#i'm just saying i'm tired of the lack of nuance

[jellazticious]

they have. one coder working on the entire site just as the season begins. as in right now

the owner consistently disappears every time she's needed and admitted to using the donations they get to fund her own hobbies and not on the site

3 admins quit very recently, including the social media person rainy, and nobody has replaced them

reports sit for YEARS without being addressed by any of the staff

mods are consistently left out of the loop, trying to explain things to people when they don't know what's going on and the admins aren't responding

mods drop like flies because they're all volunteers (including pika! the only coder rn! when the owner can also code!) and all the pressure gets dropped on to them

the owner's friends get preferential treatment, for example one of them spam posted spiders on their account to get it deleted (like reports, these are not taken care of and have a backlog unless you beg staff), which would normally get them banned, except it's okay because it's takaia's friend

all of this is being said as someone who still deeply loves art fight, I'm just very critical bc the higher ups are a mess and we could do better

YES THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING, This is all I need omg. SOOOOOOO MUCH people cannot do that for the life of them nowadays.

It's unfortunate yes but like damn, I don't think hack fraud is the word imo but like yeah, this is on the owner but not the rest of the team eh? unlike how people claim it to be. Also explains the frequent 503 errors, yeah. It's not like it's the mods fault or that it actively looks at people's info or anything for the whole event to be treated like a scam.

Artfight is like, a wonderful concept of a yearly event but I understand that it's hard to maintain especially with such an owner but again, none is done with malicious intent yknow? People are just stupid and that doesn't mean you can just I dunno, tell people an exaggerated version of what really happened yeah

[headfullofdolls]

If i have to see one more post about g3 Lagoona being nothing but an aggressive, violent, and threatening Latina stereotype, eye am going to become an aggressive Latina stereotype.

Say you haven't watched the show without saying you haven't watched the show. I know she calls herself "spicy" in the music video. Yes I had a problem with that. No I don't think it's an accurate representation of her entire actual character to keep pointing to that one line like some kinda "gotcha."

[phlyaros]

im gonna be real anon I don't care about label shit ship discourse I care about if real people are getting hurt and ONE reblog from someone being jokingly aggressive on the subject isn't enough to convince me that people are getting hurt when there's more evidence to the contrary. you've put me in a shitty situation here and I don't want to engage with it. please just ask people what they actually think next time before you go throwing your assumptions at other people.

[estcaligo]

Sebek's ears

Sebek x gn!reader, with a bit of angst

"Sebek, put that down!" a worried shout pierced the room. Doctor Zigvolt dashed towards the boy, but it was too late - the child had already nicked his ear. It wasn't a serious injury, thankfully, but blood stained his son's ear, neck, shirt, and his mint hair.

Hearing the commotion, Mrs. Zigvolt hurried into the room. "Darling, what's-...!!!" Her voice caught in her throat, turned into a scream of shock that thundered throughout the household, startling every bird in the vicinity into a flutter of panic, as if sensing an imminent danger. 

But there was no danger. Only blood. And tears. And a kid in front of a mirror with a kitchen knife in his hands.

"Sebek, let me take a look. You might get an infec- " Mr. Zigvolt tried to approach Sebek gently, but the boy pushed him away, sobbing loudly.

"This is your fault! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!! I HATE YOU!!!" Sebek cried out in despair, tears streaming down his sorrowful face as he ran past his parents. Mrs. Zigvolt could easily treat any wounds (it was one of the reasons she had been accepted to work at her husband's clinic despite lacking medical training), but now was not the time - Sebek wouldn't listen. So she just stood beside her spouse, watching their youngest son run away, not daring to break the silence. Words were unnecessary; they both understood. Sebek, despite being only 5, had already expressed a grand displeasure towards his human side. The destructive prejudice he had acquired not without help…

…

"A kitchen knife?... Back in Briar Valley, my grandfather would always look displeased whenever I entered the kitchen. So, I'm entirely unfamiliar with all cooking implements." Sebek said to the ghost chef.

"Oh? Why is that?" the chef asked.

"I have no idea... But he especially kept me away from sharp objects, like knives." he replied, examining the object in his hand.

"Well, mastering this skill is necessary for the course, so do your best!" the chef cheered, floating next to him.

"YES, CHEF!" Sebek boomed, making all the pans and pots shiver, and got back to cooking his dish.

…

It was rigorous but rewarding training, Sebek reflected, slowly washing his hands. Days spent in the kitchen were filled with various instructions and orders from the ghost chefs, requiring quick reactions, but due to their ghostly nature their words often faded, lingering in the air, so a regular human would have trouble hearing them. BUT NOT SEBEK ZIGVOLT. He had perfect hearing, his ears were sharper than...

…Sharper than what?....

He looked into the mirror of the Diasomnia dorm's bathroom, coming to wash away the smell and smudges from the Master Chef course. His face darkened once again as he lingered too long on his right ear. He remembered that day vividly. When he, a young and immature kid, tried to... tried to become a fae? Tired of being bullied by those around him, he believed that if he changed his ears - made them pointy like everyone else's - it would help him fit in. But now he understood how foolish it was.

Yet still. What makes a fae?  A pair of pointy ears? “Not necessarily” is what his mother always used to say Be blessed by night, but don’t forget about the day And remembers, and he knows No need in those Yet still.

A bitter feeling of unfairness washed over him as he was drifting off to sleep.

Why? Of all human qualities, why did he have to have round ears? He had asked himself this question a million times. And it wasn't as if he lacked fae qualities - his hearing surpassed any human's, and he could even hear and understand the fae language, something no human could do due to its nature. He possessed all these abilities, yet they were overshadowed by this small, bitter nuance - his appearance. Genetics had played a cruel joke on him, he thought. Despite his efforts, he will always look like a weak, useless human.

Speaking of weak humans.

You and Sebek had arranged to meet at the gates to head down to Foothill Town today. Rumor had it that the famous bookshop there had new arrivals, and you were eager to take a look. And since Sebek was so knowledgeable about books, you invited him along. Of course, it wasn't like he really wanted to go with you! He had far more important matters to attend to. However, he couldn't risk you selecting subpar books that you might later mention in conversations with Master Malleus - Sebek couldn't let your lack of discernment in literature reflect poorly on the Young Lord!! So, he was coming with you, for that reason alone, nothing more! … The road wasn't long, and once you arrived at the shop, you began browsing the shelves. The selection was vast: novels, scientific works, poems, historical texts, dictionaries, even books in languages you couldn’t understand. Unable to decide, you grabbed a handful of books that caught your attention and retreated to a quiet corner to examine your finds.

