#linear dynamic analysis

[katabay]

PAGLUIB

way back in like. march?? I took a stab at writing some kind of kabitserye type of story but it was a mess: it kept veering off into murder mystery drama territory because I was reading a lot of murder mystery novels around then and it Wasn't Good because I hadn't tried writing mysteries, let alone murder mysteries, before lmao

I did write a handful of short mystery stories since then, so next year I might take a stab at this idea again now that I'm no longer jumping head first into a genre pool I don't know how to swim in :)

[existingtm]

A lot of you are gonna hate this, but Dadbastian and Sebaciel are fandomized readings based on the same canon undertones. This is because Sebastian fits the Gothic trope of the parentified predator.

Curiously, his role doesn’t just follow demonic tropes but also takes on a vampiric form. He’s nurturing, yet preys upon the one he nurtures. It’s very reminiscent of a vampire siring a human, yet the end goal in this case is demonic, Sebastian aiming to win their game and claim Ciel’s soul.

Of course Sebastian is perverse. Of course his and Ciel's relationship breaches the boundaries of normalcy. It’s predator and prey, parent and child, sexuality through consumption. 

Sebastian and Ciel’s dynamic embodies much of the Lot complex. Debbie Joyce Chung goes into depth on this concept in her article "SUCH BLOOD, SUCH POWER": THE LOT COMPLEX IN ANNE RICE'S INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE. To quote some key parts:

“Broadly speaking, both the Gothic tradition and the Lot complex emphasize desire and transgression, subversion and the unconscious, doubling and projection. ‘The horror’ in eighteenth-century Gothic literature often pertains to incest, homosexuality, revolution, the pollution of lineage, and the disruption of linear succession of property” (173). While we’re mostly talking about transgressive sexuality, this excerpt has an interesting note about doubling and projection. Sebastian is absolutely a double for both the twins and their father, projected straight from O!Ciel’s own image.

“[V]ampires procreate, like Lot and his daughters, through a form of incest that involves penetration and the exchange of bodily fluids (blood) with their offspring. Their blood symbolizes life, family, and racial ties; it is the fluid of reproduction, the seed of the father” (174). We see blood and consumption take on this sexual undertone a lot throughout Kuroshitsuji media. While vampires procreate more directly, it’s interesting that Sebastian is forming Ciel in his own image.

“Through vampires the Lot complex transcends normal male-female gender categories, for vampires do not engage in genital sex and possess a relatively gender-free perspective” (174). The relevance of this is also pretty evident. Ciel and Sebastian are often queered from a gender perspective, whether in form of dress, pronoun or title use, mannerisms, etc. I would also argue that Sebastian is asexual (I even have a whole analysis drafted about why that is), and Ciel could be read as such too. Sexuality between them takes place in wholly inhuman terms (feeding and ownership).

Hold onto your hats, because I’m about to quote a quote within a quote when Chung describes how Claudia “is simultaneously innocent and monstrous, a literal and literary construct of our culture's anxious vacillations ‘between perceptions of children as little angels and as little monsters [. . .] sexually attuned, sometimes even predatory’ (Warner qtd. in Edmundson 34)” (175). We can see this perception forced on Ciel throughout Kuroshitsuji. This perception is reserved for children and women, once again demonstrating the queered element. Not only is Ciel the victim, he’s also the corrupted young maiden of the narrative, innocent and monstrous all at once.

“Incest is not limited to the physical: Lestat and Louis commit ‘emotional incest’ upon Claudia as she ‘grows up’; to them she is a magnificent and deadly ‘magic doll’ upon which they can lavish presents and affection (Interview 103). They dress her exquisitely in the latest children's fashions, disguising her as ‘a golden-haired child, a Holy Innocent, a little girl’ to fool her sentimental mortal victims, usually kindly, admiring adults (Interview 116)” (175–176). This one’s also pretty self-explanatory. Sebastian takes far more pleasure in dolling Ciel up than would be normal, especially when Ciel uses the guise as a means of deceiving enemies.

“Interview follows the Lot myth's subversive pattern of the powerless achieving power, but it is a Gothic novel, so Lot strikes back in a horrific return of the repressed. Nothing more is heard of the biblical Lot after the incest episode, but Lestat twice reappears to terrorize and punish his rebellious offspring. Both of his attempts are thwarted by enormous fires, reminiscent of the purgation of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and brimstone, that enable the culprits to escape” (177). Notably, Toboso utilizes purgation by fire often in Kuroshitsuji, which doesn’t necessarily implicate the Lot complex, but it does, intentionally or not, mimic the biblical punishment.

“The incest between Lestat and Claudia is therefore a Gothic version of the incest between Lot and his daughters. It is committed not for the positive end of ensuring the survival of the human race, but for the negative ends of revenge and domination, rape and patricide. . . . Claudia's story has neither happy endings nor beginnings. Forced reenactment of the original incest is Claudia's weapon of vengeance, expropriation/preservation of the father's seed/blood her goal. The pattern of victimization and incest comes full circle, as Louis senses beforehand” (177–178). Another part of the Lot complex is the ultimate turning-back of this predation on the predator. I’m curious to see if Toboso will adopt this as well, but we’ll just have to wait and see. I personally think it would be really interesting if rather than condemning Ciel to lose his soul, or alternatively saving his soul, Toboso instead turns Sebastian’s own predation back on him.

“There is no escape from Sodom and Gomorrah, but the fascination of Interview, like that of Lot's wife, is that it looks back to them longingly, and envisions as strangely beautiful and passionate and tragic, the doomed cities and their now immortalized inhabitants” (180). This conclusion would make for an apt summary of Toboso’s story. As Louis narrates his Lot family tragedy, so does Sebastian—immortal, horrid, otherworldly, monstrous, beautiful.

Kuroshitsuji embodies many Gothic themes. It makes sense that Sebastian and Ciel’s dynamic blurs between familial and sexual. This is super common in the Gothic, but I think Kuroshitsuji’s Western audience, for the most part, isn’t really in touch with the genre’s history. As such, a more fandom-typical interpretation emerges. If the reader dislikes taboo themes, they choose the safety of the found family trope. If the reader likes engaging with taboo themes but more from a fandom perspective than an analytical one, they may romanticize the dynamic to suit fandom shipping tropes. Either way, the original character dynamic is lost to some extent.

