#or socialal order by any means necessary

[cats-obsessions]

There’s been a lot of discussion around Gortash in particular showing no devotion for Bane beyond that which furthers his own interests, and Bane doing very little to help him. While that’s a very Banite thing to do, offering your Bhaalspawn babe true equality is not. There’s so many beautiful theories out there, but I offer my own: the goal of the Absolute was never to glorify Bane or Bhaal.

We know Durge and Gortash have a long history, spanning back before Gortash was even the chosen of Bane. They started out as essentially, two people robbing shit together- ancestral torture racks and all. In letters, we find both of them had proposed plans that involve each other. I like to think they got very attached before deciding to rule the world. But what would come of serving their gods? Durge would kill the world, Gortash would have to rule alone. In the end, failure or victory, their lives and souls would go separate ways, and one of them would have to fail, earning eternal torture.

But Enver doesn’t offer Durge servitude to Bhaal or mass murder or even Banes plan when they show up tadpoled to Wyrms Rock. He offers godhood- through the absolute, sure, but such an act would certainly deserve ascension. They could become actual gods. Maybe to him, that was the plan all along. Achieving true godhood together would be the only way to ensure their souls would be safe and together. Forever.

I like to think somewhere along the way he saw how doomed they were, how few options Durge has for personal autonomy, and he put his mind to finding a way. Maybe the implications of their plan weren’t fully discussed, or maybe promises of godhood were only whispered in private. Maybe Durge won’t admit the reality, but maybe part of them hopes for it.

[neil-gaiman]

I'm sorry Neil, although I love your writing and agree with your opinions on most subjects I have to disagree with you on the writers' strike. No-one should have a more privileged life as a result of being clever and creative. I worked from the age of 15 to the age of 65 in low-paid jobs, taking 1 year off to go to drama school and 3 years off to get a fine art degree. I worked in terrible but necessary jobs, labouring, stacking boxes, unloading trucks, running errands, filing, going to work on a bicycle at all hours of the day and night on shift work in all kinds of weather. Even when I was a student I was still working in part-time cleani8ng jobs and even during periods of unemployment I worked in volunteer jobs for charities and social services.

According to Mensa I have an IQ of 160 and according to Plymouth University I have a BA hons in Fine Art but I cannot accept the idea that writers and other creative people should avoid normal jobs like driving an "Uber" or working in an office/shop/factory/construction site. To accept that idea would be to create a new aristocratic class when we should abolishing the old princes and aristocrats.

What we need, I feel sure, is a redistribution of labour so that everybody who can do so would spend some time each year in blue collar work and everybody who can would get higher education and a chance to make art of one sort or another.

The idea of doing other jobs to supplement writing or drawing shouldn't be seen as a terrible thing, a punishment or a suffering. Sharing the jobs around should be seen as normal.

I mean, I've done my half century of sweat labour and it didn't hurt me too much. I'm retired now and still making art of various kinds and I've never asked anyone to pay me for any art piece I've made. making art, writing, drawing etc. is the fun stuff which we get to do in exchange for the blue collar stuff which puts food on the table.

The worst pop song ever written was Sting/Dire Straits song "Money for Nothing" which ridicules the working class from a position of educational privilege.

So what's my question? My question is: What's wrong with a writer doing other jobs to make ends meet? Sounds perfectly fine to me.

Nothing's wrong with a writer doing other jobs to make ends meet. Writers and artists have been doing that since the dawn of time. Actors too.

But by the same token, there's nothing right about assuming that writing isn't a blue-collar job, or that writers and other people who make art can only make it for love and that thus they need other jobs to subsidise their craft.

I like living in a world in which the people who make the things that make the world worth living in get paid for their work. For me, that includes the people who make films and TV, books, art and music and comics.

Having spent a lot of time on film and TV sets, it's a blue-collar world on set, and everyone is working long and hard to make the shows you love. I'm never going to suggest that the riggers or the gaffers or the make-up team or the focus-pullers should drive ubers in order to have the privilege of being on the set and working there.

Or to put it another way, from the most blue-collar writer I ever knew...

[drdemonprince]

have you defined the meaning of “white woman brain” anywhere and if not, can you? /gen

Many Black and brown feminist writers have discussed this phenomenon and I encourage you to seek out a lot of writing about this subject, because there are a variety of perspectives, but to distill it, white woman fragility brain is a phenomenon that is not exclusive to either white people or to women, but is especially common among those who can weaponize white womanhood, and it consists of the following qualities:

A view of oneself as a helpless victim that is constantly in threat of being attacked, especially by strangers (even though statistically, this is not the case).

A refusal to consider oneself as capable of doing harm to others, especially a lack of consideration toward others' body autonomy or consent. (even while being highly concerned about one's own autonomy and consent).

A generally passive or passive-aggressive orientation toward the world: seeing oneself as a romantic or sexual object to be approached, but never wanting to initiate (or feeling that one never can), never feeling comfortable directly communicating displeasure or one's desires, believing that others instead must guess at it. (and then resenting people when they don't, but never expressing it).

A tendency to cry, excessively berate oneself, complain about being made to feel "unsafe," or give up when criticized or challenged, especially when challenged by people of color.

A tendency to associate a person's body type with how much of a threat they are. For example, feeling unsafe around people with penises and expecting a social space to accommodate that fear to cater to you, a fear of people who come from cultures where it's common to speak loudly, a fear of those who are large, assertive, and/or darker-skinned.

Instinctive fawning-type responses to stress, and a pattern of feigning happiness, agreeability, and ease when one is not genuinely feeling it, and expecting all other people (but especially other women) to feign happiness as well, paired with a deep-seated resentment of anyone who violates this illusion and expresses any negativity (being especially punitive toward women of color).

Instinctively "smoothing over" conflict between other people before it even begins, even when healthy conflict is necessary and not at all your business-- often performed by gossiping behind other people's backs, triangulating information when it is not yours to share, asking people to alter their behavior in order to avoid a reaction from somebody else, presenting your concerns as if they were somebody else's ("what will people think!"), tone-policing the airing of grievances, derailing hard conversations with more light-hearted topics, and excluding people who are known to be candid and assertive.

Here are some articles on elements of the phenomenon and why it is so dangerous:

Now, I single white cis women out a lot when I am describing this phenomenon, because they have the most to gain from exhibiting these qualities, but make no mistake: this is a pattern that many types of people can and do use. I have seen white trans women use white women's tears to silence critique. I have witnessed women of color being passive-aggressively derailed and silenced by a Black manager who was in a position of institutional power over them. Multiple of the women who sexually harassed me in the story linked above were not white. And LORD knows I see plenty of t boys falling back on this shit, as well as cis men from wealthy backgrounds. It's a mindset that has deep colonial roots and we all must be on the look out for it in ourselves and others, and we must be vigilant in uprooting it.

[dear-bunnyboo]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄: 𝐕𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 - 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐆 || 𝐉𝐎𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖

important note: my face claim will be madison beer but you can imagine whoever you desire. also the songs mentioned are not all technically all madison’s i will be incorporating other songs from other artists.

all the pictures seen below are not mine, however they were edited by yours truly. credits to the owners.

This is part of my ‘ONE-SHOT’ category in my The One Series which means you can read this as a Standalone if you want too. This sill takes place in the same au and still follows Joe and Lovebug!!! Hope that made sense 🤍

First one-shot of The One Series!! Message me if you have any confusions I can clarify!!

she’s baackkkk!!!

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Joe Burrow x Singer!Reader / Brief Ex!Jack Hughes x Singer!Reader

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Y/N Y/L/N takes the time to show us everything inside her bag.

