#We're allowed to like. do things without specific roles

[troublex8]

Coping with the curse of blur by rethemeing SP

[wizzard890]

Warner Brothers would absolutely not be remaking Harry Potter as a prestige television series if it wasn't for the persistent popularity of the Marauders fandom.

Sure, companies dip back into IP all the time, but Harry Potter has had mixed success over the past ten years: popular video game, disastrous Fantastic Beasts movies, pandemic-successful stage show -- this isn't a sure bet, particularly if you're hoping to capture new fans, not just feed aging millennials.

Luckily for the bottom line, there is a thriving Harry Potter adjacent fandom, one that's only ballooned in popularity as the books proper have receded from popular culture. Studios often do algorithmic calculations to estimate popularity/risk/audience and oh boy, do young people fucking love Marauder shit. It's bled into BookTok, back into the related dark academia subculture (which Harry Potter arguably helped create in the first place); it pulls in fans who aren't familiar with the books, who instead consider specific fanworks canonical. They love the setting; anything to enrich the locale where Remus and James and Snape and Lily and Peter and Sirius have adventures. What better way to monetize that interest than stretching each book into a ten episode season of prestige television? If J.K. Rowling's creative control didn't expressly forbid anything beyond straight adaptation of the book, I'm sure WB would be developing a prequel as we speak.

J.K. Rowling is, of course, an executive producer, and WB's creative team has signaled that they will be working with her closely.

I truly think this is the most significant negative impact of a single fandom on the real world since The Last Jedi wars radicalized a generation of young men. We're looking at a potential total revitalization of Rowling in popular culture, unfathomable amounts of money in her pocket, complete creative control and publicity, associated bumps for the Harry Potter theme park, all of it.

Many people in the fandom understand that they're walking a line by engaging with Harry Potter at all, to such an extent that it's good form to make a point of not buying Harry Potter merch. That drives me a little bit crazy. Okay, you've repudiated the desire to own a Hufflepuff Scarf. In this age of studios watching fandoms, of total breakdown of the creator/audience divide, does that really matter? You've withheld your purchasing power, but kept the IP thriving.

And the thing that gets me is that Marauders fandom is so barely Harry Potter, so tangentially related, that they could have taken their flanderized headcanons and written their own books, or applied them to literally any other boarding school setting! There are maybe four chapters that cover the young lives of Harry Potter's Dad's Friends, and in all of them the characters are lightly sketched at best. No one would even accuse you of plagiarism for taking these characters and doing something else with them, they're essentially walk-on roles. Instead we have an active and growing fandom, where Sirus/Remus moved from being the eighth most popular ship on Ao3 to the SECOND, in the space of a single year. That's with no new books, new movies, no external bump of any kind from the IP.

And okay, sure, did this fandom sign a check to J.K. Rowling? No, that would be Casey Bloys and the rest of the clowns at HBO. But at this point, aren't we splitting hairs?

Like sorry, if I have to hear about the revolutionary queer power of pure, old-school fandom as something that exists without financial incentive, a community that can cause real and tangible changes in the media that gets produced, then you have to allow that those real and tangible changes can be for the worse.

[bloodbenderz]

there was a lot of mistakes made in the live action but the worst one without reservation was that the creators did not understand patriarchy and they did not understand women's liberation outside of an american context ( or any context if we're being honest )

it's easy to see on a surface level how that fucked up katara's whole character how she wasn't allowed to have her character defining moments how she wasn't allowed to be angry or even excited or impulsive but i think it doesn't really become clear how deeply wrong the show's conception of gender & patriarchy is (and the implications for the political landscape of the show) until you get into how they destroyed sokka's character too

sokka's whole Complex is born of patriarchy. i'm not trying to do men's rights advocacy here but in my experience when a people is under constant threat, constant assault, constant violence (much of which is gendered) and the traditional "protectors" or "providers" of that people are men, the masculine role becomes protecting women and children. i am not saying this is a good thing or a bad thing but it is true the narrative of violent resistance is overwhelmingly about men. to be a man in a time & place like this means fighting to protect your women, & to die for them is honorable. that is where sokka gets this idea that he has to be a warrior & he has to fight & if necessary die for katara & the rest of the tribe. it's about duty. everyone has a part to play, a role to fill

everyone including women! which is the other half of this. the duty of women is to keep up the home, to maintain a country worth fighting & dying for, to raise children so that the community can have a future. it becomes especially obvious in the context of the show when you see how the nwt lives & in specific how yue lives and dies.

many women participate in patriarchy. many colonized women participate in patriarchy. most of my family comes from or still lives in a country completely devastated by colonialism & its aftereffects & many women in my family believe wholeheartedly in the idea that everyone in the house has a role to play. it's not because these women are stupid or they hate themselves. but when you grow up believing that men & women are fundamentally different, and seeing that women are in specific danger because of their gender, it actually makes a lot of sense to expect the men in your family to protect you, and to raise your sons that way.

in practice that means that men aren't really expected to do anything around the house, especially when there's no actual danger. my aunt literally 2 days ago told me this lol like she doesn't make her sons do anything bc she wants to let their lives be easy before they have to go out into the world & take care of their wives & children.

what does women's liberation look like when an entire community is under threat? colonized women have been dealing with this question as long as colonialism has existed. the writers of this show don't even pretend to understand the question, much less to formulate a thoughtful response to it. they just say oh, well, katara, yue, & suki are all the exact same type of liberated girlboss for whom patriarchy is no significant obstacle.

which brings us back to sokka lol. sokka, at the beginning of the show, has completely subscribed to patriarchy, has integrated it into his sense of self. he has a lot of flaws, but he also has a lot of really good traits. his bravery, sense of honor, loyalty, work ethic, selflessness, all of this came from him striving to be a good man. he would die to protect katara, because she's his sister. he also has her wash his socks & mend his clothes, because she's his sister. even after he meets suki, humbles himself, & expands his view of the role a woman can play, he doesn't completely disengage from patriarchy. at the end of the day he believes in his soul that a good man's duty is to fight & if necessary die for his people, & that's exactly his plan. this is a very real psychic burden. pre-aang, it's also largely fictional & completely ridiculous. we're SUPPOSED to think it's ridiculous. he's spending his time training babies & working on his little watchtower. the swt hasn't been attacked since their mother was killed because it has been completely stripped of all value or danger it once held for the fire nation, & everybody knows this. there is very little "men's work" left, aside from hunting & fishing, which is so damaging to sokka's self image he resorts to toddler bootcamp to feel useful. the contradiction here is comical. it's also completely devastating. that's supposed to be the fucking POINTTTT like colonialism & patriarchy convinces this young boy he needs to be a soldier & die for his family. & you know what he does? He acts like a young boy about it. they didn't just leave this unexplored in the remake they completely changed the circumstances to 1. make sokka incompetent for some reason 2. make his "preparations" seem less ridiculous. Which ruins the whole character. Possibly the whole show.

all this makes the writing of katara & the other women infinitely more offensive to me. katara is a good character because she believes in revolution. she wants to liberate her people from imperialism, & she wants to liberate women from colonial gendered violence, traditional patriarchy in her own culture, & the complicated ways those things interact. it is LITERALLY the first thing you're supposed to learn about her. she's the PERFECT vehicle to address the question of women's liberation under colonialism. one of the things i was most looking forward to seeing in this show was how labor is distributed in a place where almost everything that needs to get done is "women's work" & how it affects katara & sokka's day to day relationship when their lives weren't at risk constantly. what actually are her responsibilities every day, & how do they compare to sokka's? how does her grandmother enforce these traditions with katara & sokka, & how is that informed by her own experiences in the nwt? what does patriarchy look like in a tribe made up of mostly women & children? it's so important to who katara is & what she believes! but why bother exploring any of that when u could instead make her a shein model who has nothing in common with the source material except her hairstyle lol.

