#Thought Exercise

[nocasdatsgay]

I love Nesta but the IC did think negatively of her initially to the point that Mor etc made her feel like this bond was unfair to Cass, that he deserved better. Azriel was mostly nice to her but he also had the extra heavy bag thing. So how do you think he truly felt about her as a person and as Cass' mate and how would he have felt about her being his mate instead?

This is true. But they don’t remember that 🤣 at this point in the story she has assimilated. Rhys still bombastic side eyes her but that’s Cassian’s mate now.

I truthfully don’t think he thought about her at all in the beginning. She was just Feyre’s mean ass sister who was now their problem cause she was turned fae. His eyes were glued in on Elain, he didn’t have a thought to spare for Nesta.

As Cassian’s mate, he probably thought it was funny. Cassian gets the mean sister? Good luck with that buddy. Still the essence of nonchalantness. He shows us that much when she gets tossed into the blood rite and he’s like “she’s fine you’ll know if she isn’t”.

If she had been his mate? He would have been feral (not in a horny way but eh maybe in a horny way). All that subtle attention to Elain would have been directed to Nesta. Rhys hates Nesta because his bond to Feyre and his personality. Az doesn’t have that bond to Feyre- he probably would have looked past the transgressions to get to know Nesta.

@/theladyofbloodshed has a beautiful fic called the closest to heaven I’ll ever be it’s basically how I see Nesta/Az if they had been mates. It’s self indulgent on my part but I adore the dynamic in it.

[feyres-divorce-lawyer]

if sjm really wanted rhys to be the most powerful but also wanted him to be the ultimate victim ever looking over his shoulder, she should’ve made large uses of his powers debilitating and even just containing it leaves him in constant pain. i’m talking head-splitting vomit inducing pain after he mists people, or passing out for several days when he wipes a lot of people’s memories. it would’ve been so interesting so see a character that’s objectively op but then their body cannot handle such power. plus, his supposed cunning would’ve been more believable because he wouldn’t be able to rely on his powers so much, he’d have to be a good diplomat because if things resolve to violence, broski’s fainting. plus plus, the whole change takes time thing would’ve been…. reasonable. (still wouldn’t take 500 years tho).

[henrysglock]

Okay. While I take a break from updating my big TFS analysis for Broadway...I have a couple genuine questions. Literally just a thought exercise.

I want us to look at TFS from Brenner's POV for a second.

So. You, as Brenner, catch wind of this hysterical lady in Indiana who claims her son has psychic powers, and that he's been using them to terrorize her, his sister and father, and the rest of the town. You've seen many of these "superpowered" psychopathic children. Usually, it's a false positive. In fact, you haven't seen a real case at all. But, given some history on this boy re: an incident in his youth, a disappearance near your base in Nevada that coincides with a missing sample of...something...that you know destroys minds (because it destroyed your father's mind), you're shipped out to Indiana by the DOD to investigate the case—hopefully to solve it, whatever it is.

What is your experimental design to get this kid to show his hand?

Remember: It's most likely that he'll be stubbornly uncooperative. He's not going to want to show you his powers. He's mentally unwell, but he's not stupid. If he's a hoax, remaining uncooperative is a way to maintain the mystery—which is his only source of power in the situation. If he's not a hoax, then he's going to be uncooperative to hide his little secret—and that's not even considering the possibility that he is possessed by this creature that destroyed your father, which would have every reason to lay low and remain hidden. Playing nice isn't really an option, here. Playing Nice-Cop will get you walked all over like a doormat.

So...How do you plan to get subject H. Creel to show you his abilities?

Now. You actually meet this kid—Henry—and you ask him some questions about his past. He's a mixed bag, to say the least. Intelligent, defensive, twitchy, definitely terrified of something, and surprisingly sound in the psychological sense. He seems like...a normal 14-year-old boy, save for whatever's keeping him defensively dancing around your questions.

What's the best way to get him to slip up? What emotions tend to make people most honest, by choice or by accident?

Anger. Shame. Emotional self-defense.

Knowing this...how would YOU have proceeded with the investigation?

TFS Brenner started off with some low-ball insults. He called the animal killings sloppy, he brought up this friend Henry seems to have attacked back home in Nevada...and Henry got agitated. Brenner got somewhere, but it's still not quite enough. So he raised the stakes. He raised his voice at him, called him weak, manhandled him a little bit to show him he doesn't scare him.

It worked. Henry snapped, and he killed the rat Brenner had in the room. He killed that rat with his mind—and he was immediately in shambles about it. So...not a psychopath, but definitely superpowered.

What conclusions can we surmise that Brenner drew, here?

Henry has psychic abilities

Henry does not kill animals or attack people for pleasure

Henry is most definitely behind the killings and attacks in Hawkins

Conclusion: Henry may have been committing these acts, but Henry himself is not the one making the choice to do so.

