#not for any nefarious reasons i just feel more anonymous on this blog so it's where i come to vent

[its-moopoint]

This is 2023. Nothing will change is shipperville.

Anonymous asked:

Do you think cait had any idea what her marriage would do to outlander?? Or with Sam reputation?

denise-alwaysuselove answered:

I must preface my response by saying that I don’t believe Cait is married to anyone other than Sam. The public “marriage” is nothing more than a publicity stunt to bring the focus to the narrative. It’s not so much about Cait’s “marriage” as it is about “proving” that Sam and Cait are not together. 

That said, I doubt Cait realized that the bigwigs would hijack it for Outlander promo. Their co-opting of the fake engagement and wedding for their own nefarious purposes should tell anyone with a brain that they are part of this nonsense. Executives at that level have no reason to get involved in a narrative unless it serves them.

I think Cait’s upset that her stunts didn’t stay in the background as she had planned contributed to her lashing out on twitter and to her blocking sprees. I believe she was blindsided by her bosses, leaving her feeling backed into a corner whenever she was questioned.

I don’t think the “marriage” has hurt Sam’s reputation. Those of us here on Tumblr study everything with a magnifying glass. Casual fans don’t see what we see, and for the most part they accept what they are shown without question. However, based on the number of new followers the past few months, it appears that some of the new OL viewers have noticed the same thing shippers noticed years ago. Some things are hard to hide if you have the eyes to see.

What the bigwigs at LG/Sony/Starz didn’t take into account is that shippers have very long memories and a mega-warehouse full of receipts. We’re also smart, and many of us are intuitive. 

I know what I’ve seen all these years, and I know what Sam and Cait openly showed us before Albrecht brought the hammer down on January 8, 2016. They can bring in all the ridiculously fake girlfriends they want for Sam, and all the fake ceremonies they want for Cait, but I know better.

My blog is about love. I honor the love I’ve seen between Sam and Cait both before and after the denial. Why am I so steadfast? It’s really about trust: I can choose to trust myself and my own inner knowing, or I can believe the illusion that others are desperate to sell. For me and my house, I trust love.

importantcowboyfestival

I'm brand new shipper just since covid19 and I'm no fool!!! I'm on board with you.

happilyscentedsoul

You guys are definitely not alone. I know what I've seen and observed on my own with a little digging, and what I've seen here with this "group" so far only confirms what my gut has been telling me. Glad to find I'm not the only one who believes in "standing back and observing" when one encounters a brick wall. Sam and Cait both (but especially Sam) have been sharing little nuggets all along. Of course, the nuggets com in spurts, but that is to be expected, due to what they must do to try and satisfy everyone, especially bosses. I strongly feel more will be coming and it is just a matter of patience. I think they are honestly doing the best they can at the mo.

lindah1919

July 9 is when Sam’s contract is supposedly up. Hopefully he’s hired high powered attorneys.

briarbushies

WOW everything you have said is 100% right some who don't know don't really want to know but we've known since OL began and no narrative will change our minds as we've seen them fall in love and have their family even though hidden but we can always read between the lines but seeing all the fake GF they've thrown at Sam they have never been a match like Sam & Caitriona who's love just oozes from their bodies and souls!!

pizbernina-79

It’s a good thing to let the newbies see all facts which the engaged shippers have sampled since the beginning of the love story of S/C. You all have done a great job and you always trust your feelings! Love you all for that! 😍

Denise dear, stop lying to your followers, newbies and pretend this is about beliefs and trust. It's not anymore, it's about facts. Public marriage ain't an article in People anymore, public Tait marriage is all her people going to Bruton, St Mary's church being booked for T McG and then a marriage certificate with both C and T named legally registered at GRO. Certificate of which several people got several different copies. So public marriage what? Married to S when and where?? Ibiza??

LOL you are so pathetic carrying tales VS actual data.

[shaky-pen]

Found your Rusty/C.B. fic in July and have been searching for your tumblr to tell you specifically that I loved it. With deep appreciation, C.B. Simp

ashalaksfg okay first of all, thank you, reading this has me smiling like an idiot. you’re an angel 💖💖💖💖💖 second, if by searching for my tumblr you mean my main then don’t worry, you already follow it, i recognize your url

[fallout-lou-begas]

A lot of people have accused yjj of being racist, particarily in regards to one of their comics involving Joshua graham, and in general saying that they glorify colonization. I mainly understand the other things they’ve done, but the racism seems inexusable. A lot of people have also been saying that yjj and their followers have harassed people. I want to get both sides of the story on this, so basically I’m asking what the deal with all this is?

Hi, anon. I'll provide my thoughts since you asked politely.

This post is quite long and can be considered an extension of my previous post on the matter.

Besides the infamous and self-admittedly ill-informed chancla comic, for which they've apologized, essentially all of the claims that Yesjejunus is racist stem from their depiction of the Dead Horses and Sorrows relative to their depiction of Joshua Graham and their original character Joan in their fanfic No Light (and to a lesser extent Learnin’ the Blues), which is heavily grounded in the setting of Honest Hearts. I think it's unambiguous that the depiction of vaguely defined "tribals" in Honest Hearts, assembled through a mishmash of disparate signifiers and recycled stereotypes and named like Warrior Cats and completely helpless without Joshua Graham's guidance, is indeed thoroughly racist, even if it was intended to be more nuanced and came from a place of self-admitted ignorance on the part of the developers. What I struggle to understand is that the developers and writers of Honest Hearts—and of Fallout: New Vegas as a whole since the entire game is rife with such mishandled, insufficient depictions of "tribals" with no explicit inclusion at all of any specific Indigenous people or presence—are given miles and miles more sympathy and leeway for their poor handling of these characters in the source material than a fanfic writer is for using the tools and setting that they were given by that source material, including the "lore" and naming conventions of the Dead Horses and Sorrows, to tell a story that means a lot to them personally, inspired by their own deepest fears and experiences with abuse, and ignited by their charismatic yet deeply and blatantly monstrous interpretation of Joshua Graham. Given that it uses the setting of Honest Hearts as a backdrop, there aren't any living characters in Honest Hearts who aren't "tribals" besides Joshua Graham and Daniel, and post-canon, Daniel wouldn’t be there. When Yesjejunus is accused of sidelining the Native characters or relegating them to the background, it's because they're just not writing a fanfic about Follows-Chalk or Waking Cloud as main characters: they're writing a specifically intentioned story about the Courier and Joshua Graham, a story that for better or worse remains faithful to the source material’s depiction of Joshua Graham’s unilateral authority over the tribes in Zion, a baked-in element of Honest Hearts and a critical narrative component of No Light. To accuse Yesjejunus of being racist on this principle in and of itself would be like accusing me of being lesbophobic if I wrote a Dead Money-set fanfic with Father Elijah as the main character instead of Christine. If you want something that centers these other characters then you'd just have to read a different story, or write it yourself.

As a final note, I do think that Yesjejunus is a skilled writer. This thought exists simultaneously with the acknowledgement that like everyone else in fandom, they're writing as a hobby and do not have the oversight of an editor on the work that they produce personally and for free. It's not lost on them that there's things about their story that they could have handled differently or more sensitively, such as the oft-cited example of the death of the pregnant Dead Horse character in No Light, with more forethought or planning at the time—even if they were bound by the constraints of Honest Heart's own setting (such as the dearth of non-tribal characters who could have possibly been in the scene instead) while writing the story. Everyone is free to critique this aspect of the story as much as they are to critique any other aspect, or to be discomforted by the whole thing (given it's a very intentionally uncomfortable story throughout), but the suggestion of so many of these "callouts" that Yesjejunus must have been cackling maniacally about the plight of poor access to medical care among real Indigenous people is a suggestion made entirely in bad faith, and one that I simply don't care to entertain.

