#People will always be doomed to repeat history they say

[disneydatass]

Why are you so angry all the time? Why do you lock yourself away from the world? Why are you not living your life they ask?

I answer with my own set of questions. How can I live in a body that doesn’t work? In a house divided? In a mind that constantly races? How can I go out and try to make a living when I know off the back of my labor my money goes to funding genocide? How can I think positively and go out and have fun when children are being gun downed for going to school, the movies, the mall? Is this survivor’s guilt? It can’t be. I don’t feel guilty for surviving. I feel rage and sorrow that I have to survive. I should be living. We should be living. One shouldn’t have to struggle to eat, drink, and have basic healthcare and rights.

[detectivenyx]

when it was aces/aros on the cutting block it was always ‘you need to experience sga to be queer! you’re going to make cishets think you don’t need to love the same gender to be queer!’.

when it was non-dysphoric trans folk on the cutting block it was always ‘you need to have dysphoria to be trans! you’re going to make the cishets think that anyone could be trans!’.

when it was people with neopronouns on the cutting block it was always ‘you need to pick a normal set of pronouns! you’re going to make the cishets think we’re cringe!’

what makes bi lesbians/pan lesbians or bi gay men/pan gay men different? i assumed the problem was cishets making stupid sweeping assumptions, not queer people picking labels that best suit them. pussy

[rose-tinting]

I only ever see “fiction affects reality” as an argument for No Problematic Content of this type should Be Allowed and not like

an argument for making sure critical thinking skills is developed and education on what could be harmful is given

[chex-appreciation-week]

Chex week will be happening from October 13th through the 19th!

And with that, we also get the official announcement of the prompts!

There are no limits or rules to how these can be interpreted. You can go as literal or as artsy or silly as you want with them, the skies the limit!

Day 1: Memory

As they always say: memory is the key. Maybe it’s a simple reflection on the past, maybe it’s the fact that they’re the literal manifestations of someone else’s memories, a reflection of a once great love… or perhaps Church just forgot to close the damn cabinet again.

Day 2: Fluff

Our favorite doomed duo is no stranger to angst and tragedy… so let’s give them a break! Let them enjoy some domestic bliss for once, and spend time in each other’s company without the overbearing burden of being doomed by the narrative. Just this once.

Day 3: Family

These two found their own little family inside of a box canyon, consisting of idiots and morons but they are their idiots and morons… or perhaps you want to go further back in time to when there was just Leonard and Allison and a beautiful baby girl and the future seemed so much brighter… or maybe Church and Tex just adopted a cat

Day 4: AU

Now they’re medieval knights fighting to save the kingdom! Or maybe Church is the super grumpy coffee shop barista with a crush on the cool tattoo artist across the street! Or maybe it’s the same story we all know… but that one moment played out differently… the universes are infinite!

Day 5: Cycle

History repeats itself, time is a flat circle, however, you want to put it there’s no denying the cycle of Leonard Church and Agent Texas. A story destined to be repeated again and again until it finally breaks… or perhaps they’re just teaching Caboose how to ride a bicycle, who knows!

Day 6: Goodbye

Don’t say goodbye… I hate goodbyes… but at the end of the day, you have to let go and say those dreaded words. You have to accept that some people are truly gone. Or sometimes you just don’t get to say those words at all… or maybe… well actually I don’t know how to make this one silly

Day 7: Free Day

Make whatever you like! It can be anything and everything, maybe expand on a previous idea, create a whole new world, or make something sad or silly or soft! This is your day to shine!

As said before any and all content is welcome in this event! Art, fanfic, meta, analysis, playlists, memes etc! If it’s Chex I’ll take it! My only rule is NO AI GENERATED CONTENT!

The tags for this event will be #chex appreciation week and #chex appreciation week 2024

[hwnglx]

I’m honestly waiting for wonyoung’s breaking point. Where she just breaks down and cries cause this girl is way too obsessed with self-image and appearing perfect. Tbh as much I loved her. I prefer her in Iz*one when she rlly didn’t care about superficial things like she is in IVE. This whole image change does annoy me ngl. Idk it just something about her that just Ickes me the wrong way.

i understand where you're coming from, and it's kinda giving tough love lol, but we have to consider that people's behavior doesn't just change out of thin air and for no reason.

wonyoung putting her guard up more and more is due to people on the outside being more and more harsh with her. expectations are growing the bigger she gets, more strict eyes on her, much more pressure on her as the “it girl”. she has to keep up with that title. it's a bit of a toxic cycle she can't escape. she started getting this impression that people pick on her no matter what she does. like doomed if she does, doomed if she doesn't. she wants to satisfy people, but they always find something negative to say about her. (reminds me of jennie, it's like history repeating itself in 4th gen. would love to see the two just sit down and have a conversation. they could relate on my levels) some people keep blaming her for being a certain way, when they themselves have contributed to this change. she's scared to get hurt because the public is damn mean.

she can be superficial in certain ways, but tbh most idols pursuing this career are. it's a superficial industry. her character is genuinely sweet and i'm very serious when i say this, it's not an act. she is a true sweetheart, but in this day and age, especially in the excuse me shitty kpop industry she's in, the most sensitive are the biggest targets. therefore she often hides behind a stronger facade. i will defend wonyoung whenever time calls for it. she's one of the few idols i've read for till now, who seem like they're sincerely good at heart.

