#salem sisters

[xenaisnumber1]

When your acting is so good that one look can convey all the love and awe your character has for the girl she loves

[haught-under-that-collar]

so, to sum up...

[whiskeycat991]

[clexalab]

EVERYONE GET BACK HERE! There are clearly things happening behind the scenes and they need our NOISE and PRESSURE! They would not say stuff like this if there wasn’t a chance and they weren’t actively fighting for the show. TWEET, TWEET, TWEET, Email, post, BE LOUD!

[macabraa77]

31 days of Halloween movies 🎃🕷️🐈‍⬛👻

October 7th, Hocus pocus 🔮🧹🕯️🍂

[salemoleander]

I think what you osserved about Cleo and Lizzie is a result of many factors.

Gender is of course one and a major one at that but it cannot be the only one as both Pearl and Gem have much more fandom characterization. Pearls characterisation especially can be attribuited almost entirely to Double Life.

There is also the factor there are a lot less females then males in the mcyt scene and that has always been a problem. But this means that there will always be way more discussion over man because there are so much more.

We should also consider that Lizzie did have a lot of characterisation back in the Empires s1 days that has been swept under the rug as she became inactive for long periods of time, she had a characterisation but this characterisation didn't even apply to the life series because she was never in it like the others, she missed 3rd life, Double life and Limited life which definitely didn't do her any favours. Mumbos characterization on the other hand still existed because he was much more active and when he was in hiatus his fellow Hermits kept reminding us about him... But Lizzie kinda dips for a while and then comes back and is never really mentioned.

Cleo always had the problem of being simplified as either chaotic arsonist, doting mother figure or talented artigian with dark humor... It's been since the 2020 that I have seen people discussing about her characterisation being basically cut down to one of these 3 personality instead of actually giving her actual personality. This was because newbies at characterization back in season 6 usually put either her or Stress as the nurturing mom friend in fanfiction who then other newbies took as inspiration and it kinda stuck around in a loop.

In a way one would need to analyze this problem at the olden days of minecraft content but then we would be here for days.

Putting most of my response under a cut because it got LONG.

To start, I will point out that "this is the result of many factors" and "in a way you'd need to analyze the origins of this, but we don't have time for that" are extremely common & toothless reasons to derail talking about misogyny (or any other -ism).

I do not think you are intentionally replicating that, but anytime an immediate response is "well it's not really ____-ism, and it's so complicated we could never hope to unpack it," that maybe isn't a useful addition to the discussion.

"[Gender] cannot be the only [factor] as both Pearl and Gem have much more fandom characterization"

I agree that gender is not the only factor, but I think going "well SOME women aren't as affected by misogyny so clearly it can't just be misogyny" is inaccurate. Also, if you look at Pearl and Gem's characterization - Gem is pigeonholed to a very particular type of cutesy fighting-princess role, akin to many YA protagonists of late.

Pearl does have more complex characterization from specifically Double Life, but the majority of analysis & attention only started going to Pearl after she won. As DL was airing, much more attention was paid to Desert Duo Redux and Team Rancher and Impdubs etc. I also think the fandom has taken to holding up Pearl as a token and going 'but look, we can write women! Look how many emotions she has. She's sad and likes murder and dogs."

There is also the factor there are a lot less females then males in the mcyt scene and that has always been a problem. But this means that there will always be way more discussion over man because there are so much more.

I agree, it has been a problem forever (I've been watching MCYT since 2012. I watched Cleo & then False join HC. Believe Me, I Know.) But you'll notice my critique wasn't [All Life Series Dudes] are talked about more than [The Much Smaller Number of Life Series Women]. My critique in my post was 'if Lizzie's death happened to a man I would see more posts about that other hypothetical person" - comparing 1 person to 1 person.

We should also consider that Lizzie did have a lot of characterisation back in the Empires s1 days that has been swept under the rug as she became inactive for long periods of time, she had a characterisation but this characterisation didn't even apply to the life series because she was never in it like the others, she missed 3rd life, Double life and Limited life which definitely didn't do her any favours. Mumbos characterization on the other hand still existed because he was much more active and when he was in hiatus his fellow Hermits kept reminding us about him… But Lizzie kinda dips for a while and then comes back and is never really mentioned.

So this paragraph is definitely where you lost me. Your point seems to be 'Lizzie had characterization in S1 of Empires, and we're forced to borrow it because she's so inactive since then, there's nothing to pull from'. Allow me to share a screenshot of her series playlists here.