As for the point about harassing people: if anyone's only evidence of being "harassed" by a single, specific person is anonymous messages on tumblr dot com, then I don't believe the evidence. If people are accusing Yesjejunus' "supporters" or "associates" of harassing people, then if the accusation is that this harassment is occurring either on Yesjejunus’ behalf or otherwise with their approval, then it is also going to require more evidence than the mere existence of the mean anonymous messages themselves. This goes for the rumor that they have "spies" in fandom Discord servers or whatever, too, which is a rumor that I think has only manifested among its spreaders by either self-appointed individuals speaking on no one's behalf but their own, and by the metaphorical snake eating its own tail in paranoia. Yesjejunus, and I, and all of our mutual friends have been nothing but annoyed at best and horrified at worst by the efforts of some self-appointed individuals to "defend" them with such excess vitriol. Speaking plainly, we generally avoid literally any kind of anonymous or public interaction with anyone who's vocally opposed to us as a rule, specifically to avoid this kind of debacle, and when I say "we" and "us" I'm not referring to some sort of shadowy cabal of conspirators scheming to advance the nefarious YJJ agenda, but to a group of friends. I don't know how to explain to some people who question why we praise their work or share their art sometimes how normal friendships work online.

I also take severe umbrage with the validity of the breadth of these anonymous harassment accusations because of how patently fraudulent several other claims are. Yesjejunus has recently been accused of "grooming,” for example, an accusation only even worth considering if one temporarily forgets what grooming actually is and pretends that grooming is when someone older interacts in literally any capacity with someone younger. Some will say that they’re not accusing them of grooming per se, or not of grooming by that name, but in any case, the meaning is that Yesjejunus has interacted with minors and this on its own is intended to scare and upset you. I have seen only two users actually named as "victims" of these “interactions,’ however, sas-afras and comrade-shrimp, but both users have publicly refuted this accusation because neither of them were minors when they first interacted with Yesjejunus. Frustratingly, though, these literal refutations from the literal so-called "victims" are either dismissed out of hand or muddied by hand-wringing mutterings of "well, I could have sworn they were actually minors, though" and "well they claim that they weren't actually groomed, but who really knows." The spreading and trust in completely anonymous accusations, combined with the total rejection of statements from the only people named in these accusations when their statements contradict the accusations, suggests to me that the existence of these actual interactions (and assuming these interactions occurred both intentionally and with Yesjejunus’ being fully aware of the other person being a minor) is not nearly as important as pushing the narrative that "Yesjejunus is a groomer" or “preying on minors” onto the fandom, and ensuring that anyone who doesn't take this claim completely at face value appears complicit in something horrible. As for anyone who still feels "uncomfortable" at how sas-afras or comrade-shrimp or me or anyone who is very much an adult but just so happens to be younger than Yesjejunus could ever become endeared to them, I reiterate that sometimes I don't know how to explain to people how normal friendships work online.

I want to conclude by saying something that I've said many times before: you don't have to like Yesjejunus (or me, or everybody, or literally anyone else) and no one is holding a gun to your head to befriend them or read their work or look at their art. The block and filter and unfollow buttons are very conveniently located on your dashboard and are totally free to use. Everything I've written here is not intended as some argument as to why everyone on the planet needs to be following their blog and leaving kudos on Learnin' the Blues. Still, while I think everybody has the right to curate their own dashboard and remove the content that they don't want to see, I also think it's reasonable for me to not want my friend to get their name dragged through the mud by the exaggerated and misinformed claims of petty, grudge-bearing brigadiers and self-aggrandizing fandom security guards when they'd like to just dump funny shitposts about the Burned Man's chode in peace.

[trutimeline]

idislikecispeople, The Most Infamous Dyscourse Blogger: Part 1.0, Rumors

idislikecispeople, also known as many names throughout her time on Tumblr (such as Adele, Kat, Mami, Samantha and Sayaka), was a former Tumblr blogger who became infamous for coining the term "tucute", among many other controversial things she has posted on her blogs. This was supposed to be one, very long masterpost about her, but Tumblr's post editor is a bitch and won't let me do that.

In this post, I'll be debunking or confirming rumors commonly spread about idislikecispeople. The rest of my posts about her will each be dedicated to a specific controversial belief she held or situations she got into. For simplicity's sake, I'll be referring to idislikecispeople as Kat for the rest of this post and future ones.

Rumors

Kat Coined the Terms "Truscum" and "Tucute"

Verdict: Partially True

Kat coined the term tucute, but she did not coin the terms truscum or transmedicalist.

Here's a screenshot of Kat's original definition of a tucute:

Transcript:

What is Tucute?

What does tucute mean?

Tucute is basically just the opposite of truscum, it’s a term and community for trans, nonbinary, and/or non-cis individuals created to separate anti-truscum from truscum and to serve as a safe place from truscum and from cis people, where they believe that being trans requires dysphoria, we do not,where they think that being trans is a medical condition, we do not,and where they deny numerous gender identities on the basis that it “discredits the trans community” we do not.

What are the prerequisites to be a part of the tucute community?

You have to be trans, nonbinary, and/or non-cis in general

You have to accept all pronouns and gender identities

You haveto believe that dysphoria is not necessary to be trans

You have to dislike truscum

You cannot side with truscum or believe in their ideology

You cannot misgender anyone no matter how mad they make you

You cannot be an ableist whatsoever

Did you invent the tucute community? Why?

I indeed did coin the tucute term and community and anyone who says otherwise are creeps who are trying to steal it from me and redefine it for their own nefarious doings. I started this community so anti-truscum could separate themselves from truscum and cis people who are a part of the truscum community, it serves as a safe space from both truscum and cis people.

I’m cis, can I be tucute if I believe in your movement and want to help?

No, you can’t be tucute if you’re cis, you can only be a tucute ally, and you need to be sure to never speak for or over a trans person.

I see a lot of tucuties being just as harmful as truscum, what will you do about it?

There isn’t much I can do to them other than ask them to stop aligning with the tucute community, and of course, that doesn’t mean they will. Also be noted that truscum and cis people will pretend to be tucute just to tarnish the name of the tucute community, so tread lightly, you might be talking to a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Spread the word, use the tag #tucute and join the army today!

[A digital drawing of Sayaka Miki from Puella Magi Madoka Magica in her magical girl form, with a banner underneath her reading "Tucute 4 U!"]

(source) (source)

Kat Was a Cisgender Woman Who Lied About Being a Transgender Woman

Verdict: False

This rumor primarily comes from a post on Kat's oldest known Tumblr blog, chromaghost, where she claims that she wasn't MTF and only tagged a selfie as such because she thought that transgender people were "cool".

Transcript:

Anonymous asked: are you a mtf? i seen it tagged on one of your photos.

