#unsubstantive

[taohun]

genuinely what is people’s obsession with going “well your blog is public soooooo?????” or like continuing to go “debate me!!! you aren’t RESPONDING to MY points!!!”

[disregardandfelicity]

i was lucky enough to attend the premiere on tuesday (as the +1 of a contest winner); in case this is of interest (and, indulgently, to preserve it for my own memory), here are some tidbits from my night:

for the screening, the cast had assigned seats (jacob and delainey in the same row, sam behind jacob, eric behind sam, assad on the other side of the aisle, the same side as rolin, hannah, and mark johnson). sam and jacob were off to the side chatting during intros and never sat in theirs

delainey got applause from the audience upon her first on screen appearance, the only cast member to get one

daniel had a fair few interview beats which got laughs from the audience

afterwards, an actor from the venue came up and gave a little speech as though he was from a sister coven to the TdV in paris. then we were dismissed to the party, which was upstairs

initially post party, assad and luke were in the front larger room of the reception - sam and jacob were, i believe, already gathered in a far back corner in the second room, along with some other people. eric didn't stay for the party

the venue had a couple little 'shows' - at one point the whole cast and some other guests went up several flights of stairs to a room (delainey commented on how many flights there were as we climbed) where a version of the no pain scene from the books was reenacted by venue actors

kalyne coleman was there, i saw her chatting with jacob. i let her cut in front of me for drinks as an excuse to talk to her. there's a nod to grace in the episode and it sounded like that was a surprise to her (a pleasant one!)

my conversations with the cast were deeply unsubstantive, i was too pleased to be there to come up with anything too clever or probing to say tbh

when i spoke to jacob, i started by saying "sorry" (just reflexively) and he immediately, very warmly, was like what are you apologizing for! when i said how excited i was for the season and he said something like 'i hope it doesn't disappoint' (which i did think was surprisingly pessimistic for a premiere party lol but having seen the quote about hoping ppl still like louis by the end, maybe he is actually a tad concerned! i did obviously say i didn't think it would)

sam was the best at these meetings because he very naturally asks questions back. i told him i loved him in the newsreader as well, and he asked whether i was pirating it (i'm not exactly, i had a vpn). then we all walked off to do that no pain scene experience

after the no pain scene, we exited down some stairs which opened to the second smaller room. assad was behind me so i asked him who did it better (these actors or the show), and we joked about that. he then introduced himself to me, and when i couldn't help noting that i did in fact know who he was, he said he would never want to assume. sam came up to us and assad introduced him to me, and i got the joy of saying we'd met!

(SKIP this bullet if you don't want newsreader vibes-based spoilers) sam asked me what i liked better, iwtv or the newsreader. i said iwtv but that newsreader was great and season 2 was so sad! he said season 3 is the last of the series, and told me it's dark and bleak, worse than season 2, maybe only a second of peace/happiness at the end. so. there's that to look forward to....

he also told me about the crossover staffing between shows (emma and the DOP). i tried to ask if he was responsible for any of that but dont think i articulated it well but he said 'you want to work with the people you like'

my delainey convo was brief, i turned while we were walking up to the no pain thing and realized she was next to me, so just took the opportunity to let her know i was excited about her in next season

around 10-ish, sam and jacob left to (i believe?) go to levan's friends bar, along with hannah and others i didn't recognize. assad and luke were around for another 30-40 minutes after that, then the whole thing ended at 11. i didn't notice when or with who delainey left

delainey, as far as i noticed, did the least mingling; assad and luke did the most. generally speaking (and as expected) sam and jacob hung around together or in the same spaces. also perhaps as expected, assad and luke were hanging around together for lots of the night. at the end of the night, when it felt less burdensome to ask, i got a pic with those two. they were very cool about it, luke was sweet, we'd spoken earlier, he stuck out his tongue for one of the shots and he found me again later to chat

that photocall video i took (above) was after the 'no pain' experience.

[highly-important]

undefined

I recently got into this 4 year old They Might Be Giants song, “The Communists Have the Music.”  Music video directed by David Cowles and Jeremy Galante with art by David Plunkert.

Linnel:

On the one hand, Fran Lebowitz memorably said of Communism vs. Fascism that one was too dull and the other too exciting. However, our song takes its cue from somebody (I can’t remember who) in our high school, who once compared two bands (I wish I could remember which bands) by declaring that one had the power but the other had the tunes. This enduring metaphor seems to apply to any pair of things we can think of. 

I see a lot of people who are interpreting this very literally: that it is about someone who is interested in communism not for rational reasons, but because they’re interested in the aesthetics. I don’t think this is supported by the song.