[rebouks]

Previous // Next

Aspen: Did Robin join in? Juniper: No, he wasn’t at school again today. Alma: Why not? Noah: Don’t look at me-.. I’d assume he’s sick? Juniper: I don’t think so, I think it’s ‘cause he got in a fight with Levi. Aspen: Who’s Levi? Juniper: Just a boy in our class, he picks on Robin all the time-.. he’s an asshole. Noah: Pardon?! Aspen: Don’t say that about people, Juni. Juniper: It’s true though! Noah: It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not-.. what happened? Juniper: I don’t know, but Robin gave him a black eye. Alma: That doesn’t sound like him, does it? Maybe we oughta go n’ see how your cousin’s doing. Juniper: I guess-.. I’ve got ballet tonight though. Alma: We’ll stop by once you’re done. [Noah cleared the table, grumbling under his breath; he was convinced that history was doomed to repeat itself. A certain redheaded little brother of his was no different at Robin’s age, always getting himself into altercations and whatever the hell else he got up to that no one knew about] Aspen: Should we-… Noah: I’m not getting involved! It’s bad enough mithering Oscar about himself, he’s twice as defensive with the kids. I’ve got too much work to do anyway, you go if you want. Aspen: I’m teaching two classes tonight. Noah: Let Alma stick her nose in then. Aspen: She doesn’t do that. [Noah peered at Aspen over the brim of his glasses] Aspen: Okay, but she’s tactful with it. Noah: Well.. I’m not, so she can do the mithering.

[butterpuffed]

Look it’s the child

stuff abt him :33 V

Atlas wasn’t ‘born’ per se, since overlords don’t reproduce, he technically just spawned into existence.

Atlas’s fur is more curly thanks to Pacs genetics, sure Pyralis also has the swirl in his fur/hair but I imagine Pacs fur/hair was a lot more curly in his baby years.

He doesn’t use the berry dispenser that often ( as pac really doesn’t want history to repeat and make Atlas fight ghosts as a teenager ), he mainly has it in case of emergencies/self defense, and also because he kept pestering Pac to have it.

Speaking of pestering, Atlas loves to ask his family for stories, since Pyralis’s side consists of overlords, and Pacs side consists of war veterans. He especially loves asking Zac, Sunny or Spheria about the pacworld wars, he’s a history nerd like his dad!

Atlas is very rarely picked on by other kids, mainly because they’re intimidated by his family, he loves bragging and telling his classmates about their adventures! He’s oh so proud to say he’s related to these people :)

Atlas is infatuated with Pacs work as the hero of pacworld, and has put himself in danger many, many times just to copy his dad. And yes, it gives Pac a near heart attack every time he does this, as he’s a tad too overprotective of the kid.

He will follow Pac around EVERYWHERE, wherever Pac goes Atlas isn’t more than 5 feet away from him, like a little duckling waddling after its mother.

Spiral, Cyli & Sherry are his cool uncle & aunts! Spiral has thrown him from a high place several times just to see if he learned how to use his wings yet, 9 out of the 10 times he’s caught by a very anxious Pac, the 1 time is when he slammed face first against the floor, fun times!

Atlas, like Pac, has a really big appetite, and combined with a sweet tooth, he absolutely loves sugary things. Yet no matter how often these sugary treats are taken from him, somehow he’ll always have something else stashed in whatever place he can hide treats in.

He doesn’t have much of an idea on what his full potential is yet, having the genetics of both a yellow one and an overlords gives him quite the set of abilities. ( betrayus might be doomed when Pac steps down to let Atlas take over the hero job /j )

[tatisources]

- 𝐖𝐄𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑

❝ Being your friend should come with a warning label. ❞

❝ It’s amateurs like you who give kidnapping a bad game. ❞

❝ Are you mansplaining my power? ❞

❝ Emotion isn’t exactly your strong suit. ❞

❝ I don’t believe in heaven or hell, but I do believe in revenge. ❞

❝ Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. ❞

❝ There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being proven right. ❞

❝  Because trust and cooperation have always been the hallmarks of our relationship. ❞

❝  Anytime I grow nauseous at the sight of a rainbow or hear a pop song that makes my ears bleed, I’ll think of you. ❞

❝ I’ve learned so much from you. Part of it is admittedly criminal behavior. ❞

❝ Not hugging is kind of our thing. ❞

❝ When the dance floor calls, you gotta answer. ❞

❝ Typically I have great admiration for well-executed revenge plots, but yours was a bit extreme, even for my high standards.  ❞

