#20 seconds of bravery

[yappacadaver]

Content drought so bad that when I do finally find content I’m scared to consume it and be left with no content again

[fazedlight]

Supergirl the show poses a question: Who is the real Kara?

Kara Zor-El, Kara Danvers, Supergirl. Who's the mask?

In the beginning, Kara doesn't even know. In the aftermath of Krypton's and Kenny's deaths, she did everything she could to appear as normal as possible - there was little room for her own innate traits to shine through when she was being as nondescript and people-pleasing as possible.

But that's not who Kara is.

We get the first glimpse of who Kara really is during Flight 237.

This is not about her being Supergirl or her powers (though both are relevant). Kara has suppressed herself for over a decade. She's not going to make waves - until she has to. Our first real insight into who Kara is now is as a devoted sister. It wasn't until Alex's life was at risk that Kara started breaking out of her shell (and then there was no holding back).

Our protagonist is a mid-20s adult - this isn't a coming-of-age story in the traditional sense. But it is a story of finding oneself and what it takes to get there.

And it starts with defending found family after a lifetime of loss.

So Kara creates the Supergirl persona. I think the cape is a crutch.

People say "a crutch" like it's a bad thing. But crutches are actually pretty fucking useful. They support you when you need it, whether it be short-term or long-term. They help you get around when you otherwise may not be able to.

Kara was deeply traumatized by losing everyone and everything she ever knew, being thrown into a world that overwhelmed her senses and made even her most casual movements into dangerous ones, and was told she needed to suppress everything - who she used to be, what she was going through now - to survive.

To find herself again, maybe she'd need a tool to get past what she had been through! The cape became that tool. She was able to unbury the heritage she had been hiding, she was able to embrace the powers that had burdened her, she was able to find her own bravery (and reactivity, she's got flaws in there too).

Keep in mind, in the scene above, Kara isn't "human for a day". Kara is powerless... just like she spent the first 13 years of her life. Her bravery isn't about her powers or Supergirl; they just help her get started.

That's not where her growth ends.

Kara's instincts for helping people start getting unburied in season 1, and she is excited to tag along someone else's quest to figure out where future threats may lie, or figure out how she can use her powers in service to the DEO.

But it's not until this moment that she realizes that Kara Danvers can be more, too. Lena unintentionally launches Kara's career - a second pathway for Kara's desire to help people, growing into a passion she is going to pursue (even if she gets fired). Her worth is no longer just about her sun-granted powers or being Superman's "younger" cousin.

In season 4, we even see her realization that Kara Danvers can be more powerful than Supergirl, because some fights can't be won by fists. That's a real discovery for herself.

Which I think, looking back, might becoming especially baffling for her... because Kara Danvers was originally an identity imposed on her when she needed to hide.

It's important to note that, while Kara Danvers was originally a facade that Kara gets at thirteen, she doesn't stay a facade - even in the suppression era.

We don't see enough of who Kara is when she's on Earth, left to her own devices. But we see glimpses - we know she likes baking (and we know we shouldn't try what she makes), we know she paints, we know she listens to NSync and Britney Spears. She's a goofball (even when she puts on the cape). Kara Danvers starts as a facade, but becomes a vehicle for Kara to continue developing her personality, now in her new context.

Would she have the same interests on Krypton? Maybe some and not others, maybe some new ones that don't exist on Earth. We're all products of our environments, after all. Her interests as Kara Danvers aren't necessarily fake just because they're different than what she expected.

Though she'll never know who she would've become on Krypton.

Which brings us to Kara Zor-El - the identity that is frozen.

Most people aren't the same person as an adult that they were as a child. Interests, tastes, personality, world outlook, philosophy - all of these shift over time, sometimes dramatically.

Parts of her are going to be deeply rooted in Krypton, and she's going to have ties to a culture that no one else on Earth has. It's not an aspect of herself that she can erase. But it's also not an aspect of herself that was able to develop for the remainder of her childhood and early adulthood.

She, like all of us, was destined to lose pieces of herself. But some of her loss was very sudden, and the pieces she lost probably weren't going to be the same on Krypton. Of course, she has no way to know.

And I think that frustrates her.

I guess my answer to "Who is Kara?" is that the three personalities clash with and harmonize with each other. None of them are truly her. All of them inform who she is.

There's a young Kara Zor-El as her root that was torn from the ground before she could ever grow.

There's a Kara Danvers who formed the bulk of her life - a mask that was given to her, the only vehicle for her personality, who ultimately became someone she could embrace as worthwhile in her own right.

There's a Supergirl who distinctly separates from those around her, but lets her move past her numbness and reclaim her heritage.

And it's that clash that makes her a particularly compelling character.

Maybe that's a cheating answer to the original question.

But there's still a missing piece to the puzzle - because it's not just about Who is Kara? but also about Who does Kara want to be?

I think Supergirl is something that could fade if needed. If Kara lost her powers, she would find a new normal, so long as she was able to pursue her desire to help the world in some capacity.

But the truth of her is somewhere between Kara Danvers and Kara Zor-El. The truth of her is in what Supergirl allowed her to unbury, even if not directly tied to Supergirl herself. But Danvers and Zor-El are burdens, in a way. Lena is one of the few people who sees the person in between, who understands Kara on her own terms. Which is why Kara is terrified of Lena's rejection.

I think it's one of the most telling lines in the show - to be just Kara is to be free of her own baggage, to be able to embrace herself despite the pain in her history. Something I think we all want, that is never entirely possible.

But the pursuit is still a worthwhile one.

[matan4il]

I just saw with my 2 fucking eyes ST calling Bassem Tamimi a peace activist, the guy who made his child go confront IDF soldiers for clout aand thinks stone throwing - which kills people, including friendly fire between Palestinians - is so cool

Nonnie, I am... You know that thing where you just smile wide, because reality is too much to deal with, and you just have to detach from it for a minute? That's me right now.

I mean, one of the things I've noted over the years is that often, the worst takes from Standing Together's leaders are posted on their personal social media accounts rather than the official ones, which makes it a bit harder to explain why the notion of the movement is great, while what they do in practice is awful and anti-Israeli. So when I got your ask I was wondering on which private account they posted that, but no. They posted it on an official ST account. There is not enough 'face palm' in the world for this.

Bassem Tamimi was arrested in October due to suspicion that he was aiding terrorist activity against Israel. If you ask me, he should have been arrested for child abuse as well, the way he's used his kids, pushing them repeatedly at soldiers to gain clout among the anti-Israel crowd, and praising them when they got arrested for violent terrorist activity. He has also generally encouraged rock throwing terrorist attacks.

The ST post claims that Bassem advocates for non-violent resistance, which is an absolute lie. He supports rock throwing at Israelis, which IS a violent act (funny how for the anti-Israel crowd, Israeli words are violence, but Palestinians throwing rocks at Israelis, which has killed more than once, isn't. For some reason, I have never seen any of the people claiming that rock throwing is a form of non-violent resistance volunteering to be its physical targets, I wonder why. Anyway, reminder that when it comes to non-Israelis, people have no issue calling deaths caused by rock throwing "murder," even when executed by teenagers, or calling out the terrorizing quality of such crimes).

Not to mention that Bassem's own daughter, Ahed Tamimi (who is mentioned in the same ST post as having been arrested by Israel "multiple times", and who the family has actually sent countless times to confront soldiers in order to film her "bravery" when really, that's child abuse) was arrested twice, the first time for physically assaulting a soldier. The second time was after the Hamas massacre, when Ahed posted on social media, promising that Palestinians will slaughter Jews, and that "you will say what Hitler did to you is a joke" in comparison, that Palestinians will drink the blood of Jews and eat their skulls. Yeah, SO non-violent!

Let's also not forget that Bassem's niece, Ahlam Tamimi, was a terrorist who helped carry out the Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing in 2001, a massacre of 16 people (since the Palestinians insist on counting unborn children when pregnant women get killed in the conflict, I think it's only fair Israelis do the same), leaving another person in a vegetative state for over 20 years. Ahlam's interviews from Israeli prison and after she was freed in a hostage deal are some of the most chilling I've ever seen, and this woman is a "journalist" and an icon for the anti-Israel mob, living in and broadcasting from Jordan, allowing her to help poison the minds of the next generation.

Nothing about the arrests of either Bassem (or Ahed or Ahlam) was arbitrary, unlike the claim in that ST post.

I'm just... beyond sickened. Anyway, this will also go under my Standing Together tag for easy reference, if you ever need it.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[archangeldyke-all]

can you write something about amab ceo sev and her trans identity and story, i love ceo sev sm she has my whole heart

yeah lets do it!

quick disclaimer! i'm cis, so if there's any mistakes/missteps lmk and i will fix it asap!

men and minors dni

i imagine sevika as one of those people who's just always known who they are. not just in terms of queerness, but like, just opinions and taste and personality in general.

so i think when she was a kid, she likely knew she was trans, just like she knew she liked women. she might not have had the vocabulary to name it, or known that other people feel it, but she never questioned it about herself specifically.

i dont think she would've told anyone, though.

sevika's incredibly perceptive-- she would have known, even as a kid, how talking about the different feelings she was having could upset people, or get her in trouble.

she found the words for what she'd always known to be true about herself when she was an early teenager. sevika's a big reader, and she was one of those kids who wants to know how everything works: from machines to nature to politics to society-- she'd stumble across the complexities of gender identity earlier than most kids do.

but again, she didn't tell anyone. sevika's no stranger to how horrible people can be-- she didn't want to give anybody an extra reason to fuck with her. instead, she just kept to herself, finding comfort in reading as many books and articles on queerness and transness that she could get her hands on.

she understood early on what she was up against, being a trans, gay, brown/black woman in this society. but she never let it deter her.

the second she turned fifteen she got a job as a busser at a restaurant in her town. she saved every penny-- and she worked all the time. besides the occasional pack of gum and pair of socks, the only thing sevika ever bought in was a junker of a car from her neighbor-- only $500.

she repaired it on her own during her free time. (of which, there was hardly any.)

the second she turned eighteen, sevika packed up her belongings in the backseat of her car and left her hometown never to return. it was now that she could finally start living her truth.

with her saving she managed to get an apartment to lease for a few months while she scrambled for a job. for a while, she was bouncing from security job to security job, but then she managed to snag a stable position as a saleswoman.

with her new job she got benefits. a 401k and healthcare.

she started going to therapy at, like, 20. again-- sevika's incredibly self aware. she was laying in bed staring at the ceiling once night, and she just thought to herself 'huh, you know, i've kinda been through a lot. i'm kinda going through a lot. i should... probably go to therapy.' and then she just did.

it took her a few tries to find a good therapist, but then she met a four foot tall little old lady who looked like mrs. clause but cursed like a sailor. sevika fell in love the moment they met.

mrs. clause-- or dr. walsh-- was a no-nonsense, no-bullshit kind of lady. each time sevika would try to downplay her achievements or doubt herself, dr. walsh would throw a crumbled postit at her face and rant-encourage-remind sevika about her strength and bravery.

with dr. walsh's help, sevika started to see her future as something that could be... positive. she'd been so focused on escaping the past, she forgot she could look forward. but once she did-- she was exhilarated.

it was definetly an, 'oh, shit, i can do anything i fucking want' moment for her.

she knew that she had it in her to do it-- she'd proven it to herself time and time again-- now she just had to decide what she wanted to do.

it took her a while, a lot of research and soul searching, but by the time she was 22 she started to socially transition.

her hair'd always been long, but she finally treated herself to a visit to a salon-- getting it styled in the perfect slightly slanted bob she'd always wanted. she made a promise to herself in the parking lot that she'd never cut her own hair again, she was so fucking thrilled with the experience and the outcome. (her stylist was a huge gossip-- spent the entire time telling sevika about her sister's sex life. sevika had a blast)

she started treating herself to more clothes. custom tailored suits for the office-- blouses and button ups and fun silky ties for underneath.

