#i don't know if i can fully say it but that is exemplified by their nickname for him

[devotion-between-the-wheat]

finally got around to cleaning o.m nigh.tbringer's 17th chapter, and oh it's giving me thoughts about the si + solomon dynamic again.

[antimisinfo]

as someone who has maladaptive daydreaming disorder this pisses me off so FUCKING BAD. im too shakey to type much less read this fully but oh my fucking god. oh my god. what the FUCK. how fucking DARE this person take MY DISORDER and twist it to conform to their DISGUSTING ABLEIST BELIEFS?? im reFUCKINGvolted

https://www.tumblr.com/alyssasmaddworld/741046067507904512/theres-this-level-of-dissociation-that-goes-hand?source=share

i- this post is a lot, but i'll try deconstruct each point here.. i'll be focusing on points that i can debate here / can disprove or try to disprove here because otherwise this will be a really long post,, longer than it already is. also i'll be referring to maladaptive daydreaming as MD for simplicity's sake. if i get any information on MD wrong please let me know as i do not have this disorder(?) nor do i know much about it outside of the research done for this post.

the source linked here does say that it is a dissociative disorder and it does say that it might not be caused purely by trauma " Although trauma may be one causal factor, we indicate several other etiological pathways to the development of MD. We discuss associations with related concepts and suggest directions for future research " so there isn't much for me to say here other than the part about plurality, but we'll go more into depth on that below.

this.. the source they used is pluralpedia.. which used the source of a tumblr blog.. so lets get into this. the first source also mentions maladaptive characters / MD characters but it also says that it is not like DID " We discuss and exemplify with clinical vignettes the shared phenomenological characteristics between MD and dissociative phenomena, such as double consciousness, vivid visual imagery, and the creation of internally narrated characters. MD characters can be experienced as somewhat independently-agentic, although unlike dissociative identity disorder (DID), they typically do not take control over the daydreamer’s behavior "

so lets look into MD characters, shall we? the only source i can find on MD characters ((other than the one they linked / tumblr posts)) consider them more of a form/type of daydreaming (experiencing the daydream as yourself or as a character, daydreaming about a character, ect). these characters are not at all similar to alters and the "closest" i found was the foreign character

" For those who heavily engage in maladaptive daydreaming, they often will begin to develop "The Foreign Character" type of maladaptive daydreaming. In this type, you daydream about a central character who you believe is yourself, but who is fundamentally different in almost all respects. " — maladaptivedaydreaming.org

however these are not at all similar to alters which are

"  two or more separate identities called “alters.” They control your behavior at various times. Each alter has its own personal history, traits, likes, and dislikes " — WebMD

the same source on foreign characters also states that " The reality is that for most people, they engage in these kinds of daydreams because they want to daydream about things entirely devoid from themselves and their real world experience. They don't want to daydream about themselves being a doctor or being better looking (to use the prior examples I used), but instead they want to dream about themselves being entirely different people so they can escape from who they really are. ". other than that source there is very little evidence on these characters being separate identities, even then it's important to keep in mind that it is not the same as having a split identity as it only appears during daydreams i would assume and would not be able to control you, how you think, how you behave, ect. ((which the first source literally said,, do endos even read their sources??)) i would also like to add that if these characters feel real and you believe all your daydreams to be real then it might actually be a delusion. there's nothing wrong with having delusions but it is also important to recognise that it's not real and that it does not at all compare to being a system.

the first source they used to claim that having MD is the same as being plural is a pro endo source, it defines being plural as " The most simplified definition of the term plural that includes all people who take the label is “someone who shares the same physical body with other individuals.”  Such a group is sometimes referred to as a system, though many plural groups use different terminology. " which,, again having daydreams are is not the same as having separate identities, so really this source means nothing.. and the second source is.. just insane really. its a study done on the experiences of those with multiple identities. they did two things, one was an online survey that had 200-300 results and then 6 interviews.. which is definitely not enough evidence, since they cannot know if people are lying on those online surveys and 6 people are not enough to make it a reliable source. but lets focus on the part they pointed out, which was:

" Empirical measurement of multiplicity is sparse. The first inventory published in the field was the Plural Self Scale (Altrocchi, 1999), which assesses the structure of the personality. High scores indicate that thoughts and feelings are different through time and situations. The other inventory to assess multiplicity was developed by Carter (2008) and consists of 20 items, such as “Does your handwriting change noticeably at different times?” or “Do you swing suddenly from one mood to another for no apparent reason?.” However, these scales measure the integrity of the self and rely on the assumption that there is a “you” or “I” who is able to self-reflect. Individuals who consider themselves multiple refer to themselves as a group of selves (“we”). Thus, questionnaires that assess the extent of self-integration fail to assess the experience of individuals who claim to have multiple selves who all have different thoughts, feelings, motivations, and levels of complexity. " which-- just isn't much of a criteria other than the questions, of which are "does your handwriting change at different times" and " do you swing from one mood to another with no apparent reason", but it literally says this fails to asses those who claim to be plural-- so i don't see what their point was here really. it just seems like they're saying words for the sake of saying words.

i don't think this person realises what closed culture is.. tulpulmacy is not a form of being plural nor should it be considered that, thoughtforms are usually used purely for meditation or for your spiritual journey, not for fun,, unlike "tupla systems" which are often not even Buddhists, which is the main issue. a closed practise, which is what tulpulmacy is, is a "practice in which you can only take part in their craft if you were specifically born into the practice, or went through an initiation process.". while i'm not 100% sure what exactly they mean with the last part there isn't much for me to say here other than the fact that tulpulmacy is not the same as being plural and we did have a former Buddhist actually talk to us about this here! and while it isn't exactly sourced i feel its still an important read.

i believe they're speaking about the word plural here,, which wasn't made by endos?? the word plural just refers to more then one. unless they mean traumagenic?? which then confuses me because their source doesn't really mention it--

culture is dynamic yes, but some cultures are closed and it's important to understand that-- just because the culture is shifting doesn't mean you can steal closed practises.

"endogenic sphere" makes me shiver but okay, lets talk about this too. there isn't a lot of research on MD, so i cannot say what the direct cause is. "Experts don’t know exactly why maladaptive daydreaming happens. However, they suspect it happens because maladaptive daydreaming can be a coping mechanism for problems like anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions."

no?? what?? as i said above, many times, having MD is not the same as having DID / being a system and also the image only refers to feeling disconnected from the body and sense of identity which is pretty common with dissociation and doesn't exactly prove anything related to endogenic systems..

i- ?? i mean as i said before we don't know what exactly causes MD but i don't believe people chose to do this?? not really??

" maladaptive daydreaming is often compulsive, which means a person feels like they need to do it. Because the need to daydream is similar to an addiction, daydreaming more often can make it a strong habit, so it’s very hard to stop doing it. That’s why seeking mental healthcare for it sooner rather than later is important. "

but all being said, its not a vaild form of plurality because its nothing like having separate identities?? sure when daydreaming you might identify as a different person but you're still you. your overall identity is intact and i'm pretty sure most people with MD do not think their daydreams are real, i believe that would be a delusion instead of a daydream-- and an important separation is these characters would only show up in daydreams i assume, while alters are always there, infact in DID you yourself is an alter but in MD one of you is a person and the other is a character created through daydreams,, which is not comparable to genuine parts / alters. ((also please do not harass the person who made the original post, our post / response is purely meant to educate and correct misinformation and we do not intend for people to go to the op's blog and send them things))

[reidsc0nverse]

A Rose by Any Other Name (Chapter Two)

Summary: Reader accompanies Emily to a club during a case where Spencer shows her one of his many talents with the help of the one and only Derek Morgan.

Warnings: Language (not much at all)

AN: This is based on episode 4x9 (obviously) and basically goes along with the story. Also let's pretend Courtney (the bartender) wasn't the object of Spencer's attention for his magic trick. K thanks.

Series Masterlist

---------------------༺⚘༻---------------------

The other day when I walked through the doors of the BAU I was not expecting to be thrown into my job, but of course, it happened. 

I was in the technical analyst Penelope Garcia's office when all of a sudden JJ (as she now told me I can call her) went into labor. How wonderful.

I mean don't get me wrong I'm so happy for her, but I still had a good week of training that I could've used.

That was two weeks ago, so now I'm fully in my spot as Communications Liaison, and not to brag or anything.. I'm doing pretty well. 

Right now we've been working a case in Atlanta where a guy of the "Alpha Male" type would kill women that he would pick up from the local bars. The team came to the conclusion that he was getting his tips from a pick up artist that seems to be teaching his skills to other men. 

They call him "Viper" and, according to Emily, he's a real treat.

"He's a grade A asshole." she huffs walking into the room of the precinct I'm in. 

