#i'm talking about personal thoughts. theories. practices. etc.

[aesethewitch]

I always feel kinda bad that I don't usually have books to recommend on the subjects I study. I'm one of those "dive into science encyclopedias and obscure, unrelated articles and come out the other side with a whole other viewpoint on witchcraft" type of people. Stuff I can't really recommend other people read because it's... often too basic to be useful?? Stuff that needs extrapolation and personalization and Thought before it can be Used in a practical context.

Like, yeah, I read, but not really... witchcraft books. I have a handful for quick references, but most of what I've learned has been by trial and error, word of mouth, internet deep dives, and spirit work. The definition of self-taught-fuck-around-and-find-out. The things I feel most adept at (that I can/should share) are the ones for which I have little "further reading" -- because the "further reading" is "go out and talk to a river about it" or "cook a meal and see how it goes."

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

i for once want to get the opinion of a "rational" jikooker who knows how to take a step back and take certain things for what they are and i wanna know your opinion or interpretation of jikook in chap2 and them not meeting and also that conversation they had in the car about that please.

And you thought I'm that rational person? Funny.

You know, there's something I always disliked about being in this fandom space. I mean, there's plenty of other things, don't get me wrong, but this one in particular really irks me. It's the need for approval, for confirmation of one's thoughts. There's a severe lack of independent thought. It might be hidden under apparent strong opinions, but when you look at how those opinions are spread to anon messaging to bloggers everyday, that's a sign that the complete opposite happens.

Jikook as a kpop ship always has to be questioned. At this point, I think it's part of its narrative as a ship. But what's curious (and stupid) is that the hardest line of questioning comes from the ones who consider themselves interested/curious. But make no mistake, this is not done for the sake of not becoming delusional and discard any rational thought. It happens because of the need for approval.

You sent me this ask because you hope for me to agree with your own thoughts about jikook and what that conversation in the car means. Not for them actually, but for you. And you're not the only person. A sure sign of fandom insanity is debating for over 2 weeks now a conversation that is not only heavily editated, it is mediated as well. It takes place in the context of a show for fans in which participants are two people who will never reveal everything about their lives. And on top of that, there's an intentional need to ignore that people can speak in hyperbole, that people can ommit or say one thing that actually means more or another that only the other person is capable of understanding the nuances of that.

Communication is complex. We do know that because we engage with it everyday. Except we forget all that the moment we have to talk about this specific ship. We forget a lot of things about human behavior, relationships, etc. It is an intentional act. So we start writing fanfictions. We start making relationship timelines. We start taking about temporary or definitive break ups of a ship that hasn't even been confirmed as a couple. At this point, shippers operate into this alternative universe sphere, canon adjacent but instead of doing it on ao3, they use their blogs and anon messages for that. But hey, fanfics on ao3 are a lot of the times the work of talented writers, while 500-1000 words essays on tumblr are simply a complete waste of time after the first paragraph.

Is this what you would consider a rational perspective? Or should I start writing down a timeline of all the times in which JM and JK have met in "Chapter 2" up until NY in July? (As if in reality their lives are actually separated that clearly, as if a break in band work completely defines their personal lives, jesus christ!). So, should I note down all the public events that they've been to? And to draw a conclusion from it to prove or disprove that the amount of times they've seen each other is reflective or not of what they said in the car when they left for their trip? Of course, we should ignore that there's an entire life outside of what we see.

And that's the thing, you know? We all supposedly agree that they actually share little of their lives with their fans, but practically? The fandom doesn't really give a shit. Because of the classic parasocial relationship we have developed that makes us believe we know everything there is to know.

What we are allowed to see and what we hear from whispers here and there should allow us to realize that no theory over a supposed relationship is better than the other. Believing they are just friends, that they have broken up, that they are fwb and so on is in no way more rational that believing they are together.

What does this mean? If none of us are wiser? It means we have a choice. Some are choosing to be losers or little bitches crying in anon asks about their "insecurities" over a ship. Some are choosing to look at this ship as a duo that includes two people who have really good chemistry and who match each other's freak.

I've always been in the latter category, I thought that was obvious and I've said it before. If one day Jimin makes a public statement that he's marrying the love of his life, a sweet girl that is also the mother of his 5 secret children, then so be it. And if one day, Jungkook shows up one day after he decided to run away and join a bike gang where he met his boyfriend, then so be it. If somehow that next day, a jikook clip would turn up on my tl in which Jimin is brushing his teeth while straddling Jungkook, my reaction would be "well, jikook fuck. Often". You know why? Because for me, the public life of stars and what they choose to share is entertainment. A travel show, a wlive, concerts, these are all forms of entertainment. I do not consume my entertainment by being a loser on the internet, pondering if my assessment over two people might be fucking is real or not or is approved by other people.

[spaghettioverdose]

how did u went from anarchism to ml question mark

I was just going to write a couple paragraphs but I basically ended up writing a novel so I'm going to put a keep reading link here for my everyone's sanity.

Tl;dr: I became disillusioned with liberalism, became ancom, saw many silly takes and analysis that felt incomplete, became disillusioned with ancom, learned more about ml, went "this makes way more sense, has been applied in real life and has also helped many millions of people", became an ml.

I became an anarchist when I was in my late teens. I was already disillusioned with liberalism, and while I was sympathetic to socialism because I come from a formerly socialist country and grew up with stories about it from my grandmother, I was still of wary of it. Partially due to some of the genuinely bad things that happened during it and partially due to the immense amounts of anti-communist propaganda I was constantly bombarded with growing up. Then I found anarcho-communism which to me at the time seemed like "communism with none of the bad stuff".

I got into it, I watched ancom youtubers, I read Kropotkin, Graeber, Bakunin, I joined online ancom communities etc.

Slowly, over time I started becoming disillusioned with ancoms.I found myself having to defend marxist-leninist projects a lot (mostly from usamericans) against some very silly cold war anticommunist propaganda a lot. Such as the idea that everyone was just miserable and trying to escape the country or brainwashed by the leader's cult of personality.

Keep in mind that I myself ate up a lot of anticommunist propaganda growing up, but I also come from a formerly socialist country and had someone who was around during the socialist era of my country to ground my view of it in reality to some extent. Most of the ancoms in these communities only had the propaganda.

I also didn't like the way so many of these people talked more about an idealised, aestheticised, romanticised and abstract idea of revolution, and especially past failed anarchist revolutions, rather than talking about the material results of revolution.

Even when I still was mostly convinced by anarchist theory, I still found anarchist analysis to be incomplete and lacking predictive power and real world practice. Other anarchists tended to excuse the fact we didn't have a lot of revolutions and that the vast majority of them were crushed within their first couple years by saying things like "we were up against everyone" or "we were betrayed" which didn't really hold up. The bolsheviks had to fight everyone as well and yet they still won. Same with the Chinese communists who were also against massive internal and external threats. This is because in both cases they had popular support and were capable of analysing the material conditions and formulating policies based on that.

Another rebuttal was that every socialist revolution was state capitalism because it didn't adhere to a very simplified definition of socialism. I thought that lacked nuance and in the end it mattered to me less than the fact that it got results and helped millions of people, but it didn't prevent me from internalising this to some extent. I did (for at least some time) think that most ml states were incomplete revolutions that eventually fell to state capitalism.

When I did believe to these ideas I often fell into pits of despair, as did other ancoms, over the fact that in our world view, communism was essentially entirely defeated and at best we (as anarchists) had two current revolutions: the Zapatista (a group who follows marxist theory, refuses to call itself anarchis and controls a very small region and only due to an agreement with the government) and Rojava (who also controls a small region, is a military ally of the US and has a constitution which guarantees private property and definitely fits the anarchist definition of a state).