“Get on with this human, I don't have all day” he said, standing next to you, arms crossed.

“Ok ok, how about this one?”

"It looks fine. You can keep it, I suppose."

"Great! And this?" you showed Sebek another book, but he frowned slightly.

"It doesn't seem like a decent book to me. Better put it away."

"Why? It's about knights. What exactly do you dislike about it?"

"The cover doesn't look appealing. As if they didn't put much effort into designing it properly!" he declared loudly enough to draw a few judgmental glances from the other customers.

"And that's it?" you blinked at him. "But the plot itself must be good!"

"I've given my opinion, do as you wish, human!" he huffed, turning away.

"...Oh, Sebek. Never judge a book by its cover."

…

In the end, you purchased quite a few books (Crowley had been unusually generous this month, providing you with some extra money), and Sebek helped you carry them back to the Ramshackle. As a thank-you for accompanying you, you offered to share a cup of tea together and he agreed. 

...However, for the two of you, it was never just "having a cup of tea".

As usual, you found yourselves engrossed in intimate conversations, drawn close to each other.

Grim was absent, so it was just you and him on the couch in the spacious Ramshackle hall. Two cups of tea, long forgotten and gone cold, sat on the table.

Sebek rested his head on your lap, as he often did during your moments together, rambling about the books, his duties, or about Malleus, speaking quieter than his usual self. And you just patiently listened, knowing how hard he worked every day and wanting him to have some rest once in a while. The fact that he could relax in your presence made you genuinely happy.

Wrapped in serenity, you gently caressed his mint hair, occasionally running your fingers over his ears. You had grown accustomed to seeing them very clearly, as Sebek wore his hair swept back all the time. But when he was with you he sometimes let his hair loose and his ears became hidden amidst the soft waves of green, looking like two small islands surrounded by endless grassy seas. Or like curious animals peeking from the leaves. It was both adorable and endearing, and you couldn't help but giggle quietly. “Human! Is there a problem with your ears?! I’m talking to you!” Sebek’s loud voice brought you back from your daydreaming.

“Oh, sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment.” 

“Hmph! And what was so captivating that you ignored my question?”

“Oh... er... your ears” you smiled shyly.

“My... what?”

…

“Your beautiful, lovely, adorable ears" you laughed at his reaction, showering him with compliments before placing a kiss on his right ear - the one he had once tried to...

A wave of strange warmth suddenly flushed through his body. Why would you say such things about his terrible flaw?

All his life, people around him in his homeland had diminished him because of his round ears. On Sage’s Island, people just ignored this feature, so he assumed they wouldn’t comment on the obvious. But you? The way you touched them, the way you kissed them - without revulsion, without hesitation, without doubt.

For a moment, he felt something unfamiliar - like nothing else mattered. An unusual feeling, one he only experienced by your side. But he liked it.

Who cared if he didn't have pointy ears? Who cared about others' judgments?

You were right - only fools judge a book by its cover.

“Sebek, do you hear me?” you were the one asking this time.

“Yes. Yes, I can hear you very well, dear human” he said, leaning in for a kiss.

[ratherbefangirling]

Mi casa (2)

Genre: Omegaverse AU, Angst

Pairing: Ot7 x alpha!reader

Summary : Namjoon wonders if letting you in thier home will destroy it? He hopes it won't but if it does. He will start from scratch again because for his soulmate there isn't anything he wouldn't do.

Warnings: past mentioned abuse.

PREVIOUS | NEXT

Yoongi sits in his office working. After his comment about you possibly being Namjoon's mate. Namjoon sweared at him and left. Before Yoongi would have made a fuss about it but now he knew better, understood the more nuanced sides of his packmates including Namjoon.

Yoongi and Namjoon had both gone to the same middle school and high school and hated each other to the core. Or Yoongi hated that Namjoon was more alpha like and smart, always at the top of his academics. Namjoon on the other hand was jealous of Yoongi's more omega like features and his ability to not care about anyone's opinion.

They had gone to different colleges. They had met once again when Jin and Namjoon's pack had decided to introduce them. They surprisingly melded well. At that time Yoongi and Jin had already decided to form a pack and Jungkook and Namjoon were roommates.

Yoongi had a rough time accepting Namjoon as his future pack. The first time they met again had been, for a lack of better word disastrous.

Still even though they had their differences most of the time they could put aside thier petty personal grudges for the sake of the pack.

Yoongi still remembers the day they had come to the conclusion to put the people they cared for before thier frankly childish behaviour.

Working for the shelter was a tough job. In a day Yoongi sees more terrible things than most people do in months. As much as he finds his job fulfilling it makes him tired and angry and it's made worse for having to show up at a job where everyone else is also tired and angry and there's nothing he could do about it (not to mention dealing with officials, lawyers and policemen most of whom are entitled and haven't suffered a day in thier lives.)

Despite the majority of their time together being spent in arguments both firm in their beliefs (which is why they often seek each other out) he actually hates fighting with Namjoon.

In the pack he is usually agreeable with Jin and Hobi, Jungkook is his baby, Taehyung and him may have different world views but usually the younger one is very doting taking full advantage of calming Yoongi after riling him up because they are pack. He does bicker a lot with Jimin but its nothing like how Namjoon and him fight.

Thus only Hoseok or sometimes Jin who ends up using his alpha command can interfere. The alpha command (which Jin uses sparingly and in absolute necessity) is reserved between the pack and only works towards the pack. It has no effect in ruts and only the pack alpha's command has any noticeable effect.

Just like the other times the matter of concern hadn't been huge. Towards the end of the winter Jungkook had fallen sick. Incidentally everyone was busy. Hobi and Jin had to leave to Hoseoks close cousins wedding. Jimin and Taehyung had to give finals of their masters degree. Which left Yoongi and Namjoon.

That day Namjoon had an important meeting for the project he had spent months working for.

"I'm leaving hyung." Namjoon said picking up a bun to have in transit.

"Namjoon. Stay and help. You know I have to start with a lot of work.

"Hyung can't it wait. I have an important meeting." While the statement wasn't meant to be dismissive but Yoongi felt anger bubble through.

"What do you mean can't it wait"

"I said what I said hyung." Namjoon says irritated. "I have an important presentation I can't miss."