"That bad?" I ask and she slumps into the chair next to mine.

"He makes me wanna gauge my eyes out." She says, laughing, but clearly annoyed. So far while I've been on the team she and I have gotten pretty close and she's honestly one of my favorite people. 

"I'm so glad I wasn't there." I say, shaking my head. I've dealt with one too many narcissists on a personal level so if I had to listen to a guy go on for ages about how to play hard to get with a girl or blatantly insult them to get them attracted to him I'd probably lose my mind.

"Time to give the profile" Derek says as he sticks his head in the room. Emily sighs and walks out with me to the rest of the team. 

They go on giving out details to the local PD and I drone out until Spencer talks to me, or at me kind of. "I like those earrings, yeah my grandma has a lot of fake jewelry also." 

PARDON?

He smiles and waves it off as not serious, which I understood he was only exemplifying what our unsub does but it didn't diminish the fact that it was funny as hell. 

After the team finishes I get up and Spencer walks towards me, "Um, sorry about that. I just needed to show them what the unsub learned from Viper."

I laugh and wave him off, "No no don't apologize it's fine, it gave me a good laugh so I'm really not hurt by it."

He smiles and Hotch calls us over to where the rest of the team stands. 

They explain that we need to see about more of what the unsub may have learned back at the group discussions and they hint that Emily is gonna need to go back and talk to Viper.

"Oh. Oh god, this is really gonna suck." 

A little later, Emily comes to me after the team splits up with a cheeky look on her face and her hands behind her back.

"Y/NNNNN...." she drags.

"Oh god what do you want." I say playfully, already knowing what she's gonna say.

"You know, Derek is bringing Spencer as a wingman, so maybe you coulddd..."

"Fine fine, but if we're hitting the club I don't think my work attire is gonna cut it." I say, looking down at the blouse and black pair of pants I'm wearing. 

She shakes her head, "Ah, no worries, I have something you might fit in." She pulls out two dresses from behind her back and hands one to me.

"So you just happen to have party wear in your go bag?" I ask, looking at the black tight fit dress now in my hands.

"We go to some interesting places." She smirks and smacks my shoulder lightly, continuing, "Come on, I'll help you get ready." 

She takes my hand and we go to the PD locker room, getting changed and she gets her makeup out.

"I thought you hated this guy, now you're getting all dolled up." I tease her, she laughs and starts applying her eye makeup. 

"I take every opportunity I can get to look hot as shit with a job like this. Plus, we're still going to the club." She jokes back and after a couple minutes we're done getting ready and meet up with Derek and Spencer at the car.

"Heyy, looking good ladies." Derek says with a cocky smile and Spencer waves at me awkwardly. 

"How flattering." Emily says and then huffs, turning to me, "You better help me through dealing with this worm." 

"Of course" I say, hand on my heart and all.

Once we get to the club we decide to split up, Derek and Spencer asking girls in the club if they've seen anyone similar to our unsub, and Emily going up ahead of me while we face this nightmare of a man.

She tells me to stay back until the right time and I watch her play her game of flirting while continuing to intrigue the man. She looks back at me when he gets a little too confident and a little too close so I walk towards them, Viper's eyes following me carefully.

The conversation goes as usual, some mindless snarky remarks tossed around as he starts discussing eye contact, more specifically pupil dilation. 

"Okay fifteen seconds." Emily says in response to the eye contact that Viper has been making with me, and trying to prove a point.

"What do you see?" I ask.

"Nope, no dilation."

Viper comes quick with his response, "Ah, because you have someone else on the mind." 

Do I? Maybe. I don't know. No.

Emily eyes me teasingly and the conversation between us and Viper goes stale until he gives us just what we want for the case. He gives us that our unsub is going to go for his "queen bee," the focus on all his killing. 

Emily calls Hotch with our findings and I meet up with Derek and Spencer as they talk, or..bicker maybe.

"Come here pretty girl," Derek says to me, I comply, confused but still.

"Pretend she's someone you're showing the unsub to, use that magic." Derek says to Spencer, putting me in front of him, but he explains to me that apparently Spencer isn't having any luck giving the profile out to the girls at the club so now he's doing..magic?

I don't know how he's not having luck, he's an attractive guy. I would feel like girls would go crazy trying to talk to him but I guess not.

Spencer looks at me like he really doesn't wanna do this, but he goes with it anyway. "Don't worry I'll play along" I tell him and he seems comforted in that.

He begins by acting as though we've never met and asks me if I've seen the man in the drawing before, I nod no and he pulls out a pen.

"We have reason to believe he has a scar about right..here." He says, running the pen through the paper and moving it around, leaving no rips in the paper.

"Woah, woah. What? How did you do that?" I ask, inspecting the paper. 

He shrugs and smirks, "A magician never reveals his secrets." 

Derek laughs and pats his back, "That's what I'm talking about, pretty boy!" 

After the case ends smoothly we arrive at the BAU once again and settle everything down. I go to JJ's office which is mine temporarily and get some paperwork out of the way with Emily.

"So, don't mean to remind you of Viper, but, is there someone on your mind?" She asks teasingly.

"Oh god." I groan and put my face in my hands.

She snickers and responds, "Oh so there is!"

"Maybe." I say, dragging the word out. "But I don't know, he doesn't really know me that well."

She nods, I feel like she sees right through me.

"Seems like you and Spencer kind of had a good time earlier."

I choke on my own spit, "Um what?" I say, coughing. Covering my mouth as well as the slight pink coming onto my face.

She smiles and nods her head as a tall figure walks in the doorway. "Speak of the devil." She says and walks out, I look up and see Spencer, so now she's leaving me and him alone.

His eyebrows furrow, and I wave it off.

"Hello there, Houdini."  I say smiling up at him, he laughs and leans against the doorway.

"You know it's an easy trick, nothing up to Houdini's standard." 

I shrug. "Eh, still impressive." 

Things are quiet for a moment and there's a hint of tension in the air until he clears his throat and starts.

"You looked really nice today, by the way. Just thought I'd say." His face goes red and I smirk.

"You came all this well to compliment me?" I tease. He laughs sheepishly and shakes his head. 

"No, no. I was um, I was coming to ask you if maybe you wanted to grab a coffee or something. Maybe I could show you how I really do that trick?"

He was nervous, obviously. But that didn't help the grin on my face growing and trying to hold back the blush that's definitely growing on my face.

"I thought magicians couldn't tell anyone how they do their tricks." I reply, more calmly than I thought I would've, I mean I'm just trying to play it cool.

"I can make an exception. I'll let you know, I have your number right?"

I nod and he smiles again and sticks up an awkward thumbs up, "Cool. Well, I'll see you later." 

"Bye, Spencer" I say playfully and as we walks out to the hallway I peek out and see Derek standing by the doors that leave the office with a cheeky look. I can see the back of Spencer's head nod and Derek raise his arms, saying something but they're too far to hear. 

Guessing Derek convinced him to go for it. 

Good thing.

---------------------༺⚘༻---------------------

I'm gonna be real and say I kinda hate this chapter but I promise it gets good. ALSO TYSM ON THE SUPPORT FOR THE LAST PART IM SO GRATEFUL UGH.

taglist: @darkenwolfie @justlivinginadaydream @daddy-dotcom @itsametaphorbriansblog @rosesandlavendertea @4karaa

[preserves42]

Captain America is a Transgender Allegory

And as such I headcanon him to be a trans man, hear me out.

(specifically this is referring to the MCU Steve Rogers Cap as played by Chris Evans, as I'm not familiar enough with other variants of the character)

Before taking the super soldier serum, Steve is constantly barred from joining the military because he doesn't fit the standards they require (not tall enough, not strong enough, i.e. not stereotypically masculine enough). He also looks up to his best friend Bucky who does fulfil these stereotypes, and clearly wishes he could be more like him so that he can join up. He wants to "be a man" and join the military but society, specifically doctors and the government, says he's "not enough of a man".

Finally one doctor, Erskine, takes pity on him and he gets the opportunity to go through a bunch of grueling tests to prove his masculinity and that he deserves the serum. During these scenes there's even a point where Colonel Phillips talks about how wars are "won by men" then looks at Steve and scowls at Doctor Erskine, clearly showing Phillips does not believe Steve is a "real man".

Later, during the conversation between Doctor Erskine and Steve, Erskine explains how the super serum exemplifies the traits of the recipient. It won't turn someone who isn't a man into a one, it only brings out what was already there. Erskine knows and respects that Steve is a good man (you can read "good man" in any number of ways) even whilst others don't.