❝ Except I won’t cry and whine like a child. ❞

❝ I can’t believe you were in a secret society and didn’t tell me. ❞

❝ You brought a gun to a sword fight. Probably the first smart decision you’ve made today. ❞

❝ Emotion equals weakness. ❞

❝ I find social media to be a soul sucking void of meaningless affirmation. ❞

❝ These are all traits of great writers. And serial killers. ❞

❝ Sometimes I act like I don’t care if people like me. Deep down, I secretly enjoy it. ❞

❝ I like to win. Is that so wrong? ❞

❝ For the record, I don't believe that I'm better than everyone else, just that I'm better than you. ❞

❝ Use the words 'little' and 'girl' to address me again and I can't guarantee your safety. ❞

❝ If he breaks your heart, I'll nail gun his. ❞

❝ You guys are making me nauseous. Not in a good way. ❞

❝ When I look at you, the following emojis come to mind: rope, shovel, hole. ❞

❝ You know the old saying, never bring a knife to a sword fight. Unless it’s concealed. ❞

❝ Secrets are like zombies, they never truly die. ❞

❝ Tears don’t fix anything. So I vowed to never do it again. ❞

❝ Please, flattery will get you nowhere. ❞

❝ I’m not friend material, let alone more-than-friend material. I will ignore you, stomp on your heart, and always put my needs and interests first. ❞

❝ Every day is all about me. This one just comes with cake and a bad song. ❞

❝ Emotions are a gateway trait. They lead to feelings, which trigger tears. I don’t do tears.❞

❝ It’s either they write our story or we do. You can’t have it both ways. ❞

❝ I don’t need your help or your pity. I already have a mother and a therapist. That’s enough torture, even for me. ❞

❝ I don’t bury hatchets. I sharpen them. ❞

❝ Friends are a liability and can be exploited. That makes them weaknesses. ❞

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

In 1954 a man named Fredric Wertham wrote a book called 'Seduction of the Innocent' -

A book detailing and theorizing that violence and suggestiveness in comics and pulp fiction novels had a measurable, negative effect on the reader that inherently reflected the psyche of those who consumed them at length.

The book made Wertham famous, starting a moral panic across the country.

In Wertham's - and much of the countries eyes:

[also yes I had to verify that he did in fact say this as sourced by New Yorker Mag. Stan Lee should've kicked this antisemites ass]

In response - the Comics Code Authority was created - a code that dictated what could and couldn't be in comics, for the 'safety' of the reader.

This Code almost killed comics, almost putting Marvel out of business, until ten years later when Spider-man was created. Although it wasn't law - it was the panic of the public that enforced the Comics Code, completely sanitizing the industry for decades.

Gwen Stacy's death - a clear show of violence in panel - was one of the events to first 'break' this social code.

The issue it took place in - TASM #121 was released in 1973, almost twenty years after Wertham's moral panic.

It showed clear, unpeaceful death and tragedy, with NO resolution.

And fans ATE IT UP.

To this day, The Amazing Spider-man #121 is one of the most iconic issues in Spider-man's entire lore, with Gwen appearing in almost all of his movie franchises (Raimi, TASM, and ITSV), and her death characterizing MUCH of modern-day Spidey storytelling.

The reason I want to highlight this story is because I will always find it baffling, and SAD to see people saying that fanfiction or fandom art or favorite characters inherently reflect - or damage your psyche.

So often in fandom spaces - COMIC fandom spaces - I see this rhetoric parroted. That people who consume x are inherently more dangerous. That y shouldn't exist because it inherently damages those who consume - and enjoy it.

Unknowingly, but wholeheartedly claiming 'Seduction of the Innocent'.

That rhetoric comes from somewhere.

That idea - when it comes to video games, violent rap music, loud rock music, graphic TV shows, that such content warps the viewer simply by design - comes from one place.

Fredric Wertham, Seduction of the Innocent, and moral pubic panic.

Such an idea had a visible measurable effect on canon comics. So why does it persist in comic fandom?

They say those that do not know history are doomed to repeat it.

[universe-of-peoples]

Half-baked CHB OC’s PART 2

Child of Ares who is very in tune to other people’s emotions to the point where they know how to either incite a fight or calm a person down with just a few well-placed words. They themself are a very chill person; you wouldn’t guess they would fit in with their hot-headed siblings. But it becomes clear when they leave a trail of people suddenly fighting for no reason, after having been best friends only a moment ago.

Child of Athena with a photographic memory instead of the usual wisdom powers (or maybe in addition to-?). At first no one can guess that they’re any different from their siblings, since they’re just as wise (if not wiser). But instead of relying on magical wisdom powers, they pull wisdom out of all their previous experiences better than the average person could. A mix of “learn from your mistakes” and “those who forget history are doomed to repeat it”.

Child of Dionysus who (upon reaching legal drinking age) just CAN’T get drunk. They’ve tried. It doesn’t work on them. They’re so tired of being the designated driver.