Sebastian and Ciel’s identities become more entangled as the story progresses. We’ll likely continue to see their relationship cross boundaries of normalcy, and as the end nears, something will have to give. Who will be the monster? Who will be the victim? Will anyone be able to escape this enticing hell they’ve created? I can’t wait to find out.

[drunkwhenimadethis]

Thankful for writers. Thankful for lucid, linear thinkers. Nothing straightens my head faster than the feline-black eye of that glamorous Brazilian hermetic and the Jungian psychoanalyst whose books I read. She writes, “the girl was subterranean and never really flowered.” He writes, “Her symptomatology is proportionate to the pain she suffers. The depression is evidence of the dynamic character of the psyche which wishes life.” I understand but I don’t know what I understand. They confirm something for me that I don’t know how to repeat in my own language. I move back and forth between fiction and analysis wanting more of my condition reflected (I want empathy? I want a guru? I want a physically affectionate God?).

[cousin-quartz-of-house-paradox]

iris wildthyme my absolute fucking beloved 🫶

doing reviews of all her prose stories (NOT in order lol)

you'll find them in my #iris wildthyme <-tag, along w other iris-core posts and disjointed thoughts there lol. more specific is the #wildthyme is spoken for! <-meta tag, which has all I have to say abt each story plus my comments + screenshots of some passages meanwhile! :) also i post actual iris meta there! #iris & panda <-tag for THEM<33

list of iris wildthyme things (full mostly-coherent reviews, meta) ive posted about:

iris story reviews:

More Short Trips: Femme Fatale (by Paul Magrs): this is half a story review and half me trying to make sense of what in the fuck even happened (in a good way.) this story's got a non-linear narrative too i love that shit.

The Panda Book of Horror (anthology):

Iris Wildthyme and The Unholy Ghost

Framed

Iris Wildthyme of Mars (anthology):

Wandering Stars

A Clockwork Iris (anthology):

Flasket Brimmer and The Clockwork Heart

The Woman Who Sold The Moon

Iris and The Dame

Timepeace

iris meta:

On Iris Wildthyme, and coping mechanisms, and issues plenty.

On Iris, and queerness<3

On Iris and her attachment issues, featuring Panda and the Doctor.

Reviews of (mostly) all Iris audio stories!

Discussion of the two ends of genres in Iris Wildthyme stories

half-meta, half-story idea: iris wildthyme & yoko ono and john lennon, possible dynamics + more iris act meta, short bpd iris meta.

other assorted iris-y things:

Out-of-Context things that happen in Verdigris (y2k PDA by Paul Magrs himself)

Compilation of the (third) Doctor and Iris being Divorced™ from Verdigris

Bafflement and Devotion: fun thoughts on re-read.

btw!!! i ALSO do benny summerfield series stuff!!!

#benny series <-for overall, well, benny series stuff lol! relationship tags (which are NOT romantic inherently to me, relationship in the true meaning of the word, the flavourful dynamic) i use/talk abt are: #bennybrax, #braxjason, #bevbrax. i think abt bennyjason and bennybev and occasionally bevadrian too, but don't post Thoughts/analyses about them as much. some of my meta's tagged as #benny series meta, but not all. because i forget lol.

benny list :3

coherent/well planned meta/analyses:

general bevbrax dynamics meta throughout time

bev(brax) analysis from short story "work in progress" (anthology: collected works)

bev character meta (short story "the purpura pawn" bringing forth the second change in her character which saves her from complete Braxification)

in-depth analysis of the second-last scene from dead mice. braxjason analysis there, kind of. individual analyses of both.

less coherent meta:

benny series hot takes: love for twilight of the gods + in living memory, mirror effect brax motives acc. to my interpretation of the story, mirror effect + crystal of cantus braxjason ranting, bevbrax dynamic discussion, benny being flawed (hypocrisy<3 love her<3)

jason love from ME<3

stewart sheargold's writing, motif: brax + fucked up view of (BENNY's) kid(s)

suicide bomber brax (something changed anthology)

other assorted things:

daemon au planning

aaaaand! Faction Paradox! honouring my url at last XD

currently am Obsessed with the brakespeare voyage, so, stuff abt that! my brakespeare blorbos in their respective tags: #robert scarratt, #cousin nebaioth, #cousin kercovian, #philetes :)

meta:

Kercovian & Nebaioth study, in their later days [or: proof of care.]

How Kercovian and Nebaioth's first parting is responsible for the breaking of the cycle for Captain Scarratt.

[mystic-rox]

Arden Morvant

Behavioral Analysis Unit

Confidential Psychological Profile

Subject: Arden Morvant

Prepared by: Dr. Spencer Reid

Date: [REDACTED]

Classification: Former Peripheral Offender / Probationary BAU Profiler

OVERVIEW:

Arden Morvant is an anomalous profile in the BAU, an outlier in both origin and trajectory. He possesses the rare duality of someone capable of immense psychological harm yet drawn magnetically toward healing. He is not a sadist. He is not devoid of empathy. But he is someone who understands violence, too well, too intuitively; that understanding was once misused. Often unknowingly, sometimes deliberately.

Morvant didn’t kill. He didn’t mutilate. He didn’t even touch the bodies. But he set the stage, sometimes literally. He gave monsters their scripts. And when they acted, he watched.

He helped unsubs the way a composer writes music for someone else’s ballet. He never performed it. But he knew exactly how it would look.

EARLY DEVELOPMENT:

Morvant’s formative years are defined by neglect, both emotional and structural. There is no evidence of overt abuse, but neglect, particularly chronic emotional neglect, is a form of trauma that often yields either one of two outcomes: internalized shame and dissociation, or externalized control-seeking behavior. Morvant developed both.

He learned early to make himself invisible when necessary, charming when required, and useful above all else. This led to his long pattern of involvement with predators who recognized his genius and lack of boundaries, and exploited both. He wasn’t coerced. He wasn’t entirely complicit either. He drifted, and then he directed.

