#both do give a great sense of how impossible it is to create a new show

[delicatesquashblossom]

42nd Street and The Band Wagon great double-feature!

[qqueenofhades]

https://www.tumblr.com/qqueenofhades/742700762243727361/you-can-tell-you-work-in-academia-with-how-much

Hi, sorry, Asshole Anon here (I’m not giving myself that nickname to lash out, I’m saying it because I was an ass)

To clarify: I mean “I don’t know what to trust anymore” in that “people whom I normally respect and would otherwise agree with are now sharing material that I find either morally indefensible or overtly simplistic, and at the same time people on the ground in Gaza are saying that Hamas IS a liberation organization, so I trust their word, but there is also the existence of the “We Want To Live” protests, and the fact that there’s now apparently a protest against a child that got killed that isn’t widely reported, with an attached video of said protest from somebody on the ground in Gaza, but it’s in Arabic, there are no subtitles, I cannot speak Arabic, and I don’t trust Google Translate”

I just want an objective sense of what is happening on the ground. I want to know what is and is not propaganda, because I (white, raised in a liberal(?) household, surrounded by white people) am especially susceptible to it. Once I have that objective sense of what the people in Gaza want, then I will be able to effectively and efficiently advocate for shit. But that also necessitates listening to orgs like Standing Together, B’Tselem, people IN Israel who want this shit to stop, and hoo BOY that ain’t gonna fly with those people I mentioned because of:

1. BDS saying that the org “normalizes the occupation”, but they’re made up of Palestinian activists and anti-apartheid veterans, I can’t discount their statement, not fully.

2. Netenyahu’s… Netenyahu

3. Twitter’s doing a great job of asserting that everyone in Israel is a — quoting directly here from a half-remembered Tweet — “genocidal maniac”, or wants the bombardment to happen. (Which I know for a fact is not the case, if the protests calling for a new election are anything to go by)

That’s not even getting into the domestic stuff. I’m in an org rn and I’m getting the sinking feeling that they’re gonna drop this thing like a hot potato when a ceasefire gets called. Just sucks.

Anyways, back to improvement. Just closing this out

I agree that we're currently in a paradoxical state where there is simultaneously ALL THE INFORMATION EVER and ACTUALLY NO INFORMATION AT ALL, and that's what makes it difficult to sort out true from false. It's also what contributes to compassion fatigue, where we are able to get extensive real-time information and/or eyewitness accounts about pretty much any tragedy or catastrophe anywhere in the world, and social media has created a space where we are expected to both immediately react to all that information and to do so in the "right" and "correct" way. Which is basically impossible, and is also what burns out young well-meaning people so hard, where they insist that there's nothing to be done except The Revolution, because they have been so inundated with this torrent of human suffering and it seems like small steps are in fact useless. I am a historian and I can tell you upfront that humans are simply not made to process that volume of information about ALL THE BAD THINGS EVERYWHERE. It's also impossible to have an informed opinion on all or sometimes any of it, but there is still the pressure to visibly do so and to do it in a way that fits in with what everyone in your peer group is saying, even if you don't understand it. So yes -- that is absolutely very difficult, and it's hard to filter or parse it.

That said, I don't think we actually need to have painstaking piece-by-piece analysis of every single piece of information out there, because there are in fact so many competing narratives, perspectives, fake news, disinformation campaigns, opinions, etc., and it will lead you to the same information paralysis: there's just too much of it to even start processing, and so your brain just gives up and reverts to those same simplistic cliches and things that "feel" right, regardless of whether or not they are. When you're trying to decide on the fine details of something, it helps to have an overall sense of the context and narrative that they're operating in. So for reference, these are some broad and basic analytic paradigms that I personally use when reading or thinking about any material in regard to the Israel/Hamas situation in particular:

No person of basic good faith and human decency wants the current situation in Gaza to be happening. However, the person/group that has the power to call it off -- i.e. Netanyahu and the current Israeli government -- has not done so despite increasing pressure from Western allies, because the situation is beneficial to Bibi personally and he sees more use in continuing it than making the decision for it to stop.

The governments of Western allies, therefore, can voice disapproval of Israel's actions (which they have been doing more and more frequently) but unless Netanyahu himself makes the choice to end the war, it will not stop. The West has recently given more and more signals that they are not prepared to countenance the ongoing destruction and genocide of Gaza, but yet again, Israel is its own sovereign country with its own powerful government, military, intelligence services, etc. The "anti-imperialists" who think the collective West can just reach in and turn off the violence whenever they please, and have just refused to do so because they're "bad people," are not being realistic. Western allies can exert pressure and leverage, but as long as Netanyahu himself wants to keep going, he will.

"People in Gaza" and "people in Israel" are not homogeneous blocs who think exactly alike. Some people in Gaza support Hamas. Some people do not. Hamas support has recently grown as a result of Israel's post-October 7 response, but it is not unanimous or unquestioned.

Hamas is the entity that started the current war by attacking Israel on October 7 and murdering/raping/kidnapping 1,000+ Israeli civilians. Hamas is also associated with Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, and other terrorist regimes/states, which are often defended by Online Leftists simply for being "anti-Western," regardless of how heinous their actions also are.

Netanyahu was wildly unpopular in Israel for MONTHS before this current war, due to his autocratic attempts to neutralize the Israeli Supreme Court and make the country even more of his personal fiefdom. There were huge, massive, ongoing protests against his naked power-grab for almost all of 2023, and he was so preoccupied with pushing it through that he ignored warnings from the Israeli and Egyptian intelligence services that Hamas was planning a major attack. These anti-Netanyahu demonstrations have continued and ramped up in intensity even in the middle of the war/attacks on Gaza.

As such, painting every single Israeli as mindlessly supporting the current actions of Netanyahu and the Israeli government is antisemitic nonsense and reflect the current Western Leftist tendency to assume that "all Israelis" and "all Zionists (read Jews)" are evil and personally responsible for this.

Israeli Jews have a right to exist and to reside on the land currently called Israel. Modern Israel was founded in 1948, three years after the end of WWII and the Holocaust, the greatest incidence of antisemitic mass murder in history, which is a fact that cannot be ignored and which western leftists eagerly calling for its total eradication and treating it as an illegitimate "white western settler colony" nonetheless do in fact repeatedly ignore.

This is why many Jews do not feel safe in other countries, because there has literally been thousands of years of history proving that they often aren't, and which the rabidly antisemitic response to the current conflict is doing nothing to dissuade.

Jews have had a presence in the land alternately called Palestine, Israel, the Holy Land, Judah, etc., for over 2,000 years, and their entire religion and history is founded around the exile from Jerusalem. That is the history that the current state of Israel is drawing on. It does not vanish just because it is inconvenient for western leftists to acknowledge.

Israel currently has a militant far-right government (after tending toward rightist/right wing domestic politics more generally, partially due to post-Holocaust trauma) that has deliberately erased, ignored, and violated the equally valid claims of Palestine and Palestinian people to that same land, and which is currently committing full-scale genocide against them.

Palestine and Palestinian/Muslim people have the same right to exist on that land as Israel and Israeli/Jewish people (and Christian people, and none-of-the-three people). They both have equally long and historically relevant claims to this land and one of them (in an ideal world, which we do not live in) should not be artificially prized over the other.

However, this land is some of the most bitterly and violently contested in the entire world, for the last two thousand years and counting, and there is no one good guy, simplistic answer, or quick way to stop it. The three Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) have fought bitterly over Jerusalem and its associated territories for a cool few millennia, and human nature being what it is, there is no way for one person, group, organization, government, etc to just step in and make it stop.

The Western/American leftist response to the current conflict has often made absolutely no attempt to take into account any of this troubled and complex history, and has reduced the whole thing down to whichever antisemitic and/or anti-Democratic Party soundbites will get them the most traction on social media. This often rests on whitewashing any moral responsibility belonging to Hamas and defending them no matter what, labeling all Israeli Jews as "evil genocide supporters," and assuming that if Biden wanted to magically shapeshift into Netanyahu and give the order to make it stop, he would, but he's "just not doing it," ergo something something Trump Would Totally Be Better!

These people also often call themselves "anti-imperialist" while thinking/demanding that America swoop in and play Big Global Policeman Daddy (as it indeed has often done in the past) and spank all its naughty children (but if it actually did do this, etc etc it would be evil). Biden could very much do more and has not necessarily done enough, but he has also done more than any other American president in history to shift away from unconditional unquestioning support of Israel only, and to advocate for a Palestinian state, a lasting ceasefire, and other basic precepts of Palestinian self-determination and dignity of personhood. These two things can be true at the same time.

I don't necessarily expect everyone to agree with every single fine detail of these statements, but I do expect them to at least make a basic effort to let all of these facts to inform their response, and not just the ones that they most agree with and which most fit their ideology or preferred conclusion. So that's one way to approach the situation, even if we obviously can't wring every single drop of meaning out of every single competing piece of information or evidence, because there is just too much of it. When we have a broader understanding of the space that we are operating in and the precepts that are factually true, we are able to make better judgments about who is trustworthy, who is worth listening to, what message they are pushing, and whether it corresponds with reality.

Good luck. I'm sure you'll continue to think about this and take the steps that you feel are best. It is all any of us can do.

[lotus02lavish]

Kinda worried that u didn't get my request cuz I got a notif Abt it and it was soon deleted I think, I'll just send it here again lmao Ivor and how he acts around his crush in case you didn't get it hh

[ Hello, hello! I apologize that your previous ask is suddenly disappearing after an error 😭 ]

➳ Minecraft Story Mode (MCSM) // Ivor Season 1 (Adventure Pass) and 2 (Ninja!) // Headcanons // Romantic! ✍🏻

{A Whole New World With You and Me}

《 Crush! Ivor x Gn! Reader 》

*ੈ✩‧₊˚︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶ ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡ ˚₊꒷˚︶ɞ₊˚︶︶꒷꒦˚⊹๑‧₊ ᘏ ︶꒷︶₊·*ੈ✩‧₊˚ ︶

"Long live my Lava House! Long live lava!"

Weirdly, Ivor acts shy, nervous, becomes the softest bitch, as well more excited than he usually feels when his crush is near him. Although Jesse had given him the tips to stay cool and not be entirely himself, this eccentric man is Impossible to avoid having those manners.

"My friend, Jesse. I have a crush on someone. HOW DO I GET RID OF IT?"

"Do you mean by stop liking this person or make that fellow go away permanently?"

"Yes." 😃

In the event that you are not around him, Ivor speaks of how stunning and magnificent you are to Jesse and over again until he is out of breath to explain.

There are three choices available for Jesse to interrupt Ivor so he stays quiet and would not continue ranting forever and ever:

1.꒱ Teasing him that he has a crush on you =

"Awww, Ivor. Just admit it, you have a crush on [Name]! You really like them."

"Shut up! I don't know what you're talking about. And What do you mean I have a crush on [NAME]?! That's nonsense!"

2.꒱ Encourage him confessed his love to you =

"C'mon, Ivor! I know you can say to [Name] that you love them very much. After all, you've also explained a long paragraph about [Name] for hours."

Ivor sighed, "I don't want [Name] and I feeling uncomfortable with each other."

3.꒱ Make him feel panic when you are around =

Jesse called out your name, "IVOR HAS A CRUSH ON YOU!"

"NO, JESSE, WAIT! OOOOH, NOOOOOOOOOO-"

It is obvious to understand that Ivor is a man who will never admit his feelings to anyone and still be caring. Despite a million butterflies flying inside Ivor while wondering if all of the romance matter seeing you makes sense to him, he is getting closer to obtaining despair by free any day now.

No matter what you need help from Ivor, he sincerely helps you with no complaints. Let me do it for u 🎹 Didn't I do it for u? For instance: Teaching you how to create potions, showing the proper and perfect tutorials to build a lava house and bridge, etc other important lessons. Both of you are literally lab partners in crime. >:3

If anyone mocks or belittles you, Ivor will defend you and use his words to repay those mean bullies sadistically. Their reactions are gasping or crying. This is his natural weapon of pride to use as a poet.

【 "There will come a poet Whose weapon is His word He will slay you with His tongue Oh lei, oh lai, oh, Lord." 】

When you need to get the stories out of your mind and chest about what happened (gossip, trauma, and normal chit-chat), Ivor does not mind hearing you out and giving sassy or sarcastic yet wise advises.

"Ivor, you're the only one who understands me."

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean I care."

You have the ability to reduce Ivor's grumpiness and keep him calm, preventing him from continuing to yell even louder at everyone he sees.

Ivor does not ever stop his goofy behavior since he knows it makes you laugh and smile to cure your sadness.

If you ever catch Ivor in bridal style to prevent him from falling to the solid ground and you told this crazy man that his weight is light as a feather, he will giggle uncontrollably to himself like a schoolgirl.

From that moment forward, Ivor finds plenty of excuses in a dramatic way that he tells you to hold him in your arms again:

↳ "Oh, I don't race so much anymore. Bad, heh, bad knees. Sweet [Name], could you save me and take me to that faraway place, pretty please!"

↳ "Oh great, a run for my life. Just what I was hoping for! Not that I completely need [Name] to carry me from this life-and-death situation."

Ivor feels very embarrassed when you see him not wearing his 'adventuring' clothes.

"Don't look at me with those eyes!" Thereafter, his friends (Bombastic & Criminal offensive) side-eyed him and let him know with a visible sign that his words bothered you. "What I meant to say was," Ivor clears his throat as he twirls his hair, "are you staring at me because my outfit breathes wonderfully?"

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ ︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶ ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡ ˚₊꒷˚︶ɞ₊˚︶︶꒷꒦˚⊹๑‧₊ ᘏ ︶꒷︶₊·*ੈ✩‧₊˚

"I’m a ninja now. You’d be surprised just how deadly I can be."

【[《{(꒰< Warning topic: Yandere behavior! >꒱)}》]】

Ivor has a hobby of sending you daily poems, words of admiration, your favorite flower(s), love letters, and stories about how he's been doing lately at your doorstep or mailbox without writing his name. However, the lapis lazuli inside the mail is a hint, giving away his secret identity easily and without a doubt.

Master Shadow has taught Ivor to focus and clear his mind on doing endless housework for the rest of his time as a ninja in training and not get distracted by thinking about you every day and night.