"Are you trying to say my work isn't important."

"I didn't say that hyung but you work in a shelter when I have an actual job." Later Namjoon would feel immense guilt because of his careless words. But then he was one tracked towards his job. Not ready to back down at all. Corporate wasn't kind to omegas.

"I'll stay back." Hoseok says.

"But your cousins wedding." Namjoon mumbles.

"Taehyung and Jimin will be done early because of their exams." Jin says.

"Yes we can come early don't worry.." Jimin says.

And that was that. Namjoon and Yoongi resolve their fight and treat the pack to a nice dinner. Making a pact to be more careful in the future.

//

It might be a little irresponsible but Namjoon needs to think and he hopes Yoongi won't tell on him to Jin.

But it's not very simple for Namjoon to decide.

Namjoon has a soulmate. A real soulmate.

Namjoon remembers vividly being alone. So alone that it ate him inside. For a long long time he felt unlovable. Unwanted. Being part of the pack helped alleviate some of those feelings. But being part of a seven member pack sometimes someone felt like a seventh wheel. And he would rather it be him than anyone else.

But having a soulmate. His soulmate meant nobody would be lonely. He would have his own person. He didn't doubt the packs love no but he was ultimately selfish and he wanted something that was entirely his. Someone that was his.

His alpha.

He got butterflies just thinking of it.

He knew it wasn't going to be easy. The pack may not approve but he wasn't going to abandon her. No matter what. You were his. Only his. His own Alpha.

And if he had to fight the world or his own pack to have you. Namjoon realised he would. Because you needed him too. He would take care of his alpha. He would make everything okay again.

The atmosphere in the house is tense, Jungkook notes. Yoongi is irritable and in one of those moods where he needs to be left alone. Namjoon has gone camping with his friend Jackson. Jin seems antsy and Hoseok looks like he's waiting for a bomb to drop. Jimin and Taehyung are as clueless as him.

The Maknae line decided to have a sleepover trip. A staycation at a nearby hotel. Its partially to give the hyungs space and and partially because its been a while since the three hung out together.

They spend part of the night gaming into the late hours of the morning together. As the morning sun rises Taehyung nudges Jungkook.

"Go get food. Junkookie.."

"I dont want to you get it if you're hungry" Jungkook says still busy in his game.

"Rock paper Scissors the Looser gets the food."

"Fine." Jungkook agrees. He ends up loosing against Taehyung who hi fives Jimin happily and they continue with the game.

Jungkook stretches. His muscles aching since he's been in the same position for so long. He grabs the car key and drives to a convenience store nearby.

He spots Namjoon and Jackson talking and goes near them.

"Are you sure Namjoon? Don't you think you're taking it way to far?" Jackson asks Namjoon.

"If I have to leave the pack I will."

Jungkook's mind blanks. Everything seems immaterial. He leaves the cart He was holding to run back to the hotel. This couldn't be happening.

When Jungkook more or less storms in both Taehyung and Jimin look up.

"What's wrong? Where's the food?" Taehyung asks.

"Namjoon's going to leave the pack."

"What the hell Jungkook?" Taehyung swears.

"What? Tell me clearly what happened?"

"He was talking to Jackson. He said he'll leave the pack."

"But that makes no sense." Jimin said.

"I'm not lying I swear." Jungkook says.

"Is that's why the hyungs are so on edge." Taehyung pointed.

Silence fell.

"Surely they wouldn't hide things from us right?" Jungkook asked tearing up at the thought of their family breaking.

"Maybe it's a misunderstanding and it'll sort itself." Jimin tried to reassure the maknae and hugged him.

"You must have misheard it. There's no reason to leave the pack." Taehyung reiterates.

"But I heard him"

"You must have heard wrong." Taehyung says anger evident in voice.

"Taehyungie calm down. You too kookie. It could easily be a misunderstanding like taetae said there's no reason to leave the pack" Jimin says.

Jungkook nods sniffing. The thought of Namjoon leaving scares him to death. He wonders if Namjoon feels unloved or unwanted. He decides he's going change Namjoon's mind.

"Let's just order room service OK?" Jimin says

Taehyung nods and calls. Making sure to order extra icecream because he thinks they'll need it.

So yeah that's it. It's been a while since I wrote anything. I just can't seem to these days. I miss the boys terribly. I hope you liked this. Mostly I'll try to finish this in the next part. I felt I had to end this part because it would go way too long though it ended up in the shorter side and feels slightly unbalanced to me. Tell me what you think.

Taglist : @kaceypdf ; @ghostlyworld ; @thelilbutifulthings ; @hijabae2019

Permanent taglist : @exfolitae ; @cryingpages ; @outrobtsnd

[dinocanid]

The voluntary/involuntary debate (-is making me lose my mind)

I don't see anyone saying this, but something being missed in the whole "therianthropy (and otherkinity) is completely involuntary!" conversation is that so much of the argument is overcorrection, and it's being treated as a binary when the lines are all grey. Which makes the constant back and forth feel very tiring.

First: context

10-ish years ago (even today in some crotchety circles), therianthropy-focused spaces were chomping at the bit to "weed out the fluff" due to the surrounding alt culture at the time (teen wolves) and the release of a few documentaries that many considered quite cringe-y and embarrassing. They went "oh god, we can't be associate with those weird people" and, while that wasn't the only contributor to the gatekeeping and grilling culture at the time, it was a significant one. So any new therians hoping to join communities were often grilled the hell out of, because people wanted to check if they were ""real"" therians and not those "fluffy teen werewolves" on TV. Therianthropy wasn't a game or a trend, it's a part of you, which is true. But "it's not a game" got bastardized into "it's involuntary" due to overcorrection and a lack of preserving nuance. Regardless if you think you were born a therian or if someone goes "I really want to be a [nonhuman animal]" and starts to embrace that identity, that's still therianthropy. "I want to be this, therefore I'm going to be this, and I am this" is still therianthropy.

This problem isn't unique to therianthropy either, "otherkinity must be involuntary" is also a result of overcorrection, more specifically due to the ableism and damage kinnie culture has done to the fictionkin community. Dragonheart Collective wrote a concise essay on this, so I will link that [right here] rather than repeat things, other than I have noticed "voluntary" be conflated with "kinnie" when it should not be. "Being kin isn't just relating to or liking something" got bastardized into "otherkinity is involuntary" by the community. Regardless if you think you were born otherkin or if someone goes "I really want to be a [character or nonhuman creature]" and starts to embrace that identity, that's still otherkinity "I want to be this, therefore I'm going to be this, and I am this" is still otherkinity.