Fast forward to after Steve has taken the serum, the people who didn't know him beforehand are all happy to treat him like a man, we almost immune see a shot of a newspaper headline featuring Steve titled "Mystery Man Saves Civilians!" with a picture of him looking very stereotypically masculine deflecting gunfire with a car door. However, people like Colonel Phillips' attitudes towards Steve don't change very much. Despite his obvious abilities Phillips doesn't want Steve's help because he didn't want a non-masculine person made to be masculine, he wanted all the already masculine soldiers he had to be more masculine. This mirrors the attitude of some people to complain that "men today aren't masculine enough and need to man up" and want cis men to be more masculine whilst simultaneously rejecting and delegitimising trans men. It could also be compared to how cis people have relatively easy access to hormones that'll make them more like their gender assigned at birth, but it is made difficult for trans people to get the same hormones.

Even Senator Brandt, who initially seems to respect what Steve has become, actually just wants him to perform like some sort of experiment or curiosity to make the Senator money alongside the exaggeratedly feminine dancing girls, similar to how some people will claim to support trans people but actually just fetishize them.

It's only once most of the people who initially knew Steve are gone (barring Bucky and Peggy who always respected his identity anyway) and he's in the present that he's able to fully escape from his pre-serum life, which mirrors how trans people sometimes find it easier to fit in when arriving in a new space where nobody knew them prior to transitioning.

I'm probably not the first person to have this headcanon, and I apologise if I've used terminology wrongly or insensitively, this was just something that came to me whilst walking home in the blistering heat thinking about gender.

If anyone else has trans headcanons/theories about Captain America or other characters I'd love to hear them!

[sad-eyed-lady-of-the-paperbacks]

Undoubtedly the worst thing about Fyodor Pavlovich is that there is absolutely nothing which he holds as sacred, holy, untouchable, worthy of reverence or respect. Everything is a joke to him.

The very worst way this is exemplified is his alleged (but come on, we all know it was him) crime against the “holy fool” Lizaveta Smerdyashchaya, which for him was yet another distasteful joke. Lizaveta’s innocence and vulnerability are recognised by the community of Skotoprigonyevsk, both young and old, and we are given paragraphs and paragraphs to show how she is widely adored by the townspeople and how attempts are made to shelter, protect, and care for her.

When Fyodor Pavlovich violates her, he violates something that the community holds as sacred.

That, to me, is the core difference between someone like him and someone like Mitya. Even though Mitya has done a lot of “dirty things” and may on the surface appear to be following in his father’s footsteps, his heart is a noble one, or at least one with noble intentions. One that is filled with reverence and genuine emotion and a hatred for what is abhorrent—even when he himself is doing things that are abhorrent.

And even though we can fully understand his hatred of his father for his loathsomely mocking, irreverent, dishonourable, ignoble attitude toward everything, once his father is dead, he still feels sorry for that hatred. He still regrets the relationship he never had with the father who neglected him as a child and possibly swindled him as a young man. That alone speaks to the kind of heart that he has.

“It is a noble man you are speaking with, a most noble person; above all—do not lose sight of this—a man who has done a world of mean things, but who always was and remained a most noble person, as a person, inside, in his depths, well, in short, I don't know how to say it ... This is precisely what has tormented me all my life, that I thirsted for nobility, that I was, so to speak, a sufferer for nobility, seeking it with a lantern, Diogenes’ lantern, and meanwhile all my life I've been doing only dirty things, as we all do, gentlemen ... I mean, me alone, gentlemen, not all but me alone, I made a mistake, me alone, alone ... ! Gentlemen, my head aches,” he winced with pain. “You see, gentlemen, I did not like his appearance, it was somehow dishonorable, boastful, trampling on all that's holy, mockery and unbelief, loathsome, loathsome! But now that he's dead, I think differently.”

“How differently?”

“Not differently, but I'm sorry I hated him so much.”

“You feel repentant?”

“No, not really repentant, don't write that down. I'm not good myself, gentlemen, that's the thing, I'm not so beautiful myself, and therefore I had no right to consider him repulsive, that's the thing. Perhaps you can write that down.”

- The Brothers Karamazov, 3.9.3 (Pevear & Volokhonsky translation)

There is no beauty to be found in anything about Fyodor Pavlovich, and though Mitya contests that the same is true of himself, I argue differently. There is something beautiful in the struggle of an imperfect human toward nobility, despite being doomed to always fall short. To again and again slip into one’s baser impulses, and yet again and again stand back up and trudge onwards.

Both are human, but Fyodor Pavlovich is all of the very worst things about humanity, while Mitya is the worst things mingled with much of the very best.

[beldaroot]

skip and loafer chapter 52: the act of being selfish

one thing i greatly admire about skip and loafer is the way it takes qualities usually deemed by society as "bad" or "wrong" and instead gives it a more gentler and nuanced approach. and in chapter 52, we see that the act of being selfish can also be an act of selflessness and that both can be appreciated without being contradictory.

we first see this exemplified through mitsumi:

what drives the whole story's plot has always been mitsumi's desire to excel in toyko. but while this may be seen as a selfish dream, we know that mitsumi wants to leave so she can help her entire prefecture from depopulation in the future. furthermore, while fumi thinks going to toyko will "revoke" mitsumi's prodigy status, mitsumi happily accepts this fate, showing that this decision isn't motivated by a selfish ego.

and speaking of fumi:

due to what fumi believes as mitsumi's selfish desire to go to toyko, fumi in turn allows herself to be selfish and openly express her discontent to make mitsumi worry and feel guilty about leaving her alone.

and we see that both their selfish attitudes cause a rift and period of silence between them. but in an act of selflessness, they put aside their pride and apologize, mending their relationship because they recognize each other's honest feelings. many years later, fumi too realizes in time that even though she selfishly wanted mitsumi to stay, the distance between them was inevitable and that it is actually okay. the most important thing is that she had mitsumi's friendship at all and that includes those moments of selfishness and selflessness.

now, we have maharu:

again, because of mitsumi's desire to go to toyko, maharu, like fumi, creates a resentment towards mitsumi and selfishly desires her own chance of leaving.

but we then see that fumi specifically states that maharu's feelings are not selfish. fumi most likely sees herself in maharu and knows that while on the outside someone would consider maharu selfish, what maharu is actually expressing are honest feelings; she's not just thinking about herself but what others think about her as well. given that maharu actually doesn't have a concrete reason to leave the prefecture, it's likely that her feelings right now are a conflicting mess of being jealous of mitsumi but also just missing her elder sister. and again, like fumi in the past, maharu chose to lash out at mitsumi and storm out rather than discuss what was bothering her in a selfless manner.

and finally, shima:

shima is interesting because fumi is actually laughing at shima for not being selfish enough. throughout this story we see again and again shima sacrificing his own feelings to be selfless; he thinks he's "worthless" otherwise. and here you have fumi reading him like a book and saying shima hasn't been fully attuned to his real, honest feelings. and that's the irony of it all because it feels contradictory to shima, but fumi is basically stating facts by asking: how can you be truly selfless when you don't even know what is selfish? shima has been putting mitsumi's feelings of him as his own and whether mitsumi actually is right is something he needs to figure out himself and that means actually centering himself for once. by doing this act of selfishness, he can genuinely start to be selfless to those he loves.

[desirepathzine]

Placebo's Vision of the Present

Placebo are a band that I feel don't get enough credit for describing exactly how it feels to live in our modern age: the paranoia, the anxiety, the hedonism, the big fears and big loves that dominate this moment in time. And they've been exorcising those demons for a while. Headed up by Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal, the group has been an authentic voice in music since their debut in 1997.

Maybe it's my American perspective, seeing as Placebo are largely known and celebrated in the UK, but I find their insight to the current era shockingly prescient. This isn't surprising for their 2022 album Never Let. Me Go but even beyond their most recent entries, Molko and co.'s vision of what it's like to be alive is shockingly in tune with the struggles folks of all ages are experiencing.

I was a latecomer to Placebo's catalog, again, not knowing much of them thanks to being based in the United States. Their late 90s debut was a little after my primary era of interest growing up and it wasn't until a few years ago that friends recommended I listen to them. I immediately connected. Their music still feels so fresh and vital, even earlier releases. And it's rare that a band that have been going for so long still have those vital and fresh things to say, their newest record a perfect addition to the catalog.

There probably isn't a better band than Placebo to talk about our relationship to medication, the internet, the climate crisis, and our deteriorating inner lives thanks to the pressures of modern social mores. Those themes are omnipresent in their music, and have been for some time. Always on the outside of society's limitations, especially in their debut era, who better to talk about isolation and alienation than Brian Molko, wearing skirts and makeup whilst Britpop's machismo swagger dominated their homeland's music charts?

Brian has described Placebo as "by outsiders, for outsiders" and that pretty much nails it. There's a deep loneliness in so much of their music, on the personal scale. But even more than loneliness, isolation from a world that feels like it has absolutely derailed, but that music also never quite falls fully into total misanthropy. There's a real beating heart at the center of a Placebo record, however bruised it might be.