PERSONALITY STRUCTURE:

Morvant is a paradox. He is both self-aware and self-obscured. He knows what he is. But he doesn’t always know why. He is governed by a deep need for structure, but has a volatile emotional core beneath it that manifests in ritualistic behaviors:

• Mirror shards: Morvant keeps them on his desk—not for vanity, but to “reflect his thoughts.” It is likely a compulsive grounding tool—fractured reflections mirroring a fractured identity. There’s symbolism in it. The man who helped unsubs see themselves never really saw himself clearly.

• Violin playing: Much like my own use of chess or quantum algorithms to process complex emotion, Morvant uses the violin to regulate his affective state. He plays not to perform but to process. I’ve observed him use vibrato patterns to calm himself and harmonic tension as a substitute for verbal communication. It’s not music. It’s Morse code with strings.

He lives almost entirely inside his own mind—a dangerous thing for someone whose mind once built mazes for killers. But within the BAU, structure is externally imposed, and for the first time, Morvant wants that.

ATTACHMENT & RELATIONAL DYNAMICS:

Morvant has latched onto Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner with a fervent emotional fixation. It is gravitational. Hotch is a constant, a walking anchor, and Morvant orbits him like a lost satellite hoping not to burn up.

Possibly past relationship.

He mirrors Hotch’s posture. Matches his cadence. Defers in a way that borders on childlike loyalty. It’s a classic anxious-preoccupied attachment with clear roots in early deprivation.

His dynamic with me is different. I think he sees me less as an anchor and more as a lighthouse. He shows me his worst thoughts. His weirdest ones. He trusts that I won’t flinch. That I understand—because in many ways, I do.

CLINICAL CONCERNS:

Risk Indicators:

• Prone to obsessive fixation (cases, people, ideas)

• Tends toward dissociation under emotional stress

• Struggles to define a consistent moral compass—especially when someone he cares about is in danger

• Will manipulate for security, not out of malice, but survival instinct

Protective Traits:

• Deep remorse, even when expressed obliquely

• Profound loyalty to those he deems safe

• Highly creative, non-linear problem solver

• Appears to thrive under authority when it’s paired with emotional consistency

MORALITY & MOTIVATION:

Morvant is not evil. He’s untethered. Or rather—was. Now, he’s trying to rebuild a moral foundation that was never given to him. It’s slow. Messy. Painful. But it’s real. He wants to be useful again. But now for the right reasons.

He clings to symbols: mirrors, music, outlines of order, because they keep the chaos at bay. And if you asked him directly, I don’t think he could tell you what scares him more:

Being who he was.

Or being someone no one understands.

FINAL SUMMARY:

He’s dangerous. But not to us.

He’s unpredictable. But never maliciously so.

He’s brilliant. But he knows that already.

What he doesn’t know yet, is that he’s redeemable.

And I think, with time, and trust, he’ll prove that to the rest of the world too.

He already has to me.

—Dr. Spencer Reid

[inamindfarfaraway]

I give you a Batman AU timeline wherein Selina Kyle is the richest person in Gotham City and its first vigilante, protecting it with her expanded, somewhat rearranged Catfamily. Bruce Wayne is a master thief and self-made socialite.

But this is not a basic one-to-one swap! I have tried very hard to do every character justice while adapting the parts of comics canon I accept (basically the post-Crisis/pre-Flashpoint universe plus Duke), which is why it’s ridiculously detailed. There are 60 PAGES.

Featuring:

Selina and Maggie Kyle, Leslie Thompkins, Holly Robinson, Barbara Gordon, Helena Bertinelli, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain and Kitrina Falcone being main characters.

Characters who age consistently, despite how little comics continuity wants to conform to the real progression time. I will make it make sense -

Characters who are allowed to be happy and romantically committed, and have meaningful development addressing their flaws and traumas in coherent narrative arcs. Their growth is not always linear, but never just undone. The Cats make healthier choices than the canon Bats make at times, like going to therapy, due to their different contexts and relationships, so there’s overall less angst and self-destructiveness. But they’re still incredibly traumatised and frequently messy about it.

Female characters who are written with respect, complex interiority and agency.

Deep, nuanced relationships, foil dynamics (familial, platonic and romantic) and vigilante philosophy.

New costume designs and codenames.

Emotional support cats for everyone with a Greek mythology naming theme inspired by Selina’s canon cat Hecate.

Maggie doing cool, important stuff as a civilian and not being fridged and stuck in a mental hospital for years.

Holly being a superhero.

Babs becoming Oracle and staying that way.

Villains dying or reforming and staying that way.

More of Holly and Karon being a lesbian couple. And Brucelina, Dickbabs, Timsteph, Timbern and Harlivy.

Harvey Dent, Two-Face and Talia al Ghul being sympathetic, three-dimensional antivillains/antiheroes with genuine love for people.

And more! I don’t expect anyone to read this in one sitting, but if any of the above interests you, please give it a try. Then you can make my day by telling me what you think! Comments, questions, analysis and fanart are very welcome.

I’ve also made a Discord server. Probably overzealous, but what the heck?

[inafieldofstarflowers]

Oooooooo tell me about rotten fruit, damaged goods!!!!

ROTTEN FRUIT, DAMAGED GOODS !! Don't let the fact that no part of this has seen the light of day fool you, it is in fact the first fic I started writing for aftg. The name is from Radiohead's Backdrifts because for whatever reason it is a PSU Foxes song to me, and specifically an Aaron Minyard song, and this fic is about Aaron.

(This kind of got super rambly, so more under the cut vv)

One thing about me is that I lovee some character analysis, and one of the first things that pulled me into the aftg fandom was reading peoples' analyses of characters like Aaron and Allison who get less page time, and during that process I started thinking a lot about Aaron's relationships with people and how those developed over his college years, and I basically have snippets & scenes that focus a lot on his relationships. It's leading in the direction of Kevaaron, but sort of as a vessel to explore Aaron & Katelyn's friendship, in part because my #1 stance about any non-Kateaaron ship is that it should not happen at the expense of Katelyn Mackenzie's good name, but mostly because I was super interested in Aaron's response to Katelyn still caring about him & valuing their friendship even after a romantic relationship didn't work out, because I think there's a lot of space for introspection about how he views himself & relationships etc. within that dynamic.