Second: nuance.

No, involuntary doesn't inherently mean "it's a game". What counts as voluntary or involuntary is so blurry that a common conclusion can rarely even be reached on what it means. Things that have been seen considered voluntary:

Noticing the identity and choosing to embrace it versus shove it down and dismiss it

Waking up one day

Really wanting to be something and deciding to embrace it, versus dismissing it

Was born with the identity but picks and chooses which parts they prefer to focus on and explore

etc. along the above lines

And these are all perfectly fine ways of experiencing therianthropy and otherkinity, people have been having experiences like that for years. This is completely normal and nothing new and it's so tiring seeing people point fingers at places that these things didn't even come from, like TikTok.

"But what about linking then?"

This debate is much older than "-linking" terminology, which in and of itself is a product of this very debate. People made new words because so many were arguing if someone's identity is real if it originates in a particular way. This doesn't change how "-link" terminology should be used today, but it is worth noting that those are perfectly normal ways to experience otherkinity and therianthropy even if these other terms exist. It means you can use whichever personally feels best to you. It does not mean that people need to be shoved out of the non-link labels.

[crumblinggothicarchitecture]

Seeing people genuinely saying that TTPD is her best work lyrically and that it tops Folklore and Evermore is just WILD to me. Like, am I missing something? Are there two different versions of this album out and I’m listening to the bad one? Because???? TTPD is such a let down. It’s not clever, it’s not even catchy. I like one song and the rest are kind of…are forgettable. I heard “like a tattooed golden retriever” and burst out laughing-like there’s no way we went from folklore and evermore to THAT. I had to stop listening because I just don’t like it. I don’t get it and I’m tired of people telling me that I’m too dumb to understand her genius. I don’t think this album is genius by any means-that’s not to say it doesn’t make sense (although it doesn’t make sense to me at times) but mostly I just don’t get it in terms of like why and what happened to the beautiful writing of folklore and evermore to…this. Folklore and evermore actually resonated with me on such an emotional level and it felt very adult and like Taylor was nuanced in her writing and that she moved on from all her problems stemming from men and “jealous women” and now TTPD just feels like I revisited one a conversation I’ve had with my friends in middle school thinking we were so deep and misunderstood.

Yeah, listen... you're not missing anything

I truly think that the people enjoying the album are blinded by the aesthetic of the album. She's obfuscating the poor writing, and basically incoherent imagery, by using the watered-down cottage core/ dark academia aesthetics. It's almost laughable the way she changes everything about herself just to fit the most popular aesthetic of the day.

She hides bad writing by name-dropping great writers and hoping that, through the power of vague allusion, the names alone will make people think she's in the same league.

She was guilty of this back on Folklore, as well. To be honest the first time I heard "tell me what are my Wordsworth" ("The Lakes), I laughed out loud because it's sooooo silly to make a pun out of one of the most important Romantic Poets of all time. I let it slide back then, because I thought it was a one-off. Still, it's really funny that she apparently knows who Wordsworth is, yet the best she can do with that information is make a pun out of his name.

And now I see her name-dropping, lack luster writing is just the best she can do. I hate that she really thinks of herself as a poet....

As someone who has studied poetry, and written literary criticisms about Emily Dickinson's poetry, it actually makes me angry to see she compares herself to Dickinson. I'm gonna write a post about that problem too.

I have a lot more to say about the gross lyricism of this album.

I have several different analyses that I plan to publish soon.... because it makes me so angry the way she is such phony-baloney nonsense.

More to the point, I'm angry I fell for it. All the use of intense aesthetics and the money she pours into promo, and I fell for it. I was a fan.

Not anymore.

[shanastoryteller]

#lily james and sirius all trusted peter over remus #do you ever think about that #and what that implies about their relationship - WELL NOW I AM THINKING ABOUT IT I GUESS :sideeye: What do you think WHY they did it that way? Like, I mean, a deeply (?) buried prejudice against 'dark creatures'? Idk I just don't see that at least for Lily...would be really interested to hear your thoughts on that if you'd be willing to expand on that. Thx and take care xx

this ask touches on SEVERAL things i think about all the time so i'm going to use it as an excuse to talk about all of them

i think lily could be just as prejudiced, if not more, as anyone who's grown up in the wizarding world

harry's dislike of slytherin ("anything but slytherin") was solidified by one throwaway comment by hagrid and one unpleasant interaction with draco. these kids are eleven. that's the perfect age to pick up on unbiased bigotry. no critical thinking, all reaction, and bubbling with feelings lacking framework

hermione doesn't care about remus being a werewolf, but then again she's a rights and freedoms activist. she wouldn't, would she? that's not a muggleborn thing, that's a hermione thing

harry doesn't care, but honestly that's because harry - like a lot of abused kids - is incredibly self centered. people who are nice to him and who are safe are good. people who are mean and who could hurt him are bad. it takes him years to develop any type of nuance, because that's how long it takes for him to both grow up and grow out of survival mode. harry doesn't hate werewolves because a werewolf has never insulted his mother or made him uncomfortable. remus is nice to him, remus is safe, remus is a werewolf - therefore being a werewolf can't be bad

lily was best friends with severus snape, who's not a man i associate with a large amount of tolerance. if snape had kept his hatred to creatures rather than muggles, maybe lily wouldn't have cared at all

frankly, i don't think the marauders - any of them - were exactly the nicest of people, and i don't think their ringleader married the nicest of girls

that doesn't make them evil. and frankly a lot of kids grow out of their meanness (the saddest i'm ever able to feel for canon snape is at the idea that james grew out of his meanness at the same rate that snape grew into his)

but damn, did these kids' meanness take things way too far

one of the things that i can't help but roll my eyes at in canon is the idea that snape owes james a life debt. especially since this first comes up in first year when dumbledore is trying to explain snape's actions to harry by saying he protected harry to repay his father - and not the fact that he's a teacher and that's his job, or the obvious truth that dumbledore didn't want to tell harry - that snape looks out for him, inbetween being and asshole and terrible teacher - because his mother was his best friend

frankly, the incident surrounding this casts sirius in such an irredeemable light that the only way i can wrap my head around this occuring anything close to canon without remus cutting sirius out of his life or some serious consequences, and with dumbledore apparently knowing about all of it and not being outright insane, is this:

sirius told snape about the whomping willow because he thought he was a coward

the shrieking shack was rumored to be haunted and everyone avoided it because of the terrible shrieking, which was obviously remus as he transformed. snape was snooping around and sirius was tired of dodging him and so told him about the secret passage. he thinks snape is a coward, so what he thinks is going to happen is that snape gets scared at the screams, backs out of looking further, and is so embarrassed about being a coward that he stops harassing them about all the questions surrounding remus

this has to be it, because the only option is that he was okay with killing another student, ruining his best friend's life if not getting him thrown in azkaban, and likely getting himself expelled. in one version sirius is a kid with bad judgement but no malicious intent, while in the other he's literally a psycopath

obviously this plan doesn't work because snape is a lot of things, but not a coward. realistically this is happening in their sixth year when james is already obsessed with lily and she's likely started to thaw towards him if not dating him. he's heard more about snape from lily than he's been able to pick up in six years of sniping at each other and james knows that there's no way in hell that snape is going to turn away. instead of trying to explain that to sirius, he bolts, and goes to stop snape from finding remus

he's too late, but they both manage to get away unscathed, somehow. the other thing that makes sense to me is that james through himself between snape and remus - not as a form of self sacrifice, but because remus was familiar enough with him, even while he's in his human form and remus is a wolf, to be thrown enough to stop himself from attacking

james was in very little to no danger. if remus had lunged for him, he could have transformed into prongs. snape, on the other hand, could have died

he did not risk his life to save snape. he risked some injury, quickly fixed by pomfrey, if anything. if james hadn't saved snape, sirius would be expelled, remus would be imprisoned or worse, snape would be dead, and lily would never speak to him again

snape is the one with all the power here. i imagine this is when lily has to get involved, because the idea that snape didn't go around telling everyone what happened, that dumbledore would just tell snape to keep quiet about being nearly murdered by another student, makes no sense

lily finds out about remus being a werewolf because he nearly kills her childhood friend. lily has spent years thinking that remus is a cruel, heartless bully, and now she finds out that he's a monster

lily is not on the mauraders' side here

but snape is physically incapable of not biting his nose to spite his face. he reads dark books all the time and he knows exactly how dangerous a werewolf is and why and he knows that it's not his fault, that remus can't help himself, and he snaps at lily. things between them are so broken by now (if this is how she reacts to dark things, how would she react if she knew the truth about him?). he says that if she wasn't an ignorant mudblood then she'd know better than to come to the most base conclusions

getting scolded by snape of all people for being prejudiced cleanses her of her knee jerk fear and shames her for feeling it at all. snape now feels stuck because he can't go back on his words that were mostly bullshit, so he has to commit. when dumbledore hears of everything, snape says that he went exploring in the shack on his own even though it's forbidden and james stopped him, which is why all dumbledore does is tell him to keep remus's secret

whatever the reason, whatever the circumstances, snape does not: go public to get remus expelled/imprisoned/killed or tell the world that sirius attempted to kill him; ever tell another soul what remus is even if he does hint an awful lot when he starts working in his school again (with children, when he's so dangerous, and snape is then proven right)

i think the reason why remus and snape's relationship is almost cordial is because remus is grateful to him. snape may hate him and hate that he's there and think he's not qualified to be there, but he did not return cruelty with more cruelty 20 some odd years ago and even the werewolf curriculum while he's out is so much less worse than it could be. snape is petty and vicious and rude and very cruel, but sometimes in some circumstances "not as much of an asshole as you could have been" is enough

that said, i don't think lily, james, and sirius's feelings for remus were about prejudice

i think james and sirius have known each other the longest - both purebloods if in different circles - and peter's known them only slightly less. i think of the pettigrews as a formerly rich if not prestigious family that's fallen on hard times - perhaps drained by the war

remus they meet at hogwarts and they love him and trust him and the very first thing he does is lie to them. it's not personal. they understand why, when they find out, but now they know what remus acts like when he's lying

war is hard

sirius says no because he's the obvious choice, but also because he's still fighting on the frontlines, likely working to turn moderates from dark families because he's the best one for that, because despite his break from his family he still knows that crowd, still grew up with them

remus is working to do the same thing with the werewolves, just like we see him doing with the second war

i think peter is a spy. he's supposed to use his animagus form to spy on death eater meetings, which is how he gets caught and how he gets turned

harry is an accident

lily and james are fighting on the frontlines of this war. they're young and everything's going to hell and they have work to do - now is not the time for a child. but lily gets pregnant, which is bad enough, but then they find out that Voldemort is targeting their child specifically they make the very hard decision to place their family over the war

they hide

but sirius, remus, and peter can't hide. they still have work to do. more work, even, now that lily and james can't leave their home

i don't think sirius and remus ever intended to have children. whether they're together or apart, the reasoning is the same. a werewolf raising a child is under such intense scrutiny. any child of sirius's would be hounded by the black family, and frankly i think sirius in particular had a lot of growing up to do even then

peter, i think, might have planned to have children. he spends twelve years not only as a rat, but a child's pet rat. children are rough and loud. i can only assume that he must have liked children to settle there, liked them enough to find being their pet a comfort rather than a trial

but what they all decide long before harry is even thought of is that they'll raise their kids together

harry is lily and james's son but he's all their kid. sirius is his official godfather but the mauraders understand it's a title they all share

i think both sirius and remus and even peter didn't want war to touch the potters now that they moved away from it. i think they all sunk into the idea that if they could only keep this one little part of their family safe, maybe it would be worth all the devastation

they started lying

not maliciously. not meanly. but they were trying to hide their stress and horror and fear not only from the potters, but from each other

they all know what remus looks like when he's lying, when he's lying about something huge, when he's doing it all the time

but remus knows what sirius is like when he's lying too. so does james, but since sirius isn't suspicious of him, so he confides in him, and james has no reason to disbelieve him

remus doesn't confide in them. he's trying to be strong for them. he's trying to be a decent soldier and a good uncle and a good friend and he's cracking but he can't crack. his family is depending on him

they know there's a spy. it has to be one of them

remus knows sirius is lying. sirius knows remus is lying. they suspect each other, and the potters reluctantly start to suspect remus too - they have seen this behavior before, after all

as for peter?

he's under so much pressure, and he's so nervous and jumpy all the time. he's not hiding anything

peter's not lying to them

[sarcastictissy]

Hola :D I just wanted to thank you for being so positive lately and looking at things regarding the qstudio situation with nuance. It feels like people have been so stressed and angry after all of the admin stuff came that they began to take every bit of news we hear as some sign that bad things are to come . I think a lot of people underestimated just how long this process can take, there a lot of factors to be considered here, including: q's lack of experience, the union, the laws, the admins. And unfortunately there is no way to satisfy everyone when it comes to stuff like this. This was never going to take a week or two, I feel like people didn't fully understand that.

