#teaching them the ways to gain independence and supporting that

[neptunes-sol-angel]

Pick the picture(s) that you're drawn to the most, then scroll down for its corresponding message on what you would be canceled for when it comes to your reputation.

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Pile One 🚫

I’m seeing a scenario where a person that’s known for being in a group, decides to go solo. I see that you’re the kind of person who loves the feeling of being in partnerships or in community with others but you’d rather deal with loneliness than compromise the love that you have for yourself. The way that you wield your independence makes people very upset with you. It really feels like people have a nasty habit of trying to humble you so when you show them that they can’t, they want to convince other people to go against you because that’s the only way that they can feel some control over you but you make it vain by not caring so much about if you’re the villain or victim in someone else’s story. If a person believes the worst about you, then there is no need to vindicate yourself because most likely it’s because they already didn’t like you and just wanted a reason to feel secure about their vitriol towards you. You tend to outshine others in some way and people think that you do this on purpose or with sinister intent, but naturally you’re just highly magnetic. The things that make you unique are what make people heavily drawn to you. I’m seeing that people could have the tendency to try to gate keep you, you could be seen as the underdog in a situation or someone who isn’t as known at first until you outgrow your situation and gain this massive attention and support. This also could upset a lot of people because they liked you better when you were down, possibly out of envy or because they feel you’re similar to them so you gave them this feeling of comfort and validation so your ability to obtain this much recognition makes them feel left out. The way people act towards you could trigger imposter syndrome inside you but it’s important to recognize that you truly are talented and you deserve the praise for your skills and hard work. The good things about yourself that other people see whether they want others to notice or not notice, are real. Star qualities are embedded in your dna, you were never meant to burn yourself out because others are threatened by the way that you shine. This reading is supposed to be generally about your reputation, but I actually see potential for this pile to become famous, especially in the music industry.

Pile Two 🚫

It seems like somehow this pile is usually at the scene of the crime. You could feel like time just isn’t on your side. Maybe you guys have capricorn and aquarius placements or saturn is somewhere significant in your chart. A big reason why people would cancel you, is because of who you associate with. Some of you may already know this and are trying to work on it but a lot of you need to hear this message which is to be more selective with who you hang around with because you will keep being caught up in the crossfire in a battle that’s supposed to be meant for someone else. You’d be canceled for always being neutral in an issue that you shouldn’t be silent about. It honestly feels like a lot of your issues come from what you say or don’t say. I’m getting that there are moments where you don’t know when to read the room, for some it’s out of ignorance and naivety but for others your lack of self awareness turns to stupidity which will make others deem you as problematic. Be mindful of who and who isn’t your friend. Some people will passively let you make certain mistakes for their own entertainment or because your demise benefits them. These hurdles in your reputation will also teach you to be cautious of the ways you’re hurting yourself to save others who wouldn’t do the same for you but your rough beginning in learning how to be tactful and poised will make you more recognized and appreciated for your growth. Your mistakes will leave an imprint, but it’s important to not stay in embarrassment from it and to move on because at some point people’s reaction to it will change from disapproval to people seeing how iconic you actually are because of how strong and authentic your character is and your capacity to mature. Some of the negative hits towards your reputation do not have anything to do with what you personally do to others. Some people may cancel you because they feel like you win too much or that you have too much. People may be too harsh on you if you’re young when they shouldn’t because you’re still learning and you should be allowed to enjoy your youthfulness because time waits for no one. I can see people trying to scapegoat you by bringing up real world issues that are out of your control to criticize you because you look luxurious or too comfortable. I feel like your words are also twisted a lot by others too which can be severely annoying.

Pile Three 🚫

People consider you to be very controversial. What you do or what you say is turned into a think piece by others. I can see people trying to diagnose you with something that’s far from the actual truth when really you just want to have fun and a good time. Whether you are wrong or right I can see a lot of people defending you a lot but they could be part of the problem too as well because maybe they also try to put labels onto you or put you on a pedestal that you don’t want to be on. You would be canceled for not doing the things that people want you to do in your career which can either turn out really well in the end or be bad for you. This could push you into hermit mode where you’re not interested in being known by just anyone but the people who you can relate to. I see a lot about you not being able to go through personal matters in private because somehow everything is on display. People in this pile can be older or have experienced mature themes and lessons intensely at a young age or have experienced parents trying to pressure them into being child prodigies for success. What I say will probably irritate you too but I’m actually seeing that as much as it’s good that you’re having fun, most of the destructive and impulsive behaviors that you do come a lot from not being able to have boundaries or moderation with things in your youth but it doesn’t mean that you’re finished or that your life is over yet. If I could describe what people see when they view you as notorious, it would be like a bull inside a china shop. It could even seem like you’re going backwards but you’re trying to find yourself and you will. I see your reputation being a highlight for people who are coming of age or think of you whenever they’re in nostalgia. Whatever that you create in this lifetime will be timeless and healing for others in some way but could have them missing for your presence again as if you’ve made a symbolic cartoon series, album, piece of writing, or even an acting role that does exactly what it needs to do but people still hope that one day you come back to make an extension of it or at least give an update on what you’re up to in your life. People could see your opposition as something that resonates with them spiritually.

[kaphzzz]

so i saw a couple posts about how arthur is sexist and racist and i'm not defending him because ive got a filter on but i do think some things are debatable. a few things got blown out of proportion and overanalysed i think.

first off i agree by today's standards hes definitely got some views to correct such as gender roles and not resorting to telling a woman to go to the kitchen as an insult, but at that time hes about as feminist as you get from a man. he says he doesnt think women and men are all that different, and he doesnt show any doubt at all regarding the capabilities of the women in the gang. many times hes expressed his belief that the women such as tilly or mary beth are skilled and capable of fending for themselves. he frequently shows his vulnerable side to the women in camp. when sadie made it firm that she wanted to be a fighter he allowed her to do it, barely even hesitated. i think he only mocked her because hes irritated at the commotion she and pearson caused in the middle of the camp, and also when isnt he sarcastic?

about the womens suffrage march: yeah he goes only because he's getting paid but he doesnt mock them for their cause and isnt afraid to be seen among them or to be perceived as an ally to their cause. considering the amount of angry men gathered at the protest who would have died of shame if anyone thought they were allies to feminism i think the contrast is clear enough.

'arthur as a lover would force gender roles' i genuinely dont think he would. the girls in the gang do chores because ms grimshaw is in charge of them and arthur has nothing to do with it, hes in fact more assured of their mission success when the girls are involved. he trusts sadie in a fight with his life. he meets charlotte and offers to teach her, without her asking him, to handle a gun to hunt and be independent, not once does he tell her to go back to her cozy life in the city or find another man to rely on beyond offering to get her somewhere she can get food. he goes out of his way to help mary, even when he realises he has nothing to gain from it. these are his views on what a woman should or shouldnt do and it wont change just because said woman is his partner. and i dont even ship him and sadie but i totally get it, i think he'd love a woman who can handle herself both in life and in a fight. this is also why so many people thought he had insane chemistry with black belle and there are even fanworks out there of the two. he doesnt get to meet too many but he's nothing but impressed and respectful when he meets a strong woman. and sure, if his partner is and just wants to be a wife in a traditional wife role, arthur'd be totally fine with it, he'd probably love to have someone stay in their home caring for it and waiting for him. but i also think he wouldnt be opposed to someone who can accompany him when hes out and about and who he can entrust his life to either.

