#and makes rational decisions on how to act on that information

[tprings-hair]

what happened on tarsus iv?

this is my attempt at creating a definitive list of information on what kirk experienced on tarsus iv for fic writers and other fans who want to know wtf is up with kirk's backstory.

(I have a longer, more general post on tos kirk's backstory here.)

"Kodos the Executioner, summary. Governor of Tarsus Four twenty Earth years ago. Invoked martial law. Slaughtered fifty percent of population Earth colony, that planet. Burned body found when Earth forces arrived. No positive identification. Case closed."

let's start with this quote from spock, detailing the information he found on their ship's computer.

first of all: at its core, this episode is tos's take on the nazis who escaped capture. adolf eichmann was only found in 1960, and would certainly have been in the public memory as a high profile nazi who managed to make a new life under an assumed name. he was not the only one to have escaped capture, and I don't think I need to explain which conspiracy theory the circumstances of kodos's faked death call to mind.

this episode was an exploration of what form cruelty and authoritarianism might take in star trek's universe, with a huge amount of influence from shakespeare's work. the two together make up this central dilemma: is it kodos? might kirk be condemning an innocent man? if it is kodos, does kirk have the right to act as judge, jury, and executioner? is it possible for someone who carried out terrible acts to live a new life somewhere else, and not have the violence follow?

SPOCK: According to our library banks, it started on the Earth colony of Tarsus IV, when the food supply was attacked by an exotic fungus and largely destroyed. There were over eight thousand colonists and virtually no food. And that was when Governor Kodos seized full power and declared emergency martial law.

MCCOY: I've heard of it.

SPOCK: You may not have heard it all. Kodos began to separate the colonists. Some would live, be rationed whatever food was left. The remainder would be immediately put to death. Apparently he had his own theories of eugenics.

MCCOY: Unfortunately, he wasn't the first.

SPOCK: Perhaps not. But he was certainly among the most ruthless, to decide arbitrarily who would survive and who would not, using his own personal standards, and then to implement his decision without mercy. Children watching their parents die. Whole families destroyed. Over four thousand people. They died quickly, without pain, but they died. Relief arrived, but too late to prevent the executions. And Kodos? There never was a positive identification of his body.

the thing is, this introduces a number of inconsistencies. it could easily be chalked up to confusion between multiple drafts of the script, but if you want to look deeper and see where the information comes from, you'll notice the two survivors have very different stories than the official starfleet record.

specifically, spock says that they died quickly and painlessly, and though he is sure that karidian is kodos, he does not seem to treat him as a legitimate threat to anyone's safety. we don't know if kodos ever directly killed anyone, or if he only gave the orders. but kirk and leighton seem to agree on the violence: leighton refers to his own injury as "the bloody thing (kodos) did", and kirk recalls kodos "blasting" others out of existence. it's possible kirk was saying it to confuse kodos, so kodos might say "that's not how it happened" and give himself away. it's also possible that leighton sustained his injury at a different time than the massacre. it seems likeliest to me in any case that the information on the ship's computer is not the entire truth.

which also means you can headcanon whatever you want and nobody can tell you definitively that you're wrong. be free with your tarsus iv headcanons.

exploring the tarsus iv lore (or lack of it) has led me to this sort of consensus in the fandom that kirk was looking after a group of children. I think it's a very cool way of exploring how central it is to his character that he has to be in control, protecting people, and fighting back, and I've read and enjoyed some absolutely fantastic fics with that premise. even william shatner seems to agree. in his novel collision course (which gives kirk and spock a sort of alternate first meeting as teenagers and gives some great insights into how shatner viewed kirk's backstory), kirk ().

the ship's computer specifies the number of survivors later in the episode as nine, and lists them as

Kirk, J., Leighton, T., Moulton, E., Riley, K., Eames, D.

before kirk cuts it off. once leighton dies, the last two surviving are kirk and riley.

the novelization by james blish names a couple more characters, and in order of age: Leighton, T., Molson, E., Kirk, J., Wiegand, R., Eames, S., and Daiken, R., which was what they called the role of kevin riley initially. he is specified as being five years old at the time, and kirk is not a child or teen but a midshipman.

and collision course names still more characters. edith zaglada, an eight year old girl who kirk saw killed. donny, tay, and billy are named as other survivors. this novel doesn't get into kodos's motivations or kirk's circumstances, but it gives us two new characters, griffyn and matthew, who are teenagers employed by kodos as bounty hunters for escapees of the initial massacre. starfleet arrives just as edith is shot and griffyn is trying to convince matthew to shoot kirk. we don't really know if kirk knew any of the other survivors, but he mentions edith's name specifically a few times as a death that affected him a lot. it's heartbreaking to watch city on the edge of forever with that in mind. I also can't find a source for anyone calling him JT, but collision course does call him jimmy during the flashback chapters.

crucially, the novel isn't technically canon. so you can have your gang of children led by JT, or you can have jimmy stick with a couple of people, or you could do something totally your own. none of these are wrong! do whatever your heart desires.

if you want some practical details, there's a great post here by @spirk-trek and pt 1, pt 2, and pt 3 of a great post by @pywren. I may make my own tarsus iv headcanon post if anyone is interested, and if I do I'll link it here.

[blackjackkent]

So, what Rakha really wants to do right now is go kill the people hunting Karlach, because they don't have anything else that would qualify as a direct plan other than the creche, and the "paladins" are closer. However, I happen to know that the paladins are level five and Rakha is level 2 and could be knocked over by a stiff breeze, so I think a better bet is a more full exploration of the Emerald Grove first.

I'm guessing that this is the result of a concerted effort on Wyll and Shadowheart's part, primarily - Wyll already knows the people of the grove and Shadowheart has fixated on Halsin as a useful lead. Gale doesn't seem to have any specific plan in mind and, left to their own devices, Lae'zel would already be heading for the creche and Rakha and Karlach would be after the paladins. But between them, Shadowheart and Wyll manage to convince everyone that at least TALKING to the healer in the grove would be a useful start before everyone goes off half-cocked.

Amused because I stopped in to talk to Zevlor and got a disapproval from Wyll purely for leaving the conversation without asking the question about whether the ritual could be stopped. XD Sorry, Wyll. I swear we'll get to a point where you like Rakha, somehow, but I doubt sincerely we're there yet.

Speaking of the ritual, down we go to the grove proper - with a quick stop to talk to the teeth-ling kids.

"Whoa. Hey! Can't say I've ever seen someone like you before."

Without preamble, he shows his hands to her, empty. Then a quick flick of the wrist, and suddenly he's holding out a tarnished gold ring between his fingers.

"Go on," he says cheerfully. "Take this ring. It's lucky."

Rakha, who has very little context for anything she experiences, has never seen slight-of-hand magic done before, nor is she familiar with the concept of a con man. So she watches this little display and is immediately fascinated. Magic - but with no surge of that visible tapestry around the boy, the network of power that Gale calls the Weave.

How?

"That was a fancy trick," she says slowly.

His eyes narrow and something subtle shifts in his expression, a flash of interest. "You haven't seen anything yet, lady," he says dryly. "Go on - take the ring and watch your fortune change!"

Take the ring.

She takes it and looks at it carefully. There is no magic on the ring either, nothing that she can sense. But the boy looks up at her earnestly as he draws a coin from his pocket. "Call it! Heads or tails."

She blinks at him, puzzled by the question.

Pocket the ring.

"Hey, hold on!" the boy cries at once. "You gotta pay for that!"

She does? She withdraws the ring out of her pocket again and squints at the boy, incredibly baffled by the entire situation.

("The boy seeks to deceive you," Lae'zel says impatiently under her breath. "His magic is mundanity. The ring likely the same."

Wyll sighs. "Be kind, the both of you. He wants to show you a trick, that's all. Let him flip the coin.")

Rakha's eyes narrow. She stands there with the ring sitting on her palm and feels foolish. "It's only a joke," she says slowly after a long silence and trying to sort through the words from her companions. "Go on... flip your coin." If anything, she is curious to learn what that means.

"Real sweet sense of humor you got there, chum." The boy looks as if he's starting to regret his choice of mark, but he presses on gamely. "Anyway, you gotta call before the flip. Heads or tails."

A long pause. "Heads?" Rakha says cautiously.

The boy grins, tosses the coin in the air, catches it, and then shows her the side with the head facing up. "Heads it is!" he crows. "See? That's the kinda luck you get from just one of my lucky rings! I've got more where that came from. Real cheap, too. Interested?"

Rakha is starting to understand the situation now that she has seen it play out, and her lips twitch with irritation. [SORCERER] "If there was magic in this ring, I'd have felt it," she says bluntly. "It's nothing but junk."

The boy flinches and raises his hands defensively. "Not so loud!" he hisses. "You caught me, all right? They're not lucky rings." His eyes grow wide, his expression twisting with sudden, exaggerated pathos. "I'm just... trying to earn money for my family," he whimpers. "My father left and my mother... she's so sick. I wish I had better things to sell than... trinkets, but it's all I have!"

Rakha squints. The shift in tone is abrupt enough that she is certain it's disingenuous and that Lae'zel is right - the boy is making a fool of her. There is nothing of value here.

Wordlessly she shoves the ring back in the boy's face.

Return the ring and leave.

[junkdrawerfan]

So I’m catching up on Batman lore and comics.

I NEED A FANFIC WHERE SOMEONE SITS DOWN AND TELLS JASON THAT BATMAN TRIED TO KILL THE JOKER, ALMOST STARTED A WAR, AND WAS STOPPED BY SUPERMAN.

It drives me insane that the only reason Joker is not in a lead box at the bottom of Gotham Harbor is he somehow magically became the Iranian ambassador (how?!) and the UN hired Superman to stop Batman from causing WW3.

AND NO ONE TELLS JASON!

Oh! I hear you cry, But he saved Joker’s life after Dick beat him to death! Jason deserves to be angry.

OH BULLSHIT!