Some admins are going to be pushed out of the project due to the lack of funds and the fact that this is a legal issue first and for most. It's unfair but it's the law. Not everyone understands that and because of that people are going to say things without understanding the situation. Not every thing is black and white and sometimes things aren't going to work out the way we want them to. Nobody is perfect and we shouldn't expect people involved in this situation to act like that. Which is why you should always look at the situation from multiple perspectives before forming an opinion.

It makes me feel tired to see the same takes over and over agian with no nuance. So your post have really helped me feel better :) I've seen people from both qsmpblr and qsmptwt act like every ccs involved in this is a war criminal or like this is a admins vs quackity or french/brazil vs quackity. It's kinda drove me off most social sites and forced me to only watch YouTube and stuff (on the good side of things, I've been watching quackity's discord videos and some dsmp vods :D it's been fun)

What I am trying to say is that, scrolling through your blog feels like a breath of fresh air and has made me feel 8× more calm about this situation. I don't think doomposting is necessarily bad but after seeing so much of it, sometimes you just need to distance yourself and look at the good parts of life. No matter how much I complain, I am never changing the course that qstudio is headed and neither can any one else, The only one who can do that is quackity. I hope that he does the right thing and the studio gets better. I love the characters that qsmp has brought us and the community it has formed, qsmp is a beautiful project that I want to see thrive. For now the only thing I can do as a viewer is hope for the best <3

I'm sorry if this came off as a trauma dump, I just really wanted to thank you.

So, this has been in my askbox for a while because I was so grateful and happy to hear I've helped someone!! Thank you sm anon that means a lot to me and knowing I'm keeping others optimistic, helps me feel optimistic too! :D

This is a very complex situation with so many moral grey areas mixed with black and white. It's not simple, it's not easy. These things cannot be fixed in a matter of weeks, you're absolutely right about that.

I also agree doomposting isn't necessarily bad! It's a good way to get off some steam and vent/ rant for a bit. There's nothing wrong with that. We all need it at times. For me, personally, it becomes toxic when that's ALL I'm seeing in social media. When I go on my phone and all I see is negativity, that's when I need to call it quits and start blocking people or start taking time away (which is why I deleted twt off my phone) everyone's tolerance levels are different ofc, so, not everyone is affected by that negativity, but I certainly was. This is why I want my blog to be positive and uplifting and you know what? Each and every time I get a ask or a message thanking me for that, I gain faith in humanity and it just encourages me to keep being positive! I'm so thankful for your ask and dw it wasn't trauma dumping at all!! :D I hope you're doing well anon! Take care of yourself. You matter

[risingoflights]

for what its worth (which, i understand, feels like less and less with remake/rebirth drawing all the attention away from og, often to its own detriment tbh), the... tired, perpetually-grieving, quietly obsessive and generally listless man you (and calamity) depict hojo as being is far more fascinating than the trope he seems to embody in remake/rebirth.

despite what cloud and sephiroth said, hojo IS a brilliant scientist; i wish we could've seen some of that intimidating competence in 7R.

oh you're sweet <3

calamity is a true standout, and the thing is... whether intentional or not, og ALLOWED SPACE for both broader and deeper interpretation. by all of us. which, at the end of the day, is the thing i feel like remake lacks. not just for prof, but for everyone.

and like. talking about canon, hojo IS competent at science, yes. but speaking to the more nuanced presentation in og allowing extrapolation again, the thing i enjoyed most about him was that he was other things - like a horrible professional! in the sense that he took concepts invented by other scientists, pushed the concepts beyond their original limits, then claimed those entire concepts as his own! he frequently badmouthed his peers! and- and! i've spoken about cc hojo being a slightly different version of og's but still GOOD as well, because he was such a prankster, and his staff were frequently frustrated with him not for being mean/awful, but just for having annoying quirks! like laughing too much and too loudly!

(i may have a hojo's greatest hits list somewhere for both og and cc..........if anybody wants it...!)

all i'm saying is... i'm just waiting for something. something more. remake's just gotta give me something to show they've thought about him beyond 'mad scientist'. some little thread fans can tug at to flesh him out more in their own ways.

in chapter 7 now and i'm still waiting!

[lobotomizedlady]

Rant

honestly...I'm SO tired of being stuck between other jews who genuinely think there's nothing wrong with what the israeli government is doing, and pro palestine american leftists who act like absolute ghouls to random jews in the name of their cause & spread literal antisemitism and misinformation constantly. why can't anyone be fucking NORMAL about this or anything else! where is the nuance? why can't we come to an agreement even on the most basic shit, like "hm maybe civilians don't deserve to die for their governments actions?" but no, apparently that makes you a genocidal fascist even if the whole point is being AGAINST genocide no matter what.

my uncle gets kicked out of his synagogue he's been a member of for 3 decades for criticizing the IDF. I get called a nazi by fellow jews for saying we need a ceasefire, then called a nazi by fellow leftists for saying hamas & the houthi are also awful (for palestinians too). the israeli govt says death to all palestinians, they're all terrorists, there's no Innocent civilians even the children. Hamas says death to all jews, they're a scourge on the planet, and leftists clap along, say there's no innocent civilians in israel. the power division is of course hugely skewed in favor of israel, and the death toll is massively disproportionate, so I spend a lot of time talking about that-but seeing other people who believe in this cause being straight up antisemitic is so depressing.

everyone seems to have forgotten that most people are the same. no matter where they're born they just want to live their lives and feel like their loved ones are safe. if you're incapable of having empathy without seeing yourself in their position, try to imagine if people started attacking random americans for the actions of our demented leaders. we /voted/, after all, so that means it's totally fine if someone bombs a city or start stabbing and shooting people who have nothing to do with the conflict! it's fine to rape women and it's fine to blow up babies and alls fair in war and and and.