Ivor thought his 'crush' phase had finally faded elsewhere. Except for the moment you hug him tightly and say, out of the blue: "I miss seeing you each day so dearly, beloved dork." Yep, you shoot the Ninja with the bang-bang to the heart once again, causing his head to explode into red color.

In the past, Ivor used to gaze for a long time at you when you were not looking and refused to admit he was smiling at you, which he turned away and blushed. At present, Ivor is caught 4k staring at you with a helpless smile that puts him in a trance. He does not deny it this time. <3

These days, Ivor habitually keeps his distance from you and plays hard to get, the suggestion by Petra that he should give it a try to keep in ninja (mysterious and quiet) character for gaining more attention from you. Afterward, the masked hero does not continue to act like that anymore when he realizes you are confused and guilty.

"I hope you can forgive me if I did and say something that hurt your feelings."

"It's nothing you should worry about, really! This is supposed to be my responsibility to offer an apology to you. I was not at my best self."

The deadly intrusive thoughts in Ivor's head submit to reality, and jealousy strikes the best of him when he spots someone else having a crush, flirting, or even hurting you; he is calling dibs and keeping the inventory first to himself when the corpse is *POOF*!

If you want Ivor to train with you and make him fight like a man, he is reconsidering sparring so as to not hurt you in the process.

Sometimes, Ivor is creepy in the fact he spies/stalks on you to keep you safe and sound. The Ninja often uses the long-lasting potion of invisibility while casually walking or running beside you. At the time you notice him and ask: "Why, when, what, and how are you here?", he informs you: "Like I don't have anything better to do than spying on you. Wait, I actually don't. 😳 SMOKE BOMB!" Then, he fails miserably to disappear from out of your sight, "You didn't hear anything from me. Got it? I'm not here anymore."

One fateful day, Ivor is no longer a ninja, and before it is too late, Ivor will finally have the courage to communicate with you and he reveal his secret: that he thinks of you as more than just a friend in terms romantic feelings, also inviting you to go on random adventures with him and help him in his efforts to mend the divide among his old friends.

.ೃ࿐˚ ༘♡ ·˚₊˚ˑ༄ Bonus Scenarios ₊ˑ༄ ˚ ༘♡ ·˚.ೃ࿐:

For real that Lukas would write fanfiction about Ivor as a TSUNDERE and YANDERE man, and you are his beloved senpai. This blond boy's work of the story is classified and never will be read aloud to the public.

Lukas wins the bet that Ivor in the end confessing his love to you and you accept his feelings; Petra owes the Ocelot boy four iron.

Petra does not know what is the reason you also love someone like Ivor, of all the single individuals than can be chosen in the world? You definitely have a weird taste in people.

"Because he makes me laugh." You replied.

The warrior rolled her eyes and groaned, "No kidding, and sure, that's what all of them who like Ivor would say." 😒

"Okay, you got me there. 😔🎹 But, that is not a crime."

*ੈ✩‧˚ ︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶ ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡ ˚₊꒷˚︶ɞ₊˚︶︶꒷꒦˚⊹๑‧₊ ᘏ ︶꒷︶₊·*ੈ✩‧₊˚ ︶

despair - leo.

"I've lost my cool, I'm not sure how to act

Not even sure how I can keep my pride intact

Well, I don't know if this is it, but can't you see?

No, I'm not falling for you, so please have mercy on me."

[organizeworkers]

Union Domino Effect Reaches New Jersey Bookstore

There was this desire to demand respect from our employers and see our work recognized as the labor that it is.”

One day in the summer of 2022, without announcement, explanation, or fanfare, a new notice appeared on the wall of the breakroom of Labyrinth Books in Princeton, New Jersey. Employees recognized it as the brand new union contract of Politics and Prose, D.C.’s first unionized bookstore, and it lit a fire.

“That was the initial call to action for all of us. After that a small group of people got together and started talking seriously about organizing,” recalls Sarah Kempf, one of Labyrinth Books’ organizers. They started by identifying their co-workers’ common complaints. “In this particular area of New Jersey, it’s just not a livable wage, and it’s a job that’s designed to be a long-term bookselling career.”

Though adequate pay was front of mind for Sarah and many of her coworkers, the notice on the wall sparked a drive within Labyrinth’s workers for a more intangible gain: the dignity they were owed. “Everything had been simmering under the surface for a while… There was this desire to demand respect from our employers and see our work recognized as the labor that it is.”

From grievances to action

The employee Discord server, already used as a space for workers to air their grievances, soon had a thread reserved for union discussion. The bar down the street had cheap drinks and lots of room, a perfect spot for organizers to commiserate with workers fresh off a difficult shift. Sarah remembers the invaluable solidarity built in these discussion zones. “You could stay there for an hour or however long you wanted but we would just sit around and talk. It was a great way to build community, to get people comfortable with colleagues that they don’t see or work with as much during the day. This played a huge role in our organizing. We created spaces both digitally and in person where people could come together and find community among their fellow workers.”

One of the organizers reached out to a contact at EWOC, and Sarah and other future members of the Labyrinth Books organizing committee (OC) wasted no time in attending trainings. “EWOC helped us set the foundation for the organizing committee,” Sarah says. “All of us who were on the OC did the EWOC foundational training together… It was a great way to see how other organizing campaigns were going, to get inspiration, to get questions answered. It was great to have a network of support from all around the country from people who were doing the same thing that we were.”

They contacted the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) not long afterwards. “We knew that we wanted the support of a larger union … when we reached out to them, they were very excited because they had just been organizing the Rutgers Barnes & Noble… They were great in giving us the training that we needed and preparing us for anything we might face in the battle,” Sarah recalls. “RWDSU really wanted to ensure that as many people were inoculated and prepared as they could possibly be and it really paid off for us.”

Community support — and a major win

“Turnover was the most difficult challenge that we dealt with,” Sarah says. Like many other retail enterprises in college towns, Labyrinth’s workforce was constantly shifting, posing a serious threat to organizing attempts. The union effort nearly dissolved at one point after a large number of staff quit, but Sarah and her colleagues persevered.

“It was very demoralizing at first. It felt almost impossible to pick up the pieces after so many people had left,” she says. “What we learned was just how important it is to build a sense of community, to be the colleagues who are there for the new people, to be the first face that they see so they feel comfortable coming to us with their problems… Forming the union gave people a reason to stick around.”

When it was finally time for the campaign to go public, organizers found themselves buoyed by the power of Princeton’s community. This support came most immediately in the form of advice from Princeton faculty and graduate students, but Sarah thinks it had the remarkable effect of pressuring the store’s owners to voluntarily recognize the union as well.

January 9 saw the publishing of a press release declaring the owners’ intention “to use this organizing moment as an occasion to listen to everyone, make positive changes, and form a united Labyrinth that can do all the work we do better together.” Sarah attributes this surprising development to their community organizing efforts: “I think a lot of that had to do with the community support and how much they saw that the workers so overwhelmingly supported the union and how many people from the outside supported it as well… The community has really rallied behind us.”

The single act of pasting another union’s contract to the wall of the breakroom, carried out unprompted by an individual worker who left the bookstore shortly thereafter, set off an incredible wave of community-building that connected the booksellers at Labyrinth Books with Princeton community members, union organizers across the country, and most importantly each other. Through tenacity, resilience, and the enduring power of solidarity, this plucky group of Princeton organizers has secured for their colleagues all of the benefits afforded a unionized workplace. 

Want to improve your workplace? Contact an EWOC organizer now!

[augustheart]

DC Pride 2023 Tribute to Rachel Pollack

This is a transcription of the text that appears at the end of DC Pride, written by a variety of authors in memory of trailblazing writer Rachel Pollack. I've done my best to copy everything exactly as it was written, and I apologize for any errors. It's over 3,000 words, so I'm going to put it under a cut outside of the foreword. The rest of the tributes are in plain text and not italicized except in places where they were by the original authors.

(If you would like a PDF of the following transcription, one is available here.)

“On April 7, 2023, the legendary writer and Tarot expert Rachel Pollack passed at age 77. Her work for DC's Vertigo imprint—including the celebrated Vertigo Tarot deck and a long run on Doom Patrol that was a deep influence on the property's recent HBO Max series—was profoundly meaningful for generations of comics fans. She was a trailblazing trans woman in comics and sci-fi communities that were frequently male-dominated, and her lifelong love of both superheroes in particular and the comics medium in general allowed her to confidently turn their storytelling tropes inside out, truly queering her comics in every sense of the word.

In the months before her passing, the editors of DC Pride were speaking to Rachel about writing a new story for this very issue, and her enthusiasm for the project was boundless, as she planned to return to her themes of the superhero and the secret identity, of the "kink" of costumes, and of the revelatory freedom that she found in these characters. Unfortunately, just as work was set to begin on the script, completing it became impossible for her. In the absence of that last great work, but with gratitude for the incredible stories she did give us, we've opted to turn the pages we reserved for Rachel's story over to her friends, and to the fans whose lives she changed, to share their memories of her.”

—Unspecified Author or Editor

“I met Rachel Pollack in 1985, at a convention, where I was interviewing her about Salvador Dali’s Tarot, and then I met her again a couple of days later at the Milford Science Fiction Writers’ Conference, and we became friends fast. She was smart and funny, she was a brilliant writer, and she was the first person I’d met who knew more than I did about obscure Jewish mythology.

She told me off for writing a line of dialogue. ‘But that’s the only thing in the whole story that’s actually true,’ I told her, and she explained that art truth and reality truth were two very different things. And I knew she was right.

I don’t know how much I learned about writing, but listening to Rachel and Gwyneth Jones and John Clute and Lisa Tuttle and the rest of them, I learned so much about reading, and what I learned would change me as a writer.

Rachel was my friend. I had never met a person who had transitioned before and I had so many questions and, patiently, she answered all of them. She decided I needed to know Roz Kaveney, and Roz and I have been friends for decades now.

In 1988 I was writing Books of Magic and knew I needed a Tarot reading in the comic. Rachel was in London, and I asked her what the reading should be. She took me out to buy a Tarot deck that spoke to me, and I saw what happened when Rachel Pollack walked into a Tarot shop. It was a little like what happened when The Beatles went on Ed Sullivan. And then she gave me a beautiful reading of four cards, which encapsulated the whole of the story I was trying to tell.

She won the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1989 for Unquenchable Fire, and I read it and suspected Rachel was creating her own school of fiction, her own brand of magical realism.

We argued, gently, about Wanda’s fate in A Game of You, and Rachel did what I wish everyone who had an argument about art would do, which is she took what she wanted to say and put it into a comic. Tom Peyer had asked her to write Doom Patrol after Grant Morrison left, and she did a remarkable job. I loved the delirious joy of her comics, the magic and the sense of fun, in Doom Patrol and in the comics that followed Doom Patrol.

I was thrilled to see Rachel when I moved to Upstate New York, and then I didn’t see her for years. I did that thing where you think you’re in touch with your friend, but really you’re just on social media at the same times. I was stuck out of the country during COVID, and Rachel had cancer. I was thrilled when I returned to hear that she had beaten the cancer, and then I was going to see her and she hadn’t beaten the cancer. A whole new cancer had turned up on the day she had beaten the first one.

I got to see Rachel more in the past few months than I had in the previous few years. She was as funny as ever, as sharp and as wise. I got to know her wife, Zoe, and to appreciate their love. I got to tell her bad Jewish jokes that, I suspect, I’d probably first heard from her. ‘Everywhere I went, people said ‘Look at the schmuck on the camel!’’ Some people die well—not necessarily bravely, necessarily, but gently and wisely and kind. Rachel was going to be one of those. She asked me to come to her funeral, and I said that I would.

Her funeral, several months later, was in the sunshine. It was filled with friends of hers from comics, from fiction, from Tarot, from writing, from teaching, from family, from the world, and Rachel lay above the grave on a wooden plank, wrapped in white winding sheet. We said true things about her, and we were funny and honest and there was so much love, and then we shoveled the earth on her, and cried, and said our goodbyes.

I’ve never met anyone like her. I’m glad she was my friend.”

—Neil Gaiman

“Rachel Pollack and I had the same favorite comic book—why, Doom Patrol, of course—and for a while she was its writer and I was its editor. She followed Grant Morrison, whose name was big and growing even then, and for years it seemed like Grant’s era might totally eclipse hers in memory. But DC released her Doom Patrol omnibus in 2022, and in the process unwrapped the radiation-proof bandages from her work, exposing the piercing and radiant appreciation that so many fans felt for it. On top of that, this year Dennis Culver and Chris Burnham, the creators of the excellent Unstoppable Doom Patrol, paid a moving in-story tribute to Rachel’s cast of broken-but-healing heroes.

I’m glad she got to see the omnibus, and I’m grateful for the chance it gave us to relive her perceptive, ironic, unsettling, and revelatory run. It was known for being strange and surreal, but there was so much more going on. Doom Patrol had been weird before, and funny, but never quite as wise or kindly meant.

A story that I always think of when I think of Rachel featured yours truly. At the end of my time as an editor—I had decided I wanted to write full-time—I called the creators I worked with to let them know I was leaving. Most of them, quite understandably, reacted with some implied variation of ‘What’s going to happen to me?’ It made me start to think I was being horrible and selfish. But when I called Rachel and nervously told her what I had decided, there was a silence, and then she said, ‘Quitting is good for the soul.’”

—Tom Peyer

“I met Rachel Pollack in the late ‘90s at WisCon, the feminist science fiction convention where we were both guests. It was the first day of the con, and they were introducing all the guests. I had read Rachel’s Doom Patrol comics and at least one of her books, Unquenchable Fire, and was excited about meeting her. She must have felt the same about me, because when the introductions were over, we headed straight toward each other as though we’d been magnetized, and we became friends immediately.

We lived on opposite sides of the continent, so we didn’t get to see each other that often, but thank the Goddess for email. I visited Rachel’s house once and she visited mine once. Her house was nicer. She took me to visit Hyde Park, Franklin Roosevelt’s old home, now a historic site—we were both FDR fans—and I taught her a Yiddish World War II song. We were both into our Jewishness, but from different angles. Rachel was interested in the mystic side, and I was into Yiddishkeit. Rachel had a bat mitzvah, and I studied Yiddish.

