#conundrums without conclusions

[ctrl-alt-tahu]

The Everyman Problem

So, I've had a kernel of a Bionicle post rattling around in my for a couple weeks that I haven't quite been able to articulate, but I think I might have the angle to explain it now.

I'm an "old Bionicle fan": by which I mean, I'm old enough to have got into Bionicle in the "Mata Nui" era (2001-2003). A glance at the notes on my big [unfinished, looking abandoned] alt-canon fanfic shows that I'm old enough to have disliked the change of the Toa from Mata to Nuva... in 2002.

So, which that as background, remember that I'm old enough to remember a time when it wasn't known at all that Matoran, Toa, and Turaga were all the same "species."

Thinking back on it, I don't think I initially "noticed" the revelation that no only were the Turaga were former Toa, but the Toa (Metru) were Matoran before that--Takanuva too, but he was something of a special case. In 2004, I was really just absorbing that Vakama, Onewa, etc. were former Toa--that "Toa" might mean something other than "single demi-urgic hero of each element." I got there eventually, as far as acceptance goes, but it part of my age-related fade out of the Bionicle fandom.

2006, on the other hand, emphasized the other part that I'd ignored more during the LoMN/WoS era: that Toa came from Matoran. I still don't love this, but until last night I couldn't really lay a finger on how to express why.

I thought it might just be my habitual stick-in-the-muditude: you changed Jaller from Captain of the Guard! You changed Matoro from Nuju's stoic interpreter to a worry-ridden saviour.

I also thought it might just be the genre shift: it's all fantasy, of course, but it's a different thing from the island mythology-vibe of Mata Nui to the Lost City of Atlantis vibe of Metru Nui (and then the vibes beyond). I like the Toa more as unique elemental avatars than evolved Matoran, but that's not really it either.

Last night, though, I watched later era Marvel movie--it doesn't matter which one, because they all have this problem--and as the credits were rolling, I realised that the reason I don't really like the MCU is much the same as this "problem" I had with Bionicle: if just about anyone can be a superhero, you lose the "ordinary" members of the story.

Putting it another way, I realised I prefer "chosen one" stories to "X-men" stories. This is probably the Tolkien fan to some extent: you can have a world full of magic and heroes and super-powers, but if it also has "ordinary" folk, their specific importance in the story is that they ARE ordinary: Gandalf and Aragorn are heroes and amazing, yes, but Frodo never "levels up"--he is a greater person at the end of the story than the beginning, but it is the growth of an ordinary person.

Because superheroes are so common in the MCU (or DCU, etc), it's hard to have ordinary people be front and center--and harder still for them to stay ordinary people. And something like that is my problem with where Bionicle went that I don't think ever fully resolved for me: part of the wonder of Mata Nui, the whole storytelling point of MNOG is that the Matoran contribute to the victory too: they have no mask powers, no elemental powers, but they are there to help the heroes and do their part and its essential.

This already starts changing with MoL, it changes more with LoMN, and by the time we get to the Voya Nui arc, we've gone "Full MCU": everyone in the story can be a Toa.

I think, if the Inika had been "four or five" new characters and only one "already-known" Matoran, I'd have been much happier. But when you take the most prominent Matoran from every tribe and make them all Toa... who's left? The headcanons that the Chronicler's company become Toa too both satisfy and don't work for me for this reason. They satisfy me if they leave the Inika as Matoran, because I think that was a better way to go; they annoy me if they're BOTH Toa now, because that exacerbates what I think is the "problem" here.

It's not really a problem, objectively, but it is my subjective sticking point. And it's the reason that even though I might keep most of this lore, despite the grumbling, I'm willing to jettison completely and utterly the idea that "only some Matoran are destined to become Toa." Destiny is always a hard thing to make work in the story, but the Doylist result is that Matoran now come in two categories: Special Protagonist and Ordinary: and the Ordinary is now completely swept off the stage and I really don't want that: I want the story to include a real focus on some powerless, ordinary individuals.

So I'd rather it be that ANYONE can turn into a Toa: they don't, maybe, because the circumstances lead there, but every Matoran has that potential. Because if anyone COULD be a hero, then at least when they do become a hero, it's more ordinary.

But I'd still rather that none of them could--but I'm not sure that is a concept you could return to without retconning Gen-1 so far that you end up with Gen-2. And I don't think I want THAT either.

[revacholianpizzaagenda]

97 Poets of Revachol pics!

HERE THEY ARE, courtesy of the event's official photographer, Zuzana Šubrtová. The Elysium-based LARP took place in two runs in Terezín, Czech Republic, in the latter half of September. These are from the second run!

I can't possibly describe what it was like to inhabit the rundown tenement of La Cage with more than a hundred other players, bringing to life a whole slice of society: immigrants, barflies, petanque players, sewer people, Union gang members, Wild Pines mercs, disco people, sewer people, looters, street artists, an inevitable mass of fascists, anarchists, communards (or so I'm told), communards (proper), communards (it's complicated), councilmembers, hustlers, taxidermy enthusiasts, the also-inevitable mass of pale-fried strugglers, journalists, Moralintern creeps, RCM chucklefucks, and so on and so forth. The old military hospital burst to life with small human moments and grand revelations happening in every corner at all time, as the gears of history moved toward our inevitable trial run of Le Retour.

We really had it all. Politics, drugs, creeping mold, more drugs, unseen voices steering us toward our best and worst natures, a metaphysical rave, entroponetic anomalies, precognition (scripted), precognition (just kind of happened?? Several times over?), suzerainist coffin deliveries, sweatshop politics, old reckonings, radiant sacrifices (accidental-ish), three-way divorces (one-upping one HDB), strikes and strike-breakers, political dance-offs and political orgies, and did I mention the drugs, under the greatness of history and the pale.

Thanks to the organizers for the colossal effort they pulled off like it was nbd, and to all my fellow dwellers of La Cage.

A few favourites:

First off, this was basically the entirety of my game:

...with a central heartrending tension between that abandon, that 'something beautiful is going to happen', and my character's earthly loves, the family she loved so much. It was really really fascinating and emotionally moving to get to play out that central conundrum in full (and go die on the barricades for an independent Revachol following the push of History) (and also of Franconegro pulling my strings like a marionette in a chilling scene) (but mostly History)

Case in point: me in the back, the Unseen voice/spirit/skill "Doomsayer" to the left, dear husband Tai in the middle. Sorry Tai!

Moralintern mission

Sweatshop workers strike

Both sides of the barricades, right as the game ended (this is not a spoiler, it said up front on the website that that's where the story would end): independentists (feat. His Fuckery Franconegro with the black wings in the background, but also the Unseen of if it sucks hit da bricks, the street martyr and idk who else) and globalists (Dolores Dei, Doomsayer et al)

speaking of those two - here's them in full rave regalia. I love that two of the collective skills of this place are flat-out "Dolores Dei" and "Franconegro", it's so fitting. Can't have current society without them, so here they are, as a molecular part of it.

RCM peeps predictably being serious, professional individuals

Designer drug guy talking to Corrosion who's kind of the local version of Electrochemistry. I'm sure this was a completely hinged conversation that reached sensible conclusions

Wild Pines mercs +1

Disco downtime. The set design for The Bearded Vulture club and The Second Club was out of this world. I hope my own pics can convey some of it.

sweatshop power dynamics (there were accidents, Union leverage, strikes, corruption... you'd think there would be barely time for anything else to go on AND YET)

possibly my fave pic of the whole thing (go Doomsayer!!!). we had specific graffitable areas on the wall and made VERY good use of them. Well, everyone else. My character wasn't much of a graffiti artist, her greatest contribution was turning "Revachol for revacholians" into "Revachol for mold"...