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: cursing, social media, some fluffy moments

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 || 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 || 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐜. 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 || 𝐍𝐇𝐋 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐓𝐮𝐛𝐞

IN THE BAG with Y/N Y/L/N

"Hey, Vogue! It's Y/N Y/L/N, and today I will be showing you what's in my bag." You introduced yourself as you stared at the camera in front of you.

Bringing your bag up on your lap to show the camera, you smiled.

"This is my new baby. My newest purchase, the Hermès Birkin in the color—" You looked down at your bag as you finished your sentence.

"I forgot what the exact color is called but I'm pretty sure it's the Orange 30," you said looking back up at the camera.

"I have an obsession with bags, I love collecting them—bags, shoes, and jewelry, not in that order. I... might have a problem." You giggled as you slowly opened your bag and continued your introduction.

"Also, before I begin— I just want to say that big bags aren't for me. This is a medium size at best, I prefer small bags and medium-sized bags. That's because I am the type of person who would fill their bags up to the brim when given the chance and I try to avoid that cause it gives me the opportunity to bring useless things that I would never use. So, yeah— this is the biggest it could get for me." You pointed at the Birkin on your lap.

Opening the bag, you reached in before pulling out your phone, "First thing in my bag is my phone which I placed in my bag before we started filming actually." You raised your phone up facing the camera.

"That's because I usually prefer my phone either in my hand or my pocket because for some reason I don't trust having it in my bag— if that makes sense." You furrowed your eyebrows as you slightly giggled at your explanation.

"I have slight attachment issues with my phone, which— we all have these days. So, yeah— my phone is only in my bag when absolutely necessary." You finished before placing your phone on the table presented in front of you.

"Next is—" You announced as you pried your bag open wider.

"My iPad. Which I always bring with me especially when travelling which I do a lot. It's either my iPad or my laptop— or both if I am traveling. But in this case just my iPad."

"Next thing in my bag is my notebook or journal." You pulled out a baby pink notebook out of your bag before smiling at the camera.

"This is a very special and important notebook. I'm not the type of person to journal or write about my day in a notebook like a diary. I know some people do that but I could never get myself into it. However, I do something similar to journaling which is writing music." You smiled cheekily at the camera.

"Yup. So this notebook has song lyrics in it. I literally have at least five notebooks back at home that I have all gone through— filled with song lyrics of my existing songs, scrapped songs, and songs that are in my archive. This one is my newest notebook." You smiled as you scanned through the notebook within yourself as you explained— your eyes trained on the unreleased song lyrics you've written recently.

"Some people prefer writing on their notes app on their phones but personally, there is just something about writing with a pen and paper that makes it real— if that makes sense." You shrugged as you placed it on the table as well before pulling out more of your belongings from the bag.

"I also have a pen, obviously for writing. Then I have two Sharpie markers— a black and white one for my fans. Whenever I meet them they ask me to sign their stuff."

"Next is my wallet and card holder from YSL." you quickly went through the things you didn't have to explain.

"I have my shades." You pulled out the black case before pulling out the black sunglasses you frequently use— putting them on to show the camera.

"This is from Gentle Monster and these sunglasses are my most frequently used." You remove them from you and place them on the table.

"Next is— what is this? Oh, I have a mini jewelry holder." You pulled out a square-shaped box, "It's empty cause I am wearing my jewelry. But this is just for when I need to remove my jewelry, you know? For shoots and stuff— so that they don't get lost or damaged."

Rummaging through your bag to look for the next item to pull out, you settled on the three small pouches you had inside your bag— placing the nude-colored pouches on the table you smiled at the camera.

"Now, I have these cute small pouches that contain all the small items that I have. My problem with bags with no pockets or inserts is that I hate when my things are cluttered in there just flopping around. So, these mini pouches help a lot since I like being organized." you finished before opening the first pouch.

"The first pouch contains my makeup that I use solely for touching up. I also have some other items here—" you pulled out a small compact, "I have my Chanel Travel Face Palette which has a powder, blush, bronzer, and highlighter. It's all here so it's very convenient."

"Next is my Fenty Blotting Powder, for blotting— obviously." you laughed.

"Then— my concerning amount of lip product which is the majority of this pouch." You explained before pulling out your insane amount of lip products all in your hand.

"First is my favorite lip liner by Charlotte Tilbury in the shade 'Lip Cheat'. Then I have the Dior Lip Glow Oil in the shade 'Mahogany' which is my favorite shade in any lip product."

"I also have every single shade of the Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment which is concerning. I re-apply every second." You said as you opened one to re-apply just like you said.

"I literally just reached in this pouch and choose whatever I grab without even looking at it— I love it."

"Moving on from the lips— I have the Glossier Lash Stick. Then— what else? That's it for makeup. But I also have my Chanel Hand Cream which is a need for me since I travel a lot, and my hands get dry on planes— so yeah."

Looking down at the remaining items in the pouch, you smiled to yourself.

" Finally, perfume— mini perfumes. I always make sure that whenever I purchase perfumes I also buy the small ones so that I can bring them with me, since I don't like bringing the huge perfume bottles— it's an actual hazard."

"I love smelling... good. So, I do have several here on me. First is the Valentino 'Born in Roma' perfume — one is 'Intense' and the other is 'Coral Fantasy'. Finally—" you smiled down on the last perfume that was hidden in your palm before turning back to the camera.

"This— this is a tiny male perfume which is my boyfriend's. Uhm... he gave it to me 'cause I love how he smells." You smiled shyly as you giggled.

"Uhm...yeah, I just spray a little whenever I miss him and I'm traveling without him." You shook your head with a smile before moving on to the next pouch.

“This pouch has the important necessities. So, vitamins, medicine, pain killers— just in case anyone needs them.” You said before pulling out the next item.

“Next is this lavender essential oil which by the way, I can’t leave the house without.” You pointed at the camera to emphasize your point before showing the product.

“I need it whenever I feel nervous or anxious— I just put a little on my nose or behind my ear. Also, whenever I get motion sickness— which I get often whenever I’m in a vehicle for too long.”

“Hand sanitizer… very important.” You placed the pink spray bottle down the table before pulling out the final item in the pouch.

“And lastly, bandaids… and oh, my Tide Pen, in case I get a stain on my clothes.” You nodded as you placed every little thing back into the pouch it came from.

“This is the smallest pouch out of the three.” You said as you showed the camera the last pouch.

“It has my charger for my phone and iPad— and then my wired earphone which I only use if I feel too lazy to charge my AirPods.” You explained before reaching down to look for the thing you are looking for.

“Which leads us to— my AirPods. I live for music. So I cannot leave the house without any type of earphones on me.”

“Now the remains stuff in my bag— a scrunchie. I have mints, gums, and my favorite lozenges for my throat since I sing for a living. Gotta take care of that.” You shook the tin case of the candies as you showed them on camera.

“Passport! And my digital camera— Very important since again, I travel a lot.” You grabbed the remains items in your bag in your hands before turning to the camera.

“Last things in my bag are keys.” You shook the dangling objects that’s on both your hands.

“This is my car key. While the other one has my house keys, room key, and my studio key— and plus this right here—” you continued as you pointed at the small hanging keychain at the end.

“This is a small Lego keychain— it’s Batman in a pink tutu and wings.” You chuckled remembering how you gotten it in the first place.

“My boyfriend gave it to me one day for absolutely no reason whatsoever. We love building Legos together so it means something to the both of us— I gave him a matching one not long after. His is also Batman but in a blue bunny costume.” You laughed as the filming wrapped up.

“That’s everything in my bag.” You flipped your now empty bag upside down, showcasing how empty it indeed is.

