#a following of loyal people they can use & abuse for whatever their specific desire is.

[plagasitize]

[auredosa]

Hej! I have seen that you make a lot of theories about Hitman and I love it! Im always into theorising about the characters, who they are, characterisations etc. So I wanted to ask you, what do you think are the four main char tees for people? How would you describe 47, Diana, Grey and Olivia as characters? What are they doing in their life? Do you have any guesses about that? I would be interested in to hear!

Heya anon! Yes, I’m super into analyzing the HITMAN franchise and its characters. I think it’s so fascinating to pick apart their motives, and how they carry out their agendas. Really, I just love plotting them on an alignment chart. Here’s what I’ve got for all four of them, but be warned, it’s a doozy!

Olivia Hall

In order to understand who Olivia is as a character, you need to understand her backstory. Olivia was essentially adopted by Grey when she was 7. Grey was working as a mercenary in Sierra Leone, and met Olivia as a child=soldier. Grey, in pity and rage at her situation, took her away, and got her a good education. They’ve been together through thick and thin.

What you need to get from this is that from a very young age, Olivia has been exposed to violence. She understands that using force is a surefire way to get what you want. She also has a bone to pick with the privileged organizations in the world who force innocents to fight their wars for them. Like Grey, she has noble intentions, and is willing to do terrible things because the ends justify the means.She’s more realistic than Grey, in that she doesn’t believe in “hearts and flowers crap” (as evidenced by her dialogue in the “Homecoming” cinematic) and doesn’t like to take chances of having hopeful things.

In the future, I can see Olivia carrying on the fight against greedy and corrupt organizations in the world. After Grey either dies, decides to settle down with his brother, or just chooses to retire from the whole mercenary thing, Olivia will probably continue to take down people like Providence with her hacking skills. After all, she’s young, he’s not. She’s Grey’s successor, in a way. The song “Ruckus” by Konata Small really just explains her entire character. 

Diana Burnwood

Man, is Diana one tough woman! Like Olivia, Diana fights for what’s right, and she’s not afraid to go rogue or disobey her superiors to carry out her own agenda. However, in contrast to Grey and Olivia, she has standards, and adheres to her own moral code no matter what. Unfortunately, as I covered in this post, she works for an organization that prides itself on being amoral, and while she herself may not be, she’s still complying with the exact kind of people Olivia and Grey despise.

We also have to talk about her relationship with 47. I think that in addition to being a good friend, Diana’s also a mentor for 47 in finding his humanity, as the devs had said themselves, she’s his conscience. She acknowledges and supports 47’s determination to take down the Partners, but she also wants him to do so in a way that won’t reduce him to an anarchist. 47 is a blank slate here, and she doesn’t want him to become a spite-filled abuser-of-force like Grey. She’s the mom-friend. However, I also think she’d recognize that some people deserve what’s coming. If Grey doesn’t change his tune, I don’t think she’ll be going out of her way to save him, unless, of course, she sees that 47 wants to see his brother alive.

I feel like Diana’s at a crossroads here. She can either remain loyal to the ICA, and remain on the side of the oppressor, or, she can go full rogue like Grey for their cause. Honestly, I don’t think her story will end with her doing either. We’ve seen Diana go rogue to pull off elaborate schemes to reform the ICA before, I don’t see why she couldn’t do it . . . again. (Seriously, did IO have to completely copy the story from Blood Money to Absolution for WoA?) She’s not going to let the ICA keep abusing their amoral privilege, but she also doesn’t want to stoop to the levels of Grey and start using violence to achieve her means. If she doesn’t get shot dead in HITMAN 3, I would love to see her become Head of the Board of the ICA.

Lucas Grey

I guess the great thing about already having milked this man’s character dry is that I know exactly what to write here! Simply put, Lucas Grey is blinded by revenge and is stooping down to the level of his oppressors in an attempt to free himself. Even though he's the clone that escaped the facility, Lucas Grey is the most trapped person in the Hitman series. He's lived his entire life filled with spite and hatred against those who have wronged him, and his desire to see them destroyed has completely consumed him. He think that destroying Providence and, mercilessly manipulating, killing and stepping over those who stand in his way is noble and vigilant. He believes that doing this will bring him closure and satisfaction, but in reality, he's only stooping down to his oppressors' level and becoming the very thing he sought out to destroy. He might not be operating on behalf of Province, but he has hurt countless people, deserving of punishment or not, in pursuit of his own goals, and this, in and of itself, makes him just as bad as Edwards and the Partners.

What he fails to realize is that it's not enacting revenge against the world that will make him satisfied, it's separating his identity from what Providence wanted him to be, and freeing himself from the cage that he's placed himself in. He's similar to Beneatha Younger from A Raisin in the Sun, in terms of how they play into the will of others. He insists that he's a free man, but he constantly asserts that he's defined by the cruel world he's been thrust into. His entire life's purpose is get even with Providence, and nothing more. Even if he and 47 manage to eliminate each of their affiliates and liquidate every of their assets, until he learns to break free and put his life towards something on his own terms, Lucas will never truly be free from the hold of Providence.

Now, there are two ways this can go: Either, Grey realizes that using force to eliminate all who’ve wronged him doesn’t make him better than them, and he stops, and settles down in Gontranno with his brother. Or, he insists that all that matters to him is getting even, and he either dies for his cause, gets arrested, or gets marked as a terrorist and gets himself assassinated, or something like that. I think he truly does care for 47 and his well being, and I think he wants to rekindle a relationship with him independent of Providence, the ICA, whatever. Really, this man needs to get his priorities straight. And hopefully, Diana, Olivia, and 47 will help him realize he can be so much more than just a martyr.

Agent 47

Honestly, this man’s a bit of a wild card. He doesn’t care about politics, morals, or any of the things that shape the above character. And that, in and of itself, makes him the most vulnerable. You can’t fight a war if you don’t know what you’re fighting for. Yes, he’s in agreement with Grey and their goal of eliminating the Partners, but what comes after that? I honestly cannot predict what he’d do, because there’s no motive in him beyond that. All we know is that he seems content to be an assassin, he’s fine using force, taking orders, and complying with his superiors. Seems bleak, right?

Well, no, not really. There’s a line that Edwards drops as you’re escorting him to the boat in the Isle of Sgail mission: “Interesting. The good doctor built his serum specifically to target the seats of your emotions. Has Miss Burnwood’s sense of justice rubbed off on you, I wonder?” Followed by 47 saying, “Just keep walking.” I think that, from a theorist’s viewpoint, we could interpret this as 47 admitting that yes, Diana’s sense of justice has rubbed off on him. He’s just still grappling with it, and doesn’t know where he stands. Does 47 necessarily share Diana’s sentiment of remaining neutral in the grand scheme of things? Hard to tell.

I think 47 will soon have to make a decision as to who, and what, he’s going to fight for. My current prediction is that he’ll roll with his brother and his brute-force playing-dirty plan, for now, just because he really wants to take down the Partners, but after that, he might try to convince Grey to, you know, stop the bloodshed. Or, if my current theory about Grey being after the ICA is right, maybe 47 will have to convince Grey that the ICA doesn’t need to be taken down, kill Grey, or pressure Diana to tell her higherups to become more vigilant. Considering that he’s still suspicious of Grey in cutscene before the Bank mission, and the fact that Diana and 47 have spent 20+ years together, I think he’ll remain loyal to Diana at the end of the day. Let’s pray that Grey won’t kill his own brother if, or when, their paths separate.

. . . I mean, my ideal ending? They all go back to a reformed ICA, taking down corrupt people who deserve it and using diplomacy when they can. Olivia gets hired as a hacker, or becomes Grey and 47′s new handler, Diana becomes head of the board (and still keeps in touch with 47, because duh, unbreakable bond), and Grey and 47 are just tag-teaming assignments all badass movie-like. After all, the family that slays together stays together!

[cosmicjoke]

Ash and the unwanted gain of power:

I wrote this post as a response to the awesome meta by @vashak, regarding her post on gang leader Ash, which you can read here: https://vashak.tumblr.com/post/189907130780/gang-leader-ash

But since it turned out so long, I thought I’d post it as a separate meta of my own as well.  

Particularly, I think it’s important to take note of the fact that Ash never wanted to be a boss.  Neither does Sing.  Both of them are chosen to take on that role by the other street punks, because it’s decided among those groups that people like Ash and Sing are most capable of offering them protection.

Focusing on Ash specifically, it speaks volumes about his character that he accepts this responsibility, even as it isn’t something he ever chose for himself, or at all desired.  

We see in Angel Eyes, after Ash’s fight with Frankie and his men in the library, that the other inmates start treating him like a Capo, basically attaching themselves to him and showing deference to him, because they’ve realized Ash is strong, and can protect them.  Again, this is really important to point out, because Ash didn’t want this, or have designs to this affect.  Shorter even points out that Ash is made uncomfortable by the sudden deference, by the other inmates treating him like the leader, and Ash also shows confusion later on, when Shorter is talking about how Arthur tried to take a hit out on Ash because he could see Ash would eventually inspire that same kind of deference and following on the outside, making him a direct threat to Arthur’s rule.  Ash doesn’t understand what Shorter means, and expresses his confusion over it.  We also hear Dino talking about Ash to Arthur, explaining that Ash never had any ambition, directly in contrast to Arthur, who’s ambition knows no bounds, and how regrettable Dino finds this, because he knows if Ash did have ambition to be a boss like Arthur, there would be no stopping him from taking over every single turf in New York.  Dino initially sends Ash out onto the streets with the hope this will happen, setting Ash up to run jobs for him, whether that’s selling drugs or taking out hits on whoever Dino decides needs to be eliminated.  He forcibly injects Ash into gang life and culture, doubtless under various and horrible threats from Dino himself.  We know from Dino’s own words to Ash, and the way he mocks him by reminding him about how he used to cry with every job Dino made him do, that he was likely either threatening Ash’s life if he didn’t do as he was told, or threatening to put him back to work at Club Cod as a child prostitute.  And we know how horrifying that was and continued to be for Ash.  Ash didn’t want to be in a gang, or engage in criminal activities, but he didn’t ever have a choice.  He was completely under Dino’s thumb.  

Eventually, Ash does gain a loyal following.  It really becomes a substantial thing in reform school, and once he gets out, he doubtless has an entire crew that have attached themselves to him.  Again, because of his superior abilities, charisma and intellect, the other kids are just naturally drawn to him.  Ash doesn’t even have to try.  They just go to him because they can see he’s strong and capable of giving them protection.  But Ash never moves beyond this specific territory or specific group.  Eventually, he does come into conflict with Arthur, because that’s the territory Ash operates in, and of course he beats Arthur in one on one combat.  Further, the fact that Ash doesn’t kill Arthur, but spares his life, is more proof still not only of Ash’s ambivalent feelings towards killing, but of how he never particularly sought after the role of boss in the first place.  If he’d really wanted to solidify his position of power, he would have killed Arthur.  Again, this just all serves as proof of Ash’s reluctance to be in this role and position.