LARP^2

fascist campaigning at the Democracy Picnic

Petanque club...

...actually playing petanque? I never saw them ingame, I was starting to wonder if it wasn't a front for something else

Pictured - no scheming, plotting or quadruple-crossing here as you can clearly see by "Kras Knezhinisky"'s super normal demeanour and unassuming name, which I can totally believe was on his legit birth certificate)

I mention Kras because here's the theatrical taxidermy show with him in the middle narrating the adventures of his antifascist ferret Kommissar Kunixet. Nice pic, I take the shot. Five seconds later, superstar Frittte clerk Jamie Delaney joins in, and what can I do, NOT have Jamie in a shot? Absolutely not, so I take the same exact shot with Jamie in it as well.

And by sheer twist of technology (and of course the pale, and of course vile censorship in defiance of the Romangorod convention)... Kras Knezhinsky of all people gets kommissar-no-kommissar'd. "Kras, the pale is erasing you from our memories, from images," I warn him, showing him the two pictures. One hour later, he gets taken behind the waste disposal facility and shot.

Hm.

(LARP's haunted. These things KEPT HAPPENING. In the first run, that version of my character went "YOU MURDERER" at the specific merc who'd turn out to be connected with her background, a couple of hours before getting that reveal in-game. What's Elysium without some good old-fashioned precognition after all!)

Poor Flowerseller (red dress here) was kind of my Empathy - many valiant attemps were made, however. Uphill struggle.

HARDCORE anodic club leader Konrad Nilsen doing something not so hardcore here, idk what was going on exactly but then again I never even noticed we had a morgue and I had a plot right next room, so what do I know. I know that the end is near. That much for sure. And that the resolution of history's contradictions goes through the pale. But corpses? Nah.

||||||| 😎

[creative-clawmarks]

Longass Vampire AU Loredump

I feel I should preface this with the most important fact of this AU: supernatural beings are not actually a part of this world.

What I mean by this is there is no secret society of vampires, there is no chapter in the medical books on lycanthropy, and ghost hunters still have not found conclusive evidence. As far as you or I or anyone else knows the cast of MH are the only things like them in existence.

Because the Operator did this to them.

It's a parasite, and its strategy is to make people into predators then mop up the trail of bodies they leave behind.

As for why their monstrosity takes the specific forms it does? The Watsonian Explanation is that we will never really know, such things are beyond people's understanding. The Doyalist Explanation is that I have taken the character's metaphorical roles and made them literal to give myself an excuse to draw sharp teeth.

With that out of the way, here's what these freaks are actually capable of:

Alex (Vampire):

Standard package of fast healing, unnatural speed, and unbeating heart. Probably immortal but I guess now we'll never know.

Drinks blood, of course. But I like my vamps fucked up so there's a good dose of gory cannibalism for flavor.

He won't combust in the sun or anything, but his skin is especially sensitive to heat and his eyes are especially sensitive to light.

Heightened hearing, he could hunt someone down with his eyes closed just by tracking their heartbeat.

Venomous, specifically paralytic toxins. Once he's bitten you there's no running away, you're basically screwed.

Fangs and claws are retractable. I also gave him a forked tongue because he's like a terrarium snake to me :)

"Once more I have seen the director go out in his lizard fashion."

He can purr. Because I know what the people want.

Tim (Werewolf):

Standard package of fast healing, unnatural strength, and canine features. Would rather not think about whether or not he's immortal.

Does not hunger for human flesh. If given the opportunity he might maul a deer tho.

Burned by the touch of silver. He also personally thinks wolfsbane is gross but that's unrelated.

When in human form he's mostly that, human. Sure his senses are sharper and he can grow out his teeth and claws a little bit but otherwise he's normal.

When in wolf form, on the other hand, he is DANGEROUS. I'm talking bite through steel tear you in half only thing that can stop him is a silver bullet dangerous.

The wolf form is analogous to Masky in this AU, as in he turns against his will whenever he's threatened or misses a dose and he won't remember much whenever he eventually turns back.

The only time he can change under his own power with his mind intact is during the full moon. He looks forward to it every month because without the threat of loosing control being a wolf is rad actually.

If you scratch him under the chin he goes boneless. Doesn't matter what form he's in.

Brian (Ghost):

Standard package of walk through walls, disappear, and fly. I don't think the term immortal applies to this situation tho...

You know the excuse that ghost don't just physically manifest cuz they don't have enough energy for it? Yeah he's so incandescently pissed that he's tangible more often than not.

Its actually kind of the opposite conundrum where he has to focus and calm down to actually use his ghostly abilities.

Salt circles will totally work on him, but good luck catching him first lol.

Even if you can't see him you can still sort of feel his presence, the room will get colder and the shadows will get deeper.

If you catch him on a bad day he can pull some Poltergeist TM level shenanigans.

Can't really communicate like he used to, his mind is too broken and detached from what it once was. That's why all the ToTheArk videos look like that.

If you were to put a spirit box in the room with him all you would hear coming out of it is his death screams on loop.

Jay (Mortal):

He's just a guy lol, poor bastard doesn't stand a chance.

Why yes, he has read Twilight. Why do you ask?

[existential-crisis-of-the-mind]

Crush Culture (Tim Drake x F!Reader Pt 1 )

Prompt: Tim’s finally mustered up the courage to confess to his crush. Armed with contradictory, questionable advice from all his brothers what could possibly go wrong? (1.3k words)

Tim’s got himself a reputation for his wits. He’s known in the family for his quick thinking and uncanny ability of uncovering the optimal solution in a record amount of time. 

He isn’t some prodigal child as some like to think. No, he had to hone his talents through countless hours of analysis and research. Be it mastering the technical know how of the latest gadgets on the black market, or his laser point accuracy in predicting an enemy’s next move in a fight, there was nothing that Tim couldn’t decipher without some investigation.

Well, except perhaps the current conundrum he found himself in.

It’s been a while since Tim concluded he has a crush on you. All the signs were there, the mix of anticipation and excitement that courses through him whenever he makes plans to hang out with you. The way blood rushes to his cheeks when you compliment him on something. Then there’s the fact you’re the first person he thinks of when he’s got good news to share. And perhaps the finally nail in the coffin is how lately, he finds his mind wandering to thoughts of you, and instead of pushing them away he finds himself soaking in the warm sunshine feelings they evoke.

Coming to terms with his feelings wasn’t the hard part, it was what comes after which proved to be tricky for Tim.

Ever since he established that he likes you more than a friend, he came to the conclusion that he ought to confess his feelings. He wanted to know if you felt the same, he wanted to explore what more than friends would look like, if that were to be a possibility. 

Now this was fairly uncharted territory for Tim. His adolescent years were characterised by an emotionally constipated father, chaotic siblings and patrolling the streets of Gotham in Spandex in the twilight hours. All of this didn’t leave much room for day dreaming about crushes or exploring most of those teenage firsts with someone else.3

Tim’s usual go-to method of internet research quickly reached a dead end when the first 2 questions he searched up immediately led him to Manosphere content. He would much rather avoid the red pill blue pill route thank you.

He didn’t want to sit down and have any sort of painfully awkward ‘talk’ with his dad about any of this either. He could already picture Bruce grimacing at the mere thought of entertaining such questions. 

But perhaps none of that needs to be a roadblock. He’s lucked out with not one but two older siblings, Dick and Jason. There’s also his younger sibling, Damian, and though the boy seems to mostly be made of sarcasm and snark, he can be mature when he wants to.

Now, would Tim consider them to be fully functional, well adjusted members of society? Dick yes, the others could pass for that on good days, yes. But surely between the three of them they ought to have some good advice for a brother in a rut right?

