#i will never forgive dc for making him a domestic abuser

[clownprince]

"you can't just ignore massive narratively consequential chunks of a characters' story that you don't like or disagree with" actually i can. and i do. and it's very easy ^_^

[giftofshewbread]

Dark Days

By Daymond Duck 

Published on:January 17, 2021

The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election was the most contentious and corrupt election in the history of America (it has been reported that almost 80% of Republicans, about 30% of Independents, and 17% of Democrats believe there was fraud).

The shadow government and globalist elite have used an illegal election to replace a president that wanted to put America first with a president that will push world government, and these people are now closer to their long-cherished goal of a one-world government, economy, and godless global religion than they have ever been.

In my last article, I reported that Dr. James Dobson said the Republican loss of the two Senate Seats in Georgia will lead to the loss of “government of the people, by the people and for the people” because the Democrats will add more Senate Seats (Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico) and more judges to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Republicans lost both seats, so if Dr. Dobson is right, the election fraud has cost America “government of the people, by the people and for the people.”

The shadow government and globalist elite have gained control of every branch of U.S. government through the Democrat Party, and there will be no way to stop the surrender of U.S. sovereignty.

Demonic forces have taken over America, and our nation will never recover.

Faithful students that study Bible prophecy on a regular basis are not surprised: We have long taught that the Bible prophesies the following:

the nation of Israel will be re-established (it has),

the Church will grow lukewarm (it is),

there will be global pandemics (worse than Covid),

persecution of Christians (lockdowns, pastors arrested, churches fined),

global economic problems (trillion-dollar stimulus packages, the economy of many nations near collapse),

global famine (unemployment and hunger are spreading),

gross immorality and abominations to God (abortion, LGBTQ, etc.),

deceit will increase (censorship, lying, etc.),

the technology to track all buying and selling (coming on the scene now),

the elimination of cash (digital currencies are now going into use),

the arrival of 10 kings in the world (this could be approved at “The Great Reset” soon),

that the U.S. must decline (this appears to be happening now),

a world government (Biden plans to push it),

an antichrist religion (Democrats have removed God from their party platform), etc.

This is a spiritual war; America is no longer a Christian nation; Biden and Harris have indicated that they will greenlight globalization, rejoin the World Health Organization, push the Green New Deal, open America’s borders, and more.

Fraud has turned America into a one-party nation; voting was worthless; fear, frustration and concern are spreading; many pastors are silent; their church members are like sheep without shepherds in front of a pack of wolves; it is not an easy time for Christians and patriots; this is probably America’s last stand; citizens are upset; and there is a lot of uncertainty about what the future holds for us, our children, our grandchildren, etc.

This has prompted me to offer these thoughts:

God is not surprised, He is still in control, the Church has been told to watch for these things, prophecy is being fulfilled, and these things indicate that this present generation could be the terminal generation (Matt. 24:32-34).

Jan Markell said, “Things are not falling apart; things are falling in place,” and Rev. J.D. Farag said, “God isn’t trying to make you happy. God is trying to get you ready.”

This world is not the Christian’s hope or home; the Christian’s hope is not an anti-Christ world government, corrupt politicians, politically motivated judges and courts, or anything except the Rapture of the Church (John 11:11; Titus 2:13).

The purpose of the Rapture is to give Christians knowledge and comfort about their future and that of their deceased loved ones (I Thess. 4:13-18).

Christians are not alone (John 14:16).

The Gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church (Matt. 6:18).

Nothing can separate Christians from the love of God (Rom. 8:38-39).

Christians should set their affections on heaven, stand firm, live by the Word of God, keep the Judgment Seat of Christ in mind, and know that our sins will find us out (Col. 3:2; Matt. 4:4; II Cor. 5:10; Num. 32:23).

A lukewarm attitude, the silence of pastors, and Church members that know very little Scripture signify the end of the age (Rev. 3:15-18).

People who are not saved should quickly and sincerely put their faith in Jesus (not baptism or joining a church) for the forgiveness of their sins (Prov. 3:5-7; John 3:16; 14:6).

Christians should love others, do good works, attend Church, get the gospel out (to everyone, but especially to their family), pray often, pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and more (Heb. 10:24-25; Mark 16:15; Psa. 122;6).

Christians should watch the signs and pray that God will consider them worthy to be Raptured before the Tribulation Period arrives (Luke 21:36).

Know that God raises up leaders and God brings down leaders. He had a reason for putting Trump in office, He has a reason for removing Trump, and a reason for putting Biden in office. I tend to believe God is ready to let world government advance, and Trump would have been in the way.

God’s prophecies must be fulfilled, and good will come from every situation (Rev. 1:1; Rom. 8:28).

Here are more of my thoughts along a different line:

On Jan. 6, 2021, an angry mob stormed and breached the U.S. Capitol building, and tragically, 1 person was killed almost immediately, several others died, several police were injured, and there was property damage.

Politicians and pundits immediately blamed Trump, but Congress, the FBI, CIA, the Media, and the U.S. Supreme Court must share the blame (also there have been reports that Antifa and Black Lives Matter were among the protesters and responsible for some of the violence; On Jan. 7, it was reported that 2 members of Antifa had already been identified by facial recognition technology. Some officials deny it, but they proved untruthful in the Russian Collusion hoax).

Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer have boasted that they will fundamentally change America, and they have been involved.

The House tried to dump Trump for 4 years, falsely accused him, impeached him for nothing, and ignored the crimes of the Bidens and Clintons.

The FBI, CIA and others lied and falsely prosecuted people because they wanted to dump Trump, and little to nothing has been done.

A Special Prosecutor was appointed to investigate the Clintons and the Russian Collusion hoax, and the public has been promised a report for years, but it has never been released, and it will probably be covered up.