Let's leave aside the question of why people would pull from Empires S1 characterization when Last Life happened in the middle of it, and would evidently be a more logical place to pull from for Life Series characterization.

She had a whole Afterlife series, and she wasn't inactive after that! She had only 6 fewer episodes in S2 of Empires than in S1. It is patently ridiculous to claim that Lizzie is just so inactive and absent her Empires S1 characterization is necessary to fall back on, when Mumbo has better characterization despite vanishing for an entire calendar year to go biking. That is sexism.

Cleo always had the problem of being simplified as either chaotic arsonist, doting mother figure or talented artigian with dark humor… It's been since the 2020 that I have seen people discussing about her characterisation being basically cut down to one of these 3 personality instead of actually giving her actual personality. This was because newbies at characterization back in season 6 usually put either her or Stress as the nurturing mom friend in fanfiction who then other newbies took as inspiration and it kinda stuck around in a loop.

I'm glad you agree it's a problem! I can definitely see how that problem originated, but I've seen new fandom members for the Life Series - who don't watch HC or read HC fic- duplicate the same problems. I think at some point it's less a fandom-specific issue than a replication of the social division of women into Virgin, Whore, Bitch, or Mother categories, with no ability to imagine women complexly outside of those boxes or continuums.

This fandom seems to think moving the women in and out of the 'Bitch' box is the same as complex characterization*, and we've all just kind of gone 'okay' because the other option is nothing about any women at all. But we can and must do better, because I have to believe we're capable of writing and paying fandom attention to women as people.

*This is where DL Pearl generally falls to me, and why I am dubious of claims that she's well characterized. I think much of the fandom equates cruelty or sadness with good writing/interesting characters. But she's still fundamentally defined by the questions "How nice or mean are you? Are you in a relationship or alone?"

[illyanarasputinfan]

Jaki Martinez

[cozyautumnvibes]

Autumn Movies: Hocus Pocus (1993)

dir. Kenny Ortega

After moving to Salem, Mass., teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz) explores an abandoned house with his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and their new friend, Allison (Vinessa Shaw). After dismissing a story Allison tells as superstitious, Max accidentally frees a coven of evil witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat, the kids must steal the witches' book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal.

[loverhorror]

[asaletad]

Supernatural sapphic is my new favorite genre. Like girlfriends pinning each other, jealous of each other’s, always gotta be getting themselves mixed up in some wild shit and being humanity's only hope. I just love them 🥹

[xenaisnumber1]

The brunette with family trauma and the ray of sunshine

[novankenn]

Ah, come on!?!

SEVEN

A lanky blond man, a rather faunus-ish woman, and another figure with five heads raced around the corner.

Ilia: AHHHH!

Terra: Jaune! You know how to behave better than that! You're breaching our safe workplace standards!

The trio of figures skidded to a halt, and looked at the floor dejected. The excitement of having another new face in the department overruled by Terra's stern comments.

Terra: Jaune stop that. Let me introduce you to Ilia Amitola, she is a recent hire, specifically for your department. Ilia...

Ilia: Um... yes?

Terra: Would you like to say anything before I continue with the introductions?

Ilia: No... I'll wait, if that's okay?

Terra: That's perfectly fine. The blond looking like a kicked puppy is my brother-in-law Jaune Arc. He is the head of the Grim Development .

Jaune looks up gives a little wave, while also rubbing the back of his neck with embarassment.

Terra: Next to him is Wolf Bete. While she...

Wolfie: HE!

Terra: ... is a Grimm... they are still considered employees and will be treated with the same respect that you wish to be treated with.

Ilia: He?

Wolfie: Long story.

Ilia: I bet.

Terra: And lastly... um... Jaune?

Jaune: Yes?

Terra: (Points at the lab coat covered Hydra) Who is that?

Jaune: That's Hydra. She was accidentally...

Hydra: (Wailing) DADDY CALLED ME AN ACCIDENT!

Sister head #1: How DARE you?

Sister head #2: It's okay sis... he didn't mean it.

Sister head #3: Wolf-breath... you're closer... hit him for me.

Sister head #4: Well he does have...

Sister heads #1-3: DON"T YOU DARE AGREE WITH HIM!!!

Terra: Jaune? What the fu... ahem... WHAT is going on?

