#yes empathy is a basic trait

[nonbinarylesbianherb]

I've seen many people say Alicent walking away from Aegon, as well as other scenes of her failing to comfort her kids is her "lacking empathy" or something along those lines

I've seen a lot of people say that empathy is a basic human trait, and that "anyone" would've gone to him and provided some form of comfort (e.g hugging, apologising, etc.)

NEED people to recognise that not everyone shows empathy the same way. That not everyone recieves empathy in the same way. There are many reasons to as why Alicent walked away, 1. Maybe she was worried she would only make things worse. 2. maybe she thought he preferred to be left alone.

We can see very clearly the emotions of pain on her face. She wants to help but doesn't know how, she's not really close with her children. So she doesn't know if her providing him comfort by hugging/her presence in the room with him would make things better or worse. E.g, myself- I love my friends and family dearly but sometimes when I'm grieving I need to be left alone and someone coming to talk/hug/be with me, regardless if their intention is to help, will honestly make things worse than better.

There is no one way to show empathy nor one way to receive empathy. I don't think it's fair for people to say this about Alicent when we don't know at all if it would've helped. In my opinion it's a very black and white view of something that is an extremely complex thing.

Grief isn't the same for everyone. Comfort from others isn't always the answer to grief. Grief can be shown in many forms.

It reminds me of how Helaena got a lot of hate after the b&c scene, and people saying she had no empathy/care for her children due to her reaction. Not everyone reacts the same to these things. If you would kick and scream that's valid, but people, like Helaena who would dissociate from shock and trauma are valid as well.

We're all completely different individuals, billions of us. We all experience things and show things different. Just because we may experience things differently, doesn't mean we are lacking of empathy.

In my opinion, the only people who fail to have empathy are the ones who cannot comprehend this.

[lisafication]

This post is uh, extremely normal I swear

So hello yes I am absolutely On My Bullshit regarding my new favourite game. 

That’s right, it’s the cannibal incest game, The Coffin of Andy and Leyley. And I’m here to shove five thousand words of pretentious analysis down your throat because, and I do not exaggerate, I think it is one of, if not the best written game I have ever played. And I have played a lot of games, including Baldur’s Gate 3, Final Fantasy XIV and Undertale, to name a few narrative luminaries to come to mind.

That wordcount is not an exaggeration. My brainworms are extremely powerful and now you can share them with me as I walk you through my insane skyscraper of inference-driven analysis.

Or you can click away. I really wouldn’t blame you, it’s quite a lot.

Content Warnings: …Yes?

(To drop the bit for a moment, The Coffin of Andy and Leyley covers extremely disturbing material and challenges you to examine aspects of living in this world that many have taken for granted all their life, it is not a comfortable game, this will cover similar topics and will often echo the game’s unremitting scepticism on basic principles of society and humanity and you should look after yourself first. My Content Warning is framed as a joke, but it’s also quite real in that the game is designed to make you uncomfortable and there’s no shame in that not being for you.)

This was originally posted on and formatted for Sufficient Velocity, and you can probably more easily read and discuss it with me here.

With that said, let’s dig in. I have had to split this into multiple posts because tumblr will only allow so many images. There will be spoilers for all endings.

She’s excited, are you?

It’s All About Ashley

It really is, isn’t it? I mean, for approximately eighty percent of the total game as currently released and the entirety of Episode 1, you’re in control of Ashley, just as she’s in control of her and Andrew’s relationship for 80% of the game, up until the various ending sequences where it begins to slip. The only other characters who really matter at all in and of themselves are Andrew and her mother — and the former is under her thumb, and she eats the latter. It’s all about Ashley. Even her obsession with Andrew is, ultimately, about Ashley.

But who is Ashley? What is Ashley? Why is Ashley, even? Let’s take a look.

Ashley as presented to us in Episode 1 is very straightforward, so let’s list off the traits we’re given — she is malicious, she is fearless, she lacks empathy, she doesn’t have anything resembling a conscience, she demands Andrew belong to her and her alone, she has him at her beck and call.

In Episode 2, we’re ostensibly shown how she has him at her beck and call— she leverages the threat of reporting Nina’s death over him and had him swear to be with her forever. We’re shown that even as a child she was “just, like that” — but as a child, she hadn’t learnt to live with it yet, to laugh at the farce of it all.

Yeah, exactly like that!

And she does this throughout Episode 1 — The Coffin of Andy and Leyley is a remarkably silly game much of the time, finding moments of absurdity and levity against a backdrop blacker than pitch — and most of the time, your internal narration is coming from Ashley and the jokes will not-infrequently come at her own expense.

She will later get negged by her human sacrifice for her poor ritual circle drawing

Her reaction to being told that her soul is as dark and viscous as tar is “You guess you already knew that” — it’s confirmation to her, not new information. Ashley knows who she is. But who taught her this? There’s layers to this, nothing in this game is as simple and straightforward as it appears at first sight, which is why I’ve been obsessing over it for days.

While it’s common in fiction, the truth of the matter is, most ‘bad people’ really do think they’re good people. But Ashley has never once thought of herself as a good person — or perhaps better put as a person worthy of love — as we learn across Episodes 1 & 2, with our flashbacks to Andy and Leyley and the VERY VERY QUIET!!!

I really wish I had space in this essay to talk about this, but I’d like to touch on these being traits usually more easily forgiven in young boys than young girls at some point.

If she removes all other options, only then can she expect him to like her.

This is something that is echoed in the modern day — her seeming self-assurance is easily shaken and she reaches out to the world — usually Andrew — to affirm and validate her, soothing her insecurities, using any tool she deems necessary. Even when her life is on the line when Andrew has her by the throat at the climax of Episode 1, the only ‘compelling reason’ she can give Andrew to not kill her is her ability to soothe his nightmares. When he tells her there are sleeping pills for that…

Most people would have a bit more to argue for their existence.

While she, unlike Andrew, acknowledges having had friends before the quarantine… you know she’s got a point that they didn’t even bother to answer her calls, that was clearly not something the state was interfering with given Andrew’s calls with his mother and his girlfriend, and given her general demeanour it’s not hard to imagine that… they weren’t ever very close. When we see her and Nina talk in the infamous ‘box scene’, it’s clear that Nina doesn’t like her very much, despite Andrew’s assessment of Nina as being one of Ashley’s friends.

We see further support for her general lack of companionship in her dream sequence in the Burial route — Leyley and Leyley Alone. No matter what you do, you can’t place the pink plushy at the family table, the flowers won’t bloom if you give the Julia and Nina plushies her own as a companion instead of Andrew’s — and if you’re bold enough to go for the ‘incest route’, in the ‘Love’ room you see that no one ever looks happy to be with her in the childlike depictions of her history, nor is she happy in turn, save for when she’s with Andrew. In a bit of heavy-handed metaphor, the player then overwrites all of these tense, upset, hard moments with Andrew, having him fill in for everyone else in life — and happy with her.

Once Upon A Lousy Life…

THE END

And that’s why she needs him to affirm her, because no one else ever has and no one else ever will. It’s even included in their comic beats — when the siblings are getting along well, they’ll often play a game where Andrew dramatically overpraises Ashley while she demands more; it’s a comedic bit but I mean — it really does matter to her!

For the record, she opened a door. She gets a little heart in a speech bubble after this exchange.

We have a great example of this dynamic, that of insecurity and affirmation, in Episode 1, after Andrew has killed for her, butchered for her, his girlfriend broke up with her, he’s seemingly thrown his entire life away for her… she’s still insecure over her relationship with him, she’s uncertain of her control and she needs him to reaffirm it for her.

This is her victory, surely?

Andrew affirms her once, with his usual dead-eyed look.

But she's still not so sure.

He actively reaches out to affirm her again with cheer.

Look how happy she is!

While it’s most obvious and clear cut here, it’s hardly the only case. Let’s look back to the aftermath of Andy and Leyley and the VERY VERY QUIET!!! (I’m not using the other name). Leyley is, after similarly extreme acts — he murdered a girl and hid her body for her — convinced Andy doesn’t like her and she needs this leverage to keep him around, to meet her basic needs for survival. Because that’s what this is — she receives no care of affection elsewhere, so she forces it out of the only source she sees available through the means she sees as necessary.

I really hope we see some of their earlier childhood in Episode 3

What exactly made her like this? Was it just neglect, or something more specific…

She needs this to be the case because otherwise she doesn’t believe he’d stay.

This pattern repeats throughout — Ashley’s insecurities are hit on and she reaches out to Andy to affirm that she is not alone, and she will use any and every tool to exploit her ostensible control over him and force him to be what she needs him to be — and as long as she has that, as long as she is everything to him and it’s not possible for him to leave, she’s happy. As long as she thinks he loves her in her very particular, very peculiar view of love, she’s content, come what may. As long as Andy and Leyley are together, they can take on the world.

Let’s talk about that view of love, because there’s always more layers to unpack here I’m only scratching the surface with this essay — Ashley consistently refers to anyone else Andrew may have befriended or spent time with as a whore, a slut, a bitch — highly gendered insults that bring to mind the idea that he’s cheating in some way. But it’s not even about sex — when Andrew mentions that their parents had friends, she accuses them of cheating on each other in the same way!

There’s a lot to unpack about Ashley’s view of femininity and the role the patriarchy plays in their relationship.

Any kind of emotional engagement, any kind of commitment, any kind of life outside of your significant other is, to Ashley, cheating. Because that’s what she needs from Andrew, a seeming complete and total commitment, secure in her place as the only thing in his life, because she cannot understand anyone picking her if they have a choice.