Politicians, the Media, and some police claim that we are a nation of laws, but they have ignored 4 years of Antifa and Black Lives Matter rioting, looting, burning, injuring people, and attacking the police.

Despite overwhelming evidence of voter fraud, judges have refused to hear the evidence, the U.S. Supreme Court has done nothing, and some people think violence is the only answer (God is the only answer).

Pundits immediately started saying “we must come together,” but it will not happen because the left’s definition of “coming together” is that the right must totally submit. The left will never agree to restrictions on abortion, sexual perversion, drug abuse, etc. (Rev. 9:20-21), and true Christians will not totally surrender.

Simply put, violence is wrong, but Washington is corrupt and broken; frustration started building before Trump ran for President. Millions of people do not want mob rule, one-party rule, their voice to go unheard, to open America’s borders, to surrender America’s sovereignty, to let unsaved diplomats at the UN tell the U.S. what laws we have to pass, different voting rules for different people, the crimes of the Clintons and Bidens ignored, the police attacked, the police defunded, and judges that ignore the law and rule in favor of their own political party.

It saddens me to say it, but I do not believe Congress will listen. According to Bible prophecy, abortion, perversion, drug abuse, and globalism will explode; freedom of speech and freedom of religion will decline; persecution of believers and anti-Semitism will increase; violence will increase; there will be no revival in the Church; and God will soon send the Tribulation Period to deal with godless government in America and the world.

On the other hand, I rejoice to say that God is listening to the grievances of His people. The world is dark, but light is coming, and these tragic events are reasons for hope (I Thess. 5:4-9).

The Christian’s future is glorious, and the nearness of world government and the Tribulation Period implies that the Rapture of the Church is close.

I don’t know how to define close, but I honestly believe the appointment of 10 people to rule over a world government in the next 4 years is a distinct possibility.

Here are some more stories that made the news:

One, concerning false accusers, Democrats praised and bailed out rioters, looters, and arsonists in some cities, but on Jan. 7, 2021, Biden called those that stormed the capitol “rioters, insurrectionists and domestic terrorists.”

Some reports said hundreds of thousands of people attended the March to Save America, and about 40-50,000 went to the capitol.

Thus, most of those that went to Washington were not involved in the violence.

Violence is wrong, and if the Democrats want to “come together,” they should recognize that most of those that went to Washington have legitimate grievances that must be addressed and admit the truth about the involvement of Antifa and Black Lives Matter.

Sadly, there is every reason to believe that hypocrisy, lying and deceit will prevail.

Two, one TV commentator said the reason Pelosi, Schumer, Ilhan Omar and others want to remove Trump from office with less than 2 weeks to go is because removal from office will disqualify him from running for President 4 years from now.

They obviously do not know that they have no control over who will run for President 4 years from now because God raises up our leaders.

As I see it, the President of the U.S. could very well be one of the Ten Kings under the rule of the Antichrist 4 years from now (I am not setting a date for the Rapture).

Incidentally, saying the election was stolen is not an impeachable offense.

Three, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog, on Jan. 4, 2021, Iran announced that it is now enriching uranium to 20%.

Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu said Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, and Israel will not let them do it.

I have been saying it for a long time, but the latter days, latter years Battle of Gog and Magog could be close (Ezek. 38:8, 16).

Four, on Jan. 6, 2021, Rev. Franklin Graham said, “We (America) are in trouble. I believe God’s judgment is coming, for the sins of our nation are great, and they are a stench in the nostrils of our Creator.”

Five, concerning famine, on Jan. 7, 2021, Bloomberg reported that global food prices hit a 6-year high in Dec. 2020, and they are likely to go higher in 2021.

The higher cost of food is expected to increase inflation.

Six, the place that is believed to be the site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus is in an area between Israel and Jordan that was designated a war zone more than 50 years ago.

Land mines were laid in the area, and people were warned to stay away.

Two years ago, Israel started removing the landmines, and the area has now been declared safe.

On Jan. 10, 2021, it was reported that a group toured the area and held a baptism ceremony there.

Seven, concerning the censorship of Trump, and Christian and conservative websites, on Jan. 10, 2021, it was reported that Biden has at least 14 current or former executives of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter ready to serve in his administration or advising his transition team.

In my opinion, one of the primary reasons for censorship is to silence anyone that opposes the surrender of America’s sovereignty to a world government.

Eight, on Jan. 10, 2021, it was reported that a post on Biden’s website says he has plans to defeat the NRA and “end our epidemic of gun violence.”

There are not a lot of specifics, but the NRA is saying Biden will make “a concerted attack on the rights of gun owners.

Finally, God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

[aceofwhump]

Mike Warren Fanfic Rec List

Alright everyone!! Here it is! My fanfiction rec list for Mike Warren!! There’s not a lot of fanfiction out there so pickings are kinda slim (we should all change that. Just saying.) But I hope you enjoy what I’ve found!

Warning 1: A lot of these are incomplete. It sucks but they’re good so I’m adding them anyway.

Warning 2: Some are Pike (Paige and Mike) and no I don’t ship them (cause she is a bitch) but I wanted to read Mike whump and if the Pike wasn’t a huge deal in the fic I read it anyway.

----------------------------------------------------

Saving Grace by HopefulShipper, RosieColes95  Summary: Abby finds Mike's FBI badge along with his gun that fateful night in S1 and he comes clean about his job. As their relationship deepens can Mike protect her from getting pulled into his undercover world? Cowritten with RosieColes95.

Moving On by kimmyiewrites (arosetosomeone) Summary: Mike Warren has gone back to D.C. to try and move on from all that had happened in Graceland. With a new case and a new partner he just might be able to do just that or will Graceland's memories come back to haunt him?Post Series Finale!