The holes in anarchist theory became even larger and more apparent to me once I started reading Marx and Lenin. The contrast in the explanatory and predictive power of dialectical materialism against the philosophical idealism of anarchist analysis eroded my remaining trust in anarchism very quickly.

Anarchist analysis severely lacked much class analysis beyond "people do evil things to each other because of the profit incentive of capitalism" and "power wants to hold onto power" which while in some ways is correct, it is vastly incomplete. Which is why the conclusion of this analysis, that after an anarchist revolution the profit incentive would simply be gone and so would reactionaries, also felt incomplete.

As it turns out it's also historically been proven wrong. Revolution doesn't stop when the civil war ends and that capitalists (even if disposessed) don't suddenly stop being reactionary and don't suddenly stop being a danger to the revolution.

However many anarchists also viewed historical events in a vacuum and lacked any sort of tools for materialist analysis and therefore came to silly conclusions about why things happened the way they did.

Many propositions on how an anarchist society would run resembled some variation of Old West homesteading, medieval peasant communes or some other strange individualist fantasies.

In the end I realised about anarchism that it entirely resembled the philosophically idealist utopian communism of old. A form of communism that lost the debate against the scientific communism of Marx, Engles and Lenin over a century ago and there is no reason to engage with it in the present day.

[moleshow]

I am a stupid person. Where should I begin reading about economics.

where you should begin depends on what you want to know. my response is long so i'm putting it under a readmore

if you want to know about economic theory, that's one thing; if you want to know about economics in practice (i.e. the way economies operate), that's another. these things are related, but they're often in separate books.

if there's something you want to know about specifically feel free to ask--i may or may not be able to provide a suggestion on what you should read. my wheelhouse is mainly international economics and political economy so my recommendations are not the end-all-be-all of the field.

i've uploaded all of these here: https://gofile.io/d/PFa6xB

(i wasn't able to find a pdf of the 2020 edition of the Frieden but i was able to find the 2017 edition.)

the first recommendation i have is unfortunately a textbook. theoretical foundations are important 😔

1. An Introduction to International Economics: New Perspectives on the World Economy by Kenneth Reinert

this book's focus is primarily on neoclassical economic theory (which is often what people mean when they say "economics"), but it provides a strong foundation for thinking about markets, trade, and currencies.

i also want to note here that economic theories are best thought of as lenses through which to look at phenomena. all of these lenses illuminate some things and obfuscate others. so the utility of a given theory is dependent upon what you're trying to examine.

2. The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and Politics of World Trade by Pietra Rivoli

this book is a lot of fun, and falls pretty squarely into the "political economy" camp. Rivoli takes as her subject a t-shirt from a walgreens in florida (if memory serves), and follows the chain of production, to find out how it got there--as well as where shirts like it might go after being purchased. along the way she looks at the dynamics of production in practice, so she looks at the role of labor, firms, governments, brokers, etc.

i would recommend starting with this one or reading it alongside the Reinert so you aren't raw-dogging a textbook.

3. Global Capitalism: Its Fall and Rise in the Twentieth Century and Its Stumbles in the Twenty-First by Jeffry Frieden

for this one, you'll want to read the 2020 edition because the 2007 edition doesn't talk about the global financial crisis of 2008. this is a book that really is what it says on the tin--a history of global capitalism. it's particularly useful for understanding the origins and consequences of the postwar economic order. it contains some good discussions of keynesian economics and the neoliberal school of thought that followed.

4. World-Systems Analysis: An Introduction by Immanuel Wallerstein

this one's not a crucial read, but it covers a different way of thinking about basic economic units in international economics (i.e. not limiting one's economic analysis to nation-state units but instead thinking about the global economy as a system).

5. Running Steel, Running America by Judith Stein

i've put this book here because the latter half of the book essentially goes through how and why american production changed in the latter half of the 20th century, focusing chiefly on the production of steel. (this is another political economy book.) Stein illustrates the consequences of US foreign policy for the domestic economy, particularly during the 1970s--a crucial period. the whole book is worth reading, but the first half deals more with labor and politics so it's not directly related to your question.

bonus: Politics and Economics in the 1970s - lecture by Judith Stein

feel free to reach out if you have more questions or need clarification on something here👍

[arviyya]

The other day I was chatting with a non-fandom friend about the correlation between burn out, dopamine, and addiction in extreme sports. I know that sounds like a random whirlwind of words but I promise I have a point.

Both she and I work in the extreme sports industry (both of us for near a decade) and a little theory we have is the pipeline of experiencing the novelty of the sport at the beginning to burn out to addiction and I am certain it has to do with the way dopamine wears down with an activity over time, especially if you stagnate. At some point these sports don't have anything new for someone to experience, especially not anything safe. My theory is that people either seek new sports to try or turn to others such as rock climbing or white river rafting, **or** they turn to drugs and alcohol in an attempt to chase that same type of "high".

So anyway, while we were talking I was thinking about how this can apply to other hobbies and life patterns. I do think this pipeline is worse for people seeking adrenaline because the extremes are so much more exaggerated, but it got me thinking about writing. In the last few months, I've felt so much burn out - not just on writing but the fandom community in general.

My friend made a good point, that everything, everything, ebbs and flows. And the people who make it out healthy on the otherside are the ones who power through the ebbs (in my world that's the lows) and eventually they'll get to the flow again (the highs). In extreme sports, this would be the time when the sport hasn't been as fun, there isn't as much dopamine, but instead of quit, you ride it out rather than resort to the bottle.

In fandom, and writing, I think the ebb is similarly temporary. It's a good time to take a breather, practice writing in other outlets, read, etc. But it isn't a time to quit (obviously do right by your mental health) but personally, I really try not to quit when things get hard - not communities, not goals, not projects. I try to push through because I know I'm not going to get anywhere in life if I constantly give into the ebbs. That's what happened to so many people in my irl community - they couldn't take the ebbs, but ironically they got stuck there because they either found themselves constantly chasing greener grass, or they gave in and settled in their dark little caves. Sometimes you just have to ride the lows, and eventually, you'll find your way back to the light.

I know this is really dramatic for fandom talk, but the amount of times I've thought of just wiping my ao3 and socials is ridiculous; and there's no reason for it other than it's just been a bit of a low lately. That doesn't mean it'll be a low forever, and I love fandom too much to let a little low push me over the edge.

[midwestbramble]

Folk Witchcraft Book Review

I bought this book when it came out as I wanted to learn more about traditional witchcraft (always do). This book gets a lot of good reviews and I remember thinking it was ok. But lets see how I feel now.

Note: This book has had three different covers in the time it has come out. The one I'm showing is the original and the one that I have. I do not know if these covers also contain different information or rewritings of content.

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Contents:

Synopsis

What I Liked

What I Didn't Like

Overall Thoughts

Conclusion

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Published 2019

"Complete with practical exercises, in-depth descriptions of craft theories and models, hand-drawn illustrations, and the author's working grimoire, Folk Witchcraft provides the student witch with a thorough introduction to the old craft that is firmly rooted in the past, but adapted for the present. Experienced witches will deepen and enrich their practices by connecting more fully to traditional magics from hundreds of years in the past.

Learn how to:

Master ecstatic methods of spirit flight described in old witch-lore

Celebrate the turning of the season with traditional rituals.

Cultivate closer relationships with nature spirits and personal familiars.

Work powerful traditional charms, such as the witches' ladder, the poppet, and blessing/cursing by gesture

Discern the magical properties of herbs and plants without relying on tables from books.

Augur practical guidance from the spirit world

Utilize old craft incantations, remedies, and recipes

Connect with the Old Ones, the ancestors of folk witchcraft

Experience shapeshifting into various animal spirit forms

Craft herbal unguents, oils, powders, tinctures, and infusions

Interpret incantations, charms, and sigils received from your own familiar spirits

Research and hone your own lore and grimoire-sourced magical practices.