Ash never planned on becoming a boss.  The role was thrust onto him because of his superior abilities and intelligence.  The other street kids align themselves to him because they know he can protect them.  And even though Ash doesn’t want this role, he accepts it, because, and again, this speaks to Ash’s moral character, despite what he thinks of himself, and what others perceive him as, he feels a moral obligation and responsibility at this point to take care of these other kids who have selected him for exactly that.  He could easily refuse the obligation, and abandon them to be run by Arthur, who treats all of them as disposable.  Ash more than once proves his capability in handling himself.  He doesn’t need a crew to survive out there on the streets.  In fact, Ash is most effective and capable when he’s operating on his own, and doesn’t have to worry about anyone else.  His chances of survival are highest when it’s just him on his own.  And he’s not doing it because of any kind of loyalty to Dino, or because he thinks Dino will come after him if he doesn’t have a crew.  At the beginning of Banana Fish, Ash is already operating separately from Dino, and is only willing to work with Dino on equal terms, meaning they both benefit from whatever jobs they run.  He doesn’t operate out there anymore FOR Dino.  Which is also why he kicks those two members out of the gang at the beginning, for betraying him and going behind his back to run a job for Dino.  Again, Ash could have and probably should have killed them, but he showed them mercy instead, once more, because Ash doesn’t want to ever kill anyone if he doesn’t absolutely have to, and he has no actual desire for power.  He kicks them out because they’ve proven they can’t be trusted, which would endanger not only himself, but the other members of his gang and which, subsequently, they prove by immediately running to Dino and ratting Ash out, for which trouble they get themselves killed.

Ash accepts his role as boss because he cares about other people.  He understands that they’ve chosen him as their leader because he can protect them, and he takes that responsibility seriously and takes it onto himself willingly, even as he doesn’t want it and would in truth be better off on his own.  We see this proven also in the way Ash purposefully leaves his gang out of any truly dangerous business which is likely to get him or them killed.  He initially didn’t involve any of them in what was going on with Dino and Banana Fish, and didn’t want to involve Shorter either.  Circumstances led to all of them eventually getting roped into it, but Ash fought hard to keep everyone out, and was 100% ready and willing to take Dino on completely by himself.  He protects them constantly at risk to himself.  And it’s not only his gang that he tries to protect.  He tries to protect Sing’s gang, and Cain’s as well, by keeping them out of his war with Dino and Arthur.  Again, circumstances eventually lead to them getting involved, but Ash tried very hard to not involve them.  

It’s once more just an example of how Ash’s own choices and own wants and needs are never really something he’s allowed.  His entire life, he’s been under the control of one person or another, whether that be Dino, or Marvin, or any of the other men who have abused him, or even, unintentional though it may be, his own gang.  Ash’s life is more or less defined by his own free will and agency being robbed from him, and his endless, heartbreaking struggle to gain some small amount of it back.  

When Ash says to Eiji “I wish I could have been like you, Eiji.  I always wanted to live a better life than this.  A more normal life.”  He means that exactly.  He never wanted the life he has, he never asked for it, or tried for it.  It was thrust on him by other people, by other people’s decisions and other people’s needs and wants.  Ash was never asked what he wanted or needed.  Those things were never even considered.  It was just decided and chosen for him.  Like Ash says multiple times, he was treated by everyone around him like he wasn’t even a real person, like he didn’t have any real thoughts or feelings of his own.  Like he was just a doll, there for the benefit and pleasure of others, to do with as they pleased. One of the most tragic results of that, is that the life he has, has done nothing but bring him misery and despair and a crushing sense of guilt and self-hatred.  

It’s why Eiji treating Ash like a person means so much to him, and is so significant.  Because Eiji is the first and only person to ever actually do that.  To ever actually realize or care that Ash was a human being with his own thoughts, his own needs, his own feelings.  He was the first and only person to ever treat Ash’s pain like it mattered.

[elven-oracle]

the siren act ii: tranquility |p.p. / part 7|

[part one] [part two] [part three] [part four] [part five] [part six]

‘the siren’ trilogy masterlist

moodboard credit goes to @astral-parker

to see other amazing moodboards:

by @starksparker click here

by @harryrholland click here

to listen to the playlist inspired by this series go here

SUMMARY: A month after adapting to human life and being accepted into Midtown School of Science and Technology, Lena “the Siren” Potts starts attending school with Peter Parker. As love and family start to pour into her life, a mysterious force lurks in the background, threatening the wellbeing of both herself and all the people she loves…

PAIRING: Peter Parker x Siren!OC

WORD COUNT: 2.1k

Lena was displeased with how quickly her own power had worn her out. Her capability had started to go into her head, as Pepper often told her happened to Tony. The amount of stamina it had taken had forced her to feel like she had not slept in days. She was lucky to have Peter to get her somewhere safe. She woke up in his arms, happy that his presence had almost guaranteed her a dreamless sleep.

The shared dream that they had was unsettling. Neither of them brought it up because they could mutually feel the odd feeling it placed in the back of their throats. It could be a smart idea to mention something about it to Tony, as it was a form of premonition she had never experienced before. Previous to this, she could explain everything they went through together, but this was oddly out of place and misshapen. She wanted to make sense of it, but there was a roadblock preventing her from that.

Her face was buried in between the bottom of his chin and the curve of his shoulder. Her eyes were closed, but she was not asleep. She was still not a fan of sleep, and it seemed to be the only state she could maintain for the past few days, but they had proved to be the most intense thus far out of her career fighting crime. It was strange to desire something that usually repulsed her. Lena let her thumb trace the outline of Peter's top lip, going back and forth until he stopped her, grabbed her by the waist, and used some force to roll with her off the bed. With a light squeal and a thud, his body took most of the impact, leaving her lying heavily on top of him.

Strands of hair fell onto his face, and he laughed softly while swatting them away. She placed a gentle kiss on his nose and stood, knowing that they both still had a lot of homework to get done, and it was probably past dinner time by now. Realizing she was still in her suit, she pressed its release button and let it rid itself of her body, falling into a small pile on the floor. Already knowing where to find Peter's lounge clothes, she pulled on one of his three Midtown Tech hoodies (how many did he need?) and the pair of sweatpants he had accidentally shrunk in the wash one time. She still had to tie the drawstring pretty tight, but it was better than them almost falling down.

Lifting her bag over her shoulder, Lena wandered into the dining room, Peter following close behind. Aunt May was in the living room, eating out of a takeout container and watching a movie Lena recognized but could not place a name to. It filled her with a bit of excitement. That was a perfectly reasonable and human thing to do, something that Peter did quite often.

"There's teriyaki in the fridge, kids!" May called, eyes still glued to the television.

This meal was common in the Parker household, and Lena knew that despite not having been there for a while. Peter had once told her that the people that pick up the phone practically know their orders by heart, and often liked to throw in free potstickers or rice because of how loyal their patronage was. Lena had only eaten this takeout once with them, but she remembered it fondly.

Among the many tendencies of humans that confused Lena, their eating of other animals, especially fish. She could not stand to think about the idea. Of course, eating had not been a habit of hers until she moved onto land, but when the carnivorous ways were explained to her she found it repulsing. Tony called her a vegetarian, so she told other people that was what she was too. In her mind, she was just caring for her fellow living creatures.

May never forgot that Lena did not eat meat, and got her what was called "tofu fried rice," which was a large plate of vegetables, rice, and compressed noodles designed to replace meat. Lena opened her American Politics textbook and laid it to the side, skimming the words while spooning rice into her mouth. Peter silently ate his dinner while doing math problems. It was a silent routine that they had followed before, but this time they could exchange thoughts to each other and even help each other out. It had taken a minute for Peter to accept that she was his academic equal - it was almost unbelievable how quickly she learned - but they became more productive once he did.

A thought crossed her mind, and it sat behind her lips, begging her to bring it up to Peter. She gave her best effort to hide it from his mind, but he caught onto the way her mood felt off and stopped writing, the pencil's squeaks coming to a halt and getting her attention. She lifted her eyes but not her head, looking at Peter who had set his pencil behind his ear.

"Everything all right?" he asked, leaning back in his chair, arms folded across his chest.

"What promise?"

"Hm?"

"You made Tony a promise. What was it?"

Peter laughed slightly, grabbing his pencil and leaning forward again, continuing to write, giving off the energy that it was not a big deal, but she would beg to differ. It had been a prominent thought in his mind that had been loud enough to almost disable her.

"It's really nothing, Lena. Mr. Stark made me promise he would call him if we encountered the Arsonist again, so when we saw him, I panicked and had to call him pretty quickly. That's all."

But that was not all. She felt the wall Peter was putting in front of the missing piece. She pried at it, needing to know. After their monumental kiss, Peter had quickly discovered through the new mutual connection how to only navigate Lena's mind, and also prevent her from seeing what he did not want her to. He had every right to his own privacy, it was just new to not have complete access. It was never a responsibility she abused, but she did not like it when Peter kept things from her.

"You kept a lot of things from me," he winked and kept doing his math. She rolled her eyes.

"You know why-"

"Yeah, yeah. You're right," he sighed, "Mr. Stark gave me the 'dad talk,'" he put air quotations around "dad talk." She saw a recent memory flash across Peter's brain; a menacing, middle-aged man in a car, and Peter's body filling with rage and fear. Even with the memory, the term completely lost her.

"Your da-I mean Mr. Stark. Mr. Stark doesn't want me to get you hurt in any way. So-"

"Why would I get hurt? I can take care of myself."

"No not physically hurt-"

"Is that not kind of odd to assume that I cannot take care of myself?"

Peter hesitated, struggling to find what he was trying to say, "Neither of us meant it like that. You make a great point, though. You're very capable of taking care of yourself."

"Then how did you mean it?”

"Emotionally. Negative emotions can be painful. You've seen all of those romance movies with May and me," Peter's lips were growing tight.

She recalled the genre, specifically remembering a film where after getting broken up with, a young woman spent three months of her life in a depression. She cried, isolated herself, and essentially ruined her own life. She never wanted to become a shell of a human. Life had become refreshing for her, and Peter played a large role in that. He was a part of her purpose in life. Every bit of her DNA was meant to be with him. Anxiety took ahold of her as the thought of him leaving her sat in her brain.

"No! Lena!" he grabbed the hand that had been sitting in her lap, "I'm not going anywhere."

The anxiety faded, and a softness replaced it, Peter's kind eyes confirming that everything would end up working out.

...

Lena made it back home by 10:00 PM, knowing that she probably was not going to fall asleep that night. Typically, at the most, she spent 4 hours sleeping, and that still felt like a lot.

On her way up to her bedroom, Tony's AI, F.R.I.D.A.Y. spoke up, almost startling her.

"Miss Potts, Mr. Stark would like to see you in his garage."

Lena frowned, wishing to spend some time with just herself. She plopped her bag onto her bed and took the elevator to the main floor, walking outside to get to the building where Tony kept all of his cars, his Iron Man suits, and the AIs that operated whatever his current project was. There were nights where after Lena had finished her fight training for the day where she would come and sit in the shop: sometimes silently, sometimes asking questions about what he was doing. It bonded them in a subtle way.

"Kid," he said as she pressed her hand on the sensor to get into the room.

"Tony," there was an edge to her voice. She had not liked the way he and Peter had argued on the Midtown Tech football field, and she was wedged in between their silly fight. There was no side for her to take, she just wanted them both to get along and work together.

"You sound ticked. Everything okay?" Tony was concerned, but Lena could not decipher why.

"I am okay. Is there something you needed from me? I have homework," it was a white lie, but a lie, still. She just needed to relax in her pool, let her mind meld with the water. She did not want to spend her free time getting lectured.

Tony kept working, not looking up at her, "Take a seat."

She let out a sigh and sat, watching him hammer into a piece of metal. Looking at him, still frowning, she took the nanotech bead that she had put in her pocket and let it tie her hair up, annoyed with it continuously falling in her face and sitting on her neck.

"You're smart, kiddo. I don't want you seeing me as the bad guy."

"I do not-”

"Peter and I go back and forth because we are both passionate people," he gave the metal a final whack and set the hammer down. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and made eye contact with Lena. "One day, I'll teach you how to drive. You'll take driver's ed. They're going to drill it into your head that the only way to get better at it is through experience," he was making gestures with his hands, using it as a method to get his point across. "My point is that sometimes it's hard for him to see the big picture. Where I see you two getting hurt, he sees a new mission. Which will be great once he's had more experience, but all he needs is that experience."