The Silver Lining is in the Stuffed Animal by cancerthecrabbo Summary: When Bello spots him and attacks him in prison, Mike is a little worse for wear. With his stitches pulled out, Charlie takes him to the hospital before they go back to Graceland. Mike, in all his painkiller-induced loopiness, is adorable. The Graceland family takes advantage of the situation to get some blackmail.

what is a half-blind wolf (but a lamb missing an eye?) by cancerthecrabbo Summary: "Mike expects Bello to get between the two of them, perhaps elect to interrogate him, which might leave him some room to stay undercover. Instead, he takes a step back and gives Eddie a slow nod. He hands Eddie the gun." An alternate ending to the episode Pizza Box in which Bello decides to put his trust in Eddie, which means Eddie can dispose of Mike as he wishes. The tactical team waiting nearby gets to them before Eddie can kill Mike but not before he makes the saying an eye for an eye quite literal.

i dream with my eyes open by sonofahurricane Summary: When Eddie attacks Mike, Mike walks away but doesn't get off easily.AU for 1x04, Pizza Box.

Lightshow by busigt_81 Summary: Mike loves running, it clears his head and helps him think about whats going on in his life and he needs it now more than ever.

Anchor by VampirePam Summary: When Mike crashes hard after his first reversal, Briggs is there to pick up the pieces. Missing scene from the pilot.

And Not Just Play a Part by yattayay Summary: He comes out to them one night on the beach, with his head in Charlie’s lap and the fire warming his toes.

The Ever Building Lie by donutsweeper Summary: Odin Rossi had become a part of Paul Briggs, one that was getting harder and harder to hide.Spoilers for episode 1x08 "Bag Man."

Poison by AnthemInMyTveit (SoWrongItsLottie) Summary: “I’m Poison, Mike!” Briggs shouts, spinning his head round to face the younger Agent.Paul Briggs knows that he’s a mess; he has been ever since the incident down in Mexico with Jangles, he’s not going to deny it. Although he never thought for a single second that he would ever let Agent Mike Warren, Mr Boy Scout himself, in on his most darkest secret. When Mike takes a turn for the worse following Bello’s assault, Briggs makes it his mission to get Agent Warren out of Graceland and to DC, where he belongs. But can he really go through with his plan and say goodbye to the person who has had his back since day one?

What Didn't Happen by altschmerzes Summary: “You really think I was dead?” That’s the question he asks instead of his actual question, ‘just how upset were you and how upset are you still?’ Ultimately, the first question answers the second, if what Mike’s face does is any indication.“Yeah.” The word is clipped, followed by a short clear of his throat. “I really did.”--After Mike finds out Johnny is alive, and after Briggs leaves the evidence room, the two of them get a chance to talk, and Mike gets to process a loss that hadn't actually happened.

Come Together by owenharpersgirl Summary: After Bello attacks Mike in the prison, the entire house comes to together to look after him.

Panic by petersnotkingyet Summary: Bates wakes up in the middle of the night and finds Mike having a panic attack. Bromance ensues.

Three in the Morning by IveGotRedHair Summary: Mike's not feeling well and Paige tries to make it better, he might be the new guy but Graceland is family.

It's Just Sauce After All by: Rosebud5 Summary: Based on the "Pizza Box" episode, Mike is left with the suddenly daunting task of cleaning the dishes after sauce night. Just when he thinks he might reach his breaking point, he's joined by somebody who will help take the pain away and clean away all the red to leave a beautiful, pure white. Sometimes, all it takes is a gentle hand to guide you back to the ground.

Those Blue Eyes by: Rosebud5 Summary: When Mike is stabbed and in critical condition, the Graceland family realizes just how much their dorky Levi means to each of them. Takes place during the "Smoke Alarm" episode, with some Mike/Paige and a few hints of Johnny/Charlie.

Life at Graceland by: Misfits-of-Graceland Summary: A series of one-shots focusing on Mike mostly and some are just kind of random.

Under the Cover of Violence by: GracelandFan Summary: Mike has to go undercover as a victim of domestic violence. Briggs has to play the abuser. All is going well until one nosy cop decides to help Mike out of his situation.

Burning in the Dark by: msjgatsby Summary: Mike fails. He needs Paige's forgiveness.

Reveal Those Baby Blues by: Suitslover14 Summary: At least this time he didn't have to call Charlie and Paige and Jakes, telling them that Mike had been stabbed and he had left him to chase after some nightmare in his past. At least this time Mike had a hell of a better chance of surviving. That is if he could just reveal those baby blues.

The Greatest Novel Ever Written by msjgatsby Summary: Paige takes the first shift after Mike's out of the tub. (PIKE outtake from 3x08)

Not So Happy Birthday by: WhumpageLover Summary: It's Mike's birthday, but the day doesn't turn out so happy.

Matters of the Heart by: purplepanda242 Summary: How do you cope when everything goes wrong?

Desperation by: H.E. Mahk Summary: Post season 3.  Picks up right at the end of "No Old Tigers".  Everyone in the house is trying to figure out where to go from here and Mike, especially, is struggling with the stress and guilt of it all.  Will he seek help or fall back into old habits? Warnings: drug use.

Dark by: Miss DiNozzo Summary: Tags to 1x04, Pizza Box. Mike's not doing well.

Mike Whump by: TaliaFox Summary: Basically, a series of one-shots about hurt!Mike. Involved will be shooting, stabbing, kidnapping, etc. Mainly will be Mike and Paul, but others will be included. NOT SLASH.

Search & Rescue By: S.A.N.e-but-inS.A.N.e Summary: When Paige asks Mike to help her on one of her cases, it quickly goes from a simple takedown to a life-threatening situation. Even injured, Mike will stop at nothing to rescue Paige with or without the help of the other residents of the Graceland house.

