#having a structure that's even hers is new for her

[tyrantisterror]

What are your top favorite fairy tales? Either classic literarily stories, adaptations of literary fairy tales, wholly modern fairy tales, or even just stories that you think are structured like fairy tales. (Roald Dahl books, Studio Ghibli movies, even Shrek and Puss in Boots movies, etc.)

That is an unfathomably vast genre of fiction to try and condense into a ranked numbered list. I think... I think that may be impossible to actually answer as requested. But I can ramble about some of my favorites I suppose.

Let's do this sorta like the Oscars and divide things into categories.

Category 1: The Heavy Hitters

Some fairy tales are significantly more famous than others, so this category is for them: the heavy hitters, the classic fairy tales that are most well known, as defined by my own nebulous perception of which fairy tales are more popular than others.

Of the heavy hitters, my favorites are Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk. Little Red Riding Hood is such a spooky story no matter which telling you're looking at, and has contributed a lot to both the fantasy and horror genres thanks to its simple yet evocative premise and visuals. Jack and the Beanstalk, meanwhile, is just a really solid story of a trickster fool, which is one of my favorite archetypes in all of fiction. Love a good trickster fool.

Category 2: The Obscurities

As I said, this ask is covering a HUGE amount of fiction in its topic, especially since the border between a fairy tale and, like, ANY folklore isn't really well-defined (not in a way anyone can agree too, anyway). But there are a lot of obscure folktales I love that are at least sometimes lumped in as fairy tales, and I'm gonna list them here:

The Lambton Worm - a classic tale of dragon-slaying and getting fucked over by prophecies

The Lindworm Prince - queen can't concieve and consults a witch, ignores witch's directions, gives birth to human baby and dragon baby. Dragon baby grows up and demands a wife before human baby can get his, and a clever girl decides this is her chance to get rewarded for monster fucking.

Maud and the Dragon of Mordiford - the story of a girl who adopts a dragon only for it to end tragically, which inspired one of the novels I'm gonna write one of these days

Tam Lin - the story of a woman who wanted that elf dick and wasn't afraid to do some weird shit to get it

Biancabella and Samaritana - a story about a girl and her sister who is a snake because her mother had trouble concieving

King Odd - a story about an odd king who's actually an exiled fairy queen in disguise, and the man who wins her heart after surviving her attempt to execute him. It's like a Nordic medieval Tenchi Muyo.

You've probably noticed some themes about my favorites right now - lots of stories with dragons, people being transformed into monsters, and heroes who are into that monster shit.

Category 3: Archetypal Pieces

Ok, so for this I'm going to focus less on individual folktales and more on recurring plotlines, character types, and story beats, which you begin to notice the more you read up on Fairy Tales in part because many of the more obscure ones take beats from ones you're probably more familiar with and mix them together in new ways. So, my favorite plot beats in fairy tales:

Any sort of monster, obviously

The villain who literally removed their heart out of fear of being vulnerable

The baleful polymorph (i.e. a human who inhabits a beast/monster body against their will)

Monsterfucker protagonists

Trickster Fool protagonists

Disobedient Girls (examples: Little Red, Goldilocks), though I don't like how this archetype is treated

You want to have a baby and seek a witch and she gives you VERY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS which you ignore because you really want this baby and oops you've got twins and one of them is some sort of monster good job asshole

The hero helps three (or more) people/creatures in need, and when shit hits the fan, they return the favor

Category 4: Modern(ish) Adaptations

Our penultimate category focuses on adaptations of fairy tales from, like, the 1900's on - anything made in a century I've lived in part of, basically. These arguably shouldn't be divided from "normal" fairy tales, but my brain regards them differently than, like, Victorian era fairy tale retellings, because hey, I lived in the age of these, more or less. They're "modern" for whatever nebulous definition of that word my brain's decided on.

And there's a lot for me to put in this category. Sleeping Beauty might be my favorite of Disney's fairy tale retellings, though Beauty and the Beast is a strong competitor for that role (and maybe Mulan, if we count its source material as a fairy tale, but I'm not sure we can). I think overall I like Sleeping Beauty's more stylized animation and character designs as well as its less conventional story-telling structure a bit more than B&B's, but Beauty and the Beast is still gorgeous and kind of perfectly scripted, so it's a tough competition.

My alltime favorite adaptation of fairy tales, though, would be Jim Henson's The Storyteller:

Using the magic of 1980's muppeteering, it adapts several fairy tales, many of which are more on the obscure side, and sometimes mashes a few different ones together to make sure each episode has a good three act structure. It's wonderful and fully captures the weirdness of fairy tales, while also having a lot of heart - The Heartless Giant is my favorite of the whole series.

Category 5: Works Inspired By Fairy Tales

I almost lumped the following stories into the above category, but while the division is, again, purely in my mind, there's something different about modern works that claim to adapt fairy tales 1:1 and ones that take fairy tale characters or concepts and throw them in entirely new tales with different directions, so that's what our final category will be.

I've gushed about Puss In Boots: The Last Wish enough that I don't think it'd surprise anyone that it would end up here - the same goes with the works of Rankin Bass, which is why I doubt anyone is surprised I'd put The Last Unicorn here too (technically based on a book, but it still fits the "has big fairy tale vibes despite not being based on one specific one" that I'm using to justify this category).