Rachel and I discovered we had the same birthday—August 17, which we shared with Mae West and Davy Crockett. So we sent each other birthday cards that also included happy birthday wishes to Mae and Davy.

I knew Rachel had written many books on the Tarot, so when one day I found a complete set of Tarot cards lying in the street, I decided the Goddess wanted her to have them, and I sent them to her on our birthday. After that, the Goddess would put out Tarot cards for me to find almost every year, often just in time for Rachel’s birthday presents. In return, she sent two Tarot cards that she had drawn for me when I was being treated for cancer. (I’m cancer free now!) I saved them and put them away safely—somewhere.

Last year a neighbor who was a collector of stuff died and left his collections to us, his neighbors, to take for free. Among all the stuff in his stuff-filled rooms was an unopened set of Tarot cards. Shortly after I found the cards, my Romani neighbors who lived around the corner put a book on Tarot out on the street, so I took that for Rachel. I mailed the book and cards to Rachel for our birthday.

For the first time, I got no answering card. I didn’t know that Rachel’s lymphoma had come back.

And somehow, it all got away from me.

Periodically, I would think, ‘Phone her—must phone Rachel,’ but something would come up and I’d forget to phone, or it would be too late to phone because of the time difference between New York and California. Damn it!

I miss you, Rachel. In our next lives, I’ll try to be a better friend.”

—Trina Robbins

“I first met Rachel Pollack when I was the assistant editor on The Sandman and she was the new Doom Patrol monthly writer. I shared an office with Tom Peyer, who was Rachel’s editor, and when Rachel swept in like a redheaded bohemian priestess, I always wound up putting aside my own work so I could chat a bit with Rachel as well. She had the rare gift of wielding her considerable expertise about comics and mythology in a way that made the person talking to her feel smarter.

After I left DC Comics to write full-time, I moved to Rhinebeck and discovered that Rachel lived there, too. We formed a small writing group that met once a week, usually in my kitchen. Always as kind as she was insightful, Rachel spent more time celebrating what worked than critiquing what didn’t. She did a lot of celebrating, of others’ writing and of her own, delighting in the words and worlds that moved through her.

She was, pre-pandemic, a frequent guest at my Passover Seder, the only person besides myself and my mother who knew all the Hebrew and all the traditional melodies. Her vast knowledge of midrash and Kabbalah made her comments more delicious than the charoset she made, and let me tell you, that was pretty damn good. 

In October, when she started to get really sick and I started to visit more frequently, often with Neil Gaiman, Rachel defied any expectation of how a dying person ought to act. She cracked Borscht Belt jokes and talked about writing and writers, and then I went with her wife, Zoe, to pick out a grave. We discussed the Tarot, which I had belatedly begun to study along with her seminal book on the subject, Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom. I asked, ‘What does it mean when you get an auspicious card in a place that means it’s negative?’ ‘It means that’s what you’re struggling with,’ she replied.

I am struggling with this turn of the cards. I cannot fully fathom that she will not be sitting at our favorite local café, writing, but ready to put down her antique fountain when she sees me. Yet when I turn back to her writing, I feel her still with me: Doom Patrol Rachel, Writing Partner Rachel, Rachel of the Passover Seder, Rachel Poet, Rachel Priestess, Rachel Friend.”

—Alisa Kwitney

“Rachel Pollack loved comics.

When we first talked about comics, it was about her own. Eight years ago I asked Martha Thomases if the Doom Patrol run after Grant’s was worth checking out, as I hadn’t heard much talk of it. She said ‘Yes. Read it.’ I adored the run and reached out to Rachel via email to let her know. To my surprise, I heard back from her within 20 minutes.

Over time we talked about the comics and creators that she loved. Carl Barks and the Duck comics, particularly the characters of Huey, Dewey, and Louie, meant a great deal to her. Little Lulu was high on her list. And The Fox and the Crow inspired a whole arc of her Doom Patrol run. The works of Jack Kirby (particularly on Fantastic Four and the Fourth World saga), Steve Ditko, and Gene Colan were brought up often, as were series including Xambi and Promethea, which she revisited often. She had even reached out to Marvel back in the early ‘70s inquiring about writing opportunities, two decades before writing at DC. 

Rachel saw the inherent queerness in superhero comics back in the Silver Age. One example she would reference was “The Town That Hated Superboy!” from 1967’s Superboy #139. In it, the citizens of Smallville turn against Superboy for nearly two pages. What stood out to Rachel was how Ma and Pa Kent pretended to hate Superboy out of fear that if they didn’t, those around them might suspect that Superboy was really their adoptive son, Clark. Though taking this sequence and relating it to an idea as heavy as the violent consequences of inadvertently outing someone by simply treating them with kindness was unlikely Otto Binder’s intention, the subtext was picked up on by many queer comics readers at the time in addition to Rachel.

Through the years I got to have a greater understanding of Rachel’s unbelievable kindness as well. She saw the world as a positive place and held out hope for just about everyone. Rachel discussed how attitudes with London’s Gay Liberation Front turned against the trans community in the ‘70s, but she would also talk about how some of the same people came back around and were vocal advocates for trans rights by the ‘90s. Whereas most, understandably, would allow themselves to be bitter and resentful, Rachel’s capacity for love and compassion was too strong for that.

I was devastated knowing just how many projects Rachel had in the works and how many stories she still had to tell. But after taking time to think on it, I know that no matter how long she stayed here with us, her work would never be done. Her stories will continue through those who love her and those who haven’t found her yet but will love her just the same. 

I love talking about Rachel’s work and her kindness. I plan on doing so for the rest of my life.”

—Joe Corallo

“‘It’s so cool that you created the first trans superhero,’ a very nice person told me recently. Writing feels like stuffing a message in a bottle and lobbing it out into the open sea, so to meet someone who had caught one of my bottles and read what was inside was extremely exciting. Unfortunately, I am a nerd first and a lover of accolades second, so I had to correct them. 

Galaxy, the character I created, is not the first out trans superhero in the DC Universe. Kate Godwin, created by Rachel Pollack 30 years ago, is. Kate is important, but more than that, she’s important to me. 

I was a teenager 30 years ago. That’s also important.

There’s a lot of talk of firsts in superhero comics, most of it meaningless. Dick Grayson absolutely deserves the ‘Sensational Character Find of 1940’ label trumpeted on the cover of his first appearance, Detective Comics #38, but you don’t need to read it, even as a die-hard Robin fan.

You can’t say that about Doom Patrol #70, the first appearance of Kate Godwin. That issue changes everything. That issue changes lives. Because Kate, a kind and funny woman, with an amusing power set and questionable taste in superhero outfits, who is beautifully, unapologetically trans—Kate is the viewpoint character.

Imagine the power of that. Holding up a trans woman—a lesbian trans woman, at that!—and saying ‘This, this is who you, the reader, should identify with.’ To have a trans woman be smart and pretty and likable, and not an object of scorn or pity, or a side character. She was the hero! I can tell you from experience, that is a tough sell now.

Reading that comic in the 1990s felt like a lightning bolt from heaven.

It was too powerful for my teenage self to handle. It was radioactive, and yet I would read my copy ragged to bask in its glow. I can call up its panels from memory. When I finally began my transition, many years later, I wore a lot of black tank tops and jeans, unconsciously aping Kate’s unofficial uniform. I didn’t put it together until recently, rereading those 30-year-old stories that I had imprinted upon like a baby bird. Early on, I wasn’t sure of the kind of woman I was, but clearly I knew the kind of woman I wanted people to see. Someone like Kate Godwin.

I never got the chance to meet Rachel Pollack and tell her how I had received her message in a bottle. How I had held it close to my heart until I finally found the strength to absorb its message. How she showed me I wasn’t alone, and I could be a hero, even if that just meant saving myself.

But I hear people say those words to me, having read about Galaxy. Which will have to do.

Thank you for being first, Rachel.”

—Jadzia Axelrod

[icarusbetide]

back on my bullshit y'all. implausible historical scenario: southern alexander hamilton (pt 1: lavien & laurens version)

Part 2: Washington's son dramatic-ass version

my favorite hobby is shoving historical figures into impossible scenarios so i can get them to do what i want. once again made up some convoluted series of events just to create a hamilton wildly out of character- god forbid, a southerner who might even get along with thomas jefferson. here's the first implausible scenario that make it possible.

Alexander goes to live with his half brother Peter Lavien.

Peter Lavien was the legitimate child of Rachel Hamilton’s first marriage. He moved to Beaufort, South Carolina in 1764 at eighteen and became a prominent merchant and member of the church. However, he returned to St. Croix in 1769 to settle his mother’s estate, aka get everything that she had wanted to go to James Jr. and Alexander. In 1769, the two boys were taken in by their cousin Peter Lytton (who died), and then Lytton’s father, who also died a month later. Probable that this happened after Lavien had once again left St. Croix, but let’s just imagine that he for some reason takes pity on the boys - and takes them with him. Nothing makes sense here, roll with it.

It would be even sadder and morbidly funny if he only took Alexander. I say this because in his 1778 last Will and Testament Lavien left “Alexander Hamilton and his brother Robert Hamilton” a fairly substantial amount of money. One brother must’ve left a greater impression on him and maybe poor James Jr. hears this half brother who took his inheritance say “Alex and Robert can come with me” and goes “Who tf is Robert, fuck this” and peaces out. 

Now, politically: Extrapolating since I’m not sure how prominent “prominent merchant” is, but maybe this means that Alex has the chance to meet prominent southerners early on, who like many others, are charmed by his energy and precocity. Does this mean he has more affection and allegiance for South Carolina than he did in real life for St. Croix? Does his politics and economic experience change? Assuming that like Washington, wartime experience is enough to make him a nationalist and he still had some experience at Cruger’s (and maybe helping Lavien) and thus does not have differing economic beliefs, his enemies would lose out on a major attack: perceived bias to the North. His connection to the Schuyler family would still serve, but maybe without as much weight, since he has those southern connections. 

I love the idea of a South Carolinian Alexander Hamilton who grows up in a fairly secure American home with a steady guardian. The personal implications! The family drama of being forced to rely on a half brother who resents you for taking his mom, and who you resent back for taking your inheritance! Does this give him more issues, less issues? No idea! Even worse, Lavien was apparently a Tory, so there’s that. Two brothers who perhaps got closer over the years, split apart again by political differences. “I take pity on a bastard brat and you repay me with this?” type shit. Lavien moved out to Georgia in 1777, and apparently died in 1780 or 1781 which means Hamilton would’ve been a prominent aide de camp to the commander in chief, and potentially married into a great New York family when it happens. How would he react to that?

And I can’t give up the idea of Colonel Alexander Hamilton of South Carolina meeting John Laurens of South Carolina. Maybe I push it further and say they meet early on and become childhood friends, even.

This is really stretching it but idc, they get to be childhood friends and Hamilton gains the favor of Henry Laurens. Maybe they even go to Europe together, wreak havoc on everything, and then disobey both Laurens' worried father and Alexander's Tory brother to join the army as aide de camps.

Maybe in this universe, Hamilton is chosen to go to South Carolina instead of John Laurens and their fates are switched. Maybe Henry Laurens who still wants to keep his kid out of danger asks Hamilton to go in his stead and pushes Washington about it, and Hamilton, wanting a command, readily agrees. Maybe that continues on after Yorktown, when Hamilton returns to South Carolina. Maybe Laurens has to learn that Hamilton died in a skirmish through a letter from his father and vows to continue on their shared dreams and Hamilton's plans, becoming the influential but even more abrasive leader of the federalist party. i want to see the switch, where it's the more idealistic laurens who isn't a good politician either (the two of them are a disaster) enters the public arena to be slandered and corrupted - laurens who is isolated from his fellow southerners and who seems to be mourning someone constantly and washington knowing exactly who it is. a laurens who looks back and yearns for a promising, brilliant young man who could've done so much more if he only had the chance WAIT WHO SAID THAT-

[animehouse-moe]

Dandadan Volume 7: Moe! Moe! Tri-Beam!

Yukinobu Tatsu really does have such a winning formula with Dandadan. Every twist and turn is incredibly interesting, and their narrative work plays right into the palm of their artistic talent. Volume 7 is an outstanding example of that thanks to how little fighting exists within the volume.

This volume is really all about Momo and Okarun- though like previously slower paced segments- mostly Okarun. And it works really well (unsurprisingly). Okarun takes center stage but it's through other characters.

He's able to stand front and center because of his relationship with Momo, or the second fiddle he believes himself to play to Jiji, or whatever else. Ultimately though, our eyes always gravitate to the depressed speed demon.

Though, Tatsu does do a pretty good job of ensuring that readers are forced to look elsewhere, what with things like a heavy metal exorcist band or a group of classical musician ghosts with impossibly large heads.

It's really great work, and perfectly represents the impressive synergy of Tatsu's written and visual work. Story blends effortlessly with the absurd visual identity of the story, and that happens both with the extreme and the mundane.

The easiest example of the simple work is Tatsu's incredible character blocking. Their awareness of depth and motion within panels is incredible, and it gives so many of the sequences an impressive amount of life.

Tatsu is able to create an impeccable flow that takes even the simple things like Okarun taking Jiji to the bathroom into a fun and interesting sequence.

Though, this has largely focused on Tatsu's visual work, but the narrative capabilities of Dandadan really aren't anything to scoff at. Tatsu's able to perfectly grasp the sort of nondescript and fearful approach teens take to relationships- both in terms of new developments as well as breakdowns.

On the plus side for example, we see Okarun and Momo's relationship grow a considerable degree as they look for the same thing in one another, but neither has the confidence to take the next step. They silently creep forward, hoping to not incur the wrath of a label upon their bond- and I think it's really fun to read. There's plenty of uncertainty and awkwardness with the pair, but their passion and feelings still come through quite clear.

On the flip side, we have Okarun and Jiji, a pair that's had a... tense, friendship so far. Okarun has mostly gotten past his struggles of inadequacy with Jiji, but they ultimately still linger- evidenced by his reaction to the Evil Eye laying hands directly on Momo. It's nothing so serious, but ultimately represents the challenges of that sort of relationship.

Jiji feels isolated and regretful for what he did, but he can't find the words for either Momo or Okarun. Similarly, Okarun understands that he's overreacted, but he can't quite bring himself to face Jiji (and by extension the Evil Eye) just yet.