With over fifty rituals, charms, and exercises, Folk Witchcraft offers a refreshingly simple approach to the craft that is non-dogmatic, flexible, and rewarding as a regular spiritual practice."

-from the back of the book.

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What I Liked

The introduction discusses why the author chose to call it “Folk Witchcraft” instead of “Traditional Witchcraft.” Some people think that these are different, but they’re the same thing. The author uses this name for the same reason I use “Folkloric” to describe my own craft. It gives a better representation of what people are doing.

Each section starts off with a list of questions to ask yourself about the topic to learn more about the folklore/landscape/spirits of your own area. The first section, Lore, also discusses magical theory, discussing sympathetic and contagious, magical consequences or non-consequences, etc. It also talks about the difference between Wiccan sabbats (the wheel of the year) and trad craft sabbats ( a witches meeting and spirit meeting often held in the spirit world).

The second section, Land, gives a rundown of working with different aspects of the landscape, such as waterways, caves and mountains, trees and plants in general. The plant section is great because it talks about how to actually go about learning correspondences (with the doctrine of signatures as an example) instead of giving a list of plants and their meanings. The end of this section has a quick rundown of common animals associated with witchcraft and why, according to the author. Some are more credible than others.

The third section, The Familiar Spirit, covers the basics of spirit work. From banishing, conjuring, and creating vessels.

Each section ends with several exercises to help put what you learned into practice. Some of them are better than others, in my opinion.

The Grammar (which is half the book) in the back has a lot of small charms and incantations that people may enjoy. It seems to be pretty general or British based.

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What I Didn't Like

The Lore section has a recommended reading right at the front that doesn’t have great books to take at face value. Books such as The Golden Bough by William Frazer or The Witch-Cult in Western Europe by Margaret Murray. While these books has a marked influence on the beginnings of the modern witchcraft movement, they are not accurate and have been debunked by historians. We now have better sources for folklore surrounding witchcraft (see my Book Reviews and Recommendations post).

A personal preference of mine is to not use the word Sabbat in relation to the witches meeting. This word was attributed to this folkloric meeting due to what’s known as the blood libel, an antisemitic accusation that Jews were using the blood of Christians (whom they would allegedly murder) in their religious rites. A Sabbath (also spelt Sabbath) in Judaism is a holy day of rest and spiritual observance. Those growing up in Christian households may have heard the phrase “keep the sabbath.” And that is what is being referred to. So the witches sabbath is an outgrowth from this antisemitic belief. You can read more about it and its connection to the witch craze here.

At one point the author says “Through the lens of animism, we can view the Old Ones as the exalted spirits of ancient witches who rose to power through their art.” Though if we look at what animism is, I’m not sure how that has to do with anything written here. It’s more UPG than anything.

While The Familiar Spirit section talks about working with spirits in general, the exercises seem to focus on the “Old Ones.” Which generally are deities associated with witchcraft within this book. So while most of the time the exercises are decent this one threw me with the subject matter.

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Overall Thoughts

This book is fine. I think there are better books out there for those looking into traditional witchcraft. This one also feels like it has a bit more influence from Wicca in it than other books on the topic. Traditional Witchcraft and Wicca have exchanged ideas ever since Gerald Gardner worked with Cecil Williamson in the 1940s and again when Doreen Valiente left Gardners coven and joined Robert Cochranes. And those are just the large players! So it’s unsurprising that there is Wiccan influence here.

I’m pretty neutral on this book. There are aspects of it that make me not like it as much as others but it’s also not a useless book. So I won’t say I recommend it but I also don’t think it should be avoided.

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Conclusion

If you want to read the book or learn more about it you can find it on Amazon, Thrift Books, Abe Books, World of Books, Third Place Books, and more.

More Reviews:

Review from Grammaticus

[mesetacadre]

Hello!

Firstly, Im USAmerican I’m not trying to be like “oh woe is me,” Im just trying my best to understand what would be the best option for everyone. I’ve heard so many varying things and this is my second time voting, so I just want wanted to know what other people think. This isn’t meant to be malicious or condescending in any way either! I know you can do multiple things at once it’s just that I worry that when I walk into that polling booth, that I’ll be putting more innocent people at stake.

I’ve seen people tell,call,email etc Kamala to say that she isn’t getting their vote unless she stops funding Israel and their assault on the Palestinian people. And I’ve seen some people say that there is literally no point in trying to reason/ransom with her and that she (like all other US presidents) is a monster no matter what.

I’ve seen some other people say that voting 3rd party or not voting at all is the only way to go. But I worry that a 3rd party candidate wouldn’t stand a chance so late in the game. And I also worry that not voting would be a waste of a privilege, especially since so many people don’t have the access to voting inside the US and out.

I’ve also seen people worrying about project 2025 being pushed into place and I’ve also seen other people say Americans are cowards for worrying about such a thing.

I know you don’t live in the US but I also know this election impacts people outside of the states so I just wanted to know your thoughts. I’ve asked this to another blog as well, so if any of your followers have thoughts Id like to hear them too! I just feel a little pulled in every direction and I figured asking around would be a good idea.

Thank you so much and have a nice day!

If I were in your position I would stop going back and forth about who to vote for and start organizing. Were social rights protected with Biden? Very clearly not, since people are already suffering from things that are in that think tank's document. Abortion is no longer protected, trans people are begin targeted across a good portion of the states, the border is going to keep getting bloodier regardless of who wins, etc. Sure, you might argue that these things are not in control of the president, like the Supreme Court or the individual states. So then, how are elections supposed to help? And this is just talking about domestic policy, but the imperialist cogs of the US hegemon will keep turning no matter who's in DC, and you really cannot fucking ignore the current genocide in Palestine, plus the US' entire history of foreign interventions and the suffering that has come from that. You all should really realize the scale of the situation and stop engaging with the US on its own terms. There are class interests to which every mechanism of liberal democracy are subordinated to.

It is extremely unique for you USAmericans to spend this much fucking time and energy on your elections, you can't overstate it. Practically every year is filled with election bullshit. Election periods in basically the rest of the world only last like a month at most, where I live it takes two weeks. Elections aren't even the only or most important way to participate in politics within the very basic framework of liberal democracy. But you're all constantly acting like it's a team sport, always with the election. Don't take this personally anon, I'm not annoyed at you specifically and I appreciate the effort in your ask, but it's so incredibly childish to every single time spend 2 years or more hueing and crying about the upcoming election. Do something about it then! stop hyperfocusing on a single day every 4 years! People were already talking about the 2020 election after Trump won in 2016, that's absurd!

Read Lenin and read decolonial theory, organize yourself and the working class, build political-revolutionary consciousness amongst your class, do whatever you can to strike at the stability of the empire which you live under without getting arrested or killed, and stop legitimizing this pantomime by making it the exclusive vehicle of your political thought. Voting is just a single day, and the run-up (not 3 years!) should be spent campaigning for your own interests, denouncing this bullshit system you all keep saying you also don't "like". "Surviving", which is what some left liberals keep saying they're trying to do (I know you did not say that, anon), looks like organizing yourself and everybody you can to stop relying on the scraps the managers of capitalism and imperialism sometimes throw at you.

Voting as an action and voting as a strategy are two different things. What you're worried about, as I understand it, is the action of going to a booth and putting your choice of ballot in the box. Voting as a strategy, is the decoration and structure so many people build around it. I can't recall exactly who I saw doing this, but a USAmerican mutual of mine who's also a communist got an ask about who they're voting for. This mutual laid out the options in their state, went over their policies, and explained why they'll vote for the candidate they disliked less (I think it was an independent but don't quote me on that). You know why none of us "election interfering foreign agents" jumped at them for this? because they understand the very limited potential for voting, spent a little bit of their time researching each candidate avaliable to them, and then spend the entire rest of their political energy focusing on other things outside electoralism.