No lol. I wanted to post it to the tag because transgender people are cool :3

(source) (source) (source)

However, Kat addressed this post and made it clear she very much was a transgender woman multiple times on her later blogs. This claim can also be confirmed with nude photos Kat posted online, which I don't feel comfortable spreading, so you'll just have to trust me on that one. I also don't feel comfortable directly encouraging you to go and dig up those nudes, as most of her nude photos were either taken when she was a minor, spread without her consent and/or were uploaded because people pressured her into posting nudes to "prove" she was a transgender woman.

Transcript:

Anonymous asked: you bound with ace bandage in one of your selfies. i don't know what to think about you anymore. according to some people you're a 27 year old cis woman scamming us, but you say you're a 22 year old trans woman. i want to trust you but i don't know if i can. i'm sorry.

Rest assured I’m not 27 years old lol. What you’re referring to is a less than graceful ~art piece~ we did (”Playing a Boy” or something) on deviantART when we were 16/17 (?) and really ill-informed. I ask you to not take that as how I stand currently – as I have learned so much more since, and I have a penis and I was designated male at birth because of it (feel free to purchase a passcode to our nsfw blog to see for yourself). At the time we were developing breast tissue but still had to appear as a ‘boy.’ Don’t bind with Ace bandages, kids, it can damage your rib cage, something we didn’t know at the time.

(source) (source)

Transcript:

[A picture of two prescriptions, estradiol and spironolactone, both prescribed to Adele Sheffield.]

grandtran still gonna think I photoshopped it or what

(source)

Transcript:

Anonymous asked: In other words, you aren't gonna cough up the pics because you know you can't fake that shit because you're actually cis. Cool. BTW why do you keep changing your story about the blog, and if the blog was run by you when you were in denial about being trans because of self hate, why were the pics tagged mtf and you were constantly saying trans people were cool?

Yeah I’m not gonna do something for y’all and get nothing in return except more doubt from you, you see how one sided that kind of request is? Also its technically considered sexual harassment, just because its on the internet, you’re a coward (whats your username btw?), and you think I’m cis and you want me to prove time and time again to you that I’m dmab doesn’t justify sexually soliciting someone when they’re not comfortable in being solicited – for free no less.

At first I genuinely had no memory of that blog, it was only active for all of 2 months and for some reason I moved onto a new email and new tumblr, and I haven’t the foggiest why. As for the whole “me claiming to not be ~mtf~” I don’t have any memories from that time, I can only assume it was a lot of dysphoria fueled self-hatred and wanting to be seen/pass as a cis girl lesbian.

If you’re really gonna solicit nudes from a trans woman (a second time) as they do sex work to try and stay on their feet without offering anything in return just so your transmisogynistic ass can get off to trying to tell me my dick is fake isn’t classy at all. I perish the thought of what you’re parents would think of this behavior from you. But yeah, feel free to send some money to my paypal so I can get the gender markers on my records changed because that’s gonna cost a lot apparently, and I’ll definitely send you the dick pics you want. :)

(source) (source) (source)

Transcript:

[A picture of a a hospital bracelet on Kat's wrist. The patient's name is Adele Sheffield and her sex is labeled as "M".]

(source)

Kat Lied About Having Diabetes To Get Money From Tumblr Users

Verdict: False

This doesn't need much commentary from me, just view the screenshots below.

Transcript:

To the people who keep harping on me buying a $15 video game for my mental health 7 MONTHS ago “with my donation money,” well, here you go, some proof, links and screenshots provided

So for everyone spreading misinformation about me spending $15 on a video game for my mental health, here’s a full list of reasons why there is no way, shape, or form I spent my paypal money on it:

Yes, I spent $15 of my own money after selling one of my possessions, not denying it:

[A screenshot of a Tumblr post by Kat where she shows off a copy of Fall Out: New Vegas, marked with a price of $14.99. The date of the post is marked as July 21, 2014 at 06:28.39 PM.]

Be sure to look at the date, July 21st, 2014 6:28 PM. Now lets look at my first donation post asking for help:

[A screenshot of a Tumblr post by Kat where she asks for donations to be able to afford insulin because she has no insurance. The date of the post is marked as July 20, 2014 at 08:14.00 PM.]

Hmm, one day before the purchase of said game, July 20th 2014 at 8:14 PM. Now, I’ve never heard of a video game store — much less a non-chain video game store accepting payment for video games in the form of virtual Amazon gift cards, have you? Oh, but you’re gonna say, “well you bought the game with your paypal donations anyway!” Well, here’s exhibit C:

[Another screenshot of a separate post made by Kat where she is also asking for donations to be able to afford insulin. The date of the post is marked as July 23, 2014 at 12:27.46 PM.]

Again, looking at the date of this posting which is the original donations post, you can see it was posted on July 23rd, 2014 at 12:27 PM, a full 2 days after I had bought the game. Now, if there’s no way for me to use Amazon gift cards for a real life video game store, then how can I go back in time a minimum of 2 full days to give past me $15 to buy said game, hm? This isn’t even accounting for the fact that I didn’t even have my own bank account associated with it until over a week later, and it surely doesn’t account for the fact that it takes up to 5 days to transfer from paypal to your bank account. All the dates are linked to the original unedited posts so you can see for yourself, and for added measure my first deposit was on August 14th, 2014:

[A screenshot of a deposit made by Kat. The date is marked as 08/14/14.]

Oh but yeah, anti-sjs, truscum, and the like took damniwishidthoughtofabettername’s postthey used to gaslight us with misinformation and you all bought it. Tell me how I could misuse donations that I could not use outside of Amazon and money I didn’t even start receiving until a full two days later, let alone the fact that there’s no way I could have transferred said money and used it two days prior as of the date of the paypal donations post.

I hope some of y’all could reblog this and get the word out, I’m sick and tired of people buying into that misinformation that person did solely to gaslight me as a means to try and disrupt my donations drive.

(source) (source) (source) (source) (source) (source) (source)

Transcript:

[A selfie of Kat holding up a vial of Novolin to the camera.]

Hey anon, I don’t feel comfy giving you my receipts (because doxxing is a thing) but here you go, a selfie with my most recent insulin purchase. 👽

(source) (source) (source) (source) (source) (source) (source)

Transcript:

Anonymous asked: Getting desperate for money again I see. How is your fake diabetes lately. I bet your blood sugar is like 800 this time and you're still able to be alive somehow.

You got me, I’m ~totally faking~

[A selfie of Kat. In the background several items used by diabetics are seen such as insulin syringes, glucose tablets, a blood sugar tester and test strips.]

[A picture that gives us a closer look at the background of the previous selfie.]

[A selfie of Kat holding up two vials, one of Lantus and the other of Humalog.]

Gee, must be one dedicated faker, right? To have hundreds of dollars of insulin equipment and insulin itself. Hmmm… Insulin syringes, glucose tablets, a blood sugar tester and test strips.. oh and insulin, hmmmm….

Oh and because you didn’t learn from last time you don’t die instantly when your blood sugar goes over 600 lol, something anyone who studies endocrinology can tell you, and I would know, being a diabetic, having to be hospitalized numerous times for ketoacidosis where the blood sugar has been too high for too long. Things you clearly do not know and you’re just jumping on the disableist bandwagon. I have an idea of who you are anyway, just doing this for future reference.

(source)

[historicconfessions]

FAQ

Now that I’m getting more regular submissions, I thought I’d lay out some ground rules and answer some questions so we’re all on the same page. And I’ll pin this post so you can always find it easily if you need a refresher.

How do I submit a confession?