yue is actually even worse to me bc yue is supposed to be sokka's counterpart. she's supposed to show you how destructive it is for women specifically to internalize this gendered duty so completely. it sucks for sokka, but he is a man & thus his prescribed role gives him some agency. yue's role affords her no agency whatsoever, & this is the POINT. to make her someone who's allowed to break things off with her fiance if she likes, who sneaks off to do what she wants when she's feeling stressed, whose will is respected as a monarch, like what is even the point of yue anymore? in the original the whole reason she was even allowed to spend time with sokka was because her father knew she was with a trustworthy boy. her story completely loses all significance when the dimension of patriarchy is removed from it. the crux of her whole story is that she is not just a princess but the literal & spiritual representation of the motherland. that's what women are supposed to represent during wartime, at the cost of their own sense of self. in order to fulfill her duty to her people she gives her life to them in every single way that matters.

it's just so unbelievably frustrating (and WRONG) that the only types of characters for these writers are "soulless misogynistic fuck" and "liberated american-style feminist." there's no nuance at all! they don't bother exploring how real love manifests in patriarchal communities, & how patriarchy defines the limits of that love. or how for so many of these people their idea of goodness, morality, & honor is gendered. or how imperialism affects not just individuals but entire cultures & their conceptions of gender. but why do any actual work when you could completely change sokka & katara's general demeanors, their entire personalities, & their roles in the tribe so you can dodge any & all nuance

Anyways. in conclusion. it was bad

[tealvenetianmask]

Hell's royalty has a culture that enables Stella's abusive behavior.

Point 1: Keeping up appearances is valued above all else. And I specifically mean the appearance of things being the way they're supposed to be. Conformity basically.

Conformity in this culture seems to include a kind of stoic dignity ("you know excitement is unbecoming of a goetia"), an air of superiority ("don't bow to that one- he bows to us!"), and, of course, some good old fashioned toxic masculinity ("cease this bitch crying").

Individuals at the very top are not immune. Even though he gets past it, Asmodeus seems to spend a lot of time and effort on keeping his relationship with Fizz quiet in order to keep up the appearance of fulfilling his "lust" role.

Point 2: The members of the aristocracy who don't conform are seen as the problem, not the members who are being cruel.

Speaking of Ozzie, there's a chance he'll face real consequences for getting out of line . . . Mammon seems pretty confident about getting revenge. Also, if Ozzie had decided that his reputation was important enough to avoid stepping in to help his partner, well . . . I'm just saying. Cultures of conformity create bystanders who stand by and let abuse happen. So it's good that this guy has the courage (and a good heap of privilege and power) to enable him to step out. Yes, I realize that the crowd at Mammon's celebrated Ozzie and Fizz, but the crowd was distinctly NOT aristocratic.

Now look at Stella's party- this woman is not subtle about being cruel to her husband.

She calls the party a "Not Divorced" party. She openly talks negatively about Stolas in a blatant attempt to humiliate him. She's not trying to hide that she hates the man.

Because he's . . . an oddball. Gentle, not as polished as others in his social sphere, awkward and mostly friendless, probably autistic. And importantly, I think, not traditionally masculine.

So Stella has no need to hide that she treats him poorly. She's proud of it. And her social circle seems to support her in it, or at least, they don't push back. Because based on the aristocracy's unspoken (or if we look at Paimon, very much spoken) value system, Stolas's failure to fulfill all of his expected roles gracefully is worse than Stella's cruelty.

Point 3: Stolas's parenting, while much better than his own father's, still reflects this value system in some ways, and that's . . . complicated.

In some ways, Octavia is doing great. She has her own interests (music! gothy fashion!) that don't seem to be based on any role prescribed to her by others. She has a genuine bond with her dad that's based on care and not on molding her into some ideal princess.

But Stolas still puts on an facade in front of Via. We know that he pretended things were fine when they distinctly weren't for most of her childhood. We could argue endlessly about whether Stolas was right (as Georgia Dow explained in her video) or wrong to stop himself from explaining the situation with Stella to Via in Loo Loo Land, but honestly, the man could let his nearly grown up daughter know that abuse was happening without all out trauma dumping. It would enable her to make more informed decisions, and I think she would want to be able to do that.

Instead, Stolas keeps it to himself. Because he feels like Via SHOULD have this picture perfect childhood. Look at the pictures that are up in his palace. Look at his attempt to gloss over the fighting in the household by taking Via to an idealized childhood destination.

A part of him still thinks that good parenting is keeping up appearances, and that the ugly things are best kept hidden. Look at how hard he still tries to avoid crying in front of people. The values he was taught as a child are part of him.

And while it's not his fault (it's Stella's fault, obviously- these are HER actions), his inability to be open allows Stella and Andrealphus to scheme and (we'll see . . .) probably manipulate Via because of her lack of knowledge.

We're meant to see the moments where Stolas breaks expectations and behaves raw and even a little unhinged as triumphant. Sleeping with Blitz. That is the sound of a fucking divorce. Actually going through with the fucking divorce. Insisting on it. Appearances be damned.

And yeah, more of that please. Because if the people around Stella stop caring about aristocratic social trappings, all she'll have going for her is her shitty personality.

Thanks @akirathedramaqueen for inspiring this post with a conversation.

[galaxy-fleur]

re: Leon's longtime friend

How would his first time with them be like? if they're in the same branch of work and have worked out their feelings and all that :)

So, I kinda answered both of these with just a single post, hope it's ok! Pretty much just general thoughts here. Written with Remake-verse Leon in mind <3

When it comes to sex, honestly.... I feel like he's pretty basic with his partner, unless they suggest to try out something new to him themselves, in which case he's totally down for it. That's not at all a bad thing though, basic positions are known as basic for a reason, and that's because they feel good! I kind of feel like he'll want to be able see his partner's eyes during intercourse, so he tends to prefer something like missionary (a classic, but for good reason!), or holding his partner up against the wall if we're talking more spontaneous quickie. At least there's something good to come out of his grueling training, y'know. He's definitely the type to either rest his forehead against yours or make-out with you in the middle of fucking.

And while I actually don't think he's big on dirty talk, I do think he's actually pretty communicative with his partner. He's a bit blunt about it, but it's a good kind of blunt. Especially when your brain is all fuzzy and woozy with hormones.

Something like: 'Does this feel good?', 'You wanna switch?', 'Faster, yeah?'

He's easy to communicate with, and that makes for a really comfortable experience.

He sucks at actual dirty talk though. Please don't ask him to do that; he'll either make you laugh out loud when you two are getting rowdy and then feel horribly embarrassed about the whole ordeal, or he'll die of embarrassment attempting to mimic some awful porn dialogue he's seen beforehand. That's not to say he can't learn! You'll just have to guide him in that department. It's sweet of him to try. He'll get there with some practice. He certainly won't mind some dirty talk on your end, however. Perhaps you could teach him the basics.

And while he may not be good at dirty talk, he doesn't even need it more often than not.

When he's being genuine instead of trying to play up some role, it's hot as hell. Lots of small praises and occasional swears along with situational comments. He's also very good at giving directions and commands. Has the perfect intonation for it, too. Very curt with his words, but it honestly just makes it hotter in the heat of the moment.

Something like: 'Eyes up.' 'Lift your leg.' 'Lay back.'