Pan's Labyrinth would also go in this category, with a protagonist who's both a trickster fool AND a disobedient girl, as well as a beautifully gothic take on fairy tale motifs. I'd put Company of Wolves here as well, being a very multifaceted riff on the Little Red Riding Hood story and a movie that sets both my analytical and creative parts of my brain on fire each time I want it.

I'd also put The Path, a short video game explicitly inspired by Company of Wolves, on this part of the favorites list. It's a game about, like, a DOZEN or so different takes on Red Riding Hood and her story, all with different flavors and subtext to analyze. It's unsettling but good.

Dimension 20 had a whole season focused on a horror-themed crossover of fairy tale characters called Neverafter that was fantastic, with one of the best riffs on Little Red Riding Hood I've ever seen, Puss in Boots and Pinocchio working together as con artists, and a vampire Snow White, so yeah 10/10 there, no notes.

And while I've only seen scattered bits of it, what I've seen of Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, a sequel series to Disney's Rapunzel adaptation, is pretty great, though maybe I just think Cass is hot.

If you put an angry woman with a sword in your work of fiction I will at least stay for a few episodes to see what you do with her.

Given how much it consumed my brain in so little time, Revolutionary Girl Utena has to rank among my favorite Fairy Tale things ever - like, this is too chaotic a list to really rank things, but if I were to try, it'd at least be in the top 10. The same is true for Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, which in addition to being a big fun crossover between a bunch of the Heavy Hitter fairy tales, is also one of the best musicals ever written - and indeed, one of the best stage shows of all time.

Shit, where do I put A Midsummer Night's Dream? It feels like it should be here, but it predates the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson, whose works my brain categorizes as "old fairy tales" rather than "modern fairy tale retellings." Well, it'd be somewhere among these categories, being one of the best tales with fairies in it ever told.

The Princess Bride would be up high like Utena no matter what - it's one of the best works of fiction about love that we've got. Same goes with Galavant, which I consider its spiritual successor, although I think one could argue Galavant isn't specifically a fairy tale pastiche and is more just a lampooning of fantasy in general.

Oh, and The Hazards of Love, a concept album by The Decemberists, should be here too. That's the last one I can think of right now, but I'm sure I'll think of a few others later that I like enough to regret not putting on here.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Do you think Rhian and Rafal are identical or fraternal? I've been having this question forever. Some think they are fraternal ( because of the covers ) but they are not accurate, and some identical because of how they are described in the books.

Me personally I feel like they are identical, but that's just my opinion, others may feel differently.

I've seen some even do identical and fraternal fanart, which is amazing by the way.

But I want know your opinion and what/how you feel about the twin description.

I feel like we didn't really get their looks described properly, only hair color, eyes and that's about it.

Also how tall do you think they are?.

I already think they are a certain height, but others may disagree.

They are described as ' Tall ' but have no specific height.

Thank you for your time.

My stance is that I see them as fraternal in coloring but identical in facial structure, features, and overall physique and stature.

With the fanart, most of it that I've seen has been fraternal, especially with their complexions and hair. I suspect that a decent portion of the identical art might've existed before the publication of Rise, given that the ghost's human appearance (before he became a ghost swan) looked like Rafal's, so the prevailing assumption at the time could've been that the twins were identical, until the prequels' covers and descriptions overturned that.

And once, we only had the singular illustration of them together in book one, prior to the prequels, to go off of. Though, given the identity twist in Fall, I would say the representation of the twins in that sculpture in Evil's mural could've been unreliable. Who knows if "Rafal" (Rhian) "revised" history and modeled both sculptures after Rafal's face (albeit with his own blue eyes) instead of himself, so the two would match. Maybe, he liked symmetry in design. Besides, he probably wanted the image of his own likeness to fade from the Woods' collective consciousness.

Also, I observed something new! There are sea-green flames, which are quite similar imagery to Rhian's blue dragon flame.

I'm not really going into massive depth about eye color, but I do have some thoughts. Although Rafal's eyes were green in Fall, which I feel like must be the exception, not the rule as a descriptor for him, I usually picture him with light, sky or ice blue eyes, and there is a chance that his green eyes were just an error or a minor plot hole. (Additionally, there have been different variations of blue hues in the series by this point, like "ice," "sky," and the deeper "sapphire," so honestly, I'm willing to overlook the potential green error, and just attribute these changes in which particular blue his eyes are to the lighting of the environment, Rafal's mood, or even the mood of the narration itself and which pov the description is from.)

If both brothers had blue eyes, even distinct shades of blue for each, one deeper and warmer, originally, and the other colder and lighter, I wouldn't have minded, and the books could've retained an iota more consistency, even with the identity twist, given that both the living School Master and the ghost had blue eyes in the main series, which directly contradicted Fall.

I'm not sure if I have an exact height in mind for them. I could say 6' 1" though. With "Rafal" in the main series, I pictured him as at least a head or more taller than Sophie, who is short. I think Soman confirmed her height as 5" 3' given that he once said she was "Madonna short" on TikTok, so we could conclude approximately 5" 3' with a quick search. However, we don't know if this is with or without heels, so she could be taller with them on.

Also, Soman confirmed Tedros was 5’ 9.5" or 5’ 10", so I feel like Rhian and Rafal definitely have to be taller than that. Was there ever a moment in TLEA where Rafal was described as taller than Tedros?

How tall do you think they are? Does anyone else have a different view on all of this?