TMBG have been making music for 30 years. Music is really important to them, I don’t think they would use it to reference something they think is unsubstantive. Music is culture, music is creative and expressive, music uses literary devices frequently. Fascism is more concerned with top-down control and uses stifling  techniques on its subjects. Communism is about bottom-up control where the people are allowed to be expressive. The song focuses on music because the singer is concerned with art, human spirit, and humanity in general. A literal approach to the song is that the singer is only interested in aesthetics but doesn’t understand the substance. Taking a creatively-minded approach opens up the song to embrace it as an anthem in favor of communism and left-leaning politics.

I think some of the major themes are art vs propaganda, humanity, dehumanization, paranoia, listening, watching, identity, and of  course, politics. It is about finding meaning and connection in a landscape that is trying to divide us, make us scared or angry, and dehumanize ourselves.

 I think the song itself is intentionally using symbolism and leaving its message up for interpretation because of this type of backlash to these types of messages.

The music video itself is a satire of American Red Scare politics.The scare is still going today- we still can’t listen to songs or study the period without a fear of it.

Right away they dragged me to the Committee To explain my un-American activity They're gonna see they made a mistake If they'd only let me play my mixtape

No matter the singer’s intent, the Committee refuses to listen to the music, refusing to hear the message.

But, the music video is packed with people listening, only they’re listening in secret. This is a direct spoof on cold-war espionage and paranoia that led to US intelligence listening to its own citizens.

The music video draws a metaphoric comparison between spying and recording/listening to music.

Some of the listening devices are references to real-world spying devices and animal experimentation done by the CIA. A 70s CIA operation code-named Tacana explored using pigeons with tiny cameras to take photos. The CIA also tried using migratory birds to place sensors to test for chemical weapons. There was also an incredibly cruel operation called Acoustic Kitty which involved putting listening devices inside cats.

Animals are meant to be connected to nature, but the bulldog, pigeon, and cat have been turned into Frankenstein cyborgs. These technological monsters come about from the misapplication of technical knowledge and an excess of power. It is dehumanizing.

Another major theme in the video is political propaganda and the idea of watching. “The Committee” are just angry watching eyes, swarming like predators. The politicians watched on TV are disingenuous puppeteers putting on a political show. The propaganda is an endless progression of war machines and calls for violence.

“The fascists have the outfits.” A reference to Hugo Boss, who contributed to the fashions of the Nazi regime. I think that the singer is suggesting these other movements have style but no substance. The various forms of propaganda may be more enticing, but they lack humanity.

We watch propaganda, but we experience art. The act of listening is a transformative experience that connects us with our humanity. While the propaganda being pushed promotes war, hatred, and paranoia, the two spies  who have been listening to each other in secret find love and human connection.  The politicians seek to divide everyone, but the wall between these two has come down.

“I hear a melody and just as suddenly I know who I’m supposed to be.”

The fascist system is heirarchal, and the red scare paranoia is ultimately self-destructive as the animal spies all turn on each other. Perhaps it happened because they are all listening to the communist music, which explains why they are also dragged away to the Committee.

At the end, the singer himself is trapped in a television, which I believe is symbolic of a type of political reprogramming. His identity is now lost, and he’s only able to regurgitate propaganda.

undefined

The Internationale performed by Billy Bragg, which the singer calls his “backing track.”  The international ideal unites the human race.

[nursc]

@entrpz asked : this was the last place i wanted to go. - Bones

❛⠀⠀⠀i know, ⠀ ❜ ⠀ two words, small and unsubstantive on their own, carry a world of humor, spoken through unfaltering, golden smile, the good doctor’s protests more than well known. ⠀ ❛⠀⠀⠀why do you think i tricked you? ⠀ ❜ ⠀

the party is in full swing when they finally arrive. draped in colorful, long robes, diplomats glide through the enterprise’s ready room in various states of tipsiness. if she’d tried to get here on time, she was sure this trickery of hers wouldn’t have worked, he’d seen right through it. but this unfashionably late arrival, the captain’s toast completed more than half an hour ago, christine is sure he didn’t see coming.

pressing ahead, she locks their arms together, tugging him ahead one final step. the automatic doors close behind them with a resolute swoosh. doctor mccoy can still escape — if he wants, but not without attracting the eyes of everyone in the room, or without risking being the butt of every joke on the ship for a week straight. it was, perhaps, slightly cruel to force him here; the twinge of guilt inside her chest, concealed by twinkling eyes, certainly seems to agree with her, but christine is sure she is in the right here.

it will just take a little convincing to get him to agree with her.