She saw his point. She had seen his point even before he had spoken it. All she wanted was for Tony to say that to Peter, rather than get irritated in the middle of a situation. She bit at the inside of her mouth and locked her jaw. She was not in a particular mood to squabble. Her counter argument could be brought to his attention tomorrow morning.

"You are making sense.”

"Good!" Tony's shoulders released their tension, and he tapped a few times on the holographic screen in front of his face, then shut it down, it disintegrating. "School tomorrow?"

"Yeah. They are questioning all the kids that got sent home yesterday."

"What's your alibi?"

"I tranced them into thinking that we left before getting to the lunchroom. You pulled us both out of class for something that had to do with the press."

"Anything specific?"

"If I got too specific the trance would thin and be easier to see through. It is similar to lying."

Tony snickered, "Okay. If people ask, say it was your Teen Vogue feature."

"The one coming out next month?"

"Yeah. Teenagers generally won't question it."

"You are going to generalize all teenagers?"

He had been putting away his tools and calibrating some of his AIs, and hearing the combative phrase brought him to a halt, "I guess so, yeah.”

"The human brain is extremely various. Every thought process of each human being is so vastly different that it would be nearly impossible to generalize any sort of human population."

Tony smiled, a warm genuine smile and Lena felt the pride. It was strong and open, he wanted her to feel it. He did not fully understand her empathic abilities, but once in a while, he made extra effort to let her know how he was feeling. He was not skilled in verbalizing his emotions, but he definitely felt them.

"That's a good observation. That observation may question the entirety of what sociology is, but it was smart regardless.”

Lena let herself stare at the relaxed expression in Tony's face that was so extremely rare, then pushed herself out of her chair, standing.

"I am going to go to bed now.”

"Goodnight, kid."

@tonyintexas @plushparker @spideyboipete @darlintom @rainbow-marvel @keepingupwiththeparkers @m4shtyx @quietgeekygirl @bigunknownpolice @butwhyduh @shamelessbookaddict @spiderlingsweb @mendes-vuitton @roses-hxlland @sectumsempra-beaches @suncityparker @pbnjparker @saturn-aka-six @spirit-and-oppy @eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy @jenniegs @fandom-centric-moron @theestrangeddreamer @everybasicwhitegirl @kateelyse96 @captainbuckyy @thescarsweleave @facial-hair-bros @gendryia @hazsterfield @pennywebby @hollandroos @spideyjlaw @doc-sledge @emilymarie0422 @mix-force @drunkmarvel @pvnk-bitch @nasa-parker @astrospideys  @therealwatermelon @xalohamorabitchx @dtftomholland @lovelyspidey  @lilbeatlebear  @spideykiddo @the-claire-bitch-project @hollandfieldblurbs @starlightfound @thatoneannoyinghighschoolnerd @smilexcaptainx @rycbrar97 @emmaofvenus @6gotosleep9 @ispiderdudei @josierosie @fratboievans @liz-gayllen @astronomyparkers @naturallytom @mellowstudent-stuff @stuckonspidey @doctorextrastrange @raspberryparker  @ganseysblues @neptuneparker @arewegroot @just-dont-freeze @merrynewtmasx

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a new citizen in Mount Phoenix:

                                           Ah Puch, the God of Death,                                   whose origins stem from Ancient Mayan Mexico.                       He is now the owner of Sombra Muerte and a sadist at Bablyon.

FC NAME/GROUP: Woo Jiho/Zico | Block B GOD NAME: Ah Puch/Cizin/God A PANTHEON: Mayan OCCUPATION: Owner of Sombra Muerte and Sadist at Babylon HEIGHT: 6’ 3" | 190cm DEFINING FEATURES: A multitude of tattoos and piercings, he’s constantly changing them and adding more, the most prominent being a full body skeleton that’s skull begins below his chin and takes up most of his chest and torso. As well as frequently changing hair colors and hair styles. Over many centuries of combatting the scent of decay that follows him, he has managed to keep it quite faint using a sage and onyx choker that resembles 3 human eyes dangling from his neck that he is rarely ever without. Only wears black with an occasional red accent piece with lots of accessories and even bells. The spirit of his loyal western screech owl named Muan never far behind, often manifesting on his broad shoulders and alerting him of customers in his shop.

PERSONALITY: A dark shroud follows Zico at all times, a somber and quiet air constantly filling whatever space he is occupying. His deep voice and sharp cat like eyes give him an incredibly intimidating aura. Among the darkness and somberness there is an unbelievable confidence that he exudes. A type of confidence that could be seen as cocky yet is really just a physical manifestation of his intensity. As a quiet and mysterious man Zico hides his true personality from many. As a personification of the Mayan people’s worst fear; death, he is all too used to being shunned and hated - with great reason. Over many years this has left him cold and distant, yet behind this shroud of evil, darkness and death there could potentially be a man that I smore than just a manifestation of fear. Maybe there is more to him…

HISTORY: tw: death, abuse, violence, gore

Ruler;

“When an owl screeches, someone nearby will die. If you hear a hoot, take a deep breath and count to ten.”

The soft jingle of bells follows Cizin as he walks the cold and quiet night streets of the upper world. His wide owl eyes awaiting the one who shall join him in his trip back to Mitnal. His gaunt, decaying body dragging along the streets, the shuffle and jingle of the bells in his feather a haunting thing for anyone to witness. A literal manifestation of people’s worst nightmares. He was created from their worst fears. The fears of those terrified of death. His faithful and equally as terrifying companion Muan flies over head, helping the Lord of Death and Ruler of Mitnal decide who will be joining him tonight.

With each daunting step he draws closer to the doors of unsuspecting mortals, each one becoming closer to their worst fear as Cizin approaches. The first door he passes brings him joy as he hears the wailing of a woman and the impacts of fists, her husband doing the work for him. He moves on to the next houses, screaming children being punished by strict mothers and fathers bringing him the same hope. Children crying out about monsters in their closets or under their beds - his demons doing their best work by instilling fear in those too impressionable to resist the influence. The screams and wails of mortals turning him to the quiet homes, the ones the god has noticed must be taken care of by his hand rather than others.

He enters a quiet home, finding a man alone in his bed. Cizin knew of this man, a man as horrible as he. Who stole from the poor and vulnerable and killed innocent men, women and children. The Lord did not fear him, nor was he happy to be taking his life. This man saved the god time and energy, not being restricted by the dark of night or to a decaying body. So the god did what must be done, careful to kill the man in such a way that the cadaver would be in tact and unscarred. The Lord of Death took in this man’s home and his body. He admired his life and that night he made a decision. This was the night Cizin decided to live amongst humans.

Humanity;

When Ah Puch imagined humanity, he imagined those he saw in the dead of night. Those who wailed and screamed to send him away, those who feared him and hated him. Those who worshipped him and were then shunned by their peers. What he did not imagine were those in the day. Those who were kind and soft and sweet. Those who were forgiving and smart and patient. He appreciated this side of humanity. For this side of humanity was what made his side all the more powerful. He and his peers fed off of their fear and naivety and it only made them stronger. His peers were also those who fed him and made him strong. By giving in to their desires and destructive natures. Ah Puch would watch them wither away into nothing, allowing him all the time he needed to slowly torture their souls into ash.

The Lord discovered that mortals were easily manipulated and molded. Easily turned self destructive and vulnerable. Upon this discovery he knew this would become the easiest way to acquire souls. Instead of hunting for them himself, he simply fuels their destruction and swoops in to collect the broken pieces. Ah Puch started with tobacco and alcohol, the two easiest addictions he found that lowered the inhibitions of mortals. Then he discovered sex and love were just as addictive to mortals as physical drugs. Now in a much more modern era, the amount of drugs and inhibition reducing pass times like, technology, and toxic relationships fueled him immensely.

Except now, with even more options of watching human self-destruct he was bored. Bored of death and torment. He wanted something else. Persuading humans into sacrificing themselves to him wasn’t fun or enjoyable any more. It was just depressing. Their minds so easily moldable and destructible. It was the 1970s that he began collecting. Collecting things humans found disgusting or “evil”. He admired them. Admired these objects and their owners abilities to be different. The evil contained within his collections providing him with enough spiritual comfort to last a millennia.

Business;

When historians discovered him; well the old Cizin. They classified him as “God A” among the alphabetical Mayan gods. Out of spite he gave himself a new name, Zico. The final letter of the English alphabet inspiring his new expression of self. It was around this time he heard of a new place, an island for gods and their half-blooded children. A bizarre thought to him, to see the many gods and goddess’ there with their half-human children. He had a few of those, half-blooded children. None worth his time. He had better things to worry about than children; as if they would want anything to do with him anyway. Zico couldn’t imagine any of them could bare the idea of such a monster as their father anyway. So he let them be, whatever that meant.

For many years, Zico has lived above Sombra Muerte - his pride and joy. Customers came and went over the years. The front of the back alley curiosities shop was dark, brooding, gothic, evil and odd. A perfect home and workplace for a god of death. The back of said shop housed a drug empire. The same drug empire that Zico had been running for decades. Because if there was one thing he enjoyed more than taking souls and torturing them; it was watching them slowly do it to themselves.

Since learning of the power of torment and torture that humans are able to withstand and still live. He took on a new job, one catering to those only of a specific nature. Discovering there are times when he can torture and torment without having to kill and still feel fulfilled. Then, watching the poor humans - well half-humans - become addicted to this pain and pleasure slowly lose themselves was all the more enjoyable for him. With drugs, sex and oddities taking his time and fulfilling his nature, he rarely visits Mitnal anymore. Finding that wrecking havoc among gods and half-bloods much more fun than with pesky little mortals.

POWERS: Ah Puch has the conventional powers of the Mayan gods plus the ability to induce mental torment/torture and control death. He can also easily shapeshift back into his skeletal form, that of which is a well over two meters tall, gaunt and decaying skeleton with an ornate owl’s head and adorned in torn robes and various bells that look like human eyeballs. STRENGTHS: Clever, Observant, Patient WEAKNESSES: Blunt, Indifferent, Sadistic

[chaseyesterdays]

So this is probably a tad late but I realized you are probably the biggest Star Wars fan I follow (okay maybe not probably) but I want your opinion on TLJ and to an extent TFW, like you honest impression and opinion. I have no problem asking off anon/sending a message if you’ve got some opinions™️, just state so.

Hi Anon! I’m perfectly comfortable answering anonymous messages or carrying on conversations via DM, so however you feel most comfortable is fine by me! I do have A LOT of opinions though and I’m probably not going to remember half of them for this post, so if there’s anything you want me to elaborate on or any other questions you may have, feel free to ask me however you like!

(I’m putting this under a cut because holy crap, this went on so much longer than I ever thought it would.)

Okay, first off: I think TFA had great potential as a film. ( I know you asked more specifically about TLJ, but I feel like I have to start at the beginning to get my thoughts semi-in-order. TFA introduced what could have been very interesting characters: a female orphan scavenger Force sensitive, a POC stormtrooper raised from birth for destruction but with a kind heart that ultimately guides him, a hotshot pilot with a gentle soul and a desire to do the right thing while remaining loyal to whom and what he believes in – even a female stormtrooper captain who could have had such a great backstory if they’d just let her. I can’t demonize TFA too much on not developing these characters because it’s the first installment in the saga, but still, where TFA failed is in its progression of the characters. I can almost forgive Rey’s overt Force abilities in the fight with Kylo Ren because yeah, we’ve seen the same with Luke on a slightly smaller scale, but it still felt a little bit jerky to me in terms of flow. Finn and Poe fared better in my opinion, but only because I felt like this new trilogy would give each of the new trio a movie in which to shine: TFA would be Rey’s and Finn and Poe would have what became TLJ and Episode IX to be more of the focal characters.