In a sense, Yukinobu Tatsu has come a very long way from the beginnings of Dandadan, it's just been a path with very little relation to their visual work.

Tatsu set themselves apart with the ridiculous nature of their work (much like their previous employer Tatsuki Fujimoto did with Chainsaw Man), but has been steadily proving that they have far more to offer than that.

The series remains as crazy as ever, but having confidence in the foundation of Dandadan, Tatsu has been exploring more and more of the sincerity and depth at the core of this work, and it's made for some great reading as of late.

[contrappostoes]

Hello Mx. Bara! So, I desperately need some topping advice! My bf and I are starting to get into pegging and honestly, it's been nothing but insanely awkward. I'm so disappointed, I was looking forward to it and it's felt impossible to get in the zone and feel like I'm connected to him (and to myself). I want to keep trying but I don't know how to proceed. Any tips? 😣

Heya! Thanks for giving some additional context, all that info is really helpful! 🫶

First, I just want to say that I totally understand where you're coming from, it's a new role you are trying to lean into and that's not usually an easy thing! You're probably simultaneously feeling pressure to satisfy him, to get your own pleasure out of it, and to maintain those feelings of intimacy and connection without the same physical sensation you get from using your own equipment. It's a lot to be processing in the moment when you are new to it and are also having to concentrate on getting the physical mechanics of pegging down.

I definitely didn't always used to find it was an activity that I got a lot of enjoyment out of, and I often felt a bit guilty for not liking it as much as I wanted to - I had definitely built it up in my mind as this thing that would automatically make me feel super connected to my partner, and that wasn't my experience at all. I wish I could tell you that it just comes with practice! That's a part of it, but it also requires a shift in mentality and expectations around what getting pleasure from topping is going to look like for you.

First let's address the big one - lack of physical sensation. It makes everything a little more difficult! You have less control over the motion of the toy, you aren't able to get much tactile feedback from your partner's muscles, and the physical pleasure you're getting out penetrating him is limited. It can really be strange and disorienting to feel that disconnected from your partner while doing something so intimate with them.

My biggest tip for creating that connection would be to explore your partner's body in a way that allows you to create sense memories of what it's like to get really intimate with that part of his body. You don't have a cock, but you have fingers, lips, a tongue, and a nose, and they're all packed with nerve endings. So much of the enjoyment we get out of sex is psychological...you probably have memories of the way your partner feels, tastes, smells, etc. that work together to create your desire for him, at least on a subconscious level. For me, the best thing about topping is when I can transpose those pleasurable sense memories onto the experience I'm having using the strap-on. As I guide the toy in, I remember how my partner's heat and the flex of their muscles feels around my fingers, and the act paired with that memory is both a physical and mental turn on. It's a conscious thing at the start that hopefully becomes more automatic as you get more practiced with it.

If direct sensation helps you feel more connected, you can do other things like slip a bullet vibe into your harness, attach a grinder to the base of the dildo, or wear a plug while you fuck him. The later is a great option if you're a fan of penetration + pressure. This is my go-to because it makes me really feel each thrust internally, it lets me feel a more pleasure in my entire pelvic region and enhances the feeling that this pleasure is directly linked to the act of me fucking them.

You also mentioned that the presence of a dick you can't feel but that's attached to you is something that's taking you out of your body. I'd suggest 1) playing with changing your harness/toy/position setup, 2) asking for vocal and enthusiastic feedback if you're not getting it already, and 3) potentially shifting your mentality around what it means to be wearing a strap on. Re: #1, I've heard some cis women say that they find it disorienting to wear one that looks like an actual cock, and they have a much better experience with something less realistic. Some prefer a more minimal harness setup to maximize the skin-to-skin contact. Try positions that allow for more touch/eye contact if you haven't already.

Re: #2, your partner should understand that you will get a lot of pleasure out of knowing that he's enjoying it, and that it's on him to express that enjoyment to you! A lot of straight guys don't realize that women want to hear them be vocal during sex lol, make sure he knows not just that you want it, but that you need it to feel connected to him and enjoy yourself.

Re: #3, it also might help to think of it less as a thing you're attaching to yourself to act as "your dick" and more as just a toy/tool that you're using in a particular way. You don't have to act as though it's a part of your body if you don't want to, it's not necessary to have fun or get a lot of satisfaction out of it! Personally, it helps me a lot to focus on what else my body is doing for the interaction - providing pressure, warmth, friction, and different sensations depending on the type of hip movements I'm making. The toy is just a small part of that. You're the one wearing it, so try to avoid tricking yourself into thinking that it's wearing you!

Finally, a big part of exploring what's going to make this pleasurable for you on an emotional level is identifying what you want out of topping...how do you want to feel, how do you want him to feel? Who do you want to be? (I'm focusing on you here deliberately, but of course make sure that he's on board too, it's just as important for him to know and be clear on what he wants and needs)

Personally, I think that we have many sexual selves within us, and there are some dynamics that we only might tap into when we lean into certain roles or are with certain people. You didn't specify in your asks, but I even if you're not into dom/sub stuff, I think there's still a lot to be learned from that world about what it can mean and look like to work together to get what you both want out of new sex acts. Maybe you want to be dominant, maybe you want the thrill of having him take charge from underneath you, maybe you want it rough or sensual or lazy or frenzied. Maybe you want to create a space where he submits to you entirely, where he's defiant and bratty, or where he feels compelled to clip on top, embrace, and act out his wildness or femininity. Broadly speaking, I find that I get the most out of it when I lean into a masculine gender & sexual headspace and my focus is on doing what will make my partner feel uninhibited and gorgeous and act on it (we love a confident bottom here). These are just examples, you don't have to overthink it, but knowing what you want can help keep you in the headspace you need to be in to let pleasure lead you instead of nervousness.

Beyond that, practice, play, have fun! Remember that people born with dicks also aren't automatically skilled at using them in a way that feels mutually pleasurable and intimate lol, you'll gain more confidence through plenty of experience and communication. Make sure he's giving you plenty of feedback, it's just as important that he's engaged in the process of creating a positive experience.

I hope this helps a little bit! Take care and have fun! 🍑

[bbygirl-aemond]

i want to write an hotd fanfic so bad… i’m watching the early GOT show too as well to try and wrap my head around the lore but i fear that my fic will still be very amateur and show that i don’t really have that big of a grasp on the lore and worldbuilding and language around me.. can you give any advice onto how to tackle this? any specific ways i should research or how to remember every little thing to make the story as accurate and correct as possible?

hi and welcome! don't worry, i have been through this exact process within this fandom haha. i was the queen of sparknoting my way through my lit classes in college when i didn't have other time, so i think i've kind of perfected the art of making it seem like you've deeply read something, even if you haven't.

let me give my usual disclaimer that i don't recommend reading fanfic to get a sense of characters or worldbuilding in a new fandom. that's because to a fresh eye, it's impossible to tell what is the author's invention/headcanon (which may be incorrect/ooc) and what is actual canon. fanfic writing should be about indulging yourself and your creativity, not about trying to cater to the most popular opinions even if you don't agree with them. so i really do recommend sticking to canon as much as possible, and being very deliberate about where and when you use fanon as a reference.

i create a tumblr blog for every fandom that i'm planning to write in to serve as a repository for my research and notes. this blog is unusual in that i forgot to make it private and then had too much fun engaging with y'all to go back. but my first posts were all specifically for stormbreak purposes. if you're nervous about putting things out there, you can password-lock your blog, so you're the only one with access. being able to sort with tags for characters, houses, etc. will be super helpful. another good idea is to take notes in google drive, since you can also search for things there and use the outline feature to navigate. the goal is to have one or two places where you compile all of your work that are easily navigable.

a really good starting place for research is this particular asoiaf wiki. i do not recommend any of the others, especially the ones based on individual shows, because those often do not include details that are in the books. i genuinely cannot tell you how many hours i've spent on this wiki. start your research here- look for dates, places, events, houses, relationships, appearances, etc.

meta analysis is also a really good idea to gain knowledge. tumblr or reddit are the places to go for this. it's really important to seek out posts that are both sympathetic and unsympathetic towards characters or houses. the goal is to get a sense of the different opinions within fandom, and decide which ones make sense to you. on tumblr, you can search a term, select for text posts, and scroll until you find big walls of text. (as an aside: if you're doing this, blocking tags related to fanfiction, imagines, xreader, etc. will help streamline your search and filter out headcanons in favor of meta)

lastly, and be careful with this one since it is fanon but not canon: memes! twitter and tiktok are great for these. they're great for getting a sense of vibes, but not for actual canon facts about a character. remember, fanon can sometimes be very distant from or even contradictory with canon, so take these with a grain of salt. i do still find them useful for forming opinions about personalities, mannerisms, and attitudes of different characters.

if you want more info about how i actually planned out stormbreak, i've answered an ask about it here!

[bestworstcase]

We definitely seem to be in agreement that the brothers seem to be the final antagonists of RWBY. My real question is: How exactly can they be fought/beaten? (I’ve been hearing the theory that Salem can be handled by sending her to the tree for ascension.)

where i tend to diverge from a lot of the fandom is there’s not a single doubt in my mind that they’re all going to be on team salem in some capacity by the time of the final showdown, and thus there will be no need to ‘handle’ her because she isn’t actually interested in destruction as anything but a desperate last resort in pursuit of liberation from the gods; the conflict with her is coming down to a question of whether salem extends an olive branch before the kids collectively catch their breath long enough to question if she’s actually impossible to reason with or not. (it is hysterical to me that “salem calls a truce first” feels increasingly like a genuine possibility.)

anyway, one way or another i imagine silver eyes will be involved; they’re the big magical mystery, they obviously do not actually come from the god of light, 90/10 V9 is building towards an important revelation about them, and the intrinsic humanness of the power is in itself a repudiation of the divine perspective that humankind becomes worthless in the absence of the brother gods. something in the vein of ruby’s glare transforming them—making them humanlike if not literally human—is i think a pretty not-insignificant possibility and certainly on a thematic level it checks every important box.

the other three ideas i keep rolling around are:

one, the god of darkness created the human soul (<- knowledge) and is himself more adjacent to humanity than his brother. he also desires worship (in the reciprocal do ut des sense of the word) in contrast to light’s desire to be obeyed, and there was quite a lot of latent resentment beneath the surface even before his brother began to make unilateral(?) ultimatums of their shared creation. dark was flat out willing to come to blows with light on salem’s behalf because she allayed his loneliness, and light only managed to avert that reckoning by making salem his scapegoat. salem also intuitively understood the tactical value of putting the brothers against each other during her rebellion, even though she failed catastrophically to accomplish that; she has in the millions of years since then perfected the art of playing her opponents against each other, and ruby has also recently discovered a knack for the same. both brothers are dangerous, but if you have to gamble on one dark is the obviously safer bet; and a humans+dark vs light showdown effectively creates a deterrent (neither brother can overpower the other) which allows the conflict to be be negotiated rather than fought.

& two, the FOR version of ‘the two brothers’ raises the possibility of the brothers having been diminished by their creation of remnant. there is not a great deal of literal truth to this obviously, but on the other hand—1) what’s a god without worship? and 2) their bitterest enemy is walking around with the wellsprings of their divine power on remnant tethered to her soul, they have already failed to kill her once (dark vaporizes her along with everyone else, she visibly reconstitutes), there is a nonzero possibility that she is responsible for the resurrection of humankind, and in their absence humans have manifested new forms of magic that the gods did not give as ‘gifts.’ i… would not be surprised if the gods were either badly diminished by their absence from remnant (<- gods starving and fading into shadows of their former glory without worship to sustain them is not an uncommon idea in either fantasy fiction or real traditions) or if they returned to find their power over humanity broken by their abdication of it when they left. these humans, after all, rose out of the grave the brothers consigned them to to flourish on their own strengths; the brothers have given them nothing and are owed nothing in return, so light’s conviction that humanity is still beholden to him may simply be arrogance. or a god complex, as the cat put it.

& three, in a similar vein, i do wonder if part of the solution won’t just be as simple as saying… we want nothing from you. by the terms of the ultimatum, humanity will be condemned for making demands of the gods but rewarded with divine blessings should they redeem themselves; i cannot imagine light is prepared for humans to come together to say thanks, but no thanks, we’re fine without you and you can keep your blessings. it fulfills the terms of the ultimatum perfectly without submitting to light’s authority. i… don’t think he would know how to handle that.

[ultimateplaylistmaker]

Oh oh how about V3 Classpects?

Little known fact about me, I used to run a classpecting blog

Kokichi - Sylph of Void

Void players are secret-keepers, people who don't see a blank space, people who see potential. Void players like mystery and the unexplained, casting doubt upon what is already known, and would rather live in states of confusion then bow to an authority, Void players raze the old to create the new.

Meanwhile Sylph's are meddlers, some refer to them as healers, but I prefer meddlers, leaves more room for nuance. They meddle and prod and poke and have a tendency to believe themselves an authority on their aspect or parts related to their aspects. They can use their aspect to manipulate and change things, often under the guise of helping, even if it's really for an ulterior motive.

So a Sylph of Void can be translated to "one who meddles through the uncertain" and if that doesn't fit our lying leader to a tee I don't know what does. He constantly uses misinformation and misdirection and lack of information to meddle and confuse people, leading people to what he wants through not giving them the correct information, or any information at all. He helps but it's impossible to tell if the help is out of a desire to genuinely help or a desire to get something out of it.

Plus with the electrobombs he enables the creation of Void, by cutting out cameras and microphones, he creates pockets of places where no one can ever know what happened inside, which is a well known trait of Void players in homestuck, their presence makes surveillance tech glitch out.

Kaito - Knight of Heart

Heart players are obsessed with ones sense of self, of their image, their look, how others perceive them and how they perceive themselves. A sense of identity is VERY important to Heart players, they want to build a narrative of their own story. They tend to think others are just as into placing people into roles like 'hero' or 'villain' or 'sidekick' as they are. Heart players while a bit self obsessed are often very good at helping others with their own sense of identity and encouraging positive growth. Heart is an emotional core.

Knights are fighters, people who naturally understand their aspect and can easily use it to fight and protect those they care about. Knights are known for their masks, often pretending like everything is completely fine and they are okay while in reality having a much deeper and tumultuous inner core of doubt or insecurity. They hide their true feelings and pains to put on an image people can rally around. Knights often feel like they have some great purpose they need to sacrifice themselves for, to great inner conflict an distress, knights need to learn how to step away and let themselves have peace.