❛⠀⠀⠀smile! ⠀ ❜ ⠀

"YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON I CAN TURN TO" PROMPTS

[etiragram]

I didn’t buy James C Scott’s Against the Grain because it took me like a year to read half of Seeing Like a State (which has one pretty clear thesis and most of the book is hammering it in with a zillion examples which my brain keeps sliding off of), but it turns out that AtG

1. Is half the length

2. Has a different structure where every chapter talks about a different aspect of human transition to agriculture and the emergence of early states

3. Is so blazingly interesting that I’m highlighting one passage per page

I read a third of it in the past day and am eagerly racing towards the finish line.

[itsladykit]

Entrapdak Drabbles, “Coffee”

AO3 LINK

Summary: While Hordak and the Princess Alliance argue over the terms of their peace treaty, Kadroh is having troubles of his own, unbeknownst to the others.

Content warning: hurt/comfort, light angst, political drama, references to past mind control, references to systemic racism.

A/N: I have trouble with black and white thinking, so I’m playing with the canon a bit and introducing some shades of grey. 

-

“Hello, brother! Good morning!”

Hordak looked up as Kadroh approached, crossing his arms as he waited for the machine behind him to finish its work. “I believe a single greeting is customary, though I would argue that it’s unnecessary as we saw each other less than a day prior.”

“He’s being polite,” Adora said, smiling at Kadroh as she filled her mug from the carafe of coffee the staff had provided. “Good morning, Wro—Um. Kadroh. Did you sleep well?”

Kadroh inhaled and held his breath. They waited. Hordak sighed as the machine behind him started to steam. “Are you well?”

He gave a short, sharp nod. “Yes! I just don’t know how to answer Miss Adora’s question.”

Hordak’s ears folded back. “I believe such questions are generally intended to be polite but unsubstantive.”

“What?”

Hordak turned, watching the machine deposit a small amount of black liquid into the tiny cup. “It’s a meaningless question and you aren’t obligated to give a meaningful answer.”

“Oh. Is there a purpose to that sort of question?”

“Not as far as I can tell.”

Adora rubbed her forehead. “Maybe Hordak isn’t the best person to help you understand Etherian culture.”

“Oh? Was anything I said inaccurate?” He spooned sugar into the tiny cup, stirring with an equally tiny spoon.

“Well—no, but....” She groaned. “You’re missing the point entirely.”

“And what is the point?”

She threw her hands up. “I don’t know! It’s a conversation starter!”

“I see. It appears to have done its job; we seem to be having a conversation.”

Adora ran a hand down her face, groaning. Hordak ignored her and eyed the little cup in his hands, wondering if he’d added enough sugar. Deciding that Entrapta could always add more if needed—but she certainly couldn’t precipitate out any excess—he started to leave, but Kadroh stopped him.

“Brother, what is that?”

“Hmm? Oh. Expresso. Entrapta is not fond of coffee, but she enjoys the caffeine. The plentiful sugar makes up for the lack of bubbles, I believe.” Adora looked at him like he’d just done something both outrageous and somewhat threatening, which he decided to ignore. He certainly wasn’t doing anything wrong, and he had no idea why she was looking at him like that.

“Caffeine?” Kadroh asked.

“A mild stimulant. Many Etherians use it to help them wake up in the morning.”

“It keeps them awake?” Hordak nodded. “Is it poisonous for us?”

“No, but—“ Kadroh took the small cup from his hands and downed its contents in one go. Hordak’s ears folded back, and Adora gaped at him as he smiled and returned the cup to Hordak’s hands. With a huff, Hordak finished by saying, “But as I am not fond of coffee, I haven’t done extensive testing.” Glaring, he started the machine again. “This one is for Entrapta—“ He added a soft growl for emphasis, “—and you will accompany me as I deliver it. If you have a bad reaction, I want to be close by.”

“Thank you, brother! I appreciate your concern.”

He huffed. “At the moment, I’m primarily interested in recording possible side effects, but perhaps I will be in a more generous mood if you begin convulsing.”

He prepared the next small cup for Entrapta, shielding it protectively as Kadroh followed him down the hall and back to Entrapta’s room. He showed some signs of jitteriness and some mild anxiety, but otherwise seemed fine.

(Hordak would not admit to himself or anyone that he was grateful for that.)

The next few days were interesting. And frustrating. All of them were tired of fighting, but crafting a workable peace treaty was proving somewhat challenging, though Catra was proving herself a valuable ally once again. When he’d first regained himself, it had been tempting to keep hold of his anger with her, but Entrapta had forgiven her so easily, and he well knew what she had experienced onboard Prime’s ship. In the end, they both simply let go of their grievances without a word, understanding passing between them with nothing more than a subtle nod.