“Thank you, Vogue for joining me!” You ended the video.

comments…

𝐟𝐚𝐧1: she’s adorable 🥹🤍

𝐟𝐚𝐧2: I legit want everything in her bad ngl

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧3: true 😫

𝐟𝐚𝐧4: she’s so organized… she’s me.

𝐟𝐚𝐧5: THAT BAG IS TO DIE FOR 🧡🧡🧡

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧6: the color is crazy pretty 🤩

𝐟𝐚𝐧7: Joe’s perfume 🥲

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧8: I literally screamed when she said it was his perfume.

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧9: JOE GAVE HER HIS PERFUME. GOODBYE.

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧10: I want to know what he smells like (for research obviously) did anyone see the brand!?

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧11: no 😫 y/n was covering it in her hand.

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧12: y/n lowkey gatekeeping her man’s perfume

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧13: she really said ‘only I get to know what he smells like’ 😆

𝐟𝐚𝐧14: her having like 10,000 lip product in her little pouch is sending me cause same.

𝐟𝐚𝐧15: the prettiest girl 🩷

𝐟𝐚𝐧16: LET ME TELL YALL SUMN. MISS Y/N SMELLS GOOD GOOD. DELECTABLE EVEN. I HAVE THAT SAME PERFUME SHE HAS AND IM TELLING YOU… AMAZING 😫

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧17: did I just order one to know what she smells like? Yes.

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧18: no cause same.

𝐟𝐚𝐧19: THE LEGO BATMAT KEYCHAIN!!!

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧20: Joe is the standard 🥹 cause that’s so fucking cute wtf

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧21: they have matching keychains… somebody sedate me fr

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧22: they are both Lego addicts. A match made in heaven.

𝐟𝐚𝐧23: no cause what she said about having her phone in her bag makes so much sense to me cause I too have trust issues.

𝐟𝐚𝐧24: MARRY ME 🩷

𝐟𝐚𝐧25: the only thing I can afford in this video is the sharpie 💀

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧26: felt.

𝐟𝐚𝐧27: don’t you just love it when Joe Burrow just gives this woman something for absolutely no reason whatsoever and it gets her so giggly and shit, cause look at her looking at that damn keychain.

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧28: I mean honestly, Joe could give me a grain of sand and I’d react the same way.

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧29: HBDHDHYEGWUWHUWIW

↳ 𝐟𝐚𝐧30: 😂😂😂

dividers: @cafekitsune

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-𝐛𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲ఌ

[leclercsbunny]

changed like midnight rain ‣ m. verstappen

Summary: He held her so tenderly- a touch that you thought was reserved only for you. Kissed her with his eyes closed, lost to the rest of the world and into their own. There was a familiar look in his eyes, one that had looked at you the same way, but your memory had been hazy with his distance.

warnings ; angst, cheating, general asshole behavior. unhappy ending (?) multichaptered, kids, established relationships.

words: 1.1 k // pairings: max verstappen x reader

You wished you had realized sooner, rather than later Max's change of heart. The dramatic shift in his behavior had been difficult to deal with, but his infidelity was entirely different.

Monaco was supposed to be just like any other race week, but it had proven to be a pivotal occassion into finally unravelling the tattered pieces of your relationship.

He held her so tenderly- a touch that you thought was reserved only for you. Kissed her with his eyes closed, lost to the rest of the world and into their own. There was a familiar look in his eyes, one that had looked at you the same way, but your memory had been hazy with his distance.

Months. Literal, fucking months had passed where he even acknowledged you in the way he used to. He was fleeting, civil at most, making up excuses after another of his absence. No longer needing to feel your skin on his, nor communicating with you in a meaningful way.

You'd somehow tricked Horner into telling you the truth. That there weren't late night meetings, nor conference calls in the crack ass off dawn. Meaning, during those stolen moments, Max was in the arms of another woman content with his sinful little relationship.

Still, you needed to see for yourself. Scourring through internet and socials to pinpoint where exactly he had been in the middle of the night, and finding yourself at an exclusive club where he was having the time of his life.

You wished you could say you were crying, but the tears had truthfully gone dry. Or had the gravity of the situation not translate for you yet? That after this... Mistake. After his blant disregard for you and your children- oh your sweet boys, your twin boys who were monikers of their father. Nothing would ever be the same.

It was not like you were raising them by yourself eitherway. Always having to be the strong and composed parent, the one put together for the children while he was travelling all over the world for his dream.

Your throat welled with emotions, inhaling a deep breath in order to keep yourself calm, lest you become hysterical in front of, what you were now realizing, his friends.

How long has this been going on, exactly? You were none the wiser, but you thought you had made the mature decision, to turn around and headed back to your vehicle.

You took a few moments to make the necessary arrangements, booking flights, contacting lawyers and making sure everything was orderly. You made sure to come home to your children who were sleeping in their respective beds, before you went up to the master's; changing and laying down.

And then.. you finally broke down in tears.

______

Max was no different, the next time you saw him. He had chanced upon breakfast, placing a kiss on both your children's head and yours and acting as if he had not just spent the night with another person.

Your tried hard to ignore him, while the kids chatted happily to their surprisingly, pleasant father. He was in a good mood whereas you felt like you'd wanted to throw up.

The meal finished, and the children were ushered outside by their nanny, awaiting the soccer teacher you've recently hired to keep them active.

Wordlessly, you went to your shared room, Max following. He made a show of stretching, taking off his clothes and going straight to the bathroom.

Neither of you spoke, and the situation in itself made you want to cry. You weren't supposed to beg for scraps of his attention... Your marriage was never supposed to be like this.

Now you were estranged, walking past eachother as if you meant nothing.

Your lower lip quivered, but you fought the urge to sob. Silently, you picked up his discarded shirt and faintly smelled the perfume of another woman. You clutched the fabric between your fingers, seeing a bright red lipstick mark on his collar.

You stormed inside the bathroom, tossing the clothing his way, "You wanna tell me why there's lipstick all over your clothes?"

Max looked taken aback for a moment, towel hanging on his waist, before a resolute frown emerged in his face. "I don't know, maybe someone bumped into me?"

"Bullshit," at this point you were tethering on the edge of hysterics, tears clouding your vision. "I saw you with her last night. I know you've been cheating on me."

He paused, finally turning off the shower knob and faced you. "You followed me?" But he seemed entirely baffled at the prospect you could have followed him.

"That's what you're worried about?" you balked at the irritation in his tone, "I can't believe you." your words were shaky with disbelief. He wasn't even trying to hide, or deny it. Fuck, it seemed as if he didn't care.

Like he was expecting you to figure out sooner or later. As if he was just waiting on you, to finally realize why he'd been unbelievably distant.

"I don't know what you want me to say," his shoulders sag, eyes becoming wary. "I.. i no longer feel the same way about us."

"And you decided the best way to let me know is by being with another woman?" you couldn't mask the utter heartbreak in your voice. "I wish you'd been man enough to tell me."

"I- i'm sorry." His voice breaks, hand reaching out to touch you but you evaded his touch. Max was not expecting the reaction, and it was very clear by the way his eyes clouded over.

“I want a divorce.” You hoped to sound resolute, sure with your decision. As if you didn't sob in your pillow last night at the mere prospect of losing him. Like Max was not the man to whom you have chosen to live the rest of your life with, as if he was not the same person you would give up everything for.

It was not a mere question of wether you loved him, or even loved him enough. Because you do, and you still do despite the hurt and heartbreak you're feeling right now; it could not vanish in one night. You cannot heal your wounded heart after a barely restful sleep.

Rather it was the reality you have to consider. You cannot stay to fix what has been stepped and run over on. Not with a man who's heart was no longer yours.

His jaw clenched, but he didn't refute you. Resigned. Uncomfortable that it had to end like this, but there was some relief to his stature. “I understand.”