And poor Henry is all curled in on himself in the corner of the room, the picture of a terrified, guilty child. He hasn't opened a gate yet, at this point. At this point, he's just a model organism from the most utilitarian point of view. A resistant host. Henry as a person, his thoughts and feelings, are beside the point here.

What really matters are his brain and body, and you don't need him to be your best friend to make use of those, but...Are you going to just let him stand there sniffling? Are you really just going to coldly watch him cry? You don't need to comfort him for him to be useful to you. His guilt and fear will keep him relatively docile and obedient, now that the cat is out of the figurative bag. Henry's a meek kid. Sweet, even. Eager to help, eager to please. The earlier defensiveness was just fear for your safety, in hindsight. He's a good kid. You don't need to comfort him. In fact, he'd probably understand if you didn't want to get within 10 feet of him after what just happened with the rat. He didn't blame Patty when she ran away instead of comforting him.

So...No, you don't need to comfort Henry. But you do anyway.

Thus, the question: Is it manipulative to comfort Henry after cracking him open to see the truth of his situation, or is it just comforting a scared child? Is it manipulation, or is it—to quote the Ella Fitzgerald song—a necessary evil? Would the better choice have been to stand there watching Henry cry? To play Nice Guy and make no progress whatsoever? Progress that, mind you, is required for any of your goals, whether they be "Help Henry control the Shadow" or "Clean up the mess in Hawkins" or "Open a gate to Dimension X", to come to fruition.

Should Brenner have just shrugged when Henry refused his questions and released him back into the general public, where no one understands, and as such no one can help him? Would that have been the better choice?

No. Of course not. Henry is a danger to himself and others, whether he means to be or not.

The Bad-Cop act was necessary, then. The truth had to come out, like lancing an infected wound. A festering wound, if you will.

So then that circles back to my earlier question: Would the "right" choice have been to toss a handkerchief at Henry and tell him to clean himself up? And when Henry launches himself at Brenner because he's utterly starved of comfort and affection, would the "right" choice have been to dump him on the floor?

Didn't think so.

[msshadowqueen]

I've never seen anyone talk about it, but why tf is the Illyrian rite still allowed to continue? Literally, Illyrians are pitted against each other and forced to kill in order to achieve status in their realm. The Inner Circle agrees that it's fucked up, but nobody in the circle actually does anything about it (as usual). I'm sure they could stop it easily. Also, the Illyrian rite is one of the only Fae-like things I've seen outside of the first book; we lost that Fae feel after book 1. I would've liked it if the whole Night Court bad thing wasn't an act, and Feyre actually had to survive a wicked court and Rhysand. But we get Velaris instead. BOOOOOOOO.

[howifeltabouthim]

'I think you're hopelessly theory-ridden . . . You're chasing empty abstractions. What happens will be quite different.'

Iris Murdoch, from A Fairly Honourable Defeat

[inawickedlittletown]

I keep thinking about how Buck and Tommy probably only just missed meeting each other because Buck sorta arrives to take his spot at the 118...but mostly I keep thinking about this because of who Buck was back then and also how we now know that Tommy was closeted. Buck 1.0 and Tommy (would 2.0 be applicable?)

And okay so if Tommy had remained...

Tommy probably would have found Buck attractive because obviously...but he also would clock Buck as straight right away and also an idiot. Meanwhile, I think Buck would have a kinda puppy hero worship thing going on that he doesn't realize is a crush but definitely becomes a friendship.

And I think with enough time, and with the 118 becoming into the family we know that Tommy would have come out and embraced that part of himself and that Buck in trying to be an ally would do research and realize stuff about himself too and also maybe how he feels about Tommy. And maybe enter Eddie Diaz and Buck and Tommy are just both screaming at world because it's unfair that he's straight but hey they have each other...

Hen and Chim cackle in the background. Bobby just shakes his head and pretends he doesn't know what's happening.

[floatingbook]

Do you eat breakfast? Are you hungry in the morning? Are you starving when you reach lunchtime? Do you stretch when you get up? Are you in pain when you wake up? Do you spend some time watching nature, the sun rising, the way trees sway in the wind, before you rush into your day? Do you rush into your day? Right out of bed, are you often cold? Do you wish you could have stayed under your blankets? A step out of bed, do you already dream about your next nap?

[ekat-fandom-blog]

Captain Marvel Power Sharing w/Marvel characters

(original idea from this post by @phoenixcatch7 + my addition and my other post based off of their post)

First, which characters are Cap/Shazam going to be sharing his powers with? Lets go easy and choose the Avengers: Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye.

If you don't know Captain Marvel's powers are Strength, Courage (invulnerability is part of this too), Stamina, Power (lightning and flight), Speed, and Wisdom.