You can submit your confessions by sending an ask. The inbox is always open unless I specify otherwise. (If I ever have to close the inbox for any reason, I’ll let you know ahead of time and also tell you when it’s open again.) Please don’t submit confessions through private message.

Is there a limit to how many confessions I can submit?

No.

How long will it take for my confession to be posted after I submit it?

Honestly, it depends. I try to get them posted as fast as I can but there is only one of me so you have to allow for human error. Sometimes I get busy and sometimes, full disclosure, I just have days where I really don’t feel like doing anything. I would say, if your confession hasn’t been posted within a week of submitting it (and you don’t think there was anything nefarious about the content) then try re-submitting it because Tumblr might have eaten it (yeah, that’s a real thing, believe me).

Do you accept NSFW confessions?

Yes. Nothing is off limits. If your confession contains anything that might be triggering, I’ll tag it with a warning. Having said that, I reserve the right to delete any messages that I feel are discriminatory (racist, sexist, etc).

What if my confession is too long to fit in one message?

There’s no limit to how long confessions can be. However, if it does spill over into multiple messages please make sure that you indicate that in your confession (like saying 1/2 or 2/3 or something like that) so I know that all those messages go together as one.

Are there any particular topics you won’t accept confessions about?

Well, I mean, this is a Tudor confessions blog so don’t come here to talk about how weird Georgian powdered wigs are or anything, but otherwise, no. But, once again I’ll say, I reserve the right to delete messages if I feel like they’re irrelevant to the theme of this blog.

Will you ever reveal the identities of the people who submit confessions?

Only if you want me to or you reveal your identity yourself. Otherwise, all the confessions are 100% anonymous. (Even if you submit them off anon, I still won’t reveal your identity.)

What if I want to send you (the admin) a non-confession message?

You can send me a direct message. Or if you would prefer to send an ask you could put NAC (for ‘not a confession’) at the beginning of your message so that I know it’s for me and it’s not a submission.

If you have any other questions that I didn’t answer here, please send me a message. And I might update this post if things change.

[selkiewife]

Anonymous Asked: 

What do you think Theon's role will be in TWOW? I have seen many say that he's going to get killed or that he's going to make the King's moot null and void but I can't help but feel he has a much bigger purpose. One thing that often gets ignored, maybe because it's pretty much in the background, is the magical/supernatural elements of his character, which i think is going to be important either in terms of defeating Euron or helping with the long night.

Anon I agree with you wholeheartedly! I don’t believe that he will be killed (by Stannis anyway.) Though I do definitely think he will have a role to play with Asha in nullifying the Kingsmoot like Torgon Greyiron, the Latecomer. There is just no way Tris would have dropped that tidbit of highly applicable historical info while trying to seduce Asha if it was going to come to nothing. Then again, stuff like that happened in the TV series all the time but I doubt that will be the case in the books. GRRM is much more likely, I think, to never publish them at all rather than leave loose ends.

I agree with theories that there will be two Kingsmoots in the books and that the show chose to combine them. I think Theon will support his sister or she will support him. I honestly think that perhaps after all they have been through, Theon and Asha can finally experience a close familial relationship (which Theon has always yearned for) but which was never possible since they were separated from each other as children- and then were both competing for their father’s approval and trust as young adults. Now that Balon is dead, I really feel like Theon has the potential to find a true family with Asha as his true self- especially given the emotional reaction Asha had to seeing him again and witnessing what Ramsay did to him.

Now one thing I have always loved about Theon is how incredibly HUMAN his story is. It is intimate and focused on identity. And in the asoiaf world where people are seeking power or raising dragons or trying to save the world, it is refreshing that Theon’s story is focused on trying to discover how to be a person. How to keep one’s humanity in spite of how horrific the world is or the horrific actions one has undertaken themselves. There are beautiful themes of identity, redemption, and survival in his arc, but most notably, it does not revolve around magic the way other character’s plots have up to this point. 

However, I also think that it is undeniable that there is a magical element in Theon’s story as well. And I think the magical element surfaces when Theon is getting closer to his true self or facing the things he has done. When he is more entrenched in denial, the magical element of his story is suppressed. Yet during ACOK when feeling guilt over ordering the death of the boys, he has a green dream. And again, in ADWD, when he is reclaiming his name and his identity, Bran is able to make contact with him through the Heart Tree. And then again, when he is Stannis’ prisoner in the sample chapter of TWOW and he continually is speaking the truth and reclaiming his name- insisting that Stannis calls him Theon- Bran or Bloodraven are speaking on his behalf through the ravens, urging him to be brought to the heart tree. 

Now some people argue that Theon did not actually have a green dream in ACOK but I definitely think it was. I have quoted the entire section from ACOK under the cut, so you can decide for yourself. In it, Theon basically has a vision of the Red Wedding a book before it actually happens- In the dream, Robb and Grey Wind walk into a banquet all, bleeding from “half a hundred savage wounds.” Some have said that Theon’s dream wasn’t prophetic but more tied to his guilt but I disagree because there are the other people in it that Theon would have no reason to know about such as Lyanna. “The slim, sad girl who wore a crown of pale blue roses and a white gown spattered with gore could only be Lyanna.” Theon would obviously have known about Lyanna but there is no way that he knew about her dying in a “bed of blood.” That is something that is only revealed in Ned’s memories. And Ned told everyone else that Lyanna died of a fever. So he is dreaming accurately about things that he wouldn’t know, which is why I believe this specific dream is a green dream as opposed to only guilt.

So to answer your question. I believe that Theon has to survive at least being a prisoner to Stannis because there is so much more that has been foreshadowed for him. There is the Ironborn plot and then there is also the fact that Bran is trying to contact Theon. I think that Bran is extremely important when it comes to the fight against the Others and the Long Night, so the fact that he is reaching out to Theon made me feel that Theon is also important to that aim in some way. That being said, the show made me doubt Bran (or Bloodraven’s) intentions with Theon- like is he just going to be offered as some sort of sacrifice? I sincerely hope not. 

Luckily, what gives me hope is Asha’s plan for invalidating the Kingsmoot and the idea that he still needs to defeat Euron... Plus EURON himself, unlike in the show, is an incredible force of potential dark magic to be reckoned with. And there is also the really incredible symbolism of the sea-reek with Theon- which I talked about briefly on my other blog here and which I think shows that he still has much to do with the Ironborn narrative. Invalidating the Kingsmoot seems like it would have to occur after whatever happens once Bran or Bloodraven get Theon to the Heart Tree so hopefully, that means they do not have any nefarious plans for Theon. And perhaps it also points to the fact that he is, for some reason, important in the coming battle against the Others. Perhaps because of how very human his arc has been up to this point? Some Theon fans have said that they think the idea of him becoming a huge hero of the series would almost cheapen his very human journey. And I do get that. But I think that he has already become a hero honestly and that his very humanity that he has worked so hard to find within himself may be a key to help against the long night. Or at least, that is what I would like.

Here is Theon’s Dream from A Clash of Kings:

That night he dreamed of the feast Ned Stark had thrown when King Robert came to Winterfell. The hall rang with music and laughter, though the cold winds were rising outside. At first it was all wine and roast meat, and Theon was making japes and eyeing the serving girls and having himself a fine time... until he noticed that the room was growing darker. The music did not seem so jolly then; he heard discords and strange silences, and notes that hung in the air bleeding. Suddenly the wine turned bitter in his mouth, and when he looked up from his cup he saw that he was dining with the dead.