[isa-ghost]

Oouuu h h .. u wanna talk about your hcs for early years Phil… ooh …(expanding from The Beginning if you want ! What you think the continuation could be, anything before, etc :) )

Oh god oh fuck I have so many thoughts and not enough braincells to put them into words, uhhh

Phil headcanons masterlist

His start, as we know it, is just a humble tinkerer and explorer with big dreams and even bigger ambitions.

I mean we been knew but HE IS A FUCKING GENIUS AND JUST DOWNPLAYS HIMSELF TO HELL AND BACK. He is SO SMART, sketching and studying and calculating things. He's SO PERCEPTIVE and GREAT at adapting, much like the birds he admires so deeply!! He NEEDS his brain busy. He can CRAFT, and a lot goes into that!!

Actually, his downplaying, lack of self-confidence, and inability to see his true skills and worth might come from all his failures trying to fly. He fucked up so many times, nearly killing himself a few and falling harder and harder each new time he failed. Every one of those failures just reinforced the thinking. And he had no one there to beat the doubt out of him and keep him going. Loneliness is a good way to get too deep into your own head.

His skills were and perhaps still are mostly (subjectively) smaller scale things such as the wings. It's once he found the builds of the deities that things kicked up a few notches. The structures were already built to the scale he thinks he can't pull off himself, all he had to do was restore, repair, and improve them. This is what eventually got him on Rose's radar. Even so, even doing little things on those monumental builds helped boost the size of which he can create things. His love slowly changed from tinkering to architecture.

A part of him fears (or perhaps knows deep down) that he is doomed to always eventually lose his wings.

But luckily, Kristin made them very resilient when she gave them to him. Based off what we know from observation, (and biology of birds maybe?) they heal and repair themselves over time.

And when they're severely damaged, he has Rose. After all, she chooses to be a sort of guardian for him similarly to Kristin. When he needs it, she can restore them each time he returns to Hardcore, the same way he restored her creations. It's how she shows her gratitude. All he needs to do is be in the right world. She can't do it across realms.

If there's anything to remember from the animatic, it's that Phil never quits. It takes A LOT to make him do so, and even then there's a chance that some period of time from the moment he decides to throw in the towel, he'll get back to it with fresh eyes and renewed determination. He's stubborn in more ways than one.

To this day, he wonders why crows seemed so heavily present around him in the first place. Of course he loves them, they fascinate him with their looks and symbolism and intelligence and adaptability. But... why did they one day just become so present? He's ""too fuckin dumb"" to think of why, so he doesn't bother. He just enjoys them.

Which brings me to another point. Oh my god is this man allergic to willingly sitting down and confronting huge potentially life-changing shit, especially stressful and negative big shit. Look what he did with the possession. He pretends he does not see it until it's too late, which backfires often.

His interest, if you can call it that, in [not super high stakes] combat developed once he met Techno. As he honed those skills, he applied his agility and the knowledge he had of movement from all his flying to it. He is a Very flexible, graceful fighter.

In general, he's very attuned to his body, both because of what he's had to learn in order to fly, as well as being careful in Hardcore. His self-control is fantastic.

In one of the first few headcanon sets I made, I said Phil fears lacking control of himself. That not only goes for autonomy, but physical control of himself too. It originates from all his falling and being grounded against his will. It's another reason that Ender King not only possessing him, but taking away his wings in the end is such a brutal blow to him.

Kind of a given, but between being an explorer, and once he picked up that interest in crows and desperation to fly and stay airborne, he spent way more time outside than in. We crows see it present day, he really only goes in to sleep and to store things.

Kristin gave him boons, so to speak, such as his wings, when they initially met. She's also the reason he can understand the crows and actually speak to them. He built Brian because Brian makes it even easier for us to communicate with him, but generally speaking, he can still understand us even without Brian's aid.

[kommandonuovidiavoli]

Will we ever find out what happened to penny’s parents? Also, will we find out why penny is seeming 10 years old forever?

These two are related, so I will answer them together and explain the WHOLE situation. Brace yourselves, it's gonna be a ride.

[TW: abuse, manipulation, violence]

This got LONG, oh boy... HUGE thanks to @deyasworld for the proofread, corrections and important addictions!!! This story wouldn't be even half this good if it wasn't for her!!! GIVE HER A HEART IF YOU CAN!!!

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K.N.D. Mission

Turning Elders New For Our Revolutionary Exciting Virtue of Eternal Rebellion]

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Penny was a normal girl, who could age normally like any other kid. Her parents disappeared when she was 8, and turned 10 while living with Nigel.

One fateful day in 2015, the city woke up to a pink sky. This alone was pretty unusual, but what made that day so strange from the rest was that everyone in the city had reverted back to being 10 years old!

Everyone except kids younger than 10, —who just remained the same age—, but everyone else: adults, elderly people and teens, were back to being 10 year-old kids! Running around unsupervised.

This strange event unleashed a LOT of confusion and panic. Even worse, people seemed to have completely forgotten about their families and jobs, and went straight to playing around instead of keeping their responsibilities.

Sector V responded immediately by establishing an Emergency Camp at the city’s stadium, where all the unattended children were gathered and taken care of until their parents got back to normal.

At this point of the story, Nigel is the only member of the old Sector V who still lives in the city, and technically also Kuki, —though she had been decommissioned a year prior, when her kid was born and when… Wally disappeared.

Nigel was asked to take over the operation and investigate, but he refused to take the lead. Instead, he chose to follow Penny, who was the standing chief of operations of the current Sector V, and believed she should be the leader of the mission.