(all the while, she was effortlessly climbing the ranks at work. despite the horrible office culture in a competitive environment like sales-- money talks. and sevika was outselling all her co-workers.)

she found the name 'sevika' one day completely randomly. she hadn't really given changing her name any thought until her eyes glanced over the name in contact screen of a stranger's phone-- but she couldn't get the sound of it out of her head.

at 25, sevika started to medically transition. with a lot of research, both on her and dr. walsh's end-- she started estrogen.

she was thrilled. she knew changes couldn't be seen on a day to day basis-- but she swore every day she woke up looking and feeling more and more like her.

always a gym rat-- sevika's muscular frame started to carry a little more curve.

she smiled for a full six hours the first time she noticed her ass jiggling in the full length mirrors at the gym as she did burpies.

sevika was no stranger to eyeliner having gone through a bit of an emo phase as a kid-- but beyond that she found the sensory feeling of makeup unbearable.

but when she found out that there was such a thing as tattoo-able makeup-- you bet your ass she made an appointment. it hurt like a bitch but it was worth it when she could have perfectly defined dark lips all throughout the day no matter how many coffee cups she sipped from or chicken burritos she sank her teeth into.

at work, sevika had worked her way up so high the ranks that nobody dared to give her shit anymore. and when they did-- she just fired them.

she spent her late 20s dating around. she had a few girlfriends and a lot of flings, but nothing ever really worked for her. it did give her a shit-ton of confidence though.

the more herself she became-- both in her body and in her job and in her bed-- the bigger and brighter her future seemed.

this isn't to say she never had shitty days. she had plenty. some she journaled about, some she cried about, some she boxed about, some she called dr. walsh about. the worst ones she drank about-- though as she was growing up the hangovers were making this one less tolerable.

people are assholes. dysphoria is a fucking asshole. sevika's boss was an asshole. but when she felt close to drowning-- when she felt the grief and sadness and the self-destructive urges creep up-- she just closed her eyes and thought of herself at fourteen-- cooking up a plan to get as far away from home as she could. she imagines herself meeting teenage-sev, telling her all the things she'd come to do, (and all the girls she'd come to do, if you know what i mean, wink wink, nudge nudge) and she imagines how fuckin' proud little emo-acne-riddled-brace-face sevika would be of her.

it works every time.

on her thirtieth birthday, she bought herself a breast augmentation. she loved her tits-- but she just wanted a little more. she wanted to have to wear a bra under her silky button ups, instead of it being optional. but once she got them done she was so fucking thrilled she didn't want to wear a bra under her button ups. (she did, of course, because wasn't trying to cause an hr nightmare at work.)

when dr. walsh died-- sevika was devastated. there were a few months there where she was in complete depression. she made no attempt to find a new therapist-- she took as much paid time off from work as she could, just to sit around her house alone.

but then one night-- sevika swears on her life-- dr. walsh visited her in a dream with a message

'you better get your shit together girl! don't let all my hard work go to waste!'

sevika woke up the next morning laughing and crying, and she was back at work the next day.

she found a new therapist, and she forced herself to make new friends, suddenly aware that the only person in the world who knew her had died.

she started hanging out with some of her more tolerable co-workers, and she was shocked to realize that most of them were... actually pretty cool.

she started taking herself out to dinner-- just her and a book-- just so she could spend more time with herself.

she made it a point to take a vacation once every six months.

and when the ceo of her company stepped down, she was riding on a high. she was feeling good about life, so she decided: fuck it.

and she applied for the open position.

and then she got the job.

and at thirty five, sevika finally felt like she was in her bright future-- not just working towards it.

the night before her first night on the job-- sevika's mind was racing.

there were so many changes she needed to make, so many ideas she had to implement in the company. not to mention the fact that she had to buy furniture for her new office, and find an assistant-- and a good assistant is really fucking hard to come by-- and was she sure she could really do this job in the first place? what if she made a mistake accepting it-- what if she can't handle it--

sevika cut her racing thoughts off, scrubbing her face. she took a second to breathe, then she conjured up little-sev in her mind to give her an update and get a pep talk.

who the fuck are you? little teenage sevika asked, huffing as she had to shove her headphones off her ears.

'i'm you, jackass.'

...woah. we look... hot...

'duh.'

how did that happen?

'moved away, worked hard, got lucky, got rich.' sevika says, watching her younger self's eyebrows rise.

shit... look at our tits!

'i know-- they're great, right?'

fuck yeah. well... whaddya want?

'wanted to tell you we just got promoted to ceo.'

...really?

'yeah. we start tomorrow.'

...us?

'yeah. we're like... kind of a big deal now.'

...woah.

'yeah woah.'

then, just as she's about to drift off to sleep, sevika's mind speaks again.

...soooo... have we met our wife yet?

taglist!

@fyeahnix @sapphicsgirl @half-of-a-gay @ellabslut @thesevi0lentdelights @sexysapphicshopowner @shimtarofstupidity @love-sugarr @chuucanchuucan @222danielaa @badbye666 @femme-historian @lia-winther @gr0ssz0mbi3 @ellsss @sevikaspillowprincess @leomatsuzaki @emiliabby

[cora0rr3m]

HAZELNUT TOFFEE COOKIE, A SPEAR WARRIOR OF THE DARK CACAO KINGDOM

Hi yall!! Finally finished my self-insert oc!!! This took me days, so likes and reblogs r appreciated!! <3

Full bio and art below (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)

⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ⋆｡𖦹°‧★

⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ⋆｡𖦹°‧★

Lesbian + Demigirl

Pronouns: She/They

Age: Around her 20’s (as of the first dark cacao update)

- INTRODUCTION ★

Within the walls of the Black Citadel, training day and night. A Cookie fearful, yet courageous to face the horrors that lie within the Licorice Sea. Hazelnut Toffee Cookie— one of the remarkable spear warriors of the Dark Cacao Kingdom. Kind, compassionate towards subordinates, but most especially who embraces with fiery passion the Cacaoian Martial Art of spear wielding. She holds the almighty Tough Toffee Spear— its aura shines with passion and bravery. Even during times she’s frightened and has lost all hope, she perseveres even through the coldest night. As long as she has a king to serve, she’s never backing down.

⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ⋆｡𖦹°‧★

- BONDS/RELATIONS ★

- She has admired Caramel Arrow Cookie as more than a friend since they started training together. She has kept this a secret though because of the strict, witholding society of the Dark Cacao Kingdom, which also prohibits soldiers from dating eachother— mandated by the king himself. (still not official in my AU tho!! Still working on it)

- Cube Choco Cookie is her uncle on her mother’s side. He is where Hazelnut Toffee gets most of her love for Cacaoian Martial Arts from, since her father died due to his arm being amputated while fighting a battle in war that time. (More on this in another future post)

- Knew and became friends with Second Watcher because of Cara + the whole kingdom jokes about them being siblings because of their eyepatch lol

- Also became friends with Gatekeeper Cookie because of Carrow

- Dark Choco, Carrow, Crunchy Chip, and her were all friends since they first started training. But then Dark Choco left, and ever since Hazelnut felt resentment and confusion towards him. But overtime, she started feeling empathetic for him and misses him as a brother/friend sometimes.

- Affogato both teased Cara and Hazel, but Hazel got teased the most because of her soft personality, but would often get defended strongly by Cara, Hazel did the same. 🥺🥺🥺

⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ⋆｡𖦹°‧★

Well, thats all for this post guys!! Please stick around to know more about Hazelnut Toffee Cookie— thanks!! <33

[jtl-fics]

Fluent Freshman - Part 20

PREVIOUS

FF had watched more than a few self-defense videos when he believed that Andrew Minyard was looking for a dark alley to stab him in. He had learned how to turn the attacker’s momentum against them. Had learned about disarming the person trying to stab him.

He’d even had Matt teach him a few punches claiming that it was for the dust-ups that tended to happen on the court.

He, naturally, does not use any of that knowledge because his mind immediately reverts into Lizard panic mode the moment Jackson Plank takes another step forward with a knife (HUGE. Is it wild that he is thinking about Crocodile Dundee right now?)

“If you come quietly you won’t get hurt.” Jackson says and he reverts to who he is as a person and he freezes. His bravery was used up maybe it was only ever tied to great pump up songs and now in the silence of the alley he is back to being Stone-Faced Smith.

“You’re going to dial up Wesninski and if you don’t say EXACTLY what I tell you to then I’m going to have you SING in agony.”

Y’know in that moment he stops thinking about Crocodile Dundee.

He thinks about a movie that is far more ingrained in his mind than any number of self-defense videos or one-off lessons with Matthew Boyd where he’d been trying not to flinch. A movie he had watched in better days with his family and had been a favorite of his Grandma’s (and his).

He thinks about Miss Congeniality.

Sandra Bullock as Gracie Hart has taught him everything he ever truly needs to know when he takes a step back and Jackson comes at him.

He strikes right at Jackson’s nose with the palm of his hand.

“SON OF A-“

The knife is dropped and FF kicks it under a dumpster.

FF grabs the single weapon he has on his person.

The McDonald’s Megamind Happy Meal Light Effects Brainbot.

He points the LED light straight at Jackson’s eyes and just like Aaron in the car on the way back, “Shit, that’s bright!” And now completely blinded by a combination of watery eyes and LED McDonald’s toy he proceeds to SING just as Gracie Hart had taught him.

S - Solar Plexus. He punches Jackson there as hard as he can.

I - Instep. He smashes his booted foot down on the inside of Jackson’s shoes (who the fuck wears LOAFERS to a kidnapping?)

N - Nose. He’d feel bad about hitting it again if Jackson wasn’t y’know…a hitman out to hurt Captain Neil.

G - Groin. He may have to give himself just half a second to apologize to all of mankind for what he is about to do. His step brothers had definitely kicked him in the groin plenty of times to try and get a reaction. It’s an art to not let anyone know that your ball has retreated up into lower intestine. He kicks Jackson as hard as he can (collegiate athlete) with the boots that Nicky had let him borrow. He is right on target with the toe of his shoes.

Jackson goes down.

The next thing he does is not something Gracie Hart had taught him but does still feel like the right thing to do in this situation. He kicks Jackson in the head and the man goes limp.

If FF throws both hands up in the air and lets out a “I am Miss Congeniality!” Victory cry into the alleyway well no one is around or awake to know that.