But here’s where I have issues with TFA. First, the movie was just a remake of A New Hope with different characters. I get that JJ Abrams was trying to appeal to the original fans while still providing that same magic to bring in the younger generations, but sheesh, the whole plot is essentially recycled with a few things moved around order-wise. Desert planet that isn’t Tatooine but looks like it, jungle planet that isn’t Yavin IV but looks similar, a “Death Star” that isn’t a Death Star but is essentially a Death Star, the death of a wise old mentor… There was literally no originality. I think JJ let his fears of fucking up the saga get the better of him, so he was too afraid to branch out and make the movie really great. He could have used similar elements and plot points as an homage to the first movie while still providing his own take on modernizing the film, or placing different characters as the focal point. In the end, even though I cried like four times watching it because Han Solo was one of my favorite characters and didn’t deserve to go out like that, I can’t rag on JJ too hard for TFA. He tried, but he fell flat on some things, and ultimately his treatment of an Original Trilogy character opened the door for some atrocities to be committed down the road.

And speaking of atrocities, that leads me to TLJ. Now, I’ll be honest here, I’ve only seen the movie once and fucking refuse to watch it again, but I’ve read a lot of other people’s reactions to it and examined some articles/YouTube videos explaining why everybody else thinks it’s such a bad movie, so I’ll call on what I remember for now and if anything else comes up in the future, I’ll let you know. But I’ll start here and now by saying that the reason TLJ was a failure from the start falls directly on the shoulders of Rian Johnson. Rian Fucking Johnson, Mr. Hubris, who literally said he set out to make a movie that destroyed fan expectations and worked to keep them guessing (if I remember correctly – like I said, I’ve sworn off TLJ content for awhile now just to keep my blood from boiling). The direction Rian took TLJ made no fucking sense and completely torpedoed the outline that JJ had for the movie, derailing the trilogy as a whole just because Rian wanted to be the smug, smart asshole who knew better than anybody what was gonna happen. As a result, the movie is full of plot holes and directionless actions and flat dialogue and ridiculous characterizations, and it’s not just a failure as a Star Wars film, it’s a failure as a movie in general because the plot simply doesn’t hold water. It’s literally a low-speed car chase with some cool effects that made half of its characters either useless, annoying, OOC, or redundant. It’s bad. My creative writing professors aren’t even dead yet, but if I’d turned in that script for one of my classes, they’d be rolling in their graves. (Did I mention I studied writing, grammar, composition, storytelling, character building and plot development for four years in college and make my living as a writer now? Trust me, I know my shit.)

First off, one of the biggest failings Rian Johnson had aside from the general plot was mistreatment of characters. The POC characters Finn, Poe, and Rose bore the brunt of that because Rian wouldn’t know how to write good POC characters if they literally smacked him in the face – hell, even the best of us white people are still learning. But Poe was reduced to an angry Latino stereotype, which made absolutely no sense considering his actions and attitude in TFA. He trusted Leia and the Resistance leaders and followed them because he respected them, not because he was blinded by them or whatever else anyone can try to insinuate. Admittedly he’s right to question Holdo because her actions make no sense and there’s literally nO REASON FOR HER NOT TO TELL HIM WHAT’S GOING ON, but he wouldn’t just fly off the handle and stage a mutiny like that. He would have talked to Leia about it repeatedly, talked to Holdo and others repeatedly, and Leia would have made Holdo see sense if she was in character AND SHE NEVER WOULD HAVE FUCKING STUNNED POE.

Ahem.

Finn and Rose’s storyline is harder for me to remember because I hated that cantina sidequest thing so much, but what I do remember is feeling like Finn wasn’t even the same person (he wasn’t, because Rian Johnson killed him and put someone else in his place) and Rose was just redundant because it felt like she was created to be a love interest so Finn would be with someone other than Rey (again, I’m fine with platonic best friend relationships, but considering the fact that Finn/Rey would be a biracial relationship and the big ship R*eylo is founded on a whiny white man literally abusing the female protagonist, it just seems like a blatant attempt to undermine the POC characters and relationships in the film). Now let me be clear: what happened to Finn and Rose is not the actors’ faults, as they were at the mercy of Rian Fucking Johnson, and it isn’t the characters’ faults that they’re so weak. That’s all on bad writing and Rian Johnson, and I’m in no way blaming anyone but him for destroying them. (Also, I don’t want Finn to die at all, but having Rose save him from sacrificing himself just so she could kiss him and declare love for him and keep fans guessing again is just…so bad, Rian. Why won’t you let your characters make sense.)

And then there’s Rey. If I’m remembering correctly, both Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill said they didn’t get back into character for TLJ because the characters they played, Rey and Luke, weren’t even the same characters in this film, and whoo boy, does it show. First off, I hate this term, but Rey was essentially a Mary Sue in this film. She had pretty much no training with Luke but somehow managed to be an amazing Force user anyway?? Look, I’m a naturally talented singer, but I didn’t just get good because of that, I got good because I worked hard and studied technique and worked with instructors who helped me take my natural talent and channel it and refine it into something better. That’s what Luke should have done. That’s what Rey should have gotten. But neither of them were in character so of course we didn’t get that. Instead, we got an angry, sullen Luke who tried to murder his nephew in his sleep, which NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE HE SAW ENOUGH GOOD IN DARTH VADER NOT TO MURDER HIM SO WHY THE FUCK WOULD HE DO IT TO HIS NEPHEW, HIS SISTER’S ONLY CHILD. No sense people. No sense.

Rey being a nobody is a controversial point because some people love the fact that a great Jedi can be anyone at all. I get that. But what those people don’t realize is that the Skywalker line came from a slave woman. She was a “nobody” in the grand scheme of things – no disrespect to Shmi Skywalker, who was a powerful woman and a goddess in her own right. Making Rey a Skywalker (either from Luke’s line or Leia’s) does not diminish the “nobody” thing. In fact, it’s the only thing that makes sense, because that lightsaber belongs to the Skywalker line and it wouldn’t just call out to anybody – my creative writing professors would have shot that shit down in a heartbeat. So I think Rey will actually end up being someone with a connection to the Skywalkers; some people theorized that “The Chosen One,” AKA Anakin born of midichlorians, could be almost an avatar-like thing, or Rey could be a reincarnation of Anakin if she’s not a Skywalker/Solo somehow. Kinda farfetched, but no less farfetched than the rest of this fucking movie, so whatever.

Tying Rey and Kylo together could have been so interesting if Rey was his sister. I loved the idea that Rey and Kylo were both Solo children of the Skywalker bloodline, representing the Light and Dark sides of the Force and proving that ultimately, the balance between Dark and Light is what defeats true evil and restores balance to the galaxy (after all, balance is not the absence of dark or light, but an equal ratio of it, and I firmly believe that being a Jedi should not be banishing all the darkness in you, but simply controlling it and centering yourself on the balance between love and passion and anger and pain). It would have made such a good story for Kylo Ren to be a double agent or a legitimately brainwashed young man struggling to do what he thinks is right and being misled but still using his gifts to support balance once he realizes he’s been led astray. Instead, we got literally the worst villain ever: he’s not intimidating, he’s whiny, he pitches temper tantrums, he’s selfish, he’s abusive, he’s impulsive… The writers can’t figure out what they want with him, because they’ve worked so hard to make us sympathize with him and like him and set him up like a misunderstood kid, but then they go and have him make the conscious choice to be evil but still be all those “good” things? It makes no sense. His character progression is all over the place because Rian can’t write and the Kylo he created is not even the same character as JJ put in TFA. And as a result, we now have just about canon proof that Rian wanted R*eylo, which is just another glorified abusive relationship that “stans” keep romanticizing. Gag me with a spoon. I’m done.

Also, who the fuck was Snoke? How was he so powerful? Where did he come from? How did he brainwash Kylo? Who trained him or how did he learn all he knew? How could he see everything and sense everything but not hear, see, or feel Kylo moving the lightsaber? Why were he and Phasma completely nerfed and killed out of nowhere with absolutely no character development or reason for dying? The world may never know.

And here’s where I get really angry: the sheer disrespect for the Original Trilogy characters. Harrison was ready to retire as Han, and I can understand that – I don’t like how Han went out, but I can almost forgive that because I don’t want the actors to be miserable. But what they did to Luke and Leia is unforgivable. Straight up, point blank. Luke Skywalker would never try to murder his nephew in his sleep. Leia would never stun Poe or send her son away or be a terrible, absentee parent. Luke would never be the person he was in that movie, because even in the depths of despair, Luke chose good, chose to see the good in others. He and Leia never gave up hope or belief that good would always triumph over evil. The Luke I saw in TLJ had none of that, and Mark Hamill himself said it wasn’t Luke, it was “Jake Skywalker” or some other nonsense. Mark is a genuinely kind and accepting person, so if you manage to make him angry about a character he’s played for more than thirty years, you’ve fucked up big time, and Rian Johnson did just that. And what’s worse, there was no reason for Luke to die aside from the fact that he just wasn’t convenient for the writers to consider anymore. Han’s death happened to let Harrison retire, but Luke’s was just to get the old generation out so Kathleen Kennedy and the other Powers That Be could do whatever they wanted in the Star Wars universe and milk that cash cow for all it’s worth. Now that Carrie’s gone, all real ties to the Lucasverse are gone, and I’m not convinced they weren’t going to kill Leia off anyway for the reasons I stated above. The blatant disrespect of that, of destroying characters I’ve loved my whole life, who literally kept me alive when nothing else did… It’s unforgivable. I wept like I lost loved ones watching Luke and Han die, and I refuse to do it again.

And here’s what it all comes down to for me: hope. Star Wars was founded on hope. The whole franchise was created in the wake of the Vietnam War when everyone needed something good to believe in, a clear divide between good and evil where good won simply because it was willing to fight for what it believed in, support others, love others, do the right thing. Even when the chips were down and everything was at its darkest in ESB, they always had hope, and in the end, hope won out. There are literally documentaries out there and books written about the success of Star Wars and the fact that hope is its literal cornerstone. The sequel trilogy destroyed all of that. There is no hope anymore. The Resistance is pretty much decimated at the end of TLJ, and at the hands of a government (not even a government??) that rose up out of nothing and destroyed like twelve planets with a flick of a switch and blew billions of people away (and of course we never hear another word about that because that can’t be important at all). Everyone is dying. There are no ships left. There are no forces – less than 100 people made it off that salt planet whose name escapes me and I don’t care enough to look up, and it might have been less than 50. There is no chance that the Resistance can rise up out of nothing and overcome that. Considering how far Rian derailed the progression of the trilogy as a whole, I don’t know how on earth JJ can come back and fix it with literally nothing on his side – all for the sake of shock factor (I swear, I shake my fist at Rian Johnson in my head at least once a day). I know the modern trend is to shoot for gritty, hopeless, “realistic” films because that’s what the current mood is in this country and around the world, but that’s not what Star Wars is about. That’s never been what Star Wars is about. The whole story was built on the foundation of hope, that good could rise and triumph over evil, and there’s simply no room for that in this sequel trilogy. Essentially, the sequel trilogy has failed because it destroyed what makes Star Wars “Star Wars” at its core, and for that, I will never forgive it. The prequels may have been dark, but they exist to show that while the good can fall, ultimately, they can rise again even if in the smallest of ways. “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” The narrative is so convoluted and misconstrued in the sequel trilogy, and it will never be able to find that same foundation of hope again because Disney fucked up. As I said in 2017, “Star Wars is dead. Long live Star Wars.” So I’ll stick to my Original Trilogy and remember the good things that kept me going, the characters and actors that saved my life and made me realize that even in the face of darkness, hope and love can overcome all. That’s Star Wars to me. Honestly, that’s what Rogue One delivered, and if you take anything out of this, it’s that Rogue One is the only Star Wars thing Disney did right. But the sequel trilogy isn’t Star Wars, it isn’t even halfway decent storytelling, and I hope that on the day I die Rian Johnson and everyone responsible for TLJ can lower me into my grave so they can let me down one last time.