Dick wasn’t trying to avenging Jason! He almost kills Joker by mistake in a moment of grief and Joker egging him on! Dick literally mourns after he realizes what he’s done, claiming by killing the Joker “Joker won.”

So why would Batman save the Joker? I’ll tell you why. Batman didn’t save the Joker for Joker! Batman saved the Joker to save Dick!

Dick is acting on revenge for the near death of Tim and despite it being Killer Croc who had captured and presumably killed Tim, Dick blames the Joker and goes on a poorly thought out vengeance quest that haunts him even when it doesn’t work. He’s spiraling the minute Tim points out Joker is dead. You really think Bruce couldn’t see the writing on the wall that actually killing someone would destroy Dick and try to minimize the guilt Dick would feel by not letting the Joker die.

His second son is dead. The third was just thought to be dead. Batman isn’t going to sit back and let his oldest kill himself!

(Now you could argue all that I’m saying is fandom rationalizations of weird character choices made by multiple writers over at DC (Disregard Canon). Batman does let Dick walk away in shame after reviving Joker. But if I chose to forget that Bruce PUNCHES Dick after Dick rightfully demands to know why Bruce didn’t try to tell him his brother died before the funeral, I can damn well recontextualize a stupid panel and scrape together a consistent character profile based on the versions of Batman that I like! Fuck you!)

So yes! SOMEONE PLEASE JUST TELL JASON WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED AFTER HE DIED SO HE CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION FOR ONCE!

[heliosunny]

Fyodor Dostoyevsky being affectionate and touchy for the first time with a woman he adores so much realizing how she makes him feel and how in love he is with her.(lovesick fyodor is a wonderful thought 🙏‼️)

Fyodor Dostoyevsky never kept his assistants for long. They were useful, yes, but disposable—like pawns in a grand chess game. Once their purpose was served, he discarded them without a second thought, their existence erased as if they had never mattered.

But you… You were different.

He should have gotten rid of you already. By now, you should have been just another name wiped from his memory, another forgotten tool in his intricate schemes. And yet, he found himself hesitating. Delaying. Watching you with an unreadable expression as you worked diligently beside him.

You weren’t weak. You weren’t incompetent. But that wasn’t what spared you. No, there was something else.

"You seem distracted, Fyodor" you remarked one evening, your voice laced with curiosity. You didn’t fear him the way others did. A foolish mistake—or perhaps an irresistible charm.

He tilted his head, watching you with a quiet intensity. "Do I?"

"You do." You turned to face him fully, unaware of the way his fingers twitched at his sides, resisting the impulse to reach for you.

He had touched you once before—briefly, fleetingly. A gloved hand brushing against yours when he handed you a file. A whisper of contact that left an imprint he couldn’t shake. It was ridiculous. He was ridiculous. But no matter how much he rationalized, the truth was undeniable. He couldn’t get rid of you.

Not because of logic. Not because of strategy. But because the mere thought of you vanishing from his world filled him with an unfamiliar, unsettling sensation—something he refused to name.

"Perhaps" he murmured, stepping closer, his presence swallowing the space between you, "you are the distraction."

Your breath hitched as he reached up, his fingers finally breaking their restraint to brush against your cheek. He was testing something—testing himself.

Would he recoil? Would he let go?

No.

Instead, he cupped your face fully, his grip firm, almost possessive. His thumb traced your cheekbone, his eyes dark and unreadable. He was always so controlled, so untouchable. But right now, standing before you, his walls were crumbling.

"You've done something unforgivable, Y/N" he whispered, his lips dangerously close to your skin.

You swallowed, the weight of his touch sending a shiver down your spine. "And what would that be?"

His smile was slow, almost amused, but there was something predatory beneath it. "You've made yourself irreplaceable."

-----

You had always known that Fyodor Dostoyevsky was not a kind man.

But until now, you had only seen him in dimly lit rooms, shuffling through papers, playing mind games with unseen enemies, and speaking in soft, almost poetic riddles. You had been his assistant—handling documents, gathering contacts, and making sure every piece of information fell into place.

You had never seen him act on his cruelty firsthand.

Not until tonight.

The warehouse was cold and dimly illuminated by flickering overhead lights. The air smelled of damp concrete and something metallic- blood. You stood frozen at the entrance, your fingers gripping the edge of your coat as you watched him work.

A man knelt before Fyodor, trembling, pleading, his voice raw with desperation.

"You failed me" he murmured, his voice gentle—almost kind. "And I don’t have the patience for disappointment."

The next moment was swift, decisive. A flick of his wrist, a signal to Ivan and Sigma, and the man’s pleas were cut short.

Your stomach twisted as his body crumpled to the ground.

This wasn’t the same Fyodor who murmured cryptic thoughts in the dark. This wasn’t the man who would occasionally pause his reading to glance at you, lost in silent contemplation. No—this was something else.

This was the demon others feared.

Your breath was shaky as you took an unconscious step back, but his voice stopped you.

"Y/N" he called, soft yet firm. He turned toward you, his violet eyes locking onto yours with unsettling ease. "Come here."

Fyodor held you against him, his grip firm but not painful, his fingers tracing lazy patterns along your jaw as he forced you to watch.

Blood pooled at the center of the room, bodies discarded like broken chess pieces. The sounds of gasping breaths and the final, pathetic pleas of his victims echoed in your ears, but Fyodor’s voice was the only thing you could truly hear—low, amused, intoxicating.

“Tell me” he murmured, pressing a gloved finger beneath your chin to tilt your face toward his. “Does this unsettle you?”

Your breath hitched, but you refused to look away. “You already know the answer.”

His lips curled into a slow, knowing smile. "Mm, I do." His fingers trailed from your chin, down the curve of your throat, lingering there as if testing your pulse—measuring just how fast he could make your heart race.

The worst part was that he knew. He knew you hadn’t betrayed him, hadn’t leaked information. You had been nothing but loyal. But that didn’t stop him from playing his games, from toying with you like a cat with a mouse it had no intention of letting go.

“You’re cruel” you whispered, glaring up at him.

Fyodor chuckled, his free hand sliding to your waist as he pulled you flush against him. "Cruel? No, my dear. If I were cruel, I would not be holding you like this.”

His grip tightened, warm even through the fabric of his coat.

"You see, I had to wonder" he continued, his voice laced with amusement. "If you would flinch when you saw this side of me. If you'd run. If you'd beg." His lips brushed against the shell of your ear, his breath sending shivers down your spine. "But you didn’t."

His arms caged you in, his touch both teasing and consuming. “Do you know how much that excites me, Y/N?” His voice dropped to a whisper, a soft hum that sent an unbearable heat curling in your stomach. “Knowing that no matter how dark I am, you are still here.”

You swallowed hard, unable to speak.

"You are fascinating" he mused, his fingers ghosting along the curve of your cheek, thumb pressing lightly against your bottom lip. "Perhaps even dangerous." Then, he laughed—soft, beautiful, sinful. "How delightful."

One evening, as he sat in his chair, a glass of wine in one hand and a chess piece in the other, he finally spoke of his next plan.

"Dazai's plan huh." he mused, rolling the black king between his fingers. "It is time we end our little game, don’t you think?"

Your chest tightened. The war that had been brewing in the shadows was about to reach its boiling point. And this time… you would be right in the middle of it.

-----

The first step of his plan had succeeded. The enemy had fallen, the pieces had shifted, and now, a new alliance had been forged.

The newcomer sat across from Fyodor, their eyes calculating, cold. "Your assistant" they said, their voice sharp. "You should get rid of them. For safety."

Your breath caught, but you forced yourself to remain still. You didn't look at Fyodor. You knew better than to let your expression betray anything.

Silence stretched for a moment too long.

Then, Fyodor let out a slow hum, swirling the tea in his cup before taking a sip. "Yes" he finally said, nodding as if considering it. "Perhaps you are right."

Your stomach dropped.

For the first time, uncertainty crawled under your skin. He wouldn't—would he?

"Good" the new ally said with approval, leaning back. "We’ll handle it."

Fyodor’s lips twitched, barely noticeable. “How thoughtful.”

You felt his hand brush against yours beneath the table, deliberate, slow.

It was a message.

He had no intention of letting them touch you.

Later that night, in the solitude of his chambers, he pulled you into his lap, his arms wrapping around you like chains you could never escape.

"Did I scare you?" he murmured, pressing his lips against the side of your neck, his voice laced with dark amusement.

"You nearly made me think you were serious." you admitted, your voice steady despite the way his touch set you on fire.

His hand trailed up your spine, slow, savoring. "And if I were?"

You turned your head slightly, meeting his gaze. "Then I wouldn’t be here now, would I?"

He chuckled, the sound low and rich. "Exactly."

His lips brushed against your temple, his fingers curling around your waist. "You see, my dear… I don't need to get rid of you." His grip tightened, and he let his lips linger just a moment longer.

"I need you."

[whyohwhydoris]

Perrin through the looking glass - why Mon's husbands might be more than he seems

Before I begin: SPOILERS!

For both Season 1 and more importantly SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2 OF ANDOR! Are we all adequately warned? Neat, let's proceed.

It seems to be the popular consensus that Perrin is a wastrel and a tool. That he's some looser that Mon got saddled with then she was 15 and now she's stuck with this vacuous man-child.

And, maybe? I can't dismiss it. Sometimes, a thing is what it looks like at first blush.

But I have a sneaking suspicion he isn't that simple.

Let me roll this back to when we first actually meet Perrin, in the fourth episode of Season 1 - Aldhani. Dinner Plans

Aldhani introduces Mon. Mon is visiting Luthen to inform him that she is under increased security scrutiny. Her cover is buying a birthday gift for Perrin. She then returns home, and is surprised by Perrin preparing a dinner table for guests.

During the conversation that follows, Mon acts blindsided by Perrin, but it is vital to note several things:

Perrin booked this dinner into Mon's calendar. It was added a month in advance, and after discussing it with Mon. Mon accuses Perrin of wearing her down, Perrin replies he didn't think anyone could do that.