It's really for me to see just how easily people get radicalized into justifying atrocities. i see how islamic jihad organizations use the bombing of their people to recruit young men into committing acts of terror, and it's easy to see how the israeli government uses the holocaust and the very real spectre of rising antisemitism in the world to make their people think the only way for them to survive is to create a highly militarized state and defend it at all costs, even if that cost is tens of thousands of innocent human lives.

like it's not as if I didn't realize all this before but it's just particularly bleak at the moment. it's insane. it's demented. I hate humanity so much rn in particular the war mongering men who drive every single one of these conflicts (you didn't think I was going to overlook the fact that it's men doing this, did you?) they're so fucking bloodthirsty. every war on earth has involved the mass rape, torture and slaughter of women and girls from the "enemy" population. and then men tell us they're the only ones suffering in war because they're the soldiers, totally ignoring how civilians pay the price of conflicts they didn't even participate in.

all of it is just weighing on me particularly hard today. I hate living in a man's world. all they're good at is destruction. I don't want to keep seeing the planet be torn up for the sake of their greed and I don't want to be forced to suffer the consequences of their lack of humanity. even female separation isn't enough while we have to share our world with them.

[molsno]

in case anyone was wondering, I turned off reblogs on most of my posts a few days ago because I just can't take it anymore. it gets so exhausting trying to use this website as an outspoken feminist.

I've used this blog for almost 11 years. this is my personal blog. I use this website to engage with topics I'm interested in and meet new people, and that's been true since day 1. but I constantly find that when I attempt to share my thoughts on feminism as a regular person in a normal tone, or I write a joke post complaining about misogyny, people will take me in the worst faith imaginable and argue with me. they'll attack me and harass me, sometimes even with explicitly violent transphobia. they'll paint me as irrational and hostile, or take my lack of nuance in these kinds of posts to condescend to me like I'm an idiot who doesn't know anything.

I've seen it all before, so you know what I started doing? I started writing longer posts that explain my thoughts in detail, with all of the nuance necessary, while addressing all of the potential counterpoints in advance. not only do these get significantly fewer reblogs, they barely curb the problem. people still harass me over them, too. these kinds of posts are also a double-edged sword. when I write long form posts based on feminist theory I've read in a formal tone, people take me seriously, admire me, sometimes even idolize me.

I cannot emphasize enough that I am literally Just Some Girl.

do you know how terrifying it is knowing you have thousands of people will read every single thing you say? especially when some of those people put you on a pedestal?

what happens if you fall?

no matter what, I keep finding myself scared of what people will do to me if I show any moment of weakness. whether I try to treat this like my personal blog and complain about things that annoy me or try to be something of an intellectual who educates people on transfeminism using the knowledge I've acquired, I feel like I'm setting myself up for destruction. if I'm ever messy, if I'm ever flawed, if I ever say something wrong, devastation awaits me. either I receive harassment and threats from people who hate me, or I face social ostracization from people who previously liked me.

do you understand how this has caused me immense amounts of stress? how it's influenced my behavior? how it's caused countless breakdowns? how it paralyzes me? do you understand that this is the reality trans women have to live with when we reach any level of notoriety?

I just... I don't know. I'm tired. I need a break. I like talking about my interests, I like discussing transfeminism, I like educating people. I even like the fact that people listen to what I have to say. the things people say about me can be really flattering sometimes. but I've also seen the horrible things people have said about me, and how they pale in comparison to the things they say about trans women who are more notable than me.

I just want to be treated like a person. I don't know how to make that happen. sometimes I just want to tear it all down and force people to see me for who I really am, even if I have to risk losing everything.

[shysublimecoffee]

This represents my personal perspective on the matter, so please don't interpret it as a factual statement. It's an opinion, and there may be exceptions if you explore thoroughly. However, I find the otome isekai genre quite monotonous. The recurring theme of recycling concepts, reusing character designs with a prevalent "same face syndrome," and the prevalence of protagonists resembling each other, particularly the Duke of the North archetype with that clichéd Idol haircut, contribute to a sense of staleness. The majority of flawless female leads with 99% being blonde, with a few exceptions, adds to the predictability.

For me, the transmigration or reincarnation concept caught my attention around 2018, starting with works like "Who Made Me a Princess" and the infamous "They Say I Was Born a King's Daughter," even though I admit my taste was not the best back then.

The idea of taking over someone's body and living their life fascinated me. What made it unique was the perspective shift, allowing us to see many previously despised villains from other stories in a new light, experiencing the narrative from their point of view.

But, this is when it started getting old real quick. My god, how many fucking times am I going to see a good heroine turned evil and the villainous be taking the leftover men from the heroine side and forming a harem. The villainous unfortunately can't be nuanced because all these stories do is just make shit black and white. Our MC can't be held accountable for what they did but sob hard enough and we get an ally to ride behind her.

You know what's incredibly frustrating? These Korean women from the 21st century keep transmigrating into these villainous roles, and it's just downright irritating. They either come off as overly naive or stick to the tired narrative of being an office worker who suddenly becomes wealthy and tramples over others. It lacks uniqueness, and seriously, what do we really know about the female lead (FL) beyond the prologue? Who is she? What's her home life like? Does she want to return? These are questions I want answers to, but we're not given the chance because the focus remains on the villainous character. Even that aspect isn't executed well; they end up softening her character and making her more compliant than she was in the original story just to avoid a bad ending. I'm more intrigued by understanding the backstory of the actual original villainous character.

The male lead (ML) seriously disappoints. I get it, this genre revolves around romance, but let's get real for a moment—do we genuinely care about this so-called "romance"? What truly matters is the chemistry between characters that makes us feel, cry, and get infuriated, and that's what a story should evoke. Worse than a bad boy ML is a downright boring male lead. Whether it's the Duke of the North or any other generic character, they all feel like mere props catering to the female lead, and that's painfully dull.

I couldn't care less because these MLs exist solely to assist her in everything, whether it's for revenge, to play the savior, or to be the healer. Nothing feels genuine; there's no emotional investment in the romance for me. I'm not overjoyed by the idea of them being together. Many readers seem more fixated on their aesthetics and how well he serves her, but let's be honest—their designs are unimaginative, resembling countless other MLs and MCs. Frankly, I wish more effort were put into creating distinct and captivating characters.

No matter how much one might criticize the toxicity of old-school Shojou romances and the portrayal of male leads, I absolutely loved it. Sure, the romance might not be ideal, but that's precisely what makes it fun and enjoyable to read. The characters have their quirks and distinct personalities, creating their own unique dynamics that add to the charm of the story unlike the former.