Though it was probably awkward for Catra to sit on his side of the bargaining table, while her love stood between to act as arbitrator. She was hardly a neutral party, but she was more sympathetic to the Horde than the others sitting on Bright Moon’s side of the table.

“I am happy to guarantee the peaceful return of Scorpia’s birthright to her—“ Never mind that he still didn’t fully understand the concept of a ‘birthright’. “—when I have it in writing that my brethren will not be held responsible for their actions while under Prime’s control. And the Etherian Horde will not be discriminated against for their actions in wartime.”

“Of course they won’t! What kind of people do you think we are?”

“There is a reason my armies were composed primarily of Reptilians and other races that are not ‘cute’ in the eyes of most Etherians.”

“What are you implying?”

“I’m implying that the Scorpion kingdom was keen for an alliance because they and their people have not always been treated fairly!”

He stood with his hands splayed on the table before him, red eyes narrowed. Glimmer stood across from him, just as angry as he. “That’s not true!”

“Learn your history, little queen. Study more than your own propaganda.”

“Propaganda?! You’re one to talk about—!”

“Okay! Okay!” The She-Ra held out an arm. “Why don’t we all just...settle down and take a break for lunch? Everyone will be in a better mood after eating, right?”

Glimmer and Hordak slowly backed down, but both continued to glare. “Fine,” the queen said, “I hope our guests enjoy Bright Moon’s hospitality.”

He huffed, but Catra yawned, smacking him on the shoulder as she did. He glared, but she just said, “Sounds good to us. Right, ‘boss’?”

He didn’t enjoy the way she said that. Nonetheless, he respected her instincts in this regard. “Fine. We will continue this later.”

“Fine,” the queen said.

He bit his tongue. She could have the last word if it made her feel better. He just offered a subtle nod, then walked out of the war room, which Bow now insisted they refer to as the ‘Peace Room’. Kadroh was sitting against the wall opposite the door, cradling a mug of coffee between his hands. Hordak didn’t understand the appeal; it was foul, bitter stuff, but if anything, that went a long way to prove that taste was a matter of environment, not genetics.

“Hello, brother!”

Hordak’s ears twitched, but he only grunted in acknowledgment. He didn’t have the patience for him at the moment, intent on seeking out Entrapta instead. She’d declined her place at the bargaining table, saying she was busy studying the tech they’d scavenged from Prime’s towers.

As he walked away, he heard Bow say, “Hey, Kadroh. You look a little...worn down. Have you slept?”

“Oh, yes. Many times!” Kadroh, as ever, sounded excited to be asked.

Hordak shook his head with a soft huff as he turned the corner, out of earshot of their conversation. He knocked on Entrapta’s door. He waited for an invitation to enter, but none was forthcoming. “Entrapta?”

A crash from inside the room caused him to eye the door with alarm, until she threw it open with her hair and pulled him inside. His features softened and he smiled at her as she busily worked on a piece of tech. “That was fast. Did you guys work out a treaty already?”

He stood behind her, admiring her work. “Hardly. It’s been five hours, and we’ve made no progress. We’re breaking for lunch. I came to see if you wanted food.”

“Five hours—?! Oh, wow, I didn’t even notice. I’ll have lunch with you. Just give me one more minute.” She drew out the last sentence, and he smiled, putting his hands behind his back to resist running his fingers through the tendrils of hair tugging at his arms.

“You’re busy. I’ll bring you a plate.”

“Are you sure?

“Your work is important. I wouldn’t want to interrupt you.”

“It’s not...important,” she muttered, “I mean. All scientific discovery is important, but I’m not working on anything in particular. Just...figuring out this cute little chip’s secrets!” She held it up for him to examine. “Isn’t it adorable?”

He leaned close, studying it critically. “I have no means of judging that, so I’ll trust your expertise.”

She looked at him. “Do they have tiny food?”

“They do.”

“And you’ll really bring me some?”

“I will.”

Her smile was radiant, and something in him softened. “Thank you.” He nodded, gently squeezing the rope of hair that took his hand. He turned to leave, already more relaxed and at ease than he’d been when he entered. “Oh, Hordak?” He paused. “Will you bring Kadroh in too? I think it’s been a while since I’ve checked on him, and I want to make sure he’s doing okay.”

If Hordak’s ears drooped, he could at least be consoled that Entrapta didn’t notice. “I’ll bring you whatever you ask for.”