'he lost his temper at mary' okay why wouldnt anyone? thats an understandable reaction for anyone in the circumstances. he's gone to meet who is probably the only person he has ever loved romantically and still loves, and all she does is criticise him for his outlaw lifestyle while at the same time expecting him to help her using the skills he gained from that life. im not going to say shes using him or being manipulative but it comes close, which is a whole other debate and i dont want to get into it but mary isn't in the right either. they talk to each other as equals too, their argument and the way they talk to each othet just supports that. when he got angry he realises his mistake and tries to calm himself down immediately when mary tells him to be kind to her. any truly sexist man who believes in a man's role in a relationship wouldnt even have listened. there were and are enough men in relationships who dont listen to their female partners or accept criticism from them or would even escalate the situation but arthur is not one of them.

about him being racist - this is a no brainer honestly he wasnt racist in 1899 and not racist now. sure you can say hes ignorant and uneducated on racism issues but thats not the same as being racist or accusing him of racism. the only thing i see people have to support the racism argument is that he referred to javier as a 'greaser' during the boat heist, but thats i think the only time he says a slur and thats only because he's got a role to play and hes simply saying whatever the manager expected from his act. he thinks of javier as family and all of the non white people in the gang too, quite obviously.

and lastly yes i agree hes a flawed person, charles calls him out on not wanting to help the germans or the tribe of his own will, lenny calls him out on not realising that the south is dangerous for him and tilly and charles to be in, in fact many people put him in his place by telling him exactly where hes wrong. he is often offending people whether he means to or not, and in certain situations quick to lose his temper or resort to violence, but he is also a kind and caring and sensitive person. i dont think we need to be squinting so hard between the lines to know that hes a good person when he doesnt have to be the violent brute dutch shaped him into for the gang.

so anyway i totally agree hes not some pure pookie wookie cinammon roll capable of no wrong and definitely has a lot of flaws besides the crimes, but i dont think racism or sexism are among them.

everyone has their own understanding of a character, i dont normally want to get involved in debate but if anyone does want to discuss then do but keep it civil

[faeriefully]

I don’t know if I agree with homeschooling. I always found it doesn’t really expose kids to the real world and kind of teaches them to bubble wrap themselves from the rest of the world. Did you have a good experience being homeschooled and feel differently? (PS. This isn’t supposed to be an argument or a jab, just thinking about stuff!)

Well, in one sense, you are correct.

Homeschooling does not expose children to the evils of the real world before they are ready to comprehend them.

As a child, I was not exposed to porn, sex, drugs, bullying, verbal abuse from my peers, physical or sexual abuse from others, or authoritative abuse from adults.

Now, I'm not saying these things cannot/don't happen within the home. They do, and it's evil. However, there is a far lesser chance of them happening when you, the parent, are actively engaged in your child's life and education.

Instead, my childhood was one of love and support and growth. My interests were fed and developed, and my needs met both emotionally and intellectually by my parents who were both fully invested in my education and development.

My experience with homeschooling (as well as the majority of my friends') is that we were educated at a pace that was our own, many times a faster rate and higher level than our peers within public school. I normally finished all my "in the books" schooling for the day from 10am-1pm. Even so, when compared to my peers, I tested one to two "grades" higher than my age range.

My exposure to "real world" issues was monitored by my parents. I had discussions about what sex, marriage, racism, politics, government, abuse, and various other "real world" topics were at an age appropriate level that gradually advanced until I was about 17 yeas old.

As far as "real world" experiences go:

I volunteered at a hospital during my teenage years. I knew how to work and how to manage my money from the time I was fifteen. (First babysitting, then eventually retail.) I was in soccer as a kid and later did martial arts for ten years. I learned and talked politics with my family and other home schooled kids from the time I was fifteen. I had a class specifically titled "worldviews" in which I learned not only my Christian worldview, but about other religions and politics and current cultural events happening around us. I learned about puberty in a safe environment with all my questions answered and the comfort of understanding what was happening. I never had to deal with crude comments or abuse as a young girl.

I consumed media that was age appropriate and anything I encountered that I questioned or was unfamiliar with, I brought to my parents whom I trusted and would always discuss things with me in a mature manner.

I grew up with a consistent friend group that I trusted and still have to this day, though time has changed our dynamics and relationships. Currently, I'm quite content with my ability to make friends, socialize, and the number of friends I have.

My relationship with my parents was strong and held mutual trust. I was monitored as a small child, but gradually gained more independence as I got older and understood more about the world. If I had questions, I would bring them to my parents with no hesitation, embarrassment, nor fear. That relationship still remains, though now I'm a good number of years into adulthood.

Every challenge I faced growing up, I felt prepared for-- because my parents had taken the time to prepare me for it. In my education, work life, social life. If it was unfamiliar, I would bring it to them, but I rarely had to. I knew how to problem solve and think critically. I knew how to think things through and address adults and those in authority even if I was in an unfamiliar place. I could find my way around situations with little anxiety.

When it came time for college, I tested higher than average and was asked if I'd graduated in the top 5% of my class. I am now in an honors program and recently accepted into the highest ranked honors society across all majors in the country.

What real world experience does a child need that their parents cannot provide them when they actually invest in their children?

Society trains us into believing that a parent cannot provide their child with the education, development, and "experiences" they need. But what are these "experiences"?

Our media is flooded with horror stories and abuse victims of the public school system-- from burnt out teens, to abuse, to drugs and pregnancy, to anxiety attacks, to bullying, to pornography exposure.

What benefit does it give you as a parent or your child to hand them over into the hands of strangers (whom you're told to trust) for 8+ hours a day to sit in a chair and be lectured to with little to no expression or socialization with anyone outside of the classroom environment? They may sit in the same room as other peers (not allowed to move or talk), walk the same halls, eat in the same places, but they are not learning to properly engage with the world around them.

Children primarily interact with others their age during the day, and in what way is their conversations developing life skills that they need? Yes, they have friends and that is good. People need healthy friends. But a majority of the people they engage with are not their friends and they are not learning how to handle tough situations with individuals.

They are learning to judge one another, to morph and fit in, to avoid being bullied, to become the cutout that the government appointed educator approves of.

I always remind parents, schools don't just teach "abcs" and "123s". Schools form your children's entire foundation and worldview. The internet indoctrinates kids more than anything else once you let them have access to it.

Do you trust over 100 other children to have your child's well being and best interests at heart? Do you trust the government appointed official? Do you trust the internet?

Either you raise your kids; or someone else will.

You teach your child; or someone else will.

[gothhabiba]

a lot of places just want you to have A Degree which the claim is that it proves you have the ability to pick something + stick to it + stay on top of assignments and manage your time etc (tags left on this post about academia as a class barrier, via @seveneyesoup)

this is putting me in mind of the idea of the "accomplished" gentlewoman in 18th & 19th-century England: how a woman, to be worthy of installment in a heterosexual marriage as the mistress of a home, manager of servants, refuge for her husband (depending on the source of his money) from the harsh world of capital, & instiller of virtue in children, must herself demonstrate virtue and aptitude for certain tasks by collecting a train of accomplishments well before the time when she is no longer of marriagable age (say, mid-to-late twenties).

sometimes there is a direct link posited between the accomplishments she is meant to be obtaining and her ability to make a man a good wife (playing at the pianoforte means she may amuse him); sometimes the link is a bit less direct (maybe he'll like being surrounded by prettily designed tables and painted screens? given the Victorian moralisation of aesthetics & domestic decoration that could make sense); sometimes the reasoning is a bit circular (she may teach her daughters feminine accomplishments and thus enable them to make good wives); sometimes it's hypothesised that the point of all of this is to demonstrate genteel idleness ("look how much time I have to do things that are neither earning money nor immediately necessary to the running of the household").

but, though certain accomplishments were considered necessary for decades together (European languages, pianoforte playing or perhaps the harp, dancing), others (designing tables, netting purses, painting screens) went in and out of fashion, or even through what you might call fads. I remember reading one man in particular complain about how ugly Berlin wirework (a type of needlepoint / embroidery done on a wire frame) was, and how he hoped women would soon tire of it.

so sometimes the point of gaining an accomplishment when it may be considered very dated by the time you have daughters of an age to be taught anything is considered to be demonstrating an aptitude for things-doing, in general. shewing that you are patient, dedicated, quiet, good at managing time and exacting self-discipline, content to stay at home, capable of applying sustained concentration and physical effort to a task (that does not produce money and that, if it is 'fancy' work, may not produce anything necessary at all)...

these are the qualities, supposedly, that enable a woman to do the administrative & planning tasks required to run a household, emotionally support and/or submit to her husband, &c. 'moral' discipline is also necessary to the maintenance of the family as the unit of social reproduction along the lines of inheritance (that is, you want to marry a virginal woman to ensure that your children are 'yours').

& of course this is all economic—making oneself erotically desirable to a man of the appropriate class is the only way to preserve or advance one's rank / class status if one is not independently wealthy (or possessing of a sibling or something willing to support you).

this sort of pre-conditioning reminds me of the amount of social / military &c. disciplining that is required for a proper 'workforce' to be created (proletarianisation); a population must be broken of habits including a tendency to rest—to do things at unpredictable or inconvenient (for the owning class) times—to consult an almanac rather than a clock in deciding whether and when to go to work—or to fuck off for a while with no notice to go do seasonal work—if they are to be a viable source of factory labour.

so the idea of pre-disciplining—of a certain attitude towards time, labour, the self, and society being inculcated in people in order to suit them for a specific type of labour—as well as the idea of 'self-discipline' being a sort of muscle that disciplining the self can train, and whose strength can then be put to performing other tasks than the ones that first exercised it—is a common thread that runs through these different situations.