Mike's Mystery by: WhumpageLover Summary: Mike comes home, beaten and covered in blood, after being gone for three days. He doesn't want to talk about what happened, so it's up to the gang to find out what happened to their Levi.

Sick Mike Oneshots by: Miss DiNozzo Summary: As a huge sickfic fan, I've really wanted to see more sick!Mike. So naturally I wrote a million stories about it.

Stagger by: somewhereinthedreams Summary: Filling in the gap of why Mike thought he and Paige were okay after Bello attacked him in prison. Consider this a deleted scene set during Season 1: Episode 10, "King's Castle."

Come Together by: OwenHarpersGirl Summary: After Bello attacks Mike in the prison, the entire house comes to together to look after him.

[seekinghappenstance]

I, Tonya (2017)

Cast: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Julianne Nicholson, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney

Director: Craig Gillespie 

I’ve never been a fan to love ice-skating, #1 I’m not good at as I find difficulty to find the balance to support myself and #2 the blade. However, my fear for ice-skating doesn’t take away the temptation to watch this movie. At first, I did not expect how much the movie would give but Margot Robbie and Sebastian Stan (DC & Marvel crossover) were what really made me to select the movie with my remote. The movie narrates a story about an unlucky girl, Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) who came from a tumultuous family and she was physically and emotionally abused by her mother, LaVona Golden (Allison Janney) in her daily basis. Tonya was brought to the rink by her mother at 4 to be professionally trained. Tonya became a very talented ice-skater as she grew older but sometimes her performance got dwindled as her dress might look slightly unflattering and tattered that cost her the competition despite her talent on ice. The judges have always disliked Tonya which she quickly realized it. Tonya had never experienced love and had always wanted to be loved. She once thought Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan) would love her and she was right, but Jeff was violent and he would hit Tonya during a heated argument and a small disavowal between these two; they would make up, then he hit her again, then make up....The cycle never halted, eventually, their relationship ended up in turmoil so much so that Tonya had a restrained order against him and finally ended up in a divorce. Tonya and Nancy were once friends but things were quickly went to another path after Nancy got attacked. At the end, Tonya paid the highest price that she was banned to compete and participate in any ice-skating related event and competition.

The highlight of the film is none other than the infamous “incident”. I wasn’t even born when that incident happened but after finished watching the film, I was intrigued to find out more about the incident. Indeed, Tonya and Nancy were both victims. One was a victim to domestic violence and another one was victim to the attack. However, Tonya’s life had never been easy and life was not being fair to her as there was never an evidence pointed out that she was the attacker nor the schemer but she ended up having to lose everything. On the flip side, Nancy had lived in a much more comfortable household and yes, she was the victim but that did not take everything from her.

MEDIA

Until this day I still think many people have aware that media is powerful enough to shape a person’s reputation as easy as pruning bonsai, unless they are celebrities. In the past, the media would find a way to pair Tonya and Nancy up as the biggest adversary for each other. Somehow they even recreated a new character for both athletes. Tonya as the evil and ambitious girl & Nancy as the princess-type and nice girl. Now that the public was completely blindsided by the “new images” of the girls, Naturally, the public would have the tendency to think Tonya was unedequette and impolite, almost acting like savage since she came from a lower-class family. Thus, her demographics and “new images” seemed to add up. There was hardly a moment that the public would think Nancy was uncourteous even if her reaction to Oksana Baiul winning first place was caught on tape. The public could not forgive Tonya because she was the villain and Nancy was any other kind-heart Disney princes. All these sensational and repetitive headlines had successfully carved a permanent mark on people. I’d say the biggest winner is the media.

Post-movie reaction

To fight evils with evil and to cure ills with poison, once the movie was out, the public had started to side with Tonya. People started to question why Nancy needed an apology from Tonya in 1994 and why the world still owes Tonya an apology. The future of Tonya Harding would have been secured if media had been kind, but it is what it is. More than 20 years have passed, Tonya and Nancy were no longer skating on ice. Both women have children, especially, Tonya had now lived with a rather happily life as she found a man who treats her well and makes her happy. Well the whole essay is not looking like critique. However, the successful film is raw and honest which is audience wants to see. Nothing’s watered down and nothing’s too exaggerated. Kudos to the director, writer and the cast for being honest in the film and this film is the public apology to Tonya Harding.

[myfandomrambles]

An Analysis of Villianey

( This is Part 1b, Part 1a here)

Section II: Tragic Backstories

This is another super common way to make villains sympathetic. Giving someone a terrible childhood is a short cut to make someone feel bad for someone. Tragic backstories are super common and sometimes making the villains the most compelling character in really good ways. Both to make the characters truly a person who is empathetic or just understandable. There are three ways I think this can be done really well.

You can make them a redeemed character like Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Megamind (Megamind) or Peridot (Steven Universe).

An anti-hero/grey characters who don’t join the light side but acts heroically but on their own code. Wade Wilson (Deadpool), Dexter Morgan (Dexter), Punisher (Marvel), Harley Quinn (DC)  or Don Vito Corleone (The Godfather)  

A  bad guy who remains bad at the end, we know why they are bad but aren’t ever fixed. EX: Merrin Meredith (Septimus Heap), Morgana (BBC Merlin), Voldemort (Harry Potter),  Bane (DC), Or Davros (Doctor Who)

One important thing about writing these stories is to be done right you do have to choose the end game. How the character acts in relationships during the story changes which outcome is compelling and even feels possible. Things to consider:  rather they have any guiding belief system if this backstory includes trauma how the heal from that, their relationship to the power system, and how much they change their actions to move towards saying sorry and becoming better. Not every character is written in a way where a character can become better, or even should. The Diamonds (Steven Universe) keep having their characterization, actions, back story, and relationships altered leaving a confused story arc. The Diamonds are also on a list of characters who should not be redeemed because of the severity of their actions. They are written as space fascists no matter how sad they are it’s problematic to pretend the trauma of a dead love excuses attempted genocide.