Perrin is hosting the governor of Hanna, a former regimental pal of his. He is also hosting Sly Moore and other senior officials in the Imperial Administration. When Mon protests this on account of their political enmity, Perrin suggest the dinner may lead to them thinking twice in future about opposing her.

When Mon protests that Perrin didn't inform her of his guests, he says it's late to cancel, but ultimately will if she demands it. Mon replies "well played Perrin" as though he has won a duel with her, but doesn't make him cancel.

Mon demands not to be sat with her opponents. Perrin says this has already been taken care of - she is at the opposite end of the table. He jokingly says she is at the boring end of the table, while these guests will be with him at the fun end.

Mon, who is under direct personal stress about her rebel activities, goes off at him. He suggests she rests.

Perrin pivots to the rumor of a present. Mon says it is going back, and Perrin doesn't question this, but does ask whether everything must be boring and sad.

Okay, so that's a lot to unpack, but I feel like this interaction is where everybody gets their opinion of Perrin cemented. Because we're introduced to Mon first, and know her more from other Star Wars, we sympathize with her. But let's look at what we learned here:

Perrin talked to Mon in advance. He scheduled, managed, and arranged this entire dinner. Mon is busy - very busy - and so he has done all the work. Mon implies Perrin wore her down, but does that really sound like Mon? In the same conversation, she says "Don't make me pay attention or I will" - basically, don't get political or I will voice my stance and make a scene. That is not 'gets worn down' behaviour.

Perrin was in the military, and he was friends with the kind of people that are subsequently governors, and people like Sly Moore - Palpatine's chief of staff! Perrin is, on his own, well connected and could be engaged in a private career in the military or civil administration. But he isn't.

When challenged about his guests, Perrin's first reply is political. Perrin is saying that, by wining and dining these people, Mon may be able to butter them up and make them less hostile on policy. This is an astute observation given by how much of galactic politics isn't actually about policy, but instead about lining the various player's own pockets.

Perrin offers, if somewhat tongue in cheek, to cancel. Mon sees this as a barb, but he is actually making this offer. It's clear he'll be upset, but he says he will do it, but it is her decision.

Perrin has anticipated and accommodated Mon's protest regarding seating. He is keeping her as separated as possible from her opponents.

Mon isn't actually reacting rationally. She has a lot dropped on her, but she forgot the dinner. She is also the busy senator, while Perrin has arranged all this. While this is at one level dismissive of her, it is also the correct call to ensure she is fit to deal with the politically fraught dinner.

While his present comment feels petty, Mon has just stormed in, trashed his efforts, treated him as hostile from the first, and is now continuing to be petty. And Perrin's question - "Why must everything be boring and sad?" - implies that he lives a sad existence without levity, one somewhat imposed by Mon.

Mon is not a bad person. But, if we remove our pro-Mon bias, this was not a good interaction by her. We know why. But Perrin literally can't. She has closed that off from him.

The other part of this is that we're looking at this from the perspective of Mon The Rebel and not Mon The Politician. If we look at it from the political perspective, Perrin has used his birthday to leverage his personal connections to give Mon potential access to political rivals who she may be able to soften up using a personal connection to counter their notional "policy" differences. He has invited senior individuals and at least one Imperial governor. These are tools that The Politician could use. But Mon is reacting as The Rebel instead.

Other interactions need less direct and in-depth analysis, fortunately. But it feels important to dive in to that first scene and pick it apart a bit. Family Breakfast 1

The next meeting is the breakfast scene. In this scene, we see Leida and Mon argue. But first, Leida tries to fob Mon off, and pivots to ask Perrin to cover for her. Perrin tells her to talk to Mon. It culminates in Leida saying that Mon doesn't have to pretend to be a good mother.

Mon is hurt by this, but she is actually not a great parent. Between her political and rebel activities, we know that she is spread incredibly thin. Leida is Mon's daughter and feels unloved because of a lack of attention for her. Perrin cannot address that.

As the arguement progresses, Mon asks Perrin if he is enjoying the argument. He clearly isn't. Mon will then complain about Perrin's lack of support. The problem is, Mon is laying into Perrin here and blaming him. But Perrin cannot address the issue of Leida feeling unloved by her own mother. Perrin already forced Leida to confront Mon, but he cannot fix this for the two of them.

In fact, Perrin's reactions are a seeming gladness that Leida's feeling are finally getting an airing. He brought what is clearly a serious underlying upset for Leida to Mon's attention directly, and given Leida agency to address Mon without de-legitimizing Leida's feelings by taking Mon's side on a basis of parental authority. Mon is hurt by Leida's words. But Leida is being hurt by Mon's inability to be a mother.

That isn't a crime. Again, Mon isn't evil. But this is something she is failing at. If we look at this from Perrin's perspective: Leida is embracing conservative traditions he does not like, but he has to be her available parent because Mon isn't present. This is causing Leida emotional distress and anger, and Perrin encourages Leida to confront her mother about this. While we can argue parenting, this is not a bad way to Parent a 14/15 year old girl. He is providing Leida agency and autonomy to deal with a personal grievance. He can't discipline her, because she is already slipping away from him and Mon with her turn to ultra-conservatism. He can't take this to Mon because she doesn't engage in her home life - like, we literally just saw her forget her own Husband's birthday dinner!

A lot of people see it as Perrin and Leida ganging up on Mon, but this is again a very biased read if we remember that Perrin is the stay-at-home dad and Mon is always too busy for her family life. Car Ride 1

Perrin and Mon are in their car, returning from some occasion. Perrin mentions that Mon saw him talking to someone. He also mentions that person knew more about Mon's work than he did.

Mon says that must be embarrassing. Again, she is making this personally about Perrin. But this misses the reverse implication: Mon isn't sharing herself with Perrin. And now, when he asks why Mon thinks he wouldn't care about her foundations, she insults him by saying "It's charitable". Perrin engages with Mon's political profession. He is an ambassador for her policies. But he can't do that if he is getting blindsided.

I know this risks sounding like Mon bashing - it really isn't. The problem is that Perrin exists entirely within the context of Mon, and so we have to remove ourself from our enhanced knowledge of Mon and the bias that introduces when we assess Perrin. Mon clearly upsets him, as he asks Kloris - their driver - to take a faster route home. But, he also asks Mon for Kloris's name before addressing him. This calls back to Mon chiding him for not knowing Kloris's name earlier - it is a sign that he is being deferential to her - and doesn't argue with her or get confrontational - because he has read her as not being in a space to engage with that. Cocktails 1

Leida approaches Perrin asking to be excused. Perrin tells her to check with Mon. Again, Perrin is not cutting Mon out. We know he is acutely aware of the political. Leida dipping out on Mon is a bad look politically. Perrin knows that. And so he is letting Mon manage that, which instead bolsters her image by making her the engaged mother.

During Mon's conversation with Tay, Perrin is socializing and watching her. We are invited to read Perrin's regard as a suspicion of Mon and Tay sharing in infidelity. The second episode of season 2 might suggest otherwise - but we'll get there.

And, what we do see is Mon acting furtively in public. Watch her face. She isn't as subtle as she thinks. And Perrin clocks this. But, notably, so does one of the women he is talking with at the bar. She looks directly at Tay and Mon, only to be drawn back to Perrin by conversation. When Perrin finished with the women he intercedes with Mon - he knows Mon is up to something, and that people are noticing it. He also intervenes with the justification that there are guests requiring special handling. Again, a political justification. And he does so loudly enough for people to see that he, Tay, and Mon are all talking together. Cocktails 2

The scene starts with Perrin asking what Mon's objective is for the night. When Tay arrives - very jovially and with a very personal attitude - Perrin stresses that Mon is working. He says Tay is not on the menu - again implying he sees infidelity (Again, back to this later). But he also says she is pitching politics and not charity. Combined with a few later moment, I think Perrin has a strong suspicion about the fact that Mon isn't actually engaging in conventional charity.

Perrin is sarcastic about how Mon is "saving the empire from the Emperor." In response, Mon asks Tay if he remembers Perrin at 15. Perrin says "let's not" and Mon goes on, calling him "The academy firebrand".

The implication is that Perrin used to be every bit as political as Mon herself.

When Tay says that the PORD is having an effect, Perrin says the Rebels should have thought about that before blowing up Aldhani. This is, again, a political observation. The Aldhani attack is a direct threat to Mon's stated policies. And Perrin has already established he is helping Mon with that when he asks for the agenda.

The other interesting thing is that Leida comments about Tay always being around - and seems to be uncomfortable about how close Tay and Mon are. This needs revisiting in a moment.

Finally Perrin has sent a seemingly friendly Senator to find Mon, who is trying to capture votes. He is supporting her politics here. Later He is shown to be being a gracious host to her guests, to be encouraging people to talk to Mon about inconsequential questions - a way to get conversations started. He also seem to be unhappy when he describes his marriage to Mon as "traditional". Family Breakfast 2

Auntie Vel is here! We open on Perrin asking if Vel is going to find a husband. While we as viewers enjoy the joke that Vel is in fact a lesbian, it is worth noting that Perrin is acutely aware of the rising conservatism in the empire (via his own daughter, but also his pointed comments about the repercussions of Aldhani) and is image conscious. Vel is conspicuous in her lack of a marriage and embrace of her station in life. And Mon herself will say much the same when she says people have been asking about Vel, and that Vel needs to go play the spoiled rich girl. On the surface, Perrin's comment seems shallow and patriarchal, but we know he rejects Chandrillan marriage customs, and we've seen him viewing things with a political lens - so I think there is a possibility that he thinks Vel is putting her self at risk in the current political climate.

Perrin also informs Vel that Tay is present - he is keeping her in the loop, and letting her know a prominent Chandrillan is spending a lot of time with Mon. What happens if Vel is ambushed with that information on Chandrilla and doesn't have prior knowledge with which to respond? I think Perrin is managing image here, too.