Off the bat I'm thinking, Hulk and Thor do not need strength, but Black Widow and Hawkeye could use it. Considering Hawkeye tries not to get too close to the action let's give it to Black Widow.

Now, thinking about this, Hawkeye's the most vulnerable of the remaining 5 so I'm giving him the courage.

Now, let's look at power. Thor doesn't need it. And seeing as Iron Man can fly, I don't think he needs it either. Captain America on the other hand? Just turn him into a more patriotic, shield-wielding version of Thor. Giving it to Hulk could be useful too though. Let's table this one real quick.

Wisdom is what I want to look at next. None of the avengers are particularly in need of this one, but let's look at who doesn't need this one. Iron Man. He's a genius. Captain America may be able to use this, but considering the only reason Captain Marvel would share his powers is because they needed to in the heat of battle and Captain America is really good at War Tactics (depending on the version ofc) I don't think he needs it. Thor is the same. Hulk though. He's got all of Banner's brains but he's impulsive. Giving him wisdom is actually the best choice.

Going back to power, that leaves Captain America.

Speed and Stamina are all that are left, so let's look at the facts. Thor's already got great stamina, but Tony has to pilot a seriously heavy suit through the entire battle. Not that he can't do it, but it would be a major help if he was less tired by the climax.

And that leaves Thor with speed!

The lineup is: Black Widow with strength, Hawkeye with courage, Hulk with wisdom, Captain America with power, Iron Man with Stamina, and Thor with speed!

[s3znl-gr3znl]

I wish mental gymnastics were used for fun thought exercises and not "fascism is actually a good idea."

[nocasdatsgay]

HE IS SO FUCKING MEAN? WHY IS HE CALLING HER BROKEN MF YOUR HANDS ARE BURNT

When I tell you I about spit out my drink and fell out when this notification popped up while I was at work 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Yeah he has a lot of room to be talking shit.

And also. He’s projecting his views of himself but that’s for later

[feyres-divorce-lawyer]

there’s something to be said abt feyre spending a lot of time around rhys, a cruel mind reader, and then the first time she has agency outside of him, she’s being a cruel mind reader. something something psychological conditioning, many thoughts. anyways, good morning☀️

[faewithoutconsequence]

Just brainstorming with my followers, thinking of extant characters. I know op said MORE, I'm just thinking out loud

we need more pathetic female characters written by authors who don't hate women

[msshadowqueen]

The Tyrant

The treacherous prince had taken over the kingdom. He had betrayed his noble brother and seized the throne. Many of the greedy courtiers and soldiers had turned on the noble brother at the chance for increased power the treacherous prince had offered. Only one man, his finest commander with a talent for people, had remained loyal. With his intelligence, had forseen the threat and led an army against him. He had lost, but the treacherous prince had not been satisfied. He wished to torment the only leader who had refused to be corrupted, the only man who was so utterly loyal that money meant nothing to him; he could not be bought. The treacherous prince kept this man alive to as a final insult to his dead brother, or so he told himself. But in reality, he kept him alive and tortured him because despite everything he had stolen from his noble brother, he was jealous. For all of his friends would turn on him the moment he lost power. It was why he had turned conquerer, conquering almost every native tribe remaining on the continent. Because he knew the moment he showed weakness, the vipers would strike. This fine commander was so loyal he refused to bow and still declared a dead man the true king. He had stripped him of his lands, his title, his honor, his sculpted body, his freedom. He had killed his parents and his wife. The fine commander was a slave of all kinds; he did manual labor, sex work, housework; whatever the treacherous prince thought would torment him the most. But no matter what he did, the man's spirit would not be broken. He would not bow to him, no matter what manner of slavery he did, no matter how many lashes the treacherous prince bestowed on him. The treacherous prince could not understand it- the unbreakable spirit. How had he not been broken? It was as such: the fine commander had a secret. A beautiful secret more precious than all the diamonds in the world. The only reason he hadn't broken. But one day, the treacherous prince who had now become a tyrant discovered it. The former commander had a daughter. The tyrant beheld her once: she was grown, but clearly just into womanhood. She was the most beautiful woman the tyrant had ever seen. And he desired her with all of his wicked heart. So one day, he dragged the former commander into the throneroom in front of his court. "You still haven't paid the debt of your treachery."

The former commander had not lost his fire. He spat on the floor beneath the tyrant standing over him. "You have taken everything from me but my soul. That, I'm afraid, you cannot take from me. It is not tarnishable by man or beast." The tyrant controlled his temper, knowing he had the winning play in mind, the one that would finally break the last tether his noble brother had to this world. "I have not taken everything just yet." He smiled wider, letting the former commander slowly guess at what the tyrant had discovered. "You still have your daughter."

The former commander's eyes widened and he began to sob. "Please, not my daughter. I'll do anything."