I think a full analysis of this would also have to explore the tension between the above 'self-discipline' and the mythicisation of the idleness of the Victorian bourgeois housewife (even as many of them really did perform many tasks around the home), as well as the tension between the supposed Very Extra Importance and Busy-ness and the actual lack of a time-discipline of the sorts of sinecures that having the right university degrees + knowing the right people can get you.

[chaoscrawls]

【ＢＡＳＩＣＳ】

Name: Bellamy Newman Alias: The prophet,The Favoured One Age: 33 Pronouns: He/him

【Ａｐｐｅａｒａｎｃｅ】

Hair Colour & Style: Pale blonde in colour with short and fluffy on top. The back and sides have been shaved short. Eye Colour: Purple. Height: 5 ft 11 inches Noticeable features: A long black writhing tattoo that stretches over all his back, arms and legs. Dark eye bags.

【Ｐｅｒｓｏｎａｌｉｔｙ】

Positive Traits: Persuasive, Independent, Determined Negative Traits: Paranoid, Cowardly, Bitter, Jaded, Power hungry

【Ａｂｉｌｉｔｉｅｓ】

⦿ Shadow Step - The ability to vanish into the shadows and appear a very short distance away. Works best if Bellamy can see the place he is ‘stepping’ to. Can be used for stealth as well as teleportation on a small scale. ⦿ Shadow Weapon - With a wave of a hand, Bellamy can summon weapons made of shadows. Usually they take the form of two curved daggers. This power can only be used if there are shadows present. At night they are harder to use, as the shadows attempt to consume their wielder. ⦿ Night Vision - Bellamy is able to see in the dark.  ⦿ Visions of the Void - Much to his dismay, he is sent regular visions from Nyarlathotep. They are graphic and mind bending and can cause him great distress. They are usually ‘missions’, ‘words of faith’, or images of the end of the world.

【Ｒｅｌａｔｉｏｎｓ】

⦿ Imogen Newman - Wife - Deceased ⦿ Jamie Newman - Son - Deceased ⦿ Leo Newman -  Younger Brother - Deceased ⦿ Lillian Borne-Newman - Mother - Deceased

【Ｌｏｒｅ】

Tw: discussion of cults and rituals, death, child death implied, blood, drugs, alcohol & sex

When he came across The Family*, he was taken in by them right away. Up until this point, he had merely existed in the world. He was stuck in a dead end job, with no ambitions and no friends. Only his mother and brother and the insistent need to compare himself to everyone around him.

He was easily fooled by their promises, their stories and their gods. Around them he was special. Everyone in The Family loved him, showering him in praise and respect while also teaching him how to ‘better’ himself. Despite having to balance his shitty job, he began to dedicate all his free time to them, as well as giving them all of the money that he could manage to save.

Within the first year of his life with the cult, he met Imogen. Imogen had joined the cult several years before and was now working alongside them full time. The moment the pair met they gravitated toward each other. She was in awe of everything he had done up to this point and supported him fiercely. He found a teacher, a friend and acceptance in her. Everything was looking up for Bellamy. He was in love, he was surrounded by people who supported him and he was finally worth something. 

Yet he wanted more. With Imogen now planted firmly at his side The Family found it even easier to manipulate him. He was starting to miss days at work and found himself avoiding his brother and mother. It wasn’t long after all this started that he quit his job entirely and, like his new lover, began to work alongside the cult full time.

Soon he was rising through the ‘ranks’, being trusted with information and rituals that he hadn’t been privy to before. For most, it would be terrifying, for Bellamy he saw it as just another way to better himself. Another way to gain more power and prestige. 

In his second year he married Imogen. He was overjoyed and simply couldn’t believe his luck, everything was going so smoothly for him since he had left his other life behind. The Family hosted the whole thing, which meant that the marriage was a strange event; they saw that the pair were sanctified in ‘pigs’ blood and oil. Bellamy and Imogen were so happy, but he still couldn’t ignore those quiet whispers in the back of his mind wanting more. No. Needing more. 

It is fair to say that this is where things started to change for the man. During his time with The Family he had begun to meet certain individuals that had strange powers. Powers that, had he not been a part of this strange group, he would have never believed possible. The ability to move through shadows, the ability to wield shadows as weapons, and so much more. This was what he wanted. Without knowing it fully, this is what he had been seeking.

One day he was introduced to a ‘Man’. Something about them made his skin crawl and his brain feel like it was full of static. But despite that he found himself full of reverence and loyalty towards them. The teachings really had taken deep roots in his brain. Perhaps this is what pleased 'The Man’ and they began to call upon Bellamy more and more regularly. 

At first it was for dinners, where the members around him would speak at length to ‘The Man’ about topics he couldn’t quite fully understand. Soon it moved on to ‘the rituals’. The husband and wife duo would be invited to drink bizarre, strong drinks and take drugs before indulging in layers upon layers of group debauchery. Of course, ‘The Man’ was always there. At times during these rituals, Bellamy could have sworn he saw a glimpse of them changing form into…something not of this world. Yet he always dismissed it. Surely it wasn’t possible, and he was still unsure of what exactly he had taken. 

In the fourth year, Bellamy and Imogen welcomed their son Jamie into the world. The child was truly a beacon of love between them and it was clear the pair doted on him. While Bellamy was still an active and trusted member within the group he turned more inwards to help his wife care for their child. He began ignoring the invitations of the higher ups and ‘The Man’, spilling excuses about how he needed to stay at home and teach his child the ways of their gods. Seeing as it was an ‘admirable’  thing to do they let his disobedience slide.

Yet, perhaps ‘The Man’ never truly let it slide. They were not the type to take rejection kindly, even if it was to father a child. Instead ‘The Man’ held onto this act of defiance, letting it fester like an open wound. In Bellamy’s sixth year they summoned him again. 

Over the two years since his son’s birth, Bellamy had returned to his regular life, and adapted it to caring for his child alongside his loving wife. The husband and wife duo had returned to attending rituals, and had been invited to different types - including sacrifices of various different animals. The pair never flinched, of course; they expected it. This was part of their teaching and they were blessed to be part of such a great thing. 

The summons from ‘The Man’ came as a surprise to Bellamy as it was addressed to him alone, but this too was a great blessing and he attended with glee. Upon arrival the pair began to speak, alone, for the first time in Bellamy’s life. It was normal at first. Discussions of The Family and teachings that had not yet been bestowed upon him. That is, until ‘The  Man’s’ form began to shift and change. Before him stood a being that he had only ever heard of in their teachings, a being that by simply existing made his brain feel like it was splitting apart. It was one of their gods. It was Nyarlathotep.

Bellamy was speechless, or maybe he simply wasn’t allowed to speak. Instead he was forced to listen to the words of the one who lorded over them all. ‘Bellamy Newman. You have been loyal to us and I have witnessed your deeds. I know what it is you truly crave, and I can give it to you. It’s simple: you just have to do one final thing for me.’ For two years, that nagging voice in the back of his head had eased off. It hadn’t left entirely, but Bellmay had been able to put it to one side, to ignore it to focus on his son and his wife. Now as if on cue, the whispering in his mind began anew. It was louder than it had ever been. All consuming and fraught with need. 

Give me power. Give me power.  Give me power. 

He didn’t need to say anything. The god knew that he would accept the offer. With that Bellamy was taken away by faces he had met in the past, those who had the gifts that he had always wanted. They bathed him and prepared him for one final ceremony. When led into the room, he came face to face with four masked people, seated before him. Sacrifice them to me. Bathe us in their blood and screams. After that, I will give you exactly what you want. 

Bellamy didn’t even hesitate. Taking up the ceremonial dagger, he made his way towards his first victim. As he placed the knife’s edge to their chest, the mask faded away into shreds of shadow. Below him was his wife, her eyes looking up at him. He should have stopped. Most people would have, but the voices in Bellamy’s head were so loud. So persistent. 

Once he was done, he stood covered in blood. Before him were four bodies, one much smaller than the rest. 