Leida also describes Tay as "mum's old boyfriend". Mon asks if Perrin told her that, and Perrin stresses that he said "old". Leida is uncomfortable about Tay's presence. We don't know when Perrin told her, but it is fair for Leida to ask about a man who is very friendly with her mother, and who her mother has been talking to secretively during at least two major social functions - Watch Mon and Tay's body language in scenes without sound or subtitles; they could be flirting. So Perrin has answered Leida's question about her mother. That Mon feels uncomfortable seems odd. But our bias in this scene will lead us to assume that Mon's reaction is normal, when what is normal is her Daughter asking about her close friend, and her husband assuring said daughter. TradWife School

Perrin isn't in this scene. But Vel and Mon talk about Leida's turn. Vel asks if it's Perrin's influence. Mon says it isn't and that he is "strangely open-minded on this topic". It's also notable that Perrin was sad about him and Mon sharing a "traditional" - i.e. arranged - marriage. This is important for later. Car Ride 2

Mon throws Perrin under the bus. She accuses him of gambling (which we know he hasn't been) to cover her financial misadventures. This is the first time Mon says something that Perrin directly confronts or denies. It is also notable that Mon says Perrin promised not to gamble. This implies that Perrin has kept that promise, and that the accusation that he has betrayed his promise to her is something he cannot stand. In fact, the only time he ever raises his voice to Mon is when she accuses him of breaking his promise.

Notably, Perrin doesn't attack Mon. He doesn't accuse her of lying. He doesn't accuse her of making things up.

What does he say? "This is wrong, Mon. This is people trying to take you down by coming after me. You tell me who's saying this, and I'll tell you why."

His first reaction is to think of Mon's political situation and how he is a vulnerability to her objective. When Mon acts like he is lying, he starts the rational argument: "Where would I get the money?"

When Mon keeps acting like he has been gambling and loosing mountains of money, what does Perrin say? "Someone is lying to you." He is looking out for her. He knows he is innocent. He knows that Mon doesn't accuse him out of no-where. He "knows" someone is lying to Mon. Season 1 Coda

There are some other things that we know about Perrin:

He knows and has done business with Davo Sculdun (though it's implied to have been some time). This again shows that Perrin is prominently connected and could have a successful career of his own that he has chosen not to.

He is not shown to fight Mon when Mon is suddenly advocating for supporting Leida's TradWife ambitions. This is despite us knowing concretely that he doesn't approve of it. Instead he seems to follow Mon's lead when Mon decided to make a pact with Sculdun - someone that Perrin knows, which would include knowing Mon would never willingly make a deal with Sculden.

People focus on Mon's emotions in the Leida-Stekan scene. But look at Perrin. He looks like a thunderhead. He almost looks angry, in fact.

Season 1, in aggregate, has a lot of little threads which I think could point to Perrin being a loyal and politically intelligent husband whose biggest struggle is that Mon is freezing him out.

I also think, in light of his "academy firebrand" days as well as his comments about "saving the empire from the emperor" sparking that observation, he may have been sympathetic to the Separatists. While this seems unlikely on the surface, Mon directly says to Tay that "The Grand Vizier has infiltrated my Separatist Coalition meetings." - And she is notable for her support for separatist sympathizers. It is hard to believe that She and Perrin have fond memories of their youth if that youth wasn't somewhat aligned on issues like that.

I think there is a very real possibility that Perrin harbours Rebel sympathies, but feels unable to act on them - especially as he seems to criticize the Rebel attack on Aldhani because it had the effect of encouraging imperial overreach. And also because he seems to support Mon politically, and to try and build capital she can cash in for votes. Forced Weddings and a Funeral

I'm dealing with this as one, big event.

We open on Perrin schmoozing guests with Mon. When an issue with parking arrangements is mentioned, he correctly identifies the cause, and goes off to address it. We again are seeing Perrin act as Mon's soft-power counterpart.

We also see him talk to Davo Sculden about the Bride and Groom to be. He shows a far more caustic attitude about Leida than he is implied to have had the year prior. The implication the year prior is that Perrin dotes on Leida. But here, he is directly asking whether Stekan will be able to manage Leida's impulses. It is worth remembering that Perrin was part of an arranged marriage at the age of 15 - a year younger than Stekan. He is saying Stekan will either learn of be led. And it suggests that Perrin might have had his life kicked out from underneath him by Mon's ascent to the senate. But it also suggests that Perrin has deep wounds from it all. Again, this is deeper than him just being a spoiled upper-eschelon lay-about.

The next morning, Mon and Perrin are managing their ballroom for a dinner and a dance to come. In fact, Perrin is very closely watching Luthen and Kleya. When talking about the Chandi Merle, he says it's a bit gross - "probably worth more than the house" - as though it is a crudely extravagant display of wealth. This is also at odd with the idea that he's a party boy.

He and Mon share a cup of tea. A single cup. They seem more at ease. He says the previous night was a success. This is again a case of him being actively involved in managing major events for the family - all of which are inherently political events.

And then he says to Mon "You should tell your boyfriend to back off the nog." - notably, he isn't actually accusing Mon of infidelity. He isn't being angry at her. He was, in fact, very cordial a moment before. What he is doing is telling Mon what people are saying about her. He's being a little mean about it, but he's telling her that people think she is cheating with Tay. He is telling her that Tay is acting erratically - in fact that Tay is not just getting drunk but that he should know the customs well enough to not to be getting drunk from experience. That Tay's home life has fallen apart, and he seems to be spiraling. And interestingly, has one serious dig at Tay. Tied in to the moments in Season 1, this makes me think he has never suspected Mon to be cheating, but has haboured suspicions about Tay's reliability and his motivations, which Season 2 appear to justify. Perrin might actually be a good judge of character.

Perrin, with a much more serious and personal tone, say of Tay: "He was always weak". We will immediately see this proven true, as Tay folds under his life pressures and extorts Mon, leading to his assassination by Luthen (well, by Cinta on Luthen's orders).

Again, it is Perrin informing Mon of something that could sideswipe her. It's him managing her image and directly spelling out the implications of the circulating rumor. It's him identifying a serious potential problem and flagging it for her.

Next is the wedding hike, and we get a suggestion of how Sculdun and Perrin may know each other. Perrin says that the estate used to be closed as a private hunting reserve. That there used to be signs to keep the poachers out. Sculdun says he remembers the signs. Perrin says they didn't keep Sculdun out, and that his willingness to ignore such signs has suited his business well. It sounds like a criticism. Like Perrin dislikes Sculdun - again notable in light of his willingness (as far as we see) to let Mon push this wedding.

Next is Perrin's speech. He says that anxieties and sad tidings are an inevitability of life, but that we must look to find and cultivate the joy in life in the face of that - joys big or small. Interestingly, this parallels with Cinta's comments that she and Vel share "what's left" after the fight. It parallels the positive parts of the life we see Brasso, Bix, and Wilmon enjoying on the run, and particularly that Brasso and Wilmon are finding happiness in Mina Rau. He speaks of "hope" and of "trying". His speech, perhaps in the context of a child wedding, is giving voice to to themes that are important to the Rebellion, and which this series in particular embraces. It suggests that Perrin sees what is happening in the galaxy, and may feel helpless to do anything, including because his wife is one of the few voices trying to do good, and is always defeated.

His speech also addresses directly Leida and Stekan - Sculdun's is about how he acquired the Chandi Merle and had an adventure and is now giving this gift to the couple; it's an interesting contrast.

Finally, when Mon is having her absolute implosion and trying to dance through it as she spirals, Perrin correctly clocks what is happening and stops dancing when he notices her. He is clearly worried about her. Bringing It All Home

So, what am I saying? I think, when we look at Perrin, it is very easy to fall into a surface level assumption. And I think it is very possible that is who he is.

But I also think that his seemingly constant political awareness, support for Mon's political efforts even in the face of his own apparent sense of hopelessness, his desire for finding happiness and joy amidst the growing darkness, his apparent history of political activity, the fact he is well enough connected to have pursued a very illustrious personal career that he has forgone, his apparently keen observation, and his distaste for people like Sculdun and Tay who he seems to identify as self-serving could point to something much deeper which has been buried as a result of his marriage to Mon, and which she is not seeing because of her own flaws when it comes to her private life.

Perrin has been taken away from his homeworld, and lives a life in which he has very little autonomy. Despite that, he seems to be loyal to Mon, though not a total push over. He seems to have a degree of personal honour and ethics as the only things we see him speak about with meaningful emotion are Mon's accusation he broke his promise to her, Sculden's acquisition of the Chandi Merle, and Tay's apparent lack of personal moral fibre.

Maybe I'm being wishful. But especially now we see Tay - who was very likable in Season 1 - extorting Mon, it would feel thematically appropriate, and be the kind of twist I could see Gilroy & Co. pursuing, for Perrin to reveal himself as supporting the Rebellion or being unfavourable of the Empire.

[ephemeralinstance]

Solas has always been right before

I know we all joke about how Solas' plans always go wrong. But while the details of practical implementation do not seem to be his strong point, it's notable that up until the present day Solas' moral compass has always been rock solid.

He was right that the spirits taking lyrium would have negative consequences. He was right that using the dagger against the Titans was an awful thing to do and would lead to further negative consequences. He was right that the Evanuris were tyrants and he was right to rebel against them. He was right to tell Mythal she shouldn't go back to the Evanuris. And from what we saw of Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain, it seems pretty clear that he was right to make the Veil, since otherwise they really would have destroyed the world (the practical implementation of this plan was not the best, of course, but the judgement that the Evanuris needed to be stopped by any means necessary seems right).

This is important context, because people often suggest that Solas is excessively prideful for deciding to take down the Veil without listening to anyone else's views on the matter. While there's certainly some pride involved, it's very relevant that Solas has spent his whole life in situations where he was the lone voice speaking in favor of what is right. He's learned to trust his own moral compass because in the instances when he let himself be swayed, terrible things happened. From that point of view, it's not so unreasonable that he doesn't change his mind about the Veil just because most others disagree.