Massive cowgirl lover, with his partner facing him. He folds every time his partner is the one in charge, and he wants to be able to look at them and grope at them the entire time they're doing their thing. Again, probably lots of soft praises sprinkled in here and there. And yes, that includes 'good girl/boy'. Also gets kind of whiney during cowgirl specifically. Something about just sitting back and letting go of control for a while just makes him fall apart in the best way possible. He loves it when his brain gets blissfully empty, with nothing but the other's touch being there to fill it.

I'd say another one of his favorites is sideways missionary during lazy mornings and after his assignments. When he's feeling especially tired but craves to experience that feeling of intimacy regardless. This one is reserved for lazy sex with feelings, so he gets especially soft with this one. Peppering light kisses all over and whispering sweet nothings in that raspy, drowsy voice of his. It's special in its own wonderful way.

This probably goes without saying, but Leon's a massive oral enjoyer. Primarily on the giving end, whether it's eating pussy or sucking dick. Once more, he would rather stare at his partner all the while, hence positions that allow him to do so are preferred. He gets off on his partner feeling good, so you can very well expect him to give you his all each and every time. And with him being a naturally perceptive person, it won't take him long to figure out what makes you tick the most. I'd say that... most times he has sex will include him giving oral in it. It's kinda cute, because he will get all huffy about it if you are in a hurry, and he can't enjoy himself too much.

While he does prefer giving oral, he's more than happy to be on the receiving end, too. Like I said before, being given the opportunity to just let go and not think about anything is something he definitely craves. What better way to do that than have his partner suck him off? Again, gets all whiney and breathless with it. Regardless of the taste of his own cum on your lips, he always gives you a deep thank-you kiss afterward.

On that note, he's also pretty gross. Not in a weird way or anything, but he is utterly unfazed by getting any bodily fluids on him or inside him. He'll probably just shrug and say that it's way better than sewage water or bioweapon gunk. It's hard to argue with that. And it's hot, in a way. Him being so unperturbed by leaking up whatever mess you've made. Still best to brush your teeth and take a shower afterwards, though.

And while all of this is pretty basic, it stands true that he's willing to try anything with his partner if they're a bit more adventurous and experimental. It's more about him just not knowing most of the stuff than his unwillingness to try. However, I do believe that the idea of very rough sex would lead to some problems with him. And that's something that only really happens with his s/o. He has no issue fucking a one-night stand into the mattress to get his frustrations out, knowing they're enjoying it, but if he has feelings for that person, he'll kinda feel bad about it if he gets too in the moment and misuses his strength on them. It's not impossible by any means, but he'll have to be eased into it a bit. The last thing he wants is to hurt the one person he strives to protects the most. It's a difficult dichotomy for him to overcome. But with care and effective communication, anything is possible!

I also don't think he would enjoy getting choked. For obvious reasons.

His sex life is honestly very different depending on who he's having sex with. For example, I'd say he's actually a huge doggy style enjoyer with casual hookups, but with his partner, he'll automatically prefer something that will let him look them in the face directly. Both feel good in different ways.

In terms of his style of fucking and how loud or quiet he is, I don't see him moaning in a pornographic way or anything, but he's also not completely silent. Although I do think he actually made that mistake early on in his life because he had this popular misconception that men being vocal during sex is somehow weird. So he was stiff as hell and trying to stay quiet with his first couple of partners. It's why I think that his first couple of times sucked ass for both parties involved.

He doesn't figure it out until he has a partner who goes all: 'hold the fuck up, why are you stiff as a wooden pole and trying to be quiet?? I wanna hear you feel good?'

And he goes: '....wait, you do?'

I'll just say that rookie Leon experienced his fair share of learning curves.

Once more, I believe it all depends on the type of sex he is having and with whom. Your typical, everyday fucking session? Rough pants waffling over your ear, occasional grunts and groans when he feels real good. The deep, rumbly ones that emanate directly from the middle of his chest. These noises are hot as hell, especially when he is pressed up flush against you, and you can literally feel the vibrations. Will probably either gasp or let out a choked groan when he cums, but it'll be muffled. Either by kissing his partner or by pressing his face against their shoulder.

He's noticeably more vocal when it's an emotionally charged intimacy, especially if he's pent-up with emotions. If he wants this person, for more than their body and fun personality, everything just feels that much more intense. (on that note, I do think his hookups are chosen on more than just him finding someone hot physically, he actually has to enjoy their company to wanna stick his dick into them, and he does care about his casual partners too. He's not just having sex without caring for the needs of the one he's having sex with.) More than anything, Leon wants to feel wanted, and while he's fine with someone just wanting his body and status - hell, he even seeks out that sort of physical comfort - being touched by and being wanted like that by someone who he has an emotional attachment to? Oh, he's in a completely different headspace here. Lots of breath hitches and an occasional muffled 'mmh' noises from him during foreplay. That's because he'll find himself attempting to hold back a little.

Shaky breaths and moans poured into the kisses. If he's the one giving oral, will full out whine and growl against you because you feeling good because of him just turns him on that much. Actually moans out and gets a bit chatty if he's the one getting head. He'll sorta hold back at first, but will have his head thrown back and prolonged moans and groans leaving his lips soon after. Along with a strings of: 'fuck, just like that', or 'you feel so fucking good', or, if you find a particularly weak spot of his, a sharp gasp followed by 'oh God!' And your name sprinkled in there, too.

When it comes to actual intercourse, once again: sharp pants and an occasional rumbly groan. But this time he'll probably either be looking into your eyes or having your foreheads touching, so every noise is kinda that much more intense with that. He'll also kiss... a lot, and will straight up moan out into these kisses. In a somewhat higher pitch as well. Will probably chant your name before cumming. Which sounds hot as hell and probably have you get close just by hearing that. Once more, will most likely cum while kissing you.

Leon's pretty big on communicating through touch, though he is probably more subtle about it than his OG counterpart would be. I genuinely think he's way more obvious about him wanting to fuck than he thinks he is, once you figure him out. Will keep staring at you like a cat almost without as much as blinking. (Which is... a bit creepy, but don't tell him that bc he'll get self-conscious about it ☹). Will persist in attempting to touch you in some way, whether it's fumbling with the belt loop of your jeans or keeping a hand on your lower back wherever you go, for no apparent reason. Overall just acting real clingy.

As you're cooking, he might approach you to wrap his arms around your waist and plant feather-light kisses from your jawline down the side of your neck, which would eventually grow into hot, open-mouthed kisses. Or him putting a hand on your thigh as you're seating on the couch (or maybe at a meeting if we're feeling extra frisky here) and kneading at it gently before tilting his head to press a kiss to your lips that, too, turns more heated once it starts. Sometimes, though, he will just be honest about it. Like when you're making out in the kitchen and he just pulls back and says: '...Bedroom'.

Leon's also great at aftercare. A bit too great sometimes, because he tends to focus solely on you, so make sure to pamper him, too! Will have you all nice and cleaned up with you not having to lift a finger. Even with a snack offered to you as a bonus. His favorite is taking a bath together, if you're feeling up to it, though. Something about the soft intimacy of it just makes his heart feel warm.

[raileurta]

You mentioned expanding this AU into different continuities and it just reminded me of the fact that technically rescue bots and prime are in the same universe (and also ghosts are canon???? Like human ghosts). Do you think unicron keeps tabs on the kids initially just to try and convince them to go full feral but eventually comes to just like talking to them? Like he starts out with the whole “you’re right on his shoulder, you’re so close, that spark must be mighty tempting.” And it eventually becomes stuff like “you need to drink more water” not cause he cares or anything, it’s just that his little spark eaters can do more damage if they’re in good health (sure that’s the reason).