Imogen Newman- Deceased Jamie Newman - Deceased Leo Newman - Deceased Lillian Borne-Newman - Deceased 

The god was pleased with this act of servility and made good on their promise. Placing a hand on Bellamy’s shoulder, they allowed a leech made of darkness to enter the man, imbuing him with all the power he had ever wanted.

Four years have passed since that day. Bellamy has since discovered that his powers aren’t always a good thing, that they come with an increasing price. The Visions wreak havoc on his mind and are something unique to him. Sometimes he wonders if it is an extra punishment from Nyarlathotep for rejecting them so many years ago. The faces of his family are blurred in his mind, worn away by time or another force entirely. 

He blames Nyarlathotep for everything that has happened up until this point in his life. Convinced that the god forced his hand, made him do it. Yet he’s never…truly convinced that’s true. Perhaps he really is a terrible person. Still, he is terrified of dying or losing the powers gifted to him, so he continues to follow the orders of his god and The Family, albeit reluctantly.

And what dear Bellamy doesn’t know is that his ‘family of four’ never existed in the first place. There was no mother, no younger brother, no wife nor a child. Yes, of course, he killed people, but they were just sacrifices whomst he had no relation to. 

You might be wondering if I was the one who made him kill them. Well, that decision is yours to make. I’m also not going to tell you what his real life was like. Perhaps there were some extra embellishments by yours truly, but this is what Bellamy believes. 

*The Family is the name that is applied to all cults that Nyarlathotep runs. They are not always centering around the god Nyarlathotep, but can relate to any of their family members. Hence the name The Family.

[thestupidhelmet]

What are your least favorite seasons for each of the main characters? Season 8 doesn't count for obvious reasons.

Hi! 😀

I'm going to start with favorite then least favorite (because I totally misread your ask 🙈).

Favorite

Red: Season 1.

Red's still gruff but more complex. He demonstrates his love and compassion for Eric directly in "That Wrestling Show" and "Grandma's Dead" without being emotionally constipated about it (that's a term I use for Hyde, too 😂). Same with Hyde in "That Disco Episode" and "Career Day". But he still does so in-character. After S1, the writers replied down on him being a hardass. Perhaps some humor was gained, but more was lost imo

Kitty: Season 2

Kitty shows her strengths and vulnerabilities this season. She is the sole breadwinner while Red's out of work and supports him through his emotional crisis about his joblessness. She becomes depressed at Eric's growing up (i.e. when Eric and Donna begin their sexual relationship).

Eric: Season 2

This choice was a little tough for me because I love how good a friend he is to Hyde in season 1 and how strong he is in season 5. But in season 2, he must learn to balance his ego, his insecurity, and his wants vs. respecting Donna and their relationship. Unfortunately, he doesn't learn the lesson fully enough.

Donna: Season 3

Donna grows in independence this season while her relationship with Eric remains an important part of her life. Eric's insecurity and resultant controlling actions ultimately push her away. I stead if pushing her anger (and wants and self) aside to protect Eric's ego, she finally puts herself first in a non-selfish way --

Except for her utter disrespect of Eric in "Backstage Pass" (which is the accumulation of her understandable resentment of him for trying to control her and hold her back; story-wise, it makes total sense and is completely set up for by the writing all season).

Jackie: Season 5

Jackie grows and changes significantly in this season. From bossy to communicative. From living in a superficial fantasy to appreciating the depths of reality. Hyde encourages her independence and ability to take care of herself financially as an adult -- and thus encouragement happens before she's forced by her parents to be financially responsible for the family's estate as a minor (her parents left her without any kind of adult guardian, family member, godparent, nothing).

She discovers her true strengths but overcorrects. She has to (re)learn how to let people support her.

Hyde: Season 2

Hyde's protectiveness of and support for Jackie in this season is e v e r y t h i n g . He starts helping her not because he likes (he doesn't and finds her personality abrasive) but because she's heartbroken and vulnerable and he believes helping her is the right thing to do.

Kelso, of Hyde's best friend, is not only responsible for Jackie's emotional state but also punishes her after she refuses to accept him back as her boyfriend. Hyde not only tries to get Kelso caught by Jackie, he also teaches her a method of protecting herself from bullying -- making himself more vulnerable to her by doing so (i.e. sacrificing some of his own mental-emotional safety for Jackie's).

Fez: Season 1

Fez isn't a joke but a complex character who's emotionally insightful. He's someone who's learning how to fit in with his American friends and sometimes overshoots. He doesn't yet suffer from Nice Guy syndrome and genuinely treats Jackie with kindness. He has the awareness and respect not to try to steal Jackie's affections for himself, despite believing he could.

He calls Kelso out on his bad behavior. His bond with Hyde is well-written, too.

Kelso: Season 6

Kelso demonstrates the most growth and change in this episode -- where Brooke is concerned. He leaves Jackie and Hyde alone now that he's interested in someone else (a selfish, self-interested release). He's still selfish with Eric and Donna, taking their toys without permission and destroying them. He tries to sabotage Eric's waiter job at the Holiday Hotel out of a sense of entitlement.

He doesn't reciprocate any of the friendship and support he's given except at the very beginning, trying to undo the damage between Jackie and Hyde he's partially responsible for.

All of that being said, he works hard at maturing for Brooke to prove himself a worthy romantic partner and father. He chooses a stable, albeit potentially dangerous, career. He respects Brooke's boundaries (although he does try to push them a little), and he ultimately lets Brooke and his child go because he believes that's what's better for them: his most unselfish act in the show.

Least Favorite

Red, Kitty, Hyde, Fez: Season 7

These four are almost unrecognizable from their canon selves in too many episodes. Fez is the worst written of the four. He's reduced to a punchline and punchline giver -- and his disrespect for women a d female friends is firmly cemented. (This transformation began at the end of season 4.)

Kitty is devolved from her intelligent, compassion character to a dumbed-down, alcoholic whose fear at Eric growing up and leaving home is transmuted into hostility and resentment toward Donna (but this transformation began in season 5).

Red is changed from someone deeply in love with his wife and has eyes only for her; has no interest in other women sexually, to the point of feeling guilty and scared when a teenage girl hits on him despite all his efforts to turn her away; to someone who acts like a put-upon husband in a terrible marriage, finds joy (and possible lust) in posing with two much younger car models.

Hyde goes from someone clearly deeply committed to Jackie in seasons 5 and 6 to someone who is now commitment-phobic, disrespects Jackie utterly in "Winter" and after she graduates high school. Breaks promises to Jackie. Shrugs instead communicating with her properly. This Hyde is incompatible with seasons 5-6 Hyde except in a select few episodes where he's written in-character (e.g. "On With the Show").

Jackie: Season 4

Jackie vacillates between being supportive of Kelso's potential success and utterly jealous and resentful of it (and him). She chooses her love for Kelso over money, tolerates his lazy approach to finding a job, gets a humiliating job herself -- and while her envy at his modeling gig is understandable under all the circumstances, her treatment of him is unacceptable.

Kelso: Season 5

First, I have to talk about his behavior in season 4, which leads to his behavior in season 5. Kelso's misogyny hits an all-time high in the second half of season 4, as does his hypocrisy and sense of entitlement. He makes a false equivalency between Jackie's one kiss with Todd, which she is tricked into and tells Kelso about almost immediately, to his months of sleeping with at least two other girls with no intention of ever telling Jackie about it.

He also, hypocritically, tries to see Donna's breasts while he and Jackie are in a relationship.

He becomes paranoid and possessive, stalking Jackie at work. He blames his cheating on Jackie's supposed mistreatment of him. But the specific incident he cites is never shown on-screen nor spoken about in season 1 when he first cheats on Jackie with Pam Macy. He claims men cheat "out of joy" while women cheat "out of hate" and that "girls don't even enjoy sex".

This attitude and behavior carries over to season 5. Where in season 4, Kelso is decent to Jackie during the first half, he's awful to Jackie (and Hyde) throughout the whole of season 5. While he's allowed to sleep with whoever he wants, Jackie's "allowed" only to pine for him in perpetuity and get occasional sex from Kelso as a consolation.

Upon learning Jackie isn't going to abide by Kelso's controlling, narcissistic, self-entitled rules for her life and, instead, found joy with someone else -- worse, one of Kelso's friends, he dies all he can to destroy her happiness. Not because he's in love with her but because of his wounded pride.