Child of Iris who wears rainbows and bright colors to the point that people in their everyday life begin to think that they’re LGBT. They’re actually straight, but they can’t exactly explain to people that their mother is the Greek goddess of rainbows, so they often find themself in an awkward spot.

Adult child of Tyche (goddess of luck) who owns a casino in Vegas and can control the odds in gambling just by standing in the room. You know the saying “the house always wins?” Yeah, they take that to another level. Super rich as a result.

Child of Hypnos (god of sleep) who’s addicted to caffeine. Energy drinks, coffee, and black tea are a MUST. Their siblings mock them and everyone at CHB is generally confused about them, but if you ask them about it you’ll find that they don’t like sleeping all the time like their siblings do. They need all that caffeine just to stay awake. They act as head counselor of their cabin despite disagreeing with their siblings, but only because they’re the only one awake for head counselor business.

[julietsbb]

julie <3 i am here to give your last three updates love. once again, vampire phuwin au is my salvation. in the nights you update, i live.

oki, so. i waited to see how their conflict concludes before i sent you an ask. (i can't communicate properly on twt because that account has a lot of history and i'd rather not use it much. contemplating making one from scratch so i can quote you my madness for every update properly)

but i also enjoy sending you unhinged asks here, ngl.

okay, back to what's important. the conflict was so nice to see. because, you know, i felt throughout the story that there's this (understandable) carefulness in phuwin. even when he would let go for a few seconds or during feeding, his manner of speech and his actions still express it so loudly. mindfulness for pond to be alright, for everything to be consensual and for phuwin to not /slip/, almost.

like i said, very understandable. he's battling with understanding how much he enjoys certain (bloody, you could say) aspects of this deal they have, and not ruining things with pond. because he cares so much for pond, right? he wants him to be happy, always. pond comes first before everything for phuwin, it feels. even feeding. (this is my dedulu ass just rambling to you my understanding of your writing, some interpretations. i just feel like there's a lot expressed in your narration.)

point is: to see pond go through that tumult of thinking that phuwin found it disgusting - by proxy found /him/ disgusting for being so into it. having a breakdown; actually, breaking down. and then transition into something almost intolerant of phuwin's carefulness, was absolutely wonderful.

like, let me explain a bit more. the way you write pond: he's so sweet, so pliant under phuwin's needs, his rules in their deal. he's so understanding and so quick to comply to what phuwin thinks is best.

that's what i got from him. so to see him be stern, to see him say "can you stop assuming how i feel?" to see him put his foot down in the face of phuwin's overthinking and fears was glorious. you see another side to him. it's clear that their morning talk was horrible for him (for both of them, but i talked about phuwin a little bit before, so I'm focusing on pond now) and he doesn't want a repeat of it, wants to be as clear as possible. wants phuwin to get it, to maybe even /let go./

and then comes phuwin's turn to listen and comply and accept pond's requests and JUST *GRIPS HAIR* their communication is 1000000000/10. Even if they go through it, suffer a bit, they succeed in making things alright in the best way.

also, side note. phuwin thinking 'it's always nice' about pond being shirtless was just sjfhsfhs the obvious gay thoughts are amazing. he's so whipped he thinks it's all normal. thinking your friend's chest is nice is normal homie behavior, you're right phuwin.

overall awesomeness. all three updates had me as entranced as ever. the healing kisses in the elevator had me gagged. it's interesting how you can still spot so vividly phuwin's apprehensiveness/careful nature in it.

can't wait to see how they develop after these talks they had. how the feeding will go. once again, thank you for writing this wonderful au and thank you for letting me be delulu about your ppw au.

i am very tired today because i woke at 4am for no goddamn reason so this ask made me emotional T_T <3

I love when people qrt their reactions to the updates on the megathread of doom (don't want to think about how mant tweets 102 google docs pages are.....) BUT I also really really fucking love and adore your asks so DO WHATEVER YOU WANT it's a win/win for me!!

AAAHHHH i love your take and how you view phuwin so much because like that was his starting point like POND IS WILLING TO GIVE ME THIS??!?!!?!?!?! must treasure must be worthy wow wtf and now i'm discovering there's not only annoying parts to this major part of my identity? this aspect of myself and my life is something i can enjoy??? wow pond is magic. basically. so he's just so pathetically grateful but also so aware of, like, HOW TO BE WORTHY OF IT, basically. silk gloves for pond. i'm so glad that's coming through <3

which just makes him dealing with his sudden suppressed urge to hurt rearing its "ugly" head that much harder, like, he's so certain about this but suddenly his body and his yearning is attempting to tell him the opposite? like it's so unthinkable it's how he could be in denial about it for so long, which is a big part of what ends up hurting pond.