“Kadroh and a plate of tiny foods should be sufficient!” She paused. “Oh, and maybe a fizzy drink?”

“Of course.”

He left, hearts heavier than they had been. He entered the hall where the staff had laid out food for the gathered dignitaries, though none he saw were especially dignified. He withheld a sigh and sought out his brother.

Of course he was at the head table with the queen and her retinue. He allowed himself a soft growl, then made his way toward them. He ignored the way their talk ceased at his approach. Except Kadroh, who waved at him. “Hello, brother!”

He withheld a sigh and offered a nod, trying to be patient for Entrapta’s sake. “I came to see if you would join Entrapta and me for lunch.”

“Why doesn’t Geek Princess come out here and join us?” the Salineas Princess asked, watching him with hostile eyes. “I thought she was part of the Alliance. Or did she switch sides? Again.”

The man at her side laughed nervously, leaning close to say something in her ear, while everyone else stilled. Catra shut her eyes, covering her face with one hand. Hordak clasped his hands behind his back, claws digging into his wrists. “Perhaps she would join you more readily if you didn’t call her degrading names.”

The princess sat upright, as if she’d been slapped. “Hey! That’s not—it’s just a nickname!”

“And this is just a luncheon. If you consider her absence a slight, then I suggest you speak to her about it rather than trading words with me.” He looked down at Kadroh, intent on leaving, only to find he’d nodded off. His ears twitched, and he glanced at the others for an explanation, but they were obviously as confused as he was.

Bow leaned forward in his seat, reaching for Kadroh. “Hey, buddy, you doing—“

Hordak caught his hand. “That’s an excellent way to get bitten.” He blanched, pulling his hand back hurriedly. “Kadroh?” His ear twitched, but he showed no signs of waking. Hordak straightened, his arms crossed. “Has he been ill? Behaving oddly?”

Bow and Adora shared a look. “Well...”

“He’s, uh, been a little...off?”

“But he’s always like that,” Catra added.

Hordak huffed, annoyed. “Brother, wake up.”

Nothing. Bracing himself—and closing his hand into a fist so he didn’t risk losing a finger—he jostled Kadroh’s shoulder, rousing him.

Thankfully, Kadroh did not try biting him. He just gasped, sitting upright. “I’m sorry!”

Hordak’s ears folded back as he crossed his arms. “For what?”

“I—“ Kadroh looked at the others and at Hordak, then he lowered his gaze and shrugged. “It’s rude, isn’t it? To fall asleep in public.” His ears were drooping and when he reached for the coffee mug, his hands were shaking.

Hordak pushed the mug out of reach, starting to piece a few things together.

“I wouldn’t know. Brother, how long has it been since you last slept?”

“Just barely a minute now.”

Hordak sighed. “True sleep, Kadroh. Extended sleep. For at least a few hours.”

“Oh.” He shrugged nervously. “I think...three days?”

Catra swore and Bow leaned forward. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

His claws plucked at the tablecloth and his ears drooped. “What’s it called when dreams are...bad?”

“Nightmares?” Bow said.

“Oh! Oh, that’s a good name! I like that—well, I don’t like them, but that is a very fitting name.”

“You’re having nightmares bad enough that you have been deliberately dosing yourself with caffeine in order to avoid them?” Hordak asked, ears folded back. K adroh shrugged, ears lowered and features faintly flushed. Hordak sighed. “About what?”

Kadroh traced patterns on the tabletop with a claw. “I keep seeing them. The people I’ve killed. The ones I chipped so they would serve....” He shivered. “Brother.” He looked up at him. “How do you deal with it? With what...what he used us for? With what you’ve done?”

Hordak was very conscious of the Etherians’ eyes on him. “Come with me.” He turned, expecting Kadroh to follow.

Behind him, he heard someone say, softly, “You don’t have to go. You can talk to us about it.”

Kadroh hesitated. “Thank you, friends, but...I think you would not understand.”

“Hey, we were chipped,” the Salineas Princess said. “We get it.”

Hordak stopped. An acidic retort came to him, but Kadroh stood and, head bowed, replied, “With respect, I don’t believe you do. Being chipped is not the same as....as....” He floundered looking lost.

Hordak finished the thought for him. “It is not the same as being created for the sole purpose of serving Prime, or being conditioned from the time you draw your first breath to believe that your only value is in how well you serve him. There is also the matter of time. How long did you serve, brother?”

The Etherians watched him and their eyes went wide when he said, “I don’t know. I think a long time. My memories are fuzzy, but I believe I have conquered many worlds in his name.” He shivered again, hugging himself.

“Come,” Hordak said again. “Entrapta expects us.”