Moreover, in this particular case, there's a specific reason why the judgement of others on this matter would be compromised: the Chantry has been propagating prejudice and lies about spirits for hundreds of years, and everyone in modern Thedas, even those who are not Andrastians, is to some degree influenced by that. By contrast, Solas was once a spirit and remains close to many spirits. To me it seems completely reasonable that he's unwilling to accept as valid the opinion of someone who does not see spirits as people or is afraid of them (such as Varric!). I also would not accept as valid the opinion of someone who denied the personhood of some group like this.

This context also sheds light on Solas' decision to act alone. Agreed, in light of his track record he should have anticipated that if he tried to take down the Veil all alone it would go badly. But also, he had very limited options. Given the extreme prejudice toward spirits throughout Thedas, he is justifiably pessimistic about the chances of anyone understanding his reasoning and wanting to help. We know some elves were working for him, but they most likely didn't know the full details of what he was planning to do, and I imagine he eventually started to feel guilty about manipulating them like that. And looking at his friends in the Inquisition, probably the only person who might have listened to him about this is maybe the Inquisitor in some world states. It therefore seems a little unfair when the narrative criticizes him for acting alone - realistically, what else was he supposed to do?

Indeed, in light of all this it is surely natural to wonder if maybe he is right again. He clearly has good moral judgement, after all, and he has far more information about the Veil and the Fade than any of the people opposing him. It's true that there are some strong emotions involved which might compromise his rationality; but on the other hand nearly everyone else in Thedas also has their judgement compromised, by irrational prejudices against spirits and mages, so it's not obvious that Solas is automatically in the wrong just because he's motivated in part by regret and grief.

Of course, the details of the implementation need more work! But implementation aside, on just the principle of the thing, the choice to show him consistently being right in the past means there's every reason to think Solas could very well be right about the morally correct course of action with regard to the Veil. And Rook&co could be just another entry on the long list of people who did the wrong thing and caused harm because they didn't listen to him.

[thydungeongal]

I've made passing reference to my idea of "the best dungeon game I can imagine" and it's not like a coherent game concept but more like a grab-bag of ideas from other games/hacks/articles that, to me, would result in the ideal dungeon-crawling game

Exploration procedures in the style of Break!! and Errant. While calculating feet can sometimes be fun sometimes you can sacrifice a bit of granularity to give players discrete high-level choices. Exploration that is room-by-room, turn-by-turn sacrifices a bit of resolution but makes for easier top-down decision-making.

The overloaded encounter die can help reduce some of the mental overhead of resource-tracking. When it comes to resource-tracking there's an issue I haven't found a satisfactory solution to elsewhere: there's very little incentive for players to keep track of character resources in a system that mostly does depletion, which means that keeping track of when players need to count down character resources will often fall on the GM. Making the loss of resources part of the grind and making it a clear result of a mechanism outside of the GM and players' control simplifies it.

Speaking of abstracting some things to make them easier to keep track of on a top-down level, I think a Break!!/Old School Hack style system of measuring distance in areas can actually meaningfully allow for "theater of the mind" play while still allowing for informed tactical play.

Look I think d20+modifiers where you want to roll high is good, the feeling of rolling a natural 20 is unparalleled imo.

I feel keeping track of experience points is important in the context of a dungeon game because that type of gameplay benefits from objective goals that players can pursue for rewards. Most importantly, I think exploration in and of itself should be encouraged, so a system similar to the one used in Neoclassical Geek Revival where each new room explored grants cumulatively more experience points would be interesting to utilize.

The combination of an inherent incentive for the act of exploring in and of itself AND making the resource grind random actually has an interesting effect: while players can manage risk by making informed calculations like "okay with 1 ration per character our party should be able to explore for six turns on average which means that if nothing goes wrong we can expect six rooms' worth of experience points this trek" but they can't count on it. Managing risk is still the name of the game.

Idk I kinda like Break!! style character creation. As much fun as random character creation is I kind of ultimately prefer the flowchart where players can make informed choices about their character.

One issue I have with the traditional D&D endgame of domain management is that it often feels completely separate from the dungeon gameplay. I think it's great to have something to look forward to at higher levels besides more dungeoning in deeper dungeons, but as such I would like to make the domain management part of the gameplay from level 1. Maybe the characters need to go into dungeons to get resources to upgrade their base? Something like that.

Anyway this is like. Really high-level and barely even touches on what the potential character options would be and how the game would distinguish itself from other dungeon crawling games beyond obviously having the best list of hand-picked mechanics and systems all in one. And I haven't really thought about the interaction between all these systems at all. But anyway a girl can dream

[tangentiallly]

the way he thinks about how he wants to know the truth here - i can FEEL so much of how he really, really wants to tell her, about the truth about himself, about why he's doing this. gaoshun is thinking about maomao's usefulness on their side and jinshi probably partially considered that as well (yes he's down bad but he's also, in many ways, a very logical, rational guy who analyzes things - maomao will also acknowledge this point about him multiple times later on). but aside from that, he just - wants her to know the real him. to know why he's doing this. wants her to understand ...... and his voice here just really gets to me. he so so so wants her to see the true side of him.

and, at this point maomao's very much "i don't want to know therefore i will NOT know" "i don't want to get into trouble by knowing anything that someone of my position shouldn't know". which is understandable - but also, it's interesting to note that, when she first knew him, she saw through his fakeness immediately, and when she saw his mask slipped she liked that side of him better.

as the series progressed she no longer was in the "i don't want to know anything" mindset. in LN9 we saw her reaction to Jinshi telling about about why he arranged his selection of personnel to go to the West that way.

even though her first thought was how she wished jinshi would treat her the same way he treated the quack, of not sharing anything unpleasant and just making the decisions without informing her, she immediately rejected the idea in her mind. she went on to think that he thought it would be best, and she herself also felt that this made her position easier, knowing the logic behind the decisions and her options available to her. she thinks of him as quite capable.

i just .... love how jinshi want to be real with her, want to be honest with her, and how maomao went from "i don't want to know anything i'm not noticing anything" to appreciating (sort of) him telling her his motives and reasonings.

"it was much easier to accept the answers he arrived at, even if they weren't perfect, knowing he thought things through". i am overwhelmed by so many feelings i love them.

maomao's reaction to the personnel selection for travelling west, in a way reminds me of what happened earlier in the same book (LN9) / last part of previous book. the branding. in both cases, maomao understood (whether through his explanation or her own grasp of the situation) why he did what he did, even if she's not pleased about it. she's pretty mad on both accounts, actually. she's angry he hurt himself in the branding incident (and also thinks he's selfish in doing so when the gyokuyou's and lihua's sons are both still so young), and she's angry at the personnel selection, of how jinshi used her to rope lakan in because he wants lakan's opinion on the west's situation and also because the western capital requested lakan, and now that she has to travel with lakan amongst the group, having to put up with lakan's presence.

but despite her anger - she still thought she could understand why he did what he did. still considered his decision logical and well-thought - and even considerate to her in a way. in the branding case, because maomao has expressed her reluctance at becoming the empress's enemy. in the travelling west case, she understood that he also did it for her safety, for lakan has many enemies that might try to do something to maomao, if left in the capital. in both cases, she recognized that he evaluated the situation from multiple angles, combining different goals together, different things he wanted to achieve and take care of, and put together a plan that satisfied all that. in both cases she acknowledged to herself that he acted based on a lot of considerations and logic, and it's not impulsive. and that he has thought about her in both cases. she's still mad, but she understood. jinmao my beloved .......

[writers-potion]

Have you done any posts on lying and liars? I'm looking for ways to indicate that someone is not trustworthy, without being too outright

Crafting (Subtly) Untrustworthy Characters

Hey thanks for the question! Please look at my previous post about writing liars reliably. This will be a follow-up post to the liars posting.

Get In the Head of the Character Being Cheated

Oftentimes, the signs of untrustworthiness may be clear to an onlooker, but not to the victim. This is also the reason why victims of fraud blame themselves and experience lowered self-esteem after realizing they've been cheated on.

On stepping a little away from the situation and looking back, all the red flags may be obvious. What makes a liar convincing is their ability to confound/emotionally overwhelm their victim so that they aren't able to think rationally on the spot. You can reasonably sort through a situation when you're given time to sit down and think for a day - when you're being pushed to make an important decision with high stakes within 2 minutes? Probably not.

You can get away with describing obvious signs of untrustworthiness, but framing them from the POV of the victim who is too scared/tired/intimidated to think properly.

A character who is young, with limited people experience, won't be able to pick up on the signs even though they're right in front of them.

So the goal here is to place the right signs there, with enough emotional/atmospheric fluff that prevents your victim from being perceptive.

Signs of Untrustworthiness

Making little changes in what they've said. Rather than going back on their promises fully, they make smaller changes, e.g. "actually, I'm only available on Tuesday after 9pm, not Monday."

They don't own up to their mistakes. There's always a good reason for their wrongdoings. Always.

They bring up emotionally uncomfortable topics to make the other feel guilty when they want to push for something they want.

They talk a lot about how they are loving/kind, but when you actually ask them for something, they back out.

"It's going to be different next time."

They say they have a strict moral code/discipline, but keep bending them, making excuses as to how the "circumstances are different" and "just this time."

If someone wants to cheat you, they'll try to make you feel special, saying things like, "you're the only one" or "who else can I ask for this?"

They accuse you of being untrustworthy.

"Future faking" where they act like the things they promised are just within your reach, but they're just deceptions.

They get into the victim/martyr mode when you try to place blame on them.

They use half-truths, leaving out the most important parts of the information to cloud your judgement.

They treat you like a king/queen when you're with other people, but cut you down when you're alone. This can also work vice versa.

Hope this helps! Happy writing :)

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[anistarrose]

I was going to make a post saying "Lucretia told everyone the truth there were seven Grand Relics instead of covering her ass and saying there were six because she's a storyteller, and six sounds objectively less cool than seven," but then I thought about it and actually, if you look at the timeline, I think this was probably a very pragmatic or at least tactically safe decision on her part?