[maxknightley]

confession: i still don't understand what tme/tma js and i dont understand the google definitions because im kinda dumb, so i dont understand the arguments ): i feel like its too late to ask. it means transmysongony exempt right? i just. i dont get what that meabs!!

broadly speaking, TMA - or "transmisogyny affected" - means "amab transgender and nonbinary people." i.e., people who are the "intended target" of transmisogyny in the same way that Jewish people are targeted by antisemitism or gay people writ large are targeted by homophobia.

TME - "transmisogyny exempt" - is basically Everyone Else, including cis people as well as AFAB trans/nonbinary people.

the idea of the construction is to describe the ways in which transfems are harmed by cis people & "TME" trans people as well. but I have a few problems with this language:

I think it's absurd to describe cis men as "exempt from transmisogyny" because a major purpose of transmisogyny is to socially discipline GNC cis boys and men. as a thought exercise, I like to point out that I could have had the exact same experiences as a child/teenager, but if I hadn't transitioned, I would have magically ceased to be "affected by transmisogyny". I think this is Fucking Stupid because a large part of my childhood was defined by transmisogyny I didn't even know was transmisogyny yet.

we already had perfectly good language for what "tma" is intended to represent. namely, transfem. idiots and jerks misusing that language, describing themselves as "afab transfem" or whatever the hell, doesn't matter to me when 1. people are going to play silly little word games with literally any terminology marginalized people use to describe our experiences, and 2. the replacement terminology is actively worse at describing things.

whenever people use "TME" they're usually referring specifically to other people in the trans community, making it a transparent - and, imo, Worse - replacement for "afab." just say "afab" or "transmasc." let's be honest with ourselves.

while I think the ability to describe transmisogyny is necessary in order to express what it's like to be transfem, I feel that people often treat transmisogyny as if it's a separate construct that happens to intersect with other forms of transphobia and sexism. and I think this is silly, because transmisogyny is sexism is homophobia. they're all parts of a self-reinforcing structure and cannot be properly understood until we accept that you don't slay the hydra by continually cutting off its heads

I'm an extremely spiteful person. Every time I see a post that's based on the idea that Everyone Who Dislikes This Is Transmasc, or that Transgender Women Aren't "Allowed" To Be Butch And Therefore Don't Exist At All, my anger gauge fills up a little more. someday it will hit its maximum and I will be able to unleash my ultimate. that or I'll have a stress-induced heart attack

[tanadrin]

RE "revolutionary leftists are revolutionary because they know they can't win electorally."

It astounds me a little that there are leftists who think that a communist revolution is more likely to work than, like, fifty years of community-building and electoral politics. Sewer socialism, union activism, and other boring activities have brought much more success in the U.S. than agitation for a revolution.

What I mean is, setting aside the moral concerns (violence is bad, even when it's necessary, and if there are practical alternatives then we should pursue them), I am not a revolutionary leftist because I think we would lose a revolution. For one thing, there is a considerable right-wing element in the country that is much better prepared for this kind of thing, and I think that the majority of the institutions in the U.S. would pick fascism over communism if they had to choose, but also, prolonged violent action is ripe for breeding authoritarianism.

Goatse is concerned that "the party" might "abandon or neglect its primary ends," but what is leftism if it is not, at bottom, an attempt to improve the living conditions of all people, et cetera et cetera? To the extent that social democratic parties successfully pursue this end to some degree, they're better than than an ostensible communist party that talks the talk but commits human rights abuses. And, more than the fact that U.S. leftism has some pretty fierce opposition that would probably fare better if The Revolution happened tomorrow, I think that, even in winning, we would lose, because what came out the other end would look a lot more like Stalinism.

I think one thing the hardcore revolutionaries in OECD countries don't realize is that the reason they can't marshal support for their revolutions is that the socialists won most of the issues that were salient in the early 20th century--workers got more rights, better pay, unions were legalized, etc., etc. But it didn't take restructuring the whole political economy to do it, which is immensely frustrating if you believe that any society without your ideal political economy is inherently immoral and impure, so in order to justify an explicitly communist platform you have to rhetorically isolate it from the filthy libs and feckless demsocs who it turns out have been pretty effective within the arena of electoral politics in which supposedly nothing can ever get done, and treat them as of a piece with the out-and-out fascists and royalist autocrats of the 1920s and 30s.

Which, you know. Is not persuasive to most people! Most people understand intuitively the vast gulf between the SPD and the Nazis; they see that, milquetoast and compromising though they may be, the center-left can deliver substantive policy improvements without the upheaval of a civil war or political purges, and this is attractive to people who are not of a millenarian or left-authoritarian personality.

Which isn't to say that communists don't often make important points! It sucks having to fight a constant rearguard action against the interests of capital rolling back the social improvements of the 20th century, and it sucks that liberal governments in Europe and North America have historically been quite happy to bankroll and logistically support fascists and tyrants in the third world against communist movements (which invariably only exist as communist movements because these same fascists and tyrants have crushed more compromising movements and only the most militant organizations have managed to survive).

But I agree with you: communists also talk a big game about how liberalism is the real fascism (what's that line from Disco Elysium I see quoted everywhere about how everybody is secretly a fascist except the other communists, who are liberals?), while also being awful at democracy. Suppressing dissent because your small clique of political elites is the only legitimate expression of the people's will (which you know, because you have declared it to be so) really is some rank bullshit. A system with competitive elections is still, well, a system with competitive elections, even if those elections are structurally biased in certain ways; all the bloviating that attempts to justify communist authoritarianism cannot really obscure the fact that authoritarian systems are cruel and brittle, regardless of the ideology being served.

[echo-and-dust]

now that my brain has somewhat unscrambled itself i have gotten most of my thoughts in order about season 3.

and the first thing i will say is: i loved it.

while it was gutwrenching and polarizing in some ways and i feel that i am entitled to financial compensation for what its done to my mental health, i loved this season for pretty much almost everything it did.

i cannot fault people for having issues with much of the characterization and plot choices made—that’s been the trend during the entire run of the show after all, and imo it’s a testament to the phenomenal way it generates nuance—but i wanted to share my feelings on the recurring opinions i’ve seen about some of these things.

first, i do not blame simon at all for the things he said in the final scene. he’s a child who has been receiving endless verbal and physical harassment on top of all the trauma he is still trying to heal from. he just watched his boyfriend lash out in anger and hurt—while not at him, but it must’ve been a close resemblance of how he might’ve seen micke act. at least, that's what i thought, though i've seen others say otherwise.

and yes, wille is not micke, but just because wille’s source of outbursts is different from micke’s doesn’t mean simon is wrong in drawing similarities. at least he's finally getting a true glimpse into what wille has had to deal with. i've honestly grown to like that they didn't have simon immediately comfort him though; wille's mental illness is not his fault, but it is his responsibility, and instead of pushing a message of unhealthy co-dependence, the show has simon be honest: "but i see that everything hurts you and that hurts me too." and to me, that's so important.

plus, it doesn't make their love any less genuine. wille is a victim of the circumstances; he is not evil, and he is not undeserving of simon. he just has a lot of growing and healing to do, a lot of unlearning and exposure therapy because he's still blinded by privilege even when he tries not to be.

speaking of, i have so many thoughts about wille that i feel like i need to save for its own separate post, but to sum them up: i'll still defend him with my life, and he needs to get the fuck away from that institution.

also, the fact that the responsibility of controlling simon's media decisions was placed solely on wille confused me at first like—why wouldn't they get a professional to give him proper media training?

then i realized, this could be the royal court's way of sabotaging their relationship. they knew that making wille the one to tell simon what he can and cannot say or post would create distance and animosity between them. despite the ramifications of simon's behavior on social media, it seems they still thought it best to have his boyfriend be the one to try to mold him into the system. because they knew that's how they could get rid of him. in conclusion, fuck the royal court (we been knew but still).

one of the standouts this season was their transparency regarding the show's politics. it not only works well with the show's arc (wilmon is public, everything's out in the open now and there's nothing to hide), but also it felt necessary at a time where censorship has been rapidly gaining momentum. it felt so refreshing for these characters to talk so openly about racial discrimination and queerphobia and class disparities, forcing both character and viewer to acknowledge that they exist and you should feel uncomfortable about it.

i don't think i can add much more to what was already said about it—most of the fandom is more eloquent and observant than i am anyway—i just wanted to reinforce how important this season is to myself and the story even with how controversial it is to fans right now. a lot of people may disagree with me and that's fine.