Kelso feels humiliated that Jackie is in a happy, fulfilling relationship with Hyde. This fact translates into Kelso's mind into other people believing he's not the hottest, most sexually skilled man in Point Place. Therefore, he must "steal" Jackie back to prove he -- not Hyde -- is the hottest, most sexually skilled man in Point Place.

The above, coupled with Kelso's possessiveness of Jackie, feelings of entitlement toward her, and misogyny, renders season 5's Kelso a completely unlikeable and unsympathetic character. He should've been kicked out of Eric's basement long before season 5, but Kelso's behavior this season -- in the real world with the friends he has -- would have clinched his ousting from the group.

Donna: Season 4

While I understand Donna's character development in this season, and believe much of it is set up well by previous seasons, this is my least favorite season for her. She is in an incredible amount of pain. It makes her self-destructive but also outwardly hostile. She jumps into another committed (for her) relationship rather than talking the time to heal herself.

Donna disregards Eric's own grief to distract herself from her own ("The Relapse"), with no regard -- or care -- that this might deepen Eric's grief. Only her feelings matter to her in this episode, and it's written as if the audience is supposed to agree with her.

Dating Casey is a way to narcotize her grief. But she bullies Eric with Casey. She snaps at Hyde and rejects his friendship when he tries to protect her. She agrees with Casey's rapey advice to Fez about Rhonda.

Yet, as I wrote above, much of her behavior is grounded in the show's previous seasons. As much as I dislike how she acts, I believe most of it is in character because of the specific stressors she's under. It's a shame T7S's writers didn't give her a chance to self-reflect on her season 4 choices and gain emotional clarity from them (beyond, "I was so stupid!")

[eaglesnick]

"If history teaches anything, it teaches that self-delusion in the face of unpleasant facts is folly" -  Ronald Reagan

In his first speech outside of No 10, Sir Keir Starmer said:

“Our country has voted, decisively… for change. . You have given us a clear mandate and we will use it to deliver change”

If only that were true!  The sad fact is Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has failed utterly to excite or convince voters that he is the man to save this country from the terminal decline inflicted on us by 14 years of Conservative government.

No Mr Starmer, the country has not given you a “clear mandate" for change. We do want change but our votes went not to your right-wing Labour Party but to lesser parties like the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and more importantly Reform UK.

Either he is delusional or he cannot face the simple truth that the Labour Party under him is LESS popular with the public than when Jeremy Corbyn was leader. In May this year Starmer asked this rhetorical question:

“They (the electorate) still have questions about us: has Labour changed enough? "Do I trust them with my money, our borders, our security? My answer is yes, you can, because I have changed this party permanently,"

But the answer the voters gave on July 5th was a simple NO, we don’t trust you.

Overall Starmer’s Labour won LESS votes than Jeremy Corbyn in the 2019 election. When Corbyn lost that election, Starmer and his right-wing cronies within the Party heaped scorn and scathing criticism on Corbyn

Wes Streeting: 

“Jeremy Corbyn led the Labour Party to this defeat. Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet led the Labour party to this defeat. Jeremy Corbyn’s manifesto led the Labour Party to this defeat."

And in May 2020 The Financial Times had this headline:

“Starmer blames Corbyn for Labour’s election defeat “ (07/05/2020)

Rachel Reeves went even further:

“Jeremy Corbyn not fit to be Labour candidate at election, Rachel Reeves says  (Express 17/05.24)

 Reeves (Starmer and Streeting) got their way. The expelled Corbyn was forced to stand as an Independent. Dianne Abbott, also on the left of the Party, nearly suffered the same fate but the bad publicity this caused for Starmer forced him to reinstate her as a Labour candidate.

It is telling that whereas both Corbyn and Abbott won their seats with comfortable majorities, Wes Streeting, the poster-boy of Starmer’s “new” right-wing Labour Party, only managed a majority of 528: so much for Labour's “clear mandate".

If Starmer were to apply the same arithmetic criticism to himself regarding the total number of votes cast for Labour  in 2024 when compared to those cast in the 2019 election, then he would do the honourable  thing and resign. But that isn’t going to happen. The first-past-the post electoral system in this country means despite having gained only one third of the vote Starmer has a huge majority in the House of Commons. This isn’t the first time a massive majority of Parliamentary seats has been won despite the vast majority of the electorate voting for someone else.

What I find really worrying though is the apparent belief among Starmer and his inner circle that they have been given a “clear mandate” and that the country ‘voted decisively’ in their favour.

If we truly are to have a government that puts “country first, party second” then we must have honesty and integrity. But if Starmer is unable to be honest about his failure to do any better at gaining public support than Jeremy Corbyn did in 2019, then his government is already operating under the shadow of self-delusion.

As JF Kennedy once said:

 “The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.”

[soulful-lving8]

📌pof in Taurus 7th house

- since you can perceive the needs of others more than they do you can get them to realize it for themselves what gives them happiness regardless of their recognition.you know what gives them happiness more than they do

- your gift is your perception,the depth it carries,your intuitive insight

-in the process of helping others,you gain insight on what you need.

-its your duty to learn discernment, learn whats good for you and what isn't..

-the desire for intimacy and authentic relationships supercedes all others

-part of fortune in 7th house,your fulfilment and happiness comes from your partnerships and relationship with others ,you are joyful when you have harmonious partnerships in your life..

- learn your worth so you don't overgive to those who ain't worth it..

-good fortune comes to you through your partnerships...you thrive in one to one relationships ,it gives you joy

-one to one relationships is your greatest desire cos you feel better about yourself when you are in a relationship thereby achieving more in your personal life.

- your life will change when you find the perfect partner...but first know yourself and your worth by creating balance between your first house of self and house of others house 7.

- own this house,be whole on your own,sell your authentic self to the public

- open yourself up to love and true friendships, collaborate,Anything that requires you to be in the moment such as creating art or listening to music, or even listening to the wind rustle through the trees can support you on that journey.”

- you'll have a successful relationship,meet your soul mate..but stay independent ie be your own person,be whole on your own.

- One of the main ways to achieve a happy and successful life is through a purposive relationship.

-When you have established a partnership with someone, you go all out and pour everything you can into that relationship. You give it time, you let it grow, and you take care of it more than anything else in the world. You have nurturing abilities.

- It can either mean that the person you are in connection with will be the one who will bring luck and abundance into your life, or they will be the one to teach you and show you how you can attain them. That is something you will need to stick around and unravel for quite some time.

- You are attentive and vigilant of how people are acting. You are slowly learning to understand people’s actions and reactions to things they can and cannot control. It gives you a sense of mindfulness whenever you discover the ways of other people. (Scorpio in first house) Why are they reacting like that? How can they say such things? Why did they do that? More like human psychological questions.

-Little by little, every action clears something in your mind and leads you to a solution that people actually need. You offer this solution to people, and without any second thoughts, you assist them in solving their own problem even though you have your own.

-every partnership teaches you about your self worth, needs and desires.

-Selflessness is inborn in you that it helps you see the best in all things.

-you succeed when you collaborate,you have wealthy spouse

-you have good looks and charm, extremely beautiful,since it's in Taurus wealth follows self care,learn to take care of yourself,ground yourself with sensual experience & connect with your body, prioritize self care & living in the moment savor every moment

$ use your natural artistic n creative gift to make something beautiful..you make money by being creative bringing freshness. cos with Venus ruler of Taurus In second house you are blessed with artistic n creative talent..that's new & original , like fashion,use your voice & go into beauty, cosmetology you can be a singer or dancer,the feminine side of things,food biz too,

Your Part of Fortune astrology sign represents the qualities that you need to embrace in order to achieve your goals.

Like anything else, the Part of Fortune astrology sign has an exact opposite. For example, if your Part of Fortune is in Taurus, you have the urge to embrace some more Scorpionic qualities, but this will be detrimental to your longterm success.

You know how to enjoy the finer things and comforts of life, you may also have a good eye for what’s good quality and what’s not. Because of this you have tendency to get the best quality stuff. You know what you deserve. Great common sense. Will eventually learn to value the right things.

Make sure with Part in Fortune in Taurus that you stick to things you know. Reliable is always best; don’t gamble or take too many chances or you might loose everything.

Even though Part of Fortune in Taurus is about being steady, the universe can switch things up on you at any time. Try to stay fluid and go where the universal energy leads you, then work at a steady pace to move forward.

With Part of Fortune in Taurus, hard work is key. Slow and steady wins the race!