Meekly, Kadroh followed as Hordak collected food and a fizzy drink for Entrapta. For them, he grabbed a pitcher of water and pushed it into Kadroh’s hands, saying, “You are likely dehydrated. You will drink water.”

Kadroh nodded solemnly, hugging the pitcher to his chest. He trailed behind Hordak as they left the hall and obediently knocked on Entrapta’s door when they arrived, since Hordak’s hands were full.

“Come in!” They entered, and she greeted them without turning. “Thanks for bringing food! I didn’t even realize how hungry I was until you mentioned it. Just give...me...one...second....” She drew the words out, as if buying herself more time before she had to turn. Unable to help it, Hordak smiled softly, setting the plate of food within her reach. She looked up briefly. “Ooh, blinis!”

“I will get more if you need more,” he assured her, then he eyed Kadroh. “I brought Kadroh—“

“Oh, right!” She looked at the chip. “I’m almost...done....”

“He has been having nightmares.”

She set the chip down and jumped off the seat she’d made of her hair. “Karoh?” She stopped in front of him, using her hair to raise herself to his height. “Are you okay?”

He looked at Hordak. “Is this another polite question?”

“No. Entrapta does not ask meaningless questions. She expects an honest answer.”

“Oh.”

They waited. When it became clear Kadroh didn’t want to answer, Hordak sighed and said, “He’s been drinking coffee to keep from sleeping because of the severity of his nightmares.”

“Oh, Kadroh....” She hesitated, then took his hand, guiding him over to her bed, where they both sat down. “You can come talk to me or Hordak if you need help.”

“I didn’t think there was anything you could do. They’re just...bad dreams. How do you fix that?” He curled up as he said it, drawing his knees toward his chest.

Hordak grunted. “Not by abusing caffeine—“ Entrapta turned and gave him a look. Hordak winced. “I mean that delaying or disrupting your sleep patterns will make it worse, not better.”

“Worse?!”

Entrapta’s hair wrapped around his shoulders. A stray rope grabbed Hordak’s hand and tugged him toward the bed. He fought it briefly, but his hearts weren’t in it. He allowed himself to be pulled over and pushed onto the bed, on Kadroh’s other side. He sat stiff and still beside him, his arms crossed.

“We’ll figure out a way to help. Right, Hordak?”

He glanced at her, then sighed heavily. “Nightmares are common among the soldiers, particularly when they’ve returned from combat in the frontlines. There are medications that help, though I’m not sure if they’re compatible with our biology. I am also given to understand that there are certain kinds of therapy that can help. I will look into the matter—“

Kadroh was hugging him. Hordak sighed, looking at Entrapta, who just smiled at him. His ears folded back, but he didn’t push Kadroh away. “Talking about it can help too,” she said. “We’re here for you. We’ll listen.”

“Thank you,” Kadroh said, his voice thick. Hordak looked down at him, eyes widening when he saw that Kadroh was crying. “I’m. I’m glad to be free. I don’t want to go back to the way things were. But being apart from the Hivemind....” His grip on Hordak tightened. “Sometimes, I just feel so alone.”

Hordak looked at Entrapta, feeling a little panicked—he had no idea what he was supposed to do now. She just ran her hand up and down Kadroh’s back. “It’s okay. You’re not alone. We’re here.” She looked at Hordak, her expression encouraging.

He cleared his throat, carefully extracting one arm from Kadroh’s hold so he could lay it over his upper back, squeezing his shoulder. “Yes. We are here. You may....” He glanced at Entrapta, who nodded. “You may talk to us about these things. We will do what we can to help, even if it is just listening.”

His ears drew down when Kadroh started snoring softly. He looked at Entrapta, still not sure what to do. “Why don’t we lay him down?” she suggested. Hordak tried to shift him onto the bed and into a more comfortable position, but even in sleep, he wouldn’t release his hold.

“He is clinging to me.”

“I know! It’s so cute!”

He growled softly. “I am not a teddy bear!” He looked down at Kadroh. “But I can stay until it’s time for the delegates to meet again.”

To his surprise, Entrapta leaned over Kadroh to kiss Hordak on the cheek. “Thank you.”

He blinked, feeling his cheeks grow hot. “For—what?”

“Being a good brother. I think he needs one.”

“I.” He looked between her and Kadroh. “I am not. I don’t know how to....” His ears folded back. “I was not designed for this, and I was never very good at even the things I was specifically designed for. How am I supposed to...?”

“You are more than what he made you for. So much more.”

He swallowed, looking away. “I.” His chest felt tight. “I am trying.”