Yeah, shit's fucked for social rights, so is basically anywhere else in the world right now. I also don't have good choices in my elections, half the parliament is talking about the islamization of Spain and plans to gut any public service, and the other actively anesthesizes and absorbs any social movement that could combat reactionarism. So I stop worrying too much about who I'm casting my ballot for and I dedicate all my political energy to militancy in my communist party, slowly creating class consciousness and setting up ways to eventually protect our own class from the inevitable strike. All of this while being the 12th economy in the world, and consequently, an integral part of the imperialist NATO and EU, facts that no sector of our liberal democracy even questions. And do you think our siblings in the countries victim of the imperialist doctrine of NATO have it any better? When entire elections and governments have been interfered with not by "social media bots", but by actual bloodshed and terror? They don't spend years yelling at each other about who to vote for, they also organize themselves and attempt to emancipate their own class

[ralibo14]

TPN Brainrots part 2:

Warning: just like the in the previous part... There will be Manga Spoilers.

Since I was unable to finish part 3 of my comic for Emma's birthday (due to being in a place where bringing a laptop was not advised) I will do my head canons and theories on her.

So today's post is about: Emma

Emma is a protagonist in the wrong genre. That was my first thought when I finished season 1 for the first time. Of course now I know how much more complicated her personality is. Introducing her first from the Trio was a really good choice in my opinion, because her cheerful, hopeful, happy and naive personality makes you believe that everything in all right with their lives. Her point of view up until Connie's death really shows how easy it is to believe in a comfortable lie. (not to forget that in canon they're 11-12)

Emma's appearance explained:

Just like I did with Ray... I have something unique to add to each drawing of her. First let's talk about the Freckles! I'm a big fan of interesting character traits, such us freckles, moles, scars, tooth gaps, vitiligo or anything similar to that. Also the red/orange hair🧡! My second favourite hair color in anime & character history (first is black🖤).

When colouring I like to use vivid colours for her clothes (mostly red or orange to bring out her hair). Maybe that's why, my favourite outfit is what she wore in the Goldy Pond Arc.

In the manga colouring above if you look closely, Emma has faint scars on her knees and elbows. Since she most likely do what her heart says before thinking, I imagine that she didn't mind if she scrapped her knees or bruised her elbow, while playing with her friends and family. Physically active kids often fall while playing but, falling hard then getting up again all by yourself is a good way to symbolise their in journey. (Old drawing of mine😅⬇️)

Leader of the Grace Field Group:

Emma simply had to get into the Leader's role after Norman's shipment. I'm sorry to say that but Ray was a bit useless. He was lost in his own pain and gave up all hope (I mean... valid, but still), so she had to plan everything. Norman's letter and the other kids (Gilda, Don, Thoma, Lanni, etc) helped a lot, but she was practically alone. She couldn't even grieve Norman properly. Don't forget that Emma is smart and an amazing actor. She fooled Isabella thinking she gave up too (not to mention that time she slowed her heartbeat so Mom doesn't know she was lying).

My forever favourite moment (Idk why didn't I mention this in the Brainrots part 1) is Emma slapping some sense into Ray (pun intended😁). Like that setting and that scenery is my Roman Empire. Her catching a burning match just in time, not caring about burning her hand, then convincing Ray to excape with her and the rest of the group (Okay actually... let's be honest... she basically had to drag him out of the House). The first glimpse of what Emma is capable on her own. Nerves of steel for cutting her ear off too (her first big sacrifice just to save the others).

After the Excape, she got a lot of help from Ray who also apologised for his behaviour. The two of them comforting each other after thinking Norman died is just such a heart warming scene. Meeting with Sonju and Mujika was a big turning point for Emma, because of three things;

1: Okay first she was scolded because of her recklessness as well as Ray for trying to play the hero, but that not strongly Mujika or demon related. The world opened up for the whole group. They learnt about the Promise and how the world was divided into two.

2: Emma learned and saw from first hand, that not all demon are evil. Mujika helped them despite their differences and the end of that week Emma thrusted her so much she even showed her the photographs of her family and told her about Norman too.

3: Receiving the neklace and the advice to search for the Seven Wall while they're on their journey.

Arriving to B06-32 and meeting Mister/Yuugo there was a new challenge. All the kids saw another 'Isabella' who tried to kill them. Emma, then Ray were the first ones who saw through his facade.

Goldy Pond Arc was Emma time to shine as a leader and as an individual too. Meeting Lucas and the Goldy Pond squad and immediately connecting to them shows how much she cares about others. Her bonding time with Lucas as they uncover the mysteries surrounding the identity of William Minerva.

Fun fact: In my fanfic I like to age up the Grace Field Trio roughly to Oliver's age, because I think this way their personalities are more dominant and clear.

Emma's relationship with adults:

I like to think that Emma never saw Isabella as a monster (not even after discovering the truth). And as truthful as it is. I think Isabella formed a deeper bond with Emma than with her own son. That's because from the Grace Field Trio, only Emma could have been saved by Mom. With the Mom/Sister Program, Emma would have been able to live on, but it's against her nature to harm anyone. Although I found it interesting that that was the original composition of the manga. Emma becoming a Mom and Gilda becoming a Sister (correct me if I know this wrong). Also this picture under... I found it on Pinterest and it's reflects back to my theory of what might happen to the boys.

Meeting Yuugo and Lucas were a complete different experience for the Grace Field kids. The Bunker Dads were the caring parents both group (Grace Field & Goldy Pond) needed and deserved. Not to mention how Emma reminds me both the young and hopeful Yuugo from the past and the clever and patient Lucas of the present. Spending almost two years on the B06-32 shelter while searching for the Seven Wall makes their last goodbye 1000% more heart breaking.

Back to Grace Field Arc is when Emma meets Isabella again. She gets closer slowly but she doesn't have an emotional barricade as high up as Ray or even Norman. Emma forgave her easier, but that doesn't mean she justified the things Mom did with her family. She simply realised that Isabella had no other choice if she wanted to stay alive.

Making the new Promise and the Human World:

First of all King of Paradise Arc? Realising that Norman is still alive?! Oh the the happy tears when I first read that🖤🤍🧡. (Although to tell the truth Ray slapping Norman as soon as he sees him was such a right choice in my opinion) Emma breaking down in tears and hugging Norman was such an emotional and wholesome scene. But the argument after... let's just say I don't like miscommunication and/or characters keeping important secrets to themselves. (*glances at the GF Trio* "All three of you is in trouble")

Ohh Seven Wall Arc my beloved 🧡🖤. I like every bit of this story but Seven Wall Arc holds a special space in my heart. That Arc still holds so much potential to play around. The demon God's power to manipulate time, space and play around with Emma's and Ray's memories was wild. For the demon God name... I call them Elari. (Yes I stared at that nonsense of a word until it looked like a name). It was such a nice touch that the demon God only wanted to talk to Emma, but I couldn't help but feel a bit bad for Ray, because I think he was worried as hell when he woke up alone without Emma on his side. (I also sometimes think about what kind of Reward he would have received if he stayed with Elari).

The Reward Emma got is... without a question... cruel, and I think it was not needed, but I also can't think about something else what she could have gave to Elari if not her memories.

She deserves happiness and I can't say how much I cried when the Ray and Norman + everyone else found her in the human world. In the end I'm happy that Emma and all of them got a relatively happy ending.

Head canon to Human World and Reward: Emma's necklace!! It holds her memories. They just somehow have to find a way to unlock it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EMMA!!!🧡🧡🧡.