This insecurity she has in her relationship is what drives her to empower the trinket — he can’t leave her as long as she can protect him with prophetic dreams, after all. She needs every kind of leverage she can get because until she succeeds in being everything to him, in devouring him so completely she has him in her thrall mind, body and soul she can’t be sure of herself — hell, her dream sequence in Burial has you placing Andrew’s signature green plushy, ‘the best thing in the world’ in a cage far away from anything else.

Ultimately, it really is all about Ashley — even her seeming obsession with Andrew ultimately comes back to her own insecurities. If she is everything to ‘the best thing in the world’, some of that ‘best’ must surely reflect on her! 

But that’s enough about the more normal, straightforward and understandable sibling. 

That was not a joke.

Andrew’s Rank 100 Deception

The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he did not exist.

Let me explain.

You might have noticed that in the previous section I often use language such as ‘ostensibly’ or ‘seemingly’ to describe Andy and Leyley’s relationship, and there’s a good reason for that. From the beginning of the game through to its end, Andrew is lying to you, the player, without ever falsely representing or misinforming you about events that occurred.

The common, or obvious ‘initial take’ on Andrew as presented in Episode 1 is fairly straightforward. The game primes you to think this way, it frames things and strings reveals just right so as to make it very easy to overlook the incongruities it introduces in Episode 2. He’s a victim. Plain and simple, Ashley is his abuser and he is her victim and would be fine, a normal albeit kinda depressed guy without her.

It really is not a difficult conclusion to draw

You can go all the way through the game, have him try to accept his mother’s olive branch and enter the Decay route as a method for him to finally actualise his desire to get out from Ashley’s thumb and it makes sense, it’s a reasonable way for the story to go, given his character.

You see him this way because the game primes you in Episode 1 to view their relationship like Andrew does — he’s lying. He’s lying to himself, he’s lying to Ashley and he’s so good at it — Deception Rank 100 — he even lies to you. Without misrepresenting a single event or otherwise misleading you directly, the game gets you to buy into his preferred self-perception. Nina? Ashley. Julia? Ashley. The murders they commit in the course of the game? Ashley, Ashley, Ashley, it’s not his fault he’s not to blame he’s just a doormat at the beck and call of his demonic sister.

But he wants to be there. From the very outset, the very first puzzle, that’s made clear. Does anyone else remember this exchange, from right at the beginning of the game?

Ashley wants to investigate the music!

Andrew disapproves…

…Or does he?! 

Like. Listen. Okay. You do not frown when saying ‘Nope’ and then smile when saying that you’ll instead tag along if they do it if your heart is at all in the no. That’s not an objection, that’s using Ashley as his excuse. Especially if you immediately throw her the balcony key that she could not possibly have gotten from you by force (more on Andrew’s ability to use force later).

This is the very first time you control both characters together with Andrew following Ashley instead of off on his own, the first adventure, the first puzzle! 

But put a pin in that for now, let’s talk about his initial framing in Episode 2 first. Episode 1 has set us up to, generally speaking, believe the superficial framing of the siblings as portrayed in its promotional art:

The question that we then ask, right at the heart of it is… why is he a doormat? We explore this in his dream sequence in Episode 2, which does make it clear that the boy’s not okay but— it’s real easy, given the priming from Episode 1 to make you think that he’s the one with the originally functional moral compass, to think that that him being fucked up is damage done to him by Nina’s death and being bound to Ashley for his entire life. She corrupted him.

But, well, is that the case?

You're primed to ignore this as manipulation (which it is) but the best manipulation has some truth to it.

Precisely two things spur Andrew to action in the entire game, consistently — they are the fear of consequences and Ashley. And the first incident of that fear, the very first time we’re shown his seeming moral compass as a kid — the first time it’s really hammered home that it’s a fear of consequences rather than any true moral qualms is after Nina’s death. And why does he fear consequences here?

……

The ‘natural’ read that many take away from this sequence, particularly those who have only played Decay, is that Ashley browbeat him into doing this against his will, using emotional blackmail to overwhelm his objections, and then used the event itself to bind him to her forever as her personal doormat.

In a strict sense, this is true. But this doesn’t match up with the details, something the game uses shock to encourage you to overlook. That outburst is before any kind of threat has been made, and absolutely nothing either of them say anything about it being morally bad until Ashley weaponises ‘you’re a bad person’ against Andrew — morality didn’t seem to enter his mind or the equation at all until Ashley brought it up. More than that, his greatest fear and driving motivation even prior to that is, as shown above, being taken away from Ashley.

She, of course, recognises this and uses it against him. But she never needed to, it didn’t change anything about Andrew’s attachment to her, it was there to address her own insecurities.

Just like to touch on how a lot of his affirmations are preceded by him confirming her insecurities.

I adore this phrasing

There’s a second prong to this as well, to the question of ‘who really calls the shots here’ because — Andrew can, at any stage, apply an ‘ultimate veto’ of physical violence. The game is very clear to the player that that is on the table — even when they were children, when Andy swears their blood oath, he briefly considers killing her — and take note of how he ultimately got a ‘winning’ condition out of her by not specifying there wouldn’t be others and she is forced to accept that, there. Even outside of their most serious confrontations, Ashley is portrayed as having to convince, manipulate or otherwise coerce Andrew into going along with her schemes — she really can’t make him do anything, she doesn’t have the supremacy in violence and, to a lesser extent, capability that would allow her to. 

Andrew, you are like ten years old.

The truth of the matter is, Ashley can only make Andrew do anything because he lets her. I don’t mean in the sense that I’m saying abuse victims let their abusers emotionally abuse them, I mean in the sense that he is clearly considering his options on the table and choosing to discard those that could stop her, or bring an end to any of this. He needs her.

But it’s true that he hates her, too. He has to hate her, because if he doesn’t hate her, if he isn’t forced to have done this, that means… he’s responsible. And nothing, at the start of the story, is as important to Andrew as avoiding the consequences of his own actions, not even Ashley. By the midpoint, he loves her, he hates her, he can’t live without her, he wants to kill her — by the end… well, that depends if you’re on Decay or Burial, but more on that in a bit.

A great scene to study for this dynamic is the climax of Episode 1, when Andrew grabs Ashley by the throat and considers strangling her to death. She’s pushed him too far with hurtful words and assault, and he’s seemingly had enough.

It’s still framed as a question of risk, of consequences happening to him. 

Like, this is not the usual behaviour of someone who’s been pushed past their breaking point.

He tells Ashley that he wants to kill her, because she’s just going to throw another fit and that’s a risk to him. She is… not framed as being able to fight back (she does have a gun here, and more on that in a later essay, maybe). He’s so calculated in how he approaches his use of violence here, which isn’t at all what you’d expect of someone about to commit a crime of passion… but it’s very easy to overlook because of the abuser/victim narrative that the player fits his behaviour into the narrative that the game primes them to accept, brushing incongruities under the carpet.

At the start of Episode 2, we get to control Andrew for the first time, and the first obvious holes in his cover start to show. Some of this is optional — you only learn that he’s been faking having nightmares in order to share a bed with Ashley if you choose to go back into the motel room and check the bed, for example — but not all of it.

----(See reblogs for the second half)

[thebadboyfanclub]

I Don’t Think I Can Do This (Daemon x Reader)

Hey y’all so I know I was supposed to write another request but my job has cause my imagination to ran dry and this was certainly easier cause i wanted to write something that shows the burden that women carry and also that Daemon is a very grey character, I hope you guys like it

The story of (y/n) Eaglemore and Daemon Targaryen did not start as a love story, one would suppose that seems to be a common trait amongst the concept of arranged marriages, especially to a young maiden of an independent kingdom to the rogue prince Targaryen, their marriage was the establishment of Eaglemore joining their forces with the Targaryens, (y/n) was dressed in her traditional attire with her hair in an intricate style, she was breath of fresh air in the house of the dragons, a proud Eagle that was brave enough to fly with the dragons as the flag with the colors of red and black flew next to the black and red she assumed the similarities were bound as an omen for success.

That was quickly ripped out of her mind at the bedding ceremony that she endured, the prince was not brutal, yet she had hoped that he would forbid it, he was cold and only placed a kiss at the top of her head after it was done before he left her laying while the ones that observed it cleared the room, tears streamed down from embarrassment while the handmaidens helped her get up to assist her with her bath.

-

“Husband!”

She exclaimed excitedly before she skipped over to Daemon who was preoccupied with having a conversation with Viserys was much more important than turning his head to face her, alas the newlywed stood by his side and reached for his hand to get his attention, innocently she squeezed it only to be met with an annoyed expression as he gazed intensely at her.

“What?! (Y/n)! Did they not teach basic manners in your homeland?”

“I-I just, I wanted to give you this, I sewed it for you, it’s the dragon symbol with the eagle”

“Great, give it to the handmaidens, is that all?”

Suddenly she became hyper-aware of the pie of eyes around her, mostly men that had taken interest in the scene that unfolded in the gardens, she felt like a little girl scolded by her father, she bit her lower lip as her shoulders sunk in defeat, the glimpse in her eyes slowly disappearing like a light snuffed out.