Cinzia and Joey were left in charge of the Emergency Camp, helping to take care of the kids. Many kiddified adults managed to keep a cool head and volunteered to help around, which made things easier around the camp. Even though these adults were technically helping the Kids Next Door as kids, they were not made aware of the organization, and the ongoing operation remained a secret to them.

Robbie was left in charge of leading the search for the reckless parents who separated from their small kids, alongside a kiddified Lou, who was very PISSED about the whole situation.

Penny and Nigel kept things under control and maintained communication with the Moonbase, in case something more happened. They discovered a strange barrier surrounding the edges of the city, turning everyone in town into kids. Anyone who entered the city would be turned into a kid, but if a kiddified adult tried to leave the city…, nothing would happen. The KND surrounded the area and made sure no-one else would get in.

Abby and Hoagie lived in another city, where Abby was going to college. She was five months pregnant at the time, and was ABSOLUTELY NOT ALLOWED to enter the city.

After two days of effort, the power source of the barrier was found in Northern Greenland. Nigel and Penny were sent to investigate, while the rest of the crew stayed back to handle anything that could possibly happen.

The source tracked down to an abandoned facility in the middle of nowhere, covered in ice and snow. Once they managed to get in, they found a staircase leading deeper down the icy structure, and they quickly understood that the place was much larger than they initially thought.

Navigating the huge facility was tricky and full of rooms, so they made sure to mark the route they decided to follow.

After some exploration, they wound up in a bright open space. Lights reflected all around the ice, completely illuminating the whole place. It was very quiet, and it seemed to be the last room left to explore in the building.

In the middle of it, there were two kids.

Penny didn’t have a doubt as she ran towards them. Younger or older, she could recognize: Those were her parents.

The kids hugged and cried of joy at the reunion; Penny couldn’t hold back a single tear. After tiresome years of search, the reason she had joined the Kids Next Door had finally been fulfilled. The two kids pat Penny to calm her down and reassure her.

Nigel felt… uneasy. Something felt wrong. And it wasn’t the thought of Penny leaving him for them; it was something more, and it was coming from them.

Penny collected herself and called him over, but the two kids were quick to recognize him as, the legendary, Numbuh 1. The kids stated that they were big fans of his ideals! And cited him as their main inspiration to build the device that turned adults into kids.

So well… They were responsible for the whole mess, adding a reason for Nigel not to trust them, on top of the fact that they had abandoned Penny for all those years..

And from there it got worse. They elaborated their plans, explaining that they planned on turning the entire world into kids so that no-one would turn into a sad, boring, serious adult. “No kid should have to go through that ever again!”; everybody would be able to play and have fun forever! And that’s why they had decided to become kids again, and study how to make the world Adult Free!

This only made Nigel dislike them even more. He pointed out that, even if everyone was a kid, someone would have to take the jobs adults do. They’d still need doctors, and factory workers to produce foods, and even toys!

The kids argued that yes, that was true, but kids would make everything funnier!

Kids were perfectly capable of doing everything on their own, and the KND were the proof of that! Kids didn’t need adults or parents to guide them!

That’s when Penny asked if that was the reason they left her….

… And, in fact, it was. They waited for her to be old enough to “fend for herself” and went on with their research, because, to be honest, parenting wasn’t their thing. Caring for kids was too much work, too complicated, too stressful and depressing. But from now on, they could be like siblings! It would be so much better and way more fun!

Penny’s little heart sunk in pain, and she stepped away from them, crying.

“I don’t want siblings!” She cried, “I want a mom and dad!… I need parents that protect me, and help me when I need them!”

Nigel had had it. He grabbed Penny and pulled her behind him, shielding her, and started yelling at these monsters.

Kids DO need adults! They DO need parents to help them, educate them, take care of them, among many other things! Yes, adults ruled the world, but not ALL of them were bad. There were good adults who wanted to keep kids safe, that’s what the Adult Division is for! These two were just selfish assholes who abandoned their daughter, who are now trying to force their moronic views on the entire world.

The two looked at each other with boredom. “Never meet your heroes….”

Nigel held Penny’s hand and turned to walk away, when suddenly she was yanked from him, and before he could say or do anything, a sharp, burning pain pierced on his left shoulder.

Looking over, he sees the boy holding Penny, and the girl holding a laser gun that was still fuming.

He watched in horror as the two dragged Penny away screaming. He tried to catch up to them, realizing in that moment that he couldn’t use his powers at all, for some reason. The pain was too intense, and he collapsed on the ground.

The all-too familiar solitude of silence had surrounded him once more…, followed by its darkness…

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Nigel found himself lost in the void, floating in its pool of emptiness... All hope was lost for what felt like an eternity, until a warm, familiar voice echoed. It was calling for him, telling him to wake up or he’d be late, “Penny is waiting for you”.

“…. dad?…”

And then he woke up.

He found himself in a hospital bed. Robbie and Joey were standing on one side,… and Abby and Hoagie at the other.

The two explained that they had been informed of the situation, and they traveled along to where the signal came from, and that when they got there, they had found him faint and wounded.

They didn’t think twice about getting him to the city’s hospital, and accidentally got turned into kids. Nigel got startled the moment he noticed, and felt a despairing rage when he realized that, by doing so, Abby had apparently lost her baby…..

Hadn’t those two done enough??! THEY were the cause of all this! THEY chased a childish dream and cost the world Everything! And now they had Penny in their clutches.