King Robert sat with his guts spilling out on the table from the great gash in his belly, and Lord Eddard was headless beside him. Corpses lined the benches below, grey-brown flesh sloughing off their bones as they raised their cups to toast, worms crawling in and out of the holes that were their eyes. He knew them, every one; Jory Cassel and Fat Tom, Porther and Cayn and Hullen the master of horse, and all the others who had ridden south to King’s Landing never to return. Mikken and Chayle sat together, one dripping blood and the other water. Benfred Tallhart and his Wild Hares filled most of a table. The miller’s wife was there as well, and Farlen, even the wildling Theon had killed in the wolfswood the day he had saved Bran’s life.

But there were others with faces he had never known in life, faces he had seen only in stone. The slim, sad girl who wore a crown of pale blue roses and a white gown spattered with gore could only be Lyanna. Her brother Brandon stood beside her, and their father Lord Rickard just behind. Along the walls figures halfseen moved through the shadows, pale shades with long grim faces. The sight of them sent fear shivering through Theon sharp as a knife. And then the tall doors opened with a crash, and a freezing gale blew down the hall, and Robb came walking out of the night. Grey Wind stalked beside, eyes burning, and man and wolf alike bled from half a hundred savage wounds.

Theon woke with a scream, startling Wex so badly that the boy ran naked from the room.

~ A Clash of Kings, George R. R. Martin

[engagemachine]

Anonymous submitted:

I really enjoy all the content you share on this blog! It’s so beautiful! So thank you for that in these gloomy times. I am always inspired by your ability to produce and curate art so movingly.

My question: do you think that the Joker is capable of being seduced? By Taylor? I don’t see Taylor ever deliberately manipulating the Joker (who knows though, almost every girl has used their feminine wiles at some point in their life, push comes to shove), butً I could certainly envision Taylor catching the Joker off guard and putting him under her spell (if just for a moment or two). Perhaps unconsciously pressing that advantage?

The Joker is no gullible, green boy, but he is still (albeit far, far less than the rest of us) vulnerable to human needs and desires. And so, while I can see lust and power warping into one and the same in the Joker’s mind, I guess I’m fascinated by the idea of the Joker experiencing an attraction to Taylor that isn’t just an extension of the thrill of dominating/possessing her. Maybe a moment when the tables turn, and he’s the one who stumbles, who is consumed by his want for her.

I don’t know why I’m so interested in this concept. I think it might be because most girls can remember the moment when they first were the target of unwanted sexual attention (Taylor certainly does), but an equally significant milestone in female adolescence is the realization that you, in turn, can also wield your sexuality to have some power over others.

All this being said, I think that if the Joker suspected any level of artifice from Taylor, or perceived any such weakness in himself, he would NOT respond kindly. But I’d like to think that the Joker isn’t a god, isn’t always two steps ahead of all the rest of us, isn’t beyond having his strings pulled. What do you think?

First of all, thank you so, so much for this incredible message. I love this sort of detailed analysis and I was giddy the whole time I was reading it. I really enjoy other people’s take on this dynamic as I find the relationship between these two characters endlessly fascinating.

Secondly, you posed some excellent questions that I am eager to sink my teeth into, but in doing so, I have to be careful and try not to reveal too much of what I have planned for the coming chapters.

Do I think the Joker is capable of being seduced? Absolutely. He’s a man, and men aren’t immune to their vices, even if the Joker probably tends to indulge (at least in this specific vice) fewer than most. Do I think a stripper or some random person off the street has the ability to seduce the Joker? …probably not. We’re talking about seduction in the sense that it’s going to result in some form of loss of control for him, the idea that he’s giving into his wants/needs to the point where he can’t control himself—so some stranger off the street isn’t exactly going to do it for him, nor would he allow them that power to begin with. And it isn’t about them not being “talented” enough or not pretty enough, either, which I think goes without being said, but is still an important distinction to note. He doesn’t care about those things, and it’s never been about that.  

No, I think what would ultimately seduce the Joker is the knowledge that some deeper form of connection exists between him and his “partner” (I almost feel like I should say “victim” here). Which brings me to your next question: is Taylor capable of seduction? I definitely think she could be (and, spoiler: she later will be) but what’s more is that the Joker’s attraction to her has less to do with her physicality and almost entirely to do with this relationship he has cultivated with her over the years, how he’s had the distinct pleasure of witnessing the all-consuming power of his influence, how he’s been able to exert and fine-tune the level of his control, manipulate her and shape her into exactly how he wants her. He practically has it down to a science. His attraction to her lies in the knowledge that she is his creation, he built her, has shaped her, and he continues to manipulate her and bend her to his will. The leash he keeps her on is relatively long, right now, but it’ll have to pull taut eventually; he can only let her go so far before he runs out rope and is forced to pull her back.

As much as there definitely is an overarching element of control/domination/power to their dynamic and that’s ultimately what gets his blood pumping (remember when he has her pinned to the mattress and tells her she’s ‘so easy’ in chapter four? the way she melts under his touch, almost needing no coaxing whatsoever) there’s also most certainly an element of pure fascination towards her on his part. He’s intrigued by her. She puzzles him, I would even go so far to say—and he loves studying the frayed edges of all her pieces, trying to figure out exactly how they all fit together, and how he can manipulate the shapes to create his own unique design. Next to Batman, it’s his second favorite game to play. He’s captivated by her goodness, her unflinching loyalty, her resilience. How he can push her to the edge over and over again and yet she always finds a way to hang on, and, not only that, but she always comes crawling back to him—and she does so willingly.

What you said about there being “a moment when the tables turn, and he’s the one who stumbles, who is consumed by his want for her” –I’d love to see this too. In fact, we already have, a little bit, in chapter five, in the scene after he’s just gifted her with the cell phone and Taylor kisses him on the cheek instead of the mouth, as he had requested. One of my readers summarized it brilliantly when she said, “I think the Joker severely underestimated how much HE wanted that kiss. All that high-powered perception and he didn’t account for being the temptress, the tempted, and the “slut” in this story line. A little jaw peck had him lit, and when he realizes Taylor’s not yet on the same page as him - when she apologizes - that rattles him.” This is a brilliant analysis and it’s also spot on in its accuracy. This is the first time we get to see the Joker really rattled, the one who “stumbles”, as you said, and I like to think there is definitely more of this to come as their relationship takes a nosedive in chapter six into previously uncharted waters. It’s going to be intense.

Of course, you brilliantly noted that any attempt at artifice—for example, if Taylor were to try to “tempt” the Joker for nefarious reasons (maybe she’s gunning for something in particular, maybe she just wants her leash loosened up) the Joker would be able to see right through it, and, as you so gently put it, “would not respond kindly.”

I think it’s tantalizing to imagine the Joker losing his control and just giving into his baser desires, really letting loose and allowing himself to indulge in the fantasies that have clearly been playing on loop in his head for so long—but the caveat is that he wants Taylor to initiate it first. She has to want it. She has to come to him—this is the power he craves, her giving into him. Finally. That’s why the scene where she kisses his cheek is so poignant—his sudden outburst and lack of control brought on by her kiss threatens to upheave the carefully-woven threads of his master plan.