I am so fucking glad pond's transition in this conflict worked for you because they've both developed so much re: each other already in this that my brain is like "what is even in character anymore?" and it's not like we have any points of reference to pond standing up to phuwin in any way, but like, i knew pond having that shift was NECESSARY for them and their relationship to work, like it felt right. pond is a sweetheart and pond accommodates, but i also don't feel like he's someone who would just let others walk all over him after they've hurt him. thankfully, we've seen stand up to the stalkers now for instance. my point being: i was writing it and it felt right as i was doing so and it was needed to push them to a better place, but if i asked myself 'how would pond handle this' my answer would be '???' but one thing we DO know is how much phuwin values and appreciates honesty and pond knows that too, so one thing I could see pond do is cling to that, phuwin begged him to speak on the bathroom floor and pond knows phuwin values truth and directness, so i could see him cling to that aspect as a way forward.

'can you stop assuming how i feel' came to me in the middle of doing something else, i was probably biking to work or something, so i had to open my note doc on my phone to jut it down and not forget, because i felt it was the key cause of their miscommunication, because phuwin was so set in his conviction of how he was supposed to threat pond with this that he... forgot to ask pond about it lol so as i was writing that scene it was very "okay so how do i work their conversation from where they are to pond interrupting with that without it seeming forced" 😂

ye i made a point of phuwin folding completely to pond from that point on and show that like.... if phuwin CONSULTS POND they can actually find compromises that work better for both of them together. i also needed phuwin to see that. like, pw, you CAN do things differently than you thought you were supposed to and they WORK. it was important for me to showcase them trying to maneuver that new ground, of being in it together.

"he's so whipped he thinks it's all normal." PRECISELY yes thank you - as i said to alan on twitter, he goes from 'passively easy-to-ignore into dudes' to 'actually actively into one particular dude because suddenly their bond and intimacy have rapidly tightened and he's seen him in a completely new light so everything is the same but different'

oh the healing lift kisses were tough for me to write because they were both so conflicted about them. both knew it had to be done but there was no chance to communicate/get on the same page about it first. but also the act itself is something they are kinda both enjoying despite themselves? like neither of them wants to be into it at that moment but it's a) closeness after their fallout, which they both crave and b) an act they're so used to enjoying, their bodies are hardwired to respond somehow to it, even if just a tiny bit. so trying to somehow get the balance of 'this is kinda sexy but also really not, because we don't want it to be, neither of us do, but it's also YOU and CLOSE and THIS THING WE BOTH LIKE but also our interpersonal relationship is still relatively rocky at this point, like, you're on my neck and it feels nice and i both do and very much do not want it for multiple reasons also i'm still kinda pissed at you. and then only from pw pov and i had to convey pond's side entirely through the reactions phuwin were privy toobecause i couldn't even describe pond's face because pw's face was in his neck skdhskflhsl no idea if i succeeded but i'm glad you mentioned it!!

there's no 'letting' about it pls always delulu about my ppw au i think at this point i might just turn to dust without it T_T

[goongiveusnothing]

No because it really does amaze me the way he has 0 of his own thoughts. He’s a zionist because the zionists around him taught him to be one, but I’d bet anything he knows NADA about the history or anything that’s going on currently really. He has “supported” (I say that loosely) democratic nominees in the past because he was told it was the right thing to do. Hell, he even likes soccer because the people around him do. That video of him pretending to be a wild fan at the Euro cup will always kill me. I wonder what it’s like to live like this. He’s just going around, head empty, all day every day. So tragic…

he definitely knows a LOT about israeli history, but none from his own accord. as you say, he just listens and repeats whatever's around him. so i definitely believe he knows a lot about what ben and the azoffs and whoever else believe, but you're right in that he's not out there reading his own books, documentaries or even videos on this issue.

i think he likes democratic nominees because i think for most normal people they can see the republican's are repugnant on many issues. i don't think it goes deeper than that. the republican's are visibly offputting. the politics of those around him are center right UK at their most radical.

remember when he was a fan of the green bay packers? whatever happened to that. whatever happened to getting the bible and the cross on him and who inspired that? whatever happened to his brief foray into pescatarianism (olivia wilde)?

that's why i knew he and taylor russell were doomed because she seems to be very nothing headed too. she doesn't ever seem like she has many thoughts or a lot to say or a lot of opinions on anything. i think she needs a leader in her own life. just like harry does. so they can't both be trying to find things and opinions and art and tastes to have when they need to find an external source of that.

[jessequinones]

Writing Lesson: Remembering the Past

I moved from the United States of America to Australia and since then I’ve tried to rewatch some cartoons from my childhood, mainly ones from either Cartoon Network or Boomerang and I can't find them. They're not on any streaming services and I can’t buy physical copies because they’re extremely expensive. Sure Tubi might have some old cartoons such as Popeye or the original Superman, but I didn’t grow up with them. I wanted to rewatch cartoons from the 60s-early 2000s, shows such as The Jetsons, Flintstones, Yogi Bear, the original Animaniacs, Dexters Laboratory, you get the picture.

So why am I bringing all of this up when it comes to writing? Well it got me thinking that yes, while these shows were racist, and aged like milk being left out in the sun, I would argue that it’s still important to rewatch them. Not just for nostalgia shake but as a writer it’s a good idea to remember the past so we don’t repeat it.