[owlhousetarot]

Five of Wands: Covention Duel!

Upright: Conflict, competition, rivalry, disagreements, tension, arguments, difference of opinion, clashing ideals

Reversed: Avoiding conflict, mutual understanding, peace, cooperation, truces, healthy competition, release of tension

The Five of Wands is the card of conflict, clashes, and competition. It could signify a literal physical fight (like the duels between Lilith and Eda or Luz and Amity), or more internal conflicts like differing worldviews or clashing priorities. In Lilith and Eda's case, their conflict derives from their opposing lifestyles and beliefs about magic and social systems; Eda practices wild magic and refuses to conform and join a single coven, while Lilith upholds and enforces the coven system and strives to get Eda to join her side by any means necessary. Their rivalry also stems from disparities of raw magical talent between them. Luz and Amity also show clashing priorities in this episode: Amity's diligence improving her Abomination magic to maintain superiority versus Luz learning magic from scratch to protect her loved ones.

When reversed, the Five of Wands symbolizes an end to a conflict, often through clear communication and trying to understand differing opinions. After their botched duel, Luz and Amity communicate their motivations and admit their failings in behavior towards the other. They both recognize a bit of themselves in each other, and are able to come to a mutual understanding and make a tentative peace—the first brick in the foundation of their relationship.

Deck Order:

< Previous:  Four of Wands | Next:  Six of Wands >

Show Chronology:

< Previous: Ace of Pentacles | Next: Three of Cups >

[zvaigzdelasas]

"it was made by a person" does not absolve the image of sin, because by that logic every piece of ai art is ok actually. because obviously the ai could never just make art, the people using it to generate book covers so they don't have to pay an artist are actually typing in the description for what they want the ai to make. so it's ok !! a human told the ai to make that ❤❤❤❤

I mean. Other than the moralizing ("absolve of sin", "so it's ok!" etc)...Yes? Of course AI art is made by people?

Do you think AIs have agency or something? Do they find their own data and train themselves without a human telling it to? How does the AI pay for electricity?

If AIs have agency why can't they be Artists?

You're undermining your own position and actually fundamentally agreeing w the silicon valley tech bros lmao

If someone pays a human on Fiverr $5 to make a book cover in order to avoid paying someone a more reasonable price....thats basically the same moral situation right. If that guy on Fiverr is just choosing between 10 different templates he already has (and maybe copied from the internet!) and just changing the text on it, he is "typing what they want to make". What's the difference to paying someone $5 on Fiverr to generate a book cover for you using AI. Where's the moral difference, what does the tool have to do with anything.

AI doesn't have any agency, people do. AI is a tool. AI being used to lower prices is an economic choice made by humans.

A useful analytical framework to understand why this is the natural result of competition is actually Historical Materialism, which understands the social world as fundamentally existing of Humans, Human action, and Human relationships. Instead of trying to act like things like AI - spectral reflections of human labor - are "creatures" themselves, and tilting at windmills. Historical Materialism teaches not only why this happens, but how to overcome that process entirely.

In machinery, objectified labour materially confronts living labour as a ruling power and as an active subsumption of the latter under itself, not only by appropriating it, but in the real production process itself; [...]In machinery, objectified labour itself appears not only in the form of product or of the product employed as means of labour, but in the form of the force of production itself. The development of the means of labour into machinery is not an accidental moment of capital, but is rather the historical reshaping of the traditional, inherited means of labour into a form adequate to capital. The accumulation of knowledge and of skill, of the general productive forces of the social brain, is thus absorbed into capital, as opposed to labour, and hence appears as an attribute of capital, and more specifically of fixed capital, in so far as it enters into the production process as a means of production proper.[...]

In machinery, knowledge appears as alien, external to [the worker]; and living labour [as] subsumed under self-activating objectified labour. The worker appears as superfluous to the extent that his action is not determined by [capital's] requirements.[...]

Fixed capital, in its character as means of production, whose most adequate form [is] machinery, produces value, i.e. increases the value of the product, in only two respects: (1) in so far as it has value; ***i.e. is itself the product of labour, a certain quantity of labour in objectified form***; (2) in so far as it increases the relation of surplus labour to necessary labour, by enabling labour, through an increase of its productive power, to create a greater mass of the products required for the maintenance of living labour capacity in a shorter time. It is therefore a highly absurd bourgeois assertion that the worker shares with the capitalist, because the latter, with fixed capital (which is, as far as that goes, itself a product of labour, and of alien labour merely appropriated by capital) makes labour easier for him (rather, he robs it of all independence and attractive character, by means of the machine), or makes his labour shorter. Capital employs machinery, rather, only to the extent that it enables the worker to work a larger part of his time for capital, to relate to a larger part of his time as time which does not belong to him, to work longer for another. Through this process, the amount of labour necessary for the production of a given object is indeed reduced to a minimum, but only in order to realize a maximum of labour in the maximum number of such objects. The first aspect is important, because capital here -- quite unintentionally -- reduces human labour, expenditure of energy, to a minimum. This will redound to the benefit of emancipated labour, and is the condition of its emancipation.

Nature builds no machines, no locomotives, railways, electric telegraphs, self-acting mules etc. These are products of human industry; natural material transformed into organs of the human will over nature, or of human participation in nature. They are organs of the human brain, created by the human hand; the power of knowledge, objectified. The development of fixed capital indicates to what degree general social knowledge has become a direct force of production, and to what degree, hence, the conditions of the process of social life itself have come under the control of the general intellect and been transformed in accordance with it. To what degree the powers of social production have been produced, not only in the form of knowledge, but also as immediate organs of social practice, of the real life process.

Marx [PDF link]

[a-d-nox]

web of wyrd: the left most number, your mask / public energy

wyrd (pronounced weird) is a germanic word that is associated with fate - so this is is not just "wyrd" - it's also uncannily your fate or destiny. this seems to be the new thing, so i too want to step in because the numbers are associated to the major arcana of tarot and i do read tarot sooooo - if the shoe fits wear it!

we are going to go number by number together - we are going to learn together!

click here to calculate yours!

today i want to address the left most number.

this is my wyrd web. so it is based on my birthdate (27.10.2000 - october 27th, 2000).

the number we are focusing on today is based on the DAY you were born.

if you were born july 4th - it would be 4. if you were born april 22nd - it was be 22. but any date after the 22nd (i.e. 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, etc) needs to be summed together (my birthday for example: 27 -> 2 + 7 = 9 (the number in my left most bubble))!

but what does this number mean?

this number represents how others see you. not necessarily how you see you, but how the public perceives you. this is your face (or mask - aka persona) that you intentionally or unintentionally present to the world! there at evolved (higher vibrations of the major arcana card or the upright) and un-evolved (lower vibrations of the major arcana card or the reversal) numbers.

so let's talk about some examples:

9 - the hermit

rider waite smith illustrated the hermit (the card that symbolizes virgo) as a wise, old man dressed in gray. he holds his walking stick (possibly alluding to the suit of wands (the symbol of fire / fire signs, passion, creativity, ambition, and action)) to his head (if it is the suit of wands than this indicates an individual with a creative, passionate mind who has used their ambition to discover more about themselves). he holds a lit lantern towards the left side of the card (the past) and faces that direction as well (indicating that knows himself well as the lantern is shining a light on his past).

evolved 9s explore / learn from their inner realm and work through their past instead of dwelling in it. these people appear as wise and self-knowing. they set boundaries with those around them in a mindful manner. they know when to take a break and recharge in a social setting as most tend to be introverts. they do a lot of soul searching as to what they are and are not comfortable with and express these things to those around them - they do the inner work or "shadow work" necessary to living a full and happy life.

un-evolved 9s may not recognize the difference between alone and lonely or even solitude and alone. they often fear being alone (they may not wish to learn who they are as an individual) and don't know how to take a moment when they need it. they snap or become to critical of those around them in these circumstances - ironically they are critical of everyone around them but haven't taken the time to critically examine themselves. they may conversely isolate from those around them despite longing for support and connections with others. they may fear getting to know who they themselves are.

20 - judgement

rider waite smith illustrated judgement (the card associated with pluto) as an angel facing the viewer (this is a confrontational, present-oriented card) from a clouded sky blowing (air motif) a trumpet as people emerge from their caskets to face the angel (their backs face the viewer meaning to show vulnerability). these nude people (natural and comfortably exposed) are freeing themselves from a previously uncomfortable, cramped situation in order to see and hear the heralding angel. these people are reaching arms open wide ready to receive the angel - this is a card associated with a spiritual awakening.

evolved 20s no longer judge themselves too severely; they are comfortable with their bodies and accepting of their previous actions, choices, and experiences. they too are ready to leave the previous confines of their past (as the nude people do in the card imagery). they welcome new experiences and the future with excitement and glee. they are on a high frequency as they recognize their higher calling. they receive frequent communication and confirm from the universe / their spirit team. they let go of the past to embrace the future.

un-evolved 20s experience the same things over and over again. they struggle to get out of loops/patterns as they struggle to learn the important lessons that life wishes them to. they judge themselves harshly and are extremely critical of the work they do. they cling to what they know though they feel trapped/oppressed in their present circumstances. they don't notice the signs they are receiving from the world around them. they fear change and growth.

22 - the fool

there is no 0 card in the wyrd web as there is in tarot, so the fool takes on the 22nd number manifestation in the web even though it is the 1st card of the major arcana. rider waite smith illustrated the fool (the card associated with uranus) as a young man wearing a boldly patterned outfit. the young man parallels the hermit as the mountain range featured in the hermit card appears in the background of the fool card and the fool carries a stick (read the description of the walking stick in the "9 - the hermit" section above). on his stick is a small bundle likely filled with his essentials to life so he is prepared to start a journey... right off the edge of the cliff. also present in the card is the sun (enthusiasm and clarity) on the right (the future), a white rose (innocence and free) held off to the right along with his bundle, and a small white dog (the dog is prancing meaning to signal him of the cliff edge thus is a symbol of intuition) at his feet. the fool faces the left thus he has to first explore what is in his past (hermit energy), before leaping into his future, where all the fortunate elements lie (the bundle (worldly possessions), the flower (innocence and freedom), the dog (intuition), and the sun (positivity and clarity).

evolved 22s are always ready to explore the world around them - be it via their physical, spiritual, mental, and/or emotional realm. they trust they are on the right path and trust in the universe to not steer them wrong as they explore. they enjoy taking risks and taking big leaps - they do not fear "obstacles" or "setbacks". these are mere lessons to learn and experiences to gain. they are in tune with their guides and listen to those with messages as they consciously make their own path and explore it mindfully.

un-evolved 22s haphazardly take risks or are too afraid to take any - without risk they gain no reward, they feel stagnant in their journey. they fear change and hesitate when step even toeing the line out of their comfort zone. they make plans but never execute them. obstacles are treated as life inconveniences. they are often too afraid to experience life or explore the world around them - they often stick to what they know and remained tied to their past.

that's all for today! the next number we will be looking at is that top most number, your higher self.

like what you read? leave a tip and state what post it is for! please use my "suggest a post topic" button if you want to see a specific pac/pile next! if you'd like my input on how i read a specific card or what i like to ask my deck, feel free to use the ask button for that as well.

click here for the masterlist

click here for more web of wyrd related posts

want a personal reading? click here to check out my reading options and prices!

© a-d-nox 2023 all rights reserved

[itsnotiss]

Anyone who follows me on here with a Twitter/X account:

In case you haven't heard, the Twitter Privacy Policy is changing on September 29th. The new policy states that any public content uploaded there will be used to train AI models. This, in addition to the overarching content policy which gives Twitter the right to "use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish and display" any content published on the platform without permission or creator compensation, means that any original content on there could potentially be used to generate AI content for use on the platform, without the original creator's consent.

If you publish original content on Twitter (especially art) and you don't like or agree with the policy update, now may be the time to review the changes for yourself and if necessary take things down before the policy update is published.

Edit: I wanna offer a brief apology for the original post, my wording was a bit unclear and may have drawn people to the wrong assumptions! I have changed the original post a bit now to hopefully be a more accurate reflection of the situation.

Let me just clarify some things since I certainly don't wanna fearmonger and also I feel like some people may take this more seriously than it actually is!:

The part of the privacy policy I mentioned regarding "use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish and display" is included in the policies of every social media site nowadays. That part on its own is not scary, as they have to include that in order to show your content to other users and have it published outside of the site (ie. embedding on other sites, news articles).

The scenario I mentioned is pretty unlikely to happen, I highly doubt the site will suddenly start stealing art or other consent and use it to pump stuff out all over the web without consent or compensation. I simply mentioned it because the fact that the data is being used to train AI models means that stuff on there may end up being used as references for it at some point, and that could then lead to the scenario I mentioned where peoples content becomes the food for new AI content. I don't know myself how likely that is for definite, but I know many people still don't trust the training of AI, which is why I feel it is important to mention.

I cannot offer professional or foolproof advice to people on the platform who have posted content before, I'm just some guy! I don't wanna make people freak out or anything. If you have content already on the site, chances are its probably already floating around somewhere you wouldn't want it. That's, unfortunately, the reality of the internet. You don't have to take down everything you've ever posted or delete your accounts, however I wouldn't recommend posting new content on the site if you are uncomfortable with the changes.

THIS POST WAS MADE FOR AWARENESS ONLY!! I AM NOT SUGGESTING WHAT YOU SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT DO, I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE!! /lh

TL;DR: I worded the original post slightly poorly, for clarification the policy being changed to allow for AI training doesn't automatically mean that all your creations will be stolen and be recreated with AI or anything, it just means that those creations will be used to teach the AI to make things of it's own. If you don't like the sound of that, consider looking into this matter yourself for a more detailed insight.

[philosophicalconservatism]

You’re thoughts on what’s taking place on college campuses and the anti semitism being blatantly displayed

There has been a major shift in the culture. In years past, whenever the Palestinian/Israeli conflict flared up, anti-Israeli sentiment in America was limited to the fringe of the Left; with both the political Right, and the mainstream political Left standing behind the only liberal democracy in the region, and both sides recognizing the cynical, self destructive tactics of Israel's extremist enemies which stalemate the situation (Hamas, The PLO and the PIJ).