“Girls like a guy who’s got a bit of mystery about him. Don’t reveal all your secrets, you need to keep her guessing” Jason uttered sagely. Though his wiseman schtick was being somewhat undermined what with the way he had his feet kicked up on the dinner table. His breakfast choice of pancakes with an all too generous serving of whipped cream wasn’t doing him any favours either. Not that Tim was gonna point that out.

“You need to be attentive, show that you care by being a good listener. You must know what she likes, maybe you should surprise her with her favourite flowers or her favourite drink” Dick chimed in from his seat opposite to Jason. 

“You’re still stuck in your Rom-Com Hallmark film era” Jason huffed in response, shaking his head in disappointment.

“I’d advice you not be corny, but that would be futile given that’s your perpetual state of being” Damian remarked in a neutral tone before taking a bite of his eggs. Right. Tim just gonna’s chalk that up as Damian’s attempt at being helpful.

Dick snaps his fingers, his eyes lighting up as he leans in conspiratorially “Humour! A good sense of humour always does the trick. You can put her at ease by making her laugh”

“I believe it’s a dry sense of humour that’s in today. Sarcasm, when done right can look real smooth” Jason counters, as he languidly rocks in his chair.

The conversation pauses when the boys hear footsteps. Bruce emerges from the hall, the shadow under his eyes coupled with his stubbled jaw serving as evidence of his late night patrol. “Oh you’re all down already? What have you been-“ 

“Tim has a crush but he needs advice on how to confess cause he doesn’t know how” Damian states flatly before Bruce is able to finish his question. 

Tim all but sputters at Damian, who pointedly avoids eye contact with him as he brushes off an imaginary piece of dust off his cardigan. 

Bruce freezes for a moment before slowly, almost mechanically turning to face Tim. There’s a beat of eye contact, before he gives a stiff nod at Tim’s reddening face.

“Alright… seems like your brothers have you covered. I’ll leave you to it” he remarks before turning on his heel. He seems more relieved than Tim that he’s got an excuse to sit this one out.

“Don’t forget the patrol schedule for tonight” he calls out as he walks away. Tim has a feeling that’s the reason Bruce came into the kitchen in the first place.

After a few more helpful(?) anecdotes shared by his brothers, Jason stands up to stretch, “Right, time for me to go brush up on some fighting tactics”. Damian perks up at his words, seemingly ready to follow.

As the brothers begin to vacate the kitchen, Dick offers Tim a bright smile, signalling a thumbs up as he mouths ‘You got this’.

Right. Be nice and welcoming, but also mysterious. But not standoffish. Be warm but not overly familiar either in case he comes off as corny. That’s easy. He’s totally not nervous after that. Tim rapidly taps his fingers on the table, the motion an attempt to distract himself as his mind swims through all the information he gathered to figure out an optimal solution.

His phone buzzes, pulling him out of his internal monologue. Oh look at that, it’s a call from (Name). Perfect.

Tim takes a steading breath before answering.

[dj-wayback]

sep did u ever consider that you wouldn't be throwing yourself against the wall if u just genuinely and honestly asked him what HE wants, instead of assuming or figuring it out through trial and error.

like i feel we can cut the middle man out here if you just communicate to him. surely your resources mentioned communication being the basis of all relationships

although. it's possible that he has problems with communication too. which would make things 100x times harder. but having at least one party be open and honest is better than none.

Can I ask what sort of arduous mental journey you had to go on to reach such an out-there conclusion? No Way Back has issues regarding communication—oh, what a concept. Excuse my tone, I am just so astonished by your discovery, you understand. Where could you possibly have gotten the idea?

Perhaps…well, I hope you excuse me once more, for these are my own personal musings…perhaps from all these quite subtle times he had been made uncomfortable, or made to feel uneasy, upset, hurt—I could go on—and how he had refused to voice any of his concerns regarding any issues he might have, even when pressed? How skittish and sometimes volatile he gets, when the conversation topic shifts to him and what his feelings are on any given sensitive subject? I’m sure you’ve noticed. Of course, I could also tell you the precise amount of times he has spoken the phrase “it doesn’t matter”, but, once again, I am certain that such an astute individual of your caliber is already aware of the number.

Next point. Let us assume that I have actually talked to No Way Back in the span of this cycle, and that I very directly stated the issue at hand, and quite genuinely, quite honestly asked him what he wants. Wanted, really, but let’s follow your formula. Naturally, this is a hypothetical, as I had failed to notice any of his aforementioned behaviors and failed to form any conclusions of my own, let alone that I should just confront him about his avoidant attitude and present him with the question of what he truly desires. Where was I? Oh, yes. Let us imagine that I unambiguously asked him what he wants. Now, imagine a theoretical answer to that question: “I don’t know”.

How can he not know, you ask? I do not fully comprehend it either. A mind like yours, perchance, is capable of figuring out the root cause of this seemingly unsolvable conundrum. Certainly not mine. In this scenario, I have failed to take note of anything substantial, as I suppose I am just that uncaring of what happens around me and of how my actions and words may impact someone. More than that, I probably did not even ask the question all that genuinely. Or honestly. It is very likely that I had some hidden, cruel motive underneath it all, and did not even care about whichever answer he would’ve offered me.

But even considering all of that—this is purely hypothetical. Beyond that, I did not actually ask him anything. As per the kind of being I am. Naturally.

All of this to say, I am always appreciative of listening to and learning from those more enlightened than me. My sincerest thanks go out to you. After all, without your valuable input, I never would’ve had this incredibly productive moment of reflection. It’s all become so painfully clear to me—what I should’ve done, what I should do next…the paths laid out in front of me, beckoning, escorting me to an answer I never would’ve thought of otherwise…

[apenitentialprayer]

Okay, so I just finished part one of Rahner's The Trinity, and one of the major points of contention he has with the Thomistic tradition is that they start with defining and characterizing the Divine nature as God without reference to the Three Persons of the Trinity. Although he concedes that this is a legitimate way of trying to grasp the concept of God, his gripe about it is twofold. First, he thinks it makes it too easy to "shrug off" the Trinity as an inessential doctrine; it is important that Ultimate Reality is triune in nature, and to describe the characteristics of this Being without reference to this tri-personality risks making the Trinity extrinsic to the concept of God Himself. This opens the door for modalism, Arianism, and a functional tritheism. Secondly, defining the Divine nature without reference to the Trinity can lead to the false idea that this nature is "prior to" the Trinity, that the Trinity are three persons emanating out of this impersonal nature rather than the idea that this nature has eternally subsisted in the Three Persons. This would essentially make the Trinity a quaternity, with the abstracted nature being the source and origin from which the others proceed. And, in support of Rahner, the Fourth Lateran Council actually did have to condemn this as heresy, so there were people coming to this conclusion about 800 years ago. Rahner's solution to this conundrum is (put very, very simply) as follows: instead of defining the Divine nature in the abstract, you define God by defining the Father, who is the unoriginate source of the other two eternal Persons. And once you define the Father and the characteristics that He has, you proceed (ba dum tsss) to define the Son and the Holy Spirit in their relation to Him and each other. In this way, the explanation of the divine nature is grounded in the tri-personal Reality in which it subsists. Assuming I got this right.

[ninja-muse]

The Dollmakers by Lynn Buchanan is the most original fantasy novel I've read in a good while. It doesn't follow a familiar plot structure. It's peopled by characters rarely seen but true to life. It tackles its issues, themes, and conundrums without turning them into morals or even necessarily reaching conclusions. The magic has been done before, but also not this way. The world, while familiar in some aspects, also feels fresh and different.