Especially recently, I find Placebo's antagonistic fascination with technology particularly apt. When I saw the band in 2023 in Chicago, I knew that Brian had previously been vocally adamant that no phones be used during the show, a request mostly followed by our crowd that night in April. But the band has an Instagram presence, and were early adopters of the internet in order to promote back in the day. Their lives shows also feature a fantastic live glitching video setup that lends a surreal tone to the evening.

This is perhaps best exemplified in their song "Too Many Friends", a fan favorite meditation on how the internet spreads a human too thin, living a life of consumption in order to be consumed. Starting with the absolutely banger line "my computer thinks I'm gay", the song can occasionally inspire laughs, especially if you're not expecting it (I admittedly did this on first listen), but it is a genuine, heartfelt, and morose exploration of the digital era of relationships being defined by the screen. In this age of connection, we are all increasingly isolated. Brian laments that he'll never be there personally for all of the people who he might have otherwise called a friend online. It's something I think we've all faced. Someone you don't actually know well enough, or someone so far away that you can't really do anything for them, or have the in-person element of that relationship. It also deals with how the internet defines us, our boxes that we tick for it, the demographics and information that it collects from our true identities and commodifies for capitalistic gains. In response to that banger opening line, Molko later answers "what's the difference anyway?" How do you even engage with the machine anymore? The answer might be "just don't".

The paranoia aspect that I can relate to feels most vital to their latest release, Never Let Me Go. Surrounded by Spies and Sad White Reggae are two of the standout tracks on the record, and describe an onslaught of tragedies, ailments, and fears that can compound simply by existing in a world with a 24 hour news cycle, along with cryptic personal missives from the band. They also revisit their climate anxieties on Chemtrails and Try Better Next Time, the plastic islands starting to pile up on the cover of the record made manifest in the music.

The hard stance for outsiders made in their early work sees its result in these later releases. Did anything change by making these stands? Maybe. Did the world actively get worse? Maybe. Are Brian and Stefan still here trying to dissect these ideas, albeit with more lived experience, sobriety, and the increasingly ominpresent internet linked them to more and more people? Absolutely. I appreciate their vulnerability, musicality, rage, anxiety, and ultimate willingness to write how they feel. In expressing their isolation, Placebo brings the outsiders together, a last rebellion in a shrinking world.

[emblemxeno]

Man I hate the fire emblem fanbase so much it is hurting my enjoyment of the games. They can nitpick every little thing about Engage's and Fate's story, but watch out if you point out that Edelgard blaming the church for her experimentstion and not, y'know, her uncle who she KNOWS is an Arganthan, or how it doesn't make sense that the disappearance of 9 royals was swept snugly under the rug in the empire, or how Jeralt was suspsicious of Rheas doing to Byleth what she did to HIM, and suddenly you're a "hater" and "you have bad taste" and " lack media literacy".

3houses has the same storytelling issues Fates and Engage have, but bc the game has big tiddy lesbians and "I can fix them" traumatized characters = best JRPG since FF7. Fuck right off bruh. I'm so tired.

It does lend a lot of chances to be hypocritical in the fandom yes.

For as much as people can hate about Engage's time travel and magic stuff, or anything regarding Valla in Fates, at least those are purely fantastical. Does it erase the problems? No. But "magic world has magic things that don't need to always be explained in great detail" is-or at least should be-a sufficient explanation.

3H's issues, meanwhile, are almost always logical, informative, and communicative. Edelgard's war is predicated on logic jumps built upon exaggerated issues, an inflated ego, a savior complex, and half truths, and she herself is a canonical liar and manipulator. 3H's worldbuilding is based upon taking NPCs, books, and character biases as fact, despite there being known cover ups in Fodlan's history; to the point where it's not even fully known whether the other Hresvelg siblings actually exist. Jeralt is supposed to be 100% trustworthy as your dad, but being vigilant means you'll probably realize he's kind of shit and did a poor job properly teaching Byleth growing up.

Fates might have the Valla curse and a magic truth throne, but those things have a simple A -> B explanation and impact on that game's plot. It's easy to criticize because it's easy to understand.

3H on the other hand, you have to constantly twist yourself into a pretzel in order justify every angle and every motivation for every character in the game, mostly in service of not overly shitting on Edelgard's character, which usually results in kowtowing to her fans by shitting on Rhea, Dimitri, the church and Faerghus or, in my eyes, giving up and claiming "no one's completely in the right and that's why the story's good in the first place!"

From my perspective, if this happens, where someone can't form a rock solid opinion on even just how they personally feel/think about the writing, then either they need more time to themselves instead of online discourse or (where I lean) the writing they're discussing simply isn't that good enough to warrant engaging with its bad faith fans.

Side tangent that doesn't really fit but I wanted to say it anyway: Other FE games' moral dilemmas worked as well as they did because they were ornamental; a spice to the main emotional and thematic thrust of what their stories were trying to convey. Even the more complex examples like the Tellius and Jugdral games, weren't trying to sell their stories based on "look how complex and morally gray everything is", they were natural elements of war stories that supplemented the more major storytelling beats (Tellius' discrimination aesop, religious and political dogma, class warfare, and Jugdral's geopolitical inheritance feuds and territorial disputes, blood quantums, and passing the torch to the next generation).

3H's main drive... is the moral grayness. War horrors, comparisons between peace time and conflict, and constant conversation over "what the other side's justification is" while trying to "fix Fodlan." And the sloppy, fractured, and overly bleak attempts at nuance exemplified in the story is precisely why moral grayness shouldn't be the main factor. But people ate it up because... well, the prose wasn't too shabby I guess.

[flipping-the-coin]

Ratchet whats the worst thing about being with a Prime?

𝔉𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔬𝔣𝔣𝔦𝔠𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔓𝔯𝔦𝔪𝔞𝔩 𝔖𝔱𝔢𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔡: ℜ𝔞𝔱𝔠𝔥𝔢𝔱

ℭ𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔯𝔞𝔩 ℑ𝔞𝔠𝔬𝔫 -

ℭ𝔶𝔟𝔢𝔯𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔫𝔦𝔞𝔫 ℭ𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔠𝔦𝔩 ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯𝔰 -

𝔊𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔫𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔇𝔦𝔳𝔦𝔰𝔦𝔬𝔫 -

To clarify before I begin, there is nothing that I can say is awful about being with Optimus. He has his issues and shortcomings, but they are things we can work through, small issues that ultimately mean nothing in the wake of eternity. I could never hold any true anger toward Optimus for long. I love him too much for that. However with that said, there are many things that I despise about his station and what it does to him, mainly those things which he cannot control.

Now, to answer your question, the worst part about being with a Prime is simply that he's... set apart. That alone is not the issue. Optimus's oddities are things I have long accepted and done my best to understand. No, when I say I find that to be the worst part, what I mean is that I hate when that separation is exemplified by the fragging relic Optimus carries within him.

I hate the Matrix almost as much as I hate Megatron. That relic has done nothing but make Optimus's life even more of a torment. It gives him wisdom and strength, but at what cost? His mind is wrapped up in it, unable to separate from the Matrix due to the grip it has on his spark. I've been Optimus's doctor for as long as he has been alive. I know what the Matrix looks like, and I can safely say it is terrifying. Its clawed hinges wrap around Optimus's spark like a threat of impending doom and its wires dig into the walls of his spark chamber in what I think any other would find to be an agonizing manner. It is not exactly common knowledge, but Optimus's spark is not even fully in his spark chamber. The Matrix keeps it hovering within the space, but the connectors and converters that would otherwise surround his spark are unable to reach it. The fact that he is even alive is a miracle. If it were any other mech, they would be all but dead, barely alive enough to function but without the strength to move.

It feels like a cruel joke just as much as it is a stark reminder of what Optimus is. I can forget occasionally, but he is not Cybertronian, not like me or anyone else at any rate. Did you know that his frame is hardly holding together? I don't think Optimus can sense anything, but all his scans show that every single one of his systems is always on the brink of exploding. His spark is simply too powerful to be confined in a regular frame, and even with one modeled by the Matrix, he can hardly be contained. I think it is because of this that his spark is not allowed to fully rest in its chamber. The Matrix is trying to keep him contained enough to use a mortal frame, and in doing so it also wraps itself around his mind, ensuring that he cannot go too far. The reason I mention this at all is because I hypothesize that it is the separation of spark and frame that creates a lot of my issues with Optimus's nature.