“My apologies, I did not wish to interrupt you and the king, I hope you can forgive me, y-your grace”

“It is quite alright, my dear, for what it’s worth I found your creation a wonderful gift, do not pay attention to daemon he has never been good with gifts”

“If that means I have never been good with gifts that have no use then yes, I agree”

“I shall go, excuse me, your grace, husband”

She curtsied before she ran off, her chocolate-colored hair swinging left and right in her ponytail as her eyes looked down to hide the tears that she desperately held back, Daemon watched her and could sense the damage he had caused, sometimes he would catch himself staring at her with purity and interest, he had even smiled once when she struggled to find the right word in his language.

He should have stopped, he should have held his tongue when the evident quiver of her chin started to show when her eyes bounced in different directions as she wanted to gather her composure, but he didn’t, now Daemon stood as still as a grain of salt whilst she once again ran away from him covered in shame.

“She is your lady wife Daemon, must you be so hard on her?”

“A wife that was bestowed to me”

“She is also someone that was bestowed a spouse, yet she took it with grace and is grasping desperately to create the best out of the worst, as a man that prides himself on his intelligence your lady wife has surpassed you, at least in principle and empathy”

Daemon was stunned, as Viserys spoke in such kind words his words slashed through Daemon like the sharpest of knives, this was Daemon's second marriage, and it had become second nature to be rude and unattainable to his lady wife since the bronze bitch shared the same hatred as he did for her, now the cheerful lady with the deer like eyes and red puffy cheeks had been nothing but kind, a foreign pain in his chest started to make Daemon uneasy as she ran further and out of his line of sight.

“If I were you I would be very ashamed”

-

(Y/n) sat in front of the mirror as one of her handmaidens lit her candles and the other brushed (y/n)s hair to prepare her for bed, (y/n) stood as still as she could though her fingers intertwined with one another and twisted in odd ways.

“Could you leave me with Chiara, please? Thank you”

(Y/n) requested softly, the young handmaiden only curtsied before she walked out of (y/n)s chamber, whilst Chiara continued to brush her hair, they had grown into a bond that (y/n) felt comfort in, Chiara was sweet and honest, somewhat older, and had just given birth to her first child, she was the first handmaiden that she met when she got to the red keep.

“Do you love your lord husband?”

“I do, now”

“What do you mean?”

“I married him per my father's request, and he gave the biggest dowry, at first it was difficult, we had to figure out a way to communicate and after a while, I like to think that he grew to love me as much as I love him, though first, we respected one another, then love came gradually”

(Y/n) grew silent, her head hanging low before she bit her lip in defeat, she respected her lord husband? Did her lord husband respect her? After the incident on the morrow, it certainly didn’t feel like it.

(Y/n) had not noticed that Chiara had scrounged in front of her and placed her hands over (y/n)s, she only saw the tears that splashed over the handmaidens' skin.

“You won’t always feel like the outsider”

“I don’t think I can do this”

“You can, it is alright my dear”

One sob came after the other as (y/n)s body shook and Chiara lovingly wrapped her arms around the lady’s frame in such delicacy, it resembled a girl hugging her porcelain doll while she tried to not crack it, in its macabre nature you could identify a certain beauty, someone that had the strength to comfort a disheveled young lady as she navigated through womanhood and all its trials.

What had (y/n) nor Chiara had taken into account was that Prince Daemon had made his way to the half-cracked door, freezing in his sport once the whimpers of agony hit his ears, he peaked through the shadows only to be met with his lady wife letting tears stain her dress and hiccups shaking her hunching back as the handmaiden rubbed circles on her back.

“Prince Daemon is a fool for not acknowledging the precious stone that is you, may the gods bless him and open his eyes before he is taken from us”

Daemon had no reason to intervene, the poor lady was right, he was a fool, here she was, a beautiful and intelligent young royalty crying over his acts, he had always longed for home, for family, and now he kicked and toyed with it.

He should be the one comforting his lady wife, to gaze upon (y/n)s puffy and red face and do his best to calm her nerves, not to be the face of her pain, shamefully he scurried away without a word, mad at his reflection that stared back at him in such high horse, he had become everything he hated, a man that did not care about anyone but himself, stopping at nothing to prove he was right.

-

“Good morrow”

(Y/n) did not respond, she only raised her head and nodded at Daemon that had just entered the dining area, exhausted from crying the lady felt like a family of horses had run over her, getting barely a wink of sleep, evidently so by the veins under her eyes.

(Y/n)s silence was deafening to Daemon, however, he cleared his throat and took a sit next to his lady wife, waiting for a servant to pour him some wine.

“Orange juice? I believe we do not grow these over here”

“A gift from my mother, she said orange juice in the morning is a secret to a woman’s beauty”

“She must be the most astonishing lady back in your line”

“You met her, on our wedding feast, I believe you were too busy to pay attention, like always”

The last comment was barely above a whisper still sharp as a knife right on Daemon's abdomen, Daemon only turned his gaze at her, confused by her demeanor, it wasn’t uncalled for yet it took him by surprise, she always seemed to have the ability to hide her agony at least in public.

“Mayhaps we could go to her, I’m sure she will be more than happy if her daughter visited her”

“Not if my belly is flat, as much as she wanted me to be thin for most of my life she is now sending raven after raven to just check in with my monthly bleeds”

She informed him in a mumbling tone while her hand was rubbing circles on her temples, visibly annoyed over her mother's disregard for her well-being and hyper-focused on her womb.

Daemon was taken back by her comfortability to speak over her monthly visits, brushing it off easily though since they were husband and wife after all, those matters should concern him as well, the idea of a sweet little child running to (y/n)s arms brought him joy.

“It must be uneasy, being put in this position”

“Indeed and if I am being honest, my lord husband has not been making it any easier, with my empty womb nor his attitude”

“I understand you are cross with me”

“Can you blame me? You humiliated me”

Her tone switched from my king to a hiss, her eyes spewing fire as she stared back at him, it was the first time that she dared to show her true emotions, albeit Daemon could detect that it wasn’t just an act of anger but a sense of fear was laying behind those hues of hers.

He was correct, (y/n) feared for her future, the whispers of Daemon's visits to the street of silk, the adoration for his niece, his continuing ignorance over their wedlock, it all came crashing on her chest making it unable to breathe sometimes.

“I came to break my fast with you as a sign of goodwill, I want us to work on our relation-“

“Us? There is no us, you made sure of that my prince, you have crashed all my efforts and now you dare to speak of us”

“I cannot correct my past mistakes, I can only hope that you will allow me to work on our future, you did not deserve my coldness and for that, I sincerely apologize, I only wish for your good graces and for you to allow me to show you how I truly feel for you and our wedlock”

Silence, her eyes focused on his to scatter for one ounce of a lie, alas she was left with nothing, a sigh left her lips as she sunk to her chair defeated, why did the gods curse her with such a difficult match?

“I do not know if I can love you, I tried to desperately earn your affection for so long, I have grown tired of this”

“I know you have and I do not blame you, I beg you, my sweet (y/n), let me try”

His hand had found hers to hold, the warm flesh against hers grew goosebumps, a small beam of light found its way into her soul and a ghost of a smile appeared as (y/n) glimpsed upon their hands locked together, she gave him a subtle squeeze to see if this was a dream or reality.

“I suppose trying couldn’t hurt”

“Thank you, now you must eat, your mother might be right you have lost some weight”

“My efforts of getting accustomed to your foods have not been working”

“You do not have to, we can bring a cook from your homeland, my lady wife shall eat whatever her heart contents”

“There are some delicacies that I believe you would enjoy”

“I am not very picky with food so I will try anything you put in front of me”

Chatter was something (y/n) could easily do, however, even though Daemons spirits were high, (y/n) would steal glances of caution at him, was this another scheme? Or was he genuinely craving her presence and good graces?

“I was hoping you could come to meet Caraxes later”

“I do not know if that is the best idea”

“Nonsense, Caraxes is a part of me, therefore a part of you by law, soon our children will have their eggs on their cradle, if you are surrounded by dragons you need to get used to their presence”

Requests are open!

[nerdygaymormon]

Having religious beliefs doesn't mean people are homophobes. The Bible says it's a sin, there's no getting around that. It's not natural and LGBT people are always trying to groom children because you can't reproduce. You should check yourself, especially since you claim to be a Mormon. When I was growing up, we didn't hear about all these gay and trans people. You need to repent because surely this is a sign that the last days are here.

Wow, you packed so much ignorance and bigotry in just a few sentences.

You're telling me that an all-knowing, all-powerful God would allow so much variety in nature and in humans, only to be upset at homosexuality? Make it make sense

What's written in the Bible only has the authority that you and society give it, and it doesn't change the fact that some people are gay, lesbian, bi, trans, or whatever else. Most Christians ignore what the Bible says about food, about slavery, about polygamy, about divorce, about being rich, and they can choose to ignore what it says about particular sex acts if they wanted to.

Even if God has the exact opinion of homosexuality that you do, then I would not think of God as my Father but instead as my oppressor. I would need to separate myself from Him and His followers.

How can you say homosexuality isn't natural when it's been observed in over 1500 species of animals? It objectively IS natural. Nature affirms queerness.

The reason you think queer people are conditioning, or in your words, are "grooming" children is because that is what you do, you try to train them to be cis and straight, as if that can be taught. What you're teaching are gender roles which aren't related to biology. Letting boys wear pink, take dance lessons, and play with dolls and kitchen sets isn't going to make them queer. Basic life skills like cooking & child rearing aren't girl things. What you're actually doing is teaching your queer child that it's not safe to talk with their parents about this part of how they experience life.