Did I like it? I'm not sure. But I definitely think it's worth picking up.

Because this book is so different, it's hard to encapsulate. The premise of a young woman determined to prove herself and gain the job and status she deserves sounds like it should launch a novel of revenge, of conquest, or of an underdog—but this doesn't. A story about magical dolls designed to fight ravening monsters sounds like it should be about great battles and increasing odds—but this isn't. This also isn't a story about a stranger upending a small town, or mentorship, or political conflicts, or even a mystery. Instead, there are elements of all those things, but this novel is too character-driven to fall neatly into boxes. Shean of Pearl is simply going to do what she thinks best and we're along for the journey.

The complexity of the plot is mirrored in its characters. Shean is capable of kindness and delicacy and righteous anger, but she's also tactless and self-absorbed and unwilling to listen to reason. There are brave characters too afraid to interact with society, kind mentors who fail in their mentorship, sour but welcoming villagers, wandering scholars who hold themselves apart until they don't, rule-abiding citizens who can't value originality, thoughtful people who come to snap judgements, and a host of other people who are flawed and complicated as anyone of us might be in their place. There's nobody I can point to and say, "Here, she relied entirely on a trope."* Buchanan's character work is arguably where this book shines most.

As for the themes and issues, I've grown used to fantasy and science fiction with clear morals, clear good guys, and clear political points. Again, this isn't that sort of book. You have to get well into it before you see what Buchanan's talking about on that level and she's more interested about raising questions and pointing out problems than she is in solving anything. We and her characters are left with things to think about, and with introspection. And no, I won't say more than that. Spoilers!

This isn't to say that this book is without flaw. Mostly, on that front, I found Shean's emotional journey a little sudden and jerky at points, with greater or quicker character growth than her personality led me to expect, and there's one particular moment near the beginning that felt exaggerated for the sake of demonstration rather than being true to character. The rest of my problems, and what's holding me back from saying, "This book was amazing!", I think stem from how different this book is. Is my grumble at that minor character's reaction due to weak writing or because they're so perfectly poised within their world that of course they don't act like a "normal" character? Is this plot line wrapping up too neatly or are we being set up for a sequel? That sort of thing. I should point out this is a debut novel and these are issues I've run into with debut novels before—but at the same time, this is much, much more polished and subtle than a lot of debuts are.

As for the magic and the world, I've run on too long to cover them much, but the doll magic is lovely, the monsters are fascinating, the idea that every nation has its own entirely separate culture and magic is familiar while the details are not, and in general, it's all very strong. Buchanan has a lot to play with and I'd happily read more in this world whether or not there's a direct sequel.

To sum up: this is a very strong, very interesting, very unique debut fantasy. It's a novel to mull over and one I'll be sorting through my feelings for. If you're interested in smaller fantasy stories, fantasies that take their time, or are tired of current fantasy trends and plot types, you should absolutely give this one a look. Buchanan's going to be an author to watch, I think.

* apart from third-tier non-speaking characters, like waiters or shopkeepers

[hetjoshiotgw]

Flux Buddies' ending is still so crazy to think about, to me. The story about a foolish, impulsive, immoral scientist who acts before he thinks about the consequences of implications ends with him once more flinging himself headfirst into a moral conundrum, on emotional impulse? I love it. I love it I love it I love it.

Lalna knows better than ANYONE how fucked up cloning is, and he knows that clones are their own, distinct people, and far more than just 'copies' of their original. But he'll clone Nano anyway, he'll continue to perpetuate the very dilemma that has plagued him for so long, because he just cannot live without her.

It's unbelievably selfish and entitled and presumptuous of him to create a perfect copy of Nano to be with him. Does Lalna expect this clone to just go along with it all? Does he expect her to just accept being brought into existence for the sole purpose of being a replacement? For the sole purpose of fulfilling his wishes?

Or does Lalna just want the opportunity to be there? The opportunity for this new Nano to meet him, to choose to befriend him and go through it all again? An opportunity for her to pursue herself, that Lalna would accept her turning down?

What about Echo? Her existence destroys all logic that could ever hold up Lalna's decision to clone Nano. Echo is right there. She's a clone, too, and she's clearly not Nano, because if she was, then why would Lalna need to make another one?

And that's where it all falls apart, the wishful thinking that Flux Buddies' ending is bittersweet, or anything but tragic and bleak. The revelation that Nano is being cloned isn't any consolation at all, rather a clear sign of just how dependent Lalna was on her, and how lost he is in her absence. I don't think Lalna is so terrible that he'd go through with it, fully aware of the moral pitfalls of cloning her, knowingly creating another Nano solely for his own sake, with no thought for her own agency or individuality. Lalnable would do that, but not Lalna. Because clones are individuals.

No, Lalna is just blindly marching forward, fuelled only by grief and regret, and the results of Nano's cloning will lead to either her or him horribly damaged.

I don't really have a conclusion to this big ramble, but god, I think about them so much.

[thegildedbee]

Intimidate: May 9 Prompt from @calaisreno

John Watson’s unfailing refusal to be intimidated by himself has always been a source of irritation to Mycroft.

He had revisited the issue at suitable intervals over the course of their acquaintance, seeking to satisfy his desire to arrive at a definitive answer to this conundrum, the better to remediate this deficiency in Watson. 

(That he has yet to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion about the phenomenon is one of the few failures that he allows himself to admit – within the confines of his own head, of course. It is a ridiculous state of affairs. After all, he has a much-loved panoply of tactics at his disposal for intimidating entire countries. Which he uses. Frequently. Successfully.)

(At one point he had toyed with the idea of writing up Person X’s behavior on this score to use as a “hypothetical” example in a training exercise for the department’s analysts to see if they could detect any meaningful clues he had inexplicably overlooked. He had quickly decided, however, that it would be prudent to set this idea aside, as the acquaintance of his department’s personnel with Sherlock’s sphere could unmask the pretense of a fictional model, without any compensatory insights having been generated.)

Given current circumstances, it is time to tick off this item on his list of outstanding actions. He gathers himself mentally, and begins a review of his previously generated list of candidate explanations. 

Initially, he had believed that Watson’s apparent imperviousness to his exercises of power was stupidity, advertised as bravery. After all, a cognitively-endowed individual encountering Mycroft in the key of intimidation would make a sound assessment of possible consequences and respond appropriately, as in “a word to the wise is sufficient.” For those with a deficit in intelligence, a simple recalibration in leaving less to subtext in conveying his meanings typically sufficed. And yet, not so with Watson. Strikethrough that premise.

Early on he had posited that the problem was aggression due to his military training – and yet Watson’s service file indicated he had no trouble following orders. Strikethrough that premise.

A later supposition was that Watson’s behavior is due to his being of small stature – the compensatory demeanor of a man to appear larger, as in a cat with an arched back and its hair standing up, or when a puffer fish expands like a balloon. And yet there are no other indications that Watson finds his physical limits of concern to support this supposition. Strikethrough that premise.

He had also considered that Watson’s attitude was the consequence of being a man with nothing to lose. While this fact might have powered his non-responsiveness to displays of power at one time, he had not appeared to be in such a state for quite some time -- and yet his obstinacy continued. Strikethrough that premise.

One explanation of which he is rather fond is that the man has a perverse enjoyment of being contrary for the sake of being contrary. And yet, sadly, this premise must also be committed to the strikethrough rubbish bin, as this attitude is not on display in other situations, as it would be if it was a personality characteristic.