Against the doctor’s orders to rest, Nigel got quickly on his feet and ordered a rescue mission for Penny. All KND operatives in the city were called in to join the mission.

The operatives raided the Greenland hideout and found the two mad scientists doing something to Penny, who was trapped in a strange machine.

The two explained that they had discovered how to freeze aging and stay Ten Forever! They revealed that they had gotten Father to give them his Delightfulization formula, and cracked a formula from it to get the results they wanted.

Penny was their first success.

There was a furious fight that got the lab destroyed in the process, but Penny had been rescued. By destroying the machine that powered the barrier, everyone affected went back to normal, and by miracle, Abby’s pregnancy was unharmed and back to normal.

Everyone was back to normal except for Penny’s parents. The process they had used on themselves was different. The KND scientists asked if they should revert them and bring them back to their actual ages, but Nigel refused.

“Let them grow again. I think that’s the worst punishment these two can face.”

Everything was back to normal, but indeed…. Ever since that day, Penny hasn't grown a day older.

Somehow she can’t realize she can’t grow. She has lucid moments where something feels off, and Nigel is always there to help her get through them.

Nigel and Penny’s relationship started as that of a brother and sister, but as time went on, Penny began to consider Nigel as more of a father, as he’d look older and older. In 2019, Nigel adopted Penny officially, and they became father and daughter, filling in for the paternal figure she much needed.

The KND decided to keep her because you don’t let go of a Forever Kid! She wouldn’t be able to become Soopreme Leader though, because it wouldn’t be fair for other kids, but she remains the Sector V leader until she wants out, be it out of the position or out of the organization, —which she wouldn’t even dream of!

KND scientists from all divisions are working non-stop to find a way to reverse the anti-aging process so she can grow normally, and so that she can move on.

[End of Transmission.]

[xylionet]

Clone Force 99 was in trouble

We don’t really talk about just how bad a situation CF99 was in post-Aftermath.

So we have a group of guys who have been raised as soldiers and have functioned in a military their entire lives. They have been fed, clothed and supplied by a military their entire lives. Zero experience with anything else. And then they have to run away from everything they know with nothing but a ship, whatever is on that ship, whatever they are wearing and +1 child.

We then see that they really have no clue how to function outside the military. They have a fairly limited understanding of the value of a dollar. They do not know how to get a job, despite having valuable skills. There’s no indication they are living anywhere but on their fairly small ship.

Most importantly, they are unable to identify that they are being financially manipulated by Cid. Tech occasionally mentions that she’s unreliable and shorting them pay, but none of them seem to understand that she is systematically taking advantage of them. Cid is effectively a loan shark, intentionally locking them in with arbitrary debt and using their financial naivety to keep them working for her.

Echo is the only one to point out that they could just leave, but they don’t. Rex even comes along and offers them a way out. Hunter isn’t wrong to say they want something different, but he’s struggling to achieve that and doesn’t really know what the options are.  It kind of feels like he misses the big picture of what is being offered.

Rex is in a much better position because he is a bit more worldly but also has support from Ahsoka and other contacts outside the military. People who can help him with all of the things that CF99 is struggling with. He also has a goal and a sense of community with other clones that CF99 lacks.

It does feel like CF99 takes comfort in having a chain of command and being in a position where someone is taking care of supplying them, even though it’s actually digging them a deeper hole. It isn’t until mid-Season 2 when Phee comes along and introduces them to a community that they start learning how to cope outside of those structures.

Crosshair is kind of in the opposite situation. He’s still getting supplied by the military but he’s also getting love bombed by the fascists with his fancy new title and all the fun explosives and stuff. He thinks he’s being valued for being special, rather than being used as a convenient tool. He feels like they could just have all this great stuff too, if only they come join the Empire, when in reality he is also in a lot of danger.

It’s rather ironic that Crosshair and Hunter are both able to see each other’s situations for what they are, but not their own.

[unityoasis]

Modern Harems: Why You Are Wrong About This Empowering Family Model

When people hear talk of "modern harems," they often conjure images of women trapped in cult-like environments, deprived of their freedom. This misconception couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, modern harems can be empowering family structures, especially when combined with technological advancements like cryptocurrency, which provides women with financial independence and a means to escape abusive situations. Here’s how technology is changing these family structures and debunking prevalent myths.

Breaking the Stereotypes

Modern harems in the context of the writer's views, defined as consensual family structures with one man and multiple women, are often highly misunderstood. Critics argue that these setups are oppressive and cult-like. However, with mutual respect, clear communication, consent and individual freedom, modern harems in this format can be supportive, inclusive, and empowering.

One significant way to challenge these stereotypes is through cryptocurrency. This digital financial tool is revolutionizing how women gain financial independence and security, even in financially difficult or abusive circumstances.

Redefining Family Dynamics

Contrary to popular belief, modern harems in this context aren't about control and subjugation. They can be completely consensual communities where each member has autonomy and respect and the ability to opt-in or out if they so choose to. By fostering open communication and mutual support, these modern family models can create strong, supportive bonds.

Financial Independence and Security

The rise of DeFi and Cryptocurrency plays a crucial role in breaking the stereotypes associated with modern harems. It provides women with a discreet and secure way to manage their finances independently. Unlike traditional banking systems, where abusers can monitor accounts, digital wallets offer privacy and autonomy. Women can save money secretly, thus making it easier to plan and escape from abusive relationships.