He does not feel. I do not mean to say he cannot experience emotion. No, that is a direct contradiction of every action he has ever taken. When I say he does not feel, what I mean to say is that he does not fully understand emotion and its uses. He experiences them, but the Matrix keeps him from comprehending and fully feeling the effects of his emotions. At the same time, certain emotional responses are also amplified by the relic in a strange and cruel form of control. During the war I largely assumed that his dogged pursuit of victory was simply because there was no other option. But now that our war is over and he still drags himself along with that same depressing determination, I see that it is not natural. He is not thinking when he acts half the time, not truly.

To help explain what I am trying to convey, I will give an example. Optimus will spend cycles at his desk working through a never ending mountain of work, unable to feel his frame and its exhaustion or the weariness that others would normally deal with. His spark being separated from his frame has the practical effect of making lethargy and other such things bother him less. That goes for pain as well, as seen with his unnatural endurance of Orion's EM attacks. Where others would be bored, angry, or otherwise upset with the amount of work to do, Optimus does not seem to care. He views the work with apathetic optics and continues on, often not paying much attention of his own needs or those of the mecha around him. He sets his mind to a task and throws himself into it until he literally cannot endure any longer. I despise it because I can see how weary his spark is below the Matrix's touch. He desperately needs rest and time to work through all he has suffered in his life, but I have only seen him really escape the suppressing and thought controlling methods of the Matrix a grand total of perhaps five times.

The Matrix adjusts his emotions and it seems to even speak to him. It directs him where it wants him to be. It tries to crush emotions it does not see fit for him to feel, and it also appears to have a memory suppressing effect. I cannot confirm that last claim, but considering he had no visible knowledge of Orion and Megatron's relationship during the war, I assume that information was kept from him despite the fact he had many other of Orion's memories. I hate it with a passion. I despise the Matrix for eliminating so much of Optimus's ability to think beyond the bounds it sets. I wish nothing but destruction upon the relic that ensures Optimus can never really see what is going on around him of understand where he is.

Do you have any idea how horrible it is to watch Optimus become so lost and confused when greeted with a negative response toward what I can only assume are instinctual decisions for him? The way he speaks, the way he acts, the tasks he gives priority. All of it. He does not know what he is doing half the time and I can SEE it. He has been given a mold to fit and he can't seem to break from it except when he is dragged kicking and screaming away. I have never seen Optimus act more like himself than when he was given the chance to observe the stars for the first time without pain. He looked so youthful and his optics were the brightest clearest blue I have ever seen. Then just as quick as it came, his optics returned to that sickening white and his focus was diverted back toward his work.

The hardest and most horrible part about being with a Prime is that my Prime is little more than a puppet in the most insufferable way. There is no mastermind to eliminate, no foe to kill to rescue him from his prison of mind and body. No, the thing that keeps him bound in chains is also the device that ensures he continues to function. Without the Matrix, Optimus will die. And yet with it, he cannot ever be free of its grasp. Its will is his when the Matrix decides to make itself known. In that regard, as much as I despise Orion, I cannot help but be somewhat thankful for his and Optimus's connection. Orion seems to awaken something in Optimus that not even the Matrix can fully quash. An innocent and wistful wish for... something that I do not understand but can see all the same.

I know that somewhere behind the veneer of the Matrix is a mech so loving and passionate, thoughtful and wise. But until the cycle arrives that Optimus can pull his mind away from the Matrix's web, I can only cling to the small moments where I see that mech. I can only relish in the instances where Optimus looks at me with clear blue optics, untainted by the chill white of something so other it is all but unfeeling.

I hope that answers your question anonymous. I am sorry for my wandering thoughts.

𝔓𝔯𝔦𝔪𝔞𝔩 𝔖𝔱𝔢𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔡 - ℜ𝔞𝔱𝔠𝔥𝔢𝔱

[uhuraisgay]

fic writer meme

ty lore @megafaunatic for tagging meee :3c

How many works do you have on Ao3?

fifty three as of today. tomorrow? who knows.... (probably still fifty three)

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

518,435 words .... wrow.....

3. What fandoms do you write for?

historically its been all over the place but theres so much stuff rotting and dying in my gdrive that has never been posted so i feel like i have a broader actual ouvre than is represented on ao3. which is mdzs heavy at least in the past couple years

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. beyond all limit (wangxian i wrote for lore right after i first read the book) 4. if the story's over (moshang post-divorce get-together fic) 3. someone as good for me as you (written in 2016 for holster and ransom when i was reading check, please. LMAO) 2. at least as deep as the pacific ocean (written in 2015 in the clearest example of 'person distraught by the tragic ending of a tragedy misses the fucking point and writes a coffee shop au of achilles and patroclus after she read tsoa' ever, even bigger LMAO) 1. your name safe in their mouth (lsz gets his dad back, and other emotional adventures)

5. Do you respond to comments?

i used to try to reply to every comment i got but i stopped doing that around the same time i went to college and got more depressed. but i love reading comments and i sometimes reply if someone says something that moves me or like. asks me a question about the fic that i want to elaborate on? because i love to yap

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i'm not really good at writing straight angst i feel like it's normally like. angst with catharsis. but i wrote some explorations on grief in the past couple years that i feel like have the angst factor (what i have of you about nhs after nmj dies, and then when your beard fell out about my sweetie pie kageyama tobio in middle school after his grandpa dies)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

i have a lot of silly fluffy fics... idk i try to toe the line mostly of like. the joys and sadnesses of human experience but sometimes you just gotta fluff it up. i'll set the table, you can make the fire, which is book verse aziraphale/crowley living in a cottage and being in love, comes to mind....i love that one

8. Do you get hate on fics?

i don't think i've ever really gotten hate on a fic? i have been extremely lucky in that regard. especially since my whole ouvre from like 2014 onward is on that damn site and much of it is very cringeworthy.

9. Do you write smut?

not well!

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you have written?

i often will do like kind of a quasi-crossover kind of thing rather than a True Crossover wherein i take characters i like from one medium and plop them into the roles and places of characters i like from another medium. i did a dragon age wangxian fic where lwj was the inquisitor from da:i called we held together the fragile sky that kind of exemplifies this dynamic

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of or that anyone has ever notified me of, but i also don't look that hard. if this has ever happened, it would hurt my feelings, so please don't do it ? lol

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes!!!! and i was honored

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

not as such but i have one not-intended-for-posting fic which is basically just a transcription of jokes i have with my roommate about haikyuu characters LOL which i think counts as co-writing. she's my co-writer in spirit even if i'm the one at the keyboard

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

my answer to this changes with every new fixation i have. like right now it's kagehina. if you asked me four years ago i would have said wangxian. You Know?

15. What is a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

SO MANY...i think probably my fullmetal alchemist nie brothers au....i try not to post things until they are done and fully edited now, but that one was a whim-based fic that i lost all strength for as soon as i started thinking too hard about kagehina. i also had a fem nielan sci fi au that was vaguely based off beauty and the beast but nmj was like stuck in a ship and she thought she was its computer and that she was a program but she was actually a person....which i never posted any of except snippets on twitter and i think it was just too sprawling for my current skill level...i just was never able to wrangle it. but i am fond of it nonetheless

16. What are your writing strengths?

based on what other people have told me i would say the way i write sibling / family relationships, and while my prose is not always pretty i do think it can be pretty at times ...

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i feel like it's often too self-indulgent even if that's what fic is for lol, and i tend to look back on fics and think, i wrote that because i had feelings about it and wanted to say it, but i'm not necessarily sure that This Character would say/do that at this point in time....idk like i fear that when i don't think about it hard enough my characterization can be weak or guided by what eye personally would do vs. what The Character would do. but some of that is because the majority of my fics on ao3 are from years and years ago and i (hopefully) have continued to improve

18. Thoughts of writing dialogue in another language in fics?

i'm picky about it but when it's done well i think it's really fun and builds so much of the world/character. i think when it's bad it's really bad. when i go about it i try to think about like, a) do i know this language myself/do i know someone who does. if the answer is no i try to keep it really minimal. b) how do people who know multiple languages approach speaking those multiple languages naturally in real life. like (IN MY EXPERIENCE) ppl don't tend to switch languages for random words mid-sentence unless those words are like, mom, dad, uncle, aunt, ect...maybe swearing if they're less familiar with one of the languages and don't know slang/swearing in it...but again when it's done well it's really good and i'm not an expert. i just can kinda tell when it feels off when i read it, if that makes sense...(it's the same way i feel about grammar lol. sometimes i can just tell it's a little Off)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

probably either fma or soul eater or the sister's grimm book series when i was in middle school. or maybe doctor who? idk i had a lot of fanfic notebooks that i have since destroyed and then regretted destroying

20. Favorite fic you have written?

at the present moment it's in these coming years my kagehina love letter but again i feel like it changes constantly. like the more i write the better i get and the more the newest/most polished thing i've written sort of Becomes my favorite just by default of my satisfaction level with it. sorry if that's a bad answer

tagging @yuebings @dcyiyou @burins @cairoscene @cafecliche @perilously sorry if you've been tagged already also if you want to do this and i didn't tag you just say i did. I'll shut up now

[rabbitechoes]

waaaaaah i got way too busy over the last few weeks to fully keep up with this stuff, but i managed to throw together my thoughts on a few really noteworthy tracks over the last two weeks!!

for last week's post click here! also feel free to follow me on rate your music and twitter <3

"Holy, Holy" - Geordie Greep

🥇 BEST SONG OF THE MONTH

◇ released: Aug. 20, 2024 ◇ featured on The New Sound (not yet released) ◇ genres: jazz-rock, progressive rock, art rock

After what seems like months of denial over the continuation of black midi, the band have officially confirmed that they're on an indefinite hiatus. I'm disappointed, but I can't say I'm surprised. It just seemed inevitable at this point. I was annoyed with Geordie Greep as it seemed like his abrupt announcement of the band's hiatus on IG live blindsided the other band members - but then I realized I was being parasocial so I chilled the fuck out. Even if I find his social media presence annoying, he's still incredibly talented.