Yes, I'm a Mormon, but the thing about religious beliefs is they are a choice and subject to individual interpretation. Not all Christians are homophobes because they don't ascribe to the homophobic beliefs that some other Christians believe. I can choose my religious beliefs but I didn't choose to be gay, white, tall, male, or right handed, so I'm not going to deny a key part of my nature just so you feel better about your homophobic beliefs. To disagree with an inherent trait in another human being is nonsensical. It's not logical to be biased against traits that aren't harmful and don't impact others. To do so would be to disagree with how God created them.

Why wouldn't you want society to be less oppressive? Is it because you have a vested interest in seeing a minority group suffer? Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, xenophobia, and the like, do not live in the same space with decency, empathy, love, and logic.

You miss the days when it was easier to ignore and marginalize queer people? I also lived then. For most of my life I lived under laws that made gay sex illegal and also wouldn't allow me to get married. Opinions and beliefs like yours lead to oppressing people. Unfortunately, a lot of people feel that way and now have positions of power in our society and government. It's a scary time to be a queer person in the United States as transphobia and homophobia are normalized and a push is on to roll back the human rights of queer people. We are just normal humans who deserve the same dignity as others.

This world has had slavery, colonization, epidemics, natural disasters, and genocide. In the United States each year there are multiple school shootings, serial killers, and child abusers. Even with all that, you believe God sees queer people and thinks that humans have finally gone too far, time to wrap it up?

Yes, religious beliefs can be homophobic and I'm not going to apologize for saying that.

[ghostly-bat]

A thing that bothers me a lot about the portrayal of JonDami in Fandom is the fact people assume that Clark would think of/see Damian as a bad influence. I know people have different standards for their own kids but it bugs me / feels so disingenuous to me as a Superman fan first who also loves Damian.

Like canonically the two have butt heads and Damian introduces a different Bat dynamic to Superman, but I genuinely think Clark would be sympathetic / amused by Damian and as Damian grows, the two get along pretty well. I just can't see the paragon of empathy seeing a child who been through so much and decidedly reduce him to his worst traits.

Maybe it's because I subscribe to the idea that Lois & Clark enjoy Damian's company, both having vastly different dynamics but serve as parental-adjacent figures (basically they're one of the trusted adults in his life) because the Kents that healthy family that Damian probably subconsciously compares his broken family to. Not because he envies the nuclear family-ness but oh you can talk to your father/mother and it isn't a mine field of insecurity / am i worthy roulette whenever I walk out of it.

😔 maybe it's bc im not a batman fan, so i like exploring Damian's dynamics outside his father lol

!!!!! This 100x this!

May I offer you some panels—

Clark being the person he is would 100% sympathize with Damian and understand why he is the way he is sometimes. And while he can sympathize with Damian it doesn't mean he has to like how Damian treated his own son when they first met. Both Clark and Bruce knew that it was a rough start for both Jon and Damian but I think Clark knew well enough at that point that Jon was capable of handling himself and if Jon didn't like a situation he could easily take himself out of it cus Jon himself as a kid was very vocal about his likes and dislikes so if Damian was treating him in a way he didn't like he was going to let you know and I think Clark knew that very well.

And Clark as a person likes to believe in the good in people and even if Damian's background is questionable for some people I believe that Clark himself was one of the few people that even with the knowledge of Damian's upbringing still believed he was and could do good and he has.

Damian is such a headstrong and opinionated kid that I'm sure Clark definitely found it rather amusing especially because Damian comes off as much more mature for his age (which isn't necessarily a good thing considering how he was raised) but Clark is one of the few people that sees and still treats him like a kid because that's what he is.

I also think he's able to notice the influence that his own son has on Damian and vice versa. Clark can see the benefits and normalcy of having Damian hang out with someone his own age and Jon also benefits from being around Damian especially because Jon himself felt rather odd and out of place when his powers were setting in and I'm sure Damian not being set off by that probably gave Jon a bit of ease even, if he did find Damian annoying and bossy in the beginning. Clark can clearly see how both boys benefit from being in each other's lives. Plus that's his son's first best friend and is his son happy? Yes! Is it unconventional? Of course it is but they both still get that sense of normalcy when it comes with having a best friend and I think Clark can see that and he wouldn't want to take that away from either of them.

I think both Clark and Damian definitely have a mutual respect for each other. Damian acknowledges all that Superman does and all he stands for and what he represents. He also sees how while Clark is Superman he's still a good dad and a good spouse and I think he really admires that.

Clark can see all the change and growth that Damian has done over the years. How much effort and discipline and sacrifice he's given to his friends and family and the people he cares about. He respects the fact that Damian left the only life he knew to be with his dad and learn a new way of life and that takes bravery because to leave something you've only ever known for something new can be really scary and I think that's something Clark can really respect.

Both Lois and Clark definitely love having Damian around I think they both find him rather amusing just because of his little quirks and the way Jon always talks about Damian makes them happy to know that their son has a friend that's always gonna look out and be there for him.

Damian definitely knows that the Kent family is a safe place even if he doesn't open up to all of them right away they still show him respect and patience and are very welcoming to him and I think they're more than happy to give him that vibe of a welcoming and loving family. He definitely appreciates them in his own way.

I think Clark's the type to still invite Damian into things even if Damian says no, he knows Damian's a bit closed off but he doesn't want him to feel like they've forgotten about him in anyway. They'd get along in the sense were they both have mutual respect for each other and Clark sees him as part of his own family. Especially if Jon and Damian get together I don't think it would be surprise to either him or Lois. They most likely saw it coming from a mile away. 💚💙

[cryinggirlnamedhelen]

Idk why but itoshi sibling reader angst (who is the youngest) is mah fav, I have req but like reader is smart and acts like chishiya from alice in borderland, if u don't know chishiya this is him

Chishiya is a complex character in "Alice in Borderland," known for his calculated, manipulative, and often apathetic nature. He is highly intelligent, a skilled diamond game player, and a keen observer of people, able to see through others' motivations and potential. While initially portrayed as cold and indifferent, Chishiya undergoes a significant transformation, showing glimpses of empathy and willingness to act uncharacteristically. 

He is kinda like this due to parents being distant and emotionally unavailable so reader is with similar traits like him except brothers are also emotionally unavailable

(but in this reader chan does care for her brothers but is like this)

Srry for requesting helen forgive me if I am annoying u

Also take time and drink water 🫶

WAAAAIT SO READER TAKES AFTER HER OLDER BROTHERS IN TERMS OF PERSONALITY BASICALLY??? YES I LOVE THIS. (now i gotta put alice in borderland on my watchlist)

- if you didn’t know this already, before sae said all of that crazy shit to rin, rin was actually extremely kind. so at school, whenever people looked at you, they were always confused. how is the younger sister of the friendly and hardworking captain of the soccer team rin such an asshole?

- when sae comes back from spain and has the whole shenaniganry with rin, you’re just in the middle. you talk to sae, telling him that it was a dick move, but sae doesn’t budge. rin, on the other hand, just refuses to listen to what you’re saying.

- when everyone from blue lock meets you and learns that you’re rin’s sister, they find out two things: 1. the eyelashes is indeed a dominant trait, and 2. the rude personality also runs in the family. unfortunately.

- the media tends to bother you a lot, but you’re always either snapping back and insulting them or flat out ignoring them and walking away. once, one of the paparazzi almost got violent with you before you punched them and broke their nose then walked away.

- having the incredible itoshi genes, you’ve got some insane pretty privilege though, although you hate it.

AND NO I LOVE ALL YOUR REQUESTS I THINK THEYRE ALL RLLY THOUGHT-WORTHY🫶

and yes thank you😌 just drank like a cup of water, love my one piece cup fr

[lilliaespi]

It is exhausting but needs to be said

There's a lot of people who genuinely think the trans flag (🏳️‍⚧️) is a "child predator flag". I have been in work spaces where we had a transgender flag somewhere around reception to show our support for the Lgbtq community, and the amount of clients and customers who legit asked and were STUNNED of what it meant (we described it as "transgender people are just people who don't feel comfortable with what's considered being a traditional boy or traditional girl" to keep it as neutral as possible) and not "lol it's a flag for people who want to creep on kids", was staggering.

Yes, Google exists. But being neutral and respectful (kind, compassion, empathy, those basic traits that they teach you in preschool and kindergarten) when people are genuinely asking "hey, what does this mean?" Will get you further then "LOL HANG YOURSELF YOU BIGOT" for in real life encounters.

Part of advocacy is knowing how to actually talk to people.

[decaffeinatedcandycane]

T1f1 bad traits (in my opinion. Not based on game lore.)

Starting strong with Captain John "I know what is best for you" Price

It has been talked about it in here a lot. This issue stems from John "knowing" everything and dictating people left and right. His partner is no exception.

Micromanagement king.

You gotta speak some serious boundaries with this man or he will guide you and correct you just as much as he will spoil you.

The captain is very perceptive and passionate. Sometimes this passion can turn into obsession. So be aware, if you lit a certain fire within him, he can accidentally burn you with it.

Simon Ghost Riley is our number two. Reboot version - creature of habit - his "own" habit. He will annoying you with his everyday routine and will take a long, long, long time to change it.

Not because he doesn't want to, but because it is hard for him to switch habits.

This includes "forgetting his partner exists", for like the first two weeks of your relationship.

He is loyal like a dog, but will literally your existence. May even tackle you to the ground, after you move in with him, because he though you are an intruder.