Okay. That's it for Emma. If you have anything else to add, correct or you want to share your own theories just write it in the comments or reblogs. Next post will be the 3rd part of the comic. Then brainstorms on Norman will come.

[beautifulpersonpeach]

I know a lot of people feel in their early days, Jimin was kinda heavy-handed with his attention on Jungkook, but I think Jimin acted that way primarily for Jungkook's benefit. I mean it's clear Jimin has cared for Jungkook deeply since debut but I feel the way he displayed it, so loudly and sometimes almost obnoxiously, acted as a key stabilizing and assuring force for JK in an environment that could've easily overwhelmed him.

This is a fresh take on the whole dynamic. I’ve never thought of it from this perspective or never seen anyone else point it out. Is it a popular thought? I felt that Jimin was only playing the extremely manly flirty character that he was asked to play and it’s the popular theory too. Tho’ it wasn’t sitting well because this is the same guy who gave JHope his fan letters and questioned stereotypes and was ok with wearing a pink dress in AHL etc etc.

***

Yeah… I’m not sure I can call it a theory, not to talk of if it's popular. It’s just how I saw them at the time, and it still feels consistent with how I’ve seen their interactions and relationship progress.

Jimin had his role to play in the group just as they all did. That’s true. But I also think, with what we know of Jungkook’s personality and their environment, their relationship could be easily explained, considering.

I mean, let’s think about it. The idol industry is incredibly fast-paced, hectic beyond what anyone can imagine, Jungkook was still in school when they debuted and had to juggle their activities with his classes. We know that when Jimin was still in school, he’d wake up at 6:30 AM and then after school, practice till around 2:30 AM before going to bed. We know from jikook’s words that Jungkook was often with him for some of this time, sometimes even sleeping with him in the practice room. So, JK was putting in work too, perhaps not to the same levels Jimin did, but Jungkook was also younger than him. All the guys had big responsibilities already, and it’s clear from footage in their early days that all of them were all just trying to stay afloat mentally, physically, and otherwise.

In that sort of environment, at that period of Jungkook’s development, with his age and what I suspect to be possible neurodivergent traits, it would’ve been very easy for him to get swept away, in a sense. To become overwhelmed and 'detach', develop unhealthy coping habits and such. Jungkook is someone who by his own admission, needs a lot of love. All the members made sure to keep an eye on him, but Jimin seemed to take it upon himself to love Jungkook, loudly. To shower him with attention as though to remind him, "I see you", "I'm watching you", "I'm in your corner always and I'm here for you".

Jimin obviously loved and cared for Jungkook back then, and it was mutual, but the way he went about showing it was one of the biggest indications of his emotional intelligence, to me. He was mocked for how he appeared to be all over Jungkook, the members too would make fun of him, but I don't think he was stupidly, blindly 'in love'. At least not quite at that point. I think he showed remarkable awareness of his own emotions, Jungkook's needs, and the environment they were in. And Jimin used all of that to his advantage and to Jungkook's benefit because it served the purpose of emotionally assuring JK, while improving JK's profile within the group (people look more desirable when it seems other people desire them), further building his confidence.

It's remarkable to me that before they debuted when Jungkook got overwhelmed and said he wanted to quit BTS to become a company dancer, the person he went to with that worry was Jimin. Jimin who was the last trainee to join their agency - so, a relatively recent addition to the group. That, to me, shows one way their bond was already quite deep, even back then, a connection that I think Jimin was intentional on developing with Jungkook. When they had their infamous rainy day fight, when all the other members sort of tossed their hands in the air after letting loose on JK, it sticks out to me that the breaking point for Jungkook was Jimin telling him, "You know what, do whatever you like. I won't care for you anymore."

Jimin's presence in Jungkook's life can't be overstated. I think over time, as Jungkook grew up and matured, he recognized how integral Jimin was to him, began to better acknowledge Jimin's needs as well and their relationship became deeper, more reciprocal and balanced. And that's how we ended up with GCF in Tokyo, as an example. I also feel this 'dance' of recognizing each other's needs and loving each other in-line with their personal boundaries, is an ongoing process for them.

[tylwer34567]

RGB Villains Headcanons

CW: Grooming/Child Abuse (For this post, Im using the theory of the Grundel originally being a former child turned into a Grundel for the basic. In my interpretation of this headcanon, he was kidnapped and raised by a Grundel as an apprentice of sorts. There are no graphic or explicit descriptions of the abuse. But some of the headcanons include the aftermath effects of the trauma, so I'm putting this warning here such in case.)

The Grundel

1. How do they feel about people shorter/taller than them? He has an Napoleon complex/inferiority complex when it comes to the other Class VII's. He is the youngest (only have been operating for about 100 years and was trained beforehand by the original Grundel) and is around 6'2 while the rest are, as he puts it, fun size. It doesn't help that Boogey likes to make fun of him and call him nicknames like shorty. He compensates by trying to assert dominance in other ways, such as being aggressive or sly.

2. What are they like on social media? (What’s their username, profile pic, etc.) He would be an internet troll who does stuff for the lols.

3. Their sexuality? N/A (Hasn't thought about it that much)

4. Preferred weather? Rain and foggy weather helps to numb his pains.

5. What’s their sleeping schedule? Zero sleeping schedule. He lays on the floor and tries to go asleep despite his body refusing to at times. He sometimes deals with sleep deprivation and nightmares.

6. Favorite music? Heavy metal and jazz. He enjoys loud music in general. Grundel loves to turn up the volume on his personal Walkman to ignore the others when they're talking too much.

7. How’s their cooking? He doesn't know how to cook and insteads eat sugary junk food like cookies, chocolate, chips, and soda. He has recently grew to enjoy Samhain's cooking (though he started eating it to stop Samhain from worrying too much).

8. It’s movie night, what movie do they pick? Cheesy, horror B-movies like Creature of the Black Lagoon, Plan 9 from Outer Space, and Backet Case. The others complain that they're not even scary (and in Wat's case, not gorey enough), but he doesn't care. He loves them for their unintentional humour, terrible practical effects, and predictability.

9. How would they hold up in a pillow war? He would hold up pretty good on his own. His strategy would be to isolate opponents, using his charm to turn others against each other. When outnumbered, he would try to smooth talk to distract.

10. What’s their sleeping position? Side lying with a pillow between his legs as to alleviate his pain.

11. Who do they go to for comfort? No one. With him being a parastic entity, most ghosts, from Classes I to VI, kept their distance from him, in fear that they could be infected. Despite hanging out with the Class VII's, he doesn't feel comfortable enough to vent to them.

12. Something small that they enjoy? His teddy bear. He can't quite remember where he got it from, but it had always brought him comfort whenever he was chewed out by his former Master.

13. How do they feel about physical contact by others? He hates physical contact, PDA, and anything else like that. He learned to associate toutch with pain and punishment, making him defensive and skittish.

14. What is enough to bring them to tears? Nothing He doesn't cry due to a deep-seated belief that showing emotion is weak.

15. Biggest pet peeve? That some of his victims like Kylie got away. He genuinely does not get why people are disgusted at the thought of becoming a Grundel. His former Master loved to tell him that turning children to Grundels was a 'gift', that they wouldn't have to deal with strict authority figures stifling their true potential.

16. How well do they take care of themselves? Not well. He forgets to eat at times and sometimes refuses to sleep as to not have another nightmare.

17. What’s something they like that may be surprising to others? The other overlords were suprised to see that Grundel loved old, black and white cartoons. Stuff like Micky Mouse, Oswald the Rabbit, and Betty Boop are his personal favorites.

18. Do they consider others family? N/A

19. Any bad habits that they have? He bites his nails, paces when stressed or anxious, and picks at his old scars when he's in deep thought.