A recurring conjecture has been that the biographical detail of Watson being a medical professional is relevant – that he has a caretaker complex. This rationale, he believes, has some merit. But it seems insubstantial as a complete explanation for why Watson appears to be uncowed while being on the receiving end of intimidation by one such as himself (not that there is another one such as himself known to him. But it is always a possibility; a vanishingly slight one, but a possibility nonetheless).

It is always at this point in the analysis that he comes up against a factor that seems inescapably relevant, but that he finds he is resistant to giving way to: that Watson’s imperviousness to intimidation is causally related to his association with his brother, rather than to circumstances that are solely Watson's own.

It is as if Watson’s insubordination is in the service of establishing a demilitarized zone around Sherlock, with Watson patrolling its perimeter, to repel and/or neutralize anything that he considers to be a threat. Well, was in the service of.

But why such a dedicated defense of his brother, such that Mycroft's intent to intimidate falls flat? This assertive stance had appeared within a very short period of time – Watson had become very loyal, very quickly. Scarcely a day after being informed of Sherlock’s existence he had killed a man – with an illegal weapon – because he believed his life was threatened, even while unable to hear what was happening, and the only evidence being that of viewing the unfolding of a pantomime.

Mycroft purses his lips in impatience and blinks his eyes to refocus them. No more time can be expended on the Watson question today – there are many urgent matters of international importance needing to be put right. And now that Sherlock has been removed from Watson’s life, Mycroft's listed item re analyzing Watson’s motivations can indeed be ticked off, due to that reality. 

Yes, Mycroft points out to himself, even Watson, needs must, be intimidated by death, and come to display submission to its dictates. It is unlikely that he will need to experience yet again Watson’s non-cooperative, headstrong, insolent manner (at least not any time soon). Indeed, with Sherlock "dead," there is no need to ponder the question further.  ........................................................ @calaisreno @totallysilvergirl @friday411 @peanitbear @original-welovethebeekeeper rest of the @s in the tags, which will work for communication purposes, I hope? just say the word if you want to be untagged or tagged xoxoxo

[you-need-low-tar]

Today's thinking about Holmeses psyche. Or Holmeses in general. Very long.

One core of BBC Mycroft that's prominent in ways that I don't remember seeing in ACD Mycroft is that he is, in the end, a man of action. It's been a decade since I read ACD, so I could be wrong. But the idea is that BBC Mycroft *does* things. Makes decisions about execution, or implementation. Is accountable for them, whether they turn out right or wrong. 

He takes action when he thinks something is up. Sherlock has a new roommate? Kidnap and test him. Sherlock relapsed? Search his flat. Mycroft is inclined to find a solution, to have something done, about a situation, about a crisis. Less interested in the what and when and how and why. Less interested in 'truth' or 'facts'. Could be because he would already know. I think he just doesn't consider it as important as salvaging the remains and controlling the damage. Fixing things. 

Sherlock sees something wrong and tries to observe to figure out the truth. Like watching a lab environment system. He disturbs it, sometimes a lot, when he thinks it would get him an answer. His interference of this system doesn't change the facts, the information, the truth of the system, which is all he wants. Mycroft is completely different. Mycroft deliberately interferes to change the state of the system into something he prefers. I define this 'action'. 

Sherlock is about perception. He's the physicist, wondering how things work and what's the mechanism. Mycroft is about implementation. He's the engineer, building things (and sometimes building things wrong). Making sure that things happen. A structure is built, not just designed on paper. 

Now, just that Sherlock isn't interested in the implementation, doesn't mean he's bad at it, or that he doesn't do it at all. His cases are mostly finding the truth, the who-what-when-where-how-why. There are times when it's a mission to something, such as getting the Bruce-Partington Plans, or getting Irene Adler's phone, or getting Magnussen's copy of scandalous letters. That's taking action, as it interferes the system without really asking questions. He decides that action is worth taking. He converts it into truth-finding again, very cleverly, because the circumstances allow it. Getting things = knowing where they are = truth finding. 

And then there are other times. There is taking down Moriarty's network. There is setting a trap for CAM such that he would give files of interest to Sherlock (twice in HLV, actually). There is having a plan to get Culverton's confession (he already knows that Culverton kills). There is having a plan to save John Watson, as Mary puts it. 

The genre is extremely limited, not counting the Moriarty thing. The genre is what I call 'leading mistakes out of people'. It's manipulating people so that they do what he wants them to do, instead of what people want to do themselves. The Moriarty one is more... I don't know the English for it. Letting someone carry out their plans and beating them at their own game. Kinda. 

I leave you to draw conclusions on his ability of making and executing plans. And the Moriarty one is aided by Mycroft. I tend to think that the shift in style has a lot to do with Mycroft.

And I think that's why Sherlock didn't anticipate Mycroft coming up with the Flight of the Dead to the Coventry Conundrum. It's Mycroft's way of thinking, not his. Sherlock's habit, his course, in his line of work, is to stop, once he knows that there is a terrorist attack coming and all the relevant facts. Doesn't think too hard about how to solve it. In TEH, he informs other people of the who-where-when-how-what, for other people (presumably Mycroft and his people) to come up with a protocol to take down the whole thing safely. 

Between Bond Air and Moriarty, I conjecture that Mycroft's style is actually a lot more passive. I'm not sure, and there's not a lot of evidence. But Sherlock's plans always involve him taking action to lure action out of his opponent. Mycroft's is... waiting... for an opportunity, I guess. No idea what he'd have done with CAM, if it were up to him. 

It kind of makes Sherlock a better strategist and Mycroft a better tactician? Which is not what I expected? (Strategy is designing a course of action out of thin air when you know nothing but your goal, which is to win. Tactics is the course of action when there is an attack coming from the other side, often specifically to deal with that attack.) 

I always thought the opposite because Mycroft is a lot about control, and about action. I headcannon Mycroft (and not ACD Mycroft, mind) as some sort of workaholic because he seems the type to feels safer when he has something to do. But then I guess it makes sense that he has more to lose when he's being the active party, making first moves, in his line of work. 

[prettyinpwn]

Please Reblog to Solve a Fandom Mystery

So... long story short, I'm an ancient, crusty old part of the Gravity Falls fandom, best known forgotten for having made the original Stan twin theory post that got it going on Tumblr back in the day when the show was airing. AKA the person that predicted Ford conclusively first before Not What He Seems even aired. Here's the original post in question from eons ago:

Or... at least I thought I was.

I have a bit of a conundrum I'm wondering if anyone can answer, or if anyone from the fandom from that time - like I am - might remember. See... for a very long time, I always thought the 'someone on Tumblr cracked the case, so we made the McGucket hoax' quote from the GF commentaries meant my blog and post was the one that scared Hirsch into making the hoax, but then I realized:

My theory had the McGucket hoax in it (I believed it hook, line, and sinker, too - thanks Alex, you plaid rascal). So... the McGucket hoax wasn't made in reaction to MY Stan twin theory post on Tumblr, which means... someone else's was.

But here's the thing: I was OBSESSED with GF at that point (who am I kidding, still am, the brainrot in me is strong), constantly refreshing and checking the tags and the people I followed every day for hours on end, deep in the theorist side of the fandom, and I do not remember anyone having fully made a post like mine that "cracked the case"... until mine. The idea or suggestion that Stan might also have a twin existed, sure, but as far as I know, no one fully proved it until me, with the above post rounding up all the evidence.

So... then who DID? Does anyone remember or has found anything from those days that conclusively proves what post was the one that sent Hirsch into a frenzy to make the hoax? Because I'm pretty sure now it wasn't mine.

The absolute earliest mention I personally remember was on the Mystery Shack forums, I think they were called, but once again... not sure by who, and it was without evidence and was just a 'wouldn't it be cool for Stan to have a twin, too?' type deal, iirc. And my theory post itself from back then says it was already a circulating idea, so it must have existed elsewhere, first, but I for the life of me CANNOT remember any posts before mine that fully solved the plot twist.