Will take your stuff, without asking, so he can have your scent and get used to you.

Also, very mean humor. If he likes you, he will make fun of you, with appropriate, only for him, jokes. (This is how he tests the waters)

Will move your relationship faster. Absolute cavemen behavior. (Blame it on efficiency)

Soap Mactavish. The Sergent, not the captain. ( for the captain, combine all you read about the sergent, minus the energy and passion. He has that tamed, since, well, he is a captain)

I am sorry, but he is a nuisance. Annoying boyfriend energy and clingy af. Loud, proud and always at your hip. On the plus side - he can do tricks on command.

Like a husky, he will whine and test your patience, and boundaries.

Has A LOT of energy. Basically Sanderson on steroids. Jumps and smacks you out of nowhere.

He does not know his own strength, sometimes you wondering he everything a human being, or how his bunkies are still alive?

He is just like an annoying younger sibling, with the exception that he is your boyfriend.

And but not least,

Gaz

Fire, fire, fire.

You see how he speaks in campaing?

Guess how bitchy in everyday life he is. And he gets easily pissed especially after a long deployment.

You can't win an argument against him, even if you strip naked.

He will still hit it, but.... will keep arguing while doing so.

Yes, you are not safe.

Gaz is sassy and feels things pretty deeply. So I would be careful if I was you. Do not piss that boy off.

Also, if he headbutts with Price, or Price offers his opinion on you (paw paw is also the king of unsolicited advice) and Gaz dislikes it, he will get snappy at you. So I would avoid him, if he is in a mood.

Konig is not in the task force, but idgaf so let's go.

Very straight forward, blunt and egotistical. Kind of like Price, minus the empathy.

Will refuse to help, after he told you something didn't work and you did it anyway.

Will cave in after he remembers you are not a soldier and are someone he loves. (Or when you get mad at him)

He will get to his emotional side, eventually and drop the ego act, but until then - you are stuck with him being an ass.

I wanna say narcissist, but not quite. Idk. (Will leave that undone here, not elaborate and fuck off to the next character)

Andre Nikto

Hehe

Lose screws. A lot of them scattered around on the floor.

He is psychotic, has voices in his head and takes his medication if they all feel like it.

Trusts no one.

Will make a move on you after he makes sure they (him plus the voices) won't accidentally or on purpose hurt, or kill you.

It is complicated.

Very forward. Takes decisions and acts fast. Some say, he is a daredevil, but nobody dares to dare him to say for sure. Hehe

Expect lots of jealousy, insecurity and macho energy for him. Traditional man.

Likes when you talk to him and ask how all of them are, and group discuss (yes, you have group discussions) about whatever you want. Soooo, that's a plus. And, you have more opinions on something, so you see more sides.

Also, some voices side with you all the time, so, yeah, you got it.

He isn't THAT disfigured, but he is disfigured. He has a face, but some parts may be missing.

And he is VERY sensitive about the issues. Proceed with caution.

Gabriel T. Rorke

He is the man and will not stop showing it. Chavilerity (can't spell that), handyman behavior....mansplaining who?

He means well, just doesn't realize how annoying he is being.

At least you house is fixed.

Also, lots of trauma. He has night terrors, which he says he doesn't have (loves being tough) and will use you as his therapist.

Sorry girl, but if you get him talking, he is Sharing...sharing.

Protective and will tell men to back off of you, when needed ( it is not needed, he is just jealous and wants the pricks away from you)

[somereaderinblue]

Random Ultraman Rising Moments I Loved

Decided to rewatch Ultraman Rising & I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time. Thus, I've decided to compile a list of random moments that made me love the movie & its characters even more.

WARNING: SPOILERS UP AHEAD

(P.S. sorry for the lackluster screenshots ;p)

Ken's Intro

This one simple line already shows the audience Ken's empathy. Despite resenting his Ultraman responsibilities, he doesn't hate kaiju.

Ken's Childhood

This frame is full of adorable details. There's the obvious ones, like Ken wearing Ultraman & baseball merch, showing us that even before his relationship with his dad went sour, he already had a loyal love for the sport. We also see toy cars, a mecha & the BINGO bunny, all of which would be present in his base.

The Interview Intro

We see Ken getting the celebrity treatment & him wearing the celebrity mask. However, even the mask isn't malicious. He addresses the reporter by his name instead of the news station he's representing. When Ami tries to ask more personal questions unrelated to his baseball career, he doesn't get huffy or defensive at her. Instead, he reminds the crowd to remain civil & it isn't until she explicitly asks about his mom that he leaves.

People shouldn't expect rewards for basic decency, but I'm not against acknowledging acts of kindness & respect you don't often see in an environment as cutthroat as a celebrity interview.

Ken's 'Giants'

Imo, there's 2 ways for the term 'Giants' to be interpreted here.

(1) Ken is referring to Ultraman, & by extension his dad. One's a literal giant while the other is metaphorical, esp for kids.

(2) He's referring to the possibility of making friends. As he mentioned to Ami, he knows firsthand how 'kids will always talk', implying that he's been bullied & ostracized as a child, possibly due to his Japanese heritage or some other reason that's nonetheless soured Ken's perception of friendship.

Ken & Ami's 1-on-1s

Ngl, when I saw the trailers, I braced myself for the possibility that Ami would serve as Ken's possible love interest. However, that's not the case, which I'm grateful for. Still, that doesn't take away how interesting Ami is as a character.

Their first interview is set up beautifully. They're sitting face-to-face but there's a table between them. And then there's the way they present themselves.

Ken is dressed casually, practically oozing 'cocky young celebrity without a care in the world'. He's wearing sunglasses indoors, that also cover his eyes. It's a classic character design trope meant to make someone look stern, intimidating, stoic, reserved, closed-off from everyone.

Ami on the other hand is dressed professionally, as she takes her job seriously. But her glasses are transparent & not aesthetical. She has to be fair & objective, yes, but she also values honesty, transparency & empathy. Its these traits that make her a reliable person for Ken to turn to when he was struggling with parenting Emi.

Interview #2. They're sitting next to each other instead of opposite, but there's still a table between them. Still, this time Ken isn't wearing sunglasses & he's more put-together whereas Ami is dressed more casually. Ken has opened up to her & he wants to keep trying; she in turn meets him in the middle.

This culminates into the final interview. Unlike the previous times, it's clearly one that's broadcasted to the public. Despite this, Ken again, isn't wearing sunglasses or putting on an attitude. There's no table between them because this is the climax of Ken's character development: he's learned that it's okay to be vulnerable, it's okay to show others that you're being vulnerable.

Ken's Comfort

When Ken's reminded of his inadequacy as Ultraman, he turns to the one thing that makes him happy: baseball. But he doesn't ask Mina to pull up videos of the crowd cheering or him winning; instead, he watches recordings of his mom, of the happy memories he shared with her. Yes, Ken has an ego. But underneath it all, he genuinely loves baseball because that sport is deeply tied to the love he has for his mom.

Not Gossip Hour

.....am I the only one who couldn't help but cheer Ami on when she called this guy out?

Prof. Sato's Cheer

Nobody, esp parents, should force their children to become someone they don't want to be. It's even more heartbreaking when both parties have little choice in the matter because of how necessary the duty is. Parents are flawed people, but I wouldn't call Prof. Sato a bad one.

Yes, he wants Ken to do better as Ultraman too. But he knows how much his son loves baseball & does support his achievements in them.

Mother's Corpse

Sometimes, a brief glance can convey a thousand words. In this brief glance, Ken doesn't see a defeated kaiju, he sees the corpse of a mother & he'll be damned if he lets the KDF add a baby's corpse to accompany her.

Mina is Awesome

A good plot is always appreciated but good characters are always loved & Mina isn't an exception. Let's hear it for the orb robots that always act as a voice of reason!!

But srsly, I love Mina. I love her wit, how her voice has that robotic yet motherly lilt, how she cares for Ken's wellbeing but isn't afraid to put her foot down to push him in the right direction.

In her final moments, she doesn't say 'you must/have to save her', she knows she doesn't have to. Instead, she tells him 'you can save her'. Sometimes, people are so focused on making sure others know what they have to do that they neglect to let them know that they believe they can accomplish it.

Onda's Humanity

Which brings me to another character I loved: the antagonist himself. Loved how they made him nuanced & sympathetic. Yes, he's ruthless, pragmatic & the 'end justifies the means' sort of person. However, unlike most military bad guy leaders, he cares for those under his command.

His screentime with Captain Aoshima is brief, but I enjoyed all of it. He doesn't berate Aoshima when he fails to capture Emi, nor does he lash out at him when he wavers in their mission. Instead, he encourages & empathizes with him.

Lots of fans speculate that Aoshima will have a more major role in a future sequel & I rlly hope that when the time comes, he'll be just as complex & engaging to watch as his predecessor had been.

"I Don't Know What To Do"

Kids are usually the target audience for Ultraman, but you cannot tell me this moment didn't hit home for parents. That moment where your child gets hurt because you looked away for a second; the first time your child falls ill & you wonder if a common cold will kill them before old age.

Whether you're a parent, older sibling or someone working in medical/childcare, having to say those 6 words will be the most devastating moment of your life. I'm certain that for Ken, it was nothing less.

Final Boss

Let it not be said that Ken doesn't know his final battle clichés.

