flying Graysons. And we know what happens next. What better way to force Bruce to take his image seriously (aside from Clayface's shenanigans) than for him to suddenly have an angry, traumatized, highly impressionable kid in his life?

Fourth: This is the weakest reason, but at the end of the movie Selina mentions she's moving to Blüdhaven, which also happens to be where Dick Grayson goes after growing up and becoming Nightwing.

That turned out longer than I thought it would be. Again, these are all just rumors, but I wanted to put my thoughts and theories down in writing in an organized way, and to see what anyone else thinks. Thank you for reading.

#batman #dick grayson #the batman #the batman 2022 #the penguin hbo #robin #clayface #basil karlo #tony zucco #fan theory #discussion #the batman part 2 #the batman part ii #matt reeves #reevesverse

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Women in ASOIAF vs Women in GOT

Brienne in the books: "No, but you have courage. Not battle courage perhaps but . . . I don't know . . . a kind of woman's courage."

Brienne in the show: "Stop crying. You sound like a bloody woman."

Arya in the books: "The woman is important too!"

Arya in the show: "Most girls are stupid."

Sansa in the books: "If I am ever a queen, I'll make them love me."

Sansa in the show: "Uncle, please sit."

Ellaria in the books: "Who else is there to kill? Do Myrcella and Tommen need to die so the shades of Rhaenys and Aegon can be at rest? Where does it end?"

Ellaria in the show: "You must choose. Doran's way, and peace, or my way, and war."

Asha in the books: "Crown me, for peace and victory. Or crown my uncle, for more war and more defeat. What will you have, ironmen?

Yara in the show: "Fuck justice then, we'll get revenge!"

#a song of ice and fire #game of thrones #brienne of tarth #arya stark #sansa stark #ellaria sand #asha greyjoy #yara greyjoy

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The Winds of Winters: Stark Succession Crisis, Jon’s Dark Arc, and His Reunion With Sansa

What are your predictions on how Sansa will reunite with Jon in TWoW and how they’re going to take back Winterfell?

-Anon

I actually think Winterfell will already be retaken by Stannis by the time they reunite. My favorite theory for how the two will reunite is that Sansa will be kidnapped from the vale, free herself, and then make her way north with Petyr sending the strength of the vale afterwards in an echo of the show. But I don’t think that’s particularly likely; more likely she’ll marry Harry Hard-on, rally the vale knights, and ride north to Winterfell.

Why? Because as others have theorized, I there’s there’s going to be a three-way Stark succession crisis in TWOW between Jon, Rickon, and Sansa.

Stark Succession Crisis

All three have semi-legitimate claims: Rickon is the oldest trueborn Stark, Sansa can credibly make the case Rickon is too young to inherit, and Jon was legitimized by Robb’s will but whether he’s still a man of the Night’s Watch is a bit up in the air. Basically, all three have blurry enough claims that whichever faction backing them can make a compelling case. Stannis and and the Manderly’s will want Rickon installed because he’s under their thumb, Sansa will have the entire strength of the vale wanting her as queen, and Maege Mormont and Smalljon Umber will stay faithful to Robb’s will and want Jon as King in the North.

I’m not really sure how it’ll resolve, but I think it’ll be a key piece of character development for Jon. His entire storyline is a series of temptations to leave the Night’s Watch and by extension his duty and the good of the realm: leaving Castle Black in AGOT to join Robb, the lure of Ygritte and the free folk, Stannis’ offer of legitimacy in ASOS. Up till this point he’s always rejected them, but I think there’s a good chance The Winds of Winter is where he’ll finally give in.

Dark Jon

This is based on a few interlocking theories: that Tyrion, Dany, and Jon are the three heads of the dragon, and that all three are going to lapse into darkness in TWOW before eventually pulling out at the last minute in ADOS to launch a suicide attack against the Others beyond the veil of light at the end of the world. Tyrion’s already in the midst of his dark arc, Dany is about to launch into hers now that she’s accepted the dragon plants no trees, and Jon…

Giving into temptation I think will be his dark arc. Finally usurping the Starks and taking what he’s always wanted (Winterfell) for his own. Not that he’ll start cackling evilly, but Jon has always had a utilitarian relationship with violence and power (good meta about it here and here and its something I talk a lot about in the Jon chapters of my reread project) and can be cold and merciless when he needs to be. He could also operate under the assumption that the only way to stop the Others at this point is to rally the north under his control.

On top of all that, Jon is going to come back to life different than he left it. This is honestly one of my biggest disappointments with the show. It never really delves into just how strange and traumatic it is to be brought back from the dead, not to mention Jon is going to spend a fair bit of his death in Ghost, which means he could be distinctly wolfish upon his return. He’s also going to be existentially exhausted; he fought the good fight and got murdered for it, and it’s going to be hard for him to care about death afterwards, his or others. Not to mention the betrayal and loss of identity he’s going to feel when his parentage is eventually revealed.