I probably left a lot out because I have so many feelings on this matter, and this response is like encyclopedia-long as is, but it’s the truth of what I feel, and I really hope I shed some light on the topic for you (probably way too much light, but I digress). Thank you for caring about my opinions Anon! I really appreciate you giving me the opportunity to put my thoughts down, and if you managed to make it to the end of this ridiculous post, just know that my inbox and my asks are always open for any clarification or fandom-screaming or thoughts in general. Have an amazing day, and as some people whom I love very dearly used to say, “May the Force be with you. Always.”

[nemesis-nexus]

Long Cold Full Moon 2017 HAIL MARDUK most Glorious Father and Keeper from the cold, HEAR US! Tonight is the night of the Long Cold Full Moon and the last month has certainly had events that led right up to it! Father why is it that people are all too willing to stand by us so long as you agree on nearly everything but the second you have the nerve to point out the flaws in ones logic or their newfound loyalty to someone who doesn’t deserve it, they throw US away for having the nerve to disagree with them? I guess we can chalk it up to that’s just the way it goes in a lot of these situations but at the same time it is also a harsh lesson as well to never assume anyone is beyond betraying your trust. This is why we need to never tell anyone or give anyone anything beyond what they have actually earned from us including but not limited to time, respect and even money! This isn’t to imply that everyone is out to get us, it IS to directly state that some people are only as loyal as their personal agendas and that we should always keep our eyes and ears open for any signs that it is time to sever ties from a toxic person or situation! Great Father who gives us the fortitude to stand tall even through our most trying times, we ask that you help us to stand up and push back against these usurpers who continue to not only tear the Earth asunder in pursuit of dead presidents but are all too willing to jeopardize the lives of other people to attain it while they stay in their cushy offices not worrying about their own safety or the state of the soil or water they are contaminating with their chemical cocktails! They don’t seem to understand that they are not exempt from the fall out of the damage they are doing, that once the water, air and soil are poisoned, there will be nothing left to aid in the survival of the human race - including them! If they think they will drink bottled water, 1 it will eventually run out and 2 bottled water is nothing but tap water which means that the bottle of water you purchased came right out of the groundwater that is by the bottling plant that mass produced it! There isn’t a Brita faucet accessory that is strong enough to filter out oil, heavy metals and all the other crap that is used during fracturing so BOTTOMS UP! As far as food is concerned with spills such as the DeepWater Horizon disaster that not only poisoned the water but all the marine life in it and the soil that is ruined as the result of oil spills such as the one that occurred most recently with the Keystone 1 Pipeline gushing 210,000 gallons (5000 barrels) of oil into the ground (above an aquifer) rendering the soil unable to sustain any kind of animal or insect life let alone planting yet the bastards responsible want to continue to STEAL the land of FARMERS through the abuse of Eminent Domain effectively breaking the law by using E.D. for PRIVATE projects on PUBLIC land and reducing the Farmers ability to follow their Rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness! The idea that TWENTY additional pipelines were approved AFTER the failure of the Keystone 1 further demonstrates how much the government cares about this country let alone any of the people living in it! ALL PIPES LEAK, and if all 20 of them were to leak, JUST like DWH, JUST like Colonial, JUST like the Dakota Access Pipeline leaked THREE TIMES IN ONE MONTH BEFORE IT WAS EVEN PUT INTO OPERATION, JUST like Keystone 1, we are in SERIOUS trouble! Father Marduk we know that the Free Will we were given enables us to live our lives according to our personal Paths but what it does NOT do is grant us the right to exalt ourselves above other people just because we say so! For example, no human is truly above another human, just because someone might have more dead presidents than another person does NOT make them more important! The one thing that has always behooved me is the entitlement which people with any kind of wealth like to think they have over others JUST because they have money, they seem to think they can buy their way into anything they want even if they have not actually earned the right to be a part of something! The Atheist Cult is a great example of this, NOT ONE OF THE CULTS LEADERS has ANY ties to the Satanic Community but because the one who decided to take the practical joke and run with it has money, he thinks he can do whatever he wants and the rest of us will fall in line, he found out quite expediently that this is NOT the case and now the Atheist Cult is nothing more than a running joke that no one could take seriously even if they wanted to! What these dolts seem to not comprehend is that you can NOT buy your way into the Deity’s favor, he doesn’t care how much money you have or who you THINK you are, especially if you go around telling everyone that he doesn’t exist while simultaneously REFUSING to tell people YOUR legal name! Only cowards and conmen hide behind fake names, if the person you are dealing with doesn’t tell you who they really are then you can rest assured EVERYTHING else they are telling you is also complete bullshit as well! A person who lies about their own name is not someone anyone should be investing their trust in as if they can’t even be honest about that, then they aren’t going to be honest about anything else either! There are no shortcuts on this Path or anywhere else in life that is worth pursuing and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something! It never ceases to amaze me that when you tell people what they NEED to hear versus what they WANT to hear that you’re more likely than not to lose the interest of some. This is because the truth and reality of the situation does not coincide with the stereotypes and Hollywood hype, things seldom do, so when people realize that there is actual work involved (research and acquiring specific items) and that any kind of Ritual or Spell Work is going to require a vast amount of concentration and energy that can take hours depending on the intent, they get turned off. They get even more turned off when the half-assed five and dime “Spell” that they bought off the internet doesn’t work as expected! Bit of advice: the most potent Spell you will EVER cast is the one you write yourself! In the first place the writing alone is a form of meditation that weaves your own Spiritual Energy directly into the words which connect the intent and direction to the Multiversal Qi (Chi) which is the first step in Manifesting your goal, in the second place NO ONE can express our needs or desires for anything better than we can with any and all the urgency the situation demands! Most exalted Father I would like to conclude this sermon with a reminder to all that no matter what happens in life, no matter who enters (or exits), no matter how long or cold the Night or Day may be; as long as we have our (Blood/Spiritual) Family standing by us, we can make it through! As long as we stand by our (Blood/Spiritual) Family THEY will make it through! More than anything, as long as YOU are standing by and Watching over us, we can and will overcome ANY and ALL obstacles so long as we don’t drop anchor and keep moving forward! HAIL SATAN! "On This Long And Cold Night It Is Easy To Lose Our Sight! Of What Is Important And What Matters When Our Spirits Are In Tatters! When This Happens We Must Recall The One Who Fought And Saved Us All! If They Gave Up Instead Of Marching Forth Then All Would Have Been Lost Right At The Source! So When The Air Is Freezing Us Down To The Bone We Must Remember Always That We Are Not Alone! Our Family Is With Us Whether They Are Far Or Near And Our Gracious Father Is Always Here! So Strap On Your Winter Boots And Get Walking Nothing Gets Done JUST By Talking! To Persevere Through The Lies And The Stress We Will Fight To Pass The Most Important Test! A Test Of Loyalty, Of Faith And Of Family We Shall Triumph Or Perish And Accept The Terms Freely! What Awaits Us Is The Ultimate Reward Sought By Many And That Reward Is The Love, Honor And Trust Of Your Family!" ZI ANA KANPA! ZI KIA KANPA! MAY THE DEAD RISE AND SMELL THE INCENSE! Etiamsi MULTA Et Nos UNUM Sumus Nos Sto Validus Ut Nos Sto Una! Semper Veritas, Semper Fideles, In Diabolus Nomen Nos Fides! AVE SATANÍ! (We Are ONE Even Though We Are MANY And We Stand STRONGEST When We Stand TOGETHER! Always TRUTHFUL, Always FAITHFUL, In Satan's Name We Trust! HAIL SATAN!) Ave URURU! Ave EA! Ave DIMUZI! Ave ININNI! Ave GILGAMESH! Ave ENKIDU! Ave TIAMAT! Ave ABSU! Ave MARDUK! Ave SARPANITUM! Ave SATANÍ! HAIL SATAN! HPS Meg “Nemesis Nexus” Prentiss

[falafel14]

Okja Meta: It’s all edible. All edible except the squeal.

Is Okja is a vegan film or not? I want to offer my personal perspective on Okja's layered messages on the meat eating and factory farming and what responses the film proposes. I’m writing this as someone who has been a vegetarian since I was fourteen (Mija's age in the film) and this year I've been attempting to make the transition into veganism. I'm also a person who grew up in a house next to a cattle farm, walking family dogs through fields of cows that would disappear to slaughterhouses at the end of every summer. We’re raised to have very different feelings towards animals who are our pets and animals bred as livestock and most movies propagate this distinction rather than breaking it down. With Okja we have a film that introduces its titular animal character as a beloved pet, loyal and loving as any family dog, then we see her re-categorized as a product, as a piece of meat to be killed and consumed. This transition has led to some critics to complaining about the film’s "jarring tonal shift" from its cutesy child-friendly opening scenes to the graphic slaughterhouse scenes at its ending. But this is not propaganda. It is simply reality. This is the hypocritical way different animals are treated. Kids are encouraged to love their pets and eat their meat and now critics are worried over a film that highlights this? If the inescapable message of Okja is that the animals we love and the animals we eat are the same then what response should we have? Should we all go vegan? 

Even as an aspiring vegan myself, I'd say Okja’s message is not that simple. I have read several articles now arguing that Okja is not anti-meat eating but anti-factory farming. Pro-meat eating Okja fans are quick to point out that Mija herself is not vegetarian. However I'd argue back that there's a difference between how our farm girl heroine eats meat and how most westerners eat meat. The opening of film dedicates a lot of time to showing how Mija consumes all food in harmony with nature. When Okja rolls into a tree to dislodge its fruit, Mija warns her pig not to hit the tree so hard it'll fall down. When they go fishing, Mija takes only one fish for her supper and throws the others back in the water. She also uses Okja's eco-friendly excrement to fertilize the pool and feed the fish. And it should be noted that while Mija and her grandfather don't abstain from meat, the vast majority of their diet is plant-based, their dinner table crammed with vegetables. We only see them eating their own free-range white meat as opposed to mass-produced red meats that are so damaging to the environment. Mija could be more accurately described as having a flexitarian diet. Plus she knows exactly where all her meat comes from because she prepares it all herself. So if you are a western viewer watching and thinking it’s fine to eat meat because Mija does, I have to ask - are you a farmer living in the mountains catching or rearing your own meat sources in balance with the natural world? Or are you eating factory farmed meat from the supermarket? Because if factory farming is what Okja is really railing against and factory farmed meat is what you personally consume then isn't Okja still anti the type of meat you’re eating?

While we identify most with Mija as the film's protagonist, if we don’t live on remote farms in the Korean wilderness then we have to look to Okja’s western characters for their stances on ethical and sustainable food consumption. And here's where the message gets complicated because all the western characters - whether pro or anti meat - are portrayed as flawed and questionable. First I want to consider the Mirando corporation characters, who are largely perceived as the villains of the film, though I'd say Lucy is probably more representative of the average westerner than any other US-based character. Does Lucy really care about creating a new livestock industry that is kinder to the animals and leaves a minimal carbon footprint? Or does Lucy only care because she knows that in a progressive western society these things make for a better company image? Like Lucy, the progressive westerner would like to say they are animal lovers and they care about the environment but most also want to eat meat that "tastes fucking good". Lucy promotes herself as a savior to the hunger crisis and she greenwashes Mirando’s very tarnished corporate reputation. But her primary motivation is to make herself and her customers look good, rather than really doing good. As soon as the ALF exposes the “little white lies” behind her super pig campaign and she faces bad press, Lucy just gives up on her supposed humanitarian mission and surrenders the company.