You excel and find joy or fortune in pursuits that allow you to apply yourself over time and that require methodical, stable, and reliable effort. You love things that last, and you’d rather put effort into something that can withstand the test of time or that brings steady, secure returns rather than flashy or flash-in-the-pan ventures. Pursuits that involve the natural, tactile, robust, or earthy can be most rewarding for you. Industries relating to finance, beauty, luxury, agriculture, biology, and comfort might draw you in.

The planet Venus is about love, beauty, culture, wife (or husband). It is also about aesthetics, sophistication, fashion. So, when Venus occupies the 2nd House (which is the House of speech, family and money), the native is likely to get attached to the materialistic aspect of life. Materialism is indeed a requirement in life; however, if one gets excessively materialistic in life, other significant areas are likely to suffer. The fondness for a luxurious lifestyle should not happen at the cost of relationships and ethics, which is a possibility in the lives of Venus in the 2nd house natives.

[wen-kexing-apologist]

You know what? No I AM still emotional about Phupa in these Our Skyy 2 epsiodes

*kicks down door*

BLESS P'AOF FOR GIVING PHUPA THE RESOLUTION HE DESERVES!!

Pat and Pran get their character arc through Bad Buddy the Series. They grow and change as people, their relationships to themselves and to others change, their relationship to their family changes, their relationship to the world around them changes. Bad Buddy is a story about them, for them, for them to navigate the world, their world, and their place in it.

A Tale of a Thousand Stars is a story for Tian and for Torfun. Torfun's memory haunts the narrative and Tian spends a significant amount of his time trying to complete her dreams for her. And Tian is changed by that, he flees to PPD and he meets a hot forest ranger, sure, but he also realizes who he is, what he loves, and how much he is capable of achieving. He discovers his independence, his ability to teach, and finds the place that he belongs. Phupa doesn't get that same type of journey. Phupa acts as a support for Tian, and while Phupa does gain two very important things: closure on Torfun's death/disappearance, and a partner in Tian he doesnt grow too much as a person.

Phupa is quiet and reserved, and it is so easy to overlook his depth. I know that I did. Over the course of these episodes, Aof forces Phupa in to the spotlight. And in to the spotlight Phupa goes, kicking and screaming about it the entire time. Or rather, being really fucking annoyed about it the entire time.

I loved these episodes, and as much as I love Pat and Pran, I do not care about where Aof left them at the end, because Pat and Pran are supporting characters in this story. These four episodes are for Phupa. These four episodes really left me thinking about a queer elder (Aof) using the popularity and fame he got from a young queer story (Bad Buddy) to give closure to a queer elder (Phupa) and make everyone witness it.

This is Phupa's time to grow. This is Phupa's time to have to face something about himself. To be on the precipice of change and have to make a decision. Does he remain the way he is? Does he push Tian away slowly over time because he cannot quiet his own insecurities? Or does he finally change? Does he embrace his queerness? Does he show Tian how much he loves him? Does he let himself believe that he is worth staying for?

These episodes gave me a chance to really watch Phupa, to analyze him and his behaviors. It allowed me to focus on him, and I love and care for the character of Phupa more than I ever have before. Because of what Aof gave us with these episodes.

[imthepunchlord]

Do you think Marinette getting the ladybug miraculous and Adrien getting the cat miraculous could have worked?

Oh yes, they could've.

As Marinette is set power wise in how she uses the Ladybug, the biggest issue that needs to be addressed is Tikki. Tikki doesn't bring anything new to Marinette, she teaches to be responsible, be considerate of others, step up as a leader, be dedicated and productive and stay on top of things; and guess what, Marinette is already a lot of those. Tikki is just hammering those nails even deeper. And while Tikki can be supportive and affectionate, she doesn't truly back her humans, she wants them to handle things themselves. So paired with this, it's easy to get why Marinette is developing and Atlas complex with Tikki.

It's a big reason Plagg I think would've been the best kwami to pair with her, for he's her best foil. He's the best set up to have Marinette grow, learn to adjust herself. He's lazy to her being overly dedicated and productive, and he's selfish to her selflessness. I don't see Marinette flipping a coin and becoming like Plagg, but I can see her learning that she needs to draw a line somewhere, to not pile so much on her plate, that sometimes she needs to prioritize herself and her own needs and wants before others. It's also a big plus that Plagg will be in Marinette's court and have her back and get upset for her, something she really doesn't have in canon (at most she had Luka but they moved him to Brazil so... yeah she doesn't really have anyone in her corner).

But to make Tikki work, there are a few options.

1 is to have Marinette realize that Tikki doesn't always know what's best, and she shouldn't listen to everything Tikki says, calls out, or advises. That she should probably challenge Tikki and her stances sometimes.

2 is to make use of Master Fu, he could be the one to advise Marinette to not have full faith in Tikki and her stances, or you can make use of him being someone Tikki works for and have him tell Tikki that she needs to adjust herself and how she's handling Marinette.

3 is having a different kwami to work with Marinette and Tikki, having someone counter Tikki's words with their own, and Marinette has someone else to listen to and consider than Tikki. Ideally, I do think it needs to be a kwami who's going to recommend prioritizing Marinette's needs since Tikki is there to guide her humans to be a humanitarian.

Adrien with the Cat is good, but he can be better. I do think he needs to learn some self control and self restraint with the power of destructive, given he can be quite reckless and emotional with it (destroying things out of anger is not great, accidentally murdering Aeon is not great, moving to kill Scarabella is not great...). I do also think the Cat is meant to be more stealthy in combat, so Adrien could work at being a better planner and sneak attacker.

Plagg ideally should've helped with Adrien's rebellion, help him gain independence, to stand his ground against his father and play by his own rules. These are what Adrien needs, and plays into his wants. He wants to be more independent, and he does need to rebel against his father and his unreasonable rules. And Adrien can be a pleaser so he does need to learn to do things his way and not just go with the flow like his father/Chloe want him to.

Only drawback is that Adrien himself is pretty selfish and entitled (especially with Ladybug), and Plagg can feed into that. Plagg is also the sort to let consequences be a teacher than actually be involved in guiding humans to grow, but Adrien isn't the sort to take up blame or faults on his part, he'd pass it onto others and deny his own faults. And it especially doesn't help having Plagg deep in Adrien's corner that he'll get upset for him, like Kuro Neko, technically he needs to get Adrien off his butt and get moving instead of getting upset at Marinette. Like, good for Adrien to have that, he needs it in his household, but this isn't what he needs either.

So for Adrien to work with Cat, ultimately, Plagg needs to adjust and step up his game. Likewise, can make use of Master Fu to stress to Adrien that he needs to adjust how he uses the Cat if nothing can be done about Plagg. Honestly, Master Fu should've been very put off and wary in Syren when he came upon Adrien threatening to quit instead of being a hero and helping those in need.

Honestly, between the two, Adrien is the dicey choice. And given that quitting as come up three times with him, and he still hasn't changed much with how he is as a hero, he probably shouldn't have been a full time hero.

[dawnfelagund]

I normally actively avoid posting about anything where money is attached. I'm making an exception here for a project that addresses what I see as a significant (and growing) need in the fandom.

I (along with a team of incredible comods) run an independent archive, the Silmarillion Writers' Guild. We are one of the only independent archives left, at least in the Tolkien fandom.

We wage a lot of uphill battles to keep our archive open and active, but one of the biggest is the tech side. I'm not an IT pro; I'm a middle-school humanities teacher. I began learning the tech skills to run an archive in 2006 and have been learning ever since. By now, I've devoted hundreds if not thousands of hours to learning how to build and run websites. And it's hard, mostly because it is hard to find information that is written at a level comprehensible by an exhausted middle-school teacher who has a half-hour at the end of her day to puzzle something out. Documentation generally sucks; tutorials often seem to be written at a level just above where I am. My knowledge has a lot of holes as a result, and I sometimes have to give up on something because I can't find what I need to teach me to do it.

The Fujoshi Guide to Web Development is a Kickstarter project that aims to remedy that by producing materials aimed at teaching web development concepts specifically to a fannish audience and with the goal of supporting an independent fannish web, where fans have the know-how to build their own sites, archives, and other web projects. They are very close to their goal. I made my donation today; I'm hoping we might push them over the finish line.