But Gen Z goes into the evaluation of this long enduring conflict with a completely different mentality. That is because it has been significantly shaped by a radical cultural ideology according to which virtue comes from victimhood and suffering rather than from proper conduct. Individuals are entirely a product of their social circumstances (says Critical Theory) and the conduct of the oppressed is an expression of their desperation and suffering at the hands of powerful systems. Those systems are themselves the only truly “unethical” force that is in play, and they must be reformed in order to reform the individual. In the 2020 riots, violence (including against the livelihood of civilians) was justified by the cause: the alleviation of alleged suffering and oppression at the hands of law enforcement.

The Palestinian Israeli conflict plays into this Oppresser/Oppressed (stronger/weaker) narrative where there is no “morality” there is only “justice” (which means “equity”). It leads to a justification of a “By Any Means Necessary” ideology , just as long as the means is not sufficient enough to turn the stronger party into the weaker party. Israel is the powerful more militarily dominant liberal democratic nation so it must be to blame in this clash between itself and a poorer, chaotic struggling society. The advocate of traditional Western morality however judges each party whether small or great according to the morality of its intentional actions. According to that calculus Israel is, for the most part, a free nation attempting to defend its citizens, Hamas, The PLO and The PIJ are obscenely immoral terrorist organizations that intentionally target the innocent, and the Palestinian people are victims caught in the middle.

The truly unfortunate thing is that this debate is spilling over in the form of anti-semitic language and behavior toward normal American citizens who happen to be Jewish. And of course the rhetoric of this classical anti-Semitism uses the exact same language of the oppressor/oppressed, "the Jews run the world, they own and control everything and we are their hapless victims." This was of course the rhetoric of the Nazis.

And as with the other paradigms of oppressor v.s. oppressed it doesn't actually matter if it's accurate or not.

[getvalentined]

I've never done a full breakdown of everything that happened to my version of Vincent while he was under the knife (although there is a partial breakdown from like 12 years ago on Ask Vincent Valentine), but @spinejackel tagged my recent Vincent doodle gushing about autopsy scar (Vincent Has a Y-Incision headcanon supremacy!) so I figured it was probably a good time. This is also probably the best method, since I can apply the right tags and trigger warnings to hopefully keep it from hitting the people who would be disturbed.

For anyone who doesn't know, figuring out the fucked up physiology of victims of science is like my entire jam. I think this is what happens when you let a chronically ill child watch Akira and the original Bubblegum Crisis OVA and most of the works of Masamune Shirow. All that before FF7 even existed. This means that the explanation under the cut may seem excessive, and this post is very long. I've been building it over over a quarter century, I don't think there's any avoiding it at this point.

Warnings for body horror, nonconsensual body modification, medical horror and torture. Basically, if there's anything you can think of related to becoming a victim of science under the rule of an unethical sci-fantasy oligarchy, it's probably in here to some degree. It's explained plainly and simply, in clinical but not visceral detail.

My headcanons for what Hojo did to Vincent are pretty specific, albeit not precisely comprehensive; 27 years later I still don't really have a particularly solid concept for how he turned Vincent into a shapeshifter, although at least we know it's not something entirely specific to Vincent—Hojo repeated that facet of the experiment in Azul, but not in any other SOLDIER operative even in DeepGround, implying that it's only possible if very specific physiological conditions are met. The minimal concept I do have involves a twisted application of the concept of incarnate summoning as it appears in FFXIII-2, but it's very vague and also not the topic of this post. Maybe later.

Regarding the Y-incision/autopsy scar, my headcanon is that once Hojo tweaked Vincent into being able to regenerate from any injury—an enhancement that is confirmed to be entirely Hojo's work in Dirge—the professor of course felt it necessary to run various tests quantify the usefulness of his handiwork. He did this first by inflicting various surface injuries, then by causing more extreme bodily trauma, which eventually culminated in Hojo removing the majority of Vincent's internal organs in order to measure how long it took them to grow back and, assuming they did grow back, how the new ones compared to Vincent's original parts.

To be able to observe this as closely as possible, Hojo kept Vincent's torso open for the entire process—which he repeated twice more in order to check the weight, size and structure of the newly-grown organs in comparison to the originals. This study proved that most of them did grow back, but the majority of them stopped developing much earlier than was appropriate for Vincent's age and size. The difference was consistent, Hojo just never figured out why most of them grew back smaller and less-developed.

The reason this happened is based the fact that most of the organs in the human trunk are used in digestion and other related processes, and Vincent's regeneration means he doesn't need to eat or drink anymore. His body only expended as much energy as was completely necessary to develop those organs to the point of being functional rather than normal, because they're not really necessary. Vincent is glad he still has them, though, because he does still occasionally eat (usually in social situations) and also he'd be really sad if he couldn't even have coffee.

Vincent's brain activity remained normal during the entire process, although that may have something to do with Hojo driving a bunch of fluid lines into his head and flooding the inside of his skull with mako to keep him awake the whole time even while deprived of oxygen. (Rebirth spoilers, but seeing the bit in the Nibelheim Protorelic questline where Hojo does something super similar to this, after this has been my headcanon for decades, was a trip.)

Two organs didn't grow back at all: Vincent's appendix and one kidney. This was also the result of efficient energy expenditure, as the human appendix isn't necessary for survival, and only one kidney is really required. (Each time Hojo removed the new kidney, the one that grew back would be on the opposite side, which bothered Hojo to no end.)

His lungs grew back a little larger, possibly because his skeletal structure never quite recovered after his first transformation into Galian—his arms and legs are noticeably too long for his body, although not to the point of looking impossible, and likewise his ribcage settled to breadth that would allow for larger lungs. He doesn't really need these anymore either, related to his brain being exposed to so much mako during the process that it can now operate without oxygen if necessary, but switching himself over from aerobic to anaerobic respiration is really unpleasant and Vincent tries to avoid it when he can.

His heart was pretty normal by the time Hojo was done with him, although his heartrate had dropped to like 20bpm even when elevated. Again, if respiration isn't necessary, there's not much reason for the system to be active. (By the time Lucrecia was done this had dropped to around 5bpm on average, although it's completely arrhythmic and jumps all over the place when he's not either particularly active or on the verge of a transformation.)

This was the experiment that left Vincent susceptible to degradation, which Hojo didn't realize until after finally closing him back up. Upon realizing that Vincent's body wasn't responding properly to a different test (a repetition of an earlier experiment related to the regeneration of external tissues and features), Hojo just kinda threw him in a tube to be disposed of at a later date, kinda like that scene in Arrested Development where there's that dead dove in a bag in the fridge. The incision healed at some point during the period that Lucrecia was working on him, but early enough in her work that the tissue couldn't flawlessly regenerate (like it does in the present), leaving him with one more gnarly scar on top of all the rest.

Vincent is self-conscious about all the physiological changes brought on by what was done to him, often to the point of loathing. His left arm is the worst—it rotted off while he was in the throes of degradation and grew back as something that he hesitates to call his arm—but Vincent hates that Y-incision scar almost as much. Some days they tie.

(It has come up in appropriately horrified conversation with Shalua that, considering how his regeneration works, Vincent could probably get rid of all the scars on his chest if he somehow peeled the skin off his torso in a single swath. He will not be doing that. Besides, it might grow back the wrong color/texture/etc, like his left arm. Not worth the risk, much less the suffering.)

Also I gotta finish off this entry with the extremely stupid headcanon reveal that Vincent's (honestly fairly impressive) dick was cut off during the first round of bodily trauma regeneration tests—and Hojo has never felt the sort of rage he experienced upon discovering that it grew back bigger than before. This occurred early enough in the experiments that Vincent was not awake for it, and thus has no idea how the fuck this happened, and does not want to talk about it ever thank you very much. I've never mentioned it in public anywhere because it is extremely stupid, but I hope someone out there finds it as funny a concept as I do.