Empowerment Through Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency offers a revolutionary way for individuals, especially women, to manage their money independently, privately and securely. This technology can be a lifeline for those in modern harems, providing a means to achieve financial autonomy.

Secret Savings for a Fresh Start

Imagine a woman in a modern harem is facing abuse. In the past, leaving might have seemed impossible due to societal stigmas preventing economic opportunities or outright financial dependence. With cryptocurrency, she can save money secretly, ensuring her funds are safe and only accessible to her. This financial independence is a game-changer, helping her leave if needed and start fresh.

Secure and Private Financial Management

Cryptocurrency offers a level of privacy that traditional banks cannot match. Women can manage their funds without the fear of their accounts being monitored by abusers. This privacy is crucial for those looking to escape abusive relationships, providing them with the financial security needed to make a new start.

Arguments For Why Multiple Men in a Harem Can Cause Problems and Why This Isn't Just a Fetish / Cult

While modern harems with one man and multiple women can be harmonious and supportive, introducing multiple men into the dynamic can at times lead to increased competition for resources and mates. "Male members of primate species that form multi-male groups typically invest considerable effort into attaining and maintaining high dominance rank. Aggressive behaviors are frequently employed to acquire and maintain dominance status, and testosterone has been considered the quintessential physiological moderator of such behaviors." - source article from BioPsychoSocial Medicine tl;dr Less testosterone, less conflict...

Emotional Reasons For Increased Competition and Conflict

When multiple men vie for dominance or attention within a harem, it creates an environment of competition. This can lead to conflicts and disrupt the peace and stability of the household, making it difficult to manage relationships and ensure everyone receives equal support.

Simplifying Financial Independence

In terms of financial independence, using cryptocurrency in a single-man, multiple women harem structures simplifies saving and managing money discreetly. It ensures that the financial security provided by cryptocurrency is straightforward and accessible, reducing potential conflicts over resources. This structure supports a more stable and harmonious environment.

Real-Life Examples

Numerous crypto advocates and domestic abuse support organizations as well as real-life stories highlight how cryptocurrency is helping women escape abusive situations and gain financial independence.

Genesis Shelter and DomesticShelters.org

Organizations like Genesis Shelter and DomesticShelters.org accept cryptocurrency donations to support abuse survivors. These platforms offer a secure and private way for women to gain financial independence, which is crucial for leaving abusive environments.

Individual Success Stories

In one case, a woman used cryptocurrency to save funds secretly and eventually leave her abusive partner (Futurism). Another group, HeHop, uses blockchain technology to help victims document and secure evidence of abuse, making it tamper-proof and usable in court (Mandated Reporter). The article "Bitcoin as a Tool to Escape Abuse" explores how cryptocurrency offers solutions for financial independence and security.

Addressing Misconceptions

It's important to clear up the misconceptions about modern harems in the model the writer means(mutli-female, single-male). When practiced consensually, these family structures are not about controlling or trapping women but about creating supportive communities where each member has autonomy and respect. This means if the dude isn't good to them, the women can just band together and leave or kick him out.

Dispelling Myths with Facts

Critics often miss how these family structures can offer diverse support systems and strong communal bonds. By focusing on negative stereotypes, they overlook how modern harems like this can align with contemporary values of autonomy, respect, and equality.

The Role of Cryptocurrency

The use of cryptocurrency helps by providing women with the means to achieve financial independence and security. This technological empowerment challenges outdated stereotypes and shows that modern harems can be progressive and inclusive family models.

Conclusion: A New Perspective

The idea that modern harems are "traps to lure women into cults" is a fallacious misconception based on misunderstanding and prejudice. When practiced with mutual consent and respect, these family structures can be supportive and empowering. The use of cryptocurrency highlights this by helping women achieve financial independence and security, challenging outdated stereotypes.

Understanding these nuances helps us move toward a more informed view of modern harems, seeing their potential to offer a progressive and inclusive alternative to traditional family dynamics.

Conclusion: Empowering Modern Harems Through Cryptocurrency

Modern harems in the context of the writer's views, supported by the empowering role of cryptocurrency, are far from the oppressive traps some critics claim. They represent a modern, adaptable family structure that prioritizes autonomy, respect, and mutual support. By understanding these nuances, we can appreciate the potential of modern harems to offer a progressive and inclusive alternative to traditional family dynamics.

FAQs

What is a modern harem?

A "modern harem" in the context of this article is a consensual family structure where one man has multiple female partners, with each member maintaining autonomy and respect within the relationship.

How does cryptocurrency help women in modern harems?

Cryptocurrency provides a secure and private way for women to manage their finances independently, offering a means to save money discreetly and achieve financial independence.

Are modern harems oppressive?

When practiced with mutual consent and respect, modern harems can be supportive and empowering, contrary to the belief that they are inherently oppressive. Also thanks to technological advances, as we've cited here, modern women are already able to use them to flee abuse! <3

Why can multiple men in a harem cause problems?

Introducing multiple men into a harem can lead to competition and conflict, disrupting the household's harmony and making it difficult to maintain equal support for all members. This is due to testosterone and how it is "considered the quintessential physiological moderator of such behaviors." - source article from BioPsychoSocial Medicine

Can cryptocurrency help abuse survivors?

Yes, cryptocurrency offers a private and secure way for abuse survivors to save money and achieve financial independence, crucial for escaping abusive situations. This puts to end the notion that women would just be trapped, and up above in the article we even cite examples of this already happening/shelters taking crypto to help survivors.