Thinking about how you mentioned Wheeljack and Bulkhead squirreling away immobilised mechs and like, do you think unicron is lowkey helping them out with that? Like, “wow that’s an awfully convenient hiding spot for this mech. Not gonna think too much into that.” Hell, do you think he’s kinda fond of them in a way? Like he’d never admit it but he’s kinda like “well…even if they are creations of primus…they are helping feed one of my spark eaters…so they get a pass…for now.”

(Lowkey very tempted to write a little horror drabble from an immobilised mechs pov about that cause the potential is very interesting. listen I’m a nerd who will always fall for horror and angst tropes lol)

You’ve mentioned being willing to talk about messenger/metamorphosed humans appearances so I’m kinda curious about what impacts their appearance. Like I know you said insect wings aren’t really viable but hummingbird wings kinda work in the same way 👀. (Double hummingbird wings???) Is it straight “biology” based on the traits they already had or does the humans personality impact their appearance? Since the kids are…y’know, kids, are they done growing after metamorphosis or will they keep growing normally? Or maybe would they grow slower because they live longer now?

Do you think Unicron is trying to convince Miko and Raph to put themselves into situations to allow him to messenger metamorphose them? I figure it needs a specific set of circumstances if only Jack has been “messengered” so far cause he absolutely wants Miko at maximum chaos potential lmao

Anyways uhhhh…I’m a bit brain dead from a 7 hour car ride, here’s some shitty doodles I made cause I thought they’re silly and fun.

(Can you tell I can’t draw?)

Have a nice week!

Firstly, thank you for the fanart. I will treasure it greatly. *Hangs it on my Tumblr fridge* I did chuckle at some of the stuff I saw lmao. XD

Yeah I also forget rescue bots and prime exist in the same universe- (We're not talking about that poor excuse of a sequel that shall be named) it is a little funny as tfp is like the one singular alt edgy older teen at a family gathering.

I do believe after a while on Unicron trying to be the all powerful robot Satan manipulator he…. just kinda gives up. Humans- the kids, let's be real here are quite frankly too stubborn and self destructive to deal with. Especially with people like Miko who's self preservation is in the negatives, and probably beyond that. He is forced into the role of an actual caregiver as he has to drag the kids kicking and screaming into taking care of themselves. He's just so distracted by this he just puts the manipulation onto the back burner then later ultimately decides it's not worth the effort.

Unicron is enabling the hell out of them without actually trying to be caught or admit to doing it. Once he first heard of this happening he was completely on board with it 100%. He just doesn't admit it since he does have a reputation to uphold, plus he's also just a tsundere. He conveniently, “accidentally” just happens to make perfect caves to hide undisclosed large objects a lot, does a few distractions here and there, all kinds of things.

I would encourage you to do so. 🙏 What they are doing is pretty horrifying and it definitely makes you question their morals. However it is a great premise for a horror fic with all kinds of fucked up.~

I don't remember saying that??? I think I didn't? If I did, regardless, consider that retconned. I don't care too much about physics considering *gestures vaguely to the entire tf franchise* and all that. So go crazy.

It's kinda a mixture of their personality, what they represent as a Messenger, and “biology.” I don't want to spoil you as that's a post for the redesigns but there is lots of stuff at play here.

Oh absolutely yes he does. For someone to become a Messenger-

*spoilers*

they have to embody what they would represent fully at a point in their life. Jack, as the Freedom part of chaos, really needed to want freedom. When he was abducted he was caged and subjected to lots of things he was definitely going to talk about in future therapy. Once he was terrorizing the ship he was completely panicked. He was now forced into a body he didn't want or understand desperately trying to evade capture by the decepticons. It all came to a head when he was cornered and before he was set out into the volcano Jack wanted to be free.

Jack needed to be free.

He couldn't believe Megatron has possibly done this thousands of times to various people already. At that moment the once human yearned with all his heart that no one would be trapped like this ever again.

He then was ground bridged and the rest is history.

Have a good few days too. 👋

[queenofmalkier]

Moiraine being 70 vs 40

(Alright this one took me a minute because corralling my thoughts is a challenge in the best of times.)

To begin with I will admit... I am one of the people who was indifferent towards the age change in the beginning. They're Aes Sedai, they live nice, long lives, and I wasn't like, emotionally attached to a younger, canon-aged Moiraine. It does make her early years more poignant, but I'll touch on that later.

Primed for older Moiraine, the show started and after two seasons I can safely say I am so gung-ho for 70 year old Moiraine I might actually be feral.

Here's why I, personally, think it was an excellent choice: Rosamund Pike is 44 as of writing this, so she visibly fits into the book age. As an audience nobody is really questioning her age - a few show-onlys I watched season 1 with actually remarked on how refreshing it was to see an older female character allowed to just exist and be part of the narrative without trying to sex up and/or grandma-ize the role.

Little Did They Know.

So you've got an audience that's mostly accepting of this character being in her 40s, and then you hit them with "Oh she's 70 and lets explore just how horrific that fact actually is together, it'll be fun!"

It was not fun, it was gutting.

One of my main critiques of the book has always been how we have these long-lived women, powerful women... but we never really take much of a look at the reality of that concept. Nor are we given POV characters who are really old enough to remark on it. Pevara at least thinks about her family, but Cadsuane doesn't give two figs about hers.

And here's the thing... they're Aes Sedai, but they're still human. What happens to them as they get older, but the people who fill their life are the ones aging? How does it feel to watch a mother, a sister, a child, friends, acquaintances, EVERYONE succumb to time in a way you won't for a very long time after?

That has to be impactful and I wanted to see those stories - and the show delivered. Seeing Moiraine with Anvaere? Chilling, horrifying, heartbreaking. Liandrin and her boy? A kick in the teeth. Even Alanna with her family, knowing very well she's probably the oldest one sitting at that table.

The point is, being an Aes Sedai means being powerful and respected, but it also means living through a very specific kind of suffering and trauma. They're basically vampires in terms of lifespan and we should see how that shapes them.

In regards to Moiraine being older and therefore not basically a child during the foretelling, it does change that particular hit... but by no means did the show let the viewers not understand how that moment altered Moiraine's life forever.

Instead of her being sort of an unformed girl hardened and honed by a lifetime of searching for Rand, one who never got much chance to be anything else, we get a woman who was already beginning to build her life, who had achieved the shawl, found love, and was exactly where she wanted to be.

And then all of that is taken from her.

It's devastating to watch the double-barreled whammy of Siuan and Moiraine giggling about being fishwives and walking into what was in many ways their deaths. Because the Moiraine and Siuan they were before walking into that room were gone forever. They would never be able to go back to the women they were before. They never even had a chance to mourn that loss. Moiraine went hunting and Siuan set her sights on the Amyrlin Seat.

I do understand for a lot of people her age is a sticking point, and that is completely fair and valid! It's a change that I fully agree did not need to be made... but by making that change we're given such a stark insight into the lives of older Aes Sedai who are just beginning to experience what it means to outlive everyone they know, watching one by one as cherished friends and family members pass on.

Soon all they have left are the children and grandchildren of those people, fractured mirrors that are just enough of a hint at the original that it must be painful to know them - which explains even further why so many Aes Sedai cut off contact entirely with their families. It's too painful to keep them in their lives.

[creatingblackcharacters2]

How to spot a Stereotype: An Example

Okay, so I talked about this in my Lesson 6 Stereotypes series, but I feel like people haven't quite... Understood what I meant. So I'm doing a mini lesson/application. First, I'd really appreciate it if you take the time to read the links in my posts, because that will provide you the historical and social context necessary. If you lack it, you will never be fully able to understand this. Remember, all I do here is provide the beginning steps. You have to be willing to do the rest!