As for Taylor, it might take her a little while, but I do think you’ll slowly see her begin to blossom into something that is more of her own. She is going to start wielding some more power over the Joker as they enter this new phase of their relationship. Who is to say seduction isn’t in the cards? ;)  

Last but not least, thank you for saying you enjoy my blog. It makes me so happy knowing that you enjoy the (often times) random stuff I post on here. Some of it is kind of silly, but it’s what makes me laugh. I also love being able to answer direct questions from you guys and share sneak peaks of upcoming chapters. Thank you for enjoying my content and also for reading my work. Messages like these really provide me with the fuel I need to keep going, and I can’t thank you enough for it.

[killian-whump]

Random questions: have you seen/are you going to see the new Aladdin? What do you think awaked whump in your childhood? When did you realize what whump was? Do you have any pets? If you do please tell them that they are very good and give them pets for me. What are your top 5 favorite whump tropes? Do you prefer hurt/comfort or hurt/no comfort? Have you ever told anyone that you liked whumpy and they discovered they liked whump? (Sorry if any are too personal) you are the best!!💖💖💖💖

NO, NONNY - YOU’RE THE BEST!!!

Okay, time to answer all of these! :D

Have you seen/are you going to see the new Aladdin?Oh, of course! I won’t be seeing it in the theater though, so it’ll take me awhile to see it. But once it’s available for rent/streaming - I’m definitely gonna see it. I have to see how they handle that super whumpy drowning scene, after all ;) I’ve already seen some GIFs of the genie and him AFTER the drowning... but I gotta see the bondage/gag and the actual drowning. I hope they don’t let me (and, like, a million other whumpers and also all the gay men who love bondage) down! No pressure or anything, Disney, just don’t fuck it up.

What do you think awakened whump in your childhood?Oh, gosh. I honestly don’t know WHAT awakens the love of whump in people, despite all of my wondering about it. It does seem like most of us start loving it in our childhoods, and I’m certainly no different. But it seems like we just... see something and like it. It feels less like it inspired us to like it than that it was inevitable that we’ll like it and it just depends on whatever it is we see first. For me, it was either old daytime reruns of the 1960s Batman series, or a particularly long General Hospital storyline, where one of the characters was held captive in a dog kennel for weeks while her two lovers (one her ex-husband, one her current one, both still in love with her) searched for her. The kidnapper taunted them continually, and even sent photos of her suffering to upset them. It was great. That storyline and the Batman shows are my fondest memories of whump as a kid. It wasn’t until a while later that I saw some of the classic Disney whump a lot of whumpers found in their childhood - for some reason, I never saw Sleeping Beauty until high school, and Aladdin came out around the same time.

When did you realize what whump was?Oh, gosh. Well, whump wasn’t even a thing until I was in high school, I think, in the 90s when Stargate: Atlantis was on. And I wasn’t into that show at the time, and the term kind of fell out of favor and lost popularity after that show. It didn’t really “catch on” in any other fandoms or in fandom in general until the more recent resurgence of the term here on Tumblr :) Before that, we all mostly made do with the “hurt/comfort” tag or with the gay community’s “get” content and various other things that would pop up. The X-Files community was where I first got involved with other people loving what we now call whump. There was a website that collected all the hurt/comfort (and just plain hurt ;)) stories in the fandom, and it was called Mulder Torture Anonymous. It was HEAVEN. And, sadly, I never found anything else remotely like it until all of these wonderful whump blogs started showing up on Tumblr. HEAVEN REBORN :D 

Incidentally, Mulder Torture Anonymous is one of the main inspirations for my blog - both the content (obviously) and the organization.

Do you have any pets?Not anymore. I’ve almost always had pets before now, but our last one was this absolutely adorable little dog (a chihuahua/spaniel mix, like a miniature spaniel) who was ridiculously intelligent and affectionate and... I have never seen a smarter animal with anywhere near as big of a personality. She passed on about 2 years ago, and my entire family has agreed that, quite honestly, any other dog/pet we could possibly get just simply wouldn’t live up to her memory. And none of us want to adopt another dog that we’ll constantly feel isn’t as special as that one was. She basically ruined us all for other pets, haha, but we feel like having her in our lives was the greatest blessing we could ever ask for.

What are your top 5 favorite whump tropes?Captivity!!! I love long term captivity, when the whumpee is kidnapped and held somewhere, long enough for them to start breaking down and losing hope and all that wonderful stuff. Kidnappings in general are great. Bondage, as well. I love mental institution tropes, where the whumpee is being held against their will in an asylum run by nefarious people. And RESCUES! I love rescues. I hate it when whumpees free themselves or get set free by the bad guys. There HAS to be a big rescue at the end of the scenario, or I feel unsatisfied.

Do you prefer hurt/comfort or hurt/no comfort?Oh, I have to have the comfort!!! I mean, don’t get me wrong - if there’s no comfort, I’ll still enjoy the hurt. But if there’s no comfort in the content as its presented, I’ll feel unsatisfied and usually have to imagine the comfort for myself. Unfortunately, that happens a lot with TV shows and movies, where they chintz out on the comfort. That’s usually when I end up stealing their hurt scene and re-writing it with my favorite whumpee du jour and adding some damn comfort on the end. Gotta have the comfort. It’s like the whump version of a money shot.

Have you ever told anyone that you liked whumpy and they discovered they liked whump?Honestly, I feel like making this blog was that for me XD When I started it, there was only a handful of active whump blogs, and only a couple of Hook fans being outwardly obvious about loving to “torture” the pirate - and even then, it was usually with angst and emotional suffering ;) When I started, I wasn’t worried about being accepted in the whump community, though I was worried a lot of people wouldn’t be interested in such a narrowly specific whump blog. It was the Once community I was worried about - I expected to either be chased out of town entirely or more or less ignored by most folks XD I honestly never expected so many Hook fans to embrace me and my blog, and not only accept that I like whump, but to admit they like it too! It’s part of the reason why I will die on the hill of Colin/Hook having the best fandom around - because the warmth and acceptance I’ve gotten here, even amongst those who don’t like whump at all, has been nothing short of legendary.

Between the Whump Community and Colin’s Fandom, I really could not ask for a better bunch of folks to blog with and be friends with

[meganlpie]

In the Bookstore pt. 2

Anonymous asked: Hi, I hope it’s not to late but I just came across ‘In the bookstore’ and it was really cute. Until now I haven’t found a lot about Loki so would you please write a second part of it? :)

Here you go! I do not own any of the Avengers or Loki. They belong to Marvel. 

Part 1

Warnings: Teeny bit of angst, Fluff

Pairings: Loki x fem!reader, the Avengers

Loki started meeting you at the bookstore every week after that when he wasn’t away on missions with the Avengers. He really enjoyed his time with you and getting to know you. There was just one problem. He wanted more. He wanted to be able to be with you whenever he wanted. He wanted the freedom to court you properly if you agreed. Loki decided to talk to the team about it.

               "No,“ Tony said the moment the words were out of Loki’s mouth. Loki frowned. "Give him a chance to talk, Tony,” Steve admonished and Loki gave him a grateful look. Steve and Thor had been the ones to come to Loki’s defense whenever necessary. They truly believed that Loki had changed and that his time with you had helped with that.