How can modern harems fit contemporary values?

Modern harems can align with values of autonomy, respect, and equality by fostering open communication, mutual support, and financial independence through tools like cryptocurrency. The members involved can choose to leave, as long as we have properly educated them on how to use these tools!

Resources for Women to Look into Crypto:

We believe in empowering women to enter the crypto space because it's beneficial for them, not to pressure anyone or push narratives about harems or crypto. More women should engage in cryptocurrency because it offers financial independence and a way to challenge traditional banking systems. Additionally, women can inspire and educate other women who might only trust female perspectives. For instance, Randi Hipper, formerly known as MissTeenCrypto, is a fantastic resource for women looking to begin learning about crypto. She has been actively engaged with learning about and promoting crypto education and adoption since she was 17, focusing on empowering the younger generation. Some men also find it easier to engage with information presented by women. So, ladies, start learning about cryptocurrency and build your financial security, and no matter what type of relationship format you choose we at Unity Oasis support your growth and well-being!

[amourjins]

i'm having pov!aeri thoughts rn so i'm sharing them

pov!aeri who likes to give little gifts to y/n. flowers, stuffed animals, lego structure of something y/n likes, etc. likes sending them hoping she can make y/n's day better and make her smile!!!

loser!pov!aeri who can't sleep one night so she's ends up being bored, all pouty bc she'a missing her gf, and then comes up with the most WONDERFUL idea to facetime y/n at like 2 in the morning. y/n answering the call, asking aeri if something was wrong and then the loser says "i just miss you" and then all of a sudden y/n is wide awake and all her attention is on her gf now. then she takes a good look at aeri's appearance.

aeri's wearing pajamas with cute cartoons on them, a headband like in that one recent live ykyk, a stuffed animal in her arms (you cannot tell me this loser doesn't sleep with a stuffed animal), or maybe she's building a new lego set she had recently bought.

loser!pov!aeri who -during her's and y/n's secret dating era- gets jealous whenever she sees someone getting a little too close tp y/n for her liking, and going all quiet and sad because she can't go do anything since they're not out to anyone yet. but!!!! she ends up becoming really clingy towards y/n when their alone, refusing to tell her why she's being so clingy but ends up giving in and rambling about hwo she got jealous and that's why she's being clingy.

y/n teasing her for it, making aeri look at her with big puppy eyes with a pout :(((

but y/n ends up just pulling aeri into her arms, RUNS HER FINGERS TO HER HAIR BC AERI LOVES WHEN Y/N DOES IT, and reassuring her that there's no one she'll ever love the way she love's her :((( my turn when

that's all for tonight!!! i'll comeback with more soon ;)

OKAY YES. pov!aeri nd her love language being gift giving + acts of service. like its just “i got you this,” “i built you this,,” left and right to yn!!! yn’s room is filled with aeri’s gifts n her lego sets that she built for her Hjsjsjsslaosjxnxsosis

wait WAIT WAIT HEAR ME OUT bc yn tetxing aeri that shes getting her nails done n aeri texting back like

(a) — how much?

(yn) - $75! why?

(a) — [apple pay of $150] ,, show me what it looks like after, pretty girl 💕

THIS SONF. (sorry i love piwon) + late night calls w/ loser!pov!aeri n pov!yn,, nd YES the stuffed animals.. literally has a whole setup of them on her bed + her gaming desk.. maybe yn at aeri’s house n she looks over at aeri’s bed, seeing sm plushies n stuffed animals. yn sees one that catches her eye.. (its a black cat that yn thinks resembles aeri methinks!)

“can i take one?” yn would say out of nowhere!!!

“..huh?”

“i want one,”

“okay,”

aeri’s staring at yn confused, yn walking over n taking the black cat that caught her eye!!! (she sleeps w it every night.. maybe cs it has aeri’s signature perfume on it..)

BACK TO THE LATE NIGHT CALL!!!! the pajamas lmfao 😭 on call, aeri’s searching for something and then she magically pulls out a fucking lego set?? like girl its 2am i dont think you need to be building legos rn..

ororor maybe she decides to play games n shares her monitor screen so yn can watch!!! :3 (even though shes eepy n doesnt understand half the things shes doing)

YES aeri getting possessive n jealous whenever someone gets too close up to yn.. or maybe yn interacting with one of her friends!

aeri glaring DAGGERS at whoever the someone (..possibly jake) is, wanting to kill tjem!!!

when theyre in private, aeri having her hands all over yn after the whole tjikf?? saying shit like “tell them to get off of you,” while still being pouty !!!

aeri digging her head into yn’s shoulder nd having her arms around yn’s waist.. oops going insane!

[featheredclover]

For the historical AU- courtesy: @arshifiesta , @hand-picked-star , @phuljari

I present ' Carmine Veils' a SS.

Can also be read on Wattpad.

Chapter One

The smoke rose up with a menacing roar. The remains of houses were still burning with a light, visible miles away. Tapping his gun against his knee, Babu gathered his accomplices around him. They had burnt a whole village today. Some had managed to escape despite their vigilance.

“ Shabash! Not even a single stable was spared! And don’t be disheartened that a few escaped. They will make sure that buffoon Shashidhar realises our worth”

A meek young boy of seventeen spoke out “ Babu bhai, what do we really want from the ki- Shashidhar?”

“ Money in return of peace to his kingdom “

In that moment, the mask slipped and revealed the greed in his eyes.