A revolting part of this trend is tragedy porn. Stories of violence, poverty, mental illness, child abuse, disability, domestic abuse or sexual assault are exploited for shock value and making money from real pain. This is used to create a reason for a character to be broken or evil. A cheap gritty story of how our villain got there instead of writing an interesting motivation or taking into account the cultural and psychological damage of associating trauma and mental health with villainy. This also plays into the trope of mental illness being dangerous or a problem of morality. If it’s just because they are too broken you can kiss it away and fixing the trauma fixes the problem of horrible acts of violence.  If you do write traumatic backstories as motivation for their actions have the behaviours actually track with trauma. Catra’s (She-Ra 2018)  trauma is inherently tied to her motivation as the villain and essentially to her role as the deuteragonist of the narrative. But they show how and why this trauma matters, and choose to display the abuse in a way that while explicit and horrific isn’t exploitive and the refrain from showing realistic physical abuse that too clearly mirrors real life trauma. Her narrative of becoming the antagonist makes sense with her history of indoctrination, betrayal, fear of violence, and psychological trauma. It mirrors the narrative of the hero as well throwing off their primary abuser in both instances making it possible for this story to not demonize trauma. Another important thing to keep in mind when writing these kinds of narratives is to do research and represent any mental illness at least mostly accurately.

Another frustration is when people use these backstories to form a “well they could never have done/known better” and therefore they did nothing wrong mindset. This an oversimplified reading of good storytelling and the reading for poorly written characters. The idea that no one could ever know better is used in defence of characters like Kylo Ren (Star Wars), Azula (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Billy Hargrove (Stranger Things), Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter). However this excuse really only extends so far it tracks best with children when we see them alter perspective when exposed to other ideas and when the behaviours mirror what was done to them. Abuse and trauma don’t always make angry violent people and the majority of people who do become angry hurt people but not murders. Then you do have indoctrination but there is a reason the Nuremberg defence doesn’t excuse everything.

This excuse also falls apart somewhat when you can point to another character [or real life person] in the same or similar situation who did change. This whole way of viewing things become an exercise in letting people who have hurt others go without their actions analyzed and without being held responsible. In a literary analysis standpoint it’s lazy and in reality, it is dangerous to do this with anyone who was hurt in the past. Empathy and understanding are always important, understanding why people end up where they do is key to life. Some people do horrific things with no trauma, and who did know better searching for a sympathetic reason doesn’t help make things better. And even more so those who have been abused or manipulated and did wrong should be helped to work through trauma and learn to understand and change from they have done in the past not have all of their behaviour excused with a handwave. People shouldn’t be taught that abuse forgives abusing, later on, they should know they never deserve to be treated poorly and they can’t love abusers better.  And of course, this is often applied enviable around factors like race, gender, power level and perceived hotness.

Anti Heros I think are criminally underrated wanting them to either be good or be bad. We romanticize the ones we should see as good [usually hot people] or demonize the ones it’s easier to see as all bad. Anti-heroic characters are hard because the lines differentiate these from redeemed people and real villains are connected to personal morality. But making them black and white is rationalizing when they make choices that are truly harmful as part of their “good” actions. Making them all bad strips the way they are often societal outsiders and the way they learned in the stories to move and act in life. This is the grey morality people claim to want in characters, and claim to see in their faves but people don’t appreciate it when they happen.

Constant manipulation of tragic backstory to say a character didn't really do anything bad, or they deserve redemption excuse also strips away truly tragic stories like the life of Inspector Javert (Les Miserables). Fall from grace stories can be really interesting like Walter White (Breaking Bad) or Harvey Dent (DC). Because sometimes life does eat someone up and they can’t find it in themselves to act in a different manner. Tragic stories are still okay, villains aren’t always going to be the good guys because they are meant to be just that villains. That is how they were written and how the best fit in stories and tell the story wanting to be shared. Sometimes villains made to many choices to hurt other people to be capable of total transformation to hero. These characters can still be three dimensional and interesting but they aren’t people who “done nothing wrong”. They did do something wrong and in the story that is fine, it’s what works in the narrative. Not every person can be healed with forgiveness and a hug.

The concept that Deserving redemption is tied to how sad their life was before but it isn't, it's based on the actions they do during the story.  a careful narrative that shows the path a person took to get the right place, the ways they changed and what influenced it is much more important. Let's use Tony Stark (Marvel) most of Iron Man 1 and iron man 2 are dedicated to him trying to be a better person, to use his remaining life to make the world better and atone for his wrongs. Tony Stark starts off as an unrepentant war criminal allowing the way he was groomed to ignore harm and gain power as an excuse to never address any of what he did was harmful. He drowned his trauma with addictions, shallow relationships. Yes, his trauma as a kid and during the narrative are driving pieces but why he is so heroic, why his phoenix narrative is one of the best in history is the choices he makes with what to do with that pain, he uses it to be earth's greatest defender. You do have some snapshot redemption stories that are good namely Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader (Star Wars) but I think [save the ret-cond Anakin force ghost] this wasn't so much meant to be proving he is a good person, but just acknowledging that no one is truly dark or light side. Anakin’s life is more told as a Shakespearean fall from grace, but even if this arc comes out of nowhere it works because the actions are narratively and thematically done correctly.