He feels like he deserves a sash and a crown and some flowers.

He looks down at Jackson and then over at the van the man had hopped out of. He was definitely PLANNING on kidnapping Captain Neil so he probably has like…some kind of restraint?

Well, better to completely subdue this guy before he tries to figure out the game plan for Romero. Wait, what’s that next to the Crocodile Dundee knife, are those...?

***

Roland is calling for a second time.

Andrew had let it go to voicemail the first time. It was usually Roland complaining about Nicky, Aaron, or Kevin doing something exceptionally stupid in their inebriated states. They have a system. Roland will call and leave a voicemail detailing the dumb shit his family has gotten up to and then he’ll let it go.

If Roland calls twice then there’s an issue.

Arm still around Neil’s shoulders he answers the phone, “What.” He asks.

“You need to help your new friend. There’s some guy following him, he’s armed and dangerous and looking for someone to grab to get Neil’s attention. He tried to lead the guy outside but he’s standing watching it for now so there might have already been someone waiting?” Roland gets out in a rush and Andrew is up and moving towards the stairs even as he’s closing the phone to disconnect the call.

Neil, of course, is right on his heels. “What is it? Did something happen?” Neil asks and they are up the stairs and pushing past Frank and his stupid pineapple shirt. Andrew spots Nicky and he spots Aaron.

“Get Nicky and Aaron somewhere safe. I need to go help Smith with something.” He says because whoever this is wants Neil and Andrew will not let Neil get within grabbing distance and won’t mention it. Neil, blessedly, does what Andrew asks without question.

Andrew scans the crowd and finds a man whose gaze goes between his phone and the back door.

A face that Andrew had memorized.

One of Nathan’s surviving men.

In the same Zip Code as Neil.

And that man has the audacity to still be breathing.

He looks and Nicky and Aaron (drunk, drugged, and useless because Andrew had wanted them to be) are with Neil and Roland is directing them to the backroom.

Andrew goes out the alley and can feel Romero’s eyes on him.

He’s prepared for a lot of things to see out in that alley. He’s angry that FF hadn’t just come down and grabbed him and Neil (he does not need TWO martyrs) and he wants to know what the fuck FF was thinking (or if he was thinking at all). Even with that anger he does not wish to see FF’s blood spilled all over an alleyway because Andrew’s family needed to be protected and FF was the only one sober enough and aware enough to do it.

He knows what Nathan’s men are capable of.

Knows that Romero was one of Nathan’s best so if there is someone out in the alleyway then it’s likely one of his other bests.

FF doesn’t even know how to use a knife. He had asked and FF had firmly declined every time Andrew had brought it up after the first fainting incident. “I’m not interested in learning that. No.” Had been the standard response.

He knew FF had at least taken a lesson or two from Boyd on throwing a punch considering the one he shot out a week ago when a Striker came at him after the third time FF intercepted a pass.

Still, Andrew had not anticipated coming out into the alleyway and finding an unharmed FF securing an unconscious Jackson Plank’s arms behind his back with fuzzy handcuffs.

“Am I interrupting something?” He asks and FF looks up at him with a flush on his cheeks.

“It’s not my fault this is a weird sex alleyway! They’re the first thing I found on my way over to the van to look for actual restraints.” FF says immediately and Andrew almost laughs at the insanity of it. “Wait, where’s Captain Neil?” FF looks around nervously.

“He’s with Aaron and Nicky in the backroom. Roland gave me your S.O.S.” Andrew says even as he quickly makes his way away from the door and towards FF. “Romero is watching the door. Let’s give him a reason to come out.” He says going over to Jackson and when he rolls the man over he raises an eyebrow at the piss stain on his pants and the blood dripping down his nose.

He looks to FF who resolutely does not look back at him.

It’s a story he’ll get out of his friend eventually. Looks like FF didn’t really need those knife lessons. Something settles a bit more in Andrew, it’s nice to have someone else in their group that could handle themselves in a fight.

Andrew finds a phone and FF rolls Jackson back onto his stomach, “He could choke on his own blood.” He shrugs and Andrew wouldn’t care if Jackson choked on his own blood in fuzzy handcuffs in a back alley but he can understand FF not wanting a murder charge.

Andrew looks at the phone and sees the the swipe pattern clear as day. It takes him two tries to get the order right but then Jackson’s phone is available for him to get over to the texting app.

The texts he reads there make him angry. There were a lot of plans on what the two of them were going to do to Neil before his body was offered up to a different crime family to show that Romero and Jackson had no loyalty left to the Wesninski line.

He types out a text to Romero that will have the jackass come out thinking everything had gone well and they had two hostages. He looks over to FF, “You ready for round two?” He asks.

“There isn’t a tap out option right?” FF asks and Andrew laughs at the joke.

Always cool under pressure it seems.

“No.”

“Then yeah, I guess just hit send.” FF says with a shrug.

Andrew does just that.

MASTERPOST FOR ALL PARTS OF FLUENT FRESHMAN AU

NEXT

Didn’t wanna leave ya’ll hanging on that particular cliffhanger for too long ;)

@i-have-three-feelings @blep-23 @dreamerking27 @andreilsmyreligion @belodensetdust @rainbowpineapplebottle @yarn-ace @iwouldlikesometea @lily-s-world @obscureshipsandchips @booklover242 @whataboutmyfries @sahturnos @pluto-pepsi @dreamerthinker @passinhosdetartaruga @leftunknownheart @aro-manita-muscaria @hologramsaredead @Chaoticgremlinswishtheycouldbeme @tntwme @tayspots @nick-scar @crazy-fangirl2524 @blue-jos10 @stabbyfoxandrew @splishsplashyouropinionistrash @sammichly @the-broken-pen @bitchesdoweknowu @very-small-flower @ghostlyboiii @its-a-paxycab @bisexual-genderfluid-fan @cheesecookie @theoneandonlylostsock @foxsoulcourt @blueleys @adverbialstarlight @elia-nna @can-i-just-stay-in-the-corner @nikodiangel @foxandcrow-inatrenchcoat @hallucinatedjosten @satanic-foxhole-court @vexingcosmos @chalilodimun @insectsgetcooked @angry-kid-with-no-money @queer-crows @lillyndra @themugglemudperson​ @readertodeath @apileofpillows @mortalsbowbeforeme @hellomynameismoo​ @next-level-mess @youreonlylow​ @interstellarfig​ @notprocrastinatingatalltoday​ @percyjacksonfan3​ @queenofcrazy27​ @bsmr261 @ghostlyscares​ @spencellio​ @adinthedarkroom​ @harpymoth​ @sufferingjustalilbit​ @anxietymoss​ @oddgreyhound​ @ohno-myhyperfixation-itsbroken​ @ken22789​ @atiredvampire​ @isoldescorner​ @not--a--pipedream​ @azure-wing​ @bushbees​  @roonilwazlib-main​ @crumplelush​ @foldedaces-paperbirds​ @thesenseinnonsense​ @let-tyrants-fear​ @ketchupfriesandallthingsnice​ @legowerewolf​ @deadlydodos​ @but-we-respect-his-craft​ @cariniqe​ @zanypersonapricotbiscuit​

The requests to be added to the tag list keep being spread out across a few different areas. If I missed you please just ask again in the replies I promise I just missed you.

As stated before if you’re up here and I spelled it  right but you didn’t  get a notification there might be something  switched around in  your settings that won’t let me tag you properly?

[mrs-snape5984]

I’ve commissioned the wonderful @sleepybradipo for those pieces of art…and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

It shows me, defending and protecting my beloved Severus from his goddamn bullies. I’ve just entered my “overprotective-bitch-mode” for him.

And in the second picture, I’m comforting my Sevy with a kiss on his adorably crooked nose.

It’s one of those many scenarios, I’m using in my head (and I’m also writing about) to escape my devastating reality of “living” (what an exaggeration…fuck!) with ME/CFS. Since I’m always in my dark room…isolated from the world with all those overstimulating things (and people), I’m clinging even more to my imagination of Severus. He’s been there for me for more than 20 years. His resilience, his bravery and his stubbornness were always the most inspiring and helpful aides in my life. My love for Severus (especially the book version of him) goes deep…

@sleepybradipo, you’ve brightened my day with your artwork and I’m extremely grateful, that you’ve spent your time and talent for my ideas. Thank you so much! I hope, I may commission you again!

🖤 Severus and Julia 🖤

[blitheringmcgonagall]

Someone was asking me did I think Sirius was cunning or had lots of Slytherin traits.

I don’t think so at all.

The Slytherin traits are essentially:

Cunning - this is not the same as intelligence or cleverness. It’s the quality of being astute or sharp in practical matters; the ability to find and pursue the most advantageous course of action, sometimes at the cost of moral compromise. Canny, crafty, weighing up the possibility and deciding based on what’s going to be in your best interests. Someone who is cunning has the ability to achieve things in a clever way, often by deceiving other people. When was Sirius like this? I’ll tell you who is cunning and shrewd, it’s Albus Dumbledore.

Ambition where in canon was Sirius ambitious? If he was he’d have pretended he was a good, obedient son and not run away and gotten blasted off the family tree. He might have stayed on and lied to them all, then if he was also cunning he might have brought Voldy down from the inside. Sirius like this? Nope!

Resourcefulness he’s pretty resourceful fair enough

Pride where in canon is he proud? Pride is a feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by other people; Pride can also have a negative meaning and refer to exceedingly high self-regard. Sirius is shown as racked with guilt about making Peter secret keeper, doesn’t believe Harry will want to live with him when he offers, didn’t try to leave Azkaban for 12 years because he believed he deserved to be punished for being responsible for the Potters’ deaths. He’s kind and thoughtful to Harry and his friends and to animals. He can be cutting towards others that he dislikes but that’s not pride. He’s rude to Kreacher but it’s not because he thinks he’s superior to house elves but because Kreacher hated Sirius and adored his mother and brother.

Self-preservation Sirius scores -10 points!

Shrewdness as above, not a talent of his

The Gryffindor traits are:

Daring To be daring is to be bold, adventurous - a quality possessed by people who tend to take risks. The fellow who became an animagus as a teenager and risked Azkaban every full moon to run wild with his pack. The guy who joined the Order at 18 to risk his life fighting against the bad guys. “What’s life without a little risk?” Now you’re talking!

Nerve Some common synonyms of nerve are audacity, cheek, chutzpah, effrontery, gall, hardihood, and temerity. While all these words mean "conspicuous or flagrant boldness”. The fella who got millions of detentions with his best mate, who loved breaking rules, who nearly got arrested by muggle policemen for his antics, while wearing a stupid, brazen phoenix t-shirt, who converted a muggle motorbike into a flying machine? The guy who taunted his psychopathic Death Eater cousin? Who told Snape about the Whomping Willow… Ah, yep, that’s him!