Transmigration/Reincarnation is so barley touched in a genre surrounding that very concept. It's like they dip into a puddle but don't expand on the horrors or intrigue of anything really and they be explaining everything from the prologue instead of letting us breathe. We don't settle or sit with the characters and writers are far more interested in miscommunication. It's why I like manga because you get beautiful scenes of just peace or character introspection than you would in colored format.

If there's one story that truly captivated me and made me fall in love with this particular brand of Otome Isekai, it's "A Stepmother's Märchen." It may not be a masterpiece, but the deliberate and slow-paced narrative, reminiscent of a novel, along with the meticulous attention to depicting a semi-realistic high society, drew me in. The story offers complex and conflicted characters, and the stunning art, which interestingly mirrors European illustration outside of the main cast, adds to its appeal. Of course, it's not without its flaws, but the beauty of the narrative has made it stand out to me even years later. It's not a one-note copy it did it own thing that I wish OI did more.

Kill the Villanous,

Death is the ending the villanous

I appreciate how these stories took the isekai concept and added their unique twists. It's refreshing, and I wish more writers would follow suit. While I understand that Otome Isekai is primarily about wish fulfillment, I also crave narratives that offer more than just that. A well-crafted story with thoughtful character development would be a welcome addition to the genre because it sticks out to me more. I don't remember OI titles but for me to remember those is because the concept were different from the usual OH no I woke up in the villain body.

[ludwigoat909]

This is something that has been bothering me for a while now, it feels like a lot of the discussions in regards to milgram are still based on this idea that our votes have "no nuance" and that voting "innocent/guilty" is going to have the effect of telling them "murder is ok👍/ murder is bad👎" even tho we've see countless of times that the voting mechanism is far much more then that.

Instead of being some kind of thumbs up or thumbs down vote system, the prisoners DO get to hear our voice, and we DO get to discuss it with them. Yuno is the textbook exemple of that. Yuno was mad not because we forgave her abortion but because of the pity that came with it in regards to her job. She didn't say "fuck u for voting me inno" she daid "Fuck you for thinking I'm a victim or something" and there's a difference (and no she didn't say that word for wodd but it'spretty much the basis of what she said).

"Ooooh but Haruka and Mu," Haruka and Mu's votes were literally generally out of sympathy for their situation and also because of the lack of context given. It's even something that is stated straight up in the lyrics: "I'm always the Drama queen," for it's not my fault.

But yeah. I'm just tired of seeing people going "oooh, but if you vote innocent, you're approving her cult's ideas." When we all know that, not the god darn case, nobody thinks this. I know I could also make an argument on how inno Amane would've probably helped her way more to break her beliefs, but I know it's pointless given the situation.

[fandom-trash-goblin]

Hey why is your series with asoiaf women titled “in defense of”? I’m not sure I understand because there isn’t any defending? English isn’t my first language though, sorry. Also why does Sansa get two?

have i told you i love you? because i do. THANK YOU for asking!! the fandom has a problem of taking sides and also lack of nuance. you can't like lyanna stark/arya stark & sansa stark/elia martell/alicent hightower & daenerys targaryen/rhaenyra targaryen all together. "in defense of" mostly came from the fact that i constantly needed to defend my choices to irl people i knew (sunita mami you suck and your degree is a waste) as well on tumblr like on a previous account which has now been deleted. what can i say i was smack down in middle of the toxic stans. i'm well aware of the fact the characters like aemma arryn and myrcella baratheon have done literally nothing to warrant any hate but in defense of stuck like a catchphrase and sort of trademark. i literally can't change it anymore, it doesn't feel right to do so.

why are you sorry about the english? we need multilingual people here. english technically isn't my first language either and it sucks so bad that i know it better than i know hindi. ugh. not getting into it.

also, yes! sansa stark! the first one for sansa used a quote by f scott fitzgerald, who apparently stole his wife's stuff. i was unaware of said fact until i was made aware, and decided to make another one, which sucks because the portrait i used in the first one and the quote i used in the second one are based on the same person, Irene Cahen d'Anvers. eh, hindsight. i can't confirm on the f scott thing, but made it just in case. i'm like too fucking tired of "never meet your heroes".

also sansa is my favourite character, so making a second one was fun. if you're asking because i havent made any for daenerys, that's because i'm doing the targ girls in sequence, and also because i didn't find a picture that fit the vibe i think she has.

also using this ask for shameless self promotion because i take myself too seriously and because i love this series so much, it's the best idea i've had in a while, check them out!

lyanna stark || elia martell || sansa stark || arya stark || alicent hightower || jaehaera targaryen || cersei lannister || myrcella baratheon || joanna lannister || aemma arryn || catelyn stark || sansa stark (2) || margaery tyrell || rhaena targaryen, daughter of aenys i || arianne martell || aerea targaryen || obara sand

edit: changed abuser to guy who stole his wife's stuff, i forgot recheck and i was reading pretty heavy things before this. i apologize for the mistake.

[chaifootsteps]

Ok I'm tired of people bringing up your other shit to discredit or invalidate your arguments especially as an anti myself. Listen just because u have weird ships to be the most mild about it (think toothcup is gross but that isn't relevant to this discussion) does not automatically mean what your saying especially with evidence is bullshit.

YOU BEING A PROSHIPPER HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ISSUE AT HAND RIGHT NOW!

And you seem to be the sanest proshipper i know exist. I still wouldn't like be besties with you or anything like that at all whatsoever but your doing a good thing.

I know twitter would eat me alive if i wasn't anonymousness and accuse me of supporting proshipping. I am not lets make that understood.

I am more shocked really that nobody else beside you in the Critical community is documenting shit. Why should you be the arbiter of everything? Woudnt we be doing more good if we all started to document stuff? At least that way people wouldnt be able to pull proshipper conspiracy against Vivziepop and with more people documenting eventually the evidence will spread faster. Also very upset that the lack of documentation people are doing is not helping Vivziepop's victims and if your the only one doing shit those people will get dragged into the anti vs proshipping issue and get more flames thrown towads them instead of the internet having a brain and understanding nuance for once.

Aww, thank you, I appreciate it! For what it's worth, most of the proshippers I know are actually a lot more vanilla in their tastes than I am.

I do think it would be a good idea for someone besides me, besides any one person, to be documenting all of this. It's a tall order but that way the waters can remain unmuddied by Dick Dastardly's Dastardly Dragon Dick Debacle.