People who are obsessed with redemption also often don’t do a real analysis of societal structures, cultural history or context. It’s not that they really are deconstructing societal factors, or understand trauma, mental health or what really causes crime and antisocial behaviour when they try and justify via trauma and no other choice. I think starting to create and analyse content on a wider more holistic standpoint would be a good exercise to apply empathy to real-life crimes of desperation, end the killer = crazy myth, and stop letting people blame hate crimes on white kids being bullied.

[other posts on this topic: Zuko and good redemption arcs, trauma and justification of violence, Catra, Adora & trauma part 1 & 2, the diamonds still suck ]

[poisonwonders]

                                              POISON IVY.

                                     pamela lillian isley. twenty six.

                                     biochemist / botanist / toxicologist.                                                          MOTHER NATURE.

                             i am not ruined. i am ruination.

okay so ------- ivy is mostly based on the PAMELA ISLEY we encounter in DC’s prime earth universe, but some influences are also drawn from new earth and DC rebirth. a lot is also just AU / headcanons.

BASICS: ivy is 26, currently working at a lab that works on researching different toxins & poisons. she did not die during the whole thanos ordeal.

obviously no one has to read all this because i got carried away as per usual ! i’ve labeled each section if there is something in particular u want to know ! c:

BACKGROUND.

domestic abuse cw, child abuse cw, parental death cw, murder cw:/

she grew up incredibly sheltered, hidden away from sight. her father locked her away and used threats and fear to force her to stay inside. he also made her believe that if she went outside, into the sun, she would burn. pamela wholeheartedly believed this, because she did have a rare skin condition that made her sensitive to sunlight.

so her mother home schooled her, and tried to protect her the best she could. it was never enough, for either of them.

ivy’s mother emptied her heart of sorrows and poured all her energy into her garden. as a result, it was a beautiful place, filled with carefully tended flowers from all over the world and meticulously trimmed fruit trees and bushes. pamela could see it from her window, and she spent most of her days looking through the blinds and daydreaming about what life outside might be like. she didn’t notice that her mother’s garden grew little by little, every time her father was sorry for yet another unforgivable, unspeakable thing that he had done. but how was pamela to know that her mother’s pain was measured in flowers? that the reason her father showered ( no, drowned ), her mother in the most expensive bouquets, flower arrangements and exotic plants - was to keep her quiet? buy her forgiveness.

every now and then when her father was away for work, her mother would let pamela out into the garden, just as dusk was setting. she’d bask in the day’s last ray of sunshine, taking in the feeling of warmth across her face, stinging her skin ever so lightly. she wouldn’t dare be out there for long. her fear of her father, combined with her fear of her skin igniting, made her careful.

but no matter how careful she and her mother were, disaster eventually struck when ivy was eleven. her father came home from a work trip early ------ and saw his ‘beloved’ daughter outside, flowers in her hair, pale cheeks rosy with laughter. that night, her mother was sent to the ER. she came home the next day, her skin stained black and blue. her mother pretended like nothing had happened, and instead immediately went out to her garden. it had grown, over night. slowly, but certainly, ivy began to see a pattern form. when her mother was trying to hide another bruise, the garden expanded, and a new vase of beautiful flowers stood on the kitchen table. she may have been young, but pamela finally understood that flowers could be used to manipulate, to destroy, to conquer.

but her mother didn’t stop - she refused to let her daughter be cooped up like a beautiful bird in a cage. so she continued to bring a young and frightened pamela outside. she spoke to her in a low voice, about how flowers bound this world together, how they were linked to its very core. she spun tales of girls just like pamela, with flowers in their hair, dancing underneath the starlight, transforming into fairies and witches and elves. she explained that her garden always listened, and if you spoke to flowers, and you kept very very quiet, they’d answer. so pamela was bewitched, and her daydreams of the magical garden continued. she’d sit perched in her bedroom window, her gaze fixed on the roses below, watching them sway in the wind.

daydream turned into yet another nightmare when she was twelve. she saw it all happen, from her window. she saw how her father dragged out a lifeless body, and began to dig up the roses that pamela & her mom loved so much. she saw how careless he was, how flowers were thrown aside, how he barely looked at his wife before tossing her into a hole beneath the garden that she had poured her soul into. now she became part of it.

it took a few weeks of ‘your mother has gone to live with her sister, who is very ill’, before the police came knocking. they took her father away, and a few months later, he was sentenced to a life term in prison. 

pamela’s aunt moved into her house and started taking care of pamela instead, and pamela’s life took a drastic change for the better. she was now allowed to go outside, received treatment for her skin condition, and was enrolled in a private school. all of ivy’s free time went to her mother’s garden. on some level, she thought that through her flowers, she’d be able to keep her mother alive.

end of cw.

COLLEGE YEARS / BECOMING POISON IVY.

teacher / student relationship cw, human experiments / testing cw, abuse cw, ptsd cw.

ivy enrolled in college with a double major - chemistry and botany. she excelled in her course and soon became one of her chemistry teachers’ favorite. they embarked on an erratic relationship, their power balance completely skewed, with a naive pamela completely lost in love, thinking she had met the one. she was willing to do anything to maintain that feeling. so when he asked her to steal some seeds from another lab? there was no way that she would say no. and so it continued - he asked her to steal, from museums, from labs, from botanical gardens.

eventually, he found what he was looking for, and her perfect dream turned into yet another nightmare. he locked her up and experimented on her, injected her with every biochemical poison imaginable, a little at a time. seeing how her body reacted, how she slowly became immune to his tests. how almost succumbing to their effect drove her a little bit mad. what he didn’t count on was that pamela’s body would take to more than the poison [ continued in power section ].

after pamela broke free of his prison, she killed him. no remorse. just anger.

she dropped out of college. accidentally killed her new boyfriend with a kiss, and decided to go on the run.