As made evident by this new single, the lead to his upcoming solo debut. "Holy, Holy" is magnificent, one of the finest moments for Greep as a songwriter and an instrumentalist. It sounds like Donald Fagen if he had an evil heart. He details the unraveling of a pathetic and hedonistic ladies man in uncomfortable, but incredibly compelling and unique ways. The way he's able to tell a story with not just words, but instrumentation is nothing short of amazing. If this is any indication of what we're going to be dealing with when The New Sound drops, I'm all in.

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"Masc" - Chat Pile

◇ released: Aug. 20, 2024 ◇ featured on Cool World (not yet released) ◇ genres: noise rock, alternative metal

Chat Pile have returned with another new single and it's pretty great. Everything sounds so crushing, like every piece of instrumentation is just hammering you over the head. I love the way this track is mixed, it's so disorienting. Disorienting, yet riveting. Everything the band does both lyrically and instrumentally paints such a vivid picture. Everything is visceral even if you don't understand what's going on. "Masc" is one of the band's finest songs and I can't wait to dive into Cool World.

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"booboo" - Yaeji

◇ released: Aug. 21, 2024 ◇ genre: jersey club

"booboo," the new single from electronic producer Yaeji, is a really slick jersey club banger. It's simple, yet effective. A strong hook and some punchy percussion that amps up at just the right moments. Just a fun track to throw on. I hate the word "vibes," but this song has some good ones.

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"No One's Gonna Love You Like I Can" - Laura Marling

◇ released: Aug. 22, 2024 ◇ featured on Patterns in Repeat (not yet released) ◇ genres: singer-songwriter, impressionism

The second single from Laura Marling's upcoming new record is another short, but shining moment for her. Her writing has matured, which isn't to say her music in the past has been immature, it's just these are songs written by someone who has lived more life. Marling knows what's important and she cuts right to the heart of the matter. There's such strong conviction here that comes through in such a beautiful way. A really nice acoustic number. I can't wait to hear this record.

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"Ocotillo" - Floating Points

◇ released: Aug. 22, 2024 ◇ featured on Cascade (not yet released) ◇ genre: progressive electronic

Cascade is one of my most anticipated records of the year and this new track "Ocotillo" further fans the flames of my excitement. This one is decidedly less dance-y than the other singles, but it's just as intricate and striking. Samuel Shepherd's production style is just mesmerizing. He implements so many cool sounds that never feel gimmicky or tacked on, they all feel like part of the experience. The slow build up to this track exemplifies that greatly, but it's just as present in the big breakdown in the latter half. Just another immaculate song. I can't wait for this record.

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"WE PRAY" - Coldplay, Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna & TINI

◇ released: Aug. 23, 2024 ◇ featured on Moon Music (not yet released) ◇ genre: pop rap, alt-pop, UK hip hop

What are we doing? It's cool Coldplay are working with these artists, especially Simz I'm always rooting for her, but this track just sounds awkward. Chris Martin sticks out like a sore thumb and he delivers one of the weakest hooks of his career, which is saying something given the lows of the last record. Everyone else outshines him, but not in a way that makes this a satisfying listen. This definitely could've used some tightening up.

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"GREY RUBBLE - GREEN SHOOTS" - Godspeed You! Black Emperor

◇ released: Aug. 28, 2024 ◇ featured on "NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD" (not yet released) ◇ genres: post-rock, chamber music

Post-rock stalwarts Godspeed You! Black Emperor have announced a new record titled "NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD," referencing the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people, alongside the closing track "GREY RUBBLE - GREEN SHOOTS." In a statement from the band, they write "NO TITLE= what gestures make sense while tiny bodies fall?  what context?  what broken melody?" I encourage everyone to read the full piece here, it's incredibly poignant, but that line in particular stood out to me. The human suffering can get lost in flowery statements and gestures, what gestures make sense? State it plainly, face the reality. The song itself is absolutely incredible too, there's an urgency to it that a lot of their previous work doesn't have. Just a striking piece of music.

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"Foreign Spies" | "Zero Sum" - The Smile

◇ released: Aug. 28, 2024 ◇ featured on Cutouts (not yet released) ◇ genres: ambient pop, art punk, progressive electronic, math rock

The Smile have returned with two more songs and the announcement of a second new album this year. The appeal of this side-project hasn't worn off of me yet. Three very talented musicians just doing weird new things they wouldn't do otherwise. "Foreign Spies" is a really cool electronic track, like the previous single "Don't Get Me Started, and I love this sound. "Zero Sum" is decidedly more frenetic and crazy, seeing the band do full on art-punk. Absolutely wild sounds on it too. I'm loving these new songs and I can't wait to hear the rest of this album. This has proven to be a more than fruitful detour for all three invloved.

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"Exhilarate" - SOPHIE & Bibi Bourelly

◇ released: Aug. 28, 2024 ◇ featured on SOPHIE (not yet released) ◇ genres: alternative r&b, bubblegum bass, alt-pop

Well, this is definitely a bit of a step-up from the last two singles, but god, I wish I loved these songs more. I understand expectations need to be tempered, this record was always going to be less experimental than her debut, but there's so much restraint here. Cool ideas sometime manage to break through, but not nearly enough. These songs aren't even bad by any means. They're just fine for the most part. Praying that they click for me in the context of the record and not on their own, but we shall see.

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"Dafodil" - Jamie xx feat. Kelsey Lu, John Glacier & Panda Bear

◇ released: Aug. 29, 2024 ◇ featured on In Waves (not yet released) ◇ genres: future garage, UK bass

Another banger from Jamie xx leading up to his third studio album. This time featuring Kelsey Lu, John Glacier, and Panda Bear from AnCo - I popped big time when I saw he featured here. I'm loving this track. Everything is just so easy to get sucked into. Both like your spacing out laying on your bed and as if you're on the dance floor. Amazing stuff, further proof that he's one of the best producers going today.

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"Can We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart" - Stevie Wonder

◇ released: Aug. 30, 2024 ◇ genres: pop soul, smooth soul, folk pop

On his first song since 2020, Stevie Wonder makes a plea for peace. He's no stranger to this kind of song, but this one feels a bit clumsy. It's a cute sentiment, but he revels in the unspecific. People are in the streets protesting, what are they protesting about? People not hearing other points of view, what other points of view? It's far too flowery and toothless. A call for peace for those who are already comfortable. I appreciate the sentiment, Stevie, and you're a legend so I'll let it slide a bit, but this falls flat. Also, sidenote, is his new logo in the Weezer font?

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"Tailor Swif" - A$AP Rocky

◇ released: Aug. 30, 2024 ◇ featured on DON'T BE DUMB (not yet released) ◇ genres: trap, east coast hip hop, cloud rap

A$AP Rocky has released another decent cut in the lead-up to his next record, which just got delayed into the fall. Unfortunately, this one doesn't feature Jessica Pratt which sets it beneath "HIGHJACK," but I'm still pretty impressed by Rocky's performances on these tracks. I've never been the biggest fan of his, besides the LiveLoveA$AP tape, but these songs are making me want to give him another shot. Also loving the beat on this thing, kinda excited for DON'T BE DUMB to be honest!

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[thyandrawrites]

For the shipping bingo board, Rin/Isagi, Kunigami/Chigiri & Nagi/Reo :3

Woo, a fun one!

Rinsagi:

Listen. They are The ship because they are divorced and soulmates at the same time. I love that energy they have going on. Their dynamic got sidetracked with the neo egoist arc and kaiser's introduction as isagi's new foil/rival, but imho bllk peaked when these two were still navigating how to coexist with each other and simultaneously come on top of each other. What I like about their dynamic is that is balanced. While isagi makes an effort to understand rin and work with him instead of for him like everyone else, isagi also doesn't coddle him or tries to fix him.