One thing I constantly emphasize is that it's not the description of a character that (always) reveals an existing stereotype, but the writing! And again, until you grasp why anti-Black stereotypes are what they are, you will continue to be frustrated with how to avoid incorporating them, both in your writing and in your mindset. I'm going to use one stereotype as an example.

The Mammy Stereotype

"[Black woman character] is very fond, doting, and protective. She's like the team mom of the group."

On the surface, people who are worried about this stereotype will worry, because Black readers have long rolled their eyes and said we're tired of seeing this as one of the Only Options for Black women characters. And we are. Here's the disconnect: the attributes are not what we're tired of, but how they were utilized in the writing- often by non-Black writers!

Mammy: put simply, the caricature of the Mammy is the Black nursemaid that would take care of the Master's white children and the Mistress, prioritizing them above the well-being of herself, her own children, and her own community. She is fat and homely (so as not to attract the Master from the Mistress), unthreatening, sweet and subservient.

In other words, the only value she held was to serve white people's needs (and quench their guilt).

While the image of the Mammy herself is a strong imagery that has faded from its specific origin, I would say the modern day fan archetypes that ring of the Mammy stereotype are the Black woman character that "holds the Braincell", the "begrudgingly fond mother of the group", the canon love interest now relegated to the "mommy/mean lesbian" whose feelings are erased altogether, her new role to help the two white characters get together without acknowledgment of her own potential. She has no real story of her own, or as mentioned, has her own story stolen because "it doesn't look good with her in it" (which is its own bag of worms).

Now, people often give these characters motherly (or what society deems motherly) traits: caring, sweet, protective, loving, self sacrificial. Because they want to defensively show that "they're a great person! Nothing bad! I still think they're good! I'm not racist!"

But upon learning of the stereotype, there appears this insecurity- "oh, my Black woman character has these traits, is she playing into this stereotype?" When you get to this question, what you really need to be asking yourself is:

What makes the Mammy a Mammy?

They are a tool, a utility to white people with more power.

They lack autonomy. How they feel is irrelevant, if it does not serve the white person.

Nonthreatening so as to feel "harmless" to white people who bask in her "selfless" care.

They are not allowed to show frustration or upset at their lot or at life; it is seen as a negative attribute because if they are not caring, they have no use (and may now even be considered a threat).

They will also disagree with anyone else, even to the detriment of themselves, to the benefit of the white person. This is considered "selfless", rather than sacrifice (consider that "real" Mammies were originally slaves. They probably hated every single day with the people they "cared" for, but God forbid they speak on it. To white people, they were supposedly so happy and grateful! Smile and nod!)

Notice, out of the things I listed, "strong", "protective", "intelligent", and "caring" (on its own) weren't there! Because those aren't bad attributes for a Black character to have! Why would we ever suggest that?? Why would I be mad that a Black woman was any of those wonderful things to her peers? That's not the issue. The issue is that they are often used in service of usually white characters and their stories. They're a tool of the writer to coddle their white characters, versus a character that has their own inner workings and existence.

Knowing what you know now; things that would make your strong, protective, and caring Black woman character fit the Mammy stereotype can include:

If she is pushed to the side with no autonomy or inner life of her own, as the narrative centers the white characters and their needs.

If she is never shown to have any reason for acting outside of to the benefit of the white characters around her. That's the only time her presence counts.

If her disagreeing with, getting upset with, or refusing (or really, just not being "motherly") the white characters is deemed trashy by the narrative (whereas anyone else receives nuance or reason for their behavior).

If the white characters in the story treat her poorly, and it is treated as a good thing that she "stays calm" without any sort of reflection on her feelings.

You can come up with any sort of setting, plot scenario, and description of your Black woman character. But at the end of the day, what's going to make it the stereotype is how the narrative treats her, which you will only find out by writing it, and then reviewing your own work!

You're going to have to approach any stereotype this way. It's part of the *intent* thing I keep pushing 😅 if you don't intend to write a stereotype, you're going to have to actively understand what it is, which will help you actively avoid it.

[redux-iterum]

Kinda had more time to articulate my thoughts, so here we go:

Do I think Bluestar made a very poor decision in neglecting her children, resulting in their deaths? Yes, and Goldenflower has every right to say, "I cannot forgive you for this, they were children, they did nothing wrong!"

HOWEVER, I do agree with Dissenting Anon that the Clan cultural beliefs/flaws/community overall play a more significant role in this "who's more at fault here" situation. To me, the vibe I got from TC was "we're mad at you for breaking the Code by having forbidden children, but also mad at you for neglecting said children." It's weird how the Clans react to these things...

I also find it interesting that Goldenflower says, "The outcry was awful. We were all angry at her...", which imo makes it seem like even she was upset about the affair? But I could just be misreading that.

Sorry if this was a bit incoherent, just had to speak on it a little more, I'm FASCINATED by all this, and I have a feeling Fireheart is going to try and change how the Clans view these kinds of things.

(Dissenting Anon)

The Clans are both the best and worst traits of cats heightened to an extreme. Cats are self-serving, pretentious, clever, well-spoken, loving, loyal and quick to recall a slight and act upon their initial reaction to it long after everyone else has forgotten that it happened. Put a bunch of unusually intelligent and community-driven cats together in one space and the generations will exaggerate all of these traits until their culture is unique among any others found in the world. All this to say that while the Clans have intensely positive and wonderful beliefs and traits that keep them together and helps them stay strong no matter what happens, they also are excellent at causing suffering through those same beliefs and traits.

Adding to this, they've developed a skill for doublethink that allows all of this to work together without anyone (native to the Clans) questioning it. Horoa catches all wraiths and monsters before they can cause any danger, but some still haunt the territories and will never go away. This cat did a very bad thing they're never allowed to forget, but we're never going to talk about it and we'll pretend it didn't happen. Kits are innocent and not responsible for their birth, but being a half-Clan cat or outsider is inherently shameful and you're automatically lesser than your Clanmates if your father is from outside of your community. So on and so forth.

The point of bringing this up is that I concur with you and the anon. The Clan-specific communities are absolutely the problem when it comes to situations like Bluestar's. The sad thing is that the rule of "no inter-Clan relationships" was developed to prevent suffering and loss, and in our two first examples in this series, suffering and loss is all they resulted in! And the Clans will never acknowledge that. It doesn't suit their fancies of who they are in their heads that they could be the problem. Bluestar is the one at fault, not us. We reacted appropriately. It's not our fault Bluestar was so scared of that reaction that she neglected her kits and they died without her love and care.

Breaking the law is a bad idea, but sometimes we ought to question whether that law was right in the first place. Too bad the Clans refuse to do that.

[ancientcraftnoccultism]

Beginner Class - Introduction To Spellwork

Introduction to Spellwork

___

By KB

Introduction

Welcome to Chapter 5 of the beginner Class! Woo-Hoo!! Only 2 chapters to go. We're diving head first into the world of spellwork! Today, we're going to be discussing the key elements and underlying foundation of any spellwork in order for you to begin casting your own spells confidently.

Ultimately, spells serve as intermediaries that unify entities through concepts. Though there are infinite ways to create a spell, there are different types of spells based on how entities are joined. These patterns of connection demonstrate the different ways a spell can create — or break — a bond.