20. What’s their idea of a perfect vacation? Anywhere that's stress free and uninhabitable

21. Do they get lost easily? Will they ask for directions if they are? He never gets lost. And even if he did, he wouldn't ask none of the Overlords for help; he's a well-ajusted entity, thank you every much (he isn't).

22. The strangest thing they have ever seen? N/A

23. How well do they accept advice? Not well. He struggles to think that others have his best interests at heart.

24. How much do they swear? He swears a lot. Others like to joke that he swears like a child who just learn new bad words.

25. How do they take advice given to them? He pretends to take advice to avoid conflict or appearing vulnerable to people.

26. Do they like being in pictures? He hates pictures and gets upset when someone tries to take one without asking him first.

27. Is there anything they’re bad at? Blah blah killing the Ghsostbusters, everyone ghost is terrible at that.

28. What’s their morning schedule? His morning routine includes involves checking his surroundings for threats, stretching to alleviate his chronic pain, and mentally preparing for the day.

29. Any past injuries? He has faded scars across his body from his Master when he failed his duties or be disobedient to him. He also suffered from chronic pain in his pelvic and chest from past "punishments". He hides them the best he can.

30. Something that disgusts them? He's disgusted by displays of affection, both physical and emotionally. It was installed into him by the original Grundel to see such acts as weak and manipulative.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Additional Notes

First Impressions: Never knew this guy existed/j

Latest Impressions: "I feel sick." - An actual quote from me after watching the Grundel for the first time.

Favorite Fanfictions Featuring Them: Whispers in the Dark: A fanfiction about Kylie's experiences with the Grundel during her childhood. It is the only fanfiction I was able to find for him, but it's pretty good. The writer did such a good job with replicating how Grundel talks that I was able to like hear the character's voice in my head (but seeing how it's Grundel voice, that's probably not a good thing for me/j). It also has a wholesome ending with Kylie being comforted by Egon and Janine so thats a plus.

Link to fic: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10802736/1/Whispers-In-the-Night

Favorite Ships: Free to Interpret (I don't think a relationship is what Grundel needs ngl)

Favorite Images: 

This image's too relatable

Song That I Associated with Them: Chonny Jash - Thermodynamic Lawyer Esq, G.F.D. | Will Wood Cover

(Warning: this song is very loud)

Something I Don't Like About Them: Um everything, everything about him/j

Fun Facts

The Grundel is voiced by Rodger Bumpass, well known for playing Squidward Tentacles in Spongebob Squarepants, but also Dr. Membrane in Invader Zim, Doctor Light in Teen Titans, and RGB's Louis Tully.

He was called Grundel Astrala in a draft of the Extreme Ghostbusters episode Grundelesque.

The Grundel was the only the villian from RGB to return in an episode of EG.

He appears in the online Most Wanted missions of Ghostbusters: The Video Game. Except not only really cause it's not him, they just named a completely different monster after him man I really love it when this series does that

He has also made camoes in IDW Ghostbusters comic covers.

Final Verdict: 999/10 (took a point off just cause I can)

[arinninjagosleftovers]

Oh. Well, alright!

Honestly, I feel like Tubbo's itching for lore that's not too emotional in order to keep his attention on the server beyond maintaining his factories, talking to his friends and feeding Sunny, like it's either information or a new mod, something to give him stuff to do that's not the same thing he's been doing for months since he joined.

Thus, Time Travel!

I do think it will become a lore thing with him having promised Sunny to work on it, though tbh I dont think it was planned, maybe he'd thought about it a bit but it came up very naturally and I don't doubt his theories were stuff he came up with on the spot

I think he's gonna do exactly what we're all thinking and go to the past, post Fed but before the Ice Prison, and he and Sunny will figure out how and why he was there in the first place. Personally, I was never a big fan of "Tubbo was part of the Fed" theories because that kinda feels like it undermines his compassion towards the workers, but I'd love it if he did have some involvement with them, such as him getting someone to rebel, and it eventually getting him in ice.

I do also think he will only be able to travel back so far, because of the island itself. I'm still a firm believer that the Quesadilla Island all this is happening in is not a real physical place, and instead something like a computer program, and so Tubbo would only be able to travel as far as the earliest version of it.

But I also can't think it wouldn't be cool if Tubbo ended up being the one who created the Fed, or made Cucurucho/the Census Bureau, or the one who started the human testing (turning norma people into Fed Workers, Hybrid stuff, the islanders themselves being there, etc.)

Honestly it would be nice to have someone find out about Jaiden's stuff, not because of snooping around or eavesdropping but because they remember info they technically already had, from before the island, like having her as their coworker/employee. Or having someone find out about Baghera's stuff, period.

now your turn. give me your thoughts

OKAY OKAY OMG okay. so first thought

How I think the time machine works is that it's stationary and is fueled by cobbled deepslate, and another block that moves them forward in time!! It also freezes the users (tubbo and sunny) age until they get back to their time period

Now lore wise? I don't think this is something Tubbo has planned beforehand, but I think it would be AWESOME if the admins actually picked it up and asked Tubbo if this is something he wants to do, and if he doesn't? hey, that's what aus are for!!!

I think they go back to a time where the island is abandoned, maybe right before the first spanish and english speakers arrived and the fed doesn't notice them because tubbo already exists in their system (ice prison) and sunny? well.. the eggs are practically confirmed to be fed experiments.

I think they would hide the machine and succeed because the area they plan on using went completely untouched before I believe? Yeah. It wasn't being used. They grab their motor boat and start their travels. They're going far, far out!! To build a shack and live there

But!! I just love the concept of time machine goes haywire and they don't have any clue at all when they are in the timeline. sooo shenanigans ensue and they start to explore the current times! maybe they have some kind of timer where the machine tells them they need to get back? idk

this is what sparked my previous post!! the one about sunny hearing or like finding out about tallulah wanting to protect their siblings but not them

i also think thats how tubbo would try and stop fitpac from happening but fail miserably, and maybe get to know some of the old islanders that aren't as active or not active at all nowdays

they would watch from afar and see how some of the eggs used to be back in the day and the islanders and just. yeah. i think they would end up leaving in the end, even if they managed to get to know the islanders and the eggs, because it always comes to that

Tubbo and Sunny leaving

and maybe their next adventure takes them to the federation's beginnings, but I do agree that they can't travel as far back as they would like due to the island's nature, but i think it would be cool if Tubbo joined the federation, or infiltrated it, and then found out about the rebellion, betrayed them both and went on the run, only to be caught in a block of ice and for Sunny to never see him again

And the cycle repeats

Silly adventures include:

-Meeting Jaiden, maybe when she's talking to Cucurucho

-Watching both the brazilians and the french arrive

-Witnessing Wilbur take care of Tallulah for two weeks before leaving for tour

-Meeting the dead eggs, before they died

-Tubbo trying to break Fit and Pac up before they connect, failing miserably

-Realising they can go back in time to talk to themselves

-Realising that is a terrible idea and decide against it

-Doing it anyways for the bit

there are more options but just a few ideas,,,

[ave-aria]

#they're designed that way so you can wash your hair in the sink #without hitting your head on the faucet

Are people really bending so low to wash their hands? /gen I thought that was about public bathrooms, and people aren't usually expected to wash their faces in there...

Though even at home I have a tap that rotates for that reason, so I can put my face in the sink without bonking my head on it XD I hate the "very close to the edge" designs so much, ugh

Yeah, actually it's kind of fascinating how much like, R&D goes into even the simplest and most everyday things we use! if you can get your hands on it you should take a look at The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman, who talks extensively about just. Usual things we use every day and why they were designed the way they were.

But basically, the author goes into how a lot of "updates" to things like faucets to make them 'improved' often fall flat, because people's ideas of what "improved" means, is... very narrow compared to the broad needs of people who use those everyday items in a variety of different ways. You, for example, can only imagine washing your hair in the sink for emergencies maybe, but I bet my sink at work (public, retail) has been used that way by multiple homeless or traveling people nearly every day. I know this for a fact. I find hair in the drain.