The two main reasons I've never put any part of this anywhere are the fact that I've written such little chunks of text that it's not linear or cohesive (yet) and--this is the big one tbh--I am so scared to write Aaron Minyard because I don't know if I can do him justice, and I want to make my Aaron mutuals proud. BUT here's a little section anyway (from Aaron's sophomore year), about Aaron & Kevin's friendship:

Aaron Minyard had never seen the point in false humility. 

For one, he’d never had much in his life to brag about—what was he going to say, that he was really good at stealing his mom’s Xanax? That he always knew how to pick fights that  he’d walk away from, but which would still fuck him up enough that no one ever questioned where his bruises came from? That he was just good enough for a college Exy team to consider drafting him, but not quite good enough for them to go through with it without the motivation of obtaining his more talented brother?

Beyond that, though, it just felt like a waste of time. Some people would always be more talented or attractive or interesting than others; that was just the way the world worked, and no amount of frustration could change it.

Kevin Day was not someone acquainted with humility, false or otherwise. After a week of hearing him bitch about how shit the Foxes were, Aaron thought his belief might need a qualifying statement: there was no point in having false humility, but that didn’t mean that people shouldn’t sometimes shut the fuck up about even the things they were best at. After two weeks, he’d told Kevin as much, and Kevin hadn’t so much as paused before raising a scathing brow and responding:

“Learn how to stop the ball instead of chasing strikers around the court and I won’t have to keep talking about it.”

Aaron had thrown a ball at him, and Kevin had caught it (which, honestly, fuck off) and used the fact that Aaron was taking off his gear as an opening to give him tips about footwork. 

(They worked, too. Asshole.)

After three weeks, Aaron had perfected the art of filtering useful advice out of Kevin’s insults and ignoring the rest of it. After four, he interrupted to ask what Kevin was doing to improve his own situation, and after a full two days of him sulking about it, managed to explain that I was asking about your PT regimen, dumbass, and when Kevin told him about it, he let Aaron look at the wounds that had started to turn into scars. Aaron pretended not to notice the slight tremble when he touched Kevin’s hand, and when he turned it over in his own, it was more gently than he could ever remember handling something. 

(Maybe it worked, maybe Kevin just figured out how to push down the memories that had inspired the tremor in the first place, Aaron wasn’t sure. He liked to think it was the former, if only because the idea that he was capable of gentleness, after everything, seemed like a little miracle he could carry around with him. Knowing Kevin, it was probably the latter.)

Aaron Minyard had never seen the point in false humility, and he thought that might make him uniquely suited to be friends with Kevin Day.

Aaron Minyard had never seen the point in false humility, and so he didn’t shy away from the realization that, famous as Kevin was, Aaron might just be his first normal friend.

[duboisproposal]

Harvard Online Courses

After some eyebrow raising shit being thrown around from the (saddest most corrupt evil pos to hold the position) POTUS towards Harvard (something something Obama's daughter and Carney's child got in but Barron did not) Harvard has free online courses - (viral memes say these courses are new and a direct response but I'm not sure whether that is the case)

Course on Separation of Powers

Understanding the Constitution

Recognize a Dictatorship

How the Wealthy purchase politics

Pretty amazing right? Okay well I've been looking over the Harvard courses offered for free. The courses now available include

and

and

or

and while we are at it here is a short list of free Harvard courses that Look Really Cool To Me.

https://pll.harvard.edu/course/data-analysis-life-sciences-2-introduction-linear-models-and-matrix-algebra

https://pll.harvard.edu/course/data-analysis-life-sciences-4-high-dimensional-data-analysis

https://pll.harvard.edu/course/contractsx-trust-promise-contract

https://pll.harvard.edu/course/food-fermentation-science-cooking-microbes

https://pll.harvard.edu/course/fundamentals-neuroscience-part-1-electrical-properties-neuron

https://pll.harvard.edu/course/data-science-linear-regression/2025-04

and more free courses at https://pll.harvard.edu/catalog?price%5B1%5D=1&max_price=&start_date=&keywords=&url=. Free micro courses online are amazing. Coursera and edx will often offer courses and then use Dark Patterns to hide the 'audit for free' button- but generally getting an overview of this stuff from some of the best professors on the planet is such a charming documentary overview into some good stuff.

[zememerr]

Mini analysis of Amity from an autistic perspective

Amity is a character in the Owl House that I was fairly neutral towards when first watching the show. I quite enjoyed scenes whenever she showed up, but that was mainly because I got to see her dynamic with Luz, who is my favorite character. Being neurodivergent myself (autistic and potentially/undiagnosed ADHD) I suppose I had some tiny worries that Luz dating a supposed neurotypical person could be conflicting in a real-world setting. But, that of course begs the question:

Couldn’t Amity be neurodivergent too?

And to that, I’ll simply say yes, I believe she is. The most popular headcanon on this seems to be her being on the autism spectrum, which I personally headcanon. Autistic Amity as a headcanon sees some backlash, but I mainly attribute that to people preferring to stick to strict canon information. Admittedly, when first hearing of the headcanon myself, I didn’t fully agree with it either, but it’s definitely grown on me a lot.

Amity stands out as an autistic rep for me because of her less appealing traits, from a traditional sense. The cultural perspective on autistic people has seen a sudden shift to this near fetishization of “quirkiness,” where traits like stimming and hyperfixations have been uncomfortably romanticized to some degree. I think a good example of this sort of “quirky autistic” archetype is Marcy Wu from Amphibia; she’s a classic adorkable character who wears her eccentricities proudly, almost seeming too good to be true (which obviously Amphibia leverages later to show us Marcy’s… True Colors.) I by no means think Marcy is a bad character, she’s easily my favorite character from Amphibia and I prefer her to Amity as an autistic rep. Nonetheless, I do appreciate what Amity represents as an autistic character a lot in how she differs from someone like Marcy presentation-wise.