Chivalry - polite, kind, and unselfish behaviour, especially by men towards women. As noted above, he’s very much like this to Harry and the other children. He tells Hermione she’s the brightest witch of her age. He buys Ron a present of an owl. He’s caring of Buckbeak, he’s great pals with Crookshanks. He risks the dementors’ kiss to buy Harry his Firebolt and watch him play Quidditch and help him fight Dementors. He was polite to Molly despite the fact she told him he wasn’t there for Harry growing up (when he was innocently imprisoned in Azkaban!!) which was very upsetting.

Courage - courage is taking action in spite of the fear you feel. Standing up to his family, fighting against Voldemort in the first Wix war despite being outnumbered 20:1, fighting in the second Wix war to try to protect and save Harry etc etc

Sirius: "What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard that ever existed? Only innocent lives, Peter!"

Peter Pettigrew: "You don't understand! He would have killed me, Sirius!"

Sirius: "THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED! DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

Bravery the quality or state of having or showing mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty. It wasn’t just the above, it was also agreeing to live in Grimmauld Place so he could let the Order use the safety of the house, despite the painful memories of a bad childhood and the death of his brother, despite sounding depressed/PTSD/drinking heavily during that part of the book. Resisting Snape goading him for sitting in the house and doing nothing.

“I don't like being back here...I never thought I'd be stuck in this house again.”

😭😭😭

Determination managing to become the first prisoner to escape from Azkaban etc

[fruitysoupy]

100 years later I finally drew all of my AU Links

Say hello to my lads! They're going to be in a comic I've been scripting and planning for about a year now I think? I'm calling it Link and the Links, latl for short!

More info under the cut :]

(this is the old post, consider checking out the new version!)

(please don't tag as LU/Linked Universe!!)

The Plot

The Links find themselves in a mysterious forest that seems somewhat familiar to all of them yet none of them know where they are. Now they have to work together to find their way home. On the way they'll discover a thing or two about each other and grow closer!

The Cast

I could talk about these guys for hours, but to keep it digestible I'll make it short

A bit of info before I get into it - all of them are taken from different points in time after the end of their adventure(s)!

Birdie (Skyward Sword)

18

Roughly 6 hours after defeating Demise

The start of it all. Unbeknownst to himself and the others, the space they find themselves in was created out of his desire to meet the heroes after him. He feels terribly guilty about the curse and very much blames himself for the possible suffering of future heroes. His main goal is to check up on everyone and help where he can!

Grasshopper (Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask)

10

4 days after leaving Termina

Somewhat disoriented after his journey still, he tags along simply because he thinks Birdie is an idiot who would get lost without him. He doesn't talk a whole lot but he likes listening to other people's stories

Seagull (Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass)

13

6 months after leaving the domain for the ocean King

He's a real genuine pirate, yarr!! Or so he'd like you to believe. He talks a great deal about his strength and bravery, but really is just afraid and terribly homesick most of the time. He wants to fit in with Tetra's and her crew's toughness so much he might go a little overboard on the act in a way that may or may not end up biting him in the butt.

Choo (Spirit Tracks)

14

6 months after peace returned to new Hyrule

He wouldn't call himself a hero, in fact he'd say it's a miracle he made it out alive. Self-esteem and confidence really aren't his strong suits, he often finds himself dragged along and unable to say no. He is very friendly however, and if you just give him a little space he might even open up to you.

Wolfie (Twilight Princess)

21

4 years after defeating Ganondorf

Left Ordon after intrusive thoughts convinced him he was a danger to his village, now works at Telma's bar as a waiter in exchange for a room. He's responsible well liked, though he's not too fond of himself. He has some complicated feelings about the whole turning into a wolf thing

Apple (A Link to the Past, Oracle of Ages/Seasons and Link's Awakening)

20

Just a few seconds after Koholint disappeared

From one dream right into the next (sorta?) he's understandably disoriented at first. He pushes that aside pretty much immediately though, much more interested in getting to know everyone. He's a kind and soft spoken, weirdly wise sort of guy and near instantly becomes the heart of the team

Wallflower (A Link Between Worlds)

19

4 years after wishing upon the triforce with Zelda

Bitter doesn't even begin to describe this uh.. Pleasant fella. After being bossed around for the better part of his life he doesn't take orders from anybody and is this close to quitting his job as a blacksmith. He hates being stuck here, he hates these strange people, really there's not much he doesn't hate. But that can't be all there is to him...

Puzzle (The Legend of Zelda and Adventure of Link)

18

1,5 years after waking Zelda II

Confused, disoriented, but still happy to help and ready for adventure. Though some of the others don't really like him around he's still just as friendly to everyone. Since he struggles to communicate he tends to stay quiet. He appears to be simple minded on first glance, but he'll prove to be a valuable member of the team.

Sprout (Minish Cap)

23

13 years after defeating Vaati

After his grandfather died he retreated into his house and dedicated himself to improving his blacksmithing skills to live up to his grandfather's name, he was quickly forgotten by his community and faded into obscurity. Now he may be the best blacksmith in Hyrule, so good that even the royal guard hires him, but among the general castletown population he's nothing more than a forest cryptid. He only leaves the house when he has to, carefully avoiding people. Not because they disgust him, he just has a major case of social anxiety!

Squire (Breath of the Wild)

14

3 years pre calamity

This absolute rascal couldn't be happier about his current circumstances. These unknown woods are his playground and all of these weirdos are his friends now! Though everyone's pretty sure he's a knight trainee, he insists that he's just a stable hand for the guard. His chaotic and carefree nature surprisingly doesn't get in the way of things as he's eager to help out wherever he can, seeing the whole journey as an impromptu camping trip.

Some funfacts :]

Most of them are neurodivergent in some way!

Birdie and Seagull have ADHD, Grasshopper and Choo are autistic, Squire gets the combo platter AuDHD and Wolfie has OCD

Additionally, Birdie has auditory processing disorder and dyscalculia, and Squire has dyslexia

A few of them also have speech disorders

Choo stutters and Puzzle has cluttering speech disorder

Apple has a weak voice, so after a while his voice gets tired and gets hoarse

Choo enjoys drawings and cartography, two skills that will be very important!

One of Seagull's hobbies is photography! He takes his pictobox everywhere

Wolfie also does entertainment at the bar from time to time! He sings or does card tricks

Sprout knows HSL (hylian sign language) because his grandfather was deaf

Seagull's piratey way of talking is 100% for show and painfully inconsistent

Wolfie speaks in a thick southern (in universe ordonian) accent but he's trying hard to mask it since he moved to castletown

Wallflower absolutely hates Puzzle

Squire's special interest is horses

Birdie is a bit of a doormat so he has the ideas but Wolfie is the one to actually get them through

A number of them are blood related (has nothing to do with the colours of their names in this post, I had to reuse some because there weren't enough orz)

That's all I have for you today! Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! :]

If any of you have any questions about my Links or AU you'd like answered, my inbox is open!

Have a lovely day everyone!

[muiitoloko]

Oh my god I just finished watching Nobel son like 20 minutes ago and i thought to myself I NEED a fic that has the reader as a superhero AND YOU HAVE IT live saver omg

Title: Web of Desperation.

Summary: Eli's attempt at bravery against the Green Goblin nearly ends in disaster, until Spider-Man steps in to save him.

Pairing: Eli Michaelson × Fem! Reader

Warnings: Fighting, chaos, anger.

Author's Notes: I’m honestly blown away that you guys liked the idea so much! When I started this, I didn’t really plan on continuing—it was just a way to clear my head. But I’m thrilled that some of you enjoyed it! Now, you’ll just have to wait a few more centuries for the next chapter. 😅 Thanks for sticking around!

First and Second part here.

Also read on Ao3

Eli swore as he sat in the traffic jam, drumming his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. He glanced at his watch, realizing he was going to be late for his lecture at the university. The lines of cars stretched as far as the eye could see, barely inching forward.

"What the hell is causing this?" he muttered under his breath, his frustration mounting. He noticed people getting out of their cars, craning their necks to see what was happening. With a resigned sigh, Eli did the same, stepping out of his car and wondering what fresh hell was unfolding.

The scene was chaotic. People were pointing and shouting, their faces twisted with fear and confusion. Eli pushed his way through the crowd, his curiosity piqued despite his irritation. As he reached the front of the mass of people, he saw the cause of the commotion.

Hovering above the street was a figure clad in a dark green, armored suit, a grotesque mask with a manic grin covering his face. The figure cackled maniacally, riding on a glider that emitted a low, sinister hum. Eli's blood ran cold as he recognized the villain from news reports: the Green Goblin.

"Good morning, citizens of New York!" the Green Goblin's voice boomed through the street, dripping with mockery and malevolence. "I hope you're all having a fantastic day because I plan to make it a memorable one!"

The Goblin raised his hand, revealing a pumpkin-shaped bomb. He tossed it into the crowd, sending people scattering in terror. Eli's instincts kicked in, and he dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the explosion that followed. The blast rocked the street, leaving a crater where the bomb had landed.

Eli scrambled to his feet, his mind racing. He needed to find cover, to get away from this madman. He darted into a nearby alley, his heart pounding in his chest. He could hear the Green Goblin's deranged laughter echoing through the street, punctuated by the screams of frightened civilians.

Peering around the corner, Eli saw the Green Goblin swoop down, grabbing a woman by her hair and lifting her into the air. "Let's see if anyone here can play hero," the Goblin sneered, dangling the woman over the edge of his glider.

Eli's mind raced with anger and fear. He was no hero, but he couldn't just stand by and watch this madness unfold. He glanced around, spotting a length of pipe lying among the debris. He grabbed it, his knuckles white with tension.

"Hey, Goblin!" he shouted, stepping out into the open. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

The Green Goblin's head snapped around, his eyes narrowing behind the mask. He dropped the woman unceremoniously onto the rooftop below and turned his attention to Eli.

"And who might you be?" the Goblin taunted, his glider drifting closer. "A brave little lamb come to the slaughter?"

Eli's grip on the pipe tightened, his heart pounding in his chest. Why did he get himself into this? Why didn't he just run for his life and let the others fend for themselves? Eli cursed himself, but his pride wouldn't let him back down now. He did what he did best: act arrogant and belittle others.

"Listen here, you tin-can reject from a Halloween store," Eli snarled, trying to mask his fear with bravado. "Why don't you take your second-rate theatrics somewhere else? Or are you too scared to face someone with an IQ above room temperature?"

The Green Goblin's eyes flashed with rage. "You dare mock me, you insignificant worm? I'll crush you like the insect you are!"

Goblin advanced towards Eli on his glider, the mechanical wings slicing through the air with a menacing hum. Eli’s grip on the pipe faltered, and he let go in surprise as Goblin's clawed hand shot out, seizing him by the throat. The cold metal pressed into Eli's skin, and he gasped as he was hoisted into the air.

"Not so arrogant now, are we?" the Goblin jeered, his voice a venomous hiss. Eli clawed at Goblin's arm, his eyes wide with fear as the ground fell away beneath him. They soared higher and higher, the city shrinking below, until the skyscrapers seemed like mere toys.

"Please, wait! Let's talk about this," Eli stammered, desperation clear in his voice. "You don't want to do this. You're a genius, a real visionary!"

Goblin's laughter was a dark, grating sound. "Flattery won't save you," he sneered. "But it's amusing to see you beg."