[dykeulous]

1.) for the love of science, please, please stop using the theory of gendered socialization as some “gotcha” against all female people. stop trying to constitute that just because a person who happens to be female is only empathic because they’re female. stop making us all look bad, stop proving the dumbasses who say we’re trying to claim all women have some universal spiritual bond that connects them & that we’re using the theory to constitute & declare all women as inherently this and all men as inherently that, right. stop misunderstanding the theory. yes, socialization has impacts on how someone turns out as a person. yes, socialization does influence personality, and yes, the reason why women are more likely to be empathic is because of socialization, not because of some inherent biological magic; however, this doesn’t mean that having basic human decency & choosing not to be a piece of shit is somehow alien to male people. this doesn’t mean that women should throw away all their learned personality traits & tendencies. just because empathy is more forced & pushed onto women, doesn’t mean women need to get rid of that. instead, women should work on unlearning passiveness & unhealthy self-consciousness– female people should unlearn the process of female socialization that taught them to think low of themselves, that taught them to constantly feel like a burden, that taught them not to have any boundaries & to stay quiet and meek– empathy & human decency are not something to be thrown away. those are valuable & natural human traits.

2.) the trans movement is not inherently anti-feminist. the commodification, commercialization, and pinkwashing of it is. if we look very closely, trans people a lot of the time agree with the core elements of radical feminism; they just phrase their beliefs differently. there are gaps within ideologies, and both sides can be obtuse as fuck. both sides can be annoying & unwilling to learn. both sides can do legitimate harm in the real world. both sides need to learn from each other & stop vilifying & caricaturing the other as some pesty inherent danger that should be hidden from the rest of the world. gender critical women and trans rights activists need not always be “at odds”. we can, and we will, bridge the gap; no matter how many times annoying people like you fly around our ears like & whine. buzz all you want. there are people out there working on bridging the gap & are efficiently doing so. if you want to lock yourself up in an echo-chamber while also insisting trans people are doing that very same thing, then well done. have your hypocrisy cake and eat it 🤷🏻. me personally, i’ll keep having meaningful discussions with people who don’t necessarily share the same worldview as i do. nevertheless, radical feminism does wonders for trans people, and there are so many radical feminists out there insistent on proving that. if you’re going to sit back and whine about “men in dresses”, “those disgusting tranzes invading women’s spaces” and “moid xys fetishizing women”, while not doing anything whatsoever to improve the conditions of your local women– then don’t bother calling yourself a feminist of any sorts, yet alone a radical feminist. gncphobia does not look good on a person claiming to be pro-feminist. seriously.

3.) “no one is arguing that we should make trans-identified people’s lives worse” this is just, like, blatantly untrue. bans & limits on self-expression, bodily automony & self-determination, do in fact, harm trans people, a deeply vulnerable & targeted group in many societies. the same societies that tend to be extremely intolerant of trans people are also extremely intolerant of women. this is not a coincidence. it’s not a coincidence that the worst misogynists are also very often transphobic. it’s not a coincidence that conservatives, the people working to tangibly oppress trans people, are also anti-abortion, anti-divorce, pro-nuclear family, and anti-lgb. it’s almost like, hey– trans people are oppressed on the gender axis! and if you’re going to say that you said this in regards to radfems; you’d also be wrong. i will agree that tras often unrealistically portray radfems as fashies capable of systemically oppressing trans people, and that they very often create conspiracy theories on how “terfs are running the world” & “terfs control the governments”, exaggerating the “power” radfems may have– but this does not mean that there are no transphobic radfems. i’ve seen many deny dysphoria being a thing, many are unnecessarily & inhumanely cruel to dysphoric people & constantly try to purposely trigger someone’s dysphoria, many are exceptionally cruel to trans men (which is funny because they like to claim we are their “lost sisters” or whatever), many straight up mock surgeries & call people “mutilated” which extends to the hatred & bigotry against detrans folk. you cannot complain how trans people refuse to excommunicate genuinely awful people in their community if you yourself are going to ignore the genuinely awful people in your own community. you just cannot.

4.) “we are pro gender abolition and they are pro gender”– i mean, making a wild claim like this just proves you’ve locked yourself up in an echo-chamber. you sound exactly💯 how those tras who portray radfems as The Incarnation of Devil Himself sound like. you believe you know everything about a group & the group’s beliefs without conversating with anyone from said group. that’s exactly how many tras behave, making up wild claims & false caricatures of radfem beliefs, exaggerating them up to the point of nonsense. like, i’m sorry– but i’ll call bullshit on the “they are pro gender” stuff. i just cannot bring myself to believe that a group uniquely oppressed by gender is capable of meaningfully supporting the existence of it. sure, there are trans people who will vocally say they are against the abolition of gender because they personally feel it helps them because want to assimilate/it helps them express & understand themselves or whatever– but this doesn’t erase the reality of gender inherently repressing & oppressing trans individuals. certain, individual trans people can do & say wacky shit, they can hold horrible and stupid beliefs– but this does not reflect the universal reality of trans existence. trans people deviate from the gender binary. trans people do not fit into the system of gender, and as such, they can only benefit from the abolition of gender. gender hurts us in a very specific way, and we are going against the very existence of it, just by existing. this isn’t to say some trans people aren’t genuinely dumb & misogynistic/bio-essentialist/neurosexist/assimilationist/homophobic/awful/whatever– i’m simply saying that we as a group do not fit into the gender system– obviously, we still have to prove that we truly are against it, but we defy traditionalist way of thought merely by existing. of course, we still have to do actual work to be considered activists, and we aren’t immediately some punk blood-pumping political figures simply on the basis of not fitting in.

5.) any person who sends rape & death threats to anyone is despicable. the phenomenon of this specifically happening to radfems is real, but we cannot base our moral beliefs & opinions on an entire group off of this. oftentimes, it’s not even actual trans people sending the threats, it’s cis people [particularly cis men to be clear] who want to speak over us. calling out homophobia & misogyny in the trans community is a worthy endeavor & definitely, desperately needs to be done. being hateful and assuming all trans people are this disgusting caricature in your head, is not. again, we will bridge the gap, and there’s nothing you can do about it. activists of all kinds will come together & reshape the world from the roots of it. they will pull out all the toxicity & take down all the oppressive structures & institutions, stomp on them violently & mercilessly– they will rebuild the world from its’ roots, all over again.

[lochlogie]

Lochlan as Echo

I think the reason Saxon grimaces or internally groans when Lochlan says "and I saw you lying there and I thought you looked a little left out," is because, like this thread posits, Lochlan is Echo. He's holding up a mirror to Saxon in that moment.

Saxon is all about hedonistic pleasure seeking. In his mind, that's the only point to life and it justifies itself. It feels good and Saxon is a winner, a success, an alpha, whatever labels he clings to. So how could it be wrong?

Saxon has never textually assaulted any women, nor violated their boundaries (except Piper's, and also Chelsea's a little EDIT: and also his masseuse). But if Saxon ever has (it's more than a 0% chance), it was likely done out of selfish ignorance. "I thought you wanted it," because if Saxon wants it, it must be good enough for you too. Or it was done out of callousness. Why should he consider someone else's feelings when Saxon is the drug? He likely views sex with him as a privilege for someone else to experience, like his narcissistic traits run deep. Or he just doesn't care, let them get all messy.

And what does Lochlan do? He does cross Saxon's boundaries, Saxon does feel violated by the hand job. He does act like Saxon probably would. But what are Lochlan's rationalizations after the fact? "I thought you looked left out. You looked lonely and I know how important getting off is to you. I wanted to include you." Lochlan frames this violation as selfless. That doesn't justify it morally, but it is an important distinction between him and Saxon.

This is not the only interpretation of their dynamic, but as Saxon was trying to redpill Lochlan, basically everyone agreed before episode 5-6 that Lochlan would in some way "turn it around on Saxon," which he kind of did. Not because Saxon didn't actually enjoy it or because Saxon doesn't actually want Lochlan (I'm convinced of both), but because Lochlan shows him who he really is.

If Lochlan can engage in hedonistic and problematic behavior and view it as an act of love, inclusivity, and service, what's Saxon's excuse for doing the same things his whole life but openly and proudly doing them to serve himself, to take what he wants, to just use people?

I think it breaks Saxon's brain a little bit. Either he can't accept that this justification is real because he doesn't empathize with it, therefore doesn't understand it... or he is capable of empathy and hearing his little ingenue meow meow brother say "I did it for you 🥺" and he's realizing how much he fucked up and messed with Lochlan's head and, yes... groomed him. Either interpretation is valid, but Lochlan seconds later does confirm he thinks Saxon is a narcissist so?

Plus, if Saxon really was fantasizing about Lochlan and/or jerking off to Lochlan and Chloe having sex before Lochlan lent a hand... it kind of highlights how empathetic Lochlan is, in contrast to Saxon (and also Piper) which he'd have to be to survive in a family of narcissists (but that empathy is also what they prey on so... yikes). He could tell Saxon really wanted him, probably the whole time. If Saxon is attracted to Lochlan, and it sure is framed like that, then Lochlan's intuition was correct. Saxon was feeling left out. The characters aren't real, they can't be mistaken if the writer wants them to be correct.

He should've still asked (and Saxon would've said no of course), but I'm not going to act like what Lochlan did is on par with what Saxon-esque bros do when they say "I know you wanted it." Not even close unfortunately.

[miifu666]

I reread some posts and i really love how you depict Suklha as a character with low empathy who would work on herself and her short king ☺️☺️

What happened when Suklha denied Wukong's courtship? How did she deny him?