Amity starts off as a bold, arrogant top-student with a rigid academic lifestyle. She’s not great at recognizing other’s emotions or communicating her own. She pushes past all of her inner worries to maintain her classic Little Miss Perfect persona for a time. These are not desirable/romanticizable character traits, but they’re among common autistic symptoms. Given her collected, “conforming” attitude most of the time, most viewers, myself included, wouldn’t suspect Amity is autistic on a first watch. In short, early season 1 Amity represents a masking autistic individual. We see Amity slowly deconstruct the toxic lifestyle her family has forced upon her, and make new connections and start to rebuild a broken one (with Willow.) In her own words from Escaping Expulsion, she’s becoming the person she really wants to be.

The same sentiment is also why trans Amity works so well as a headcanon, but maybe I’ll talk about that another time

Amity’s journey throughout the show is about unmasking her own autistic traits through the support of people like Luz. We get to see her become more sensitive (and I use this word as a compliment,) throughout the course of the show to her own benefit and as a boon to those she cares about. The Owl House is a show about celebrating nonconformity, and I’m glad they allow Amity to push away from her restrictive way of living to become her true self, an autistic girl who trips after getting scared in a library.

A common criticism of Amity’s character is that the Lumity dynamic linearizes her character down to the role of “Luz’s girlfriend” and 180s her entire identity. I do believe the show depicts Amity’s development away from her season 1 self more gradually than some fans give her credit for. The power dynamic between her and Willow has an uncomfortable imbalance to it still, and she’ll occasionally make regretful remarks like “I was top student once,” she’s still changing, at times not the most elegantly, and didn’t spontaneously decide to become a new person for the heck of it. On the topic of her focus on Luz, as someone on the spectrum itself, I do think it’s perfectly reasonable. I’m guilty myself of hyperfixating on romantic interests in the past to the point where they’ll become the entire focus of months of my life, I can’t say I blame Amity for having so much attention on Luz. The show does an amazing job at making their relationship healthy and not surplussing angst for easy story conflict (call me boring but I’m a big fan of unproblematic relationships who actually work through things.) Case in point, I think Amity’s common writing concerns work to her benefit from an autistic perspective, it’s allowed me to enjoy her character a lot more, at least.

One last point before I wrap up, I wanted to bring up one of my favorite lines from Amity and how it gives me major autistic vibes, being from Eclipse Lake:

You know, you were right. We do have a lot in common. I grew up thinking everything was an opportunity to justify… existing! But there are people out there who won't make you feel worthless. You just have to let yourself meet them.

I’m mainly interested in one specific word here: existing. The emphasis on “existing” is important given the general profoundness of the rest of her statement. Amity wanted this message to be super inspirational and meaningful to Hunter, but she gets flustered in the middle of it, she’s worried about Luz after all, and gives a superficial choppy ending to one of her sentences. No “opportunity to justify my parents loving me/being content with who I am etc…” just one word, existing. I appreciate this line because a lot of autistic people, myself included, have incredibly vivid, articulately-crafted dialogues within their heads, and when it comes time to actually say things out loud, it sounds a lot less eloquent to our own dismay. This line for me highlights why I enjoy Amity as an autistic character so much, being flawed in a realistic, relatable way that isn’t traditionally appealing, and that’s ok.

This is the first time I’ve done a Tumblr analysis like this before, let me know what you’ve thought of it, or share it around if it was of interest to you. I have a lot to say about other Owl House characters (and also Marcy,) so I may make extra analyses in the future

[mi4011-elrenrikvagbandara]

Class Activity- Animation analysis

One Piece- Episode 1072 "The Ridiculous Power! Gear 5 in full play"

The Animation Magic of Luffy's Gear 5: 12 Principles in Action (Episode 1072) Watching One Piece episode 1072 last night and I'm STILL not over how the animation team absolutely demolished every expectation with Luffy's Gear 5 debut. As an animation student, I couldn't help but notice how beautifully they incorporated practically ALL of Disney's 12 principles of animation. Let me break this down before I lose my mind from lack of sleep. 1. Squash & Stretch

The entire CONCEPT of Gear 5 is basically squash and stretch on steroids. Like when Luffy grabs Kaido and stretches him into ridiculous proportions, or when his own body compresses and expands with those exaggerated rubber movements due to his awaked abilities of gear 5 being in full play – this was just pure animation gold. His face stretching into those wild expressions while maintaining volume? Chef's kiss. 2. Anticipation

Did you know that there were perfect wind-up moments before Luffy's major attacks like a looney toon character? There's this split second before he transforms his arm into that giant fist where everything slows down. The animators gave us that brief hold before the explosive action that makes the impact feel SO much more satisfying. 3. Staging

The way they framed Luffy against that stunning moonlit sky? (Perfection muwah!). Each major move is clearly presented so we never miss a beat of the action. When Luffy looks directly at us facing towards the screen with that mischievous grin, breaking the fourth wall – that's a selective staging designed to make us feel like we're part of his playful chaos which is hilarious n it really draws you in. 4.Straight Ahead vs. Pose to Pose The fluidity of Luffy's more cartoonish movements screams straight ahead animation, while his power poses feel meticulously planned and unhinged. That contrast between the wild rubber physics and those impactful freeze frames creates this perfect rhythm throughout the fight making you try and guess on what luffy's next move is 5.Follow Through & Overlapping Action From Luffy's hair, his clothing, even his LIMBS in the way he moves have this gorgeous follow-through as he bounces around that makes it feel ridiculous since that what gear 5 is. Nothing stops all at once. When he spins for a punch, his body parts move at different rates and settle at different times. It's this attention to detail that makes his movement feel so natural despite being completely fantastical. 6.Slow In & Slow Out

The timing of Luffy's movements is just *chef's kiss*. He starts slow, builds momentum, and then slows again at the end of each major action. That drumbeat attack where he bounces Kaido's head is the perfect example – gradual acceleration and deceleration that gives weight to each impact. 7.Arcs

No stiff, linear movements here! Everything flows in these beautiful arcs from Luffy's punches to his body as he flies through the air. Even his eyebrows move in arcs! This is why his movements feel so dynamic and alive making it seen everything around him is alive aswell which is seen everywhere from the ground to the sky and even the air around him 8.Secondary Action

While Luffy's main actions drive the scene, there are SO many secondary movements that everything happening simultaneously n instantaneously. His clothes rippling, his hair bouncing, his eyes widening – all these little details add dimension without distracting from the main action even kiado gets these little little details matching with luffy's style while still being himself and menacing to the views. 9.Timing