They are equally deranged for football and their skill levels are different, but on the field they push and challenge each other in ways that other dynamics simply don't, imho. I never get the feeling from them that either one has fully caught up to the other, and that's part of why I like them so much. They barely tolerate each other, yet they're the closest thing to actual teamwork this manga will ever have. What I love about them is that despite being polar opposite in basically every respect (personalities, family curcumstances, attitude towards others), they're also very in-synch because on the field they see the same view and think the same way. Everyone always says that kaisagi is the dbhwks equivalent of bllk, but to me that's rinsagi. Enemies that have way too much in common and don't want to admit it.

Plus I find it funny that they're both lowkey-highkey touch averse so that makes imagining them as a couple fairly fun :')

Kunigiri:

This is where I'm conflicted because this is a very very small fandom, and the bloggers who actively talk here (here being tumblr or discord) as opposed to just... Sharing things are almost all kncg shippers. For the sake of finding fandom friends, I tried liking this ship. Believe me, I did! But it just isn't hitting for me. And the thing is, I can see the appeal. They have the same tragic angle of friends separed that nagireo and bachisagi do, except it's even more tragic because one of them is almost eliminated! Plus the whole "came back wrong" potential angle! I should be shipping them! I live for angst and for hurt/comfort! But I just... I don't know. I find them a bit bland, and it doesn't help that I hate with a passion the nickname "princess" and you just cannot avoid it in this corner of the fandom

I guess I will try harder, maybe eventually I will find out the fic that will convert me

Nagireo:

This is where I reveal myself as unhinged because they have completely hijacked my brain. I STARTED SHIPPING THEM AS A JOKE. because it was funny. And then I read episode nagi. And then somehow they became my biggest comfort ship ever??? They can barely communicate. They actively make each other worse (at least as far as blue lock themes go. They'd be fine in a different manga). How did this happen.

Ahem. Without writing (another) essay on them (check my meta tag for those), I will say that I am absolutely feral about these two. They're fun because they are so Weird. They're the best friends to lovers trope but they can't talk to each other at all. Miscommunication is their daily bread. They're rivals who can't help being wrapped around each other's fingers. One moment they're trying to progress as their own individuals, the next they're back to being codependent. They exemplify so many of the themes of blue lock and one day I'm gonna write a whole essay on it. Like I'm not even kidding, reonagi, bachisagi and rinsae are all faces of the same coin. I'm convinced Kaneshiro introduced them all to drive home the idea that the best striker in the world cannot live for someone else's success, and those three dynamics are different stages of self awareness in that respect. In that respect I think all three are integral to the series and that's why they're the most nuanced dynamics of the show

But as for nagireo itself? I know they will make me miserable eventually because I want them to be a team and that will never happen (well, if you don't take into account how they're both likely to make it to the u20 proper at least). But still. If I didn't like pain I wouldn't be shipping them in the first place I guess

[tobiasdrake]

This opening fight does a good job of introducing the new Avengers lineup with some nice action.

All of the Avengers by this point are well-established. Their scenes let them look cool doing what they particularly do. Steve, Sam, and Nat all get their focal moments. Wanda gets some moments as well, but they kinda hold her back to keep her uberpowers from plot-breaking the fight.

(Honestly, it's kind of a shame that we never got a Wanda & Nat espionage film using Nat's spy skills and Wanda's mind-screwing. Too late now.)

By now, we're pretty much used to what we can expect from a fight like this, but Sam's new toy Redwing helps keep things fresh and new.

But the main focus of this fight is Brock Rumlow, now fully decked out as Crossbones. Winter Soldier ended with an ominous teaser that Rumlow would return, but Civil War has a lot of other things it needs to do, so I guess they made the decision to wrap him up early.

And. Well. Honestly, that works fine. In a different Captain America 3, Rumlow could probably have become a big deal. But he didn't have to be. End of the day, he's just the most recognizable Hydra agent hiding behind a S.H.I.E.L.D. badge that Steve worked with.

And this fight? This fight says enough about him. They don't have time to characterize him through story, so they characterize him through action. We see in Rumlow a true Hydra faithful who doesn't even hesitate to sacrifice the lives of others and himself for the cause.

We never learn what Hydra wanted from that bioweapon they were here to steal. It doesn't matter. The Avengers stopped them. But we do see the lengths Brock will go to in order to get it. He outright tells his men to run away with the bioweapon and not wait for him, because he intends to die here, get revenge on Steve, and buy them time.

We get an early hint at how screwed up his biology is now when he tanks Widow's taser. Then he shoves her into an armored personnel carrier containing his own guys and throws in a grenade to kill them all.

This man is stone cold. He exemplifies the philosophy of Hydra: Everyone is disposable. His men. Himself. Cut off one head and two more will take its place. Only one Hydra soldier, bioweapon in hand, needs to leave here alive.

But in addition to being ruthless, this fight also shows us that Rumlow is clever. He pays attention. He understands his limitations and he knows his enemy. At no point does he underestimate the Avengers.

In fact, he outsmarts them; The Avengers spend the start of the fight scrambling to catch up to Rumlow because they were staking out the wrong target. They thought he was hitting a police station, and Steve only realizes that he's been had seconds before Rumlow's battering-ram truck crashes into the true target.

Rumlow is intelligent, tactical, underhanded, and ruthless even to the point of self-sacrifice. (A rare concept given that self-sacrifice is usually the opposite of ruthlessness, but there it is.) As the last serious Hydra Baddie in the MCU, Brock and his fight are a perfect summation of everything Hydra represented.

They could have done more with him. They absolutely could have. But I can be satisfied with what we got all the same.

[depressedhatakekakashi]

hii, thanks for explaining why Kakashi is not related to fascism, I usually read that term a lot in a fandom that I won't name, and since I don't know much about politics or things like that, I usually ignore it since I don't know much about the subject, so it's nice that there are people like you who explain the terms since you help people like me who don't know much about it

You’re very welcome!

A good explanation of fascism is that it is that it is based off of far-right nationalisms, with an authoritarian power structure and low tolerance for dissent or disagreement.

Now this may sound a lot like Konoha as we see it in the Hiruzen era, and that’s because it is! That’s why i’ll happily agree to Hiruzen’s era being fascist but also to fadcist elements still existing in Kakashi’s era (even after Fascism is removed it is rarely ever completly removed. Elements still hover around)

So examples of Facism in Konoha

Far-right Nationalism. Konoha (and all of the shinobi villages) are based off undying loyalty to the system and the village. This is an element built into the system that was needed to protect people at the start during war, but which really festered in Tobirama’s reign and became most prominent in Hiruzen’s. The reason i say it cestered in Tobirama’s reign is because from what we see of Tobirama, loyalty to the village is more important than anything. Also his students are prime examples of ‘far right nationalists’ with Danzo and the elder’s being the absokute worse but Hiruzen honestly not being much better.

This idea of nationalism/loyalty to the village is really exemplified in the ‘will of fire’ ideology’

And this is part one where Tsunade and Kakashi branch out from that idea. Kakashi is painfully loyal to the village himself but is also of the mindset that friends and loves ones come first.

By putting his teammates well being ahead of the village Kakashi actively steps away from the nationalistic mentality. He does not fully escape it Unfortunately, but he teaches his students that same ideology and by doing so helps them move away from the ‘will of fire’. In fact, the only Sensei we see actively passing down the will of fire ideology is Asuma, Hiruzen’s son. And that ideology lives on in Shikamaru

This is a case of ‘fascist elements continue to live on’ . Shikamaru and Asuma do not adhere to the will of fire the same way Hiruzen or Danzo do, but it’s an ideology from that past that continues to influence them.

Dissent or disagreement not being allowed is something HIGHLY visible in Hiruzen’s reign

Most obviously in the Uchiha uprising/massacure, but also in the way Sakumo is shunned for choosing his teammates over the mission.

Tsunade shows more care for her people when she tells Shikamaru that although the mission (sasuke’s retrieval arc) was failed, it was a success in her mind because no one died. She actively puts her shinobi’s lives over the mission which is not something that was done in Hiruzen’s reign.

Tsunade also shows her stepping away from this ideology by not punishing Kakashi for walking away from a mission she was trying to give him and instead going to find his missing students. Now to be fair to hiruzen he also showed a lot of leeway to Kakashi when he went against order’s to save Tenzo from Danzo, but Hiruzen also got something out of the deal (A mokuton user). Tsunade had little to gain from allowing Kakashi to show such disregard for her authority.