Without warning, Goblin released his grip. Eli's scream tore through the air as he plummeted, the wind whipping past him in a dizzying rush. Panic clawed at his mind, and he braced for the impact that would surely be his end.

Just as Eli was about to meet the ground, a firm grip caught him, halting his fall. The air was knocked out of his lungs, and he clung desperately to his savior. Eli's heart raced as he looked up, squinting against the sunlight.

"Looks like I caught something more annoying than a cat in a tree," quipped Spider-Man, his tone light and teasing. He swung effortlessly through the air, his web shooters propelling them both to safety.

Eli's relief was quickly replaced by fury. "You!" he spat, recognizing the red and blue suit. "I didn't ask for your help!"

"Well, excuse me for saving your life," Spider-Man shot back, a smirk evident behind his mask. "Next time, I'll let you become a street pancake."

Spider-Man landed gracefully on a nearby rooftop, setting Eli down with a flourish. "There you go, safe and sound. Try not to get into any more trouble, okay, Professor Michaelson?"

Eli's face twisted in rage as he glared at the masked hero. "I don't need your pity," he snarled. "And I certainly don't need you to play the hero for me."

Spider-Man shrugged, unfazed by Eli's outburst. "Hey, just doing my job. But seriously, maybe leave the hero stuff to the professionals. You’re better suited to scaring undergrads with pop quizzes."

Eli's fists clenched, his pride burning at the indignity of it all. How dare Spider-Man save him? How dare he humiliate him in front of everyone?

He stared after the masked hero, watching as Spider-Man launched himself with a web to go deal with the Green Goblin. Something Spider-Man had said lingered in Eli's mind. Wait, how did Spider-Man know that Eli was a professor? Eli opened his mouth to shout after him, running to the edge of the rooftop.

"Hey, Spider-Man!" he called out, his voice tinged with frustration. "How did you know I was a teacher?"

But Spider-Man was already swinging through the air, ignoring Eli's question as he pursued the Green Goblin. Eli's anger boiled over. He shouted after Spider-Man again, his voice echoing through the city streets.

"Come back here! I'm not done with you!"

Spider-Man paid no heed, his attention focused on the chaotic scene below where the Green Goblin continued to wreak havoc. Eli watched, seething, as Spider-Man closed in on the villain, deftly dodging the Goblin's attacks with acrobatic finesse.

The Green Goblin threw another pumpkin bomb, and Spider-Man quickly webbed it up, tossing it skyward where it exploded harmlessly. The Goblin screeched in frustration, his glider dipping and weaving erratically as he tried to shake Spider-Man off his tail.

Eli's anger turned to a mix of fear and awe as he watched the battle unfold. He could see the Green Goblin's eyes glowing with madness, his laughter echoing through the city. It was like a scene from a nightmare, the kind of chaos that could only exist in a world where supervillains and heroes clashed in the sky.

Suddenly, the Goblin's glider malfunctioned, sputtering and losing altitude. He careened towards the rooftop where Eli stood, and without thinking, Eli dove out of the way, barely avoiding the crashing glider. The impact sent a shockwave through the building, shaking the very foundations.

Eli scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding. He saw the Green Goblin rising from the wreckage, his mask cracked but his malevolent grin intact. The villain's eyes locked onto Eli, and a chill ran down his spine.

"Ah, the brave insect," the Goblin sneered, advancing towards him. "You thought you could challenge me? Pathetic."

Eli backed away, his mind racing. He had to get out of here, but there was nowhere to run. The Goblin raised his arm, a menacing blade extending from his gauntlet, and Eli's life flashed before his eyes.

"Not so fast, Gobby!" Spider-Man's voice rang out, and Eli turned to see the hero swinging in at the last moment, kicking the Green Goblin square in the chest and sending him flying backward.

Spider-Man landed in front of Eli, his stance protective. "You okay, Professor?" he quipped, glancing over his shoulder. "Maybe next time, stick to grading papers and leave the bad guys to me."

Eli's pride flared up again. "I don't need your help, Spider-Man," he snapped, though his voice trembled with the remnants of fear. "I can handle myself."

"Yeah, you were doing a bang-up job of it," Spider-Man shot back, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lunatic to deal with."

Spider-Man turned his attention back to the Green Goblin, who was already getting back on his feet, ready for another round. The two clashed again, trading blows and quips as they danced through the ruins of the rooftop.

Eli watched, a mix of horror and fascination playing across his face. He couldn't deny the skill and bravery Spider-Man displayed, even as he resented the hero's presence. Despite his hatred for the masked vigilante, a small part of him was grudgingly impressed.

The Green Goblin let out an angry scream, realizing he was not going to win this battle. Desperation flashed in his eyes as he grabbed a pumpkin bomb from the wreckage of his glider. With a wild swing, he hurled the bomb, missing Spider-Man by a mile. But Spider-Man quickly realized the bomb's true target: a nearby news helicopter, hovering to film the fight.

As the bomb struck the helicopter's tail, the aircraft spun wildly, its balance lost. Spider-Man's eyes widened in horror as the helicopter spiraled out of control, descending rapidly toward the ground.

"Not today, Gobby!" Spider-Man shouted, leaping into action.

The Green Goblin seized the opportunity to flee, jumping from the building and disappearing into the cityscape below. But Spider-Man had no time to worry about the escaping villain; the people in the helicopter needed him.

He swung into the air, webs shooting out with precision. "I always wanted to be on the news, but this is ridiculous!" he quipped, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere as he approached the helicopter.

Spider-Man landed on the helicopter's skidding tail, the wind from the rotors whipping around him. He shot web after web, anchoring the aircraft to the nearby buildings, trying to slow its descent. "Hold on tight, folks! Spidey Airlines is here for a safe, but bumpy landing!"

The pilots and the reporter inside the helicopter were pale with fear, clutching their seats as Spider-Man fought to stabilize the aircraft. His muscles strained as he pulled against the force of gravity, his webs stretching but holding firm.

"Just another day in the life," Spider-Man muttered to himself, shooting another web to the rooftop of a nearby skyscraper. The helicopter's descent slowed, but it was still spinning out of control.

"Okay, new plan," Spider-Man said, his mind racing. He leapt to the front of the helicopter, gripping the nose tightly. "Time to play tug-of-war with gravity!"

Using every ounce of his strength, Spider-Man pulled the helicopter's nose upward, trying to level it out. The aircraft wobbled precariously but began to steady. He then shot more webs to nearby buildings, creating a complex web network to catch the helicopter.

"Come on, baby, you can do this," he grunted, his muscles burning with effort. "I've got you!"

Finally, the helicopter's spinning stopped, and it hovered, tangled in Spider-Man's webbing. The crowd below erupted in cheers as the pilots regained control, safely lowering the helicopter to the ground.

Spider-Man landed lightly on the street, his chest heaving from the exertion. He turned to the crowd, giving a mock bow. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you catch a helicopter!"

The pilots and the reporter emerged, visibly shaken but unharmed. They approached Spider-Man, gratitude shining in their eyes. "Thank you, Spider-Man. You saved our lives."

"Just doing my job," Spider-Man replied with a grin.

Someone then shouted for Spider-Man, and you turned around to see Eli running up to you, looking a little out of breath. As he reached you, his face was a mix of frustration and curiosity.

"Spider, wait!" he called out, his voice tinged with urgency. "How the hell did you know I was a teacher?"

You froze for a split second, feeling the weight of his question. Your mind raced, trying to come up with a plausible explanation. Quickly, you responded, your voice steady but a bit nervous. "I read a lot of newspapers, Professor Michaelson. I saw that you won the Nobel Prize, so I did some research about it."

Eli's expression shifted from suspicion to surprise, his eyes widening slightly. "Research, huh?" he muttered, clearly caught off guard.

Sensing the opportunity, you launched a web to a nearby building. "Yep, just a curious web-slinger," you quipped, giving him a quick salute. "Stay safe, Professor."

As you swung away, a crowd began to gather, cheering and clapping for you. "We love you, Spider-Man!" they shouted, their voices filled with admiration and relief.

The police, firefighters, and paramedics arrived on the scene, adding to the commotion. You knew it was your cue to leave before anyone else could ask more questions. You launched another web, swinging gracefully into the air as the crowd's applause followed you.

Meanwhile, away from the chaos, the Green Goblin landed on the balcony of his mansion. He dismounted his damaged glider with a heavy sigh, exhaustion evident in his posture. The grand balcony doors opened to his opulent bedroom, the heavy curtains fluttering in the breeze. As he entered, he tore off his grotesque mask and flung it aside, the metallic clank echoing through the room.

He approached the large, ornate mirror hanging on the wall and stared at his reflection, his eyes dark and weary. He rubbed his face, the reality of his dual life pressing heavily on his shoulders. "Why do we do this?" he muttered to himself, his voice a mixture of exhaustion and despair. "What's the point if we can't even get rid of that damn meddling spider?"

The Green Goblin's reflection seemed to shift, contorting into an image of pure rage. His eyes darkened, and a sinister grin spread across his face as the Goblin within him took over.

"Failure is not an option," the Goblin hissed, his tone dripping with venom. "We will destroy Spider-Man, one way or another. He won't stand in our way forever."

The man in the mirror clenched his fists, his anger simmering just below the surface. "We'll find your weakness, Spider-Man," he vowed. "And when we do, you will beg for mercy. I won't fail."

The reflection seemed to respond, its eyes gleaming with malice. "You better not, Shahbandar. We can't afford any more failures."

The man, now revealed as Lionel Shahbandar, turned away from the mirror, his jaw set with determination. "I won't fail," he vowed quietly. "Next time, Spider-Man won't be so lucky."

He paced the room, the tension in his body palpable. The weight of his ambitions and the constant pressure of his villainous alter ego were taking their toll. His mind raced, plotting his next move, even as doubts gnawed at the edges of his thoughts.

"Goblin," he muttered, almost as if addressing his darker self, "we need a new plan. Something that will finally put an end to that meddling spider once and for all."

As he continued to strategize, the mask of the Green Goblin lay discarded on the floor, a symbol of the madness and chaos that defined his other life. The mansion's opulence contrasted sharply with the turmoil within its walls, a stark reminder of the duality that plagued Lionel Shahbandar.

Back in the city, you swung through the air, the adrenaline of the day's events still coursing through your veins. As Spider-Man, you reveled in the freedom of the sky, the wind rushing past you as you zipped from building to building. The cheers of the crowd were a distant memory now, replaced by the familiar hum of the city below.

"Another day, another psycho with a bomb," you muttered to yourself, shaking your head at the absurdity of it all. "Seriously, do these guys ever take a day off?"

As you swung past a skyscraper, you spotted your reflection in the glass. The familiar red and blue suit clung to your form, a second skin that hid your true identity from the world. No one knew that behind the mask, Spider-Man was a woman. It was a secret you guarded fiercely, knowing that it added an extra layer of protection to your double life.

"At least the Green Goblin's out of commission for now," you mused, your thoughts drifting back to the fight. "But something tells me he won't stay down for long."