The rhythmic pacing of the animation is IMPECCABLE. Fast, explosive moments contrasted with held poses and anticipation frames. The animators knew exactly when to speed up for impact and when to slow down for comedy or emphasis since many different animators from all over the world came together to create this episode especially which can be seen in their own style in the anime itself. 10.Exaggeration

I mean... this is literally what Gear 5 is all about. Everything is turned up to 11! From Luffy's ridiculous facial expressions to the impossible physics of his attacks – it's cartoonish exaggeration that somehow still feels true to the character we've followed for 1000+ episodes making luffy truly feel like the freest man to ever live 11.Solid Drawing

Even with all that exaggeration, Luffy always maintains a sense of weight and three-dimensionality. His proportions may change wildly, but there's still this underlying structure that keeps him recognizable. The animators clearly understand his form from every angle and oda made sure of this himself,. 12.Appeal

Luffy's Gear 5 design is just inherently appealing. The contrast of the white hair and clothing against the colorful backgrounds, the expressive eyes, that infectious smile – it's impossible not to be drawn into his joy and freedom. The color white mainly symbolizing freedom and peace and nobody can resist luffy's smile and laugh its just that feeling that when he smiles you smile with him.

This episode wasn't just an amazing animation – it was a masterclass in applying traditional principles to push the boundaries of what anime can be and it made history in all of anime culture for years to come. I've rewatched it like 7 times now and keep catching new details (My obsession with one piece is getting out of hand at this point!). If this is what we can expect from Gear 5 going forward, my animation studies might have to take a backseat to my One Piece obsession 😅 Anyway, back to my storyboard assignment that suddenly feels very inadequate...

[cadaverre]

𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞

hi everyone and welcome back to junos monthly newsletter !!! i hope uve all had a wonderful month, whether its getting warmer or colder where u are (thank god its warming up here i would be dying if it was still winter) and i hope u enjoy this months edition ★ 

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲

this month was actually one of my fav months of the year so far, my mental health is doing so much better and im finding that the weather is really impacting that. usually its not this warm and sunny but i am so fucking thankful it is !! i had my huge performance this month and it made me super excited to join more music groups and js about performance in general, its such a wonderful night of the year and i always feel so sad when its over !

𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜

monthly playlist charm - clairo manic - halsey short n sweet - sabrina carpenter  hypochondriac - brakence better off - esha tewari home video - lucy dacus

𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐬 + 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬

» buffy the vampire slayer - up to season 2 i started watching this show this month and ohh my god i love it !! buffy is such an icon and i love the plot and general vibes, i cant wait to watch more ( cordelia, drusilla and buffy are my fav characters so far btw ) » the perks of being a wallflower (rewatch) - 9/10 i always forget how devastating this movie is and then i watch and im like oh! this is soul destroying! but i love it soso much and it always makes me cry » jennifers body - 9.5/10 oh my god. i love this movie soo much megan fox is so fucking hot and its so iconic and aah im. yeah. love.  » (500) days of summer - 8/10 love this movie !! i loveee the non linear storytelling and i think the acting suits the genre and vibes so well, it wasn’t boring at all which i loved. very nice chill vibes tho » deadpool - 8/10 this movie is soso silly, i love the dynamic camera and again, the non linear storytelling is so yummy. i did not appreciate the like 20 min sex scene as i watched this w my dad but i rlly wanna watch the second one !! » janet planet - 4.5/10  idk this movie gave me weird vibes u can read my review here » thirteen - 8.5/10 the vibes? immaculate. wardrobe? im so jealous. taking drugs? not cool. very stressful at times but i still loved it

𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬

» lolita - unfinished still reading it !! its a little hard to get through but i do like picking it up and reading a few pages every day, its getting so strange but the writing is so enchanting i cant stop reading lowkey … hopefully it’ll be done by the end of next month !! » the virgin suicides - unfinished been reading this occasionally and ohh my god i love it. the whole narration/how its being told from a sort of unknown perspective in a documentary style is so yeah. im so fucking hyped to finish it » my year of rest and relaxation - unfinished yes i am reading three books at once and yes it is slightly inconvenient but !!!! i got this book recently and its so… dreary?? but i love it ?? i feel like i dont have to have my literary analysis hat on to read it which is nice compared to the other books im reading rn.

𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 / 𝐚𝐞𝐬

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

@dandelions-fly-in-summer-skies + lmk if u wanna be tagged !!

[the-one-who-lambs]

I wanna be silly and write analysis posts of my own fic. Characters, motifs, plot devices, etc., mostly because @ilidaeandquill is doing it and they're so fun to read and they look fun to do and I . wanna try it too. Gonna start making a list of things I wanna analyze and if y'all have something you want me to analyze pls let me know in the comments or something this is very unorganized

Characters!!

Lambert

Narinder

Thenana

Juno

Putyar

The Red Crown

Vic

Ratau

Plot points/conflicts!

Lambert's lack of a concrete identity and how their primary internal conflict has been fucking them over for fucking ever lmao

WHAT THE FUCK IS JUNO'S DEAL: how this motherfucker haunts the narrative

Narinder and Lambert's VERY non-linear progress of their relationship dynamic (specifically, why things needed to burn before they could grow back healthy)

Symbols/motifs!

NAMES, and naming each other, as a reflection of taking charge of your own fate. I'm so excited I can finally talk about this omg

Camellias esp camellia tea

Their shared garden

Lambert sun imagery, Narinder moon imagery, and eclipse imagery of when their feelings converge

The dawn/sunrise as a representation of a uncertain (but promising) future

THE LIFE-THREADS

Narinder's relic

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Atomic force microscopy reveals microtubule defects at submolecular resolution

In a study recently published in the journal Nano Letters, researchers from Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan, used frequency-modulated atomic force microscopy to reveal the submolecular structure of microtubule (MT) inner surface and visualize structural defects in the MT lattice, providing valuable insights into the complex dynamic processes that regulate microtubule function. Microtubules (MTs), a key component of the cytoskeleton in eukaryotic cells, serve as scaffolds and play vital roles in cellular processes such as cell division, cell migration, intracellular transport, and trafficking. MTs are composed of α-tubulin and β-tubulin proteins, which polymerize into dimers and assemble into linear protofilaments that form a cylindrical lattice. Traditional methods like X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy have provided structural insights into MTs but involve complex sample preparation and data analysis. There remains a need for techniques that can examine MT structural features, assembly dynamics, and lattice defects at submolecular resolution under physiological conditions.