Sansa Reunion

Getting back to the original question, all of this is going to inform his reunion with Sansa. I think what will most likely happen is they’ll be happy to see each other, and then be distanced by their competing claims. If Jon does take the northern crown, there’s no way Sansa doesn’t resent that and Littlefinger won’t plot about how to take it from him.

Overall, it’s a dynamic I’m really excited for Martin to explore. Jon and Sansa’s relationship is really a non existent black hole in the books, but I have complete faith in his ability to flesh it out in a way that’s natural and compelling.

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He's trying his best, okay?

I like to imagine in my speculation on TWOW how things might just continue to go sideways for Justin Massey.

Justin’s first order, after leaving Stannis’ camp, will be to “deliver her [i.e. “Lady Arya”, really Jeyne Poole] to Lord Commander Snow on [Justin’s] way to Eastwatch”. Easy enough, Justin probably thinks (especially since he himself has no reason to doubt Jeyne’s purported identity - more on that in a moment), he’ll get a warm reception from the pro-Stannis Lord Commander Snow for having his “sister” returned … but uh oh, I think Justin will hear on the way there that Jon has been murdered by his black brothers and Castle Black is in chaos between the Night’s Watch, free folk, and queen’s men. No use bringing Jeyne-as-Arya to her “brother” if that person is not just dead but the victim of an assassination/de facto coup; the same Night’s Watch members who so recently violently killed Jon probably wouldn’t look too kindly on his “sister” showing up at their doorstep. Oh well, Justin might think, better take Jeyne-as-Arya with me instead and figure out what to do from there.

So Justin might then skip to his second order from Stannis: to collect Stannis’ loan from the Iron Bank in Braavos and hire at least 20,000 sellswords with the money. Easy enough, Justin might think; even if he himself failed to convince Stannis to grant him a title or lands to impress the free companies, he is still prepared to “[g]o to them with both fists full of golden dragons”. But, uh oh - I think Justin is going to fulfill Stannis’ prediction that “[i]n Braavos you may hear that I am dead. It may even be true”. Negotiating payment by the Iron Bank on Stannis’ loan and debt agreement might be a good deal harder with the main signatory dead (and his legal heir being an underage girl thousands of miles away with no knowledge of the agreement). Even if he could convince the Iron Bank that would-be Queen Shireen will make good on her father’s word to pay back the Iron Throne’s debts, would he be able to convince sellsword companies to risk their necks for the sake of an 11-year-old girl, heir to a dead pretender, in faraway Westeros?

But then, perhaps, good news for Justin! (Or what he might believe is good news, at least.) I think that as he’s deciding what he’s going do in Braavos, he’ll run into the real Arya Stark (because there is absolutely no way in my mind that Arya, who has had such a strong theme of personal identity throughout her storyline but especially during her time in Braavos, would not have any opinion on seeing Jeyne Poole, a girl who literally grew up with her, be referred to as “Arya Stark”) Well, now maybe Justin decides to cut his losses and try to return to Winterfell with the real Arya. If Stannis is dead (so he thinks) and it’s a losing proposition to make good on his claim to Westeros, he, Justin, might as well take what he can get - and a restored Kingdom of the North, with the rightful (again, so he thinks) Stark heiress, is not a bad concession prize for a landless knight with no hope of reclaiming his ancestral territories. (Ir’s incredibly creepy and gross to speculate whether Justin would imagine himself as Arya’s future husband, but given Justin’s previous marital ambitions with both Val (as the “wildling princess”) and Asha (as the would-be heiress to the Iron Islands), the thought might be in his mind.)

But, uh oh … what Justin Massey doesn’t know, and can’t know until he shows up, is that he doesn’t have the last best Stark. No, far from it - Winterfell is going to be the center of a factional dispute over which of the suddenly reemerged Stark heirs has the senior claim to the North. Justin Massey might have the real Arya Stark, but now he has to contend with elder sister Sansa and legitimated elder brother Jon and legitimate younger brother Rickon (and maybe even Bran too). As an underage girl, Arya has at best a hotly disputed claim over her siblings (and that’s without Arya herself I think probably being way more interested in reuniting with her family than in trying to fight with them over who gets their butt on the high seat of Winterfell). Plus, even if he could convince the factions that Arya was the superior choice, Justin might find out that the freaking apocalypse is nigh; rather bad timing to claim a castle when otherworldly eldritch slaver ice monsters are knocking at the door.

Justin Massey: perpetual loser.

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