You landed gracefully on a rooftop, taking a moment to catch your breath. The city stretched out before you, a sprawling landscape of lights and shadows. It was a beautiful sight, one that reminded you why you did what you did.

"Alright, time to get back to class," you muttered, glancing at the time. "Better make up a good excuse."

[talonabraxas]

On June 21 at 9:08 p.m. EDT, the strawberry full moon in Capricorn will illuminate the night sky. It is the first full moon of summer, occurring less than 30 hours after the beginning of the solstice on June 20. Due to the energetic shifts in the cosmos, the strawberry full moon (named for the time of the northern hemisphere’s strawberry harvest) will be mighty in augmenting relationships. Earthlings will experience the “moon illusion,” where an optical illusion makes the moon appear larger on the horizon. 

Venus, who’s in Cancer, opposes the full moon, making us apt to take a position of understanding and to believe in the good of others. Jealousy and hidden desires can come to light, making it hard to control our feelings. Our heart chakras will be more open than usual: strawberries, namesake of the current moon, are associated with that particular energy center. Cleanse the chakra by placing rose quartz on the heart in a healing bath. It will guide you towards decisions that align with your core and being.

Our sentiments are extra sensitive as we’ve been dealing with the hazy and confusing Neptunian energy all week (Venus, Mercury and the sun in Gemini all squared Neptune in Pisces on June 16, 17 and 20). This energy is contagious so try to be kind. Mercury in Cancer harmonizes with Mars in Taurus on the day of the full moon. Although the vibe seems breezy, it can lead to arguments if people are pushed to their limits. Although we’ll be emotionally assertive and expressive, passive-aggressive reactions can be the final straw for most. Try to address the root of problems to create a better dynamic with others.

Fixed star Spiculum adds courage and bravery to helping us express our emotions. Spiculum does not want us to hold back and repress our sentiments. The caveat is that we have to look at matters from a place of empathy rather than one of selfishness. Passions will be extremely high, which could lead to obsessive thoughts, oppressive and controlling behavior, as well as the desire to push others toward our way of feeling and thinking without consideration for what they want. Don’t use emotional manipulation to get what you want. If you choose to use that method, it’ll eventually backfire. Allow people to make their own decisions and mistakes. 

The second full moon in Capricorn (the buck full moon) occurs on July 21. This lunation is characterized by dreamy, mysterious, magical Neptune, retrograde in Pisces, and revolutionary, wild and extraordinary Uranus in Taurus. It’ll also commence at 29 degrees, whereas the full moon on June 21 falls at 1 degree Capricorn. Both full moons will incite our passions but the wool pulled over our eyes will be removed on July 21, allowing us to see others and situations clearly. Once we do, we’ll run away for good and start a new chapter. It’s a wake-up call from the rapture we’re falling under on June 21. 

Overall, the strawberry full moon pushes us to connect with others soulfully. As long as we act on what’s in our hearts, we’ll be able to find the companionship and love we deserve and need. The same applies to helping our friends attain emotional success. Don’t stand in the way of other people’s happiness. Support others and you’ll receive the same unconditional sentiment in return. Remember, love can save the day if we are gentle, compassionate and respectful of others and ourselves.  Full Moon In Capricorn by Talon Abraxas

[knightotoc]

Best Star Wars scenes of the '20s so far:

(I was going to include the Baby Yoda and Trilla reveals but those were both in 2019!)

5. Yord's Indirect Mind Trick

In the first episode of Acolyte, arrogant Jedi Yord Fandar raises his hand to threaten a Neimoidian with a mind trick. The alien's companion quickly gives Yord the information he wants before he can cast the spell.

This is my favorite scene in Acolyte, as it shows the sinister side of a mighty Jedi Order, where the threat of magic is just as powerful as magic itself. It reminds me of the social dynamics in some Arthurian literature, and I always appreciate when SFF shows what ordinary people think of our powerful "heroes." Acolyte pulls its biggest Jedi-critical punches, but this one lands.

4. Leia Asks Obi-Wan about the Force

"How does it work, the Force? What does it feel like?"

"Have you ever been afraid of the dark? How does it feel when you turn on the light?"

"I feel safe."

"Yes, it feels like that."

An unexpectedly tear-jerking moment in an occasionally frustrating show, this scene accomplishes a bunch of great stuff. First, it centers the by-far most neglected central character of Star Wars, Leia, and her too-often offscreen journey with her own powers. Second, it shows a more vulnerable side to Obi-Wan: through didactic empathy with a child's fear of the dark, he tells us that he, too, is afraid of all the awful shit that happens to him. His coolness is a front, and his bravery is real. Third, it adds an emotional layer to the Light Side's role in the universe; Yoda's "luminous beings" metaphor is just as beautiful, but much more cold.

3. Tsubaki's Prophecy

In the final episode of the first season of Visions, jaded old Jedi Knight Tsubaki is haunted by a nightmare of death, which comes to pass by his own ironic hand. It reminds me strongly of Anakin's vision in the second half of Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars from 2003, but without the kinda offensive "primitive natives" vibe.

Visions is an awesome format for including more artistic and unusual creators in Star Wars, like the similarly-named and just as wacky Visionaries comic book from 2005. It's great to be able to make these comparisons to the 00s, the best era of Star Wars.

I especially appreciate when these odd short stories get to be tragic. Singular voices that acknowledge sadness and darkness feel even more daring now under Disney than they did under George Lucas, who after all seems like quite a pessimist himself.

2. Crosshair's One-Handed Shot

I've already written a long post about this moment in the Bad Batch finale; the tl;dr is that, for once, Star Wars actually acknowledges the consequences of amputation. Crosshair, a sniper who has none of the magic powers or institutional support of other Star Wars amputees, has to take a high-stakes shot at his own baby sister's handcuffs before the attached villain drags her into a chasm. It's incredibly exciting and feels earned and genuinely empowering. Star Wars is one of the worst culprits of the fantasy robot prosthetic trope, which I've really begun to despise, and this scene moves away from that in the most satisfying way.

1. "I can't swim."

Andor #1 of course!!!!!!!!!

[starseneyes]

Good Omens - A Good Kiss

I know we all have hopes and dreams for Season 3. And we all know the masterful Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman already had a plan and it will be sensational, whatever it is.

But as I considered my personal, fangirl wish list, I finally reached the crux of why mine includes a "good" kiss for our favorite ineffable idiots.

And... well... it's personal. But, I thought I'd share. Writing things out is always healing for me, so maybe it'll help someone else, ya know?

TRIGGER WARNING: Assault / Child Molestation

When I was 12 years old, I rode home from a funeral with my abuela's best friend's husband. I was told repeatedly he was like a second grandfather to me since mine died when I was only 8.

So, once we arrived at his house ahead of my abuela and her friend, I kissed him on the cheek and thanked him for listening to me on the ride as I rattled on about Star Trek.

He took this as an invitation to stick his tongue down my throat. He went to put his arms around me, but I let my body weight drop to the floor and crawled away until I could stand. I ran to the bathroom and locked myself in until my abuela and her friend arrived.

When they did, I asked for a pen and paper to write down various nuts. I asked them for suggestions, and while I did write down nuts... I also wrote down what happened. I passed the note to my abuela, asking her to double check my notes.

We left moments later. But in the car, she yelled at me. She said I "made him do it" and that I was an over-affectionate, bad girl. That I shouldn't tell anyone, especially my mother, because she would be angry with me.

Suffice it to say, that was the last summer I spent with her. But only after I found the bravery to tell my mother what happened months later.

The damage was done. I believed my abuela that I was the problem. I believed I ruined everything. The psychological damage from that whole thing spanned decades.

// END TRIGGER

So, for me, I want Crowley and Aziraphale to have a kiss that is good because their first kiss was absolutely awful. Narratively gutting and incredible? Yes. Gosh, yes. But awful.

And I want to watch them have a shared kiss that is sweet and filled with the love they both obviously feel for one another.

I'm not likening the Aziracrow kiss to assault. Please know that. I'm only connecting the dots of why I respond so strongly to the idea of a "good" kiss for our ineffables.

I realized that my trauma is informing how I view that first kiss of theirs. It isn't the sweet, loving, wonderful kiss that I want for them. I want them to have the opportunity to kiss one another openly, on the same page, fully enveloped in one another's love and embracing it.

They aren't defined by whether or not they kiss again. Their love is alive in everything they say and do. It is not conditional on a kiss.

But I still want it for them.

My whole thing with my first boyfriend when I was 16 wasn't the dream, but my first kiss was. He didn't even know my history, but I still remember him asking permission before kissing me ever so sweetly. And that kiss was strangely healing.

So while it's absolutely selfish, I do hope we get another kiss between our ineffables in Season 3. Because I want that lovely moment for them, but also for me.

I'm gutted that their first kiss was awful, and I would love them to have the sweetness that I finally found myself.

Oh, and my husband? The man I married 16 years ago and have been with 20 years? Besides a stage role (because, of course, I married an actor), I was his first kiss. And it was the sweetest!

Now, we might not get a kiss in Season 3. I completely understand that. There's an ineffable plan already in play that will be whatever it will be. But, I do have this hope... and now I understand why.

Golly, isn't it strange how the media we consume can feed into our own healing? Maybe I'll tell you the rest of my story another time. But, for now, I'm glad I understand myself a little better. Growth! Huzzah!

[dorian-winter]

Hey, I posted the first chapter of a fic inspired by @sebbianas post. This one. ✨

I had a lot of fun writing it. I hope that the people that liked the original prompt might enjoy this, too :)

The story is written from several POV, and the first chapter features Sirius' as well as Regulus' POV. The second chapter will then have Remus' and James' POV for a change.

Here is the summary:

Remus and James work at a fast food chain as delivery guys. The black brothers become their loyal customers, as it seems they have really taken a liking to the taste of the pizza they offer.

What James and Remus don't know, however, is that after 20 days of Pizza for lunch straight, Sirius and Regulus hate Pizza. In fact, they can't stand Pizza's guts. They've eaten so much of it, the memory of it will last them a lifetime. Still, they don't stop ordering.

They hope that at least one of them will muster up the bravery soon to ask one of the cute delivery boys out, so they can finally stop having Pizza for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Thanks again for the permission to write this based on your AU! ✨

[barbie-nightmare-house]

I only got into true detective about a month ago and I'm happy to find people in the same boat; if you don't mind could you share some of the deeper thoughts you've had about the show? Your interpretations/headcanons?

Fuck yes I can, goddamn I'm so excited

First, I think the first and fourth seasons are perfect reflections of one another. If you haven't watched S4, many apologies for spoilers. I highly suggest sucking it through a straw.

I’ve been reading the book Dancing in the Flames: The Dark Goddess in the Transformation of Consciousness by Marion Woodman and Elinor Dickson

In which, the philosophical concepts of self and universal consciousness are analyzed through the framework of the divine masculine and divine feminine. I believe this plays into the themes of both Season 1 and Season 4 of True Detective.

Nic Pizzolatto has expressed that Marty and Rust were written as men he could easily see himself becoming (How I Wrote True Detective - Behind the Curtain, particularly his statement at 3:20), which in essence, is an exploration of how masculinity manifests in different contexts. These are men whose flaws render them incapable of living 'normal' lives, yet enable them to demonstrate bravery in situations where most would not.