Read more.

[etherealash]

Old-Time Tradition: Folk Musicals

Newsies 1992 (Kenny Ortega)

"Newsies" is a musical drama film inspired by the true story of the Newsboys' Strike of 1899 in New York City. It follows a group of young newsboys, led by Jack Kelly, played by a very young Christian Bale, as they band together to fight against unfair working conditions and a price hike for newspapers by the powerful publishing titans of the time, culminating in a historic strike that challenges the injustices of the era.

What do the musical numbers signify about identity in the course of the film’s narrative?

In "Newsies," musical numbers deeply intertwine with the narrative to highlight the newsboys' collective and individual identities, showcasing their unity, dreams, and resilience against injustice. Songs like "Seize the Day" articulate their collective struggle and aspirations, while others such as "Santa Fe" reveal personal desires and conflicts. These performances not only act as a powerful form of resistance but also chart the newsboys' growth and transformation, embodying their hopeful and indomitable spirit.

What is the purpose of the songs in the characters’ lives?

"Newsies" uses its musical numbers not just for entertainment but as a vital narrative tool that advances the plot and deepens character development. For example, "Carrying the Banner" sets the stage for the entire film, introducing the audience to the daily grind and aspirations of the newsboys. This song, like others in the film, serves a dual purpose: it's both an exposition and a unifying anthem that binds the newsboys together, showcasing their shared struggles and dreams. The songs in "Newsies" articulate the characters' desires for fairness, belonging, and recognition, transforming individual grievances into a collective call to action. Through music, the film navigates themes of solidarity, resistance, and the pursuit of justice, making the characters' internal motivations and external conflicts resonate with the audience on an emotional level.

In what ways are the songs and/or musical performances racialized and/or gendered?

While the focus of "Newsies" is predominantly on the male characters, the roles of Sarah Jacobs and Medda Larkson offer insights into the film's approach to gender representation. The focus on a predominantly male group of newsboys subtly reflects the historical context and gender dynamics of the labor force. Sarah's character, though not central to the plot, provides a subtle commentary on the domestic and supportive roles relegated to women during the period. Her interactions with the male characters add depth to the narrative, offering a glimpse into the personal stakes involved in the newsboys' strike. Medda Larkson, on the other hand, represents a figure of autonomy and influence. Her performance in "High Times Hard Times" is the only showcase of her character's talent. It also serves as a moment of solidarity with the newsboys' cause. These characters, though operating on the margins of the main narrative, underscore the film's engagement with gender dynamics amidst a predominantly male-driven story.

What elements of the film align with White musicals’ longing to transform the ordinary into utopia?

Dyer's analysis highlights a characteristic longing in White musicals to transform the ordinary into a utopia. "Newsies" embodies this longing through its rousing musical numbers that idealize the power of unity and collective action. Songs like "Seize the Day," "Santa Fe" and "King of New York" encapsulate the characters' aspirations for a better life, transcending their immediate realities through the euphoria of musical expression. This utopian vision is a hallmark of the traditional musical genre, resonating with the notion that communal effort and determination can lead to significant social change.

How does the film reflect the temporal circularity of Black musicals?

Dyer discusses the temporal circularity of Black musicals, contrasting it with the linear progression often found in White musicals. "Newsies," however, aligns more closely with the linear narrative progression typical of White musicals. This narrative structure emphasizes growth, change, and the possibility of a better future. The film culminates in a negotiated victory for the newsboys, symbolized by the triumphant reprise of key musical themes. This resolution reflects the characters' journey from oppression to empowerment, underscoring the film's investment in the idea of progress and the efficacy of collective action. "Newsies" thus concludes on a note of optimism, suggesting that change is achievable and that unity can lead to meaningful social transformation.

"Newsies" presents a rich tapestry of struggle, growth, and triumph, encapsulated through its memorable musical numbers and characters. The film's exploration of solidarity, justice, and the power of collective voice resonates with audiences, offering a spirited take on historical events while engaging with broader themes of identity, community, and resistance.

Discussion Questions

Considering the portrayal of collective identity in Newsies, how might this portrayal differ in a black musical with a similar theme of resistance or social change?

How important do you think individual character development is in stories that are primarily focused on group struggles? Can personal dreams coexist with collective goals without overshadowing them?

Explore how the hopeful and indomitable spirit communicated through the musical numbers in Newsies compares with the portrayal of hope and resistance in black musicals. What might these differences or similarities say about cultural perspectives on struggle and change?

Why might ending a story on a hopeful note be particularly impactful in narratives dealing with social and economic challenges? How does hope influence the audience's reception of the story's message?

[unclefathersantateddy]

Fresh Meat: Big 'Bert Belcher (Big Bob)

I really enjoy imagining the toxic parallels between Fresh Meat and canon Bob's but I do worry about how it may come across online. I don't want FM to come off as needlessly toxic and abusive - that's cheap. I enjoy the complex nuance of what "toxicity" truly is (and how it ties into the fallacy of morality). Like,, fm!Bob still loves and adores his family exactly like canon, but he's a shithouse to "foodie" trend followers/hipsters (whatever term is used these days).

But Big Bob. Robert. Rob. Bert. Is a WHOLE other concept. I've really been enjoying mapping fm!Rob (thinking of calling Big Rob or Big 'Bert - to further highlight that Bob does not want to be like his dad) as a Traditionally Toxic™ kinda guy. Similar to canon, but more realistic/extreme and actually unpacking that grim shit and not just glossing over it as a "different time".

Big Bob canonically comes from a generation where the only emotions men were allowed to express were arousal or anger. He also strikes me as a man that isn't ready for therapy. So, with that, Big Bert's anger transferred into everything he did - including every interaction he had with his son. Like canon, Teen Bob worked in Big Rob's / Big Bert's diner. Thus, also like canon, fm!Bob faced endless scrutiny from his father, but not just for his creativity. For everything. Incessantly drumming into his son that you need the very best meat, and that you must cook it perfectly, but also showing his son reckless disregard for herbs, spices, and anything flavourful.