at first, she had some trouble controlling her powers. the first few months, she didn’t dare touch anyone. too afraid that her touch would be toxic, deadly, disastrous. but a new rage had been ignited within her, and it was a rage that would soon become everything she was afraid of.

what was really nice though was that the sun now made her stronger, instead of weakening her!!! cool cool cool

she had been controlled by men many times by now - with disastrous consequences. people wanted to make her feel like she had been ruined, that she was now rotten. pamela refused to be anything other than their ruination in return. she wanted to prove to herself that she was now in control, that she had the power over men.

suffers PTSD after everything she has been through. it sucks

so maybe she went on a murder spree or two, while on the run. what about it?

also became very involved in environmental activist groups!!! often went to protests and was heavily involved with several pro-environment groups and their leaderships.

eventually.... started taking things waaaaaay across the line of what could be considered decent. became involved with underground groups, and turned to crime as the only answer to get the justice that she thought that she, along with mother nature, deserved.

end of cw.

ASYLUM YEARS / ‘MOVING ON’.

was eventually caught while trying to take control of los angeles, by threatening to release lethal fungus into the town’s water supply, and equally as lethal spores into the air. she wanted them to meet her environmental demands. they refused, and she was eventually captured.

after that, she was deemed insane, and was sent to an asylum. 

eventually escaped, and returned to her ways of crime.

was caught again, and sent back to serve a year within the asylum’s wall.

decided to be smarter about it, and pretended that she was changed by her stay in the asylum. 

she found a job in new york, at a local lab that researched biochemical toxins. it’s rumored that ivy has created poisons capable of wiping out half of the earth’s population. at that, she just laughs.

CURRENTLY / MOTIVATIONS.

ivy has managed to keep her job at the lab. possibly because the boss is a questionable figure, himself. mostly interested in money. 

her motivation is to keep plants safe. she can feel every plant around her, and she can hear their pain. she communicates with them, and through them. they willfully do her bidding, and she can take control of any plant close enough to her. she is mother earth’s protector, first and foremost. any harm to her also hurts ivy.

working closely with both underground environmental groups and larger, public groups. her motivations never change. neither does her anger, or her ambition.

she will do ANYTHING to get what she wants.

pretty girls cloud her morals even further, we love a chaotic bi

PERSONALITY / CHARACTER TIDBITS.

murder cw.

that girl that’s always fucking running in high heels

loose morals? yeah

has her own very specific agenda and follows it religiously! 

mood swings? yes. sweet like sugar one minute, sour like venom the next.

can be so cold!!!! literally doesn’t care 98% of the time if it isn’t related to plants or someone she loves.

she’s in a bad mood? probably would be best to hide.

might hate humanity, but she loves children. can be so maternal! will always protect kids and take them under her wing.

has a really nice aesthetic! wears a lot of dungarees, wooden shoes, flowery patterns and pastel colors.

uses her sexuality as a weapon.

so so so smart !!!! 

kinda unstable, too? 

lowkey into the idea of sisterhood. will have girls’ back.

used to be super naive, now she’s more cynical :c

thinks that humanity ain’t shit ( except for her gf, who is The Shit )

lowkey just wants to live on a deserted island with her gfs and her plants but she can’t do that yet because !!!! people !!!!! keep !!!! fucking with her plants. and ivy is also of the belief that someone’s gotta keep this world pure. so that’s what she’s about, really. purity. a peaceful world where plants are safe from harm. by any means necessary.

end of cw.

POWERS.

IMMUNITY:

ivy is completely immune to all toxins + poisons and can also use them as weapons through her skin and lips. the natural oils that her body produce are also laced with biochemical toxins, so her mere touch can be lethal, if she wants it to be. she can also conjure up toxins and manipulate plants into becoming toxic. 

also possesses specialized toxins, such as truth serums & love potions.

MENTAL CONTROL OF PLANT LIFE:

ivy can control plants, completely and effortlessly. she can animate them to attack and ensnare her opponents. she can also create new plant hybrids and accelerate a plant’s growth and strength and size. if she has seeds with her, she can also grow new plants quickly.

ivy also has a very special relationship with plants, and treats them as her children and family members. they thus respond to her will and command.

she has also brought back formerly extinct plants to life !!!

she can also feel plants. what they’re feeling. she shares a deep telepathic bond with wildlife, and can communicate with all flowers, trees and other plants. 

she can hear through plants! if she focuses, she can eavesdrop on people through plants. super useful, really.

hmmmmm plants also act as her spies, a lot!

DURABILITY & STRENGTH:

all that poison and it just made her stronger!!!! really though, it’s the sun that makes her strong!!!

anyways she’s more agile than the average human and less prone to injury.

[robininthelabyrinth]

Fic: Interconnect (ao3 link) - Chapter 3 Fandom: Flash, DC Legends of Tomorrow Pairing: Mick Rory/Leonard Snart

Summary: Fate has decided that Leonard Snart and Mick Rory are soulmates.

Yeah, okay, they’re good with that.

(for @coldwaveweek2017)

A/N: Instead of doing different fics for coldwave week, I decided to do one with multiple chapters, each based on the various days.

Chapter 3: Domestic

—————————————————————————————–

When Lisa thinks of love, she thinks, first, of her mother, passionate, out all night, screaming at her father and excusing him later as she puts make-up over the latest bruises, saying it was all part of how lovers were, the way of things, saying how Lisa would understand when she was grown up an married.

Then, a moment later, she thinks of another type of love.

She thinks of Len, sitting in the kitchen, doing figures, looking up with a frown and saying "You know, I'm hungry -" and Mick sliding the plate he'd already prepared over to him.

She thinks of Mick falling asleep on the couch and Len walking in with a blanket, smiling at him as he tucks him in.

She thinks of how Len steals rubies and fire opals whenever they come through Central, because Mick likes the way they shine in the light.