I know, “if you don’t remember the past you’ll be doomed to repeat it” but the thing about that saying is, it’s not actually wrong, but I think it get’s overused so no one understands why we say it.

Stories change and evolve over time. The stories we read and were told as kids, might not be the same ones we tell our children because it doesn’t work for them and that’s ok. Stories are supposed to evolve over the years because they show that we as humans are evolving as well. However, if we start to no longer show the past what lessons can we learn to improve?

You see history is a funny thing, if we know our history and the lessons it brings we can do stuff to avoid making the same mistakes as the previous generations. However, if the previous generation's mistakes are lost in time, how can we avoid them if we don’t know what those mistakes are to begin with?

That’s what the saying means. Remember the mistakes our parents, grandparents, great grandparents and so on so we don’t make those same mistakes. This is one of the reasons why every couple of generations society seems to go backwards since the mistakes of the past are being forgotten or ignored and we do them again.

Now I’m not one of those people who think we should stay in the past, life was better back in the old days because let’s be honest, it wasn’t. We were just kids and didn’t understand how the world works. I think we should be able to tell new stories while also not wiping the old ones from existence just because the old ones no longer make money. Of course, they aren’t going to make money the people who like old things are old and there'll always be fewer old people compared to younger ones.

All I'm saying is that if we could keep the old stuff available for as long as possible, we should try and do so. Is the past embarrassing and racist? Yes, but so are we. As a society, many stories are being told that I already know aren’t going to age well in the next couple of decades but we shouldn’t forget about them. Keep learning, keep improving, keep being better.

If you want to reread some old books as a bit of a history project I got some for you. "The Giving Tree", "Gone with the Wind", "Lolita" (my god is that a bad story, why was that ever popular?) "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", "Stranger in a Strange Land". I could go on but those are some classic stories that it would be best not to forget about them. It’s important to understand why they were popular and what newer lessons we can get from them.

I also understand history for most people is kind of a boring subject, and while I don’t have advice on how to make learning fun. Perhaps if you’re a writer, and don’t want to read some old books in the genre you writing in, there might be a Youtube video you could put on or something? I’m not asking anyone to do a ten-page history report, just to try and remember some of the mistakes that were being taught in the old days so we could create new and more progressive ones instead of just repeating the same mistakes and never moving forward.

[dreamspiked]

leaks/spoilers/everything you could be warned about under the cut. a lot of this is just speculation and i'm sure a bunch of shit will be revealed next patch but hmmm

start off by saying i am still...confusion. like, i was not at all expecting gallagher's character to go that route, especially since they made the guy a four star but he's apparently way more involved than we thought. i'm also...holding out hope he's not just a big spicy evil guy with a vendetta against the family, but if what he said about the original watchmaker and how they were outcast, he might be.

second, shout out to @dupliciti/rath for always sharing theories and info with me, they made me aware of a fact last patch that gallagher has a lot of ties with mythus/the enigmata, which is a non-playable path in game. i didn't know that until rath told me so, now you know too.

apparently in the original script/other language versions, in that last confrontation between sunday and gallagher, sun calls him an 'enigmata goon', which further implies his ties to a different aeon than the harmony.

what does this all mean you ask?

honestly, you got me. if we can take anything gallagher says at face value, which based on enigmata pathstriders purposely trying to muddle history and language, i don't think we can but whatever; if his 'betrayal' and mikhail's death and all that felt personal, or he was slighted by this new watchmaker, i can see him trying to destroy 'the family' from the inside, and break the veil that is penacony. i also think, in my heart of hearts, he knows he's not really killing people, as it's been established you can't truly die in the dream world, but he's trying to force that perfect harmony to shatter and destroy penacony by making people 'wake up.'

how does he control the meme death? no fucking clue.

i find it telling that both times you mention gallagher to other members of the bloodhound family, they don't seem to know who he is. the very first time, when we were with firefly, the two members that cornered us only recognize gallagher vaguely by what he wears, and how it "probably is the boss" or something to that degree. and in this update, gallagher is RIGHT THERE investigating and the guy flat out asks "who is gallagher?"

it brings me to a bit rath shared with me that i find incredibly important to further shed light on what gallagher's motives could be:

Where the History Fictionologists are devoted to the mystification of history, the Riddlers are obsessed with destroying the certainty of language. Words used to express meaning are gradually obfuscated in the mouths of the Riddlers. They deconstruct texts, abuse metaphors, change word orders, tamper with semantics, and transform an otherwise precise language into something beyond recognition. There is evidence that History Fictionologists are a group of Emanators that were enlightened by Aeons. They often plunge into the sea of stars alone, traveling planet to planet with the sole purpose of fabricating, obscuring, destroying, and erasing the local history. History Fictionologists believe that the past determines the future — when a civilization's history is definite, its future development is doomed as all possibilities are eliminated, leaving only a sad and rigid path forward. In order to save these worlds from the sad fate of objectivity, History Fictionologists consider Enigmata as their only creed and are determined to shroud the universe in mystery.