Intention

We've all heard this a thousand times, I'm sure. Spellwork requires focus of intention. While this isn't necessarily the most important part of spellwork, it does play a major role in helping direct energy. Your intention is your reasoning for casting a spell. The important part about intention is to hone in on this as specifically as possible. When your mind is focusing on your intention, it gives less of a risk for scattered or unwanted energies to interfere with your work. It allows you to focus all of your personal energy into one facet, rather than having a hand in every cup. This is one of the most important factors within preparing for spellwork. It's also important to remember to keep your correspondences in association with your intention, as it will help keep your focus.

Raising/Gathering Energy

When you actually begin to cast your spell, you must know how to raise and collect energy in order for it to carry out your intent. Allow yourself to get in a relaxed state of mind until autopilot takes over. You know this feeling - it's when you're so focused on something you're absolutely immersed in the work without even realizing it. You're not thinking about what you need to do, what could happen, or anything else for that matter. Once you have achieved this state of mind, it's time to raise and gather this energy. There are multiple ways of going about this, so let's go over some of the most basic.

Chanting/Mantras

By repeating your intention, you are speaking it into existence, thus raising the energy of your intention. You begin to forge a connection between your mind, your reality, and the intention itself.

Sensory Immersion

Using our biological human senses can be more valuable than you'd like to think. This somewhat ties into correspondences, but if you surround yourself that naturally raise this energy within you - you'll have a much easier time gathering the energy you need to direct.

Visualization

Personally, my favorite way to raise energy is through visualization. Symbolism and imagery has a profound effect on the human subconscious. When you're able to visualize your intentions and symbolism that is directly linked to your intention, it will significantly raise the energy levels for your spellwork.

I'm sure there are several other methods of raising energy, such as drum circles, dancing, activity, and even more, but these are the most common within spellwork. The main thing is to keep your mind focused on your intention. You will begin to feel the energy levels rise through your method of choice. Once you have reached the "crescendo", it is time to move to the next step.

Now, this could take anywhere from 5-10 minutes, to several hours. It depends upon the practitioner, the spell itself, and several other factors. Experiment with raising energy in different methods to find your jam.

Direct & Release

Directing is nothing more than keeping your mind focused on your intention. I know this is a bit repetitive, but human mind's are funny, especially those who are neurodivergent. It's very easy to get distracted - but it is essential that you don't! We don't want any energies that don't align with your working to interfere with anything at all.

As far as releasing goes, there are several ways to do this as well. Burning, breaking, or tearing objects seem to be the most common method, but you could stomp, shout, or use any other motion if it feels right. Sometimes people infuse their spells into food or drinks - in which you would eat or drink in order to release this energy. Once you feel you have released the energy you raised in the initial phase, it is time to "seal" your spell.

Again, there are several ways to seal a spell. Some like to seal it with a phrase such as "so mote it be", others may opt to draw a sigil with an athame or wand in the air, or just a simple gesture. This is all very personal, so just go with what feels right for you. Once you have finished, it is EXTREMELY important to take care of your energy levels. Ground out, eat a good snack, and go outside to let Mother Earth absorb your excess energy.

Create A Channel

This is essentially creating a connection to flow freely between you, your intent, and the worldly energies swirling around. This is the action you must take in order for your work to come to fruition. For example, if I cast a spell to meet new people, I may choose to volunteer at new places, create a profile in a new online space, visit the dog park - anything that puts myself in a position in which the energy has potential to manifest. Without putting action behind your intention, remember, that's just "wishcraft".

[sillyromance]

Good day Ma'am,

First of all I LOVE THE NEW STORY SO MUCH, I really love of it turned out. Second of all do you have some funny/interesting moments of Vincent and Marcella in mind? Like we're someone maid a funny mistake or something? Or do you have some loveble (I hope it's written like this) moments of the two of them? Thank you if you answer and like always have a good day Ma'am!

- Anon L.

Good day dear Anon L.!

Thank you very much for your kind words! I'm happy you like the story❤️❤️❤️

Speaking of funny moments, I can think of only one for now – it’s partially shown on my Marcella’s page. She was quite surprised to learn that Vincent could purr. If you have ever heard how panthers purr (* I've learned that tigers don't purr, but chuff which isn't really what I need), you can imagine what it sounds like. When he revealed his ability for the first time, the girl, confused, asked if there was a cat in the house; yet, once realization struck her, Marcella’s face was priceless! She was questioning her entire existence at that point…

Plus, furniture in Vincent’s house has been made specifically for its gigantic owner; when Marcella needs to take something off the shelves, it becomes impossible without a ladder or her husband’s help. Vincent may turn a bit playful and tease her about her short height; then she makes an adorable pouty face which is practically too hilarious not to laugh at!

🌸 As for fluff and lovable moments – here are a few ideas I can give!

1) Vincent is a very tough and cautious man. He doesn’t like being touched by strangers, and even his best friend Georgy giggles at Nor’s grumpy face every time pulling him into a hug. Yet, Vincent lets his guard down when Marcella is around; she is allowed to do whatever she pleases with him since he feels safe only with his wife of all people, and she is definitely the only person allowed to touch his throat and stomach (from the outside) for those are his spots of extra vulnerability. Also, Marcella loves “hunting” Nor, sneaking behind his back and embracing him when Vincent is sitting at his desk. They both laugh afterwards, but god save you from doing the same! Vincent is a predator, he will instantly feel threatened if approached from behind his back without him noticing!

2) You can imagine, one meter height difference between husband and wife can be a difficulty when things come to communication. Yet, not for these two! Vincent is very attentive towards his precious little princess – when she speaks to him, Nor always bends forward to show he is listening; if she gets overwhelmed in public, it’s enough for Marcella to give his sleeve a little tug, and soon they are already home drinking tea. On the other hand, the girl knows her husband’s stress indicators just as well: Vincent rubs his temples or makes a vague gesture with his hand as if he is searching for something (in fact, he instinctively tries to find his wife’s hand). At home, Marcella makes him sit down and crawls onto his lap to give her man a hug; in public, she skillfully pulls him away from the crowd and leads him somewhere private so he can calm down and vent if he needs to. By the way, at some rare moment Vincent can feel “small” and defenseless despite his great strength and size. The best cure for him then is to lay his head down on Marcella’s stomach and feel his hair brushed by her tiny fingers. In some way, her body sounds give him an illusion of “switching roles” with his wife, allowing him to overcome anxiety and have rest during periods of insomnia.

3) As I mentioned before, Marcella is fascinated by her husband’s musical talent. Once she mentioned it while talking to him and expressed her sadness about not being able to accompany him when he is playing. So, he suggested educating her! She is an eager student while Vincent is a patient, yet demanding teacher; they're already able to perform some simple duets together! She tries to improvise as well, and Nor encourages her on her way for freedom from musical sheets, yet Marcella's experiments have been too shy so far.

4) From her side, Marcella tried to teach Vincent drawing. Let’s say, it wasn’t an easy task😅. Yet, now her husband often makes sketches in his diary when feelings are too hard to bare. The vast majority of his doodles are faces of people he knows, and the ways he portrays them in depend on his emotions. Nor often draws his nightmares, trying to get them out of his mind (Vincent won't admit it, but he gets anxious and suspicious after bad dreams). On top of that, addressing a letter to his wife, Vincent always draws a small lark on the bottom right corner of the paper. No one except the two knows about this habit of his, and that's why the sign serves two purposes: 1) a symbol of his love; 2) protection from fake letters which could lead his wife into a trap. The lark is composed of a calculated number of lines and special items drawn around the bird itself which makes the sign almost impossible to copy.

Thank you for asking and reading! Stay healthy and happy forever ❤️!

[darklinaforever]

I always wonder what exactly the accusation about me liking ships or men abusing women is based on ?

Like... like I have some sort of fetish about female suffering caused by men ? I don't know ?