"Will you kneel to me?" the tyrant crooned. "Yes," he said. "Would you die for her?" "Yes." "Would you bear any kind of torture for her?" "Yes." The tyrant smiled. "Well, unfortunately, it's not up to you." He jerked his chin at his guards. "Twenty lashes. Find the daughter." "NO!" the former commander screamed in terror as those screams soon turned to screams of pain. It was all for nothing. The daughter soon came of her own free will upon hearing her father was suffering. "Father!" she cried upon seeing his bloodied body. The former commander could barely keep conscious, but he tried telling his daughter to run, to keep far away- "What have you done to him?" the beautiful daughter cried. She glared fiercely at the tyrant. "You're a monster! Hasn't my father suffered enough? Sadist!" "Quiet, or that will be you next," the tyrant thundered. But the beautiful daughter had the same unbreakable spirit as her father. "Torture me, kill me, but it won't fill the hollowness of your heart, oh Tyrant! You cannot break us! Break our bodies, but our souls cannot be touched by anything that exists in this world! You will never own us! LET HIM GO!" The tyrant didn't know if it was his paranoia, but he could've sworn the smell of thunder was in the room. Magic had been killed off centuries ago, magical lines either being killed off or dying out. "What would you be willing to give in exchange for his freedom?"

The daughter hesitated. "Don't," the former commander groaned. But the beautiful daughter could no longer bear to see her father in pain. He had gone through hell to keep her safe. It was now her turn. "What are you asking?" The tyrant smiled. "Would you marry me in exchange for his freedom?" The beautiful daughter took a deep breath. She could stomach this tyrant, so her father could live his last years in peace. "Yes." The tyrant smiled. "Excellent. Then I grant your father freedom. From life." And he brought his sword down upon the former commander's neck. It was the last mistake the tyrant would ever make. Rage so powerful filled the beautiful daughter's bones, seeping through every inch of her body. Her eyes sizzled a crackling electric blue. She released a bloodcurdling scream as a lightning bold arced from the sky into her chest, then ricocheted and split into smaller bolts that reduced the tyrant's entire court to cinders. Magic had never died, the tyrant soon realized. It had only been repressed. Scared away to the furthest corners of the world. But it still existed. This mighty daughter was proof. The daughter roared and reached her arms to the sky, collecting another bolt. The tyrant did not think to do anything but run. Tyrant he would be no longer, but a coward. But the mighty storm wrapped bolt after bolt around the coward, knocking him to his knees. The storm would take its time, the coward realized with no small amount of horror. He hadn't been killed with the first strike so he could die this slow, torturous death. The coward screamed as the electricity slowly fried him from the inside out. The storm only laughed maniacally. There was no mercy to be had. All mercy had died with the fine fine commander. And when the coward was nothing but ash, the grieving daughter went for her father's body. The head was still connected to the body by a few threads as if some mighty being had wanted the daughter to be able to honor him properly. Tears flowed endlessly down the daughter's face, but she gently laid her father outside of the palace main doors. Hand-dug his grave and gently rolled his body in. Then she sealed it and sighed. Given that the entirety of the court was now dead, she was now Queen. But after all that had just happened...she would be the broken queen.

[floatingbook]

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning, from the moment you step out of bed to the moment you’re ready to get out of the door? How much time do you spend on selecting your clothes, on washing your face, on doing your make-up and your hair? At your quickest, how fast can you be? What’s the least amount of time you can bear to spend on getting ready? Could you use this extra time for something else? In the morning, are you prioritising things out of societal pressure? Are there parts of your morning routine you’d really like to get rid of, but keep doing because you have to look a certain way? For whose benefit are you doing each step of your morning routine?

[asiss-s]

https://archiveofourown.org/series/1802143

Turning Points, clever jumping off spots where a turn in the opposite direction would have made a difference.

A MutiVerse thought exercise

[starfightervicki]

Here's a game called Spend Bill Gates' Money.

It challenges you to spend a hundred billion, but it can still be useful here. Try to get it down from one hundred billion to ninety-nine hundred billion.

When I see hypotheticals like this, I ask myself: If I give half of the money to charity, at what point does it become immoral not to?

So five hundred million. According to the game, that's a thousand homes, which you can give to the homeless, with room to spare. So here's a rephrasing of the original question:

Would you suck a thousand dicks to save a thousand lives?

One of my friends asked me the other day if I would suck one thousand dicks for a billion dollars, and I love questions like that because not only are they so demonstrative of the no-homo society we live in, but they also show a fundamental lack of understanding that some people have for the value of money. Like, do you realize just how much money one billion dollars is? Do you realize I could live my life in the lap of luxury buying literally everything I could ever want and still have a fortune to leave to my children?? For sucking some dicks?? We are talking 1 million dollars per dick sucked!! That’s just economical like come on man.