Another Mirando stooge who surrenders themselves to the company's corruption is Dr Johnny Wilcox, a character who I actually had some pity for. I don't think Dr Johnny would have become a qualified veterinarian and zoologist if he hadn't genuinely cared about animals at some point in his life. I can believe that Johnny loved animals as a child and he does seem sincerely awed and emotional the first time he meets Okja. I also felt there was a real despair in Dr Johnny ranting - "I shouldn't even be here!" while he is drunkenly abusing Okja in the squalid  Mirando laboratory. For ten years Dr Johnny himself has been the "prize pig" of the Mirando corporation and during that decade I imagine he has been party of a lot of animal mistreatment. But Dr Johnny has stuck with the company because he craves fame above all else and as a has-been celebrity Mirando is likely only real option that he has for continuing with his media career. Johnny's alcoholism could just be put down to his bitterness over his fading stardom and that after so long as the face of the company he is being “put out to pasture” too. But I think it is more interesting to view him as a former animal lover who's been driven mad by his complicity in animal abuse. Johnny seems sadistic in his torment of Okja but I sense that Johnny is lashing out, rather like Okja herself lashes out after being mated in the Mirando labs. Johnny offering Okja his bottle and telling her that the booze will "make her feel better" suggests to me that his alcoholism is the only thing Dr Johnny has to make himself feel better too.

The main character who embraces the meat industry’s cruelty without qualm his Nancy Mirando. The capitalist mindset that Nancy represents isn't evil so much as it is pragmatically amoral. Nancy is not sadistically motivated by wanting to murder a young girl's beloved pet pig. Nancy doesn’t care whether Mija’s pet lives or dies. She only cares about making a profit and when it comes to pig farming she reasons that she can “only sell the dead ones”. So when Mija offers Nancy gold in trade for keeping her pig alive, Nancy is perfectly happy to accept the deal. In the end Mija can only save Okja by bargaining with Nancy’s capitalist industry on its own terms. It is significant that this is the one scene where Mija speaks English because she is speaking Nancy's language in more ways than one in this moment. Appeasing the Nancy's desire for profit is the only way Mija can win. She has to hand over further riches to an already mega-rich company that is murdering hundreds of other super pigs just like Okja. Fighting for animal welfare is largely portrayed as a hopeless cause. At the end of their mission, the ALF team have been arrested and their stunt has only succeeded in destroying Lucy's company image and not in saving the pigs from slaughter. They inflicted some economic damage, likely hurting their sales with a scandal, but as Nancy reasons even with the PR damage they can still shift their product because "if it's cheap they'll eat it". It's not hard to imagine that Nancy is right given that in the real world most western consumers are more concerned with price comparison than ethical shopping. And in the case of hungry poor people worldwide, they will just eat whatever food they can best afford. 

Unlike Mija, the ALF group’s mission against the meat industry is driven by their  ideology rather than by a personal connection to a specific animal. We are told in their character posters they are vegans and vegetarians, but I’d say that ALF leader Jay in particular represents what so many people find alienating about veganism. That to be vegan you must be a purist and you must be judgemental towards anyone who doesn't meet your high moral standards. Jay talks about his compassion for all living creatures, but in early scenes his manner is cold, formal and impersonal to those around him. Jay is always correcting his fellow ALF gang members and threatens to exile them if they say or do anything that conflicts with his version of their ideals. Jay is a perfect example of a “the left looks for traitors” mentality. After K makes an honest and reasoned confession to mis-translating Mija’s consent, Jay inflicts a beating on K even whilst telling him that he still holds him dear to his heart. Jay has clearly taught his little ALF gang to avoid hurting people during their missions, but Jay dishes out violence and a banishment on a friend maybe only to serve as a warning to the rest of his team to follow his idealism absolutely or suffer the consequences. Early on Jay shows more concern over strict adherence to ALF credo than he seems worried over one of his teammates starving themselves. Silver exhibits a dangerous extreme to ethical consumption where his ideals have led to him damaging his health for the cause. I think that is where a purist judgemental vegan mindset can lead - if you live in the western world and you are determined not to eat food that harms animals or the environment...where do you draw the line? With that mentality you will start to find even tomatoes objectionable.

Jay begins his mission with the lofty ideal of saving all the super pigs from slaughter even if it means compromising Okja's personal safety. But when this results in Okja being raped and abused, Jay finally does start showing his true heart and takes personal responsibility for saving the super pig he used for his own political ends. As Jay silently holds up his 'We love you' sign to Mija and then warns her not to look at the screen as the ALF expose Mirando’s animal torture to the world, he is trying to protect not only their lives but their emotions from further harm. There’s two more lovely moments of silent solidarity between Jay and Mija in the film; one where Mija stares at Jay removing the splinter from Okja’s hoof (as she would’ve done) and the other where Mija prevents Jay from striking Okja when the super pig is biting down on her arm. If Jay learns a lesson from Mija then I think it is that love should drive his activism, not his credo. After all, Lucy points out that the ALF’s pig-napping did little damage to Mirando but the image of one girl who loves her pig being dragged away by cops was a PR nightmare. This type of love was always there deep down in Jay. Even after his mission fails he goes with Mija all the way to the slaughterhouse just to save her pig, sacrificing his own freedom just to support her. And in the post-credits scene where Jay released from prison it is also implied that he took responsibility for the ALF’s activist crimes so his teammates could walk or at least serve shorter sentences. Jay's loyalty and self-sacrifice make me pleased that K came back to him even after his very violent expulsion. And just as Mija brings Jay back to his heart, I think it is fair to say that Jay inspires a greater idealism in Mija. Earlier on in the film, Mija only cared about her personal connection to her pet and refused ALF’s ‘greater good’ mission to attempt to save all the super pigs. But once she witnesses the horrors of the slaughterhouse, Mija is clearly devastated at having to abandon the other pigs and takes the risk of rescuing one of the piglets, which is an ALF action more so than a personal one for her. 

So after considering all the main characters viewpoints, I don't think Okja leaves you with one message, but rather three potential messages for how to respond to meat eating and factory farming from now on. First there's the response that’s represented in the Mirando characters which is simply to go along with it, accept this is how our ugly world works and keep handing over your cash to the factory farm industry. Or you could have the Mija response - have a flexitarian diet and care for the animals that you personally keep. But also if you buy something with your gold, pay for animals to live not die. Mija does this by paying for Okja, but metaphorically we can follow Mija's example by giving our money to cruelty-free products, which naturally includes vegan food. Going vegan or vegetarian isn't the simple solution to the issues raised in Okja but it is not the wrong response either. You could even follow Mija's example in a more literal way by donating to sanctuaries that rescue animals from factory farms and allow them to live out their lives in peace and safety, like Okja in the mountains. Lastly, if you watch all the way to the post credits scene, the ALF gang represents yet another possible response - that being to get involved in animal activism. Even though the ALF gang fail in their mission to save all of the super pigs, it gave me hope that they had not given up the fight and were even gaining new members. And if they are accepting former Mirando employees into their group then they aren’t being too purist and exclusive either. I loved the final beat of the ALF offering a ski-mask to the prim looking middle-aged woman on the bus. It felt like they were holding a mask out to the viewer too and saying "Wanna join?"

(If you read and liked this meta please help me out with a reblog because my hashtags aren’t working on searches for this post)

[zodiac-enthusiasts]