I'm trying to find meaning in this accusation that I often make of myself, when in reality, generally these haters are just talking to me about the super popular enemies to lovers trope or ships with twisted / toxic dynamics without necessarily this particular trope, even if it's rather rare and the people who follow me know very well that this type of ship is not reserved for heterosexual couples, that I ship LGBTQ+ characters with this kind of dynamic.

So how does it work from this accusation of loving relationships where men specifically abuse women ?

Although, knowing their stupidity, I imagine they would say that liking this kind of dynamic on LGBTQ+ couples would simply be proof of my so-called homophobia / queerphobia ? 😂 After all the bullshit I've been through, we're not ready for that.

Especially since sometimes it’s women in the role of the villainous crush that I like, so what would that mean ? That I'm sexist for wanting women to be portrayed as villains perhaps ? 😂

Once again, the whole principle of often coming to tell me that I am problematic because I apparently like ships where men abuse women, makes no sense since sometimes it is the opposite, sometimes it is LGBTQ+ couples.

I just like, like many other people, seeing dark twisted complex and toxic relationships often in the enemy-to-lover trope.

Loving this type of relationship is not surprising. It has existed and been represented in the media for as long as it has existed simply because it is a fascinating concept to look at.

I mean, are you going to tell someone they're weird because they love watching movies about serial killers ? No, I do not think so.

And that for me is because liking to see this kind of relationship on screen is more often women who will appreciate seeing that, so immediately when a woman likes something in the media it is often demonized and we are going to point this out as one of the worst perverse things that can exist even though it is completely ridiculous.

How does loving fictional relationships give you an objective portrait of the person I am in real life ? This is really completely stupid.

Well, I went far, but all this to say that the accusation that I like ships where the man abuses the woman is really stupid.

I just like a trope no matter what type of couple is involved. Let it be the woman who is morally doubtful. Let the dynamic be there on a queer couple etc.

I imagine that this type of accusation is intended to give the impression that you are standing on the side of women and defending them, but the reality is quite different since you are allowing yourself to judge and moralize a trope very popular with women.

You are nothing but hypocrites trying to give yourselves the right moral role, and it is tiring.

[tyrantisterror]

Woah, that’s pretty heavy, dude. I’ve never seen anyone analyze the series that way, but now that you brought those themes up, they seem pretty damn obvious. Can you elaborate on this interpretation of the shorts and the series? As well as each version’s respective symbolism? How do you think the main cast gaining new colors at the end of the original, only to lose them for the new series factors in to this interpretation. What do Roy and Lesley represent?

Each of the original shorts puts the three main puppets in the role of students and has a different teacher force a "lesson" upon them.

In Creativity, the teacher keeps telling the students how great creativity is, while constantly shutting down their attempts to actually express their own thoughts and feelings, whether it be by questioning the purpose of her arbitrary rules for what they should do or by making artistic choices she doesn't approve of - "Green is not a creative color" isn't just a funny joke, but the whole point of the short and how education often fails when trying to teach art. Because schools put so much emphasis on "objective" evaluations of student progress, they often fail to truly teach inherently subjective subjects like art and creative writing - you can't let people express themselves freely if you have to force them to fit a super strict rubric. "Be creative, but only use the colors I allow you to, only do the activities I've assigned, only think the way I think" is inherently contradictory advice, and by the end of the short the students are so frustrated that they express their creativity in a way that gets them banned from doing it ever again - "let's all agree to never be creative again" is where the short ends.

In Time, the teacher tries to explain the concept of time in an inherently over-simplified and often borderline inaccurate and nonsensical way, to the increasing frustration of the students. The teacher specifically puts a big emphasis on 1. being punctual and 2. believing that the past was generically shitty but it's done so we don't have to worry about it, and the future will be great so don't worry about it. All of these "lessons" are designed to make the students think about time only in the sense of it being a rule they have to obey - a schedule to stick to. When the students actually ask insightful questions about time - "Is time even real? Does anyone know?" - the teacher gets angry and punishes them by forcing them to contemplate their own mortality, all to reinforce the idea that time is just an arbitrary set of rules they have to obey or else.

In Love, the yellow puppet is given lots of empty platitudes about how great love and compassion is and how he should value them, only to then have a bunch of arbitrary rules about how and when one should love heaped on him once he agrees that love is important, with the rules eventually saying his love should be to some nebulous authority figure - "Our king" in the cult imagery of the episode is very much a stand-in for authority in general. We're shown how education can make even the most wholesome-sounding of lessons twisted for a purpose of controlling and manipulating students, forcing them to believe in things that aren't real for the benefit of a select few.

I feel I don't need to explain the Computer episode to anyone who's been in a public school's computer class in the 90's/early 2000's, it kind of explains itself. But a huge problem in education to this day is the persistent belief that you can make students teach themselves by throwing shitty yet expensive "cutting edge" education programs at them - it's what 90% of school budget increases go into because it makes the politicians who buy them look like they care without actually putting any work into understanding what education really needs.

The nutrition episode makes fun of how goddamn mercurial nutrition education has been over the last few decades - one minute eggs are good for you, then you're having too much of them, then you need more of them again, it's fucking madness - and how ultimately all nutrition education does is give you so much anxiety about the foods you pick for yourself that you just buy whatever's advertised for you the flashiest, even if it's really bad for you (like canned meat from one of your few remaining friends).

In the final episode of the original shorts, the Red Guy, having escaped his teachers, finds himself in the dreary adult world, and despite everything actually pines for the simpler days of being a student. He decides to look into the nature of his education, and sees not only how shitty and half-baked a system it is, but also the true root of it: that it wasn't made for the benefit of students, but for the parents who made those kids and want them indoctrinated so they behave better. That's what Roy represents - the parent who doesn't really care about their child learning anything useful beyond "obey the people in charge."

As for the show being about the horrors of the mundane adult world, well, I think that's pretty obvious. One episode is literally about getting jobs. Another is about confronting your own eventual death. They're not subtle about it. And hell, it builds off the finale of the original shorts - Red Guy already transitioned from childhood to adulthood, it's only fitting his pals came with him.

[esta-elavaris]

Was thinking of As it Was in shower (honestly where my best ideas come from besides late at night) and now I have questions. So as we know, in CTW Theo has modern items that are like a major lifesaver/plot point for her. My question is, will James have the same? What will he have!? My vote is something actually useful bc unlike Theo he's terribly posh. I would like him to have something useful but I also suspect he'll just like have, a pen and his phone and like maybe a pocket knife if he's lucky. normal person items.

Also I realize the answer to these are spoilers!!! So feel free to just say the only thing James needs in his pocket is that beautiful face and sharp wit. ♡

He has the undying love of the writer, and therefore plot armor of the sort to stun and amaze (and frustrate).

Nah, I kid, BUT I have been thinking about his no doubt posh upbringing and where that might lead, taking inspo honestly a lot from how the royals raise their kids. But we also know from sources beyond the movies that his dad was very very harsh on him, and I think the lack of an 18th century setting would allow him to push back against that a little bit more than he might've in canon - I don't think he'd be like, a rebel without a cause, running off to join a motorcycle gang, but it HAS had me thinking of how that would shape his life choices.

And I also think because of his personality and his strong sense of morality, he would thrive in a military setting no matter the time period. I think he'd struggle quite a bit with any sort of "lad" culture among young soldiers, but I also think his father would have contacts higher up that might get him a different path that typical recruits might not have to walk. I've found statistics like this very interesting:

BUT like I said, I think James himself would be frustrated by a station that's essentially all rank and little duty, and that fact would show in his career choices once he aged out of just letting his father/family expectations dictate those choices. And, of course, what all of this might lead to him having on his person is interesting ✨

It's literally 5am here rn and I haven't gone to bed yet because I'm working on the next chapter, so your timing is impeccable! I was also thinking about it as I showered today (or uh, yesterday, technically), so we're truly occupying the same wavelength.