It might not be its intended use as a public space, but it IS a common use for a sink (among other uses like washing plates, washing clothes, making a small basin, dumping liquids, etc.) that persists because people are in fact out there, every day, using them in unconventional ways. Our janitor fills her portable mop bucket in those sinks and dumps the used water in there, too. If the basin was any smaller the bucket wouldn't fit, or the dumped water would go everywhere, which doesn't help anybody at all. She's the only person I know of who uses the sink in that way, but she's also pretty important to keeping our bathroom functional! So if the sink didn't have those extra uses, it would be a worse bathroom experience over all.

The book actually talks about that - about people trying to "reinvent" simple things to be more sleek modern and convenient and somehow getting a worse product out of it in general. Because the person redesigning didn't understand the thought process behind the original design, so the *re*-design misses the mark.

Sinks might seem a bit uncomfortable to use, because the faucet is crammed closer to the back of the sink and leaves all that open room for the basin. But it DOES still work to wash your hands, even if the setup is a mite uncomfortable - AND it leaves room for the sink to be used in other, less conventional ways. I.E. washing hair. Certain "improvements" can be made, that are nice in theory but bad in practice. Like: A movable faucet for a sink is more convenient for home sinks, but is also more breakable, (yikes!) and thus unsuitable for public bathrooms, for example. People who try to implement this improvement end up with broken sinks that are no use to anybody. You ever walked into a restroom that's been completely trashed? Do the sinks usually survive the trashing? They do, actually, thanks to proper design.

And that's just one example! I'm sure there are things I don't even think of, like handicapped folks or new mothers or whoever who might use the sink in ways I'm not aware of, that might be impacted by the small change in design. It might make sense to redesign the sink to make it more convenient for hand washing - since that's its stated purpose and also what it's most used for - but those invisible forces are BIG. Those that try to reinvent the wheel often just get a crummier version of the wheel unless it can do all the things the previous wheel did and more. So instead of reinventing the sink, most people take the easy route - they just copy what came before, copy what works. And it keeps working.

I'm rambling augh

Basically what I'm saying is that sinks were originally designed to be good for washing hair and other big, clumsy actions, in addition to handwashing. And since it's easier to copy paste than it is to redesign the wheel, that's what we get. A sink that's a little bit uncomfortable to use for hand washing but one that WORKS, and also can do all these other little things if the need arises. And they didn't have to dump money into redesigning it, lol.

There are actually newer sinks starting to make an appearance that have the basin open but the faucet is pointed more towards the center of it, without being more breakable or in the way, etc. But adoption of the new sink archetype is slow going. Might not catch on, for a variety of reasons, social and political as well as functional. :( The one place in my town that I know has these new sinks also has a 'sharps box' (a place to dump used needles) and despite how objectively useful that feature is, like... The gas station had to FIGHT for that addition.

Again. Crazy how much forethought and consideration and debate goes into one bathroom. You could write BOOKS on the subject.

Anyway, sorry for the infodump! Apparently I think about these things way too much haha

Edit: WAIT I FOUND THE PDF if you're interested

[dyouknowwhatimean-archive]

lrb is very interesting cause i feel like even in conversations that go beyond that and where you start to discuss the appropriate way of showing something it gets tricky cause like, of course in theory we all agree that it should be handled with care and respect, that it shouldn't be gratuitous. but then what does that mean in practice? maybe it's cause i really like the rape & revenge genre and i read a lot about it and those are like, the movies that get the exploitative title more often, and i'm not really talking about movies that might be more popular and for all types of audiences and that are not really about that as a central theme but do include a rape scene or other kinds of sexual assault scenes. but i feel like no two survivors agree on their take of which movie they thought did it well and which one didn't. i think it's such a personal thing specially in the r&r genre, what draws you to one movie can be exactly what other person hated (and this is coming from the assumption that maybe you both thought you were gonna like this movie beforehand, cause you'd both liked a second different r&r movie. which that person over there actually hated, but liked this one. etc) dykwim? like my point is that i think it's more important to listen to a person when they're telling their story and what they didn't like in a movie, than it is to criticize the movie itself. cause then that other person over there is telling their story and saying that they did like that the movie included that part, and it's important to hear that too

[transmasc-rose]

Doctor Who Tierlist (as requested by @transgenderdoctorwhomst)

Curtis has been bugging me about my placement of Eleven for weeks so here is something objectively worse: a ranking of Doctors, companions, Torchwood crew, and Jackie.

(Don't take this too seriously. I like most of these guys a lot.)

Explanations under the cut for length

Rankings are a mix between "how well do I think they're written" and "how much do I like them" based on vibes and whims, and are not consistent in how much each matters.

Rose: Placing her on the chart would throw all of the other letter rankings off. She gets her own tier.

S (Eight, Nine, Amy): Top crowd who I think about too much without prompting.

Nine is my favourite New Who Doctor, first Doctor, ninerosejack, etc. Grumpy as hell with love in his heart. Also his season is my favourite season vibe-wise.

Eight is extremely bully-able, like a sopping wet cat, while also having some screwed up aspects to him. Vampire Science is great if you want to watch him have a toxic mind-melding relationship with a vampire, and I can't put him any lower after that.

Amy. 👍

A+ (Spy, Simm, Ianto): Could fight anyone in S for a spot, but I'm unwilling to crowd a rank that thoroughly.

If I was ranking the Master as a whole and the Doctor as a whole, the Master would win, but I'm not.

Ianto is here instead of S rank because I don't think he's quite well written enough to go there. I do, however, like him immensely.

A (Jack, TARDIS): Not fighting for S rank, but still very good.

The TARDIS isn't around enough for me to put her higher than this, but she's a lovely eldritch creature.

I like Jack more than Ten.

A- (Ten, Owen, Gwen): Not quite A material, but I'm still abnormal about them.

I like Ten less than Jack.

Owen has massive amount of character development in his series and is definitely the most interesting character in Torchwood.

Gwen is kind of a bitch, and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible. She is snarky and terrible and refuses to accept anything not going her way. Good for her.

Owen and Gwen could probably sit up in A with Jack, but I won't leave Ten alone like that.

B+ (River Song): I don't know enough about her to put her in the A's, but she has potential. Made me cry once.

B (Donna, Rory, Toshiko): Fun characters doing their own thing but I'm not feral over them.

Donna was probably the best choice for a Ten companion. She's neat. 👍

Rory was a plastic soldier for 2000 years. Depending on how they handle that later he could go up in the rankings or stay at B forever.

Toshiko should have had episodes about her job. She's the resident tech specialist. Why was every Toshiko-centred episode about her love life.

C+ (Eleven, Thirteen, Jackie): Cool in theory, okay in practice (+Jackie).

Technically I talk about and draw Eleven more than anyone in B or B+, but I'm the one in charge of the list, and I thought Rory (rank B)'s plastic soldier bit was more interesting than anything Eleven did in s5. Like I said: cool in theory, okay in practice.

C (Roberts!Master, Mickey Smith, Adam Mitchell): Did their jobs perfectly acceptably. No strong feelings in any direction.

C- (Yaz): I hear she gets better.

D (Graham, Ryan): I was incapable of getting emotionally attached to any of Thirteen's companions which was disappointing. Hoping they get better in the later seasons and at least bump up to C, but I'm not holding my breath.

Complicated: Characters I can't reasonably drop into any of the rankings.

Martha was not treated well by the narrative, and I didn't enjoy a lot of her episodes in s3. BUT when she IS treated well she's great. If you're a Martha liker, watch Torchwood. She gets to actually be a doctor.