Currently, fans are primarily tethered to a few large sites used for fandom purposes. Some of these are benevolent and trustworthy (AO3, for example); others are not and have taken damaging steps toward fandom over the years (not mentioning any names here ...) All of them have their limitations. The primary complaints I hear about AO3, for example, have nothing to do with AO3 doing anything wrong and everything to do with people wanting AO3 to be something other than AO3. At the same time, I get it: We are at the point where AO3 is often the only choice for many creators to archive their work and the only choice for people who want to enjoy fanworks. Those people are understandably upset when AO3 can't meet their needs because they don't see themselves as having another choice.

But it didn't used to be this way. It used to be (at least in Tolkien fandom) that if you wanted something that didn't exist, you built it yourself. This is how the SWG came to be: some of us wanted an archive just for Silmfic, there wasn't one, so we built one. We weren't alone in this, and we felt empowered because so many other fans were doing the same thing: learning together and teaching and supporting each other as we went. This was when "building a website" meant learning enough HTML and CSS to hand-markup a page or adjust an eFiction theme.

But, as time passed and the internet evolved, our enthusiastically acquired knowledge of HTML wasn't enough to keep afloat sites that were breaking at a much deeper level, and those sites began to disappear. My comods and I did endeavor to gain the knowledge to save our decaying archive and, as noted above, it was not easy, and I do not blame anyone for not doing the same. It was a part-time job for me for over a year, and I'm lucky that I was able to make room for it in my life. It's unreasonable to expect that everyone will be able to do that.

The increasing consolidation and corporatization of fandom is a problem too. We've seen time and again that for-profit companies don't have our interests in mind. All of the fannish stuff we love on Tumblr and Discord and FanFiction.net could be gone tomorrow and for no better reason than someone will make a little more profit if our embarrassing fandom garbage is not there. It's happened before, many times. Even without corporate malevolence, digital data is fragile and having everything in just one place is perilous. While I'm sure AO3, for example, is diligent in preserving our work as best as possible, data losses and breaches do happen all the time.

It used to be that Tolkien fanfic writers would archive their work in three, four, more different places. If one had a data loss, that sucked, but mostly because you lost comments, not because entire swaths of fanworks were gone forever. That level of crossposting is no longer an option.

It used to be that Tolkien fanfic writers would archive their work in three, four, more different places. If one had a data loss, that sucked, but mostly because you lost comments, not because entire swaths of fanworks were gone forever. That level of crossposting is no longer an option.

[azurestar]

what if the flying graysons survived? (inspired by @31dod's prompt, but I took it and ran with it)

dick becomes a world-famous acrobat at haly’s circus. so, what happens to everyone else?

without robin, bruce is darker and single-mindedly focused on his mission. he doesn’t work well with others, and he doesn't have much to live for.

barbara still becomes batgirl– but without robin’s influence, she never gains batman's approval. she operates as an independent vigilante, and she’s mentored mainly by black canary.

several years later, bruce meets jason in crime alley. jason becomes bruce wayne's adopted son, and although he has no inclination to become a vigilante, he occasionally helps out on cases, runs comms from the cave, and helps alfred with medical treatment.

meanwhile, tim never becomes fixated on batman and robin. he has a fun night at the circus, goes home, and has a normal childhood— until his parents are killed in a plane crash, and he’s sent into foster care.

barbara's paralyzed and becomes oracle, but although she does keep tabs on gotham, the majority of her focus is on her own teams. the birds of prey forms much sooner: she has a pre-existing relationship with dinah, and– although she still disapproves of her lethal methods– she sympathizes with helena, who batman treats just as poorly as he did her.

stephanie becomes spoiler to confront her father. without tim's support, batman is even less accepting of her than he was canonically. but she doesn’t give up, and eventually finds her way to the birds of prey, who accept her as a teammate and a protege.

for some time, gotham’s vigilantes are split between batman and his allies and oracle and hers. it’s the no man’s land that ultimately bridges their operations.

when bruce leaves to lobby the government, oracle, huntress and spoiler stay to protect gotham. barbara, noticing the effect of batman’s absence on the city, suggests helena takes up the mantle. she agrees, and the birds of prey carve out a significant amount of territory.

in addition to the birds of prey, oracle has several civilian agents– including tim, whose foster parents left him behind when they fled, and cassandra, who recently arrived in gotham. the two become fast friends with stephanie. 

when batman returns, he silently appreciates what oracle has accomplished. for some time, batman and the birds of prey work in harmony…until helena realizes that barbara has been psychologically manipulating her. she tears off her bat-symbol and tells oracle that she’s done.

meanwhile, cassandra meets batman, fashions her own mask and suit, and helps in his fight against cain. she begins splitting her time between bruce and barbara, accompanying batman on his patrols and spoiler on oracle’s missions. finally, bruce visits oracle, and asks for her blessing to make cassandra the next batgirl— implicitly acknowledging everything barbara’s done for him and promising he’ll be a better mentor to cassandra than he was to her. touched, barbara agrees, and the two become partners— both in rebuilding gotham and in mentoring cassandra. barbara and helena reconcile, and she rejoins the birds of prey.

damian arrives in gotham on his tenth birthday. recognizing cassandra as his father’s most trusted ally, he attempts to defeat her in combat. he's unsuccessful. later, while she and batman are out on a case, he pushes jason off the giant dinosaur, steals one of cassandra’s costumes, and attempts to join them. again, he’s unsuccessful.    

bruce dies. cassandra, as his natural successor, becomes batman. damian insists on taking her role as batgirl, batman’s closest partner and heir. stephanie is cassandra’s second-in-command. they mentor damian together– cassandra teaching him about the sanctity of life and stephanie teaching him how to be a kid– and over the years, he grows into a hero in his own right.

[bacchanal-if]

How would E feel about an MC that wants to learn a craft or how to do business? not inherently to gain independence but MC seems to have been basically raised to be just a trophy spouse so I'd imagine some versions of them would want to learn how to do things (maybe even for E?) instead of just being a glorified pet.

So long as they don't suspect that the MC is trying to gain independence, they would support them learning how to do business. They would find it charming for the MC to want to do what they do, but would be very careful as to what they teach the MC about it. It would be a tricky thing, as the way they conduct business... may not be the safest for the MC to be entangled in. They would be a little condescending about it though. Unless the MC proves to have a gift for it, they would mostly assign them busy work to make them feel important.

As far as craft, I'm assuming you mean something other than the hobbies I'm including, as those are things that people of the MC's class are expected to be "accomplished" in aside from Spirit Magic. If you do mean something like the hobbies, then E would be very prideful at having such a talented spouse, especially because this does make them more of a glorified pet worthy of envy. But if it were a craft from the working class, they would not support it at all. If it meant everything to the MC to learn to do such, they would only allow it to happen in secret.

[rxshl]

On Capitalism

Materially, independence requires that one support himself by the work of his own mind.

If, for example, the planners running a socialist economy are responsible individuals, they will have to set terms for the legitimate use of public property; this will require them to define men’s permissible course of thought and action. They will have to specify the scientific theories worthy of laboratory research, the inventions worthy of economic investment, the art worthy of public funding, the men worthy of employment and promotion in every field from ditchdigging to college teaching, the dissent worthy of being aired on the (publicly owned) streets, in the (publicly owned) meeting halls, and in the (publicly owned) press.

If the planners are irresponsible men, however, independence on the citizen’s part is equally impossible: such men will demand anything or nothing and then switch the setup the next hour or month. They will act according to their whim of the moment, which thus becomes the basic law of the citizen’s life. (For example, study the ceaseless, senseless changes through the years in all the above federal regulations.) Either way, the planners in matter become totalitarian dictators. To the men whose lives are being thus planned, independence is not a life-sustaining virtue. It is a threat when confined to the soul and, in action, a crime.

The common man, we often hear, could never attain independence under capitalism because of the power held by employers, corporations, “monopolists.” The truth is that no private individual or group, criminals aside, can affect the independence of any other individual or group. Given the size of the earth (and the need for private property to be earned, then objectively demarcated), it is physically impossible for anyone, whether alone or in voluntary association with others, to own the planet or any meaningful fraction thereof. Under capitalism, as reputable economists have demonstrated repeatedly, a private monopoly can be gained and kept only through merit; without government favors, it is impossible for anyone to monopolize even a single commodity and then, enjoying a life of stagnant ease, use his property to “exploit” others. The moment a person attempts to set prices above (or wages below) the market level, he invites competition-competition on the consumer’s level, as men turn to other commodities (or employers); and/or, what is ultimately more important, competition on the producer’s level, as capitalists move money into the stagnant field in order to compete for the higher profits.