I'll put where I'm approaching his modern!career from beneath the cut because like? It's not spoiler-y, it'll come through soon via infodump in his POV, so I don't see the harm in adding it here for those who choose to read it.

Basically, in my head his father arranged a cushy higher ranking job in the Navy for him, with the expectation that he'd make a name for himself, do well, and ultimately end up pursuing other ventures later on. However, James distinguishes himself so well in his role that he ends up pursuing a role instead in the SAS (there's precedent - Ant Middleton, who Theo's dad is based on, was in the Marines before he became an SAS operative), from what I gather "all" you need to be is an exceptional soldier within your specific brand of soldier-ing to apply to train as an SAS soldier. Few get through, but you can try. I think his dad would take a very dim view of it because SAS operatives essentially go to the most dangerous places, and do the wildest shit - there's a reason they need to be the best of the best, physically and mentally, to do what they do. I think James would be fully capable of it, though.

So I think James lives with his sister, who watches his place when he's stationed elsewhere, and endures his father's disapproval over the fact that he took what was supposed to be a cushy and largely decorative station and instead veered into the stuff that's actually dangerous, with very little glory or valour because so much of that work is highly secretive and cloak-and-dagger.

He's transported to POTC world while on active duty, hence his outfit when he arrives - I had folk being confused by the all-black outfit, he's not going through a goth phase, it's combat gear 💀💀💀 (although that had me SCREAMING)

[peridot-tears]

I got it in my head that Jin has always wanted to be a dad, but once the war starts and he starts becoming the Ghost, that road seems to shut on him. Who wants to live as the wife of a marked man, and what could he pass to the heir of a disbanded bloodline?

But I can't see him being single for the rest of his life, and I don't just mean casual sleeping around. He would be one of those people who somehow get locked down, and once he's quietly married he'll sit there wondering, "When did this happen?"

I do see him as bisexual, especially given that samurai were allowed to have relationships with other men (it's a specific age gap type of relationship, but from what I've read, that doesn't mean the door was shut on adult samurai having relationships with each other either), but when it came to actual marriage, it was expected that they end up with women because of how people expected gender roles to work when it came to starting a family.

So...I think one of two things could happen:

He has a child with Yuna. I absolutely do not ship this by a million miles (no hate to the ship, I just very strictly see them as bros), but she's the only woman he can get close to without dragging her into danger by association with him. It's very much a case of "my best friend and I made a pact that if we're still single by forty, we'd get married."

Or he finds a woman who willingly throws herself into a life on the run, or already is, and they become inextricably involved with each other. It could even be Tomoe. He sneaks onto the mainland on a mission, to the capital of Japan itself...and, well...

I have a lot of complicated feelings about this, given that Jin was most likely raised being taught that blood is everything. But the way he was raised, his relationship with his elders, and eventually the found family he ends up with at the end of the game tell a completely different story.

[1moreff-creator]

What do you think your role would be in a killing game? I think I’d just hide in my room the whole time, but what would you be up to with your devious schemes and tricky plans to get your way?

That's a perfectly valid reaction anon, and I like the implication that you think I would be either a mad scientist constantly cooking up ideas to escape the killing game, or a late game killer who prepares the most insane murder plan in history for like three straight chapters xD

However, I'd like to think that I'm relatively sane enough not to kill anyone, so either victim or survivor. And you know what? I'm confident in my abilities. I don't think I'd make enough enemies for anyone to target me specifically, and I would realistically be pretty paranoid, probably enough so that getting caught off guard is unlikely? So yeah, I feel I could maybe survive!

In terms of behavior, it'd be too boring for me to stay in my room the whole time, so I think I'd mostly hang around highly populated areas and discuss plans to escape the killing game (through writing on paper and not talking aloud. Gotta keep the plans from the cameras!) Indeed, the idea that I would be constantly thinking of ways around the killing game is probably not far off from what would realistically happen, I always enjoy looking for loopholes in this kind of thing. I'd also like to think I'd be decent enough in investigations and class trials, so that's a plus.

...

CW: Hypothetical murder planning, poison, mention of drugging.

But, well, anyone can be pushed to murder with the right motive, so I can explore the purely hypothetical and very unlikely case I would actually kill someone in a thought experiment please don't put me on any more watchlists.

For starters, I'd once again like to think that if I did murder, it would be late game, just because I think it'd be pretty hard to actually convince me to murder. In fact, I can't actually think of any motive that would single-handedly push me over the edge beyond, like, some kind of drugging or Despair Disease stuff.

Just so we're clear though, I wouldn't actually use a very complex murder plan. Generally speaking, the more complicated a murder is, the worse the odds the killer gets away with it. More involved plans always leave behind more evidence, and more convoluted plans have more points of failure.

If I kill, it would be opportunistic. Identify someone I can reasonably expect to kill without much issue (I am not very physically strong so that's actually pretty hard to do lmao), who is often alone at times most people don't have alibis (such as nighttime), and then kill them in the fastest way possible, then just leave. I can help the group figure out the method in the trial (especially if I helped them earlier in the killing game), since as long as I pull it off correctly, there shouldn't be anything pointing to me as the killer. My helpfulness should draw suspicion away from me, since it'd allow me to direct the conversation in the trial.

Of course, the preferred murder method would be poison of some kind. I don't actually think I'd be able to physically kill someone otherwise, just because I don't think I could stomach it. But poison's a bit easier, and harder to track. Depends a lot on what kind of poison is even available though.

I think the best I could ask for is poisoning some food during nighttime and just leaving it out in the dining room. No notes, no nothing. If I get lucky, someone eats it and just dies with zero ways to trace the murder back to me. Maybe a bit boring, but it's low risk, high reward. It's possible someone just throws the food out and they never find out it's poisoned, but I can just try again, since as long as no one sees me in nighttime, there's no risk in it. Absolute worst case is that someone identifies it was poisoned somehow, but even then they can't trace it to me and I just need to change plans.

That requires very specific poison, though, as I'd need to be able to hide it in food, and there's no guarantee there would be such a thing in the killing game. If I can't poison, I'd probably try to ask to be let in into someone's room, then kill them in any way and steal their keys, locking the room and delaying the body discovery until I'm sure alibis are useless and there's no evidence pointing to me.

In this or any more targeted method, I'd make sure to kill someone I have little to no relation to. People could vote for me if I disliked the dead person, and I don't trust my faking abilities to give a convincing reaction to the death of someone closer to me.

See? Simplicity is key. I don't even need to frame anyone, because as long as I don't give anyone reasons to vote for me, I can just try to bullshit some reasoning to blame someone else in the trial. It'd be difficult, but killing someone in the first place without breaking down would be pretty difficult for me too.

These are, of course, completely normal thoughts to have, I'm sure. Certainly, if you asked this question in any other ask box, our fellow Dangan tumblerinas would also be able to describe several murder plans in detail. There is nothing concerning about this post, as it is a completely hypothetical and harmless thought experiment. I am not planning murder. I've never considered it in real life. Please don't send the police to my house, I swear I'm a law abiding citizen and would never kill. Please T_T

Anyways, thanks for the ask! It's fun to think about these entirely hypothetical scenarios which will never ever happen in real life. I would like to once again state I am not going to murder anyone ever in real life.

... I am getting put on another list aren't I-