[umbrellacam]

*steeples fingers and stares at my tablet with gimlet eyes*

so. Road to NML. You mean to tell me that the reason the rest of the country, Congress, and the President himself decided to write Gotham off, blow the bridges, and isolate everyone left - all criminals and asylum lunatics and 'undesirables', of course - was in large part due to *checks notes* a satanic rock star's unnatural, irresistible charisma and cult-like media manipulations aimed at dooming the city for his own benefit?

and that in order to find out what actually happens to this villain, who disappears from the Batman and 'Tec storylines...I'd have to *checks notes* read Azrael's event issues?

....yeah, PASS. I only included JPV's book on my reading list when I absolutely had to (*cough* whenever Cass pops up *cough*), so it's off to the wiki summaries for me!

...but okay, on the one hand I find it very funny how thoroughly fandom has excised this demonic media influencer aspect from the collective consciousness of NML - or at least it had never made its way to me via either fic or fandom posts. I know how few people read comics in general in this fandom, and even for those who do, NML is a Beast that only a percentage have tackled (see: me just starting to pick away at it!), so honestly it's not that surprising.

and like it can easily be left out of the story and still leave it coherent lmao!! One can certainly argue things are in fact neater that way; certainly it's not something that would ever be kept (or at least not in the same form) if NML were adapted to another medium, except as perhaps a normal media demagogue (or a montage of them).

but on the other hand...hmm. Thinking about Hurricane Katrina hitting all of six years after the NML storyline played out. And the debate over whether funds should be used for reconstructing New Orleans and other massively damaged areas. And people around the country wondering if New Orleans would or should be rebuilt at all. Or if a vibrant, historic city would just be basically wiped off the map.

I know this is a conversation that happens everywhere and every time a major disaster wrecks a city. There are always huge fights over disaster aid and funding allocations of any kind.

but man. It's something to see this fictionalized depiction in such close proximity to a real life disaster that paralleled it so strongly, and to know that - yes, there are always people who Do Not Abandon Their Homes and work to reclaim them. Yes, massive amounts of aid (federal and otherwise) and federal reconstruction funding did get dispensed. Yes, people cared, and yes, we rebuilt.

so...maybe we do actually need the demonic social media influencer's evil powers in order to comic book logic explain how everyone in the country turned their backs on Gotham and created No Man's Land.

like - no, it's not necessary. the narrative would work without it. and yet...

the premise imagines - requires? - a significantly more callous, selfish populace. Still plausible and compelling! Possibly even stronger as a story since the turnaround for No Man's Land still hinges on winning the country over to open Gotham back up, let aid in, and rebuild. But. You do have to start from - kind of a bleaker take on humanity?

it also kind of reminds me of what scintillyyy pointed out a few weeks ago about Dick killing the Joker, and how actually there's an important comic book superpower interaction going on there, too, with Rancor present massively amplifying Dick's hate and anger to push him over the edge.

but so few people ever notice or remember that and it certainly isn't one of those things that gets transmitted via fandom osmosis. (It was news to me!!) People focus on Dick breaking down and letting loose solely due to being pushed too far.

and that's extremely compelling on its own! It is! Just like the no-satanic-Nick-Scratch NML.

just thinking about fandom's tendency to ellide the supernatural or powered influences that are canonically affecting a situation, in order to explore/focus on more purely humanistic explanations or motivations...that actually end up being darker than what we might reasonably expect from real life, or from a character's typical values.

like it's part wanting to brush off comic book nonsense, part wanting to dive into gritty realism (that's not always realistic), part not having all the information because of learning things secondhand so you construct the most reasonable explanation...idk it's just interesting.

anyway.

more importantly: Dick and Tim are adorable in 'Tec 727-729!! Especially love them trading off yelling each other's names in fear/alarm, and also trading off protecting each other - Dick's "You hurt that kid and you're gonna be eating through a tube!" and Tim's clever solo rescue of a thoroughly captive Dick via clever use of a voice modulator and a two-way radio. The Boys 😊

[sepublic]

In light of Clouds on the Horizon and Reaching Out, I’m really seeing past Alador scenes in a whole new light...

This isn’t Alador actually being opportunistic here; Rather, it’s him standing up for his daughter and her friends, now that he has an excuse to do so. Al knows he can’t sway his wife on morals or anything like that, the only way to appeal to her is by Odalia’s sense of profit; And when he sees how Luz motivates Amity, Alador sees a reason he can give Odalia to make her back down. He’s still a terrible parent at this point, but now it gives the vibes of a victim having carefully learned how to ‘speak the language’ of their abuser and get them around to things, by framing them in just the right way.

Obviously Alador WAS also keen on his daughter’s potential, but this time we can view it in a more positive light, as believing this is good for his daughter and what he believes her goals to be at this point. Alador really is unironically, genuinely happy for Amity’s skills here; Proud from a fatherly sense before any desire for social gain, even for Amity’s benefit!

When Luz points out the Abomaton display is getting excessive, Alador agrees, but he doesn’t step in because his power really is limited. Odalia is essentially holding their kids hostage, and it’s not the first time a Blight has been forced by her to choose the lesser of two evils in order to protect loved ones...!

This shot? Honestly, it’s probably more the last vestiges of what happiness their marriage might’ve started out with... Or it’s Odalia being ‘proud’ of her husband for being business-oriented, while Al is just glad he got her to listen for once.

Suddenly, the scenes of Odalia taking Alador’s interest from him DO hit hard, actually... She really is taking away what little enjoyment and reprieve he has left and holding all the power, and not just veering her husband back on track. And when Alador reminds Odalia that she’s a Blight to make her uphold her end of the deal, it’s likely Al throwing back a saying Odalia used against him and their kids to keep them bound to their deals with her; He’s not impressed with her sudden hypocritical double-standard towards Luz here, for Odalia’s own benefit.

I’m getting the vibes that Odalia was the Blight first and Alador married in, and she’s really obsessed with making herself an old money name, even if she’s actually new money. Maybe the Blights used to be rich but fell into ‘hard’ times, and Odalia saw Alador as a means to make her family name influential again? Not that she cared to restore her parents alongside herself, Odalia really is selfish...

So the initial fandom perception of the Blights as Victorian nobles might not be too far off, as that was what they once were; And Odalia has tried to regain that wealth, while also adapting to more modern times as well. How her hypothetical parents would feel, I’m not sure; As long as it’s power, I guess Odalia doesn’t care about ‘sullying’ the Blight name by reinventing themselves as a modern tech company, new money and all that.

And to help achieve that Odalia wanted cheap labor and fired half of Alador’s team; And he proceeded to take on the burden of labor to make up for that, just so his kids wouldn’t have to. How much did Al even get paid... That’s like domestic slave labor y’all! And only an abuser’s victim would stomach such harsh working conditions for such little pay, because Alador is already bound to Odalia by marriage, and is concerned for his kids... Like damn, Emira and Edric got to goof off partially because of him, even if Odalia still enticed Amity to work in school to prove herself.

It sucks that Alador stopped paying attention, and his kids are still valid in any resentment for not standing up to Odalia earlier for their sake; But it really does cast what free time the kids had, that was necessary for their interactions with Luz and eventual growth, into a whole new light! What little happiness these kids had underneath their mother’s abuse came from their father’s neglect and sacrifice... Amity was already so stressed back in Season 1, imagine that AND child labor...

Which as I mentioned; Odalia still got what she wanted out of Amity and even the twins, hadn’t she? So it was still kind of for nothing, hence Alador realizing that and making his stand; He’s done playing Odalia’s game and negotiating on her terms.