Jaune: Her pod was activated during the move. She was awake by the time Wolfie and I returned from the BoD meeting about the breach of my last facility.

Just off to the side Wolf Bete and the sister heads were doing their best to calm the overly distressed young woman.

Wolfie: It's okay Hydra. ERK!

Hydra: (Hugging Wolf Bete with a death grip) Big brother don't let Daddy toss me away!

Jaune: I'm not tossing you away Hyrda. Ever.

Hydra: (Peeking over Wolf Bete's shoulder with her sister heads) Really?

Jaune: Yes. You activation so early was the accident. Not you. I promise.

Hydra: (Jumps from Wolf Bete's arms and rushes Jaune her arms open wide) DADDY!

Ilia took several steps back from the whole scene. If she thought her hiring and on-boarding process was wacked... this place was an utter asylum... run by the patients.

Ilia: I think... maybe... I...

Terra: Ms Amitola, I TRULY hope you're not thinking of just walking away... from your first asignment.

Ilia: I... um...

Terra: You did sign a PROVISIONAL contract, that stated in perfectly plain language that you would give us thirty days as a "feeling out" period.

Ilia: Did you just use air quotes?

Terra: Yes.

Ilia: Just checking.

Terra: So are you going to breach your legally signed contract?

Ilia: Just thirty days? No loop holes, or tricks?

Terra: None. Thirty days. If you do not wish to continue your employment with us. We separate amblically. If you want to work for another department we arrange for a transfer and another "trial" period... or you sign a more permanent contract and continue with your present assignment.

Ilia: You used air quotes again.

Wolfie: They do that.

Ilia: Why?

Wolfie: No idea.

Terra: Ms Amitola, what is your decision?

Ilia: I'll stay,... but just for the thirty days!

Terra: Very well. I'll leave the four of you to get better acquainted.

Ilia had never felt more nervous that when she watched Ms Tera Cotta-Arc walk away. As psychotic as the woman seemed, she at least was... not this.... whatever this was.

Jaune: (Rising to his feet, while gently holding Hydra's hand) So... how about a tour?

(== Table of Contents ==)

[r0semultiverse]

Ambrosius (and Cinder?) in the Ever After

If it’s only Ambrosius, I believe this could potentially take place after the RWBY series finale, when the gods are finally confronted on their unfair bullshit & things get sorted out properly without wiping our Remnant again.

No need for relics if the conflict is over so they either get destroyed & the spirits are freed or they get set free from their chains to the relics, allowing Ambrosius to create whatever he wants, whenever he wants, how he wants, & by his own design.

In the very least, we know Ambrosius has to be involved, unless it's a relic spirit we haven't met yet! Those are relic spirit style doors. All the spirits we've met so far have had that light blue color theme & energy.

I'm thinking back on these interactions & quotes from Volume 8 & it's so intriguing. I'm sure I'm not the first person to say this but, Ambrosius knew about the Ever After!

This all but confirms that Ambrosius not only knows of the Ever After, but has been there before! He probably thought team RWBYJ wouldn't survive down there. If Somewhat isn't talking about Ambrosius, I'm going to look so goofy. 🤡

Wait, what if all the relic spirits or at least Ambrosius were part of these secret creations? Are Jinn & Ambrosius technically afterans? Is Blacksmith tree god lady also their grandmother in this case? 👀

The only possible person I can think of besides Ambrosius is Cinder, unfortunately. She has the staff of creation & the lamp (though as far as we know all the questions are used up).

Though this gives me a few questions if Cinder found her way into the Ever After. How did she get the same or similar blueprints as RWBY & gang? Was it Watts before he died off screen in a spinoff movie?

Also, is she about to use the clock fruits to get more questions from Jinn? 👀 Though I'm not sure how she'd know that information.

Maybe Salem is coming with her & she's had plenty of life times to potentially learn stuff about the Ever After. Salem could also be the only one going for all we know. Salem could absolutely know about the time fruit. 👀

Poor Somewhat is so happy to see whoever it is, but it's probably Cinder or Salem behind Ambrosius.

So anyway this either is a blip because of time dilation or the Ever After is getting invaded. I'll look so silly when I'm wrong on both accounts. 😂 I just know Ambrosius is involved somehow.

[clexalab]

KEEP BEING LOUD! FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT, WE’RE GETTING OUR SHOW BACK!

[whiskeycat991]

four beautiful girls!

[southern-sunflower]