She thinks of how Mick will get up and check the doors every time there's a thunderstorm, even though he doesn't care, just because Len feels better knowing he does it.

She thinks of the way Len is there with a wrench when Mick is just reaching for it.

She thinks -

Len speaks to the sink in his jail cell, and Mick breaks him out the next day.

Mick punches a man who insulted Len a day before, without them ever talking about it - where she can see, anyway.

One gets the other his favorite sandwich without pre-arranged pick-up.

The other gets the other clothing, and food, and sweets -

And somehow, somehow -

They're the ones who're cursed.

Sometimes Lisa doesn't understand the world.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"- you didn't even listen!" Mick hollers.

Sung-hui winces. Too loud.

"Of course I listened," Len hisses. He prefers quiet, good boy - not too good, of course. Many good people come to her. These are not good people.

But they need help, and that's what she does.

"- never even -"

" - care about -"

"Out loud," Sung-hui says sternly. They startle and look at her guiltily. It happens sometimes, with them; they forget that other people don't speak the way they do.

It is both good and bad, she reflects. They love each other - madly, passionately, the way that happens in the bad stories she does not admit she reads - but their soulmates curse means that they cannot leave each other, and that creates friction.

Soulmates. They are never alone - each room they inhabit, the other inhabits with them, each chair, each painting, everything. Sung-hui once wondered, privately, what a room of nothing would do to them, but hopes they never find out.

"Out loud," she says again, as they had fallen silent, embarrassed. "Therapy not work if no one talks." That's not quite right and she knows it, but letting her accent thicken and her English falter a little reminds them that she is not them. That the voice that speaks to them is not, also, them; other people yet exist in this world.

They have trouble with that, sometimes.

"I care about your input," Len mutters. "I just needed to make a quick call."

"I said no ahead of time," Mick points out. He's still angry. Good, very good - too often he forgives when he should not. "You knew it."

"I know," Len says, and he looks wretched. "But there were other factors -"

"You didn't tell me," Mick says suspiciously. "You kept it from me, even when I was angry - damnit, Len, it was your dad?"

Len casts his eyes down.

"You told me you wouldn't do this!"

"He's my dad," Len whispers.

"You hate him!"

"He gave me Lisa."

"Yeah, and look what he did with her," Mick says, and regrets it a second later.

A second too late - Len crumples in himself.

Sung-hui decides it is time to intervene.

"Michael does not mean to criticize you," she tells Len. "You know this."

He nods.

"Say it."

"Mick's not criticizing me," Len repeats dutifully.

"Michael, Leonard, it appears your agreement is not working," she says. They look at her, wide-eyed. "The one about on-the-spot decisions," she clarifies.

They relax.

Silly boys; as though she would ever recommend they cut off their relationship. They fear that more than anything else - her sister is a witch, and they know this, and they cower.

No spell can break a curse that wants not breaking, but Sung-hui does not tell them that. A little fear is good, for men such as these.

"I want you to each propose new approach," she says. "Write it down on paper, then exchange. And no peeking!"

They grumble, but comply.

Good boys.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are they too much trouble or something?" Collier asks.

Wilson doesn't take the bait. Collier's new at Iron Heights; he asks questions a lot. Wilson's about fifty-fifty on whether he's a plant designed to figure out if they're abusing the inmates or if he's actually as young and spunky as he comes off as.

...he's gotta be a plant.

Of course, Wilson hasn't shared that little insight with anyone, so naturally Pike can't resist the opportunity to be high and mighty and all-knowing to someone who doesn't know better.

"Who?" he asks. Hayes, at his side as always, sniggers. There's not even anything funny.

Wilson reminds himself of the paycheck he gets working on the max security wing.

"Snart and Rory," Collier asks.

Oh, Lord. Collier's got his eye on the Unmangeables.

"What about 'em?" Pike asks.

"Well, why aren't we dealing with them?" Collier asks. "They escape or turn plead deals every few months."

"And you think you gotta way to stop 'em?" Pike sneers. Hayes sniggers again.

"No, not really," Collier says. "I'm just - do we have to accommodate for it, then?"

Wilson sighs inaudibly.

"Accommodations?" Hayes guffaws. "They're not blind or deaf."

Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it -

"Yeah, but they're cursed, aren't they?" Collier asks.

Great.

"Curse?" Pike asks, alarmed. "What curse?"

"They're soulmates," Collier says.

"That's not a real curse," Hayes scoffs.

"They can talk to each other when they're not there," Collier says. "Bet that's how they plan their escapes. We should try to do something to keep them from doing that if we don’t want them to escape. But, on the other hand, the cursed are a protected class, so -"

The clock hits the hour.

Wilson quietly thanks God and gets to his feet.

The others look at him.

"Shift," he grunts in explanation, and walks out.

"Hiya, Wilson," Rory says when he gets to cell one.

"Rory," Wilson replies.

"Got any news for me?"

"Collier's asking questions about accommodation," Wilson replies, and moves on.

"I wouldn't worry about Collier," Snart says, when Wilson gets to cell fifteen, all the way down the hall. "We won't be here long enough for it to matter."

"Don't tell me things like that," Wilson tells him.

"You always try to get us the same cell," Snart says. "And you look the other way about Mick's matches. We appreciate that."

"Yeah, yeah," Wilson says. "There's no accommodation in the world that keep you assholes here, anyway."

Snart smirks.

They're gone by the next day. Within a week, Collier's gone on to asking about other inmates, forgetting all about putting Snart and Rory on some sort of list that the government might be inclined to take notice of.

Wilson touches his own curse-scar - nothing as benign or wicked as soulmates for him, but the military had made him force a break of it anyway - and is pleased.

He wishes them well.