Virgo Personality | 22 Facts About Virgo Virgo Personality Traits  Being at the end of the summer, the Virgo sign represents the closing of one cycle and the beginning of another. In fact, in September the lights are reflected lower on the horizon, the shadows get longer and the days get shorter. This sign announces the beginning of the season of rest of nature that ends its reproductive cycle. Virgo gets into trouble if they express too much earthly energy. If it is frustrating, the Virgo can remain trapped in their notorious perfectionism. Because of the desire for security, Virgo continually worries about the job. "If they no longer needed me?" "If you were wrong?" The balance derived from the confidence that everything will be fine and that the imperfection is purely human!   Perfectionists Virgo follows ethics and value ideas. They have the persistence and want to reach the element of spiritual, mental, physical, and material life. Virgo doesn’t necessarily have to try to access the doors of perfect life instead they try to make their living as simple as possible in connection with the rest who live by their side. Virgo does not necessarily believe that they can reach a perfect life or state of living instead they practice great endurance in getting the best possible life. Also Virgo, when is about to do something he/she will have to think it over. They intend to do it right or not to do it at all.   A Critical Faculty A critical faculty is one of Virgo best trait as they can make judgments about what is wrong or right. Virgo doesn’t have to learn to develop their critical faculties as it is entirely natural to them. Many Virgos have learned from the early age to understand and develop internal filters to be able to describe how the world surrounding them works. Virgo can clearly see in the mist when others don’t. This is a great weapon to help Virgo be dominant among others because they seem to intercept information differently than others do.   Humanitarian Virgo believes that every human being should respect and love one another. Virgo tends to live a peaceful life and tries to harmonize it with the help of other people who share the same beliefs. True Virgo seeks to create a good living by planning opportunities and try to reach a high degree of understanding and eventually to realize what human being is the creation of nature.   Being Faithful Being Faithful for Virgo it means having their partner on their mind all the time especially if they are away from Virgo. Virgo treats their lover as the only love of your life for as long as they're together. Virgos make up their mind in having a faithful relationship once they are in real love. Most Virgo want to make their partners believe that they are the only true love for them. When Virgo is real love, they don’t just say it but will prove it.   Responsibility Responsibility for Virgo is a personal matter. Virgo wants to prove others they are capable of handling different tasks. Virgo is a person who can be trusted to act without needing strict supervision. All Virgo take responsibility seriously. Virgo must be liable for their own good.   Being Hygienic Being Hygienic is essential for every Virgo. All Virgos are good at creating personal hygiene habits from washing and keeping self-cleaning to domestic hygiene. Virgos will keep in control a high level of personal hygiene all the time as it will help them to increase morale and confidence while minimizing the risks of expanding imperfections elsewhere. Every Virgo clearly knows that with good personal hygiene their place in society will have a meaning.   Energetic Virgo is continuously working being useful in many ways. Being energetic is an admirable trait of their personality, and they don't tend to let it go. Most Virgos tend to follow the same daily habits, and for this, they will require lots of energy. Virgos can smartly prioritize and calculate ahead all their planned daily activities. Virgo uses this technique to minimize energy loss and strengthen their position wherever they are. This is a reason why Virgo is so dynamic because they use very little energy to accomplish many tasks.   Healing Or Helping Becoming a better person is a particular virtue by Virgos rarely found at other zodiac signs. At heart, Virgos can help others most naturally. Virgos have the spirit, energy, intelligence, and skills to help people who find themselves in stressful situations. Virgos don’t use magic, but instead, they use their inner spiritual senses to help understand people who are in need of help. This type of skill comes as Virgos see the world differently from many. Virgo is able to make a clear understanding of other's problems. Yes, Virgos as individuals feel having an inner force, but this should not be seen as a supernatural healing practice. This force is found deep in their heart.   Adaptable The need for adaptability has never been higher for Virgo. Virgos can adapt to changes in new environments better than others. Virgos are naturally adaptable to any form of changing situations more than others. The force of adaptability pushes Virgo to explore and venture beyond the limits. This explicit ability makes Virgo excellent and reliable in life. With the adaptability technique Virgos are able to overcome many difficulties.   Capability Virgos have the power and ability to do many tasks at once which for many may be challenging to do. Having the skill to do many tasks makes Virgo efficient and competent in many areas of life. In the world of financial business Virgos are seen as undefeated because they possess the power of handling difficult tasks, which others dare to take.   Competence Virgo is a competent person who is able to recognize the dangers associated with their work. Most Virgo can also resolve problems in a matter of a moment. Virgo is known to excel in many industries as a result of their competence level. Virgo's high level of competence is always on demand from many companies who want to accomplish difficult tasks.   Expertise Expertise is Virgo's specialty. Their reputations in many fields make them unique and are always in demand. Virgos have an intense experience through different practice and education in many areas. Their extensive knowledge or ability is based on research, experience, or a specific profession. Virgos are able to set goals, organize priorities and get rid of distraction to be able to optimize their objectives.   Habitual Activity Without regular activities, Virgo may seem lost and may get lazy. Being able to create consistent habits to follow different activities seems to be their preferred method to accomplish many tasks. Virgos follow a form of automatic and routine behavior which they repeat it over and over again. Virgo seems to make things simpler because of routine activities. It is normal for Virgos to do something by habit, and not to continually reason with individuality about what is the best thing to do.   Loyalty Loyalty is in Virgos top list must have. Virgos are loyal, reliable and always honest with everyone they know. Without loyalty, Virgos personality will be lost because they see loyalty as the mean to separate friends from foes. Virgos will show their dark side if they learn that someone is abusing their loyalty or who are not loyal to them. Virgos will not forgive disloyal people and will always place them on the blacklist.   Self-Discipline Virgo doesn’t like to be told what to do since they have conspicuously great self-discipline, and probably the best in the zodiac. Virgos will send out the message that they have what it takes to get the job done. This is explicitly noted by their employers who value their excellent work spirit and the efforts Virgos put into work.   Hidden Sexiness Virgo is one of the sexiest of the zodiac. Intelligent Virgos are always ready for challenging conversations in the hottest way possible. Virgos know how to eye contact and how to set the mood. They pinpoint the target and start communicating without ever having to speak a word. Virgo is able to establish a sensual tide between potential partners. The secret of being sexy, it seems, to be as simple as merely being themselves.   Being Sexy The secret of being sexy, it seems, may be as simple as just being yourself. Scientists believe that far from making us more attractive, any small changes that we make to our appearance can actually make us seem less appealing. This is because they confuse the brain of the beholder, who subconsciously spots that something isn’t quite right – so walking in a way that seems out of step with your body shape could easily backfire.   Hard Working Hard working is just typical behavior for Virgos. They use different techniques to make sure they don’t get tired so they can continue working longer than anyone else. For this, Virgo will get awarded which is their primary purpose at the end of the day. Virgos know that working hard will get them they have mapped to be so they will do whatever is possible to get the bosses attention.   Not Really Lazy Laziness is not part of Virgo personality. But on the contrary, when work is done then Virgo doesn't think too long having a deserved break. Virgo loves doing nothing once they have finished all their daily tasks. Once they have accomplished all of their daily tasks. Virgo works hard, so laziness is just a way to recover the energy lost for the next day.   Shyness Being shy is typical of Virgo. Shyness to Virgo can mean feeling uncomfortable, nervous, embarrassed, humble, or insecure. Virgos sometimes notice their physical sensations like turning red or feeling silent for a while. Virgo faces moments of shyness when they are confronted with unordinary situations or when meeting new people. This is an area where Virgos try to improve, but their natural character makes it difficult for them to change. Either way, Virgos don’t feel too intimidated by touching shy, so they let it flow naturally.   Remarkable Communicator Virgos know very well that without a decent communication skill they may get nowhere, so they always try to be on top of it. Virgos can see that communication can be the best method to get higher on the ladder of life, so Virgos always tends to improve their communication skills.   Innovative Thinker Virgo never seems to lose touch with their innovative abilities, so Virgos believes that creative and innovative thinking is the best part of their character which must be used more than often. It seems that they are born with the power of thought and being creative. However, Virgos are highly innovative and are continuously in progress questioning and double checking themselves and everything around them.

[dachosmin]

Nonconathon Letter

Dearest writer! Ten thousand blessings upon you and your house for writing for me! I adore all of these pairings and kinks and am pretty much guaranteed to love whatever you write. That said, I’ve provided a scenario or two to help you brainstorm, but if you get a different idea from the tags feel free to go for it!

In terms of general notes, I really like porn-as-character-study, and love when the emotional beats in porn are tied into the characters’ pre-existing issues and hangups.

Additionally, I would prefer non-downer endings. It doesn’t need to be super happy! It can be; I do love reading about noncon aftermaths, replete with rescues and and hurt comfort and affirmations and all that. But it’s fine if the fic ends with the victim still in peril, licking their wounds. As long as there’s some spark of hope, and it doesn’t end with the equivalent of “and then character A resigned themselves to a slow and painful death.”

General Yes Wants: bondage, begging, crying, drugs/alcohol, orgasm denial, dirty talk (forced or otherwise), verbal humiliation, tentacles, desk!sex, wall!sex, choking, forced arousal, whipping, boot!kink, hair-pulling, guilt/shame, knifeplay, hurt/comfort, misunderstandings, pining.

General Do Not Wants: victim death, mindbreak, stockholm syndrome, permanent injury, hand/eye/teeth injury, public sex, underage, scat, bestiality.

Requests

Dresden Files

Lord Raith noncons Harry and Thomas, Lord Raith noncons Thomas

We know Lord Raith has slept with/fed on his children in the past in order to assert dominance over them. I’m fine with a younger, more innocent Thomas being subjected to this for the first time- perhaps rebellious and needing to be subdued by his father’s sex magic, or perhaps still reeling and horrified in the aftermath of his first kill. Or! Lord Raith calling in Thomas when he’s older in order to prove he’s still loyal, and Thomas has to go along with it in order to keep his dad from suspecting he’s not as docile as he appears. I imagine Lord Raith is very very powerful, and more than capable of turning Thomas on against his will. Does he completely overpower Thomas? Or toy with him and use just enough magic that Thomas can’t tell how much of this is his own attraction and how much is the vampire drugs.

And then if Harry’s in the mix the possibilities get even better. I have no idea how Harry gets into this mess- perhaps it’s an undercover thing gone wrong, and Lord Raith isn’t sure who he is? Perhaps Lord Raith has Harry kidnapped and brought to his bed specifically to hurt Thomas, who answers his father’s summons only to find Harry, drugged to the gills on vampire sex pheromones! And Harry isn’t really sure what’s going on but is so trusting of Thomas that he’s willing to follow his lead. And Thomas is frantically trying to act like Harry means nothing to him and is just another toy to feed on, and does his best to shield him from the worst of his father’s hunger while unable to refrain from feeding on him himself. All of the angst and shame and guilt, please!

Dresden Files

Nicodemus Archleone noncons Michael Carpenter

I would strongly prefer Michael “consent” to the sex- obviously it isn’t true consent, as he’d never actually want it, but I would like him to choose this instead of being dragged into it kicking or screaming. As for how that might happen- do the Fallen have one of the swords that they’re willing to trade for him? Or have they captured Harry/Molly/etc? Is he trying to save some other innocent? Maybe they’ve caught Michael and say they’ll let him go if he acts as a willing participant in a night of pleasure. Either way, I imagine he envisions this as another kind of battle, and he’s never backed away from fighting before.

It’s up to you how Nicodemus responds. He hates and fears Michael- maybe he wants to make the rape brutal and torture-y, see how much he can degrade Michael, how far he can push him before Michael cries or begs him to stop. Or maybe he takes a completely different approach? Maybe he wants to corrupt Michael, not break him? So he seeks to make it the most sinfully pleasurable sex Michael has ever had, tries to get Michael to enjoy it as much as possible and then shame him for giving into his lust.

Either way, there’s potential for lots of “what would your family and friends think to see you now?” type stuff, plus blasphemy (misuse of religious symbols! Stringing Michael up on a cross! Mockingly quoting scripture!) and mocking Michael for being all about love and forgiveness etc etc.

No matter how dark it gets, please have Michael uncorrupted at the end- even if he gives in and begs or cries and has his faith shaken during the rape itself, please follow it with some hint of self-forgiveness and faith in the aftermath, even if it doesn’t come immediately.

Rogue One

OMC noncons Cassian Andor

This request is 100% based on the fact that Cassian Andor suffers beautifully and is a delightful little ball of angst and guilt.

As for scenarios, there are so many options! Is Cassian ordered to seduce imperial operatives or go undercover as a prostitute? Perhaps some of his clients have darker tastes than he had planned for and he gets drugged/whipped/gangbanged etc. Or perhaps they realize he’s a rebel and they want to have a bit of fun with him before handing him over to Imperial Intelligence? Or perhaps Imperial Intelligence is interrogating him, and when traditional torture doesn’t work the interrogator decides to try out some slightly unorthodox methods? And even if they can’t get anything out of him, they take videos and pictures of him getting raped and begging and crying and then send it to the rebels as a way to break morale. Or maybe it’s the rebels that are nonconning him- an undercover mission where he’s posing as an Imperial and can’t break cover to tell them he’s on the same side as them? Or Rebel Intelligence testing him to see how well he can stand up to torture?

The Goblin Emperor

Eshevis Tethimar noncons Csevet Aisava

A classic for a reason! I would prefer this one to happen during the canon period rather than during Csevet’s courier days. As for the scenario… perhaps Csevet sneaks out to a marnis bar to take care of his, ah, needs, and happens upon Tethimar? And Tethimar is crooning all this poison in his ear about how he’ll tell everyone Csevet is a marnis whore if Csevet doesn’t service him. And even if Maia doesn’t care society will, and there will be all sorts of rumors about the emperor employing a marnis secretary, nod wink. Or perhaps he dispenses with the blackmail and just pulls Csevet into an alley, and Csevet is too drunk on metheglin to effectively fight back. Or any scenario where Csevet offers himself up to Tethimar to protect Maia is excellent too.

OMC noncons Deret Beshelar

Deret has such developed senses of duty and honor, I’d love to see a scenario where the two clash. He has a duty to protect Maia; what happens when he has to sacrifice himself in a way Elvish society deems most dishonorable in order to fulfill said duty? As for how this might come about… I don’t know, maybe the emperor is traveling and they’re waylaid by bandits? Airship pirates? Enemy soldiers? And Beshelar convinces them to rape him instead of Maia, since Maia is all fragile and no fun in bed but Beshelar! Beshelar is a proper soldier that can show them a good time (desperate Beshelar is a terrible liar). However it happens, I imagine the rapist would take great delight in chipping away at Beshelar’s rigid self-control. And hopefully Maia or Cala can comfort him a bit afterwards.

OMC noncons Deret Beshelar and Cala Athmaza

So, like the above but with Cala in the mix. I could see this being very interesting in terms of Beshelar’s honor™. Beshelar is canonically willing to sacrifice himself for Maia- it’s his job after all. But what happens when he has to watch Cala make the same sacrifice? What happens when he can’t save both of them? Would he shut down, or do everything in his power to take the brunt of the abuse? And Cala! How would Cala react to Beshelar’s astronomical levels of guilt and shame? How would he handle the rape itself?

Eshevis Tethimar noncons Cala Athmaza

Unlike the other pairings I have no preconceived notions of how this would play out, but I’m really, really curious to know what you think would happen!