When Lucretia founds the Bureau, Junior hasn't been born yet. Lucretia obviously doesn't even know Junior will be born someday. So once she inoculates Bureau members with Fisher — a necessity to staffing the Bureau in the first place — Lucretia can't keep any more secrets from them, with only one Voidfish at her disposal. And crucially, while Lucretia is the Bureau's primary source of info on the "Red Robes," basically all her recruits lived through the Relic Wars.

Upon inoculation, they'll all presumably remember at least some details about the Grand Relics. Obviously no one but Lucretia would know anywhere near everything about each Relic and their properties, not least of all because of a high eyewitness fatality rate, but part of the reason the wars were so deadly was because word of the Relics spread. Everyone in the world knew a few things about them.

So, if Lucretia were to tell her recruits: "oh, don't worry, there's only six terrible artifacts we need to destroy, tee hee!" then it's very possible that assorted Bureau members — especially Seekers, for whom looking into the Relics is literally their job — could start comparing memories amongst themselves, and put together that there was a seventh, leaving Lucretia with no option but to admit that she lied. If I recall correctly, the podcast never explicitly indicates what/how much damage the Bulwark Staff did to the world — but I find it hard to believe that it didn't do anything an inoculated person could later find record of or remember. (There's an admittedly good fanfic premise, though, in Lucretia leaving her Relic in someone's care to make it stationary, like how Magnus gave the Chalice to Jack, or how Barry is theorized to have given the Bell to the Wonderland twins.)

I digress, but the point is, Lucretia may have necessitated a lot of little lies for her future self by admitting there were seven Relics, but trying to winnow it down to six could've easily bit her in the ass, and she was definitely smart enough to realize that. She acted accordingly at the time.

And by the time Junior comes around, then of course she could theoretically use them to erase the Bulwark Staff from her employees' minds — but by then, she's been hiding the Staff under everyone's noses for about a year, and no one has gotten suspicious. So if it's working, why change it? She's no doubt also smart enough to reserve Junior's power for emergencies only — because even if people forget information, they can still retain the feeling they're forgetting something. With people planetside, that's one thing — but with her employees on the moon, from whom she needs unshakeable trust? Probably not worth it.

Overall, it's a deceptively rational decision on Lucretia's part, honestly. And also, yes, seven Grand Relics still sounds way more badass than just six.

[emdashbitch]

On the "Bucky was drafted"/"Bucky enlisted" debate, there's way more evidence in favor of him having been drafted than enlisting. Evidence that he enlisted feels very flimsy to me and mostly down to set errors and one passing continuity error, whereas him having been drafted seems far more set in stone/deliberate and plausible to me for three main reasons:

His disdain for the idea of joining the war at all. Bucky doesn't talk about enlisting and going off to war like a starry-eyed young lad who's been swept up by the pro-enlistment propaganda of the time, who thinks he'll look snazzy in the uniform or something similar that tragically many young men in that era genuinely did sign up over, he talks about going to war with vitriol. He argues about it with Steve, he's angry and hiding it well up until their talk at the Stark expo, and then composes himself after. Bucky doesn't give off pride, he gives off fear. I know the talk is about Steve wanting to enlist, in spite of his medical exemptions, and Bucky's very rational worry about that, there's also the reality that this is Bucky's last night in America for a while, potentially forever for all he knows. As a draftee, Bucky's bitterness in this scene hits a little harder, knowing he doesn't want to go but has to, and here his friend is not being forced to go but endangering himself anyway by breaking the law to lie his way in. There's a lot going on in that talk that isn't strictly only about Steve and what Steve wants. (We in fact know very little about what Bucky ever wants, other than that he likes technology and innovation and dancing...)

His 32557038 serial code. Bucky's dog tags are very historically accurate and go all the way back to the first Captain America movie where he's reciting his serial code over and over. 32 was for drafted men from either Delaware, New Jersey, or New York. (Steve's serial code on the other hand is a little nonsensical, historically speaking. I'm assuming this is because he was part of a top secret recruitment program and not part of the standard entry.)

Steve greatly admired and respected enlistees, and heavily romanticized the idea of enlisting, dreaming of serving in the same regiment that his father served in. Bucky in turn greatly admired Steve, it's very likely that Bucky just lied to Steve about enlisting because he wanted Steve's admiration. Bucky was a young man who, while he might not have been swept up in the propaganda and tragically naïve notions about the war, still had some naivety to him typical of the time. Bucky could well have gotten drafted, panicked, and ended up lying to Steve that he enlisted after all. Young people lie to people they want to impress all the time, it's a naïve and very relatable thing. It's likely that this lie then spiralled into Steve telling people Bucky enlisted, which then led to it becoming a Thing in history, since who's going to say Captain America is wrong about his own best friend???

This all makes what happens to him even more tragic, because Bucky never asked for any of it. He never signed up to be a super soldier, despite how people in TFATWS act, he never signed up to be an assassin who killed Howard and Maria, he never even signed up for the war. The only thing we see Bucky sign up for is following Steve as part of his task force. He's continually forced around by means beyond his control, both by the enemy and by his own allies. He's rarely shown making an informed choice of sound mind, and I specify sound of mind since the part of his brain in charge of decision making is like a "Christmas tree on psychotropic drugs" (Shuri, who's been in charge of his medical care for two years, says this) doesn't exactly scream "this man is able to make informed decisions on the fly".

[xiefuyu]

Brother, I'm here.

-- Kurokawa Izana x little sister reader

🖤 — Tokyo Revengers

📝 — spoilers from manga (around tenjiku arc), angst, brief implication of domestic abuse, mention of blood, mention of murder

:a/n — surprise ! my ass was productive today and managed to sneak in writing the next part for B,IH so here it is. will we be getting a happy ending based on how this is currently going? we shall see hehe.

— PT. 1 / PT. 2/PT.3/PT.4/PT.5

Kurokawa Izana only wanted one thing.

Family.

Maybe two things.

Family and to get rid of Sano Manjiro who stole Shinichiro from him. He’s just a simple boy with burning desire and jealousy seeping in his bones for his wants. His needs. And if getting them came as a form of violence, mistakes, and wrongdoings, then so be it.

He already knew that he’s beyond saving. Already knows that his brain had given up on thinking rationally and logically when it comes to decision-making. But there’s a feeble part of him that wants to go back to the times when he’s just riding Shinichiro’s motorcycle, back to when he and Kakucho are just little boys with dreams too big to be concealed in their little rough palms due to fighting.

But he also knows that it’s just another feeble thing to dream. He wasn’t bestowed by the Gods with the gift of turning back time.

You're beyond saving, a voice in his head says and it sounded like a broken him.

So with a smile, he agrees with Kisaki’s outright sick plan of killing his little sister, Emma, who he promised that they will see again.

Kakucho tried to stop him but just like any other royalty hierarchy, he’s just a peasant whose opinions don't matter. He wants to stop his king. He wants to make him come down from his throne and act like dirt on the ground like how he’s treating them. Just for once.

He wants Izana to be normal just for once. For his mind to not be clouded, for his being to not shelter a monster whose head rises with its green flames, engulfing everything, inside out.

So he seeks you out again. Hoping, praying, desiring, dumping a responsibility, a duty for you to stop his king.

You breathe in deeply, closing your eyes at the new information suddenly thrown to you. Apparently, your brother whose name is Izana- it’s such a pretty name, you think- is thinking of killing someone.

Killing.

His little sister at that.

“Please stop him.” Kakucho, whose name you learned yesterday, pleads. You look at him as if he had grown two heads. You think it’s ridiculous. If your brother is capable of killing someone whose existence is known to him, what will that do for you? If he’s capable of killing his little sister who he knows, then what about you?

Will he…kill you, too? Hurt you without hesitance?

You shudder at the thought, unconsciously curling into yourself, the thought of getting hurt again by someone you know, by a family, makes you sick.

But you found yourself nodding.

“Okay…” you whisper in a hush tone, expression further softening at Kakucho’s hopeful smile.

You stood outside a cemetery, blinking. Kakucho wasn’t able to accompany you but you saw a silver-haired head and your breath hitches. His tan skin, silver-haired head, and eyes that you just somehow know are painted in lilac like yours, it was all so familiar. He doesn’t notice you but you notice him.

He was talking to a boy, his hair is long and blonde and a girl whose hair is a different shade of blonde, standing behind him and besides another blonde boy.

Wow, they’re all blonde, aren’t they?

You caress your black hair unconsciously. Well, should you colour it silver like your brother? So you both match? Why not, you think. You already love him, after all. You’re willing to sacrifice the health of your hair for him.

“Visiting the grave with your sister? How sweet.” you hear your brother say. “Takemichi, take Emma away.”

Now you’re aware of their names. Takemichi takes Emma away and before you know it, you walk away a little to give them space. You watch them as Emma says something, “that’s my brother, Izana, isn’t he?”

Your breath hitches. She is the sister that your brother wants to kill.

With a strained breath, you listen as she talks, how she wants to help someone named Mikey, the long-haired one, you assume, and smiles at how sweet she was. Without knowing it, your feet took you to them when they bought drinks. You look like someone close to them but they didn’t mind your presence.

Emma being busy with her drink and Takemichi looking like he’s figuring something out. Out of nowhere, the three of you hear the roar of an engine. As if one organism, all of you look at the direction of the source. You see two guys on a motorcycle, one having a bat in his hand, ready to swing.

And for one moment, it all slowed down for you. You see Emma freezing and see Takemichi shielding himself.

And for one moment, you found yourself hugging Emma, shielding her, your arms wrapping themselves around her head while yours remained vulnerable, and turning the both of you away just a bit late from the bat coming for the both of you. But that was enough. It was enough to get Emma out of the harm’s way as you feel the bat coming in contact with your head instead.