Tentoo is interesting in theory/interesting in what could be done with him, but they don't actually try to do anything with him. I also have personal distaste for the end of Journey's End, but that's not the character's fault.

Haven't met them yet: I haven't met them yet. I hear good things about... pretty much all of them though. I expect to have Twelve and Clara pretty far up the list. The others I don't hear enough about to know yet.

[itsclydebitches]

Adding to the Semblance discussion. It was REALLY uncomfortable when they said what Semblances meant and I realized what Adam’s represented especially when Blake talked about her own Semblance.

it did not leave a good taste in my mouth at all when Blake just said ‘his Semblance is like yours’. Not even touching on the implication of Jaune’s own Semblance manifesting as his literal desire to be useful to the point he is sacrificing his soul(they specified he’s boosting their Aura, not just healing.).

like…I fully expected an intervention or something but no.

On a less…upsetting note. Do you think in Volume 5 when Ruby said she unlocked her Semblance training, it was that moment in Yang’s trailer? One where Ruby bolted and tripped. Which made me go ‘Oh, so this is the moment she talked about!’. Always found it weird how no one mentioned it in discussions.

I think it helps a smidgen that Ren's lecture (from what I recall, anyway) makes it clear that not everyone agrees with the theory that semblances = innate aspects of who you are... but the problem is the show then went to treat it as a given, rather than just a dubious, perhaps self-fulfilling idea. However, if RWBY is going to commit to that 1:1 connection, then yeah, the writing needs to consider what semblances reveal about a person that perhaps needs to be addressed. The closest they've gotten is with Blake and I think that's a staggering failure because 1. Her clones are not solely used for running away (they fight back, provide distractions, combine with dust, etc.) 2. Other characters with similar semblances (like Sun) apparently don't have this same flaw despite the metaphor suggesting as much and 3. Running away isn't inherently a bad thing. I keep thinking about how Blake's biased perspective of her own semblance might have led to a more nuanced version of Volume 8. What happens when you take a character who originally thought that running was a horrific, cowardly act, only for her to realize over time that it's just another kind of combat strategy, one that's often necessary in a long-term war (something she's in a unique position to understand given her generational fight for equality) and then you set her up in contrast to her overly optimistic "We can do it!" leader when they're both faced with a no-win scenario? As the cynical, hardened, activist, "You have to know how to fight to survive outside the kingdoms" team member, I'd have loved to see Blake help Ruby grow as they face more and more complicated situations... not clasp her hands and gush about how she's always looked up to her (not actually). Semblances could have been a key part of all that, especially when you take into account that speed is also a useful tool for getting out of a tough situation. How often has Ruby used her semblance to get away from a fighter she knows she can't take on alone? Roman, Mercury, and the like? But that Ruby belongs to a former version of the story that wasn't upholding certain messages to the point of narrative nonsense.

I'm drawing a blank on where Ruby "bolted and tripped." Was that another short? I never saw Yang's trailer as the moment she unlocked her semblance though, if only because Yang has no reaction to it. She laughs a little and says, "Nice one, sis" which is not the kind of excited response we'd expect from a younger Yang when Ruby hits such an important milestone. I've always assumed we've never seen the exact moment Ruby unlocked it on screen, just heard about it in passing.

Although, in re-watching that moment I spotted this:

Far from being a generalized character flaw, the context of this is Ruby running from hand-to-hand practice when we've already established that she doesn't want to do this. That's another flaw the show introduced without considering how it fits into the larger World Building. Why is Ruby the only one who has the "problem" of not being able to fight without her weapon? I would have bought this if the show had simply framed it as an issue all Huntsmen face, but Ruby is in a unique position to circumvent it given her family's personalities and fighting styles: Yang is a brawler, Tai might have been similar, and we see that Qrow has no problem shrugging and throwing a punch when his own weapon is lost (Tyrian fight). Instead, RWBY acts like Ruby is the only one with this issue (Ozpin calling her out), she's apparently overcome this with a single hit (Haven battle)... and then it never comes up again. Despite the fact that Volume 9 has her lose her weapon and then be too traumatized to pick it back up for all of 30 seconds the hand-to-hand never returns as a satisfying, "Ah, good thing Ruby had that development and came from this family, otherwise she might be in serious trouble here!"

Hmm. You know, now I'm just thinking about an AU where teeny-tiny Ruby with the speed semblance is originally trained in close combat because do you realize the advantage you have with Petal Burst and your small stature? Besides, playing dirty in the name of survival is a Rose-Xiao-Long tradition! It's not until late in Signal that Ruby is deciding on her weapon and it's a damn struggle for her to wield such a massive scythe, but she's stubborn and is determined to follow through on her choice. So one day she looses Crescent Rose in battle and Roman thinks that's it, this kid only had "one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed" going for her and those stuffy Huntsmen are notorious for putting all their eggs in one basket, learning their fancy moves with their fancy, dust-powered weaponry and then it alllll falls apart the second they're forced to get their own hands dirty. Piece of cake.

...only for Ruby to kick his ass with arms like steal from wielding a weapon that weighs as much as she does, the ability to slink her way under any guard, a speed semblance that can take her behind her opponent in an instant (trailing petals as a distraction to boot), and years of training under Tai, Yang, and Qrow—all of whom really like punching things.

Ruby: What? Did you think I needed Crescent Rose? That's stupid...

Yang: 👏👏 😎 👏👏

Blake, who also harbored those assumptions about Signal-trained Huntsmen because like many of their enemies she comes from a culture where you fight with whatever the hell you've got on hand: 😍

Weiss who DOES need her weapon to enact any kind of damage because she's been taught that any fighting that could so much as muss her hair is a big, cultural no-no and she's just beginning to realize that maybe that ignorance/aversion is a bit of a liability:

[conversion-therapy-dropout]

Heyheyyyyy how's it going? I saw you tagging that post about the self being a guy you make up to get mad at with "the real you is a quiet observer of the self you made up" or something along the lines of that. I remember you saying you got a masters in psychometrics on your job hunting post so i'm guessing you didn't just say that? can you explain that a little further? i can't really figure out what you mean haha, bc the self that made the self up would have to be the same same self that "just" observes the whole ordeal, right? or at least i am stuck on that paradox, haha

also if you just said that as a joke i totally got that and this is totally just me playing along

Ohh my god I am so excited to talk about this! Thank you so much for asking about it. I totally wasn’t joking, and I should say that what I believe to be “The Self” is just one of many philosophical thoughts on the matter. Since psychology and neuroscience are not even CLOSE to understanding consciousness or its origin, many choose theories or philosophical ideas that align best with what they feel aligns with their beliefs or “empirical” sources.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS GONNA GET ESOTERIC AND SPIRITUAL. For a better explanation of this point, please read the first few pages of the Untethered Soul.

It’s hard to paraphrase but I will try to explain the best that I can! When I refer to the True Self, AKA The Witness, I am referring to the part of You that is detached from the You that changes, feels, thinks and labels itself, AKA The Ego. The Witness is the one that listens to your inner monologue and observes your behavior, but doesn’t interject its own thoughts, beliefs, or desires because those are reflections of your Ego, which again is separate. The Witness simply observes. To better see this distinction between Ego and The Witness, ask yourself “Who am I?” You’ll find everything you say is physical, conditional or temporary regardless of how general or specific and if you removed/changed all of these labels you’d still be the You that’s been aware of all these changes, labels and attachments throughout your life. (Like age, societal status, relationships, wealth, mental experiences, etc.)

Those that practice mindfulness and meditation, especially following Eastern philosophical practices are often aware of the Witness. Many believe the Witness is the root of our consciousness and some believe it is the soul. I personally think it could be both, but I also believe that it is the next frontier for understanding consciousness from a psychological perspective. Which is my Ego talking :)