The Hobbit

Thorin noncons Legolas, Thorin noncons Legolas and Thranduil, Thorin noncons Thranduil, Thranduil noncons Fili and Kili, Thranduil noncons Fili/Kili/Thorin, Thranduil noncons Kili,  Thranduil noncons Thorin

These pairings are all based on the semi-obsessive mutual hate between Thranduil and Thorin, and the idea that both of them would absolutely go after the other’s loved ones to get what they want.

Scenarios where Thranduil is the aggressor could take place while the dwarves are imprisoned in Mirkwood, or in a canon-divergent aftermath of the BoFA where Thorin/Fili/Kili all live. If set in Mirkwood, perhaps Thranduil offers the dwarves their freedom- for a price? Or maybe post-canon the two realms get into another war that the elves win, and Thranduil takes Thorin and his nephews as his personal slaves?

If Thranduil is nonconning Thorin, I’d love him reveling in Thorin’s unwilling submission. Ordering Thorin around, making him enjoy it despite himself, grinding all the dwarven pride underneath his heel- YES! Or if he’s nonconning Kili and/or Fili, doing it in a way that highlights how impotent Thorin is to help them- making him watch, drugging them in front of him, taking them somewhere where Thorin can hear the noises echoing off the rock walls of his cell? And if it’s all three of them, forcing Thorin to fuck them and making him enjoy it? Basically anything that ends with Thorin enraged and turned on despite himself would be most welcome.

As for instances where Thorin is the aggressor, I imagine his actions stem from his hatred of Thranduil’s treatment of his people and also his desire to see cracks in the elven-king’s perfect mask- either through raping Thranduil himself or taking apart his beloved only child and making Thranduil beg him to stop. Again, the latter would be great if either done in front of Thranduil or where he can hear the effects. Or make them perform together for Thorin’s amusement!

Mulan

Shan Yu noncons Shang

Perhaps Shan Yu captures Shang while he’s couriering messages to his father on behalf of the army. Shan Yu interrogates him, which turns into noncon, and after Shang breaks down and gives up whatever information he’s carrying, Shan Yu sends him on to his father with semen trickling down his armor.

Or perhaps the war ends with a treaty, and one of the conditions is that Shang is given to Shan Yu as a concubine? And Shang complies with the treaty even though he’s absolutely horrified: he’ll do his duty, even if it means lying back and thinking of China in the bed of his enemy. Does Shan Yu like playing with his prey? Does it amuse him to make Shang enjoy his captivity despite himself? Or is he vengeful in bed, wanting to punish Shang for the avalanche incident? Or perhaps China is overrun by the Huns and Shang ends up as Shan-Yu’s slave rather than an honored concubine. I would love Shan Yu coming across Shang on the battlefield or in the ruins of the capitol with fighting that turns into rape to claim him as his slave.

Whatever route you go, feel free to dwell on Shang’s horror that he’s submitting to the man that killed his father and/or so many of his countrymen.

Teen Titans

Slade noncons Robin

So in the show, Slade blackmails Robin into becoming his apprentice. In his own words, “If you join me, if you swear to serve me, if you never speak to your friends again I will allow them to live. But if you disobey even the smallest request I will annihilate them, Robin- and I will make you watch. So, do we have a deal?”

So: this scenario- but with noncon!

Perhaps Slade wants to test the limits of Robin’s loyalty to see how far he’ll go. So Slade asks Robin to do all sorts of things in that cool, dispassionate voice and Robin grits his teeth and does as he’s told at first, because he knows his friends will die as he doesn’t. Of course Robin can’t help but mouth off, and then Slade has to punish him. Or maybe it’s punishment from the start; Robin chafes at being ordered around even when it’s fairly innocuous. Maybe he snaps at Slade one too many times and Slade has to put him in his place.

I would love if Slade is publicly possessive with Robin- beyond just making him wear his uniform perhaps there’s a collar involved, and Slade insists on lots of touching and PDA when they’re in public. Especially if he makes Robin pretend this is all consensual to the Titans- he chose to go to the dark side and is likewise choosing to be in a relationship with Slade. Maybe Slade records Robin pretending to enjoy sex as blackmail material and sends it to the Titans- or Batman.

Whatever you end up doing, lots of focus on Robin’s impotent rage at the situation plus his horror and guilt and shame at actually enjoying the things Slade is making him do.

Captive Prince

Damen and Nikandros noncon Laurent and Auguste, Damen noncons Laurent and Auguste

I’d prefer these pairings to take place in an AU where Laurent and Auguste are Damen’s slaves- perhaps Auguste was captured at Arles and Laurent was sent over as tribute later, perhaps Akielos conquered Vere and giving up the two princes as slaves was part of the peace treaty.

As for how the rape itself goes down, perhaps Damen (+ Nikandros) force the brothers to play together out of vindictiveness, having had friends that died in the war at Veretian hands. Or perhaps they’re just having fun with their two loveliest slaves and don’t give the incest part much thought. I’m all for collars/leashes in public, recreational drugging, and Laurent and Auguste tripping over themselves to protect each other- to the amusement of Damen (+Nikandros).

[theliterateape]

Humpty Dumpty Fell Off the Wall and Now Lives As a Paraplegic

By Don Hall

Neutral. Uncommitted. Unbiased. Undecided.

What beige-like descriptors.

The people who embrace and justify the squatting shuffle of the fence-sitter are those who want to stay friends with both parties of a divorce with no regard for the reason behind it, they wait until the election is pretty much decided before casting their vote, they watch their friend make sexually and racially offensive slurs and turn a blind eye, they wait and choose to not make a choice when it matters.

"After patriots tore down the statue of King George III in New York City on July 9, 1776, they melted parts of it down and made bullets to use against the British.

It is impossible to know the exact number of American colonists who favored or opposed independence.

For years it was widely believed that one third favored the Revolution, one third opposed it, and one third were undecided. This stems from an estimate made by John Adams in his personal writings in 1815.

Historians have since concluded that Adams was referring to American attitudes toward the French Revolution, not ours. The current thought is that about 20 percent of the colonists were Loyalists — those whose remained loyal to England and King George. Another small group in terms of percentage were the dedicated patriots, for whom there was no alternative but independence.

Often overlooked are the fence-sitters who made up the largest group."

SOURCE

They are often overlooked because their contribution was zero. Nada. Nothing but making it more difficult for the nation-to-be to move forward (or backward.) Fence-sitting is understandable, though. Generally not of the neutral or even-handed sort, I have experienced my own bouts of indecision in the guise of diplomacy and I’m almost always regretful of those moments.

I regret my refusal to wholeheartedly endorse Al Gore when he ran for president. If more of us had rallied more aggressively in his favor rather than sitting on the sidelines explaining that he was wooden and uninspiring, we might not have had eight fucking years of Bush Jr. or the longest war in American history. Kinda makes one re-think all the criticism and indecision of Ms. Clinton, don't it?

I regret continuing to remain a close friend with a former band director who I knew was an adscititious gay-hater, ignoring his barbs and homoragic jokes until I found out he regularly donated to organizations that were designed specifically to curtail gay rights. Only then did I make the decision to severe ties with him. Too little, too late.

I watched Lydia Lucio brand a friend and mentor in her nascent storytelling days a racist and a sexist and go after him with a ferocity that seemed unnecessary and vindictive, and I sat on the fence. I refused to choose sides because I was a friend to both. Certainly a chunk of my motivation for casually straddling the wall between them was arrogance but whatever the rationale, a year later I paid for that non-choice as she viciously turned the same tactics on me, going a step further to enlist others to the cause.

When I see white people in a Starbucks or a Waffle House or on the street watching police use abusive physical force on black people instead of stepping in, I see fence-sitters. Refusing to choose out of fear of retribution or apathy (or white supremacy — don't wanna forget that…)

Each time a kid who commits suicide (and apparently they are doing this in record numbers since the advent of social media and the pocket sized super computer) because of online bullying, there were teachers and parents and other kids who watched the click-baity fun and said nothing, did nothing. Same with the white guy shooters. Fucking fence-sitters.

That voter, holding out his support, thinking that his one vote will shift the tide rather than the tide being a whole motherfucking bunch of votes and money and time? The rails of that fence are dead center up his bunghole. The appearance of a spine is really just the fence post propping him up.

Certainly, throwing one’s allegiance to a cause without thinking it through is stupid.

Think it through. Observe the behavior. Weigh the consequences.

Then make a fucking choice.

Social media makes fence-sitting easier. Understanding that being a Faceborg friend or a Twitter-follower is not at all the same as being an authentic friend or genuine follower makes it an uncomplicated non-choice to see shitty behavior from one “friend” to another and ignore the implications. Remain connected with both because, hey, it isn’t your fight, right?

I wrote a piece for the Ape back in January of 2017 entitled The Company You Keep Defines Who You Are: 

"Certainly, we each are our own person. Certainly, we are not so influenced by the people around us as to be so blatantly a composite of them. But just as certain is the fact that those with whom we spend the most of our time shape who we become.

Women who spend a lot of time together often begin to menstruate on the same cycle. We pick up smoking, petty theft, language, dress, prejudice, ideology much in the same way. Creatures born to inhabit tribes, it is our natural instinct to adopt the patterns of the herd. It's one of the reasons that the Internet can so easily allow us to form mobs that fail to thoroughly read or reason before rendering a perceived enemy to reputable shreds."

I once had a longtime friend ask me why we didn’t hang out anymore. At first I didn’t really have an answer, and the old salt of “growing apart” came to mind. Later it hit me. She was still close friends with my ex-wife who, after sleeping with another friend, went on a semi-public campaign of reasons why we divorced that included a litany of how terrible I was but failed to mention her infidelity. My friend decided that her behavior was fine (it wasn’t, after all, about her and I probably deserved the cuckoldry) and rode that fence.

An insidious side effect of social media is that, while in the world of flesh and bone I can craftily avoid those weaselly fuckers whom I find noxious and hateful, with the many fence-sitters on that Friends list, I am constantly surprised by things that remind me of them. The ease of not choosing online, of remaining detached and out of the line of fire, creates webs of connectivity with people whom we no longer want to be connected.

(Christ. As I'm typing this, I see a notification from a good friend espousing a special comedy project illustrated by said ex-wife's husband who has gone out of his way to shitmouth me online! Good holy cocknabbing GAWD, I'm truly learning to detest social media!)

"With the ubiquity of online social network sites and the substantial amount of time being spent on them, important questions have arisen regarding the effect of online social interactions on well-being.

Results from some studies have suggested that social media use might increase the risk of mental health problems and might compromise well-being more generally. Use of social media may detract from face-to-face relationships, reduce investment in meaningful activities, increase sedentary behavior by encouraging more screen time, lead to Internet addiction, and erode self-esteem through unfavorable social comparisons."

SOURCE

I have made the argument that social media is just a tool and it is the user of that tool who decides how to use it. Given the growing tendency of accidentally stumbling upon the tantrum-throwing, polemic-spreading, bullying fuckfaces of the world and increasingly feeling the desire to get a baseball bat, wrap it in barbed wire, throw on my motorcycle jacket and "save" a few people, it's time to change the landscape some. I've spent too much time learning to manage my temper (in the Inside Out version of my brain, I have two emotions: Rage and Joy. They are identical twins and finish each other's sentences) to let the fence-sitters in my feed inadvertently open doorways to unreasoning hatred.

I no longer unfriend. The term has too many unintended meanings. I simply block you out. Understanding that a Faceborg friendship is not the same thing as an actual friendship, if you are my friend, I'll see you around. If you suddenly find that you can no longer see my online presence, that's what happened. Most people won't even notice which means I'm starting to do this right.

I can no longer sit on the fence when it comes to FB. I'd rather enjoy my day, use this tool to appreciate those around me and ignore those who can't make a choice. 

Think it through. Observe the behavior. Weigh the consequences.

Then make a fucking choice.