               "Thank you, Captain. I have done everything asked of me. I have given you more than enough reason to trust me over these months. Surely you can see that. So why  can I not have a little freedom? I was told that I was not a prisoner here, yet I feel like one.“ Loki watched the faces of the Avengers as he spoke. He could see that none of them really believed him except Steve. The raven-haired man sighed and turned away. "Thor, would you be kind enough to escort me?” Thor rose from his seat and followed Loki out.

               Steve turned on his teammates with a frown. “You should give Loki a chance. He’s right. He’s been trustworthy, especially since he met Y/N. She’s good for him.” Natasha crossed her arms. “How do we know that?” Steve rolled his eyes. “Come on. Just come see how Loki interacts with her.”

               The Avengers quietly followed after Loki and Thor until they got to the bookstore. You were sitting at your usual table, book in hand, when Loki entered. You smiled up at him and stood. You wrapped your arms around him in a hug which he returned. He wore a soft expression the others had never seen before.

               They watched as you both sat down and started talking. From their various spots, the others could hear pieces of you conversation. “You okay, Loki? You seem a little down.” Loki frowned and replied, “I suppose I am. I enjoy our time together and I was hoping for more. They have decided I’m not trustworthy enough.” You gave him a look a sympathy.

               "I do not understand what more they want from me. I have tried everything.“ You reached over and rested your hand on his. He turned his hand over to grasp yours. "Maybe,” you began before licking your lips, “Maybe I could talk to them? Make them understand how much you’ve changed?” Loki smiled softly. “You would do that? For me?” You nodded.

               "Of course I would, Loki. I love spending time with you and, I was hoping that, if they would let you, you and I could go on a date sometime. I mean, a real date.“ Loki looked confused for a second and you giggled. "Courting, Loki,” you told him as you felt your face heat up. He grinned brightly, something else the team had never seen before. A genuine smile from the trickster.

               Steve gave the others  a look and indicated that they should leave. He hoped that they understood that Loki wasn’t up to anything nefarious with you. He just wanted to be with someone who shared his hobbies, his love of literature. Someone who understood that he was sincerely trying to be better.

               The group headed back the Tower, except Thor who’d stayed behind with Loki. When they entered their home, Steve turned on them. “See? She’s good for him. She makes him happy. We should give him a chance.”  They all sat and talked quietly among themselves, trying to come to a decision. That was how Loki  and Thor found them when they returned to the Tower.

               The team looked up at Loki, no one saying a word. “What? Going to tell me that I have to return to the cell on Asgard?” Loki snapped. He had enjoyed his time with you, but knew that your budding relationship was doomed before it even began.

               "No, Reindeer Games. We were…wrong,“ the last word seemed to stick in Tony’s throat. "You’re right. You’re not a prisoner and you have showed us that you can be trusted,” Natasha continued for him. Loki’s eyes widened in surprise. This wasn’t what he’d expected. “Are you saying…I can be free to go where I choose?” The others nodded. “Just don’t leave the city. We are still somewhat responsible for you.” Loki nodded, thanked them, and disappeared the next second.

               You were nearly home when someone appeared right in front of you. You jumped back, nearly falling back onto the sidewalk. Two arms wrapped around you, keeping you upright. “Loki?” He grinned and, before you could ask what he was doing there, his lips crashed against yours.

               That was completely unexpected and thoroughly wanted. You were about to kiss back when Loki pulled away. “Forgive me.” You shook your head. “No.” Loki’s brows furrowed and you smirked. “I won’t forgive you if you don’t do it again.” Loki chuckled and pressed his lips to yours again. This time, when you parted, you sighed happily. “Does mean you’re free tonight?”

               "For you, love? I’m always free.“ You rolled your eyes and took his hand in yours. "Good. Let’s go to my place. I’ll cook dinner.” The two of you walked toward your home, hand-in-hand. As you walked, Loki kept glancing down at your intertwined hands with a smile on his face. He was grateful that he’d met you in the bookstore that day so many months ago.

(a/n: I hope you like it!)

Tagging @brewsthespirit-blog @fairytalesexistxx @jotink78 @gameofwinters @hopelessgarbage

[porthavenhq]

Welcome to Porthaven, Ashe! We can’t wait to meet Jack Skellington!

Please look over the acceptance checklist and submit your blog within the next 24 hours. If there is a problem or a prior obligation and you need more time than provided, just message the main and we will gladly extend!

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　OUT OF CHARACTER　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Name: Ashe Pronouns: they/them or he/him Age: 22 Timezone: mst but like im always awake Activity Level: 7/10 i’ll probably always be available on discord, but this quarantine has been all over the place for me and my mental health. so i’m around a lot but like sometimes i can feel a lil too bummed to get on the dash but i’ll always be around to plot and talk and such Triggers: n/a Anything Else: nope! just happy to be here

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　CHARACTER INFORMATION　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Name: Jackson “Jack” Skellington Age: born October 31, 1918 however he appears about 35 Gender: cis male FC: Matthew Gray Gubler

Character Biography

As a child, Jack was always very hard for his servants to deal with. Slipping in and out of the manor with ease, leaving his various tutors and nannies in disbelief. The clever little boy always finding unique ways to pop out and scare them, almost as if appearing out of nowhere. Even with all his mischief, everyone around him found him charming. This likability also made its way into Moroi court. The court is dignified and serious, so the delightful addition that Jack would bring created ease and peace in the court. While many Moroi expect him to take the throne, some for rather nefarious reasons that he would be easy to control, Jack has never believed it his destiny. Jack would much rather view the world. Make new people laugh and discover new things about the world. In secret he would teach himself about unique stories and histories of the mundane world. Because he only ever read about mundane life, never lived it before, while in Porthaven he will misunderstand and stumble through basic conversations. Even when he’s wrong, however, he’s always happy to learn and correct himself. Long ago, Jack knew he was never meant for royal life. It’s because of this that he’s trying to make it impossible for the court to expect him back. He can no longer continue pretending to be something he’s not. It’s probably the most mature aspect of his personality. Despite being alive for one hundred years, never holding real responsibilities hindered his ability to take anything seriously. It’s both his greatest strength but greatest weakness as well. His heart is in the right place however. Jack believes in good, and wants to be the good in the world. Of course, he’s not going to stop having fun along the way, because without joy how else can good be brought.

Headcanons

is currently in the process of trying to find a space to open his own store. jack’s dream for this store is to hire young people and get in the spirit of halloween, all year round. although he has no idea how to run a business at all, its still his one desire for his life.

jack doesn’t tell many people he can talk to the dead. he finds people don’t understand that death isn’t scary, it’s something of peace. and those who haven’t been able to rest, he believes that he’s responsible to these people, that it is up to him to help them. often he will walk through the local cemeteries, putting a single flower on each grave marker. specifically spending time with any anonymous grave.

jack has never experienced any mundane holiday himself. he’s only ever read about them, but it’s all he’s talked about since arriving in port haven. he’s started collecting store bought halloween costumes, and various strange christmas decorations. his small apartment is decked out in the extremes of both of these holidays.

jack is a growing theater nerd. since he always liked the fantastical growing up, theater was an obvious choice for an interest for him. most of the time he just likes comedy theater, and obviously musicals. his current favorite is heathers.

he’s always humming a little tune to himself.

usually away in his own little world, often ignoring people around him. he never means to, but his attention span just isn’t long enough.

like his name implies, he’s quite the jack of all trades. while he’s getting into theater, he’s also started working on a stand up routine.

favorite colors are black, orange, and red.

failure of a cook, so he’s always ordering and eating out. he’s very fortunate to have his parent’s money.

always the romantic type, easily falling for anyone after just one conversation. however this infatuation never lasts, his attention span just too short.