if this were true, gallagher is most likely??? i think??? trying to avoid history repeating itself with mikhail's death and betrayal of the family by obscuring what happened in any way he can. but that's an incredibly loose theory that i would struggle to hold water with. he could just be taking this all personally, something about the "broke my spine and pulled out my teeth" bit to sunday makes me feel that gal might not have been as 'ok' with his exile as he says he was. in one of his character stories, he reminisces about the golden years when he longed for freedom, which makes me think he was originally a prisoner on the planet before they found out about the dreamscape and fought to free themselves. which would mean he's very old, and very tired.

i ALSO bring up the leaked lc that saffron showed me, which appears to be previous members of the nameless sharing a drink with pompom. one of those members looks suspiciously like gallagher, just younger. and rath brought up a great point regarding the invitation for the nameless, how it's hidden message or "distress cry" was tuned specifically to the train's frequency. how would someone on penacony who supposedly has never been on the express know the exact frequency of the train?

just more food for me to chew on.

[queerwhohatesithere]

we should never stop talking about the flour massacres. especially not until a permanent ceasefire has happened and israel’s occupation has ceased. but even after. we can’t let people forget. the next generation and the generations after that need to know. people always say history is doomed to repeat itself but we need to remember. we need to remember the holocaust. we need to do everything we can for the genocide happening right before our eyes. and we need to make sure it’s not glossed over. not ignored. the least we can do is talk about it.

i get it. not everyone has money to donate. calling representatives is scary. but everyone can talk about it, even if it’s not posting, talk about it with your family and friends. it’s important. if you live in the us, we CANNOT ignore our horrific part in this. if you can attend a protest please do. be safe and leave your phone at home if possible or power it off, there’s articles you can look up on protest safety. i’m gonna find the link to the daily clicks and put it here as well.

edited to included the daily clicks link:

[bluejaysandblackbats]

into the silent land

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Willis Todd is arrested before he can cheat Two-Face and be murdered in this AU. He regains custody of his twelve-year-old son, Jason, and they rebuild their relationship. Can Willis make up for his mistakes, or is he doomed to repeat history?

(The title comes from a line in the poem, Remember, by Christina Rossetti).

Chapters: 8/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Willis Todd, Original Character(s), Faye “Ma” Gunn

Additional Tags: Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Canon Divergent AU, Father-Son Relationship, Good Parent Willis Todd, Willis Todd Redemption, Mentioned Sheila Haywood

Chapter Eight: In Life

Melissa parked in front of the office an hour before school let out with bag lunches. “Have you eaten today, Billy?” Melissa asked. 

“Jason wouldn’t let me get away with skipping breakfast today,” Willis answered. Melissa opened his bag and peeled an orange for him. Willis looked out the window at the campus. 

“Do you want to talk about it now?” Melissa questioned. 

His lip quivered. “I feel so guilty, Lissy. I’m not—.”

“You were a scared kid. What Mark did—... It wasn’t for you. It wasn’t because of you. Mark did that because he’s an evil human being. You didn’t have a choice—.” 

“I got on my hands and knees, scrubbing the floor… And Ma—. She—. She kicked me. She told me to clean up my mess. I’ve never seen that much blood before in my life. All I could think was, ‘I can’t think over all that crying,’ and it was me. I was crying,” Willis sharply inhaled, “I know I was young and stupid, but I would’ve—. God, Melissa.” Willis pressed his palms against his eyelids.

She took his hand and gave him the orange she peeled. “Billy—.” 

“I almost blocked it out, but Sheila—. Jason’s mother. Sheila killed that girl… Botched an operation, and I—. I think I scared her away. I made her think she had to leave, but I couldn’t look at her anymore. Then, I remarried and—. The damage was done. I was relieved when Sheila said she couldn’t fight me for custody, and I—. Catherine was great with Jason, but I started drinking and—.” 

“You were reeling… Did you tell your therapist about—?”

Willis shook his head. “No one knows, but you, me, Ma, and Mark. I can’t believe I told you. I shouldn’t have roped you into my shit, Lissy,” Willis answered.

Melissa nudged him. “Eat your orange, Billy,” Melissa whispered, “I’m glad you talked to me. You were scared, and you trusted me. That’s what family does. And you did a lot for me, too. I mean, I could’ve done without you singing Nightshift by The Commodores while I was in labor—.” Willis laughed as he ate his orange. 

“You thought it was hilarious,” Willis replied. Melissa always knew how to distract him from the worst of his memories. Melissa chuckled, shaking her head as she peeled her own orange. 

“Danny set money aside for you after he died… Why didn’t you ever—?”

“I didn’t think I deserved it. Danny was good people. I couldn’t take money from your husband. It’d be weird,” Willis replied. Melissa tutted. 

“Take a little of it and buy a TV and maybe a computer and printer, so Jason can do his homework at home,” Melissa replied, “It’s not much, but it’s enough for you to have something for a rainy day.” 

“I don’t wanna—.” 