Now for Kakashi- we don’t see his reign but we can see from how he reacts to Naruto going against his plan/instructions that he does not care too much about people following him as long as their goals are to protect their loved ones

If we use Kakashi Retsuden, the only Shinobi we know of that Kakashi dismisses is dismissed not for breaking rules or disrespecting authority. He’s dismissed for stealing from the people he’s supposed to be helping (a very reasonable reason to dismiss someone tbh)

If we don’t use Kakashi retsuden and only 100% canon sources, Kakashi still shows no signs of being anything like Hiruzen where he would willfully accept the murder of an entire clan as ‘the only option’ to dealing with their grievances. Kakashi also would not show contempt or anger to someone disagreeing with him. He has too little respect for himself to care tbh.

Authorian power structure is still very much a thing with the Hokage’s title, but still not quite the same.

Tsunade, Kakashi and Naruto lean on their support a lot more. They don’t just have the elder’s to call back on (i’m not sure if the elder’s being alive still is manga canon or just anime) and even though those elder’s do hover around in anime which allows thise fascist elements to continue on, they’re not as respected/listened to as when Hiruzen was in charge. They’re more of a background piece.

Kakashi actuvely changes the system. Now here we’re using the book because we don’t get to see anything in manga or anime until after, but Konoha is no longer purely nationalistic. They are bonded with the other villages in trade agreements and peace. Now there are still nationalistic views/pieces of course (again, even after a system ends not every element if it vanishes) but the main idea of ‘loyalty to Konoha and only Konoha’ is no longer a thing. The villages work together to try and achieve a better future.

We see past Kage (onoki) struggle with this new world and end up destroying themselves because they can’t move forward with the rest of the world (anime only i believe) but those who could move forward and accept that peace was here and they didn’t have to ‘be ready for the next fight’ thrived with their villages.

And this idea of real cooperation didn’t start during Kakashi’s reign. It started with Tsunade’s. Hiruzen MIGHT have been willing to work with the other Kage, but while danzo was in charge it was clear he would only do so if HE was in charge. That is a major factor to why Hiruzeb’s Konoha is fascist. Not just because Dabzo exists in it, but because Hiruzen refuses to actually do anything about Danzo and instead often ends up agreeing with him/doing what he wants to do.

So whilte elements of Fascism continue to persist during Tsunade and Kakashi’s (and Naruto’s) reigns, they no longer rule Konoha’s system. They are both at the forfront of the system.

Now i will agree that Not making the Uchiha Massacure known is a part of that continued Facism, but that’s also not Tsunade or Kakashi’s fault. In fact we never even get to see either of them fully understand the situation.

We get to see Kakashi state he wants to find out more before doing anything, but he never does cuz the story just sort of drops it

But for Naruto we (unfortunately) get to see his end of the Massacure issue being Itachi asking him to keep the truth a secret.

By keeping it a secret they don’t heal the past or make any move to show that they will not be repeating that kind of shit, though we can assume that Tsunade, Kakashi and Naruto (based off who they are as characters) are not going to bend and agree to the slaughter if an entire clan, children included, for the crime of being unhappy with the way they are being treated.

But once again, Fascism does live on in a small way when the truth of the Massacure is kept hidden.

But overall, Tsunade, Kakashi and Naruto’s Konoha are not the same as the past.

They are not the rampantly fascist society that thrived under Hiruzen

The people and Shinobi of Konoha can rest knowing that

Their Hokage won’t shame them for choosing their loves ones over the mission/village (would go directly against Tsunade and Kakashi’s personal codes)

They won’t be punished for speaking out/disobeying their Hokage

They can work with the other villages and thrive alongside them, rather than being plunged into constant war against them.

Although the existing power structure is still in place it is not as authoritarian. (Could be better, but i digress)

The will of fire doesn’t seem to be a main teaching point anymore.

Learning about chakra and shinobi methods is no longer restricted to those who are 100% planning to be shinobi. I think it might be anime only but Civilians are welcomed into the academy to learn shinobi skills even if they have no intention of being shinobi, allowing them to better protect/care for themselves rather than always having to rely on a shinobi’s protection to do things like travel between villages.

Konoha is still far from perfect, but honestly there’s no such thing as a perfect system and going from outright very fascist to ‘not at all fascist’ takes time. I know people like to act like it can just be dismantled, but that’s not how it works unfortunatly unless you take an authoritarian/dictatoral route and just… kill everyone who holds those okd ideals (not that i would mind if Sasuke had been allowed to kill the elders. That would have been nice. Free therapy for bum and an issue in Konoha’s system resolved)

[licncourt]

do you have thoughts positive or negative regarding the episode three character trait differences with the show vs the books?? also that scene where louis thinks about it raining vs not raining i’m wondering if as the show goes on they’re going to be pushing the “this is not completely true” narrative more and more

I know there's been a lot of debate about whether AMC Louis is in character based on the books, and I think ep 3 really exemplifies why I think the answer is more complicated than he is or he isn't. I'm glad the show isn't shying away from his more arrogant, violent side because that's definitely present in the books. There are some things that happen in the episode that I don't see book Louis doing, particularly how he handles the killing of Fenwick. That said, I don't really have a problem with that because of the story that's being told here.

AMC Louis exists under very different sociopolitical circumstances than book Louis. In the show, Louis is a black man who's spent a lifetime being oppressed for his skin color and is reacting accordingly. That classic Louis volatility is present in him, but it's exacerbated by his experience of racism. This is a Louis who is facing different social pressures and hardships than his book counterpart, so it makes sense that he wouldn't be a carbon copy.

Book Louis is a gay man in 18th century Louisiana, but he's also a wealthy white plantation master. At the top of the food chain, so to speak. He doesn't have the same anger and chip on his shoulder because he can hide what makes him different. In the book, vampirism for Louis is much more linked to his experience of gayness in the Antebellum South, his Catholic repression of desire and guilt over sexuality.

In the show, the metaphor of vampirism is linked more closely to Louis' blackness and institutions of power. Both of their approaches to life and morality reflect that difference between them. Book Louis has a lot of anger and pain that's directed inward, while for AMC Louis its source is very external. That's reflected in their actions.

I will say that I think it was a strange choice to have Louis be the one to suggest killing evildoers, but I guess you could chalk it up to the same thing if you wanted to.

As far as the memory aspect, I wish they had introduced it earlier if they plan to make it a theme. It felt jarring to me because of how far into the narrative we are before it came up. I also don't fully understand why that was an epiphany for Louis because it looks like Louis and Lestat had a confrontation over it at the time? So why did it seem like news to him in the modern day that Lestat saw his hookup with Jonah? Idk, maybe I missed something.

Basically I don't hate the concept of playing with memory and the fallibility of recollection, but I think the implementation has been clumsy. It sounds like we'll see more of it though because I believe Rolin Jones said the memory thing would become more pronounced as the show goes on. We'll see how it pans out.

[nickjunesource]

ill say it BM favors luke/ot over max/Nick.... he has stated that he sees himself in Luke (not something to brag about bud). imo that's were all this comes from. that's why I don't sew much hope for osblaine moving forward

Hmm.... we could maybe see BM favouring OT/Luke over Max/Nick because he sees himself in Luke. He's the basic, passive everyday man. It's easy to see yourself in that kind of a character. Nick is far too heroic, complicated, and cool for BM to be able to see himself in him. Bruce could never.

Though if we're being generous toward BM, stating that he sees himself in Luke could be a critical self-reflective comment. Seeing oneself in Luke isn't a positive thing and so mentioning that could be BM acknowledging his flaws. Luke is meant to exemplify the flawed modern "progressive" man; men who might have progressive beliefs and values, but who are extremely passive and don't act because they're content with the status quo. Men who don't see the bad things happening around them until they themselves are impacted. There are certainly times where BM was one such example of this.

But just because Bruce may see himself in Luke in a positive way doesn't mean that hope should be lost over Osblaine. The main reason that Luke is so present this season is that they needed something to fill out the plot and to give June "love" when it's not currently possible to do that as much with Nick and Osblaine. BM just sucks at his job. He's not very talented and this season with its overuse of Luke showcases that.

Further, Bruce is just one person in the room. We know that Lizzie has a fair bit of power and influence and we know that she's very clearly #TeamNick and Osblaine. Warren Littlefield also seems to prefer Nick and Osblaine. There are also writers in the room, notably Aly Monroe and Eric Tuchman, who love Nick and Osblaine. And don't forget that Bruce himself, while possibly preferring Luke, does like Nick and Osblaine as well. He's said a number of nice things about Nick and Osblaine. He's written some pretty good Nick and Osblaine scenes too. At the end of the day he's in the business of making money and he knows that Osblaine sells a lot better. For him it doesn't really matter how he sees himself in relation to characters on the show, but how much he can fill his own wallet. We fully believe that the next season will improve. It will never be as good as the first two seasons, but it will be better than this worthless filler of a season.