There is a lot of gendered discourse around Season 4 that I won't get into. Ultimately, I think it does a wonderful job of presenting the flip-side of the unbalanced masculinity in Season 1 by showing us unbalanced femininity. The women centered in Night Country are imperfect; they struggle with close relationships, with demonstrating faithfulness in relationships, with maternalistic nurturing, with regard for victims, etc.

So, both seasons together really solidified my understanding of the overall story. I'll be using balance, gender, time, and death as the themes here.

There are a few lines in Dancing in the Flames that stuck out to me:

“The psyche, as a self-regulating system, yin and yang in perfect balance, is a vision that historically has yet to be realized. […] In history, as in marriage, or in the individual, when a balance becomes stagnant, one or other of the energies moves out to new adventures. The spurt forces the complimentary energy to move also, until a new balance is found. So the spiral moves.”

It's kind of funny that I picked up this book right after my second rewatch of season 4. I'm big on synchronicities, just seeing shit that plainly ain't there. But here we go,

The imagery presented in Season 1 of True Detective appears to be inspired by some iteration of Cernunnos, a Celtic God of fertility, power, & blessings/weath; "god of beasts and wild places." Further, Cernunnos is the God of the Winter Solstice; the Dark Months (re: the significance of Season 4 Executive producer Mari-Jo Winkler saying, “Let’s look at season one of ‘True Detective.’ Hot, sweaty, male. We wanted to do [the] complete opposite. Dark, Ice, Cold.” in the True Detective: Night Country Podcast). "Cernunnos is the antlered god, part man and part stag. He is born on the darkest day of the year, winter solstice, and marries the goddess of spring, Beltane. About six months later, on summer solstice, he dies.

Among pagans, he is considered the god of fertility, animals, and wealth, and the underworld—sometimes he carries a purse filled with coin, for wealth. This connection to wealth and gold coins is found in the myth about Pluto (Hades), the god of the underworld, from which all wealth comes. Indeed abundance comes from what is deep in the earth and deep in our own psyche.

He is born on winter solstice and dies on summer solstice. This suggests his association with the rise of energy, augmentation, the increasing of light, lengthening of the day and peak experiences. He is a god associated with the potency and power of male sexuality, but not its completeness. Falling on the ground, broken, limp, is just as important an experience of the male psyche as standing erect. Also, the fact that he dies at the peak of light, the second half of the seasonal cycle brings, means that he does not hold the introspective qualities that the harvest brings and the completion of the diminishing of light.

Perhaps Cernunnos is balanced somewhat by his marriage to the goddess of Beltane. She is celebrated in a time when blessing comes from rubbing yourself with the dew of early May morning to soak in the blessing of Spring. Helen Chantler, the designer of our company, remembers watching the horned man in the forest on her BBC television growing up. It was an image that conveyed guardianship and the protector of the forest. Yet this image of the antlered man, so powerfully associated with Celtic myth and lore, has been widely depicted and enacted across indigenous cultures for thousands, or perhaps tens of thousands of years. Iconography of an antlered man, standing, have been found in French Paleolithic cave paintings" (reference).

Full disclosure, I am not learned in Celtic myth or any such topic. I don't know if this was the intended reference material for Season 1's Big Bad Spookiness, but I think thematically, this explains the unexplained in both S1 and S2.

I randomly picked up this book I hadn't yet read, which I bought at random in a used bookstore probably 5 years ago, flipped through, and landed on this picture.

Synchronicities dawg.

Woodman and Dickson have this to say:

"This is Cernunnos, Lord of the Animals. It is Shiva, or Dionysus archetypal energies long repressed by Christianity. Repression turned the Horned God into the Horned Devil, the root of all evil. [...] The Horned Devil is energy that is so repressed and cut off from the earth that it is best symbolized by Mephistopheles, the light and airy creature that floats above the earth. The Horned Devil is the disembodied spirit that manipulates, usurping situations for the gratification of its instinctual desires for domination-- sexual or otherwise. The Horned God, as Gary Lingen points out '...is a positive model for male power--free from the patriarchy and all other authoritative models--as he grows and passes through his changes during the wheel of the year, he remains in relationship to and not separate from the prime life and nurturing force--the Goddess.'

The Horned God, moreover, is an archetypal figure quite unlike most masculine images as they appear in culture. He is difficult to understand because he does not fit into any of the expected stereotypes, neither those of the "macho" male nor the reverse-images of those who deliberately seek effeminacy. He is gentle, tender and comforting, but he is also the Hunter. He is the Dying God--but his death is always in service of the life force. He is untamed sexuality--but sexuality as a deep, holy, connecting power. He is the power of feeling, and the image of what men could be if they were liberated from the constraints of patriarchal culture."

It's possible that Pizzolatto merely modeled the Big Bad Spooky Scary in Season 1 with paganistic imagery for fearmongering purposes, but I choose to believe that Childress, the Tuttles, and unnamed counterparts were worshippers of some bastardized version of Cernunnos.

It is indicated many times in both S1 and S2 that symbology associated with the murders is 'old', 'archaic', and looks like cave drawings. I believe the nature of the belief system associated with the Big Bad is transactional, given that it precedes Semitic religions.

What do you pray for when your primary goal is to live another day? You pray for abundant harvest, you pray for fertility, you pray for the sun to return.

What do you pray for when society becomes more collective? You pray for a bigger hut than the next guy, you pray for blessings.

What do you pray for when buildings scrape the sky? You pray for wealth, you pray for power.

I think the Tuttles and their counterparts belonged to a small group of worshippers who retained archaic beliefs and practices, which they attributed to the wealth or power their group amassed. Thus, they continued worshipping.

However, we only see the masculine aspects of this worship in Season 1. We see the vulnerable (women and children) victimized by physically and/or socially powerful men. We see this vulnerability overpowered through ritualistic abuses and murders, which demonstrates that the Big Bad have devolved to, or perhaps have always been, negligent of the inherent role of the divine feminine (Beltane, in this case, as the counterpart to Cernunnos). Thus, the Tuttles represent unbalanced masculinity, where they seek to overpower others in the name of worship. In reality, they are simply indulging in animalistic, individual desires. Truly, they may be neglecting and/or attempting to dominate the divine feminine out of innate fear.

"What is the way to appease the Great Mother, to keep her as Protectress and prevent her wrathful Vengeance? Give her what she demands-- blood! And likewise, invent a precise way to do it-- ritual! Thus, the first great ritual was a ritual of blood sacrifice, offered to the Great Mother-- to Mother Nature-- in a bartered attempt to quench her desire for blood. [...] Blood is indeed bodily life, and if you want to purchase life, you purchase it with blood. So goes paleologic; like magic, it works in partial truths; and like magic, since it is unable to grasp higher perspectives or wider contexts, it arrives at barbaric conclusions." - Marie-Louise Von Franz, Golden Ass of Apuleius: The Liberation of the Feminine in Man

Whatever, I won't get distracted by analyzing the psyche of side character antagonists. I won't! What I'm trying to say is:

They're worshipping an old religion, which requires blood sacrifice. This blood may be literal (murder), or symbolic (sexually abusing the innocent, i.e. symbolic blood of menstruation or deflowering).

As with all things, there is no inherent evil in worship, but this manner of worship represents a stark lack of balance. These are not praying men-- these are men attempting to manipulate nature, life/death, and femininity to their egoistic desires. Thus, they create imbalance.

This imbalance, in True Detective, is a microcosm representing greater imbalances of energy. Imbalance in society, in the universe, and in individuals. We are shown this lack of balance through complex characters.

Two characters, specifically, show us the energy required to correct universal balance; Rustin Cohle and Evangeline Siqiññaatchiaq Navarro.

I also won't get into the Messiah archetypes of these characters. I won't (I probably will).

This fucking long form analysis is going to be a bitch to read and is also a bitch to write, I'm struggling to collect my thoughts well enough to not communicate like we're playing Word Associations.

Okay. So. Rust = Divine Masculine. Evangeline = Divine Feminine. Hold onto that for later.

In the Southern states of America, such as Louisiana where the Tuttles have historical roots, power and wealth are generally understood as God’s Blessings. The Christian God. Which explains why the Tuttles used Christianity as a mask for their true beliefs and practices. Additionally, the immutable power of organized religion allowed the Tuttles and their associates access to vulnerable individuals to prey upon.

While the Tuttles practiced their underlying beliefs in secret, I believe Errol Childress’s murder of Dora Lange indicated his sentiments of rejection from his bloodline. Where the proper Tuttles secured social and financial power, Errol was essentially a grunt, despite enabling and participating in the ritualistic abuse and murder. He might have developed a coping mechanism of believing himself a profit. Frustrated that in the ‘real world’ the power and virility he exercised in private was not respected, he made a ‘show’ of Dora Lange’s murder. This could have been motivated by the following: - A rejection of the Tuttles secretiveness. We should be proud of our practices. Look, we’re untouchable. I won’t live in the shadows

A warning or punishment of the Tuttles. By displaying his practices proudly through Dora Lange’s presentation, Errol Childress places the Tuttles at risk for exposure. 

A personal demonstration of elevated dedication to his ‘god’, i.e., an attempt to prove he is more faithful than those who practice in secret. Errol was showing the world his power. 

I believe the Tuttle’s practice of murdering and abusing innocents in the name of a, conceivably, pagan god, is due to a bastardized interpretation of the god’s power and purpose. If we consider that Cernunnos alone is the divine masculine, incomplete/imbalanced without the feminine counterpart, we see the space where men may lean into this lack of balance as an opportunity to enforce patriarchal dominance over the divine feminine. By abusing the divine feminine (women and children), the interpretation of Cernunnos becomes a rat-race of man’s most basic pursuits; power, wealth, and death. They lord over the divine feminine by sacrificing its counterparts (women and children) to Cernunnos. In a patriarchal interpretation (cisgender, heterosexual) of nature, men cannot create as women can, so the most they can achieve in the way of god power is taking life. 

Then comes the spiral. In the first season, it appeared to be representative of the Nietzschean circular time theme. Given the events of Season 4 as a continuation of the spiral imagery, I have deduced that the S1 spiral is another perversion of old beliefs that the Tuttles have bastardized.

Rather than being a symbol of Cernunnos (real quick: peep Cernunnos vs. Carcosa?? 'He who eats time?' and absolutely chooooke on this interpretation) I believe the spiral represents his ‘wife’ or divine feminine counterpart– Spring. Or rather, Life. And thus, She is Time itself. The Tuttles pray to something that, again, EATS TIME. I'm sorry I keep saying this, but they only worship half of nature. It's a perversion. It's wrong. It's empty. S4 gives us the other half of the story.

In Season 4, the supernatural force, or ‘god’ is referred to with feminine pronouns: ‘She is awake, she is coming, she is here’. More on this later, but I think the spiral represents a larger concept than Cernunnos/Carcosa; Balance. Eternity. The Universe. I believed initially that the spiral was jagged, as opposed to the ‘perfect’ golden ratio, because it would have been carved or drawn with rudimentary objects by prehistoric humans. Looking at the galaxy in which earth exists (and others like it)-- I mean :/ I'm no science guy, but... come on now.