So like canon, Bob's father heavily influences Bob's career path, but because Bob wants to be nothing like his dad. So Bob journeys to reconceptualize food and people's relationship with it. It's not just a flavourless Farm Meat purely for energy and sustenance. It's an experience; a story to be told, heard, and honoured.

Unfortunately, like Real Life trauma, which implements itself in the least expected corners of your mind (whether we consent to it or not). It becomes a part of us, who we are. Bob ironically, and subconsciously, becomes more like his father than he could possibly imagine. Big Bert's ways are ingrained into Bob whether he's aware of it or not. And it is this which causes fm!Bob to lash out at novice customers, rookie foodies or just general trend followers (similar to his canon sweet potato fries meltdown). But it is this very neuroticism that makes his burgers what they are.

But unlike Big Bert, fm!Bob has never, and will never, be abusive/toxic to his family or loved ones (except teddy, but that's a whole other dynamic analysis for another time - but dw, it's partly healthy/consensual).

If the layout of my sentences is a bit scrambled/ non-linear my apologies, I'm not a writer I'm an abstract notes jotter👉😎👉 but I tried my best to make it readable to someone who doesn't live in my brain.

[dchuntress]

unless someone else has done it maybe helbabs for the ship ask thing! & stephcass! (and if you want... perhaps... jaydove or graywarren... im interested to hear ur thoughts)

thank you for the ask levi !! hehe !!

1) helbabs:

i 100% ship it!!! this ship is actually a hyperfixation of mine and— you don't need me to state that, but still, i just love this ship so much. this is the first ship i discovered on tumblr when i was first learning about helena bertinelli; i believe this was the post that really introduced me to the ship. i was already familiar with barbara gordon as a character, and cea had been writing her too! the idea of shipping helbabs cemented in my head a while later, but i pretty much enjoyed the dynamic between my hel and cea's babs, and that's pretty much the starting point of how i have come to ship this ship :)

one thing about this ship that i find uniquely intriguing, as in something i haven't noticed a lot in my other favourite pairings, is how helbabs aren't just different from each other, but they're practically mirrors of each other too — and that's, even to this day, a mind-blowing concept to me. i love analysing the differences and similarities between these two and their stories and their motivations and their personalities and their backstories. i enjoy their dynamic in comics, fanfics, and incorrect quotes. i usually prefer friends to lovers much more than enemies to lovers because enemies to lovers haven't really intrigued me much and i usually find it? unbalanced? but helbabs is an exception. it's not just a linear enemies to lovers in my eyes; it's strangers to professional rivals to begrudging colleagues to complicated friends to lovers, there's just so much space for character analysis, character destruction, and character growth; so much angst, but also just as much comfort.

i feel so bad about going on a tangent about helbabs because i might not be able to ramble as much about the other ships but :( yeah! and to end it: an unpopular opinion about helbabs is that, i guess based on my searches, i wish there was more fluff / domestic sort of vibes fanworks about them :( and also! i think the hel / babs / dick love triangle drama was pretty unnecessary and i am confident enough to say you'd be wrong if you thought dick is the root cause of helbabs' rivalry; i think there's more to it than just that <3

2) stephcass:

i ship it! i think they're one of the classic sapphic ships in the dcverse and honestly, they deserve their crowning spots. i think they've got that sun and moon, best friends to lovers, partners in against crime energy which is so fun, and i feel like they're so much in sync: they both can be serious and admirable heroines with so much emotional baggage to unpack as well absolute little shit heads /aff and agents of chaos. they inspire some of the loveliest and cutest fanworks i've ever seen, this is just the kind of ship that really makes your day right when you could use some joy in your life. i read batgirl 2000 halfway through, along with some other comics here and there, and i totally see why these two are so shippable! 13/10 no notes. i also discovered stephcass via dc tumblr, and my unpopular opinion about them... hmm, i don't know if this is an unpopular opinion, but here's my personal thought on them: they absolutely will have a lots of hurdles and downs and conflicts along the way, they both have their baggage and opinions and very strong personalities, but i strongly feel platonically or otherwise, stephcass can make it for the long haul. man i feel like an officiator at their wedding or something lol

3) jaydove:

i ship it yes!!! i learned them about you, i experienced the honour of rping with both your jason and your dove and i just love them both so much individually, and i 100% see their relationship working too :)

i personally am not a huge fan of most of the canon/fanon jason ships idea i see out there, but jaydove just makes so much sense to me dc absolutely needs to include dove in the next red hood comic aaaaah. jason and dove are different people yes, but i think they have a lot more in common than they think, and their differences complement each other in a way that they mesh well into each other, highlighting each other's strengths and helping/supporting the other through their weaknesses. dove is so full of unconditional love and acceptance, and jason is so fiercely loyal and caring, and i think even though they might not be able to fill up the voids in each other's lives from their respective difficult pasts, they can still grow around it and make something new for themselves that's just theirs! and i think that's just what they both need right now: a safe haven to be their truest selves without fear of judgement or abandonment and to grow as people, and they both can be that safe haven for each other. plus, they're both so adorkable when they're in love with each other!!!

4) graywarren:

i ship it!!! first of all i'm gonna start by saying an enemies to lovers sort of ship for dick grayson is just so amusing and amazing to me, since i personally think dick is just the human equivalent of a capybara and this dynamic he has with kit is just so fun and amazing to me!! i think i would love to see more of graywarren and kit warren in general, but i have read several of your posts about them and i love all the vibes!! kit's favourite bat being damian instead of dick!! which is funny but also so sweet to see kit getting along with dick's younger sibling!! kit claiming to hate dick but owning nightwing merch secretly!! i also can just imagine things getting more fun and chaotic when haley/bitewing comes into the picture. also your post about them messing in the kitchen together?? absolutely stays in my mind rent free and i am just rooting for them even if there's so much more i have to know, i just KNOW they're meant to be. they deserve to soulmates for every reason including just imagine these two bickering through health and sickness in old age