My one thought is that - and this is how I remember it - me saying "the famous amongst Fallers Stan twin theory" in my original twin theory post was me mis-stating theory when really it was only a 'what if?' idea at that point, but... then again, the McGucket hoax was made before my twin theory post, so there must have been an earlier Tumblr post than mine, right?

Anyways, sorry for the long explanation, but I wanted to explain my thought process and what I remember. Please reblog to help me solve the mystery! The more this gets reblogged, the more people who might remember from back then might see this and know the answer. Or maybe a newer fan that's delved into super old posts in the fandom might have seen one earlier than ~July-Aug 2013 (roughly right after Dreamscaperers was released) that cracked the case before my post did at that time.

[finniestoncrane]

Your One True Nemesis

Chapter 39: also on AO3 Masterlist Here Arkham!Riddler x Female!Reader, word count: 1.5k am i going to cry because this is almost over? maybe lmao💚 request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi • masterlist minors DNI!! 🔞 cw: some angst, but mostly ambiguous feelings

“My dear, will you please join me in the workshop?”

Eddie’s voice rang out through the hall. Loud, but not sharp. Oddly soft. And there was no hint of sarcasm, no patronising tone, to the pet name he offered you. This alone was enough to make you suspicious, sending pangs of cold, chilling fear through your body as you worried what might be in store for you. That was your default as of late. Things had been difficult since the orphanage, and you had settled comfortably on that being all your fault. And now, anytime you spoke to Eddie, anytime he needed to speak to you, your first thought was always negative, jumping to fearful conclusions that had you so on edge that you were finding yourself exhausted constantly, strung high and forever tetchy.

As you walked into the workroom, he turned to you, his face coloured by an expression you hadn’t seen often in him, making it difficult to recognise. Confusion? Lack of understanding? Lost without an answer. Unlike him. But, despite looking as though he had no idea what he was doing or what he was going to say, he spoke anyway. Very much like him. 

“I would like to assuage some… concerns I think you might have been having. Some that I shared until I spent the night dedicating my immense and spectacular brain power to this little conundrum.”

He paused, expecting you to roll your eyes at his ego, but you were staring, unblinking, waiting patiently and focused for his next words.

“As you will know, I have been incredibly busy this past few weeks. I apologise for that, and I apologise for not involving you as much in my work. I felt that you needed a rest, or deserved a rest, or… it doesn’t matter. This work… I’m intending on it being a surprise. For everyone, but mostly for you.”

Your mouth twisted into a confused look, at least that part of your worries could be filed away for now. It had been a while since he had asked anything of you, and to know it wasn’t out of anger or disappointment, or, god forbid, him practising living without you, you could feel the knots in your stomach easing slightly.

“For some time, I’ve been working on a project. One I couldn’t involve you in, even as my assistant. As a trusted party, as a friend. Or more than a friend.”

There was a struggle behind the words, as though he were worried about how they would come out. Scared he might commit to too much, to overstep a boundary neither of you had placed by calling you something more. 

“I don’t want you to be hurt.”

Your heart thudded, deep in your chest. Like it had fallen from your throat to the bottom of your rib cage. It knocked you back, the feeling, the knowledge that he cared enough to leave you out of something dangerous. To stop you from doing what was still your job just to make sure nothing bad happened to you. But you were still nervous, still speechless, and unable to speak before he started talking again.

“I think this is why I find it difficult to express my intentions for the future. Because I do have plans, but…”

He gestured around the room, at his failed plans, broken creations, settling his fingertips on old and new scars that covered his body.

“... Completely asinine to plan ahead when you’re… someone like me.”

You hated how right he was. The future, especially to an unreformed criminal, was always blurred, never quite there. Never manageable or predictable, no matter how much they would like it to be. No matter how smart they were. 

Eddie’s hand on your shoulder pulled you from your thoughts, your eyes settling on his as he focused intensely on you.

“I hate for this to be rushed, but Halloween is fast approaching and I have it on good authority that we will be rather busy come the big night. So I need you to know now that I will require you to be at this exact address at this specific time. Tomorrow night, the furthest tunnel, 9pm. Can you do that?”

You chose to ignore the tone, his question sounding very familiar to the sarcastic ones he would ask you when you first began to work for him. When he would ask if you could do something simple with the shit-eating grin of a man determined to get to you. Which of course, he had, and still did. 

“Is that… the question you had to ask me?”

Eddie reached his hand out, placing it awkwardly, almost formally, against the side of your upper arm.

“No, my dear. That has to wait until tomorrow. I just need to know… that despite everything, you’ll be there.”

The pause before you answered was a little too long, distressing on your end because it meant you didn’t immediately know the answer. Tortuous on Eddie’s as he waited to find out what his future really held in store. 

“I… I’ll be there, Eddie.”

He let out a sigh of relief, grabbing your shoulders as he placed his hands down firmly on them.

“Good. Good… Thank you.”

You offered him a smile, one that was so obviously awkward and forced to you both, before you turned and began making your way back to your room. Eddie hadn’t asked you to leave, but you knew he wanted you to. And you needed the space to think. Some time alone to settle your nerves and wonder what kind of cryptic bullshit Eddie was rambling about this time. 

A smile crossed your lips. At least that felt like normal. Eddie being strange, difficult to comprehend, frantic in his delivery of emotions. Strangely comforting. 

It really had been actually. Comforting. It was awkward, yes, but only because you let it be. You were in the headspace for that. You had been thinking negatively prior to even seeing Eddie’s face for the first time that day. But maybe the tone had been light, or would have been if you had let it be. Maybe there was something warm and tender in the way he said he needed you, to be there, to trust him. That there was an overarching meaning behind his behaviour, behind the words he said, the things he did. His future, though complicated, would be one you were a part of if he had any control over it, and that you had to trust him of that. The question he had to ask-

Fuck. 

This could be it. 

It felt like it. 

The rushed speech, the way he held your arms, looked deep into your eyes. Frantic, but excited. That felt like the mood you recognised from terrible sitcoms. The preamble to an inevitable proposal. An engagement. A declaration of love of the highest, most official, order. 

Mrs Nigma. What a complete gas. What a twist. What a… nightmare? 

Maybe he was going to do it. Maybe it would be ok. Maybe it was right. But it didn’t feel right. Did it feel wrong though?

It did feel wrong. It felt so wrong. So rushed. So unlike him. The guilt felt like it could almost swallow you, envelop you in an inky black substance that erased any other emotion you might be capable of. You had, for some reason, put an immense amount of pressure on everything. On your relationship, on Eddie. And he was responding like one of the rats in the sewer, stuck in a trap that it had tried to wriggle free from, but had eventually accepted its fate and succumbed to the slow death. Was that what your relationship was? A stifling, suffocating trap? Were you hindering his work? Stealing his focus? Making him make choices, take actions, that he never would have before or under his own will? 

But really, how much influence did you really think you could have over him? Realistically, you knew he was still, at his very rore, Edward Nigma. The Riddler. And you were still just you. Maybe a version of you that he cared for, and one he had learned to compromise with. But still, you couldn’t imagine that his feelings towards you would sway his very lifestyle or his long standing goals. 

And yet… you could let yourself believe that in fantasy. So then came another pang of guilt. You had to admit to yourself that if you could have Edward, if you could take him away from the things that gave him purpose, you would. Selfishly. You might be able to convince yourself that it was better for him in the long run, but what did you know? You weren’t his psychiatrist or psychologist or therapist. So many had tried and failed before you. What made you different?