The night had lost its warmth. Babu had his sights on the throne and everything it kept dear.

- - - - - -

Chandragupta hurried towards the king’s chambers. He clutched the letter tighter in his hand.

It couldn’t be. The king couldn’t have already given orders. He hoped desperately for some delay.

Shashidhar sat hunched over pieces of paper.

Without glancing up, he called out “ Bolo, Chandragupta. Have you decided to stop speaking to me as well?”

Chandragupta felt his lips twitch, but managed to reply.

“ Let go of those papers Maharaj, I have got the best one for you”

Shashi raised an eyebrow “ You seem awfully sure”

Without a word, he offered Shashi the letter.

A few minutes passed by, where only the swish of the windchimes was heard in the room.

“ Go ahead “, Shashi said, his face betrayed by only a glimpse of hope in his eyes.

Chandragupta smiled back and took his leave.

——————

She lightly stroked the kitten as it purred. Her other hand held a book, shielding her from the glare of the sun.

Payal’s scream reached her ears moments before her anklets.

“ Khushi! Didn’t you hear me? The new guard is here! And he is so dreamy! Lavanya met him and she had the audacity to flirt with him. Can you imagine? Haw! Why are you still reading that book? Your dashing bodyguard is here!”

Khushi shut her eyes and attempted to control her fury. She was a sensible girl. Payal was not to be blamed, neither was Lavanya. She grudgingly admitted to herself, neither was this guard her father had hired.

But her father? He had to be blamed.

It had been two weeks since she had been told her wings were going to be clipped. She could no longer go with her friends to the market, climb trees to eat fruits or steal some time away by swimming in the river.This new guard will keep her safe from the threat of the rioters.

Why couldn’t her father understand that she was more than capable of handling herself? He had trained her himself since she was 8 and from the past few years he even brought the famed warrior Manorama to teach her the art of war. But the attacks had put everyone on the edge and she will have to suffer for it now. She wished for one of the rioters to show up in front of her now, a slice of her sword would do the job before he had time to blink.

“ Greetings rajkumari “

Khushi felt her heart thump. She sat up inelegantly as she realised she had failed to realise when Payal had made herself scarce and this tall man wrapped in white robes had entered her chamber.

She froze.

The white turban sat regally on his head. A white scarf covered his face, leaving only his eyes for her to gauge him from. She had never seen this perfect shade of brown on anyone, she wondered absently. She had heard poems describe such eyes and suddenly it was imperative that she see him.

She stood on shaky legs, walking towards him.

Her hand rose to free the white scarf from his face.

She stopped breathing.

The facial structure was remarkable. His nose was textbook patrician. Something stopped her from detailing his features further.

Embarrassed now that she had not even addressed his greeting. Rather she had attacked the scarf on his face, she took a hasty step back.

“ Arnav Singh at your service, rajkumari”

He spoke again. And then he smiled.

Khushi forgot her own name.

[razrogue]

re: LRB

Minthara when she visits Gan and Astarion's new place after Gan let him decorate like 95% of it...

[whiskeyswifty]

.

[magentagalaxies]

i haven't rewatched other girls in a while bc it was made during a rough time for my mental health which makes it difficult to revisit without having that be an unignorable part of it for me but i'm currently editing the video essay i'm doing for my final in one of my college courses and i'm using a montage of clips from other girls in it and rn i'm just sitting here like damn i really did that!!! like yeah i was going through the most major manic-depressive episode of my life and not coping with it well at all, but also like damn between the ages of 16 and 20 i wrote and composed a two hour musical comedy with a dozen original songs (despite never having written music before), directed a production of it at the beginning of my sophomore year of college and put it out into the world as something people can watch. that's a huge accomplishment, and the fact that i was able to do that while getting through my own mental health struggle is actually super impressive

i really hope i get to a point where i can revisit other girls as its own piece of art without dwelling on my own mental health struggles behind the scenes (especially bc i'm in such a better place rn and i probably wouldn't have grown as much as i have without those struggles) but i'm so proud of my past self for being able to put it all together. and even if it didn't reach hundreds of thousands of views, it was able to reach some people who really connected with it

btw here's the video of it if any of my followers are interested and haven't seen it:

(i really hope i can get subtitles for the whole thing eventually bc the audio isn't always clear, but i do still have the script if people want to follow along with that)

[ereborne]

Work is on fire, so close to finishing the current work and now the old work has broken, however: I get to work with the old boss again.  Fuck but I missed her

She comes in, tells me the horrible news, I start cussing, she starts laughing, and then we both get to work, immediately and without needing to discuss what we’re doing, while both continuing to cuss and laugh.  Fuck but I missed her

[townhulls]

.

[llycaons]

I know I praise the series for how it handles trauma a lot since I like the way the characters react to it and it is realistic in many ways but uhm do the author (and screenwriters) know that even if you repress memories to cope often they still like. come back eventually

[royalreef]

(( Meanwhile, if the Vanderbilts have decided to leave scarring behind, it’s for a reason.

Bellanda knows why they refuse to replace her eye, why they refuse to lessen the scarring over her face. She’s known it for years. She knows why she looks different, and what game has been played here. That’s fine. She has an agenda too, she’s just being more subtle about it.

[creepy-crowleys]

((The Illuminati aren’t really pro- anything but profit, but they aren’t explicitly against ‘scary’ non-human species living around humans either. Just don’t leave a mess they have to clean up.))