“It’s yours. No one’s gonna use it if you don’t,” Melissa replied, “Danny adored you. He loved you like you were his brother.” 

Willis smiled. “Hey, Lissy… Before I forget to ask… Can Jason sleep at your place for a few days? He’s got all this school stuff, and I can’t keep scaring him awake like this. Just until Thursday. I need some time to get my head right,” Willis replied. 

“Okay… But—. Willis, why won’t you come inside?” Melissa asked. 

Willis looked out the window while he sipped his juice box. “I can’t—. I can’t do that. It brings back too many memories,” Willis replied. 

“Are you scared?” Melissa asked. “Maybe you should talk to your PO. You were fifteen. You didn’t—.”

“Melissa, if I say anything Ma will kill Jason. You don’t think I tried to talk to the police before? I tried once when Jason was six months old… I wanted to say something, but I—. Jason was in a daycare, and his—. I went to pick him up, and he wasn’t there. I lost my mind trying to find him, and she—. She came out of my apartment holding my son—. She’ll kill him. She’ll kill Jason,” Willis whispered. 

Melissa nodded, turning to rub his back. “That’s a lot for one person to carry, though,” Melissa whispered. “You don’t feel like—.” 

“No. I’m trying to stay off the bottle… Jason needs to know I’m serious about taking care of him. He comes first. I just—. I made another appointment with my therapist… I um—. I told my therapist that I wanted to work through some stuff with Jason. I was rough on him when he was—. I was abusive… And Jason forgave me for it all, but it’s left a mark on how—. I want to fix it. I want to—.” 

“Have you talked to him about it?” Melissa asked.

“I told him it’d be a good idea for him to give therapy a chance. I’m gonna talk to him again. I hope I can convince him,” Willis whispered. Melissa nodded. “Lissy? Do you have pictures of the other kids?”

“Gabriel, Gavin, Olivia, and Sarah when they were little,” Melissa whispered as she showed Willis a picture of the four kids in the pool. “Gavin is the one with his chin in his hands, Gabriel is the one making claws at the camera. Olivia is the one with the snorkel on, and Sarah is the one with the sunglasses on. Oh, and here’s one of Gav last year with Daddy—.” Her phone rang. “Sorry, Billy… This is Gabe… Hi, honey!” She put the phone on speaker.

“Mom, before I ask you a question… Am I on speaker? And is Dilly in the car?” Gabriel questioned. 

“You are on speaker, and your uncle Billy is here,” Melissa replied. 

“Hi,” Willis added. 

“Oh, Mom was serious… Well, I guess we might as well say it. We’re all family here. I think I’m constipated. So, what’s the name of that laxative you used to give us?” Gabriel asked. Melissa shut her eyes, desperately trying to stave off a laugh. 

“You’re the one in culinary, right?” Willis asked. Gabriel made an affirmative noise. “Cut up an aloe plant and some kiwi, and blend it up in some water. I used to do it for my kid when he was little. If that doesn’t work, get those chocolate laxatives at the corner store.” 

“Okay, I’m at the store right now, so I’ll get the aloe and stuff across the street,” Gabriel replied, “Thanks, Uncle Billy.” 

“No problem,” Willis smiled. 

“Gabe, what’s Gav doing today?” Melissa asked. 

“Gav’s doing some super secret photoshoot. He won’t tell me what it’s for. So, I’m assuming it’s a big deal. He’s been gone all day… Oh, and I read Amber’s thing the other day. I called her yesterday, but she hasn’t gotten back to me—. Sorry, it’s Sarah. I’ll call you later, Mom. Nice to meet you, Uncle Billy. Love you both,” Gabriel replied. 

“Bye, honey. Talk to you later. Love you,” Melissa smiled.

“Love you, Gabriel,” Willis returned the gesture. 

Melissa hung up and looked at Willis. “Did you know Daddy named you after me? Melissa and Willis. Lissy and Willis. He knew we’d be close. I love you so much, and I just want everything to be okay. You deserve happiness. You deserve your beautiful little boy and everything wonderful that comes your way. I say that as your sister and your friend,” Melissa replied. 

Willis stared at the gate, his mind a million miles away from their current conversation. “We were going to have a girl… We decided on Veronica. Veronica Louise Todd. We called her Baby Very… She’d be a little older than Amber,” Willis mumbled. 

“Billy… You didn’t tell me that,” Melissa whispered. 

“I couldn’t remember… I was so messed up with guilt and grief—. I didn’t think of it until now. Jason would’ve—. Would I have had Jason?” Willis asked. 

“Don’t think about that. Those sorts of what-ifs are dangerous. You have Jason because you’re meant to have him. If Danny hadn’t passed, I never would’ve had my other five children. If Amber never transitioned I wouldn’t know what it was like to love someone who defied every expectation I had for them. If I never answered the door for you, I wouldn’t have ever—. I wouldn’t have made it through postpartum depression,” Melissa replied, “What-ifs are no good. In life, there’s always loss.”