HII ANONN ♡♡

THANK YOU?? FOR ANALYSING IG??? DJDHDJDNN OMGGG THAT TOUCHED MY HEART🥺🥺 i do try to make her seem logical but still has a heart! If you noticed, LMK Suklha is more emotional than normal Suklha hehe

Suklha actually referred alternatives to him (that being other maidens) its like playing matchmaker lmao. She would try and be logical about it, try to matchmake him with mammals, humans, or goddess.

She thinks Wukong deserves someone who is pliant, warm, and basically motherly deceivable to him. Its traits that she doesn't have and couldn't provide him with, At least in her eyes. Suklha grew up being ostracized, deemed as an overripe flower, and looked down upon. That sort of view turns her perception on herself as someone average. Sure, she'd be below average if she's that insecure, but she has enough self-love to not put herself down like that .

Sooo she tried to persuade Wukong to chase someone who can provide to him personality-wise. Cause uh... she is aware of how logical she is compared to a warm and family oriented monkey... its a conflict in her mind.

Wukong doesn't like this though, he sees it as Suklha being insecure and feels inadequate being his lover. (Ok last one is true) so he tries to soothe her lmao

Suklha, pointing at a lady : look at her, she's poised and gentle. She might be a good fit for you

Wukong, frowning, staring at Suklha : why? My eyes are only full of you

Suklha : I know but-

Wukong : what is it? Why are you so persistent i should find someone else ? :(

Suklha : because YOU'RE not supposed to be in love with me! Im fixing it! And have you seen me? Im a BUG, mammals arent supposed to marry a bug!

Wukong, holding Suklha's hand and rubbing it with his thumb : love works in mysterious ways, and i choose you amogst all of my options. You're nothing but perfect :(

Suklha : THATS NOT WHAT IM-

Wukong : im handsome, yes but im not a manwhore :((

Suklha might even match him with some prostitutes in her brothel, but he's not that tempted 💔

Wukong slept outside of her window if she's living in a her brothels. He did this for 99 nights straight

They fight mostly because of this + the fact that Wukong doesn't believe that he fell for other people in other AU. He would fight tooth and nails towards Suklha's omniscience 😭

[maxdibert]

The thing that gets me about that one post is where they said Snape *needs* to be straight and white because his reasons for bullying Harry are petty. Like, what does that even mean?? If James truly bullied Snape because he was already a blood purist and death eater like they claim, then what does it matter if he's black and gay? If it really was just a rivalry over Lily's attention, then there shouldn't be a problem right? Why are Snape's actions petty if he's white and straight, but somehow more legitimate when he has a different race and sexual orientation? Is pettiness only a white, straight trait? Are other people not allowed to be petty? Are white, straight people not allowed to be traumatized by bullying? They can only acknowledge it was traumatizing if its done to a marginalized group? Lmao I need their thought processes explained to me.

Yeah, so, there’s something really messed up going on with all this, because what they’re saying has like two layers, two different readings, and both are pretty disturbing if you actually stop and think about it. On the one hand, what they seem to be implying — without saying it directly but definitely suggesting it — is that someone who isn’t white and/or straight can’t do bad things. Like, that’s the takeaway. According to this weird logic, if you make Snape queer and racialized, suddenly nothing he does matters. He could literally be Voldemort, he could turn into a serial killer like Ted Bundy, and somehow he’d still be… untouchable or something, because that’s the unspoken rule. Since he belongs to a historically oppressed group, his actions automatically stop being questionable. And that’s incredibly dangerous, not just because it’s essentialist to the core, but because it basically means you're assigning ethical or moral capacity based on who you sleep with or how you look in the mirror. It's completely fucking absurd on every level.

But the second point is even more fucked up. What’s being implied —almost unconsciously but very clearly— is that if a white, straight, working-class person like Snape is humiliated, bullied, stripped in public, and subjected to systematic psychological abuse during his teenage years by a bunch of rich, powerful kids —because let’s remember, James and Sirius weren’t exactly struggling— then suddenly it doesn’t matter. Apparently, according to these people, that kind of abuse only counts if it happens to someone who fits into a particular identity category they’ve decided is worthy of empathy. In other words, trauma is only valid if the victim is part of an oppressed group. But if the victim is a white, straight dude, then he had it coming, right? Then it’s not bullying, it’s not trauma, it’s not something that could scar you for life or mess you up psychologically.

And that’s where it all becomes a complete mess. Because if we start from the idea that only certain people have the right to be hurt, to suffer, to have trauma, or to react badly to the things that happen to them, then what we’re doing is accepting a worldview that’s incredibly dangerous, one where morality is distributed based on identity categories instead of actions or context. And I’m sorry, but that’s not social justice, and it’s not fighting oppression. That’s just swapping one arbitrary system for another equally unfair one, just dressed up as progressivism.

And finally, what pisses me off the most about all of this is how deeply dehumanizing it is. Because denying someone the capacity to do wrong just because they’re not white or straight is just as absurd as denying someone the capacity to suffer because they are. Both things reduce people to symbols, to archetypes, to puppets in some ideological narrative. And that, to me, is the most dehumanizing thing of all. Because every single one of us has the right to be complex, contradictory, vulnerable and yes, sometimes petty or even cruel. There’s no identity that automatically makes you a better person, and there’s no skin color or orientation that exempts you from doing horrible things or from experiencing horrible things.

So yeah, I’d love for these people to explain their thought process, because either they haven’t thought it through at all, or —if they have— then where it leads is kind of terrifying.

[evvyyypeters-fics]

I need to know I’m not fucking crazy for thinking that Anne Shirley from the modern live adaptive Netflix show ‘Anne with an E’ is supposed to be interpreted as neurodivergent. Specifically autistic.

Why am I having to explain to people on Tiktok that saying Anne is autistic/ implied to be is not a fucking slur? Because I’m having people attack me like even considering that her behavior is abnormal and implies neurodivergency is like the biggest offense in the world??

They’re arguing that it’s a ‘stereotype’ and normal people can act that way too, and it’s like yeah…but it’s a TV show based on a book series set in an age where autism wasn’t even really a diagnosis. It’s really hard to display the subtleties of neurodivergency on a TV show and get everything exactly accurate and politically correct. TV is meant to be dramatized, and yes, Anne with an E has it’s darker and more serious moments, but at it’s core it’s lighthearted, fun and whimsical. No duh Anne is going to be an exaggerated character, that’s literally her core trait. But that doesn’t make her any less autistic.

Do people think autistic people just suffer all the time or something? I don’t look at Anne and think “wow she’s so stereotypically autistic” I see Anne and I’m like “wow that’s the most accurate and fun depiction of an autistic girl ever”. I mean, at the very least she has to have AdHd. And don’t just take my word for it as someone undiagnosed, I’ve seen multiple posts and forums of diagnosed autistic people relating to Anne or theorizing that Anne is autistic as well.

This literally all started because I said that Anne isn’t a terrible person for trying to relate to Gilbert after his father’s death by talking to him about her experiences. That is LITERALLY A TEXTBOOK TRAIT of autism. Even if she isn’t autistic, it’s clearly shown that she constantly never understands social cues and therefore isn’t TRYING to be ignorant to Gilbert’s pain but is actively trying to show her empathy towards him in the only way she knows how and while I think Gilbert’s reaction is realistic and understandable, as an audience we have to understand that their conversation was not productive and Anne didn’t “deserve” to be yelled at for something she cannot control when she was trying to be a comfort to her friend. There are also real autistic people who talk about how this is a problem for them and ties in with social cues, autistic people tend to try and relate to people by empathizing with their own experiences, and to neurotypical people this can be seen as ‘selfish’ or ‘self centered’ when it isn’t. Anne literally does that multiple times and you’re telling me you DON’T think she’s autistic?????

Did we even watch the same show??? You’re telling me that the one character in the entire show who shows the most expressive range of emotion, relates to people with her own experiences, overshares to her teacher and basically everyone, who doesn’t understand a lot of social cues, constantly day dreams, is extremely creative, shows an abundance of empathy, and is quick to be overwhelmed or upset by the slightest thing or change let alone expectation she has that isn’t met, was othered and bullied by basically everyone in her life except for a few select people who decided to accept her as she is, as well as constantly struggling to fit into the societal norms around her and practically begging to be seen as ‘normal’ IS SOME HOW NOT AUTISTIC?????????? Yes, somehow the extreme behavior that basically goes down the list of the most common traits and visible signs of autism as well as struggles autistic people face actually is totally normal and atypical of her.

LETS BE SO FOR REAL. I had no idea media literacy was THIS dead.

I’m so tired of people tiptoeing around the concept that character’s can be blatantly autistic because they want to be politcally correct.

Yes, there are definitely terrible representations of autism out there. The Good Doctor is one, Big Bang Theory with Sheldon is iffy to me and I know that’s a whole debate. But I just don’t think that’s Anne with an E. Her autism isn’t what defines her as a person or a character, it’s just a part of who she is and you can see it. I think the reason Anne is only implied in the show to be autistic is because that would distract from her entire purpose as a character. I think the argument that ‘atypical people can act this way’ is valid because I think that’s the reason why it’s implied. Anne is just a girl, and her neurodivergency, no matter what it may be, doesn’t change that or who she is. She would still be that way, but I don’t think it would be as expressed. But you can’t deny the struggles it would bring her, which I think are stated clearly through SHOWING and not TELLING as a good show does.

[kaisaniku]

I finally finished the second chapter of this doodle comic!