So a Knight of Heart could be translated as 'one who fights through ones self" which if that isn't Kaito Momota "im fine im definitely not coughing up blood im a hero you can use me as your reason to live" I don't know what does. Constantly fighting both villains and his own ego, Kaito wants to do good, but fails to truly grasp the nuance between villain and hero until the very end.

Ryoma - Rogue of Doom

Doom is a class of suffering, said to be fate's chosen sufferers. Doom plays go through great turmoil and misery but in turn learn a deeper sense of wisdom and empathy. A doom player isn't a healer, but a Doom player is one you can lean again, one who'll agree that the world sucks and give you a shoulder until you can move again. They take on hard burdens so others don't have to, if they even had the choice to not take it on in the first place. This isn't to say they're complacent martyrs, Doom players tend to be quite annoyed and frustrated with their lots in life.

Meanwhile Rogue's are an outlaw class, they take upon their aspect and the divide it up amongst the people around them, very much Robin Hood figures. They often struggle with dealing with their aspect, finding it overwhelming and trying to distance themselves, however once they come to terms with it, they're quite powerful and able to do immense feats of stealing from their aspect itself to better help those around you.

So a Rogue of Doom can translate to "One who steals Doom for the group" Taking destruction and death from someone and dividing that pain amongst their enemies. For instance if say someone killed a Rogue of Doom's family, a Rogue of Doom can take that Doom and then divide it up against everyone who's wronged them. As you can imagine this is a very dangerous combo, but due to Doom's inherent lean towards apathy, it can be hard for a Rogue of Doom to realize they can use the Doom they collect, instead of just taking it all on their own head. Ryoma fails to reach an understanding with his classpect, and so takes on the Doom of his death, failing to realize he can reach out and divide the burden into something much smaller amongst his classmates.

Kirumi - Witch of Space

Space players are patient, and tend to wait for a bigger picture. They can stand their ground firmly, but tend to act second to better pick and choose battles. Space players are innovators, recycling the old to create the new. The journey is very important to a Space player, wanting to ensure the journey is as beautiful and well meaning as the destination itself. They are masters of creation, and have one of the most important tasks in the game of frog breeding because of it. Space players can create matter from nothing, or manipulate matter that already exists.

Meanwhile Witch's are rule breakers, and one of the most powerful classes. A Witch rejects the rules if they do not like the rules, changing them to rules that better fit their own visions and styles. If something of their aspect is not as a Witch likes it, they have immense power to change and twist it to their own vision. As such a Witch needs to learn to control this ability, to not assume they simply know better then others and act as such.

A Witch of Space can translate to "one who changes and manipulates through creation" Able to change sizes, and shapes of any item, and create what they desire from just their power alone. They're likely rather smart, able to identify details like material about something just by seeing it or observing it. If someone says something can't be done or its impossible, a Witch will find a way to get passed that barrier, even if they really shouldn't. Nothing stops a Witch with a mission, not even death in some cases. Kirumi may act like she's a servant, but Kirumi is also rather bossy and tends to feel like she knows best. Willing to do terrible things to do what she thinks is the correct move. Kirumi breaks the rules of the game as well by actively running from her execution, something no one else dares to even try.

Shuichi - Mage of Mind

Mind is a bit self explanatory, as it's well, the mind! Mind is an aspect of thinking, rationality, very aware of their own mind and the minds of others. They can see choices laid out in front of them, often freezing Mind players due to just how many choices are possible from so much as a small conversation. This does however mean when a Mind player does act, they tend to know exactly what they're doing, moving with intense precision that required knowing dozens of moves in advance. Logic is more important then a sense of self, so they tend to have a more fluid identity, adapting different masks from even so much as thought to thought. This can however leave them lacking a sense of identity and may attach onto people with stronger senses of identity to build their own identity around.

Mages are a bit of a mystery class in homestuck, we only ever meet two and neither ever actually...elaborate on what it means to be a mage, and one of them's a very minor character that I actually forget is even a Mage half the time.

However from observing these two we learn that Mage's are a class about information and miracles. Doing things that seem impossible without even fully realizing that what they did was supposed to be hard. They have massive knowledge banks, but that knowledge comes at a great cost. Mage's are often at the complete whims of their aspect, experiencing intense highs, but also intense lows. All their information comes from first hand experience, for better or for worse. They tend to be very familiar with the whiplash of their aspect, being like a rollercoaster that constantly goes up and down and up and down. This brings understanding, but also pain and suffering, that can lead to the Mage reaching a sense of burn out or apathy. They have great power from their knowledge to a point of being associated with miracles, but the great cost it came at scars their soul.

So a Mage of Mind can translate to "One who understands logic through experience." which...yeah! That's Shuichi! That's Shuichi "I didnt even originally want to be a detective but i did it to pay back my uncle oh hey im good at this i like finding lost pets oh no im involved in a murder case oh yay i got the guy oh no his hate and everyone saying he was justified in that murder has scarred me for life"alright! It's a constant up and down up and down for him, he learns how to use logic and reasoning and masks to get what he wants, to learn and grow and win, but it always comes at a cost, a cost that traumatizes him and leads him spiraling. He's very smart, but he learned the skills he needed to be a detective at great personal costs.

Tenko - Page of Rage

Rage players are chaos bringers. They hate lies or false ideas, and hate fake stability. The truth is important to a Rage player and will tear down a system if it's built on lies and obedient masses. They are impossible to convince otherwise once they have an idea in their heads. A Rage player often sees the story they are within, and almost always loathes that story.

Which if that doesn't sound like Tenko let me explain what a Page is. A page is someone who does not understand their aspect at all but BELIEVES they do. They're capable of IMMENSE power that eclipses even a Witch's power, but the journey to get their is long and tedious. Having to learn the truth of their aspect, and how to actually understand and use it. A Page confidently asserts they understand their aspect, but will constantly fail at and misunderstand it. Slowly learning more and more with each failure over a very long course of time. It's incredibly hard to hurry a Page along their path, as they need to come to terms with all their failures and misunderstandings on their own, denying other peoples thoughts on it or simply twisting it to fit what they already believe. This often leads to Pages being exploited and used by those around them, because they're misunderstandings or false ideals can be in turn twisted to benefit people of more dubious morals.

So you could translate Page of Rage to "One who has potential to understand the truth of the world." Tenko throws herself into what she's been taught Rage is, Tenko has been taught that Rage means men are unworthy and that women are to be protected. Which she takes to an intense zealous, taking this as gospel and the truth that society is built on hurting women with little other room for nuance. It's extremely hard for anyone to get through to her and explain how that isn't fully true, how the story she's been told is a very dangerous mindset. Nothing really gets through to her, and when Shuichi thinks he does in the free time events, Tenko just twists Shuichi into being an exception who should get a sex change to fit into her views of the world.

She flips and attacks those who try to change how she thinks. However Tenko cares deeply for those around her even so, and actively goes against Angie and tries to take down her cult when she realizes it happening, hating what the lies and complacency is doing to people. Over the game, she starts to understand more and more about the real story she's in and that her understanding of Rage keeps failing and thus must change. Unfortunately before she can finish her journey, she is killed. Tenko has immense potential, but it's a slow burn to get to her true power.

Rantaro - Heir of Blood

Blood is the aspect of connections, bond. Blood is thicker then water after all. While Blood players rarely take on a commanding role, they inspire those around them, giving other strengths and stopping or start conflicts between people. Very "do as I say not as I do" types. Their power comes from others, and how they can understand and use those bonds to strengthen or weaken bonds to better know how to act and fight. They are ralliers, prophets, those who bring others to their cause through inspiration, giving them motivation and strength. A blood players specialty is the bonds between others and the bonds they have, which is often represented through chains. They make bonds, and mediate those around them. The bonds they make are deep, which can lead to a smaller circle then one expects from an aspect about connections, because when a Blood player makes a connection, its going to be an intensely deep one.

Heir's are loved by their aspect, they subconsciously understand their aspect and their aspect in turn actively protects them from harm or saves them from danger. They tend to do their own thing, not fully realizing the effects it has on others and inspiring them with their aspect without even realizing it was happening. They can even physically become their aspect which lets them escape danger and move around more easily, which for a Blood player is admittedly, kinda alarming! They tend to be drawn to their aspect without even realizing it, which can lead them to becoming stuck if they don't start to look outside themselves.

So an Heir of Blood translates to "One who invites change through their bonds." While Rantaro dies pretty quickly, we know Rantaro is very driven by his bonds, whether it be his sisters or protecting his classmates. When put into a corner he cant trust people in, Rantaro becomes weaker, less able to act, and becomes unable for Blood to be able to protect him. Even when he can't trust the people around him Rantaro is drawn to protect them and stop them from acting rash, stopping arguments and stopping Ryoma from killing himself. Despite being around for so long, the bonds he has and knowledge he holds make people remember him, to try and bring him back to life or to keep his effigy around as a reminder...or whatever the hell Kokichi was doing with that thing. Even while dead, bonds and connections are drawn to him.

Himiko - Maid of Breath

Breath players are independent, often seen as not fully being there, or simply going where the winds take them. Breath players are hard to tie down, going where they please simply on their whims. However this can lead others into following them, as Breath players follow their own goals, they leave impacts that make people wish to follow them. However Breath players don't tend to understand why as they just kinda do their own thing or have low self esteem. Breath players are as flexible as wind and air, but this can lead them struggling to make connections or come back to earth. This isn't to say they don't make friends, they actually tend to be quite friendly due to an easy going nature, but they can struggle to make stronger bonds and not just fair-weather friends as they can accidentally leave those they care about behind as they wander off.

Maids are pushovers, they tend to simply go along with what others say their aspect and thus they should be. They are often dismissed or underestimated as they struggle to learn how to trust themselves and their own perceptions. Once they do though they tend to be very strong, being as close to a literal embodiment of their aspect to the point of being jokingly said to be "made" of it. While still subservient to the aspect itself, once a Maid trusts themselves, they truly become one with their aspect, answering it's call to duty, and using it to better achieve their own goals.

So one can translate a Maid of Breath into "one who is made of freedom and detachment" Himiko is very spacy, caught up in her own world, but not doing much and simply letting others lead her around. She shrugs and simply lets others do as they please as she's caught up in her own world, getting confused by the bonds people try to make with her. However once she rises to the task, while still in her own world she manages to channel her magic and views into her goals, moving forward and no longer detaching from herself as completely to come a bit back to earth but on her own terms. Able to use her skills and view of the world to adapt and change things. Giving herself the more difficult true freedom instead of the easier pretend freedom of before. Nothing can chain her down, but she's awake now, and she's aware of how to come back down on her own will to those she loves and help them out.

Miu - Prince of Light

Why is their so many students I'm suffering

Light players are as mentioned in the Void portions, the aspect of knowledge, good fortune, scholars. They are able to take information from multiple sources and combine them into something even bigger. Light players go after information and knowledge like hungry hounds, getting hands dirty and ignoring pesky things like "laws" or "ethics" or "oh god what have you done you've doomed us all what have you unleashed" that get in the way of their search of knowledge. Light also has its ties in luck and good fortune, this is probably a pun on Lux which means light and sounds like luck.

Prince's are destroyers, people with great sense of importance that use their aspect to destroy or get their way. This can cause a struggle with their aspect as they both destroy through their aspect, and destroy the aspect itself, letting in it's opposite in the aspect's absence. They tend to stubborn and opportunistic, and willing to go to extremes to get what is rightfully there, even if they might regret it later or not think it through. Prince of Light can then be translated to "one who destroys with or through knowledge"

Miu has a very abrasive personality, she acts at least like she's better then everyone else, that everyone else needs to observe and worship her knowledge, that her inventions are the light of the world and the most important things. However her own self doubt leads her to hide all the details from people, but her skills of observation and deduction cannot be underestimated, like how Miu constantly calls out the killer rather quick in a trial even if no one believes her at first. She then tries to destroy an embodiment of Void, Kokichi, but fails because in doing so, she needs to destroy the Light, the truth, of what happened on that rooftop, which inherently gave someone who knows Void better then anyone else the upper hand. She destroys people through light, but by trying to destroy light, of the truth of her plan, she is in turn destroyed as she let in Void to her secrets. By her own feeling of being the most important bringing of knowledge, she brings in her downfall. Pride comes before fall.

Korekiyo - Page of Heart

We've covered both Page and Heart so thank Skaia I can just skip to the analysis but Page of Heart can be translated as "one who has potential to understand ones self"

Korekiyo thinks he understands himself, that he understands love and masks and a sense of self. He however does not and has very little sense of self, being manipulated and led into everything he does by his sister and nothing can really shake that view point. However, what he does do he basis his entire identity around, slowly very slowly it would take Korekiyo to come out of the shell that was built for him and find his true self, but if he could do it, with his skills and abilities, I wouldn't get in his way of figuring out just who Korekiyo is. He even wears a physical mask that he takes as part of his identity, but is actually an identity literally put onto him by someone else. Korekiyo isn't truly anyone yet, just an extension of his sister, but when he gets there, when he becomes truly Korekiyo, and just Korekiyo, now that'd be a sight to see!

Kiibo - Maid of Hope

Hope players do what's right, and will come to the help of anyone who needs it. They're heros, driven by their morals and convictions no matter the push back. However they can have a black and white view of things, something is bad, or something is good, and it can be a struggle to find the nuance. Hope players tend to be quite imaginative, dreaming of better worlds, of beautiful futures, of a place where things are good and kind and happy. This doesn't mean they're pacifists though, if a fight will help them make things better, they won't hesitate to blow everything up to shit.

We know what a Maid is now, so skipping straight to Kiibo. Maid of Hope can translate to "one who embodies belief"

Kiibo is constantly concerned about a better world, about robophobia and injustice. He dreams of a better world, a kinder world, where he can be equal to his friends. However the outside world keeps him from truly acting on these, feeding him a fake view of hope of complacency. When he comes into his own though, he is finally able to see that complacency and pretending to be human are injustices and he should have acted sooner. Ready to destroy everything, and risk killing everyone, just to finally get rid of the evil, to destroy what is bad and cruel to let in a potential of a future kindness. He tosses away meaningless words and fights against those who want to let injustice continue. While he never fully breaks away from black and white thinking by the end, he has come to understand that hope, that goodness, that morals, cannot be given to him, and are things he must come to find and understand on his own, and in turn, create a better world through them.