(cr. NASA / STScI)

(cr. Gabriel Pérez Díaz, SMM (IAC).)

(cr. Fibbonacci.com)

COME ON NOW.

Back to Cernunnos, he is the god of Darkness, and dies when Spring comes. However, he and his divine feminine counterpart never cease existing. They are married; opposite sides of a coin, constantly flipping; inextricably bonded. They are the same thing—and separate—and the same; flat time. (Side note: also found out the universe itself is 'flat' to our perception. I'm absolutely wrecked by this)

As Rust says, “Time created Death to grow the things it would kill.” So, from hereon, I will refer to Cernunnos’s counterpart, represented by the spiral symbol, as Time.

She is the spring, where life grows. In Season 4, we may assume that she eats in the winter. Despite the spooky Big Bad, overcoming evil, vibe of Season 4, it’s important to note that there is no inherent good or evil in the universe. There's just balance. While Navarro refers to the supernatural force as a “curse” that takes her people one by one, we must acknowledge that Death is the certainty of Life. Both states are suspended within time. Circular. Cyclical. Spinning. A spiral.

Ennis is a land of extremes, where Time and Existence appear to be a more ancient/raw form (prehistoric ice and such, significance of magnetic poles, idk I'm not a science guy).

As Time’s presence in Ennis is generally acknowledged by the indigenous people, it could stand that the descendants of those who existed on this land in prehistoric times would have a more innate connection to Time. On that land, where Time has more power, occurrences such as “the dead don’t stay dead” implicates that the laws of humanity are bent in favor of the unknowable reality of time. 

Whereas the Tuttle’s represent unbalanced patriarchal masculinity, i.e., acknowledging ‘old gods’ and worshiping them for self-serving gain, demonstrated by their social powers and abuses– the Iñupiaq people exhibit instinctual balance and reverence for the old ways.

The Tuttles and counterparts mark victims with the spiral, almost as if to attract the acknowledgement of their god, whereas the Iñupiaq people mark the spiral as a warning of her presence. It is stated that ‘she’ exists where the ice is thin over the sea. To me, this indicates that ‘she’ is somewhat synonymous with the sea, or the ground beneath it, as, in the prehistoric time (where her power would be more observable) the water level would've been lower (idk, I'm not a science guy). Basically, I think ‘she is awake’ indicates that she has gone dormant/is hibernating under the ice.

Thus, Time calls the Iñupiaq to areas of thin ice in order to ‘eat’ them. This practice is representative of a balance. She is existence in perfect balance. She is life and death. In her presence, time becomes nonlinear (i.e., the visions experienced by the characters in S4). Time becomes a flat circle.

The Tuttles presence in Ennis via the mine has disrupted the circle. The softening of permafrost due to the mine's pollution has both awoken her, and disrupted the balance of her domain. Life and Death. Rather than taking her justified ‘fill’ of the dead, pollution has caused an unnatural rise in deaths, exampled by the stillbirths. The Iñupiaq stillbirths represent the inherent interruption of natural course. Thus, she is not just awoken, but angered. She's PISSED.

This explains why the events in Season 4 unfold as they do. In the last episode, an Iñupiaq auntie explains that ‘she (Time)’ was responsible for taking the Tsalal men or releasing them. She chose to take them, and ‘eat their fucking dreams’.

This statement reminded me of the theme of dreaming in Season 1. A theoretical physicist, Fred Alan Wolf, claims that “dreaming is vital to our survival as a species and a necessary ‘learning laboratory’ wherein the self and the universe evolve. In brief, matter evolves through dreams.” In the book Dancing in the Flames: The Dark Goddess in the Transformation of Divine Consciousness, “the unknowable mystery we sometimes call God” can only be understood through finding individual and communal balance, which is historically and presently impossible due to patriarchal systems.

The significance of this, I think, is the overarching theme in both seasons: Time as an insurmountable force that weighs on the characters. Past, present, future are flattened and defined by suffering. We see the mostly faceless antagonists attempt to gain unnatural power over time– in Season 1, the Tuttles (and their counterparts) actions implicate a desire of procuring power and wealth through sacrificing innocent youth (balanced time), and in Season 4, they are searching for a microorganism that could provide insight into immortality, or at least further their material wealth and power– ultimately creating the imbalance of essential, unknowable truths: Time, Life, Death, and Dreaming. We also see the protagonists struggle under the weight of Time in a more intimate, consumable capacity.

The imbalance of energies is a human fault. This human fault, likely, has no true power in the universe. It is simply a disruptor, which will ultimately be self-corrected, as “the spiral moves.”

We see this correction in the form of an unlikely savior. In Season 1, this is Rust. In season 4, this is Navarro. They are both plagued with an undefined but obviously overwhelming burden of Time, and an innate connection to the unknowable.

While neither understands how or why, they have been called to a life which seems to deny human nature. Isolation, reluctant power (being a fuckin cop), and the responsibility of bearing witness to the soul-crushing examples of human failure. However, their actions and insight are ultimately the antithesis of the antagonists perversions of Life and Death. Both Rust and Navarro, though somewhat unwillingly, are called on to correct Time.

Their circular patterns become enlightened. They prevail. They balance the divine masculine and divine feminine.

I think this is most apparent in Navarro’s character arc. Particularly her statements, and the many examples of her being ‘called’ by Time. Her displacement from the community of people who share her blood, and thus her connection to the land, is significant because it has potentially inspired her to become a protector. With the social power of law enforcement, and the dual-perspective of those who perpetuate disbalance of time (cops, who ultimately are tools for high-level antagonists like the Tuttles), and those who keep it (the indigenous people), she is the perfect blend of energies to correct the balance. I think she was beckoned back to the land by Time specifically, (evidenced by her visions, like “listen”), with divine purpose. Her Inupiaq name meaning the sun’s return from darkness in itself is evidence of that. Her compassion for Annie K. has greater implications on the story than our understanding of justice. 

If she was called to the land by Time, presented with the murder of Annie K. as motivation to expose Tsalal, thus exposing the mine, and ultimately the Tuttles, Navarro restores the balance of Life and Death, and ultimately Time, to the land. Her personal journey reflects the initial disbalance, the unknowable forces at play, and ultimately the correction of both. She encompasses universal truths.

God calls from places where the ice is thin.

God is talking to Evangeline directly.

In the spiritual statements that tell Evangeline to “listen”, as well as the many visions in which an individual (conceivably possessed by spiritual forces) points at her, God orders her to bear witness, which is also the purpose that Rust Cohle assigned to his existence in Season 1.

Like Moses and the burning FUCKING bush, Evangeline is plagued with visions; and is called to carry the burden of guiding others into the light. 

As Rust said in the first season, “it’s the oldest story there is. Light vs. Dark” and “if you ask me, light is winning.”

Okay, that's all I have for right now. Sorry for using this as my excuse to go apeshit in the way I've been meaning to for weeks. If you'd like specific character headcanons or anything, let me know! Rust Cohle rents an apartment in my head and it fucking stinks in there.

[seriousbrat]

what’s your opinion on the house elf slavery and how it was handled by the author?

I think this post explains it really well and is worth a read, but I'll explain my own thoughts!

Let me preface this by saying that this isn't meant as a defence of JKR. There is obviously A LOT to criticise about JKR, in terms of her stances but even potentially of her writing. However I think it's important to be objective and intellectually honest about that criticism, because talent unfortunately does not go hand in hand with moral purity, as we've historically seen with MANY individuals. This performative pretence that JKR is suddenly a terrible writer now that we all hate her weakens any legitimate criticism of the author in my opinion. For better or worse HP is a very well-written children's series, which is why we're all here after 20 years, and I think it's better to just be honest about that and not give her any money ✌️

It's a pretty severe misreading of the text to believe that the message was "slavery good actually." Like that is totally ridiculous and imo indicative of fairly poor reading comprehension. this is a series meant for children and people shouldn't need things to be spelt out for them literally in order to understand them. HP is written in limited 3rd person pov-- Harry's-- and if people had payed attention in English class they'd remember the concept of an unreliable narrator.

The things that Harry believes and thinks are NOT always meant to be correct. He is wrong about house-elves when he joins in on Ron's and Hagrid's (the mainstream in the wizarding world) dismissal of the issue, and this is something he himself is confronted with throughout the books. The fact that it's treated as a humorous subject is meant to be wrong. Hermione is meant to be right, although (and the post I linked explains this very well) she may be going about it the wrong way because she lacks the perspective and the empathy to fully understand the issue from the house-elves' point of view.

When shown the memory of Hokey and Hepzibah Smith and learning of Hokey's fate, Harry angrily thinks that maybe Hermione has the right idea with SPEW. This is the first learning moment for him. The second (and biggest) is Kreacher's Tale. Harry has spent a whole book loathing Kreacher, blaming him for his role in Sirius's death. When hearing Kreacher's version of events, of his bravery and loyalty and love for Regulus (and the love Regulus had for him) he finally realises that Kreacher isn't to blame. Kreacher is just another victim of Voldemort and the cruelty of the system that forces Kreacher to be the way he is. Harry sees that Hermione was right all along. It's a huge lesson in empathy, and this is continued through Dobby's death, and then when Ron (who has been the most vocally apathetic towards the house-elf issue until then) expresses concern for the house-elves during the battle of Hogwarts.

Voldemort, Sirius, and the Malfoys underestimated house-elves in every way, and all of them pay for their mistake. This is a major lesson learnt throughout the books, as it is kindness and empathy towards house-elves, the love and friendship established with Dobby and later Kreacher, that save Harry and his friends. Harry's mourning for Dobby, his love for a house-elf, is what allows him to control the connection with Voldemort at last. I think that's very significant.

There's a line I love when they're forced to leave Grimmauld Place, where Harry thinks of Kreacher lovingly preparing their meal, not knowing that they won't arrive, and feels a "twinge of pity" that has nothing to do with the food. Similarly at the end of DH when he thinks of asking Kreacher of a sandwich, I actually think this shows a newfound fondness for Kreacher. It's imperfect, because it's meant to be. Change doesn't happen overnight and Harry is not some perfect paragon of social justice. There's still a long way to go in terms of changing the mentality around house-elf enslavement, and centuries of extreme brainwashing to undo.

With people like Harry and Hermione in positions of influence, and the new understanding they've both gained over the course of the story, there's hope for real change. Kreacher was already old by the time Harry met him, and personally I think it's kinder to let him live out his days in happiness, treating him as a friend as much as possible, rather than subjecting him to the trauma of being dismissed for political reasons. Whatever ancient spell is binding the house-elves, not to mention the brainwashing, it will likely be complicated and take time to undo, but there IS hope for the future. And I'm actually tearing up a little as I write this, but Kreacher and Dobby were heroes. Harry gave Dobby the hero's burial he deserved, and I can't imagine he'd do anything less for Kreacher.

This is already very long so I feel I can add my favourite image: