#Inverse variation

[spacedace]

So, sat down to write some more for Business of Family, got sidetracked by the idea of Jazz & Danny eventually joining Penguin at a Gala, further got sidetracked by trying to figure out what Jazz & Danny would wear, started looking up reference images to try and get an idea and -

Guys.

Guys, Guys, GUYS!

LOOK AT WHAT I FOUND:

I wasn’t even looking up Batman themed suites, I was looking at Art Deco inspired evening wear and it was just there in all it’s glory

Just, just IMAGINE someone wearing it at a gala. Is it Danny? One of the BatKids? Clark? BRUCE???

I just - holy shit. Holy shit. This suit is just, absolute perfection. Imagine it in like, the highest rich folk nonsense quality, gold thread embroidery in place of bright yellow print. Tailored perfectly. Oh god, imagine that it actually has a light system so that all the Bat-Signals LIGHT UP

I love it, it’s awful, I needed to share it with all of you, it’s going to be in every Batman related thing I write forever now

[inverse-problem]

obsessed with the earthmovers. they're a weapon. they're a home. they're the last stand of a centuries-long war. how many people lived their entire lives on one, knowing nothing else? how many people died to keep them running? how many of them were left scattered, crumbling on the surface of the earth? how much of them remained once they were scavenged for parts?

did they feel pain?

did they feel relief?

[dravidious]

You're more amazing than sickness

Lost Caverns of Ixalan is coming out on Arena tomorrow and I've avoided looking up any spoilers, aside from a few individual cards I stumbled across that didn't have any reminder text, so I have no idea what the new mechanics are. I looked up a list of the NAMES of the mechanics on the mtg fandom wiki, and I decided to make mechanics based on those names to see how close I get and also because it's fun.

Also I made this card for the descend mechanic at first but I didn't like the mechanic. How dare WotC make such a parasitic mechanic, they should really hire better designers smh. Also I realized that craft would probably be more interesting with artifacts that have tap abilities.

[hirokiyuu]

idk theres a lot of ways to take dishsoap!!!! there's a lot of ways to make them good for each other or bad for each other or playing off each others good points or bad points and it's fun!!!!!!

[guitarguitarworld]

Al Di Meola Arpeggio Inversions on Guitar: Techniques and Variations

Al Di Meola Arpeggio inversions: Right hand guitar technique lesson Please watch video above for detailed info: Hi Guys, Today, a look at picking arpeggio inversions on the guitar. This is in the more recent style of Al Di Meola’s nylon string guitar playing/composing. The main guitar picking pattern is “Down Down Up” and the variations of this naturally occur form the music itself. Here is…

[yammoba]

Also the other day a middle age couple came to the shop i work at and were like "we need a bracelet made of a stone to help with anxity"

So i was like, ah, well lepidolite is gennerally considered best-

No

It was too feminine for their son.

(Lepidolite is a mottled purple stone, not even all the way purple in that form its purple and white)

The lady was like, we need something more masculine, what do you have thats more masculine?

????idfk???? What colors??? Does your son like?????

I litterally did not know. I figured black/grey is the best option so I start to show the smokey quartz. Its not the most traditional choice for anxity, but it should be close enough.

But she goes for the gold stone and was like, of isnt thins one good for anxity, and it seems pretty masculine, what do you think?

(Goldstone is made of sparkles) I was like, well that one isnt tradionally more associated with wealth and oportunity but idfk if you think its good who fuckin cares. But she was like, ah nah, nvm...

I gennerally don't even care if people are like, of, nah, thats too feminine/too masculine for me. But it kills me when they are 1) deciding for someone else, and 2) asking ME what I think. MOTHER FUCKER YOU THINK I KNOW??? WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU ASKING ME? The levels of -gender- this particular couple were on in regards to the various bracelet styles, even within one stone were so bat shit it fully reminded me that I am apparently fully lost and out of touch when it comes to the "gendering" of metaphysical nonsense jewlery.

[timeconqueror]

Thinking about Majors talking about Kang's cadence

[homunculus-argument]

Sometimes people on tumblr will reply to someone's personal story, starting with "the opposite happened to me/the opposite is also true!" and then tell their own story that is pretty much just... The same story. A variation of the exact same circumstances causing an extremely similar cause and effect. Not the reverse of it, not an inversion, just a variation of the same themes.

...I'm starting to suspect that some of you just plain don't know what "opposite" means.

[noneorother]

I broke down the hilarious amount of "Aziraphale tartans" so you don't have to.

I've been slowly going bonkers collecting the amount of times members of the cast/creators and fans of Good Omens over the years have referred to various things as "Aziraphale's tartan". Even on merchandise, I've seen wildly varying opinons about what pattern Aziraphale's tartan actually is. Your resident graphic designer has decided to sit down and just do the damned thing*. Exhibit A) Tartan Origin

Sarah Arnett posted this image to her instagram in 2019, having created "Heaven's dress tartan for the character Aziraphale". However, the only time I've actually seen this pattern used in good omens is in the season 2 announcement poster made by Mickey, and maybe on a pair of socks Aziraphale wears in season 1, (but I'm not convinced).

So here's what that looks like. Note I've rotated the original pattern 90 degrees clockwise in my final pattern (far right) for reasons that will become clear shortly.

Exhibit B) Aziraphale's Bowtie, Thermos, Notebook etc.

This is the tartan that Aziraphale actually wears for most of seasons 1 & 2.** It's a recoloured version of the Exhibit A), and has been rotated 90 degrees on it's bowtie application so that the darker bars run vertical, and not horizontal. The problem is, while the direction of the pattern on his accessories doesn't change, it does on the bowtie. You can see examples of the tartan going right OR left in both season 1 and 2.

Exhibit C) Aziraphale's Brown Bowtie...

This Tartan isn't just a trick of the light. For the first park bench scene in season 1, Aziraphale is wearing a version of his regular bowtie, recoloured in brown and rotated 90 degrees, so that it fits with the direction of the original Exhibit A) Tartan, but not with the direction of the tartan on his Exhibit B) regular bowties. This bowtie was made special, from cloth cut in the opposite direction.

Exhibit D) Aziraphale's Magical Cravat!

Now this is where it starts to get interesting! I haven't seen many people discuss Aziraphale's magician disguise from season 1, but his cravat actually has both Exhibit B) and Exhibit C) tartans to create a contrasting double sided tartan: the outward facing brown, and the hidden, inward facing blue (according to costumer, because of lack of enough brown).

Exhibit E) Saraqael's and Muriel's Tartan

Don't be fooled, Saraqael's and Muriel's tartan may look similar in colour to Aziraphale's, but when you pick it apart, it's got inverse colours, and mildly squished horizontal striping. If you note the orange boxes in each picture, you can see the ratio of the blue stripe to the vertical stripes in each tartan is different, while keeping the overall pattern and ratio in each direction the same. Exhibit E) has a square intersection. It's also usually woven much larger. This tartan also introduces a small sliver of hunter green into the beige/blue/purple palette that's been seen so far.

Exhibit F) Gabriel's Tartan Blanket

Like the others, Gabriel's S2E1 blanket is a variation on the original Heaven's Dress Tartan. It's got very squished horizontal striping though, and is woven even larger than the Saraqael Tartan. Most noticeably though, while it has the same grey vertical striping as Exhibit E) it's now got even more green in it, and the purple is gone almost entirely (save one line).

Exhibit F) Have a bonus Crowlee Tartan from the Season 1 body swap miracle that matches none of these.

It's silver silk though. Can I get a wahoo....?

__________________________________________ *Disclaimer: I am not Scottish, and definitely not an expert in tartan, just a tired graphic designer. If you want tartan expertise, you can go here (although I don't really agree with what they say about the main colour pattern) https://livebloggingmydescentintomadness.tumblr.com/post/189300035060/a-discourse-on-tartan

**In order to deduce colours, I've used high quality BTS footage or photography in neutral lighting whenever possible. Especially in season 2, colour grading and post processing of the final show make colour matching between scenes and/or seasons impossible.

[itsabouttimex2]

I hope this isn't an odd question

But, do you think Wukong or Macaque would act or treat different their "cub" if they genders were swapped or being a female version? This is also for a Yan behavior

I don't know too much about how is the raising of a monkey from the father and mother so I was curious with this since they're both mystical demons

I was thinking about this when I saw some fanarts from the artist @/car_nimbus on Twitter, they made a neat versions of the characters with another gender

Monkey Mama

(Hmm okay let me build a hypothetical OG “Female Monkey King” to work off of here and then I’ll try to translate that into LMK’s SWK. Also, I’ll probably make a second variation of this afterwards with other characters, haha. This got a little long to do both SWK and Mac!)

Sun Wukong as a character is already heavily defined by rebellion and personal choice, so I think that making him a girl only really compounds that layer of his character.

In many older narratives, female characters are often expected to be more obedient or modest than men, and very frequently only exist as prizes or, more rarely, villains. A female Sun Wukong; assuming she plays the same role as her original incarnation, defies the expectations of how “traditional” women should behave, shirking the demure and passive “ideal” and adding another layer of rebellion to her character.

(JTTW is actually pretty great in terms of female representation, with characters ranging from the perpetually good Quanyin, the eventually repentant Princess Iron Fan, and the straight up evil White Bone Spirit. I’m a big fan of how the women aren’t slid into any one “role” throughout the story.)

I think: in story, she’d likely be viewed as a sort of “anomaly”—a woman too strong, too outspoken, and too unwilling to conform to typical feminine ideals. Her defiance and arrogance might be viewed as even more scandalous by the Celestial Realm.

Instead of being made a “stable-keeper”, I think probably she’s sent to whatever Heavenly Scullery exists in that divine realm, and put to work very quickly. She would treat this “job” with indifference or even amusement at first-after all, physical labor or menial tasks don't diminish her self-worth or confidence! She’s had a life of hard work, leading an army of Yaoguai, cultivating Flower Fruit Mountain,

So she’s fine with this… at first. Then it turns out that the food she makes with her fellow low-class workers isn’t distributed amongst the people making it, but plated up nice and pretty for a bunch of “stuffy old gods” who didn’t lift a finger! Bullshit!

So obviously, the prideful Monkey Queen goes on a destructive rampage in regards to the unfair disparity of treatment, then storms back down to Earth to throw a “feel-better” party with her fellow Yaogaui.

(Which isn’t just a party, but a symbolic reclaiming of joy and community, with her monkey tribe representing the freedom she craves and the earthly bonds she prefers over heavenly authority. It's not just an escape, but a statement of independence.)

After an extensive set of repairs, the Court sends down someone to drag her back, because, you know, the local super-powered monkey is back on the loose, and that’s not exactly great for them. This time, they offer her a “better” role- she gets to become an official Peach Maiden, lucky her!

Of course, it’s just another form of entrapment, but within a prettier cage. Even though she's given a cushier position, it's a veneer- she's still being silenced, controlled, and stripped of her freedom. The role played by a Peach Maiden is an inversion of Wukong's essence, as these women are happily serving the role of passive caretakers, nurturing with gentle smiles—a direct contrast to the free-willed, brash nature of the Monkey Queen.

(And while there’s nothing wrong with being demure, passive, and feminine, having people try to force her into that role is where Sun Wukong draws her line.)

Here, she is expected to watch in silence as others revel in the freedom and power denied to her. It's a different kind of prison, one that quietly erodes her spirit. When the Celestial Court tries to reintegrate her as a Peach Maiden, they are once again attempting to place her into a docile, decorative role, one that strips away her power and independence. Those immortal peach orchards, a symbol of immortality and divine favor, becomes a prison for her.

Surrounded by "ideal" women who embody the quiet, submissive role she despises, the Monkey Queen finds herself chafing under the pressure of conformity. Her energy, once boundless and chaotic, is now caged, and the simmering resentment builds.

The buildup to her inevitable rebellion after being made a Peach Maiden, then, becomes a very sympathetic moment because it's not just a rejection of the role forced on her, but a rejection of the very system that tries to diminish who she is at her core. Her rebellion isn’t about anger and shame- it’s about reclaiming her true self after having been suffocated by the expectations of the Celestial Court. Her rampage becomes an assertion of her identity as something that can't be confined by heavenly rules or social mores.

The Court, in its attempt to “contain" her, only fuels her defiance further, leading her once again to rebel.

It was never going to end well. But it ends all the same, and punishment is to be levied to the Queen, just the same as any other rebellious rule-breaker... actually, probably harsher.

There’s “you broke our rules and tried to lead a coup”, then there’s “you did all that, and we also find your very person to be wrong on a fundamental level”, and then she gets the book thrown at her twice over.

But! Then she meets Tang Sanzang, who sees something in her that neither the Celestial Realm nor her own band of Sworn Brothers saw. Not a heretic simian savaging a holy realm. Not a Queen to rally behind for their own gain.

But a lost soul in need of guidance.

And from there the Great Monk works on building Sun Wukong up as a person instead of leading her astray or trying to cut massive chunks of her personality out? And talks to her about the things she cares about? And teaches her about all the things she missed after spending five hundred years under a rock?

And then she meets Zhu Baije, who starts out a little too happy and carefree about having a beautiful woman around, but eventually comes to smash open heads when Wukong is disrespected, because that’s not just a hot woman, that’s his sister?

Or Sha Wujing, who helps her with even the smallest things, from trimming her claws to cutting her wild hair to preparing meals for the monk? And lets her perch on his shoulders and head so the queen can get some skinship in?

Then Ao Lie, who is every bit the “disappointment to the world at large” that she was considered? And they take turns braiding each other’s hair and wiping the mess from the other’s face, and sleeping in the same tent and same bedroom because it’s less effort?

She gets a dad and three little brothers?

She gets a family.

And then loses it and is alone again for several hundred years more.

So if we go with this theoretical “My natural existence has been rejected for being seen as ‘improper’ by a court of stuffy traditional assholes” and then “I dearly love/miss my dead found family” angle, I think she’d be portrayed as a very different sort of character in LMK.

She’s quicker to lash out and defend herself, and much less willing to sit around and let the world pass her by- because that’s what was demanded of her by the Celestial Realm.

Be good. Be quiet. Be demure. Be obedient. Be anything except you.

I don’t think she’d be as willing to “rest on her laurels” as her canon counterpart, given that a “quiet boring life” was what she had fought so very hard to escape in the first place, so instead of isolating herself from the world in the first place, she probably sets up a little “souvenir shop” at the foot of Flower Fruit Mountain, taking a human form to sell little knick-knacks that herald to the journey she undertook with her old friends.

In part, this is how Wukong works to honor them. To spread their legacy. To ensure that they aren’t forgotten, left as a footnote in the annals of history. To remember them.

In part, it’s how she justifies all the mistakes she’s made and the suffering she’s been through. Settling in to a pointlessly relaxed life is exactly what she fought against, after all. She’s heavily fallen into the “sunk-cost fallacy”, where giving up and settling in, to her, means “losing”. It means “everything I went through was all for nothing”. So she keeps at this little store instead of just retiring and isolating herself from the world, even though she’d be happier to ditch it and lounge about.

So when MK and his eccentric bunch of friends comes around with their boundless energy and mischief, she immediately goes, “Oh, okay! This is what I wanted!”

(It’s not. All she’s ever wanted is her friends back. How could there be anything else?)

The Monkie Kids are vibrant, eccentric, and full of qualities that immediately resonate with Wukong. They remind her of the energy, camaraderie, and sense of adventure that she once shared with her old companions. She sees MK's arrival not just as a chance to teach someone a few of her old tricks, but as an echo of her own life—a life she hasn't been able to truly let go of.

So she starts projecting- on the surface, MK is very much like her. He's spirited, good-natured, and curious- and reckless. Just like she was. Wukong latches onto this quickly, sort of using the kid as a proxy for herself. After all, if she can't go back to her old life, why not embrace a new one that feels close enough? In some ways, this marks her refusal to accept the passage of time, a desperate clinging to the hope that, through MK, she can rekindle the connections she once cherished.

However, underneath that initial enthusiasm is the repressed understanding that MK, despite his similarities to her younger self, cannot truly replace what she lost. The friends she fought beside, the battles they waged together, and the lessons they learned are unique, irreplaceable moments in her life. No matter how much MK’s gang reminds her of the past, he and his friends a stand-in for the companions she still longs for. But her deep desire to reconnect with her old friends clouds her ability to see MK for who he truly is: his own person, on his own journey.

It takes her a while to get to that point, though. So she’s more doting and affectionate, in a way that somewhat stifles her student’s training because she wants to be both her old carefree self and also a good mentor, and the two just get jumbled.

Sidenote: I think with the difference in actions and behavior, MK would be more open to viewing Fem!Wukong as a parental figure than the OG, especially since he doesn’t really have someone to fulfill that “mom” role.

For their dynamic, I think something like this would be the outcome:

———————————————————————-

The afternoon sun hangs low in the sky, painting the landscape in hues of varied orange and blue. With a tired hand, MK wipes the sweat from his brow.

He’s perched on one of the rocky spires dotting Flower Fruit Mountain, gazing at the view with a small smile of accomplishment. Training had been intense lately… if only because he had been doubling down on the time he spent practicing, without giving as much care to rest or aftercare.

After all, even though his powers were blooming steadily… his enemies also were growing in power and quantity, leading to the ever-creeping edge of fear that anything less than a constant one-hundred percent just wouldn’t be “enough”.

And right as he reaches back to grab the golden staff he has inherited from the Monkey Queen-

“MK! I told you to take a break, not run off to do more training!”

Her voice, uncharacteristically sharp, cuts through the formerly tranquil air, causing MK to jump. He turns just in time to see Sun Wukong strolling toward him, her hands on her hips and a look of mock annoyance on her face.

MK grinned sheepishly, shifting his grass-stained boots against the dirt. “I was just, you know… checking out the view.”

She raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth twitching in amusement as her eyes narrowed in annoyance. This kid... “Uh-huh. Checking out the view or sneaking in some practice when I wasn’t looking?”

Caught fast in his lie, MK rubbed the back of his neck, face scrunching up in embarrassment. “Maybe a little of both?”

In spite of herself, Sun Wukong quietly laughs, the sound echoing like a chiming bell through the mountain. Her long, golden hair flowed behind her in the wind, each strand catching the light like molten fire. Despite her legendary status- the rebellious warrior who’d fought the heavens and nearly won!- there was a warmth to her that MK had come to cherish.

“All work and no play, MK,” she said, sitting beside him on the rock and ruffling his hair with a fondness that always made him feel like a little kid again. “You’ll burn out before you get anywhere.”

He looked at her, eyes shining with admiration. “But you never stop training. You’ve been at this for centuries! I just…”

A pause, as his chest turns over, unsettled by the notion of opening up. But… it’s the Monkey Queen. So it.. should be okay, right?

“I want to make you proud.”

Sun Wukong’s expression softens, and she wraps an arm around his shoulders, pulling the boy close in a tight embrace. “You already make me proud, kid. You don’t have to prove anything.”

MK leaned into the touch, feeling a wave of comfort wash over him. Even from the start she’d been like this with him- protective, nurturing… and maybe a bit overbearing at times. But he didn’t mind. It made him feel safe, like no matter what challenges lay ahead, he wasn’t alone.

MK chuckled, turning his face up to meet his idol’s eyes.” I’ll keep up,” he triumphantly declares, pumping a fist.” I promise.”

“Good.” Wukong shifted, her clawed hand lightly missing his spiked locks. “Now, how about we head back to the shop and grab something to eat? You’ve earned it.”

MK’s stomach growled at the mention of food, and he nodded so eagerly that she wondered if his head wouldn’t ache from the motion. “You know, I won’t say no to a good meal.”

The Monkey Queen stood up, dusting off her mentee’s clothes before offering him a hand. “Of course you won’t. C’mon, my treat.”

———————————————————————-

Now, to answer your question about how she acts in regards to her own cub… in general I think she’s much more doting than the OG, willing to express herself through constant displays of physical affection, in ways that are far more varied.

Constant forehead smooching, cuddles, grooming sessions, all of it! Mama Wukong never wants to let go of her baby! Sit down and let her paint your nails! Let her comb and braid your hair! Let her make you a nice lunch (loaded with mystical drugs to keep you nice and sleepy for extra cuddles), or at least a filling snack! Let her pepper your face with kisses as she spins you in her powerful arms!

Lots and lots of indulgent fluffy days of binging unhealthy foods and watching cozy reruns of old shows, your head in her lap as she hums and does up your hair with her lazy hands.

Lots of reminiscing about old suitors as she considers the quietest and quickest ways to kill anyone who makes the futile attempt to pursue you in the same way.

Despite her obsessive behavior, Wukong struggles with conflicting feelings about wanting her child to be strong and independent, just like her! She pushes you to train hard and become powerful, but when you inevitably seek their own freedom or autonomy, she’d experience a mix of pride and heartbreak, pushing her deeper into possessive tendencies.

If you ever tried to leave or even just start to break away, Wukong’s worst traits would bubble up like hellfire. Just as she fought against an entire realm’s authority, she would absolutely wage a war to keep her child close, all while justifying her actions as love.

The Monkey Queen is also more willing to take routes outside of brute force if it means securing extra protection for Y/N. If Macaque or maybe Azure (or someone else like Erlang Shen) wants to try and play “suitor”, well, she’s not too interested… until the thought arises that having him around makes you extra safe! And then she’s willing to think on it.

(That’s assuming that you aren’t one of their biological kids to begin with, in which case there might be a sort of “yandere triangle”. Azure/Macaque/Erlang Shen doing his damndest to reclaim his wife, before he learns that she’s had a child while he was gone... or maybe Pigsy and Tang decided that MK needs his mentor in a more ‘accessible’ position, and plot to drag her to Megapolis…)

Lots of potential monkey mama shenanigans, basically!

[laurashapiro-noreally]

Looking for something to read?

Oh look, it's another recs post! This time I'm featuring two stories per author. These are writers I always make time for, whose work stands out as unusually hot, clever, funny, or smart -- sometimes all of the above.

I'm gonna start you out strong with two by @werpiper: After Hours takes Aziraphale and Crowley to the baths after their oyster supper, and all sorts of interesting pleasures are there for our angel to sample. Piper's Crowley is one of my favorites: always evaluating the situation, not quite aware of what his own heart is doing but feeling it anyway.

Fitting In is a new story, still a WIP, but I am utterly tantalized by Muriel's first taste of love -- and tea. This is already rich in detail, soft and fragrant, and I can hardly wait for the action to get going in earnest. The pairing seems surprising but when you think about it for ten seconds of course it makes sense. Sex workers help the curious, the awkward, and the inexperienced every day, bless them.

If you enjoy these, check out @werpiper's back catalog -- they have done a ton of ineffables-through-the-ages, and their series Miracles and Heresy is worth many delightful hours of your time.

I love what @copperplatebeech has been doing lately:

He's Not My Friend is a T-rated story that explores Aziraphale's constant refusal to acknowledge his relationship with Crowley, and Crowley's mirror of that, and how things glacially shift over time. It is subtle and yet specific, it will make you ache and smile.

All Of The Above, also T-rated, is a warm and fuzzy alternative to that, a hilarious celebration of true friendship that made me laugh out loud and still got me right in the feels.

@copperplatebeech can do everything, from quiet, gentle, and romantic to devastating plotty AUs to extraordinarily horny established relationship to absolutely ridiculous humor. Do dive in if you haven't already.

Next up, @cumaeansibyl, master of kink:

better living through technology manages to shove everything I want in a dirty story into less than three thousand words: uptight Aziraphale reduced to sodden wreck, Crowley gleefully showing him what he's been missing, character-driven erotics, and exceptionally funny dialogue.

indulgentiam peccatorum nostrorum is somehow all that and more, turning the "I was wrong" dance into a kink (something I can't get enough of, recs welcome). This one is post-Bastille so it is extra-juicy. Mind the tags!

@cumaeansibyl has a gift for established relationship one-shots, which readers of mine will know are my entire jam. They also have a mind-meltingly hot inverse!omens AU that features different variations of angelic/demonic Crowleys and Aziraphales for our ineffables to play with.

A new-to-me author, Calico, has me hanging by a thread with their Ineffable Romans series. If you want to remember that your ineffables aren't human, that they are inordinately clever but very stupid, that the feelings they have for each other are truly beyond what anyone alive has ever felt, Calico may be the writer for you. This stuff is deep. Also hot af.

Sub Rosa reads like a nasty shag at Petronius', but there's so much more going on here. It is Extremely Queer, driven by power dynamics, and Crowley is fully demonic here and absolutely in control...or is he?

The Intemperance of Liber Pater continues on this theme, with dialogue-driven smut that reads less like a seduction than an inevitability. There's another story in this series, unfinished, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Last but not least: two short pieces by @ineffabildaddy. I stumbled on their stories just this week and I absolutely love their approach, which I've not seen done quite this way before.

take me as your wife has a tight first-person perspective as Crowley meets Aziraphale for a meal and imagines (or is it his imagination?) that Aziraphale is suggesting Certain Things about how they might occupy themselves later. Indeed, is he suggesting even more? Something about their relationship? Or is it all in Crowley's head?

Only in Dreams is kind of a companion piece, from Aziraphale's point of view -- though hundreds of years later. This one's set after the events of S2 and although just as romantic as take me as your wife, it also offers an ineffable take on the ol' glory hole concept. Just in case you thought I was getting soft. 😏

@ineffabildaddy has a whole series of poems and ficlets like these and I can't wait to explore them all.

[breadandblankets]

something I think u have to do if you make everyone else in the batfam a meta/magic user/bender/special abilities haver of some variation is make Duke the inverse

listen he's the only meta right? the only one with powers? if you make everyone Else have powers than what's his schtick??

(I mean other than being a genius teen activist and hero well in his own rights before Batman even sneezed in his direction but you and I both know no one cares about that -_-)

its about the Contrast okay

[la-pheacienne]

So I started rereading les mis, in french this time, and I'm sort of catching up to les mis letters (only sort of, for now, since I'm still at chapter 1.2.5 I think) and I do wanna talk about the title of the book because that title has fascinated me ever since I opened that book 14 years ago in its greek translation. So the greek translation of the title "les Misérables" mystified me. I think a big part of western languages have a variation of the word "misérable" in their vocabulary so the translation of the title is pretty much consistent (obviously not every western language, idk what happens with scandinavian translations or hungarian or russian for example). In greek we do not have the word "miserable" or "misery", we kind of use the word "mizeria" but only as a "western" variation of the greek word we have for misery, so we don't have the equivalent adjective. So the original greek translator needed to find a brand new adjective, in greek, to convey the meaning of the title, and honestly, what a task that is, finding the greek equivalent of probably the most iconic title in literature ever, just one word to encapsulate 1500 pages of text.

The word finally used is "Άθλιοι" (Athlioi) the plural form of "Athlios". It's an ancient greek word that is also commonly used in modern greek as is the case for a huge part of our vocabulary. So the ancient greek definition of "Athlioi" is "struggling, unhappy, wretched, miserable". In modern greek, the definition is more or less the same: "seedy, miserable, poor, terrible", except for the last word "terrible" that has an interesting connotation. The definition of "Athlioi" as terrible is an addition of modern greek. "Terrible" by itself maybe doesn't say much and it seems as a mere variation of the classic definition of Athlioi as "miserable, poor, wretched" etc. But from miserable and wretched to terrible there is an interesting leap. While "seedy, miserable, poor, terrible" are the english translations of the greek word "Athlioi" that I find on wordreference.com, I get very interesting results when I inverse the search, this time searching for the greek translation of the following english words (on wordreference or glosbe): despicable, nasty, vile, shady, appaling, loathsome, wicked, infamous, monstrous, horrible, lame, shabby, mangy, mean, vicious. You may have guessed it, all of the above are translated into "Athlios" in greek (among other words). The reason for that is that "Athlios" in modern greek has an extremely negative connotation. An "athlios" is not just a miserable wretched poor outcast. An "athlios" is a despicable human being, one that inspires disgust, one you should avoid in any case. A horrendous, vile, monstrous, hateful, creature. I am not sure if the word "Athlios" already had that definition at the time of the first greek translation (end of 19th century) but my bet is that it did, because that is what the word is primarily used for in Greece ever since I remember myself. When we use the word "Athlios" in greek now we rarely if ever talk about someone "miserable", "poor" or "wretched". We normally talk about someone or something despicable. If it's a person, 99% of the time this has a purely moral connotation aka, someone who is morally despicable. They could be a poor person, (a Thenardier type of vile individual) or they could be rich, doesn't matter really.

I am not sure if the word "misérable" or the english word "miserable" have this connotation. It is one thing to be wretched and totally another thing to be despicable and loathsome. Is this very close to the french word "misérable"? "Misérable" in french primarily means "pitiful, wretched", with one mention of "despicable", it is true. In Larousse however (the classic french dictionary) I cannot find one definition of "misérable" with the "vile, despicable" connotation that the word "Athlios" has. I am sure "misérable" can be used that way, and it can be translated that way in english, but vile and despicable are not the leading definition one thinks about when they encounter the word. When we use the word "misérable"/miserable, we normally do not immediately think of a despicable, vile, loathsome individual. So this choice of title by the greek translator takes some liberties. He could have used our greek word for "pitiful", "outcast" or one particular greek word we have for "scorned" that has a particular depth because it means scorned, neglected and forgotten by society all at the same time. Or he could have went for our word for "miserable" in the sense of "unhappy". All of these could have worked well enough. But he went for "Athlioi". Why? Athlioi is the only word that has a truly negative connotation for the morality of a person, of their moral value, and the way society percieves that moral value.

I got to the chapter "The Evening of a Day of Walking" where Valjean makes his first appearence. The english translation is this:

"It was difficult to encounter a wayfarer of more wretched appearance".

Then Hugo proceeds with a description of his appearance that is particularly unsettling, to say the least. He was literally dressed in rags with iron-shod shoes and he had holes in his clothes. At the end of the description he says:

"The sweat, the heat, the journey on foot, the dust, added I know not what sordid quality to this dilapidated whole".

So that guy is 1) certainly unhappy, 2) clearly wretched, 3) has a sordid quality and 4) a dilapidated look.

It is interesting that in french, the phrase "wretched appearance" is actually "aspect misérable". It is important to note this because this is the first time that the author gives us a description of a character that encapsulates what a "Misérable" according to the title actually is. Moving along, Valjean is not accepted in any inn or house and the people force him to leave because they are horrified by 1) his appearance and mainly 2) his profile as an ex convict that makes him a "Dangerous Man". "Dangerous Man" is literally written on his passport. A pitiful creature is maybe not that loathsome by itself, but a "Dangerous Man" is definitely something that you want to stay away from.

At the chapter "The Heroism of Passive Obedience" (1.2.3) Valjean enters the bishop's house and the bishop's sister sees him and describes him like this:

"He was hideous. It was a sinister apparition."

"Mademoiselle Baptistine turned round, beheld the man entering, and half started up in terror".

"Wretched" and "pitiful" cannot cover the impact this individual had on people, on society. That man was not just deeply unhappy, in a deplorable state, wretched and pitiful. That man was appaling. That man was loathsome. That man inspired horror, disgust, and intense, bone deep hatred. It is important to note this aspect of "misérable". The fear society has for the injustice it creates is so strong that it is far easier to dehumanize these individuals by slapping the label of "despicable", "vile", "loathsome" on them. It makes their total marginalisation easier because it justifies it. People are truly disgusted by and terrorised by Valjean. For society, there is a reason why that man is in a pathetic, deplorable, "miserable" state. It's because he is truly, irrevocably, morally hideous, loathsome and nasty. He is "dangerous". He truly is a monster inside out. And that particular manifestation of social misery is nicely conveyed by the word "Athlios" in my opinion.

[snarky-art]

The Winx’s main family trees with general info about genetic traits on the planets their family hails from included!

This was done at the request of @charmixpower and I did it because I love er.

Please note that the hair colors present on the grandparents of the Winx aren’t necessarily accurate to what it would be at the age I’ve drawn them as. Many would be less saturated in color, graying, white, streaks, ya know,, older age stuff. I just did it for the sake of showcasing the phenotypes and where the parents and the Winx get some of their physical traits from.

General notes and trivia of what’s written down down here below the cut because cursive is hard to read for some people and also general ID stuff! + some additional info, relationship info for couples and the extended family I just didn’t write down on the pics and some real world cultural influence updates for certain worlds and groups in my rewrite!

Stella’s Family Tree

-Luna’s given name is Margaret, and Luna is a name taken on by whomever is chosen to be the head Priest of The Temple of The Moons. She was also known as Raza while she was apart of the group of priests working for the previous Luna, titles for other lower priests being given variations for moons and light

-The name Luna is the Solarian version of the name for the Priest whose head of The Temple of The Moons. The title to Lunarians is Delia.

-Luna actually has a lot of siblings, 14 to be exact, and they’re all girls

-Darcy’s mom is named Hestria, and her Father is named Leander

-There are two groups of Lunarians in terms of phenotypic traits: A group who’s ancestors traveled outside of the inside of the moons vast inner workings of caves and caverns later on, and those who’s ancestors stayed primarily inside, only gaining access to outside light and moonbeams through holes and entryways to the surface. These spots where moon beams shine down were highly revered in the past and still hold a cultural significance to both groups of Lunarians, but hold a stronger significance for those that stick more closely to the way of life involving staying in the cave systems within the moon more. Travel and life on the surface is very common in the modern day and the general attitude towards staying underground is more neutral now, but there are still small groups with more extreme views on it and see outside travel as something more foolish and disrespectful to The Moons, and small groups who inversely see those who hold those views as “backwards” and “stuck in the past.”

-the pupils of both Lunarians and Solarians are different, with the colors matching to the variance of shades that the magic of the respective cores of the Suns and the Moons have, showcasing their connection to this magic as apart of their own Magical Core. The same goes for the variety in colors for their pupils, the color influenced by the colors of the Moons and Suns energy in general though as opposed to their cores.

-On average, Lunarian hair color is less intense and less saturated than Solarian hair color. Stella gets her blond from her mother, but the intensity of its color is bolstered by the traits from her dad’s side.

-Lunarian cultural dress and cultural aspects in general is based primarily of of Romani people, with some general Slavic influence as well and some Greco Roman stuff intermingled with it as a result of Solarian culture

-Solarian cultural dress and cultural aspects are based predominantly on Greco Roman and Aztec elements

-Radius is a title for that which is to act as the main ruling figure of Solaria, which is a term that includes both the planet of Solaria itself as well as Lunaria, which is under its dominion to an extent still as a result of an Imperialist past. They are set more as equals in the current day with Lunaria being free to follow their own traditions and cultural practices now as they wish and set their own rules of governance, but there are still issues with the planet Solaria seeing itself as being able to overrule certain things in terms of governance if they deem it right to do so. There’s still sociocultural clashes too and more reparations needed to properly make up for the Imperialism the planet of Solaria is responsible for in its past and to an extent current day, and it’s a common point of contention talked about in political courts and meetings.

-Radius’s given name is Ciro

-Radius does have a brother named Helios, and despite Helios being older, he didn’t take his studies and duties as seriously and chose to pass off his title as next in line to inherit the title of Radius to Ciro. It is important to note that while the title for next in line isn’t inherently tied to birth order, it is the most common way it is done.

Flora’s Family Tree

-Alyssa has 4 siblings, 2 sisters, 1 brother, and 1 sibling. Them, Alyssa, Rhodos, Flora, and Mielle all live in the same large tree in their settlement, which is in a more rural area of Linphea on the outskirts of a bigger city type settlement (still very nature based in its architecture and set up, just with a lot more commerce and a big population, you know,, city stuff lol)

-Rhodos has 1 sibling, a sister who didn’t get along very well with their parents (they tried to enforce a rigid “follow in our footsteps as farmers and continue the family line the same way we did” since she was the oldest, and that was just about as far as possible from what she wanted, which was to travel and research and study. They gave Rhodos much more freedom as the younger sibling, and this really upset his sister for obvious reasons. Rhodos agreed and would listen to her vent and support her wants, but wasn't able to say much to their parents because they were so stubborn. Their parents pushed too hard, and eventually instead of pushing back anymore, she just left) and now lives on the planet furthest from the Sun the Moons of Marigold revolve around where it’s coldest. He and his sister still stay in semi regular contact and despite her relationship with their parents being rocky, they still get along very well and she visits Linphea at least once a year.

Notes from the picture:

*leaves and greens for ears are typically dominant over flowers/petals and other colored things

Sclera: varying shades of green from chlorophyll like blood

Iris: tend to match part of the plants on the ears, although can match colors of other plants their parents had

Pupils: similar to sclera, but darker as like our eyes, they're connected to the brain

Tecna's Family Tree

-The people of The Binary Conduit, which Zenith is apart of, are based off of a mix of different Glacial Peoples and Far North groups, including for specific influences on the designs I've chosen here belonging to the Tadar, Teleuts, Nenets, Inuit, and Yupik people specifically.

-The Binary Conduit is a place with a wide variety of cultural groups, but a very similar shared setup for how technology is integrated into their surroundings and environment, the primary goal being for it to co exist alongside the nature of the many planets.

-Somewhat similar to Linphea, there are many smaller settlements and a few big city hub areas on each of the planets. However, while on Linphea the smaller settlements and towns are stationary, there are some groups that choose to move to different spaces throughout the year for different reasons such as climate, food, resources, etc. or as a way to continue the tradition of it regardless. This is less common now than it was in the past due to newer technology, but its still considered an important tradition of the way many of them lived in generations long past, and it isn't uncommon for it to still be done by some groups as a way to honor and appreciate that.

-Tecna has no siblings, but does have many cousins, aunts, and uncles on her dad's side.

-Magnethia has a much smaller family than Electronio, with 2 sisters. Her older sister is married and has 2 children and the other, her younger sister, is happily single with no interest in ever marrying and has a child she adopted. Both of her sisters are also in the research field, Magnethia's emphasis being Cultural Anthropology, her older sister's in Geology, and her younger sister's being Art History with an emphasis in Northern Zenethian Cultures.

-As mentioned in some previous posts, Electronio is part Melodian. A key difference to note as a result of this is his metabolism. Zenethians and those of The Binary Conduit in general tend to have a slower metabolism and also consume less food. Due to the genetics from his dad, he has a faster metabolism and does consume more food, and this is something that was passed down to Tecna as well, granted it isn’t as intense as their dad’s.

Notes from the picture:

-Their magical core color shines in the catchlight of their eyes as their magic flows closer to the surface of the skin. This is to help keep the skin warmer to deal with the cold present on the planet and is a trait shared by most within The Binary Conduit

-not included in the picture, but fun fact: this means it’s not uncommon for babies or those who have lighter skin to glow in certain parts of their body or all over from the way the magic is shown flowing under the skin in vein like patterns.

-There are 2 hair color variation sets: one that is more vibrant and saturated and one that is much darker in color.

Musa’s Family Tree

-The variation in skin tones found in Melody are not uncommonly separated by different provinces and sectors of the planetary group.

-Ho-Boe’s family comes from a more southern area of Melody and his parents are both merchants who run a stand in the market area of their town with them specializing in herbs and flowers. His mom had a beautiful singing voice and could play the magical realm’s equivalent of the Erhu and his father was able to play the magical realm’s equivalent of the Guzheng, Diza, and Pipa. They would both regularly play at different restaurants, bars,and local festivals and concerts and their music was really well loved within their community. Ho-Boe grew up with music as a result, and learned to play all the instruments his parents played (minus the Diza, he had too much trouble with his breath control and didn’t like it enough to want to get better at it) and then some.

-Matlin and her parents are from a northeastern part of Melody and was born into a family of high ranking performers who all worked or would go on to work in Opera’s seen by nobility and high ranking members of their society. Matlin liked it a lot, but after seeing Ho-Boe perform after he saw HER perform and he invited her to one of his gigs (like his parents he too enjoyed performing regularly at different random events and eateries), she gained a love for the style of performance and music he partook in, a less rigid and in her eyes compared to what she grew up around and doing, rawer version of it. She was never really allowed to see this kind of performance because of the strict rules her family adhered to as a way to maintain and uphold their status, and she really fell in love with it, and eventually Ho-Boe after sneaking out and performing together and going to different shows together in secret. She always felt a little stifled by her parents and the restrictions of the life she lived, but it never bothered her enough to say or do anything about it. After learning and seeing how Ho-Boe lived, she finally understood what she really wanted, and her parents and most of her sisters didn’t accept that. Like in the show, she chose to leave it all behind and start a new like with Ho-Boe, and they eventually had Musa.

-She eventually did reconcile with her family to an extent, her father being much more supportive in the end than her mother, but they still loved her in their own way, and she accepted and loved them in her own way too, her being much closer to her dad though. She also had 2 sisters that adamantly supported her and her wants from the start, and she stayed in regular contact with them even during her time of estrangement. Her other sisters came to accept her choices with varying degrees of said acceptance, with the 3rd oldest sister never really accepting it at all and being cold to her for the rest of her life.

-Ho-Boe’s parents adored Matlin from the start and welcomed her with open arms. She was invited to every family dinner, festival, reunion, get together, etc before she and Ho-Boe even started dating, and everyone did tease Ho-Boe about her because they knew he liked her from the start (yes they teased him in front of her some too. She thought it was very funny and endearing how hard Ho-Boe would blush and how flustered he got)

Notes from the picture:

About Matlin: has many sisters, all performers.

-bonus not written down: she has 10, with her being the 6th born. She was closest with her sister born right after her, the 1st born, and the 3rd born. The 3rd born was the one who never truly forgave her for choosing to leave them and their family for Ho-Boe and his way of life and the music he performed, and this hurt her incredibly badly. She grieved the loss of their relationship the most when she left and until the day she died there was still a sting from the way she was shunned even after reconciling with her family.

Aisha’s Family Tree

-Land Androsians are in terms of appearance based mainly off of the Zulu, Ndebele, and a few other general inland areas of Africa along with some Indian influence (this is very broad I know but it just depends on the region they’re from on Andros for specifics here)

-The Sea Androsians in regards to their appearance are based off of the areas of The Middle East with an emphasis on Morocco, Iran, the Amazigh peoples, and areas of Polynesia (similar to the Land Androsians, specifics depend on what region they’re from)

-Generally, Land Androsians have darker skin and hair with less color variety for hair when compared to the Sea Androsians

-Teredor’s mother was the Ruler for The Royal House of Androsia (the name the Land and Sea Androsians use to refer to their place of inhabitance and rule which is separate from the Merpeople and their deep sea kingdom). She took on the role as The Land Androsian for the diplomatic marriage and married someone of Sea Androsian identity who acted as their representative in the rulership. As is customary, Teredor was then assigned as a Sea Androsian for the line of rulership, and married Niobe, someone who was considered a Land Androsian. This means as is customary, Aisha is formally considered a Land Androsian in regards to her role in leadership.

Notes from the picture (and general expansion on what is in the picture):

Labeled General Trivia:

-eyes of Sea Androsians commonly have an iris color that matches their fins, with a more saturated ring of this color around the pupil, and then a darker version of this color for the pupil. This is the result of different lenses that allow for better underwater sight

-this is also why the sclera isn’t white, it’s part of an effect of eye protection for underwater use

-intermingling of Land and Sea Androsian populations and genetics is what results in typically more extreme ear fin size variation and eye color, function, and lens variability. This is whye on of Teredor’s parents (the one with pink hair) has white sclera instead of a blue or green tinted one.

-sometimes iris color varies away from fin color for Sea Androsians and can take on colors of their parents eyes. It’s more common for Androsians with both Land and Sea Androsian genetics to have this happen.

-gills on neck are common for Sea Androsians and typically match the colors of the fins on their ears, but sometimes match a color or color variation of one or both of their parents. This can sometimes happen to the ear fins too.

-land Androsians don’t have them (gills) and the intermingling of genetics from those from the Land of Androsia and those of The Sea part of Androsia result in not every Sea Androsian having them, and some of those who would be classified or identify as Land Androsians do have them

-status as Land or Sea Androsians within the “common” inhabitants (ie not rich nobility or royalty) if they are born into a family that has a combination of traits and family from spaces traditionally associated with one status or the other is fairly fluid for most now with variability on what the individual identifies with, where they live, how they’re raised, etc. Some choose to identify as both, and a term of Beach Androsian is sometimes used and becoming more common in the modern day. It’s a term from the last few hundred years as intermingling has become more common and less of a “reserved for royals” status thing within the attitudes of the general public. It’s a term that was coined by those who wanted to acknowledge both parts of their heritage, but wanted a more succinct concrete term to use for themselves.

-Bonus info: The more casual breakdown of a rigid Land Androsian and Sea Androsian dichotomy is something of an area of contention for those in the higher ranking echelons of society. Teredor cares less than most nobles about it, fairly indifferent to those outside of high ranking society doing it, but a little more reserved about it all together for those who are royalty. Niobe cares more about it and has a lot of grievances and is on par with most nobles in terms of her issues with it. Part of her and Teredor’s arc with becoming more open and accepting of Aisha’s wants and needs is unlearning this concern and being more receptive to it.