Kaede - Sylph of Time

Time players are always moving, always fighting. Time players refuse to just let things be as they are, they need to make things better, they refuse to sit still when there is work to be done. They tend to be goal focused, not caring about the how as long a they accomplish their goals. However just because they're goal orientated doesn't mean they will go the straightest path to that goals, they will instead often find a path more outside the box that ensures they get their victory. Impossible is just a word to a Time Player. They are also very aware of the passage of time, and the burdens that can put upon someone, after all, time is always ticking down.

We know what a Sylph is, so straight to the analysis, Sylph of Time can mean "One who meddles through immediate action"

Kaede is very aware of the countdown, of all the factors going on, she never stops, even when everyone else is tired and defeated, Kaede keeps pushing past those limits, because she can't bare to do anything less. She doesn't care if the mastermind dies from her trap, that's the point even, because the death of the mastermind is the best way to get them all the hell out. Kaede does not wait, Kaede does what can be done at that moment, and nothing less. Pushing and pushing and pushing until eventually her impatience catches up to her and catches her in a trap. Kaede is forceful and will do what needs to be done, for better, and for worse.

Tsumugi - Thief of Void

We've established what a Void player is with Kokichi, so I'll skip straight to Thief

Thieves are outlaws, they well...they steal! It's a bit on the nose their. They take their aspect from other and use it for purely their own gain. They tend to have high egos an airs of superiority, they have no care for rules unless they can use it for their own gain. They don't particularly like being looked down on. However at first they tend to be at the whims of the worst of their aspect, they very very quickly learn how to adapt and instead steal from their aspect, to never have to experience the worst of it again. While an inherently selfish class, a Thief determined to do good can instead steal the bad, and take it on themselves.

So a Thief of Void can translate to "one who steals from secrets" Tsumugi puts on an air of Void, of not being seen to watch and steal secrets from others. Her cameras are impossible to see, and even when you think you have privacy, Tsumugi is stealing that privacy so she knows exactly what happens while using what she's stolen to better hide herself. She steals the privacy and secrets of others, leaving it wide open for the world to see each and every little secret they have, all while using it to hide her own secrets and fade a bit more into the background. She steals away the Void aka lies and secrets for herself, leaving everyone else open to the harsh Light aka knowledge and truth. Kokichi can counter it with his own Void powers to bring back Void around him specifically, but others aren't so lucky.

Maki - Bard of Life

Life are healers, those who march forward with progress and tend to have an intuitive understanding of the people around her. They put others needs before their own, but can become bitter from it as they put their own well being into danger to protect others. Life players often have an association with nature and all life around them from animals to plants to fellow people and they care for it all. Life players tend to also be pushy, assuming everyone needs or even wants their cure. Doing what they think is best for a persons well being, even if it is actually at it's core a fake cure or would do more harm then good.

One may find themselves confused on why Maki is a Life player then, but she's a Bard, which is...one of the hardest classes to explain honestly! How the HELL do you explain a bard?? A bard is someone who rejects their original aspect, and instead embrace the opposite, which in this case is Doom, they're capable of INTENSE destruction to the point some people view any Bard as being too unstable or destructive to be anything more then a detriment to the game session. They tend to be avoidant of their original aspect, burying their heads in the sand until an incident forces them to embrace their actual aspect and destroy whatever made them do it. Often getting such a rush of power and understanding of the universe or otherwise nasty mental spiral they'll go further then they ever intended, becoming a threat to everyone around them. A Bard MUST learn control or they become essentially a ticking time bomb.

So a Bard of Life can translate to "one who can bring great destruction to and with nurturing" Which as Maki is an assassin, who became an assassin to protect someone else and then grew bitter, rejecting all forms of healing and eventually when she does realize she does want to protect someone and help them does the MOST DESTRUCTIVE MOVE POSSIBLE and then spirals further to try and do MORE destruction when she believes that FAILED. Luckily she's able to pull herself together, but Maki very much almost got everyone KILLED from her spiral. Now that she's got help she can control her bard powers to help and aid those she cares for, but BOY was that a close one.

Gonta - Seer of Life

We just covered Life it's fine

Seer's have an inherent draw towards knowledge, but unlike Mage's who grit their teeth and learn through experience, Seer's tend to find knowledge freely coming to them. Easily finding information to a point it becomes too much information, and they struggle to figure out what information is true, and how to even apply that information. Due to having so much knowledge they can be hard to understand as they speak in strange ways that make perfect sense to them, but less so to others. They struggle to understand what their aspect actually means, and how that applies to them, and what the means to them. What does Life mean, does someone have more of a claim to Life? What Life can be saved? what Life should be tried to saved? What is the meaning of life? Many questions. Seer of Life can translate to "one who tries to understand nurturing"

Gonta is constantly full of questions on lots of things from society, to what it means to be a gentlemen, who lies and who tells the truth. Who is nurturing and who means harm. As the game progresses, Gonta has to question what does it mean to be alive, what meaning does life have when everything is destroyed? is it better to die happy or live in despair? He cares deeply for nature, for his family, for even the smallest creatures but he never truly knows what is true, and what is false, constantly looking for more answers, he understand nature, he understands healing, but with so many contradicting forms of it, what can be done? What should be done? Gonta just doesn't know, but he'll keep searching for that answer, even if it kills him.

Angie - Witch of Hope

Oh thank jegus we know what a Witch and a Hope player is because this is SO MUCH classpect analysis, Witch of Hope can translate to "one who changes and manipulates through belief"

Angie wants to create a world that is better, kind, happy, and she does so by breaking rules, the rules of the killing game, the rules of morality her followers held before. While she doesn't mean harm, she twists others views of a good society, of god, to what her views are in the desire to help them reach a good end. She breaks the rules of Hope and the game to get what she thinks is good and right and just. Indoctrinating others into her views and beliefs, makes them see her hope as their hope so they can all come together and live in harmony.

She genuinely wants to help, but she only knows HOW to help by bringing people under hand, to see things as black and white and orange as she does. Angie needs to learn that she can't control the world, that she needs to let people find their good ends without her pushing them towards it. She want's to help, but she needs to learn to take a step back as well.

Feel free to ask me questions or have a discussion with me but if you're actively rude about my classpecting then don't expect me to respond or be nice if I do.

[kernelbastard]

putting these Slugpup Hungry Games hcs here bc I don't feel like making a new sideblog right now

me and my friend have been obsessed with it the past few days so here's some stuff we came up with. note: the pronouns are not literal, Slugcats don't speak English (slugsign W), they're just how we refer to them (also I have separate headcanons for how Slugcat gender and social roles work but I don't know if any of the Hungry kids ever learned any of that stuff so it's not super relevant)

... also we don't know GladosCat's real Iterator name so we've just been calling her Ambition or Wire Mother interchangeably

anyway. these are for you @peculiurperennial

General

The pups are listed in order of age. Therefore, Bingus is the eldest, while Onion, despite being larger than the others, is the baby of the group.

How much a Slugcat remembers past cycles is determined by age and species, and increases as their brains develop. However, there are exceptions to this pattern, like Fleece.

They were not born of the same litter, although it is possible that they were all raised in the same tribe; either way, none of them (except Onion) remember who they were before being captured, and in the end, it doesn't change that they are siblings now.

They cannot directly speak to each other, nor do they know Slugsign, so their means of communication are very limited. Still, they definitely understand each other better than other pups would, simply because they're so familiar and have had to learn to cooperate in dangerous situations. Bingus and Fleece are the most in-tune with each other's thoughts.

Onion already had a bit of the Rotund gene in her ancestry before modification, which is why she's so much bigger; Rotund Slugcats are very close to standard Terrestrials, and are not considered a separate species by Terrestrial society. That being said, all Slugcats - excluding Purposed Organisms - have enough genetic similarity to produce healthy pups with Terrestrials, so it's not impossible for Bingus and Fleece to also have Carnivore and Aquatic ancestors, just... Unlikely, especially in Fleece's case, as Aquatics are not native to this region.

Subject A-23334, Carnivore type - Bingus

They/Them, "the Prodigy"

Second-clearest memory of past tests and cycles.

The smartest and strongest of the siblings, at least in most ways relevant to testing.

Does not enjoy violence, preferring to solve problems as puzzles rather than fights, but will do what is necessary to help their siblings get through the tests. They're not afraid to take a hit if it means the others are spared.

Considers themself a sort of leader, whether or not this is acknowledged by the others, but it's not a source of pride or self-importance; it is instead a great responsibility, a burden, that feels so heavy it nearly crushes them. They know they are Wire Mother's favorite, and they'll do everything in their power to keep her focused on them rather than the other pups, even if that means they will be left out of escape plans. This facility creates Purposed Organisms, and, under the Iterator's watchful eye, Bingus has lost every part of themself that is not part of this sense of purpose.

Subject B-6587, Aquatic type - Fleece

They/Them, "the Opportunist"

Can remember past testing cycles almost perfectly, but has gaps in their memory.

The quickest and most practical of the siblings, avoiding unnecessary risk whenever possible.

Often acts cold or distant, as if they don't care as much about the others, but really, they keep that emotional distance as a means of protecting themself. They are afraid that if they break down and Wire Mother finds out, she'll do something to "fix" their memory.

Feels deeply isolated from their siblings, except for Bingus, as they both know more than they should. Even then, though, they don't have a clear method of talking about it, and Wire Mother doesn't give them much privacy, anyway, so Fleece can never drop the act for long. Over time, this loneliness has grown into resentment, though they won't let it show to anyone but Bingus, as the misplaced "source" of this anger.

Subject C-6287, Terrestrial type - Jib

He/Him, "the Paragon"

Doesn't remember much, but has held onto enough information to know how bleak the situation is, and retains more of the emotions from past cycles than actual facts.

The kindest and bravest of the siblings, but unfortunately, naïvete has no place in the testing chamber except as a bloody example of failure.

... Isn't actually anywhere near as naïve as Wire Mother thinks he is. He knows he's not the strongest or the fastest, and he's very easy to kill. But he does have one thing the others don't: pure stubbornness. Anyone here seen Everything Everywhere All At Once? He's like Waymond. You know what I'm talking about. "When I choose to see the good side of things, I'm not being naïve. It's strategic and necessary. It's how I've learned to survive through everything." If these kids do get to escape down the line, I hope it's Jib who leads them through it.

This bit isn't as serious, but he reminds me of a shonen protagonist. That's all

Subject D-42346, Rotund type - Onion

She/Her, "the Avenger"

Has little to no memory of past cycles, but does remember her life before capture.

I don't have nearly as much to say about this one, mainly because I'm still trying to figure her out. But I do think it'd be cool if, while Jib represents the things Wire Mother can't control or beat out of him, Onion is more... Well, technically a great success, but maybe too great. She's hard to kill. Eventually, her creator is going to regret that.

kind of ran out of steam at the end there but I'll follow this up in a little while with more details (in the form of Discord screenshots)

[lawandordersource]

Just jumpin' in on the Mike Cutter Appreciation here. When it was announced that Fred Thompson was leaving, they were going to make Jack DA, thus reducing his screen time a bit, I was skeptical as all hell about Linus Roache and the new character, where the name hadn't even been announced yet (and nothing against Linus then either, I enjoyed his portrayal of Bobby Kennedy in the TV movie RFK).

After the season 18 premiere, I basically went, "Huh, they might've done the impossible and found a worthy successor to Jack."

And it was done so well. His early relationship with Connie was also great since she had apprenticed (basically) under Jack and clearly respected him that she also seemed rather skeptical of Mike early on. The vibe was, "Okay hotshot, let's see how good you really are."

And it was just great seeing the combative & father/son at times relationship Jack and Mike had. You recently posted those gifs from "Take Out" and I still chuckle at Jack telling Mike, "I don't know how to break this to you, Mike, but yours is not the only case on my plate."

And his ask got so long, sorry about that, but yeah. Mike Cutter was great and I still hold out hope that he's somewhere in the DA's office still.

Here's to earnest civil servants.

hey, it's holly again, the resident mike cutter stan on the blog!

i think a lot of people probably responded to mike initially the way you did—sam waterston/jack mccoy is a ridiculously tough act to follow, and i think that's part of why they didn't do the reshuffle sooner. how do you follow up Thee Jack McCoy??? it's a near-impossible task!

but yes, i totally agree that linus roache knocks it out of the park. he breathes a new life into the show, channeling the firebrand streak of early jack but making it his own with icy rage, and creates a complicated, wounded semi-anti-hero worthy of the series. same goes for the dynamics crafted between him and connie, and him and jack—sure, there are plenty of parallels between jack/claire and jack/adam schiff (which i'm sure is intentional), but they're a well-balanced triumvirate that makes it so easy to root for all of them as a team (i could go on for hours about the mike/jack surrogate father relationship, but i won't—although my personal blog dms and asks are always open, haha!)

i don't know how many people have seen this (or if this was intentional on the part of the set designers) but in season 21 a couple of people spotted this sign in the DA's office (thank you to @scoriasoil for the pics + the original post):

since it says "chief assistant d.a." and not "executive" (mike's original title and jack's title when he first joined the show), it gives the impression that both mike and connie have been promoted (i guess she came back from the feds since that season 15 svu episode!) and are still at the DA's office—i have to believe it's canon! (in a more recent episode from season 22, they changed the sign to read "chief asst. D.A. nolan price" which DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. that's literally not his title!!! ANYWAY...)

this is probably a wayyyyy longer answer than you wanted, but that's the price you pay for mike cutter appreciation from me, haha.

indeed, here's to earnest civil servants! :)

~holly

[learnthisphrase]

Best books of 2022

The 12 best books I read this year

The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton (Simon & Schuster, 2022)

Shortly after starting at St. Dunstan’s, a private school on the windswept Maine coast, 16-year-old Laura joins the school choir and develops an infatuation with its pious, exacting president, Virginia. Soon Virginia’s passions (God, running) become Laura’s, and the choir becomes her family. The narrative focuses relentlessly on this small group and the school campus, which both creates the impression of a faintly otherworldly setting, and reproduces within itself the hyper-focused, enveloping smallness of Laura’s obsessions.