Her smile was brilliant and, somehow, having Kadroh’s arms around him began to feel...nice.

Later, when Adora knocked on their door, they managed to maneuver Kadroh off of Hordak and onto the bed. “I’ll look after him. Good luck at your meeting.”

He nodded, privately wishing she could be at his side, but he knew that this wasn’t her strength. Besides, Kadroh would not want to be alone if he woke. In the hallway, he and Adora walked back together. She glanced at him, fidgeting nervously. “Is Kadroh okay?”

“He is sleeping. Entrapta will be there if he has any nightmares.”

“...you, um, you didn’t just drug him, right?”

His ears folded back. “He fell asleep naturally. I would not have sedated him; who knows how that would have interacted with the caffeine.”

“Sorry. It’s just...you’re not very....” He crossed his arms and looked down at her, waiting. She rubbed the back of her neck. “Never mind. You know what? Entrapta talked him through an existential crisis, I’m sure she can take care of this.”

He huffed and turned away. Neither of them spoke again until they reached the conference room. They paused in the doorway. The others were already gathered, but—

“Uh. Scorpia? I think you’re on the wrong side of the table.” She was seated a space away from Catra, claws folded neatly in front of her.

“No. No, I’ve, uh. I’ve been thinking.” Scorpia scratched the back of her neck. “I remember some of the things my moms used to say. About the times before the war, and uh...I think I’d also like to get some of the things Lord Hordak is asking for in writing.”

“Scorpia,” Glimmer said, “that’s all just Horde Propaganda.”

“Good! I mean? Then you won’t mind putting it in the treaty, right?”

Glimmer threw up her hands. “Oh for—! Fine! Fine, we’ll put it in.” She glared at Hordak. “It’s completely unnecessary, and I can’t believe you’re making such a big deal out of this. Why? What do you even gain? Are you just trying to make us doubt each other? Doubt ourselves?”

Lifting his chin, Hordak walked toward Scorpia and Catra’s side of the table, giving them each a nod of acknowledgement before sitting between them. “I am making a ‘big deal’ out of it because when I allied myself to King Scorpio, I promised him that we would bring about a society of equals.” He exhaled slowly. “I was...misguided. He, however, was very earnest in his beliefs. Very hopeful.”

Scorpia nodded. “Granddad was a good man. That’s why my mom named me after him.”

“Yes. I owe him this much, at least.”

Everyone was quiet for a few breaths, then Adora cleared her throat. “Let’s, uh. Let’s get started then. All in favor to add the requested clauses to the treaty?”

Hordak and his former force captains raised their hands. Glimmer raised hers. The others followed shortly after.

-

Bonus headcanon: King Scorpio totally had a thing for Hordak, but the grumpy spacebat was too focused on returning to Prime to notice.

[dollsonmain]

Speaking of intuitive eating vs. my kidneys I HAVE been eating all the wrong foods again, lately.

If I eat what I crave it’s ramen noodles, chocolate, dried fruit, and unsalted nuts.

That’s it.

I’m not supposed to eat any of those things.

I need to stop eating nothing but ramen noodles, chocolate, dried fruit, and unsalted nuts.

I mean, I do also eat fresh fruit and vegetables, though not “enough” and I’ve been sort of good about avoiding chocolate (the TOP item on the no list) for the most part.

But I’m supposed to eat NO chocolate. And as little salt as possible. And lay off the unsubstantive sugars (dried fruit has fiber, at least, but it also tends to have a bunch of added sugar and yeast likes to hang out on the outsides of dry fruit and I’m not to consume live yeast did you know you can make booze with a raisin I saw a mead recipe once that called for honey, water, and a raisin but then I’m also not to consume alcohol and not inclined to anyway), and NO nuts, and watch my protein intake and.......

I mean, I have talked before about how I think the doctor is a bit off his rocker and I’m not following the diet he put me on to the letter because I was starving and malnourished (but I think he also expected we’d schedule surgery to remove the stones which didn’t happen) but I do feel like I’m doing myself a disservice by eating what I crave, which is all the Extra No foods on the list, for the most part.

It’s frustrating and I have to keep reminding myself that all of those feel good happy eat what you want posts don’t apply to me, and there legitimately ARE good and bad foods for people who’s bodies are garbage like my kidneys or people with celiac or allergies or.....

Those articles and posts come from a place of able bodied privilege.

[bustedbernie]

Here’s the actual reason I don’t support him for president: I think he’s got some pretty unnerving authoritarian tendencies.