The both of you fall to the ground with a thud and you feel yourself coming in and out of drowsiness. You hear someone curse, asking you who you are- the one with the bat, you assume- and you hear someone telling you to stay awake, apologising and thanking you for protecting her.

She was so sweet that you can’t wrap your head around your brother’s decision of killing her.

“I’m okay..” you manage to say as you forcibly sit up with the help of Emma, letting you lean on her. You see her and Takemichi staring at your eyes and you smile. “Are they familiar?” you weakly asked and Takemichi nodded.

“This wasn’t the way I imagined meeting my brother’s sister, my sister, too, I guess, but hi. I’m Y/N, Kurokawa Y/N.” you greet, smiling weakly as if you’re not bleeding in the head. “I apologise, Emma-san…my brother…I heard Kuya Izana wanted to kill you…” you feel her stiffness under you.

“I don’t know why…I just got here in Japan not even a week ago,” your eyes are slowly closing, breathing stuttering, “he doesn’t even know I exist.” you finished.

“Y/N-chan, stay awake! Please!” Emma pleads, sobbing, and you can’t help but think that she’s such an angel, crying for a stranger. You hear footsteps and see blonde long hair. “Mikey! Mikey, hurry!” Emma says, wanting his brother to carry you.

“What happened? Who is she?”

Their conversation was drowned when you see your brother behind Mikey, a few feet away. Your eyes met his and all you could think was a future where the two of you are happy and bonding with uncontrolled laugh stumbling out of your mouths.

Your eyes meet his and your heart breaks when he looks away with a frown as if he’s disappointed that it wasn’t Emma who was bleeding on the ground.

“Izana, you asshole! Are you going to walk away from your sister?!” you hear Takemichi shout and oh, he was also sobbing. You feel yourself getting lifted and warmth spread through your chest as you’re now being carried by Mikey.

You briefly notice Izana stopping before he is out of sight as Mikey turns around, carrying you to the hospital.

“Y/N-chin, right? Hi, I’m Mikey. I’m Emma’s and Izana’s half-brother which means I am also your half-brother. Stay awake, yeah?”

You’re baffled at how shaky he sounds, at how his body trembles as he carries you. He’s worried, you figured, and that made you happy. “Oh…hello, Kuya Mikey.” you say and chuckles when he lets out a sound of confusion. “Kuya means older brother in Tagalog.” you explain.

You're not even sure if he's older or younger than you but calling him Kuya, an older brother, felt right.

“I see.” he was smiling, you can tell. “Don’t close your eyes, Y/N-chin. We still need to go to Izana and hit him in the head for not taking his time and checking up on you. He probably didn’t recognize you with all of us surrounding you, don’t worry.” you just hum, grateful that he’s trying to make you feel better.

“Kuya…”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“For what, hm?” Mikey asks, ignoring the fact that your arms lost their grip around him. “I should be the one thanking you, silly. You saved Emma, didn’t you? She told me you protected her.”

Silence answered him.

But he carries on.

He carries on because he could hear you faintly breathing and he could feel your weak heartbeat against his back.

“When you wake up, we’ll be introducing ourselves again, yeah? I’ll introduce you to gramps and to Ken-chin. Maybe not Toman yet.” he smiles, grip on you tightening. “So…you better wake up, Y/N.”

And with that, he hesitantly lets go of you as you get taken away by the nurses.

A few metres away from the entrance of the emergency area stood a silver-haired boy, fist clenching as a wave of emotions, ones that he thought he wasn’t capable of feeling anymore, surged through him.

And for the first time in a long time, the king falls from his throne and onto his knees as his mind goes blank at the memory of him looking back at the same set of eyes similar to his.

Eyes that were dim yet shining in hope before he turned away, unaware of how it completely dulled.

A/N: I don't know if anyone will see this but hey, love, feel free to request scenes for tokyo rev and dc <3

[querade]

Doctor who's season 13?? ESPECIALLY the Yaz Hug moment

So with the new specials coming out I thought I'd post my thoughts on the season 13 finale

The doctor breaks herself into three different versions ,three different pieces overwhelmed by solving three equally pressing problems. I hear everyone’s issues with the 13th doctor etc etc but this was the PERFECT finale to her character--the entire arc is so chock-full of different problems EVERYWHERE that the doctor is squashing out.

I didn't realize it until then but the entire point of the Flux and the doctor closing herself off and not telling yaz and dan anything--AHH such a good idea!! It's the perfect way to represent everything as her arc comes to its climax.

Also just. The 13th doctor doesn't want to worry people so she doesn't tell her companions squat and just constantly deflects. you know how Clara uses the TARDIS and pseudoscience as a coping mechanism to get away from the Bad Things she has to eventually deal with?? YEA. NOW THE DOCTOR IS DOING IT.

in a way you see she's kind of grateful that she's in the middle of all this, because then she doesn't have to face anything :3—which is terrible and awful, but easy to rationalize because 'people's lives are on the line and she has to save them'!!

Naturally the doctor has always had a problem with being far too selfless. and while this arc doesn't state it directly, the acting and the camera work and the situation all state it indirectly enough. And Yaz is kind of the only one who notices cause she's the only one who's been there long enough?? anyways ahhhh when the companions finally reunite after like two episodes of being apart, its just. the doctor forces herself to stop the 'how do we fix this' brain and she makes herself pause and just goes "wait" and she stops and HUGS YAZ for like three seconds. It's the first break, the first silent, not-really-tense moment you get in an EXTREMELY long time. And even then it doesn't feel like long enough.

THE YAZ HUG MOMENT IS SO GOOD: I guess I noticed it was weird that it lasted so long but I couldn't exactly figure out why it was such a good choice. And then. In that whole meet-up scene, the cuts are SO very well done. You have the camera circling her, spinning, and the Doctor sees someone, says their name—

"Yaz! Dan! Kate Stewart, Kate Sewart! Jericho! Victorian-looking bloke!"

With every new bit of information, in a row, it jumps to a new cut, a new angle, with no continuity of the Doctor's previous pose—and i mean no continuity, from one cut to the next she is 180 degrees with completely different hands and head positions— but with possibly MORE stuff that she has to cram into this situation and spread herself even thinner--and it feels kind of like she's losing her mind.

(She kind of was.)

But she doesn't realize it yet or want to face it or can't face it or whatever, just keeps going, and then forces herself to pause. and to stop.

After all the losses, loss after loss after loss after loss in this arc, after making an extremely difficult, selfless decision, after all it cost her, she takes just a little selfish moment for herself to say, "Wait." and she chooses to not do anything. she chooses to take three long seconds to turn and hug yaz. not anyone else.

Of course, once she does, the camera stops spinning and idk i was just like 'WOW we really have been going nonstop for just a ridiculous amount of time haven't we.' and that was kinda when i realized that yea, I am gonna miss season 13's version of jodie whittaker.

[minileaf09]

THE GREEK PANTHEON BUT MAFIA!AU.

Don (The Boss)

Zeus

Role: The ultimate ruler of the family. Zeus is the big boss, making final decisions and calling the shots. His word is law, and his lightning-fueled power intimidates both allies and enemies alike. He’s the one everyone answers to, but he’s also the one who could crush you without hesitation if you cross him.

Key Traits: Charismatic, ruthless, commanding.

Consigliere (Advisor)

Hera

Role: The consigliere is the advisor to the Don, and Hera is the sharpest strategist in the family. She’s the brains behind the operation, calculating and ensuring everything goes smoothly. She also deals with internal problems, keeping everyone in line. If there’s a betrayal or a shift in the power structure, Hera knows how to handle it.

Key Traits: Intelligent, calculating, manipulative.

Underboss (Second in Command)

Hades

Role: The underboss runs things when the Don is not around. Hades controls the family’s less glamorous operations, including dealing with people who have disappeared or have been "sent to the underworld" (a.k.a. disposed of). He’s not flashy, but his power is felt in every corner of the organization. Hades is often called upon to handle the family’s “dirty work.”

Key Traits: Quiet, intimidating, methodical.

Caporegime (Captains)

These are the middle managers, overseeing specific crews or operations. They report to the underboss or consiglieri.

Poseidon

Role: Oversees all operations dealing with water, shipping, and ports. Poseidon controls trade routes and ensures that the family’s goods (legal or illegal) are safely transported. He’s also the enforcer of the crew, making sure everyone follows the rules and punishing those who break them.

Key Traits: Tough, loyal, direct.

Ares

Role: Head of the family’s combat operations. Ares runs the family’s army, ensuring they’re always ready for war. If anyone messes with the family, Ares is the one you send to cause destruction. He thrives in battle and is used for large-scale confrontations or taking over rival territories.

Key Traits: Violent, unpredictable, aggressive.

Athena

Role: The brains behind military strategy and planning. While Ares leads the charge, Athena ensures every battle is meticulously planned and that every operation runs with precision. She’s the tactical genius who can think ahead and outsmart rival families. Her job is also to act as a mediator and peacemaker when tensions within the family arise.

Key Traits: Strategic, calm, rational.

Soldiers (The Foot Soldiers)

These are the workers, the ones who do the actual legwork. They’re the ones who carry out the orders given to them by the caporegimes.

Apollo

Role: The public face of the family, Apollo handles the media, public relations, and makes sure that the family’s image stays pristine. He handles connections with other powerful organizations, keeping the family’s reputation in good standing. While he’s a symbol of peace, he’s also ruthless when dealing with rivals behind the scenes.

Key Traits: Charismatic, manipulative, persuasive.

Hermes

Role: The messenger, the one who delivers information and carries out secret missions. Hermes is quick and efficient, ensuring that messages are delivered across enemy lines without detection. He also oversees the transportation of goods and people who need to be moved swiftly.

Key Traits: Fast, clever, charming.

Dionysus

Role: The entertainer and supplier. Dionysus is responsible for creating and controlling the family’s entertainment side, which often doubles as a front for laundering money and hosting illegal activities. He throws lavish parties that allow other mafia families to meet and network while engaging in shady business.

Key Traits: Charismatic, indulgent, unpredictable.