If the boss or the CEO in a free system does try the irrational in his business, the result is a temporary inconvenience to the rational worker, consumer, or investor, who must look elsewhere to satisfy his need; the long-range harm is suffered by the irrationalist himself, when the lookers find or create by themselves what they are seeking. In a publicly owned system, by contrast, there is no “elsewhere” for men to look: jobs, wages, hours, consumption, and production are set by a single entity, the state. How in logic can an anticapitalist thinker claim to detest men’s “dependence” on an “excessively powerful” private employer or supplier, then propose as a solution that everyone be forced by law to deal with a single, omnipotent employer-supplier?

[rosethreeart]

Lions, Mice, and Apples

Summery: She would not let fear get the best of her. She had a green-eyed little apple to protect and love. She would not let her fears or new and old wounds get the best of her.

Word Count: 1061

Statetalia fic about Abigail dealing with being a mom for the very first time and the fears and insecurities that came with it :)

Abigail didn’t know what to do. She was all alone, with no one left for her to turn to. Her bosses feared for her and her safety ( or was it the shame they feared?), making her swear not to speak a word of it to anyone, especially other nations. Not that she could entirely blame them. She had just gained independence, and whilst various nations were eager to show their support for her, they were still, well, nations. Eager and power hungry beings who have a tendency to follow orders without hesitancy or care for the damages they may cause. Always looking for a one up in the world or a way to play a sneaky little trick to gain an upper hand. 

Her father always seemed like a precautionary man, but thinking about it now, might have just been a tad possessive. Teaching her to fear and not to trust others, humans especially. Dangerous creatures they are, more so than the wolves that stalk the forests. 

Her father would always say:  If you have to choose between fleeing into a forest or cowering in a village, choose the forest.

 So that’s what she did…

…Metaphorically of course. She was all but too terrified to leave the safety and comfort of the one thing she ever truly knew: her home.

Her home that she loved so dearly. The one where her father would sing her old lullabies and mutter comforting words to her in the night when she was scared or sickly. The one where she spent hours playing carefree in the yard, her father joining her or watching from the porch. The one where she learned to read and write and grow. The one where she all too soon had to learn to raise herself. The one she had to flee for a few years out of fear of her father’s rage from the actions of his people, who longed to be her people. 

Her father, who turned from this kind caring man, to one of anger and hate. Whose eyes turned from a gentle, glistening green, to cold, venomous and calculating. The man who no longer wished to welcome her with open arms but instead a musket with an intent to kill. The one who went from no harm shall ever come to you as long as I’m here to the one actively hunting her down.

 Her father always told her not to be a meek little mouse but a lion. She never really understood what he meant until she had her own game of cat and mouse with him. 

Yet even still, after all of that she could never bring herself to hate him. Even a year after the signing of The Treaty of Paris in 1793, she still revered him and craved his approval and attention. She still loved him dearly, although many others couldn't understand why. A part of her doesn’t understand why either, but another part refuses to question it. Yet even still she couldn’t bring herself to tell her father of this new...predicament that she has found herself in. Whether or not it was the actions and still healing wounds from the war, or the knowing disapproval, or the fear that he might try to control her again that made her hesitate, she didn’t know. Nor did she care. All she knew was that he was not to be trusted, her daughterly affections be damned. 

Who else did she have left? 

Certainly not her loyalist brother. She loves him dearly but is aware that telling him would be all too much of a risk. Potentially she could tell France or Prussia, they did help her after all. However, she knew that they only really helped her out of spite for her father. She had grown rather close to the Prussian, who seemed to act more like a fatherly/brotherly figure to her. That seed of fear her father had planted in her consciousness many many moons ago was still there, always in the back of her mind, now stronger than ever, preventing her from doing so it seems. 

You can’t trust other nations, not even your father now.

She wanted to cry. She was terrified and alone.

Well…not really alone.

She had no clue how it happened.

 She just knew that it did. 

Her congressmen joked and hailed her as the new Virgin Mother Mary. She laughed along with them at the time, but that didn’t stop the anxiety from crawling up her throat (or was that morning sickness?) and fear of the implication that this may not be the last time this occurs. She handled it as well as any fairly young woman with nobody but herself to lean on could. She held her chin up high and braved through the months; just as her father always taught her to do when she was scared. . 

She herself never truly had a chance to be much of a child, especially by nation standards. How was she to raise one? Would she do a good job? Would it be human? Would it die like one?  Would she grow to resent her child like how her father resented her? She could not say, nor could she (or wanted to) speculate. 

But now as wailing subsided and grumpy little eyes opened, she couldn’t help but feel all those insecurities and doubts and fears flood back into her. 

Bright green eyes met teary blues. 

Oh, he looked so much like his grandfather…

A light dusting of straw blond hair on his head. A stern, yet somehow also joyous expression seemed to be his default. Much like the one her father has.

As close as apples may be to trees, she knew right then and there something would be different. She knew that she had no fear when it came to turning into her father. Unlike him she would never stop loving this little one currently resting in her arms. 

She would make sure of it. 

However apples still tend to fall close. 

The proof was right in front of her. 

And so she decided to give him a name. One, to her, that would mean bravery, kindness, and an unwavering refusal to back down. One that reminded her of affection and wanderlust and hope. One that she knew she would always revere. 

She would name him Arthur. 

[spongeofaces]

hi there!

i'd like to request a romantic twisted wonderland matchup if that's alright. please do not match me with the first years.

my info are as follows: gender: female sexuality: bisexual (leaning towards men), aromantic personality indicators: intj 5w4 ; melancholic-choleric signs: pisces sun / taurus rising / taurus moon hogwarts house: ravenclaw alignment: neutral good alignment preferred gender to be matched with: male

personality: studious, business-minded, tech-savvy, a little bit of a perfectionist, highly values knowledge and intelligence, tends to overwork, stubbornly independent, calm and composed, intimidating at first glance (according to colleagues), reserved and extremely introverted, protective to loved ones, obedient and respectful to authorities but will not hesitate to call them out if necessary, blunt, idealistic but a complete realist/pessimist on serious situations, highly organised, loves to play video games or read and write books on spare time, passionate, drawn to mysterious, historical, gothic, and horror subjects

hobbies + likes: researching abandoned and haunted places, writing, reading, exams, stationery, business-related topics (esp finance), coffee shops, bookstores and libraries, electronic shops, technology, video games, dark royalty / dark academia aesthetic, classical literature, classical music, detective/crime/mystery/horror stories (esp. from 19th century), cats, history, listening and belting out to musicals when alone, greek mythology

dislikes: bugs, studying repetitive subjects without gaining new knowledge, failure to meet own expectations, unnecessary change

fashion choices: gothic, elegant, classic, vintage, and formal fashion styles

partner preference: someone gentle yet authoritative, smart/highly intelligent and has a lot of knowledge generally or on a certain subject

ideal date: no preference but museum dates and coffee dates are great

i think this info is enough. let me know if you need anything else! thanks! ❤️

Struggled a bit with this one, so sorry if the results aren't what you wanted :(

---

I match twstgarden with...

🐉 Malleus Draconia 🐉

-:-:-:-

Doesn't matter how introverted you are, Malleus converses the same with everyone (excluding Lilia, Sebek, Silver) anyway. He also isn't the most social person, (doesn't get out much) so he doesn't know awkwardness from confidence.

A big quality time guy, and maybe physical touch? Gentle giant.

He'll support you from the frontlines, or the sidelines, just tell him what he can do. But remember to give him some support too, it aint easy being a lonely prince.

He's patient, so open up in your own time. He's happy to go at whatever pace you set for a relationship. Real respectful.

Knowledgeable in older topics.

This guy knows nothing about technology. Showing him a video game will result in many curious enquiries. It may take him a little bit to learn the ways of gaming, but he'll treasure any time you spend teaching him.

Again with technology, make him a music playlist. He'll adore it.

Honestly, this guy would go just about anywhere, as long as you invite him. He knows plenty of abandoned places to explore, and would be ecstatic to research them together with you! Oh, please let him tell you about gargoyles, he's obsessed.

Lots of dates! Be prepared to visit a lot of new places, cafes, shops, parks, museums, basically everywhere datey. Oh, but wherever you go, it'll probably be pretty empty. For good or bad, Malleus's prescence scared any other visitors off. But, that just means more space for the two of you.

Other options: Vil, Leona and Riddle.