Inspiration

i’m currently revamping my pinterest but as soon as it’s back up and running you’ll be the first to know

[horrorhousereview]

The Wicker Man: 1973 versus 2006

My introduction to the Wicker Man was hearing again and again how terrible the 2006 version was. So of course, I went out of my way to see it first and foremost. As I’d expected, it was so bad it was wonderful, and I couldn’t understand why people hated it quite so much. Until of course I watched the original 1973 version, which I found to be utterly captivating, and a quite serious film. Only then could I fully appreciate the folly of what came after.

1. The Wicker Man (1973)

First and foremost, this is the first British film I’ve reviewed on my blog, and I have to say that it was refreshing to see such a different style to the usual American fare, or the Asian tropes I’ve become familiar with. The film has a serious tone throughout, and was filmed on location in Scotland (though it’s meant to be some mysterious island in the movie).

The film begins when a police officer arrives at the remote British island by water plane in order to investigate a missing girl, whose disappearance months ago had been reported to the mainland anonymously. The islanders don’t tolerate strangers, and at first deny any knowledge of the girl. Later, the officer is able to discover that the girl is indeed real, and they admit that she’s real but dead. When at last her corpse is exhumed much later in the film, the coffin is empty, save for a hare. The movie is nearly entirely about this officer trying to discover the mystery of the missing child, while simultaneously uncovering the disturbing truth about the island.

We find out rather quickly that the islanders aren’t Christian like our officer, but instead practice some old, bizarre form of paganism. Every rite and ritual seems centred around sex and death, and the British didn’t shy away from nudity in this film, which I appreciate and not just for lewd reasons. The whole of it feels both captivating and disturbing at once. We see throughout the film as well a reversal of gender roles to go along with the reversal of religions. The girls go to school while the boys do not. In sexual acts, the women are always seen on top.

There are weird sex rituals in the cemetery at night, folk medicines at an apothecary with jars full of foreskins. There are bizarre and unexplained scenes like a woman nursing a child in one arm while holding out an egg in her other hand. Maypole dancing for the little boys while the girls are taught of its phallic significance in their one room schoolhouse. Nude bonfire jumping, and a plethora of lewd folk songs throughout the film. The combination of sights and sounds and rituals is completely entrancing to watch, and I found myself falling in love with it even as I was disturbed by the undercurrent of something being very wrong with these people.

Another thread that is more subtle throughout the movie is the question of whether these pagan practices actually work or carry some power. My instinct for most of the film was to say no, and that they’re simply crazy. But there is a scene in which the woman in the room next door sings out to the police officer and he seems to be fighting some sort of mind control. Is he weak willed? Or does she hold some power over him? A later scene in the movie implies, but does not confirm, that they tried to drug him. Could drugs have explained the earlier scene as well? Inconclusive.

The film culminates in the iconic way: with a wicker man lit on fire, and our hero being sacrificed to the ancient gods. Though I was familiar with the scene already in a vague sense, I hadn’t been prepared for just how impactful the final shot would be. The people dancing, the ritual music, the impressive flames shooting up this massive structure, with the screams of dying farm animals in the background as well. The Christian aspect was perhaps a little heavy handed, but it was also moving in that the islanders no doubt found the officer’s religion to be as bizarre and ridiculous as he found their own -- and indeed so much was pointed out throughout the film.

This was a movie without a happy ending, or even a clear resolution, and that made it all the more enjoyable. The first film that comes to mind with a similar end would have to be the surprise twist at the end of Friday the 13th, only in the Wicker Man it isn’t a surprise so much as a grim inevitability.

I honestly can’t say I have any significant complaints about the movie, which is a rare treat.

Final rating: 10/10

2. The Wicker Man (2006)

As hilarious and iconic as the 2006 version of the movie is at times, I didn’t initially see why it was so hated. That is, until I saw the 1973 version. In comparison, the 2006 version does a great disservice to a fantastic film. The idea: to modernize the setting and make the location and tone of the film more American, is an idea I can get behind. Unfortunately, they killed many of the more interesting aspects of the original film, added complete nonsense, and did the bulk of it with poor acting on the part of the two main protagonists.

The film starts completely differently. Our officer in this case is seen helping what will become the missing girl and a strange woman, on the side of the road, only to see them be killed horrifically. But then the bodies are never found, lending mystery to the whole event. We see the officer suffering from frequent psychotic breaks, a theme which is played up throughout the movie, and detracts from the clever gas-lighting of the original film. Our officer, right off the bat, is identified as an unreliable narrator, much to my disappointment. And what is the point of his bouts of psychosis? Are we meant to assume that the others are doing this to him, via some magic? Or is it just meant to add confusion to the movie? Regardless of intent, it sits awkwardly in the narrative.

The missing child in this film, we find out, is the officer’s own. The mother is the one who allegedly wrote him for help, and is his ex-fiancé. Where is the mystery in the original film, of who this girl is and who sent the letter?

The main thread of the plot isn’t the only thing that has changed. The music of the first film is entirely absent, as is the sex. The sexual aspect is one of the main themes in the original and is the thread that ties everything together, and here it’s been entirely sterilized and scrubbed out of the narrative. We don’t get to see any boys dancing the maypole outside the school. We don’t see any of the weird mystery imagery like the woman with an egg in the cemetery. And the reason our officer is a target in this film has nothing to do with his virginity. Indeed, his blood link to his daughter on the island is instead what appeals to them.

The matriarchal aspect remains prominent, but they decide that in addition to produce coming from the island, honey is another major export. Nearly everything in the film revolves around the bees, and bee metaphors. Instead of relying on pagan roots, they mostly rely on flawed bee analogies, referring to our officer as a “drone” in the end. The men on the island are silent and used only for breeding and the most menial of tasks, but it comes across as heavy handed and obvious rather than the subtle role reversal seen in the 1973 version. The only thing in the entire film that I’d say the newer version did better was the fact that in the 2006 version of the film, the island is run by a woman, versus the man in 1973. The island’s matriarch, for me, is more in keeping with the rest of their societal norms, even given the explanation for it in the original film.

One of the main themes in both movies is that of a sort of pagan religion. In the first film, however, we’re given to understand that the old religion was artificially revived by the island’s patriarch’s ancestor, in order to more easily control them. And yet it is in the original film that the religion seems more developed and real. In the newer version, by contrast, we hear from the matriarch that her ancestors always practised this religion, and escaped to the island to avoid persecution. Yet in the newer version of the film, the religion feels anemic and fake.

The film’s final scene, for me, was also lacking. The “acting” in this scene could be referred to as chewing on the scenery. The wicker man itself was less impressive visually, and auditorially as well (a lack of squawking animals, singing, the roar of flames), and the lack of religious ceremony makes the onlookers less impactful. Even the costumes are less theatrical. And rather than ending on the morbid note of the burning, the writers decided to add an epilogue. Six months later, two of the ladies from the island are back on the mainland, again using strange men for their nefarious purposes. And thus ruining the final tone of the film entirely, at least for me.

If you’re looking for a hilarious movie, you might gain some real enjoyment out of this film, especially if you get the director’s cut for the notorious bee scene. But if you are looking for a quality film, perhaps give it a miss.

Final rating? 4/10