Artemis

Role: The silent enforcer who handles discrete, quiet hits. While Ares is out causing chaos, Artemis works alone, eliminating problems without ever being seen. She also handles the family’s security and reconnaissance, ensuring that the family’s business is protected from the shadows.

Key Traits: Stealthy, observant, deadly.

Demeter

Role: The supplier of resources. Demeter controls the food supply, both legitimate and illegitimate. Her role is critical in ensuring that the family’s “businesses” continue to thrive and grow. If you want to control the market, you’ve got to control the harvest—and Demeter does just that.

Key Traits: Maternal, reliable, strategic.

Hephaestus

Role: The arms dealer and tech expert. Hephaestus crafts weapons, builds gadgets, and creates the technological infrastructure needed to keep the family’s operations running. He’s also responsible for creating security systems and countermeasures to protect the family from being tracked or raided by law enforcement.

Key Traits: Intelligent, meticulous, inventive.

Associates (Low-Level Operatives)

These are the individuals who have been inducted into the family, but they don’t have full membership yet. They’re working their way up.

Aphrodite

Role: The smooth talker. Aphrodite handles the persuasion side of the business—charming allies and rivals into making deals with the family. She also handles the romantic or sexual dealings that might be necessary for negotiations or as leverage. No one can resist her allure, which makes her an invaluable asset to the family.

Key Traits: Charismatic, manipulative, seductive.

Persephone

Role: Hades’ lieutenant in the Underworld. Persephone handles the family’s more “creative” methods of extracting debts or silencing enemies. She’s the one to call if you need someone to disappear without a trace. She also works closely with the family’s operations in the Underworld, making sure that there’s always a place for those who are no longer useful.

Key Traits: Mysterious, cold, ruthless.

Made Men (Full Members of the Family)

These are individuals who have proven themselves and are officially part of the family. They enjoy the protection and perks that come with full membership, but they still answer to higher-ups. Some of the gods who fall into this category:

Demeter

Hephaestus

Dionysus

Street-Level Crew

These are the lowlifes, the muscle, and the people who do the groundwork—simple tasks like running errands, collecting debts, doing grunt work. They may eventually rise through the ranks if they prove themselves loyal and capable.

[justinssportscorner]

Mira Lazine at LGBTQ Nation:

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall joined 23 other states in filing an amicus brief in support of banning trans girls from sports. Specifically, the brief asks the Supreme Court to review and overturn an injunction placed on Arizona’s ban on transgender athletes by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Marshall wrote the brief alongside Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin and with support from Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. The court instituted the injunction in September in a 3-0 decision in response to Arizona’s Save Women’s Sports Act, which enacted a blanket ban on transgender girls in girls’ sports, regardless of how long they had been transitioning and if they were on puberty blockers. The plaintiffs in the case were two trans girls and their parents suing to overturn the law.

[...]

The amicus brief makes several arguments in favor of banning transgender girls from sports. One such claim is that it would be expensive and difficult for schools to implement policies allowing trans girls to participate on girls’ sports teams – an argument that ignores the ease with which many schools across the country have implemented trans-friendly policies.

The brief also argues that sex is not equivalent to gender identity under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution – a claim that ignores established precedent from the Supreme Court case Bostock v. Clayton County, which ruled that trans people are subject to sex-based protections due to their gender modality. The Attorneys General then make two legal arguments, claiming that the Circuit Court made its decision on erroneous grounds and that other readings of the law may be more plausible. They also argue that a rational-basis review is required to determine if the plaintiffs’ claim is underinclusive. This means that an additional overview, informed by constitutional law, would be done to determine if the argument being made is internally consistent with equal protection – if not, it would get thrown out. It is unclear whether these arguments will hold up in court. SCOTUS has given no public indication of whether it will take this case. It has already accepted the case of United States v. Skrmetti, which will determine whether states can legally ban gender-affirming care for minors.

There is no evidence that transgender girls have a significant biological advantage in sports. Rather, evidence suggests that transitioning levels the playing field.

24 Republican Attorneys General file transphobia-fueled amicus brief in Petersen v. Doe to convince the MAGA majority on SCOTUS to uphold bigoted bans on trans women from women’s sports that has zero to with “protecting women’s sports” and “competitive fairness.”

[starryluvs]

Emotional intelligence and how to build it.

What is emotional intelligence or EQ?

Emotional intelligence (otherwise known as emotional quotient or EQ) is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict.

Emotional intelligence is commonly defined by four attributes:

1. Self-management – You're able to control impulsive feelings and behaviors, manage your emotions in healthy ways, take initiative, follow through on commitments, and adapt to changing circumstances.

2. Self-awareness – You recognize your own emotions and how they affect your thoughts and behavior. You know your strengths and weaknesses, and have self- confidence.

3. Social awareness – You have empathy. You can understand the emotions, needs, and concerns of other people, pick up on emotional cues, feel comfortable socially, and recognize the power dynamics in a group or organization.

4. Relationship management – You know how to develop and maintain good relationships, communicate clearly, inspire and influence others, work well in a team, and manage conflict

Building emotional intelligence,

key skill 1: Self-management

In order for you to engage your EQ, you must be able to use your emotions to make constructive decisions about your behavior. When you become overly stressed, you can lose control of your emotions and the ability to act thoughtfully and appropriately.

Think about a time when stress has overwhelmed you. Was it easy to think clearly or make a rational decision? Probably not. When you become overly stressed, your ability to both think clearly and accurately assess emotions—your own and other people's—becomes compromised.

Emotions are important pieces of information that tell you about yourself and others, but in the face of stress that takes us out of our comfort zone, we can become overwhelmed and lose control of ourselves. With the ability to manage stress and stay emotionally present, you can learn to receive upsetting information without letting it override your thoughts and self-control. You'll be able to make choices that allow you to control impulsive feelings and behaviors, manage your emotions in healthy ways, take initiative, follow through on commitments, and adapt to changing circumstances.

Key skill 2: Self-awareness

Managing stress is just the first step to building emotional intelligence. The science of attachment indicates that your current emotional experience is likely a reflection of your early life experience. Your ability to manage core feelings such as anger, sadness, fear, and joy often depends on the quality and consistency of your early life emotional experiences. If your primary caretaker as an infant understood and valued your emotions, it's likely your emotions have become valuable assets in adult life. But, if your emotional experiences as an infant were confusing, threatening or painful, it's likely you've tried to distance yourself from your emotions.

But being able to connect to your emotions—having a moment-to-moment connection with your changing emotional experience-is the key to understanding how emotion influences your thoughts and actions.

Do you experience feelings that flow, encountering one emotion after another as your experiences change from moment to moment?

Are your emotions accompanied by physical sensations that you experience in places like your stomach, throat, or chest?

Do you experience individual feelings and emotions, such as anger, sadness, fear, and joy, each of which is evident in subtle facial expressions?

Can you experience intense feelings that are strong enough to capture both your attention and that of others?

Do you pay attention to your emotions? Do they factor into your decision making?

If any of these experiences are unfamiliar, you may have "turned down" or "turned off" your emotions. In order to build EQ—and become emotionally healthy—you must reconnect to your core emotions, accept them, and become comfortable with them. You can achieve this through the practice of mindfulness.

[Listen: Mindful Breathing Meditation]

Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment—and without judgment. The cultivation of mindfulness has roots in Buddhism, but most religions include some type of similar prayer or meditation technique. Mindfulness helps shift your preoccupation with thought toward an appreciation of the moment, your physical and emotional sensations, and brings a larger perspective on life. Mindfulness calms and focuses you, making you more self-aware in the process.

Developing emotional awareness

It's important that you learn how to manage stress first, so you'll feel more comfortable reconnecting to strong or unpleasant emotions and changing how you experience and respond to your feelings. You can develop your emotional awareness by using HelpGuide's free Emotional Intelligence Toolkit.

Key skill 3: Social awareness

Social awareness enables you to recognize and interpret the mainly nonverbal cues others are constantly using to communicate with you. These cues let you know how others are really feeling, how their emotional state is changing from moment to moment, and what's truly important to them. When groups of people send out similar nonverbal cues, you're able to read and understand the power dynamics and shared emotional experiences of the group. In short, you're empathetic and socially comfortable.

Mindfulness is an ally of emotional and social awareness

To build social awareness, you need to recognize the importance of mindfulness in the social process. After all, you can't pick up on subtle nonverbal cues when you're in your own head, thinking about other things, or simply zoning out on your phone. Social awareness requires your presence in the moment. While many of us pride ourselves on an ability to multitask, this means that you'll miss the subtle emotional shifts taking place in other people that help you fully understand them.

* You are actually more likely to further your social goals by setting other thoughts aside and focusing on the interaction itself.

* Following the flow of another person's emotional responses is a give-and-take process that requires you to also pay attention to the changes in your own emotional experience.

* Paying attention to others doesn't diminish your own self-awareness. By investing the time and effort to really pay attention to others, you'll actually gain insight into your own emotional state as well as your values and beliefs. For example, if you feel discomfort hearing others express certain views, you'll have learned something important about yourself.

Key skill 4: Relationship management

Working well with others is a process that begins with emotional awareness and your ability to recognize and understand what other people are experiencing. Once emotional awareness is in play, you can effectively develop additional social/emotional skills that will make your relationships more effective, fruitful, and fulfiling.

Become aware of how effectively you use nonverbal communication. It's impossible to avoid sending nonverbal messages to others about what you think and feel. The many muscles in the face, especially those around the eyes, nose, mouth and forehead, help you to wordlessly convey your own emotions as well as read other peoples' emotional intent. The emotional part of your brain is always on—and even if you ignore its messages—others won't. Recognizing the nonverbal messages that you send to others can play a huge part in improving your relationships.

Use humor and play to relieve stress. Humor, laughter and play are natural antidotes to stress. They lessen your burdens and help you keep things in perspective. Laughter brings your nervous system into balance, reducing stress, calming you down, sharpening your mind and making you more empathic.

xoxo,f