Through Laura we see how easy it is to locate the numinous in someone or something you love – and how dangerous that can be. This is a story about how obsession is an endless vista unfolding and then, eventually, a prison; a story to make you feel fury and sympathy and pity for your younger self. In deceptively controlled prose, Burton creates a world that feels like an enchantment, filled with aching nostalgia, terror and sadness. I felt hugely invigorated by it, and left it behind reluctantly.

A History of Fear by Luke Dumas (Atria Books, 2022)

Presented as a manuscript written by convicted murderer Grayson Hale, an American student in Edinburgh who killed a classmate and claimed the Devil made him do it, A History of Fear is immediately gripping. This is a novel about repression, religion, the dangers of denying oneself and generational trauma – but it’s also just a really fucking good ghost story: brimming with atmosphere, full of the kind of creeping, swirling uncertainty that makes great horror. It walks a tricky path – balancing real emotional damage/confusion and a supernatural threat – with grace and, it seems, ease, while the pure intrigue and tension generated by the central question (is Hale really communing with the Devil?) never let up. I raced through it so quickly I barely paused for breath.

Conquest by Nina Allan (riverrun, 2023)

Nina Allan is my favourite writer and this is an extraordinary novel: a deeply complex and layered work of speculative fiction that rewards close reading yet is also incredibly enjoyable. The plot revolves around a missing man, his girlfriend’s search for him, and whether his belief in an incipient alien war has any basis in reality. Touching on themes that include conspiracy theories, mental illness, music and code, ambition and apathy, faith and doubt, it’s a story about what happens to someone who falls into the cracks between scepticism and delusion. Yet the truth is it’s impossible to capture what’s great about Conquest in a paragraph, because it’s about everything – the stuff of life, the search for meaning. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to start all over again; when I do, I know I will find new meanings and mysteries in the text.

Lote by Shola von Reinhold (Jacaranda Books, 2020)

Lote is an academic mystery about a secret society. It’s about the exclusion of Black people from (what is recorded of) history; a woman who repeatedly seeks to escape her own life and reinvent herself; an odd artists’ residency where people speak in pure cant and revere an obscure architect... All these things are in there, but there’s also a load of other stuff – about aesthetics, beauty, decadence, ways of seeing – Lote is a book of fantasies and ideas, fizzing with intelligence, infused with baroque spirit, written with immense charm and openness. It’s unique in the true sense of the word; I can think of nothing to compare it to. I read it in a delirious trance and it left me dizzy with pleasure.

Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater (Hodder & Stoughton, 2023)

Cynical, normie-hating Roach has worked at a beleaguered branch of bookshop chain Spines since she was a teenager. When a new team are brought in to reverse the shop’s fortunes, she meets a very different type of bookseller: the stylish, friendly, popular Laura. The two women soon clash over their opinions on true crime, and Roach’s initial desire for a friendship curdles into hate. What unfolds after that is a thrilling, fast-paced story of obsession with a dark, sticky soul. It combines a razor-sharp character study with bags of atmosphere and a deliciously nasty underbelly – think Looker meets The Poison Tree meets Boy Parts. So, which bookseller meets an untimely end? That’d be telling... but you won’t be able to put it down until you find out.

Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong (Grand Central Publishing, 2023)

While I was reading Liar, Dreamer, Thief, I felt like I was living inside the world of its heroine Katrina Kim – who I found infinitely loveable even though she’s a self-confessed disaster and one of her main interests is stalking a colleague, Kurt. When he suddenly vanishes, leaving a cryptic note that seems meant for Katrina, her already-messy world spirals even further out of control. The writing is sometimes awkward, sometimes brilliant, and it suits the character perfectly – it really feels like this is Katrina’s voice rather than a novel. The story, too, is always shifting and transforming. Is it a conspiracy thriller, an ‘unhinged woman’ narrative, a story about a fractured family coming back together? It’s all three and more: a glorious Technicolor starburst of a novel. It’s funny and poignant, colourful, totally immersive, and – somehow – oddly cosy and comforting.

A Station on the Path to Somewhere Better by Benjamin Wood (Scribner, 2018)

12-year-old Daniel and his father, Francis, are going on a road trip: Francis, who creates props for TV programmes, has promised to take Daniel to visit the set of his favourite show. If that sounds wholesome, think again – Francis is a volatile, unstable man and when the visit doesn’t go to plan, devastating chaos ensues. This harrowing sequence of events unfolds with all the gravity of a factual story, imbued with a terrible urgency that sweeps the reader along. A Station on the Path to Somewhere Better is one of the most finely crafted, powerful novels I have read all year. While the details may be disturbing, the writing is simply so flawless that reading it felt, against the odds, like breathing a huge sigh of relief.

The Appeal by Janice Hallett (Viper, 2021) and The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett (Viper, 2023)

Though I feel like the last person on Earth to hear about Janice Hallett’s bestselling mystery The Appeal, I am going to shout about it anyway – I can’t remember the last time I read something that so thoroughly lived up to the label ‘unputdownable’. And her forthcoming novel, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, is very much in the same vein. Both feature inventive narrative approaches: The Appeal is told primarily through emails; Alperton Angels is a patchwork of text messages, transcriptions, extracts from books and scripts, etc. I can’t get enough of this format, which allows plenty of space for the story to be funny and irreverent as well as exciting. It’s also completely addictive.

The Teardrop Method by Simon Avery (TTA Press, 2017) and A Box Full of Darkness by Simon Avery (Black Shuck Books, 2021)

One thing I love about reading is finding new(-to-me) authors whose writing excites me – that feeling where you immediately want to read everything of theirs you can get your hands on. This happened to me with Simon Avery’s quietly haunting speculative novella, The Teardrop Method. Soon afterwards I picked up his excellent collection A Box Full of Darkness, which I also loved (especially ‘Perfidious Albion’, which is about a mythic TV play, a cult-like organisation, grief and magic and is just so good). Avery’s fiction is compelling as hell, and he’s got a great knack for writing about the vaguely uncanny, the weird-in-the-ordinary, but more than that his work contains a deep understanding of loneliness and the different types of human connection that offer a route out of it. He writes like a natural heir to Joel Lane, with the same (rare) ability to pin down an ethereal, unsettling mood. I cannot wait to read more from him.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles (1959)

I am really bad at writing about classics, but I couldn’t not include this. (Not least because it is the novel The World Cannot Give was inspired by and partly based on, which makes it a perfect way to end my list of the year’s favourites.) A Separate Peace is told almost entirely from the perspective of a teenage boy at a New England boarding school during the Second World War. It’s the story of how these children of privilege navigate the paradox that constrains them: they will imminently join the fight, so they’re expected to grow up fast, but adults also treat them as paragons of precious innocence, to be indulged and coddled. The writing is so clean and smooth and lucid. It rolls along wonderfully; it’s emotionally resonant. I found it beautiful, and well deserving of its status.

Honourable mentions

Stargazer by Laurie Petrou (VERVE Books, 2022): A zingy headrush of a campus novel following the friendship (and rivalry) between two girls, Stargazer is absorbing and deftly structured, with possibly my favourite literary character of the year in Diana Martin. The sort of book I will never get bored of reading.

Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith (Oneworld, 2021): A wide-ranging epic of love, hate, family legacy and folklore that’s SO much better and more interesting (and with a much stronger supernatural element!) than I initially expected, especially given the twee title. Recommended to fans of Ghostwritten and The Kingdoms.

Out of a Clear Sky by Sally Hinchcliffe (Pan, 2007): I missed this debut from Hinchcliffe (author of my beloved Hare House) when it was first published; I’m so glad I sought it out. A literary suspense novel about a woman trying to deal with both a breakup and a stalker, it features masterful storytelling reminiscent of Barbara Vine, with excellent writing about landscape and nature.

Lunar Park by Bret Easton Ellis (Picador, 2005): BEE writes himself into a horror story as a suburban dad, and there’s also a murderous Furby. It’s pretty difficult to describe this book beyond that, but it was orders of magnitude better than I’d hoped, entertaining and comic and eerie and brilliant, with an ending that has no right being so moving.

Found Audio by N.J. Campbell (Two Dollar Radio, 2017): If you love meta novels about lost media – and I do, though I acknowledge it’s a bit of a niche – this is a must-read. Revolving around a mysterious set of tapes and a search for something called ‘the City of Dreams’, it’s a sweeping, extremely propulsive adventure enlivened by a delicious element of uncertainty.

The Candy House by Jennifer Egan (Corsair, 2022): The scope of the storytelling in this incredibly intelligent, unpredictable book took my breath away. Wide-ranging, densely interconnected, character-centric and very empathetic – and you don’t need to remember A Visit from the Goon Squad to enjoy it.

Lambda by David Musgrave (Europa Editions, 2022): One of the most interesting sci-fi stories I’ve read in a while, absolutely bursting with ideas (too many to summarise here!) and cleverly developed perspectives. A funny, chilling and true portrait of a future world.

Children of Paradise by Camilla Grudova (Atlantic Books, 2022): An offbeat coming-of-age story about a young woman working in a singularly peculiar cinema. Camilla Grudova’s writing pulls the reader down into the enveloping ambience of the bizarre, wildly intriguing Paradise.

Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet (Saraband, 2021): In his faux-biography of a ‘forgotten 1960s psychotherapist’, Graeme Macrae Burnet pulls off the rare feat of writing two parallel narratives that are equally compelling. A riveting meta-novel in which the ‘truth’ is revealed at exactly the right pace.

The Witch in the Well by Camilla Bruce (Transworld, 2022): This tale of two ex-friends writing competing books about the same historical figure, a reputed witch, sees Camilla Bruce making a welcome return to the winning formula that made her debut (You Let Me In) so dazzling. Unreliable narrator + hints of horror/fantasy/fable = an irresistible combination.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James (Berkley, 2020): A virtual masterclass in how to write a spooky, atmospheric mystery; I had a great time reading this. The forlorn – and definitely haunted – motel of the title jumps off the page.

Short stories

Unexpected Places to Fall From, Unexpected Places to Land by Malcolm Devlin (Unsung Stories, 2021)

Isn’t it amazing when you buy a book on a whim and it turns out to be exactly the sort of thing you’re always longing to read? I already knew of – and liked – Malcolm Devlin’s writing, but even so, Unexpected Places took me by surprise. This is a collection of linked stories (good) and encompasses a dazzling range of genres that might best be collectively summed up as speculative litfic (even better). It centres on a man called Prentis O’Rourke and the ways in which his death affects a number of different versions of reality. I adored ‘Walking to Doggerland’ (told in three parts scattered throughout the book), ‘Five Conversations With My Daughter (Who Travels in Time)’, and ‘My Uncle Eff’. The best stories in this book are subtly strange and totally unpredictable, but very human, even when they have pure SF concepts at their heart.

Whirlwind Romance by Sam Thompson (Unsung Stories, 2022)

Don’t be fooled by the title – Sam Thompson’s short stories sit at the intersection of realism, horror/fantasy and the vaguely disturbing, non-specific Weird. They’re uniquely imaginative, evocative and charged with uncanny energy. There are many descriptions of fictional art (a thing I just absolutely love), and there is always, always an incredible sense of place. Among the best are ‘The Heights of Sleep’, about a man’s obsession with an enigmatic writer; ‘The Red Song’, in which an academic explores the traditions of a strange and sinister city; and ‘One-Eyed Jack and the Suicide Queen’, a thoughtfully written yet gripping fantasy adventure. And ‘Seafront Gothic’ might be the best ever example of a story suiting its title perfectly.

Other collections I enjoyed: Nana Nkweti’s irresistibly vibrant, spirited Walking on Cowrie Shells. The Ghost Sequences by A.C. Wise, a fabulously varied set of ghost stories (it’s a bit too long overall but some, like ‘The Nag Bride’ and ‘The Stories We Tell About Ghosts’, are indelible). Gareth E. Rees’ portraits of a Britain in meltdown in Terminal Zones. Paul Dalla Rosa’s An Exciting and Vivid Inner Life exploits affectless narrative voices brilliantly – ideal for fans of Ottessa Moshfegh’s short fiction. Ice Age by Iain Rowan, a short but powerful collection of weird tales.

A few final honourable mentions

When We Were Young by Dawn Goodwin: a captivating, entertaining mystery with unexpected heart, humour and a great portrayal of lifelong friendship. The Marsh House by Zoë Somerville: a rich historical novel of suspense and tragedy laced with elements of folklore. The Cloisters by Katy Hays: a ‘dark academia’ book that elevates itself above all the clichés with an indulgent, intoxicating atmosphere. A Child’s Book of True Crime by Chloe Hooper: a beautifully written portrait of paranoia, incredible at the sentence level.

Hawk Mountain by Conner Habib starts with a skin-crawling premise (the protagonist’s childhood nemesis finagles his way into his home & refuses to leave) and then turns it completely upside down, revealing a devilishly smart core. Skin Deep by Liz Nugent – a superb character study, something like Tana French meets (early) William Boyd – got me out of a horrible reading slump. Run Time by Catherine Ryan Howard is a thriller about the making of a horror film; a dream concept for me, so fun and surprising.

[leclerc-s]

paint the town red - part seven

THE PEOPLE'S PRINCE IS VICTORIOUS

series masterlist

MONACO 2024

scuderiaferrari posted new stories

mr. lechair hard at work before media day for the monaco grand prix

pouty chili in his chilli hat

I'M GIVING THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT! YOU ASK FOR SEB CONTENT I GIVE YOU SEB CONTENT!

working hard or hardly working mr. mcqueen?

everyone could sense the pressure ferrari held today. everyone seemed to expect them to lead to charles to victory for the first time at his home race. it's not that it was impossible for them, they could do it, they knew that better than anyone, but they had an entire country counting on them. the pressure had been there for imola, but it was completely different for monaco. time and time again charles had been failed by his team and people hoped this would be the time things would change for the monegasque. everytime victory or a podium had been within his grasps ferrari had found a way to rip that away from him. not this time though, this time things were different, no matter what happened charles leclerc would be on the podium in 1st place at his home grand prix.

the camera's caught the moment sam wilson waved enthusiastically at will buxton. he laughed before approaching sam, who was wearing a ferrari shirt. he had both driver numbers on his shirt, all the avengers and co present did, as a way to support both drivers.