Love? Compromise? 

So why couldn’t you compromise? 

Why couldn’t you accept your status with him? What? It wasn’t enough to just be with him anymore? You deserved more than that? 

Each hour that passed by only brought more worry, more questions without answers, possibilities both positive and negative that clouded your mind. The only thing you really were sure about was that, if he asked the question you suspected he might ask, that you wouldn’t say no.

Or would you.

Shit. 

Turns out, you really didn’t know anything. 

Just like Eddie had said when he first met you. Always right. Of course he was.

[blakeandaffairs]

The Big Bad Lore Discussion: JESUS

Justttt gonna step over the landmine that is the current situation of this tag, as today I'd like to discuss an important lore point in the game:

JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF.

I made a short little post asking about it, but the more I really thought about it, the more I realize how deep the rabbit hole goes. Jesus' existence itself is already an enigma, but it's even moreso in whb???

Let's discuss, and for context, was forced to take Salvation History and Creed in college, hold on tight, this is gonna be a yap session

The Plotholes

Several issues immediately arise because of the fact that...well, God disappeared shortly after Solomon.

Why is this a problem? Because Solomon is approximately 900 years before Christ, now I know the timeline is all screwed up as well in whb, but if I'm assuming the bible canon, then, none of the things past Solomon had happened, including the birth of Jesus.

This conflicts with the fact that Minhyeok briefly mentions his neighbor, who is a Christian, and the fact that Christmas exists. Meaning some form of Jesus DOES exist, but just in the written scripture.

Why is that?? Well I have several theories:

1. Jesus already exists

Not LITERALLY. Without God there then how was the miraculous conception was supposed to happen, but since Jesus is considered the Word of God, and the Word of God has existed ever since the creation of the world ("On the First day, God SAID let there be light"), and with those first words uttered, Jesus was made manifest in it. He just isn't able to manifest physically due to a lack of God.

2. Jesus is some form of copesona or propaganda of the angels

We know that, at least according to Ppyong, that the scriptures are apparently propaganda made by the angels to make devils look bad, if that's so, to what extent? I'll assume it's somewhat minimal, they just want to make the devils look bad, because in general, Solomon is painted in a pretty good light, which is uncharacteristic of them. But how do they come up with someone like Jesus? It seems strange of them

The answer: Gabriel

Since Gabriel is the one that announces the birth of Jesus, it's likely he knows that Jesus already existed, and was expected to be born, but with God's disappearance, Gabriel, the unhinged, likely more unhinged, probably started making up stories about the Son of God that was never to be.

3. Jesus the person, existed, but he was just an ordinary mortal

We already believe the Jesus Christ, or more specifically, Yehosua Messiah (original Hebrew name) existed historically, it's likely this is the case as well. He was probably mythologized with the inception of the new testament, it's not the first time this has happened (Gilgamesh the king became the legend he is with the Epic of Gilgamesh)

Why Jesus likely doesn't exist

1. Usually, people are normally referred to as Son/Daughters of God, but in Lucifer's selfie story, he doesn't call us that (calls us Son of Adam/Daughter of Eve), meaning the original sin that those two committed have not been cleansed. (Jesus' death would have cleansed everyone of it)

2. In the Gamigin Event, Lucifer is said to be second only to God, which is odd, that's Jesus' spot. ("he is seated at the Right Hand of the Father, he will come again to judge the living and the dead")

3. It's a bit iffy, but the Christmas Event was also termed 'X-mas', which usually excludes the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

4. Since Jesus is the Son of God, he would have inherited the throne of God as well, and it's likely he would stop the ongoing genocide of the devils

IN CONCLUSION:

It's likely that Jesus was something meant to exist, but with the disappearance of God, that never truly happened.

But these are my thoughts. If y'all managed to make it this far, then I thank you for listening. If this gets enough views, I'll probably make more (such as the Solomon and Lilith conundrum)

[watermelonsloth]

Itachi and the Uchiha Massacre

This might be one of the most controversial posts I’ll ever make.

I find myself very undecided about how I feel about Itachi’s role in the Uchiha massacre. It fills me with the same moral indecision and disgust of the trauma olympics (aka the comparing of “who had it worse”). Every time I try to come to a consensus, I immediately doubt my conclusion and question whether I’m giving Itachi too much of the benefit of the doubt or I’m not taking his circumstances into account enough. It’s like asking if him being a child outweighs him killing children. And that makes me uncomfortable.

On the one hand, he did something very very very bad. He killed an entire clan of people, including who knows how many innocent civilians and children. He then proceeded to psychologically torture his seven year old brother with the memories of him doing so. Prior to being met with this specific conundrum, I would’ve said without hesitation that this is a black-and-white situation with Itachi being solidly in the wrong. Even if he wasn’t the only perpetrator, he still would deserve much of the blame for being one of the executors of such an abhorrent act.

I cannot stress enough how terrible the massacre would’ve been in practice.

However, and this is where I might lose a few of you, as more information is revealed, one question nags at my entire fucking central nervous system. How much of a choice did Itachi really have?

To understand the full circumstances, first you have to understand that the context falls under two categories: who Itachi is (and his perspective) and what position he was in when he made the decision he did. First, who he is:

Itachi grew up in a militaristic village that normalizes violence, especially violence being used to solve problems.

This village has also normalized putting the village’s survival over oneself and one’s friends/family.

He was alive to see the very end of the third shinobi war and the nine tails attack, two events that have solidified his belief that war is the worst thing ever and should be prevented at all costs.

Hiruzen, Danzo, Kakashi, and Shisui encourage his belief that war should be avoided at any and all costs. Three of them are authority figures (see the Milgram experiment for why that’s relevant) and one of them is his first and only best friend.

He is a very introverted and closed off person. He’s so closed off that not even his immediate family can read him. Because of this, his inner circle is very small (meaning he has a very small support network).

He grew up with a strict, authoritarian father and entered the anbu at a young age, meaning he grew up being expected/pressured to obey those in positions of power without asking questions.

He’s an introvert who’s scared of conflict and keeps his head down.

Second, his actual position when he was told to kill his clan (I might be missing some, so feel free to add any others you remember.):

He was thirteen. That is a child in grade 8. That is the age of most genin.

Tensions between his family and village are implied to have been rising for a while and are now at the point that, for whatever reason, negotiation is deemed impossible.

Tensions are so high that if the village doesn’t act soon, the Uchiha’s coup will spark an all out civil war.

The Uchiha clan has little to no chance of winning the conflict and will likely have most (if not all) of its members killed in it. Plus, the conflict would’ve also resulted in many casualties on Konoha’s side as well, including civilians, children, and shinobi who had nothing to do with what was happening.

Tensions between him and his father are extremely high as well with the two of them being implied to regularly argue.

His best friend, possibly only friend, died by jumping off of a cliff in front of him after giving him one of his eyes and left the responsibility of handling the entire situation to him.

He’s being suspected for the murder of said best friend (and was flat out accused of it in front of his younger brother by three adult police officers) and is suspected as being more loyal to the village than to his clan, making him even more of an outcast to his clan.

He's aware that his best friend was attacked and mutilated by Danzo, one of the village leaders and his superior. If he wants any action taken against Danzo, he’ll have to fight a solo, uphill battle against all of the village leaders and risk losing all sway over the Uchiha situation (which would still be a ticking time bomb) in the process.

If he doesn’t want to fight a two sided war or lose what little power he has in the situation, his safest option is to follow orders while pushing for a plan where casualties are minimized.

Did Itachi have other options? Yes, I’m not gonna pretend that genocide was Itachi’s only choice. But a lot of people seem to forget how difficult or flawed a lot of his alternatives would have actually been in practice.