Basically from a translation machine:

It's called notes, but it's really bullshit time:

(I didn't put any asterisks in the "text" in order to make the picture cleaner and not make this little comic seem too serious)

①WX says that their body "doesn't have any of those really advanced things" and that "the concept is just bionic", which might make you wonder how WX can agree with their own shortcomings when they are always been so confident in their own machine body. This is kind of a guess: WX's comments in the wiki about Wagstaff being "afraid of progress" and "short-sighted", combined with WX's usual machine-worshiping and violent tendencies, such as their comments about Maxwell "He has that kind of power but he doesn't go out and destroy human". So it's an offense to them, but they actually agree that even though they claim to be superior, I guess WX would like to see their bodies more advanced and even more radical.

② Yes, this WX has acceleration circuits installed.

③ Gnome get✓ Do you guys remember the line where WX checks the Gnome

④ "You're not as kind as you look", how should I put this one, because the Wilson I understand is more or less with a little bit of darkness in his mind, he's someone who is full of emotions but often restrains them with reason, he fears and hates the negative impulses and instincts within himself. And this trait I think probably comes from his good nature, his education and survival experiences and the influence of the Shadow Throne. (But honestly after suffering in CONSTANT for so long, it's normal for whoever it is to be a little psychologically unhinged, not to mention the SANITY setting.) And after WX's soulwalking, they easily have some "psychic empathy" with Wilson... ...... Well, how did that happen Wilson?

⑤ Well I know the reasoning of the empathy module episode is weird ...... In fact, it's mainly because when I drew this plot I didn't have a good understanding of the empathy module, and simply thought of it as something like "emotional deficiency", so this episode was supposed to be Wilson saying "why do I still feel emotional ups and downs blabla" and then WX explaining that it's because of "memories of emotional experiences", which would have made a lot more sense.

⑥I guess it's my own personal setting: although the game doesn't make a distinction, I don't think WX as a robot would have a "headache and blurred vision due to lack of sanity". The system will be affected, sure, but the physiology won't necessarily feel it. It's hard to go from luxury to frugality, and since there is no experience in the eternal realm in the human era, WX can't adapt to the negative impacts of sanity reduction at all.

⑦Wilson's curiosity and desire to explore and then equipped with WX's hardware strength is simply ON FIRE. and "adapting to the human body so quickly" this conclusion mainly comes from the last chapter when the two people just transformed the body, Wilson's side is very difficult, while the WX on the contrary, it seems to be very easy. Even when they suddenly possessed internal organs, blood, light weight and so on, there was no adverse reaction. Wilson, who loves to observe, has always had suspicions (sorry however I didn't draw this clue out)

⑧ on the one hand, just learned a shocking secret, excited and energetic Wilson, on the other hand is the history of the exposure, and is also experiencing unprecedented headache WX. so the two temperament is not quite the same as usual.

⑨ "Wiped of most of their human memories" from the game's credits: "Suddenly recalling the memories of his past life, WX-78 soon decides to change his fate on his own."

⑩ Those of you who have fought Shadow creatures online might know that the only way a teammate's Shadow creature will have hatred for you is if you've forcibly attacked them. What happened here is that WX forced an attack on Wilson's Shadow Creature (except that Wilson was still relying on his headache of empirical judgment and didn't realize that his SANITY was too low), and then WX's own shadow creatures that were looming all showed up as well, which is why it became so much more. I don't have a very comprehensive understanding of this mechanic online though, and it doesn't seem to be very rigorous, so that's probably what it is anyway.

I accidentally added a lot more, mainly because of the limited ability to express the drawing ... Hope you enjoy!

[crystalsenergy]

Draconic synastry 🔐🌌💗

Draconic Synastry chart calculator here.

Draconic charts are perfect for understanding some fragments of our Superior personality, our Soul, even because the Soul is in constant evolution and, despite this, as we evolve very slowly (as a rule), the draconic chart defines our Soul's recent personality and experiences that the Soul has accumulated so far, that form who it is. Yes, Souls have personalities! After all, our Soul is who we are.

The draconic chart is extremely relevant for connecting with our Essence and reaching a higher level of self-awareness, which can even help us understand how deep and beautiful we are in essence.

In today's post, I bring you a little about the draconic synastry chart, which is a beautiful and very interesting chart to look at. Because it is a synastry, we are facing 2 different people.

The draconic synastry chart is used to see past dynamics of interpersonal relationships such as friendships, partnerships, relationships between parents and children, lovers, relatives, enemies...

It helps us understand how our Soul feels in relation to the Soul of another - in this life (natal chart) and in a past, deeper sense too (draconic chart).

Below are some tips on how to read:

First of all, pay attention only to aspects that have a very close angle, as the Draconic synastry chart generally has different aspects, but many may not be understood by your current consciousness so easily, and may not manifest themselves intensely. Therefore, focus on exact aspects and orbit of a maximum of 1 DEGREE.

Tips for understanding the relationship between Draconic Chart x Natal Chart:

Draconic A x Draconic B: Soul to Soul (Soul contracts, Soul experiences, how people know each other and relate to each other on a Soul level)

Draconic A x Natal chart B: Soul to Consciousness of this life (How A's Soul feels about the current experience with person B in this life)

Natal chart A x Draconic B: Consciousness of this life to Soul (How B's Soul feels about the current experience with person A in this life)

Natal Chart A x Natal Chart B: Consciousness to consciousness. (that Synastry chart that we use to look at)

Planets in the Draconic Synastry Chart

(my perspective, which is a contribution, not an absolute truth):

Sun - Basic personality. Ego. Center of consciousness. Pride. Central traits of someone's personality. Personal brilliance.

Moon - The emotional life. Emotional connection. Emotional openness. Empathy. Family. Emotions. Roots. Sensitivity. Inner connection. Inner insight. Imagination. Emotional nutrition. Mother. Intuition. Home. Emotional home. Affections.

Mercury - Thought patterns. Solutions. Rationalizations. Issues involving communication, learning, mind, intellect.

Venus - Harmony. Love. Exchanges. Money. Pleasure. Stability. Relationship. Personality. Self-value. Self-appreciation. Balance. Give and receive. Feeling of worthiness.

Mars - Assertiveness. Action. Reaction. Control. Physical energy. Defense. Attack. Defense or attack mechanisms. Independence.

Jupiter – Belief systems. Faith. Optimism. Opportunities for growth. The optimism that can arise from this relationship. A connection through trust systems. The trips you take together - mentally or physically.

Saturn - Structure. Maturity. Responsibility. Restrictions. Slow growth. Harvest well-planted fruits. Authorities. Fears. Rigidity. Limiting beliefs.

Uranus – Originality. Innovation. Interruption. Quick changes. Thoughts. Mind. Unpredictability. Creativity. Dreams. Independence.

Neptune - Past. Dreams. Intuition. Connection. Spirituality. Psyche. Escape. Unconscious matters. Personal unconscious. Collective unconscious. Faith. Religion. Illusions.

Pluto - Deep Connection. Personal unconscious. Connection. Intensity. Deep internal issues. Taboos. Sex. Standards being transformed. Power. Control. Fear. Traumas. Regeneration. Rebirth. Transformation potential. Deeper patterns that are brought to the surface.

The aspects in Draconic synastry chart

Oppositions - Lessons being learned through discomfort, from learning through the opposite side. If there are oppositions, it appears that the necessary lessons may be in the process of being developed by both individuals in the areas that involve both planets. However, it has not been fully integrated yet because there is conflict. It's important to realize that conflict only exists to bring about awareness and evolution.

Squares - Squares in a Draconic synastry chart represent the souls' quest to learn together, even though they are aware that it will bring various tensions. It will indeed be challenging, but these are lessons that will push you to grow, require effort, awareness, and discipline. The keyword for squares is conflict that generates change, learning that promotes growth. Squares represent points of clash and tension. To understand a square aspect, you can think of the signs that naturally form this aspect. For example, Aries and Capricorn. These signs are very different. Aries is instinctive, fast, impulsive, assertive, independent, often preferring something new. Capricorn is traditional, closed-off, melancholic, restrictive, limiting, conservative, practical, and planned. In the relationship between these signs, many things need to be adjusted or even sacrificed (which is not always good) in order to achieve harmony. So, when reading a Draconic synastry chart, if you see squares, they can signify a significant opportunity for you to learn and evolve within a relationship. Obviously, always seeking to learn in calmer ways, as we don't necessarily need chaos to evolve.

Conjunctions - In a Draconic synastry chart, a conjunction represents that your souls feel connected because they share common points. It's a union of forces and efforts. Here, there's a significant possibility that people in this life are experiencing, expanding, and increasing the significance of points that already existed in their souls (points that involve the aspected planets). Conjunctions can represent points of evolution in an issue that has been repeating, meaning you are getting better and better at what your souls have in common and already possess, OR they can indicate a comfort zone, OR a boost of energy to be channeled in good ways. It all depends on the individuals involved, their choices, and the rest of the chart!

Sextiles - In a Draconic synastry chart, sextiles, in my view, represent points where your souls feel very comfortable together, points of harmony and mutual effort. Sextile aspects in the Draconic chart bring a sense of ease, something that is easily achieved through action. Here, we observe in which areas the two individuals involved have a facility to navigate those topics that involve the planets in the aspect.

Trines - Trines in the Draconic synastry chart symbolize even more ease in topics involving the planets of the aspect. These are points where your souls communicate very well, speaking practically the same language (the same element).