"captain america, a pleasure seeing you at the monaco grand prix," will said. sam smiled, "please, i'm off duty, it's just sam."

"well, sam, how excited are you for the race today?"

"super excited," sam answered. he gestured towards charles garage, "i know those guys are more excited than me, the hometown hero is on pole."

"do you think he'll win today?"

"hell yeah. there is no doubt in my mind about it."

"very well, it was nice talking to you," will said, excusing himself.

"bye!" sam shouted as he walked towards charles garage, most likely to find bucky.

the cameras focused on charles, as he pointed to something, bianca at his side. she gestured towards the wheels and charles nodded.

"it seems charles and his race engineer have great communication this year," will pointed out before he and the cameraman left towards a different garage.

inside the ferrari garage charles turned to bianca, "do you think it'll rain today?"

"yes," the brunette replied, biting her lip, "which is why we're putting you on mediums, that way we can extend our first stint. once it starts to drizzle, eventually leading to harsher rain, we'll pit you for inters. everyone will go for hards, starting on softs, meaning they'll have to pit again for inters."

"you really thought this through didn't you?"

bianca sighed, "i'm running on 3 hours of sleep because harley and i stayed up all night creating a backup plan for every little thing that could go wrong. we have an entire nation's eyes on us, waiting for their prince to be crowned. i needed to have back up plans."

"i'm not a prince," charles laughed.

"you are to them. you're the people's prince, they've been waiting for this victory since 2018. you've been waiting for this moment for so long, i'll be damned if you don't win today."

charles placed a hand on her shoulder, "i trust you, which is saying a lot considering my last engineer. we've got this."

bianca shook her head, "you've got this. you'll win today, i know it."

charles gave her a cheeky smile, "if i win today will you go on that second date with me?"

she laughed, ignoring the fact that there were two super-soldiers with super hearing in the ferrari garage. she was lucky there was too much noise for them to focus on her conversation with charles, "yes."

"great," charles said, "now i know i'll win."

"go get in the car," she ordered, laughing a bit. charles also laughed, "okay."

the moment he sat in the car, he tuned everything and everyone out. it was the same thing he did for every race, but this time it was amplified by 10, nothing and no one would stop him from emerging victorious at his home grand prix for the first time ever. this win wasn't even for him, it was for his papa, who had wished to see charles win their home grand prix. there was a certain determination in him for this race, a determination he hadn't felt in a long time.

"radio check," charles heard bianca's voice.

"do you think you could convince peter to play that one lady gaga song when i win? he knows the one," charles replied. bianca's laughter rang in his ears, "copy."

the five lights went out charles was gone, carlos behind him defending from max. red bull's upgrades seemed to help them out but it wasn't long before carlos was able to get away from him, leaving the red bull in the dust. a safety car during lap 27 allowed ferrari to double stack it's cars, a move that had previously failed them in the past. not this time, the team was ready with both sets of interns, the rain beginning a lap earlier. the other teams having to pit for inters again after already having pitted for hards, just like bianca had predicted.

charles was going to prove to those that had called him a waste of seat last season that he was a great fucking driver. he was going to win his home grand prix. the when didn't matter anymore, after today charles leclerc would be a winner of the monaco grand prix, the first in nearly 100 years to do so. he was going to go down in monaco's history. charles was so focused on his race that he failed to notice the checkered flag, or even hear the crowd roaring in glee and pride.

the ferrari garage had erupted into chaos, bucky was seen lifting arthur onto his shoulders and running out towards the pitwall, sam and steve grabbing lorenzo. pepper stark-potts stands with pascale, comforting the woman who is crying tears of joy. some team members are seen running out, waving the monaco flag high.

"no doubt this has been a dream for charles leclerc, to join the list of monaco grand prix winners! today he does it! charles leclerc adds his name to the list of monaco grand prix winners! the first monegasque in nearly 100 years! charles leclerc is the winner of the monaco grand prix! carlos sainz comes home to make it another 1-2 for the scuderia!"

"CHARLES, YOU ARE THE WINNER OF THE MONACO GRAND PRIX! TU L'AS FAIT!" lorenzo's voice was heard telling charles. charles voice was a mess of italian, french, and english, but one phrase was clear, "we did it papa. we did it."

the car comes to a stop at the parc ferme, where charles jumps out of his car, standing on top of it his finger goes up, a classic nod to sebastian who laughs in the crowd. the camera pans to his family, who stand surrounded by avengers, in the middle of it all, watching him as he basks in his win. carlos and max, who complete the podium, rush to him before he has a chance to jump into the arms of his team. the moment the helmet and balaclava come off, the tears are evident, he jumps into the arms of his team, who slap him congratulating him, they're just as ecstatic as him, they know how long he's waited for this. he ends up in front of his family, all four of them crying together, before he parts ways with them, his mother whispers something to him and he nods. he hugs bianca, the brunette returns it, and charles moves on to hug sebastian. he's whisked away to do his interviews and to the cool down room.

“you did it,” carlos tells him in the cool down room, “you finally did it.”

"you're next," charles whispers and carlos laughs, it's a tender moment between the two teammates before emotions get the best of charles.

charles cries again and carlos hugs him. max enters the room to spot charles crying, he frowns at carlos before joining the hug. despite whatever angle the media will try to spin later, they know it’s simply a friend comforting another. later, charles will sob in the arms of his best friend as he realizes his childhood dream has come true. he is a winner of the monaco grand prix.

on the podium he shines, a prince finally crowned, twitter will say minutes later. the people’s prince of monaco had finally earned the win he fought so hard for. the tears still glisten in his eyes. his finger goes up again, and crowd's cheers are deafening. as he receives his 1st place trophy, he gives it a kiss holding it up and pointing it towards the sky, a clear reminder of who this win was for. the crowd scream with joy as their prince finally gets the win they all longed for.

liked by pierregasly, arthur_leclerc, tonystark and others

scuderiaferrari charles leclerc, winner of the monaco grand prix, future world champion.

tagged: charles_leclerc, arthur_leclerc

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username i sobbed. i literally sobbed when i realized what had just happened.

username THE CRYSTALS WORKED BITCHES! CHARLES LECLERC IS THE WINNER OF THE MONACO GRAND PRIX!

↳ username HELL YEAH THEY DID! WE CAN FINALLY SAY CHARLES IS THE WINNER OF THE MONACO GRAND PRIX

username this is the most normal ferrari caption i've seen. now carlos to win his home grand prix next

↳ scuderiaferrari that's the plan bestie! both our boys will win their home grand prix this year.

username ferrari being cocky about charles winning the championship is so hot of them. they've got such a lead over everyone else that they know they're going home with the championship one way or another.

pierregasly tu l'as fait charles!

landonorris congrats charles! you deserved this one!

↳ scuderiaferrari are you implying he didn't deserve his other wins 🤔?

↳ landonorris DO NOT PUT WORDS IN MY MOUTH PARKER!

olliebearman arthur's still crying...

↳ arthur_leclerc MY BROTHER JUST WON THE MONACO GRAND PRIX BEARMAN! LET ME BE!

↳ user28 supportive brother arthur crying over charles's win is so cute.

samwilson YEAH! THAT'S IL PREDESTINATO RIGHT THERE!

america_chavez who knew an f1 race would make tony emotional?

↳ c_barton TONY CRIED? AND I MISSED IT? THAT'S SO NOT FAIR!

joaquintorres well that was an experience. congratulations charles!

↳ scott_lang C'MON THE NEW GUY WENT BUT I DIDN'T EVEN GET AN INVITE?

↳ tonystark you said you were busy, that's why you didn't get an invite. joaquin was available, hence the invite.

harleykeener HELL YEAH! NOW IT'S TIME TOPARTY! DRINKS ON TONY!

↳ alex_albon i'm in!

↳ tonystark i never agreed to that?

↳ biancastark-potts you're a billionaire, you can afford it. don't be stingy.

liked by peterparker, america_chavez, katebishop and others

biancastark_potts monaco, i think i like you

comments have been restricted by user

samwilson PAUSE! WHO IS THAT!

america_chavez monaco? is that what we're calling him now?

↳ biancastark_potts don't make me tell stephen what happened the other day

↳ america_chavez understood, i know nothing.

harleykeener so that's why you left the party early

↳ carlossainz55 you know who else left early, right?

↳ harleykeener no?

↳ carlossainz55 i will text you

tonystark STOP HIDING MY PHONE! I'LL FIND OUT WHO HE IS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER BIANCA!

↳ biancastark_potts no, you won't, because not even nat and buck have figured out who it is. if the two spies can't figure it out, you won't either.

↳ natasharomanoff she's good tony. i haven't got a clue who it is.

↳ buckybarnes i desperately want to know who it is so i can warn the poor guy to run for the hills.

↳ biancastark-potts fuck you bucky.

alex_albon you're telling me i know something the avengers don't? oh my god this is great.

↳ samwilson spill albon. what do you know?

↳ alex_albon no can do wilson. i'm being blackmailed, my own girlfriend has turned against me.

↳ lilymhe i want to know how far they're willing to take this thing. both bianca and the avengers.

↳ georgerussell63 the avengers wish they were us right now

↳ biancastark_potts WHO ELSE KNOWS?

↳ landonorris me and charles know too!

↳ biancastark_potts oh for fucks sake.

wandamaximoff second date?

↳ biancastark_potts went well, a third one is up in the air.

↳ michellejones she says this so no one will follow her on her date.

↳ biancastark_potts zip it jones.

↳ michellejones tell me everything

↳ biancastark_potts deal.

you just had to tell someone didn't you?

AMERICA KNOWS! AND WANDA! AND MJ! I'M ALLOWED TO TELL PEOPLE!

can those losers be trusted to keeping a secret?

the twitch quartet has been vowed to secrecy! except for alex, he accidentally told lily. she scolded him for telling her, so the secret is safe with her.

they are more so happy they can hold something over the avengers.

oh god. we're doomed.

series taglist: @celesteblack08 @be-your-coffee-pot @evans-dejong @elliegrey2803 @bingewatche @arkhammaid @sunflower-golden-vol6 @lorarri @melanier7 @ironspdy @mypage-myfandoms @vellicora @you-bleed-just-toknowyouarealive @enchantedthoughts @stopeatread @hobiismyhopeu @lilsiz @alessioayla @niniluvsainz @au-ghosttype @fulla02 @cowboylikemets1989 @six-call @embrosegraves @justtprachisblog @bionic-donut @rmeddar123 @nichmeddar @landonorizzz @unluckyyoshi @raizelchrysanderoctavius @burningcupcakefire @spilled-coffee-cup @jamie-selwyn @cool-ultra-nerd @kami10471633 @int3rnetgf @fernandoswarcrimes @skynel09 @arieltwvdtohamflash @mimolovescookies @brekkers-whore @camdensreg @mycenterfold @dear-fifi @chiliwhore @tygecjjd @nothaqks @nataliambc @formulaa1d @prongsvault @kaa212 @julesbabey1 @julesbabey @georgeparisole

strikethrough means i couldn't tag you

¡leclerc-s speaks! monaco is so special it deserves it's own chapter. i hope i did the racing scene justice, they are not my forte. if the race strategy seems familiar, no it doesn't (i'm unoriginal and i know nothing about race strategies. lol.)

¡disclaimer! this is in no way making assumptions about the people involved in this story, this is all fake. it is a fanfiction please don't take any of what is said seriously. this is all for entertainment purposes and as a creative outlet for me. enjoy!

[markussenvoigt36]

Tips And Hints On Finding The Perfect Wedding Gown

Some people claim that the best things in life are free. Well, while this might be true for love in a general sense, it's definitely not the truth for weddings. They can be quite expensive, not to mention, just how complicated it can all be. The tips below will help you navigate the tough terrain. Regardless of whether you are going into a wedding with issues or have the perfect relationship, seek out premarital counseling. Counseling can help increase the chance of having a successful marriage and will teach you a lot of tips that you can put into practice before, during, and after your wedding. If düğün davetiyesi goes wrong on your wedding day, don't freak out! My cake fell over on the way to my ceremony, and both the best man and woman were unable to attend. In the end, those people are no longer in my life and my new best woman was a cake decorator who was able to fix the cake. It will always work out! Make sure that after your wedding you send thank-you notes to all of your guests for not only coming to your wedding but for the gifts that they gave to you. This will make them feel special and show that you appreciated them using their time to share your special moment. Choose your reception venue with the guests in mind. If your family is mostly elderly then you aren't likely to choose a location with a lot of stairs, or a big dance floor. If you have anyone in your family who is handicapped then you should ensure that the venue knows they're coming and will make everything accessible to them. When talking to your DJ, let him know the songs you like as well as the song you don't like. An old song from your past may no longer be a favorite. Tell your spouse-to-be so that he knows too. Want a novel idea for your wedding and reception? How about a cruise! More and more people are choosing to take their destination wedding and have it on a boat, and there are many great reasons for that. You'll find excellent catering, an on-site bar, and they have all the decor and set-up items you need already on deck. Make sure you get a list of references from every single vendor you secure. If they're not willing to give you one, move on to someone else. davetiye should get a long and varied list of people who speak highly of the person or company you've chosen so that you can feel secure in your choice. For men who are about to get married, it is just as important that you wear a nice tuxedo as it is that the bride wear a beautiful dress. Men just assume that all the attention is on their bride, but the groom has all eyes on him as well. A wedding planner is an excellent idea if your desire to have a destination wedding. It's next to impossible to plan your wedding from home, so a planner can save you money and time by doing everything locally. They'll know all of the best vendors to use and all the ways to get a discount. It is important that you find out how many people can fit into the venue where you are going to have your wedding reception. Many times, people pick a venue that does not have enough room for all of their guests, which then creates an array of unnecessary problems. Also, do not forget how many hours that you have rented the venue for. For brides-to-be, pack a beauty emergency kit and give it to your maid of honor to hold on to. This way, should your makeup smear or your hair fall out of place, you are prepared. In this kit, include your makeup, a brush, hairspray, and extra hairpins, should you lose one. Whether you need to save money or time when planning a wedding, the practical tips you've just read in this article can help you do both and much, much more. Your wedding day is something you'll want to remember for as long as you live. Use the tips above and make sure that it's well worth remembering.