For example, I’ve seen a lot of people throw around the idea of Itachi just grabbing Sasuke and leaving the village. First of all, the massacre still would’ve happened, Itachi and Sasuke just wouldn’t have been there for it. Second, Itachi would’ve had to remove Sasuke from the village without being caught by the village or the Uchiha clan when he was under the scrutiny of both. Itachi is a good shinobi, but I don’t know if he’s that good. Third, how would he even get Sasuke to go along with him? Itachi may not have been close to his clan, but Sasuke loved his clan. Yes, Sasuke also loved Itachi, but it’s a pretty big stretch to say that seven-year-old Sasuke would’ve just gone along with it, especially when he wouldn’t have been able to understand the true scale of the situation. (Itachi would pretty much have to kidnap Sasuke for this plan to work.) Fourth (and similarly), people don’t tend to like uprooting their entire lives to leave the home they grew up in, even in emergency situations or when it’s the objectively better/safer option. Itachi and Sasuke, who were both raised to be “lay down their lives” loyal to their home, would’ve been especially averse to this idea. Fifth, even if they got over all of that and got out of the village, Itachi would have to raise his younger brother alone at thirteen years old while being on the run from a world power with no protection in a world where they’re at risk of being killed or getting the attention of creeps like Orochimaru simply for having kekkei genkai. It’s not like Itachi had outside contacts (beside Obito but Obito would not have helped them even if Itachi trusted him enough to trust Sasuke’s life to him) or there was a benevolent nation to take them in. Even if they managed to one day settle into a peaceful life, it would’ve taken years of fighting to survive before they’d have gotten there. Cool fanfic idea, but making Itachi slightly more innocent isn’t a solution.

The idea that Itachi should’ve just told the Uchiha clan what was going on and got help from them is similarly short sighted. The Uchiha clan were the victims in this situation, but they weren’t perfect angels either. Itachi was not close to, or particularly well liked by, his clan. Save for Shisui (who is theoretically dead in this scenario) and Sasuke, he had no emotional connection to the clan, only vague respect and a waning sense of responsibility towards it. And even if he did go to them, Itachi telling them what was happening would’ve just sparked a civil war, the one thing Itachi was desperate to avoid and the thing that would’ve gotten them all killed.

So…

What was the point of all this?

I’ll admit that I hoped typing out my thoughts would somehow end in me settling on an opinion, but right now I’m still just as undecided and significantly more depressed. Because, like, it’s just a depressing, shitty situation where there were victims and perpetrators and Itachi who just so happened to be both. Maybe trying to ask if Itachi is either “good” or “evil” is asking the wrong question. Maybe the entire discussion about how moral Itachi is as a person or all of the other choices he could’ve made is missing the point.

[7association-was-here]

//The ultimate Seven blog “#Lore?” timeline list (from oldest to latest). Posts marked with “bonus” aren’t necessarily important to the main plot but have additional information in them or just silly mini-arcs and interactions.

//Also I couldn’t get every little mini arc in here since scrolling through about 100+ posts and nitpicking them is tricky without accidentally missing one or two, so apologies if I missed a few sillies or infos here and there.

The First Hunt arc

Seven’s Tumblr Debut

L.O.L (bonus)

Cookies

Cookies part 2

Cookies part 3

Cookies part 4

SnakeHead’s ask Debut

SnakeHead’s ask Debut part 2

The Dessert Agents Debut

The Dessert Agents cheesecake incident

Faust’s Encounter

Heathcliff’s Encounter

SnakeHead’s tip

Workshop Murder

Jinx (bonus)

Heathcliffs?

Heathcliffs? part 2

Clock friend (bonus) (technically)

Clock friend learns of tumblr (bonus)

Clock puppy (bonus)

Clock puppy part 2 (bonus)

Durante Buttercream Sigye the 10th (bonus)

Heathcliff’s report

Catfished

Gal-pals (bonus)

Heathcliff update

Best boi blog Debut?? (bonus)

Golf Cart unlocked

Durante status (bonus)

On the way

A big oopsies

The First Hunt

Random Interval Moment

Mirror identities (bonus)

Thoughts (bonus)

Clock conundrum (bonus)

Clock conundrum part 2 kind of (bonus)

The R.B. (bonus)

S.A.D. (bonus)

S.A.D. part 2 kind of (bonus)

That one with the isopods (bonus)

That one with the isopods part 2 (bonus)

That one with the isopods part 3 (bonus)

That one with the isopods part 4 (bonus)

That one with the isopods part 5 (bonus)

That one with the isopods part 6 (bonus)

Raccoons VS. Isopods (bonus)

Current arc

Instagram Grandma’s Debut

“Why are workshop owners getting killed?”

Normal prescript outing

Normal mailbox delivery

Normal cat

Do not contact the normal cat

SnakeHead’s blog Debut

The beach cruise episode

Outis’ first report

Coincidence?

Exchange

Umbrellas?

Beginning of a war (bonus)

War initiated (bonus)

Hostage (bonus)

Hostage part 2 (bonus)

The End of the war..? (or is it) (bonus)

Just a silly guy, whimsical even

Number 111

Walking adventure

Walking adventure gone wrong

H.R.B.M, or Birds of a feather

Whistleblower

Walking adventure conclusion

All aboard the Pequod

Yellow flowers?

Indecisive clues (bonus)

Strange encounter (bonus)

Bird friend (bonus)

Back on track

Inquiry (bonus)

That sounds bad

Chicken wing detour

Fox Hunt

Catherine

Words from another world (bonus)

Another expedition

Expedition complete

“Yaoi revenge”

Whistleblower returns

Whistleblower returns part 2

A very bad feeling

”Don’t eat those! Oops!”

Boat shenanigans

The end of the cruise episode

[capitalism-is-a-psychopathy]

Title: Wassail and the Capitalist Conundrum: Nurturing Narcissism in Modern Markets

Wassail, a traditional drink of festivity, serves as an apt metaphor for the intoxicating allure of capitalism. As wassail warms the body, capitalism fuels ambition, but not without consequence. It creates an environment where narcissism, sociopathy, and bullying can flourish, overshadowing healthier personality traits.

Capitalism thrives on competition and self-interest. These principles, while driving innovation, also reward those who exhibit traits like narcissism and sociopathy. Individuals with these traits often excel in environments that value assertiveness and risk-taking, sometimes at the expense of empathy and cooperation. The capitalist system, by prioritizing profit over people, inadvertently elevates those who manipulate and dominate.

The mechanisms of capitalism—such as hierarchical corporate structures and market-driven incentives—often fail to penalize unethical behavior. Instead, they may inadvertently reward it. Narcissists, with their charm and confidence, can rise swiftly through the ranks. Sociopaths, unburdened by conscience, can make ruthless decisions that benefit the bottom line. Bullies can use intimidation to maintain power and control.

To shift this paradigm, we must recalibrate the metrics of success. Organizations should prioritize emotional intelligence and collaboration. Implementing policies that reward teamwork and ethical behavior can create a culture that values healthy personality traits. Encouraging transparency and accountability can deter manipulative behaviors.

Educational systems also play a crucial role. By fostering environments that emphasize empathy and cooperation from an early age, we can cultivate a generation that values these traits. Encouraging diverse leadership styles and promoting inclusive decision-making processes can further dismantle the structures that enable toxic personalities to thrive.

In conclusion, while capitalism has been a powerful engine for growth, it must evolve to support a more balanced set of values. By celebrating the wassail of human potential—our capacity for empathy, collaboration, and ethical leadership—we can create a system that nurtures the best in us all.