Now, I know a lot of people will balk at this and tell me that this is ridiculous. Great! Please be right, all of those people! This is one thing I definitely want to be wrong about. But nothing has really convinced me otherwise so far. Granted, I’m not a political scientist, so I might not be using the word “authoritarianism” in a strictly correct way. So, by all means, please respond to this with whatever unsubstantive semantic pedantry you think will best shut me up.

Okay, so, that’s a big claim, right? I’d better have some real shit to back it up, huh? Well, I do. I can’t promise you that any of it will convince you. And, honestly, I’m not even trying to convince anyone of anything. I’m just stating my case and explaining why I’m reluctant to jump onto the bandwagon. So here we go:

I don’t like the antagonistic relationship he has with the press. He regularly presents the media as being corrupted or simply against him, and he’s been doing it since forever. Efforts to rein in criticism through the press is step one for keeping citizenry in line. It’s on, like, the first page of the manual.

He’s secretive. And needlessly so. While walking back an earlier promise to release medical records, he opined that if you “start releasing medical records, it never ends.” He says that as though we’re all on board with the idea that transparency for our elected leaders is absurd and unnecessary. He also spent all of the 2016 cycle and most of this one resisting calls for him to make his recent tax returns public. When he finally did bend to pressure and release them, there wasn’t anything there! Why is he so resistant to simple public oversight? Do we even need to discuss the relationship between opaqueness and firm authority?

Civil liberties do not seem to be very high on his list of important things to protect. As conservative columnist Ross Douthat pointed out in a 2019 op-ed, everything in Sanders’ political record points to the strong possibility that he’d be willing to sacrifice a lot of social progressive interests in pursuit of his lifelong economic progressive interests. He’s single-minded of purpose when it comes to fixing economic disparity. Which is commendable. Unless you’re one of the people who gets tossed under the public transportation vehicle in order for the rest of us to get there. Fidel Castro fought to overthrow the Fulgencio Batista’s super-corrupt government with all the best intentions for the people of Cuba. Go ask Havana’s LGBTQ community how well that worked out for them. Just saying that when it comes down to it, authoritarians tend to side with the movement over the individual. And it’s not exactly calming to witness the willingness of the Sanders campaign to wrap its arms around and defend a well-known bigot due to the size of his following. Do I think that a Sanders administration would start imprisoning LGBTQ people? No. But do I think that he would use his political capital as president to focus on economic concerns over social ones? That, to me, seems eminently believable.

Sanders has a history of publicly admiring authoritarians of the left. Fidel Castro for one. Then there was the time he went to Nicaragua to meet with Daniel Ortega. Granted, Ortega wasn’t at the time quite the strongman he’d eventually turn out to be, but Sanders was still happy to defend the regime’s “temporary suspension of certain civil liberties.” What the what?? (And I’m not even going to go into how weird it is that Burlington, Vermont was, at one time, sister-cities with Yaroslavl, U.S.S.R.) Is it so hard to imagine that Sanders styles himself after this kind of populist leader?

There’s more, but that’s fine for right now.

[returnsandreturns]

UNSUBSTANTIVE DEBATE TAKES

TULSI GABBARD: Killer smoky eye. Dead dead dead actual eyes. Equally as scary as she is hot. Claims not to be a Russian asset but, frankly, that sounds like something a Russian asset would say. 

I don't know enough about foreign policy to address her answer on Syria but it felt very yikes.

----

CORY BOOKER: Did drop to his knees at one point and scream, hands held high to the heavens, "WHY MUST WE FIGHT." 

Is silently furious that he's a charming and prominent young Obama type and yet he's polling the same as Beto O'Rourke, who once wrote weird murder fanfiction on the internet. Has resisted casually interrupting Pete to tell him that he is also a Rhodes Scholar.

Remember he's going home to Rosario Dawson after this so, ultimately, who is winning here?

----

KAMALA HARRIS: Inexplicably tried to come for Warren because she didn't agree that Twitter should ban Donald Trump; Warren says, "We're talking about breaking up tech companies and sacrificing Zuckerberg to the ancient ones in exchange for universal pre-k but go off, I guess." 

Is much better than she had the opportunity to be and could win any debate that hinged on devestating one-liners, though. Klobuchar wishes she could.

----

AMY KLOBUCHAR: Is from the Midwest and would like to remind you. Will punish you for having dreams. Did not tell her children they could be anything they wanted when they grow up; did tell her children they could exclusively be steelworkers.

Best performance from her so far.

----

ELIZABETH WARREN: Will not say the word taxes if you put a gun to her head but, luckily, Beto would be there to confiscate it. Fox News will never get their soundbite, though. 

Showed everyone why she's the frontrunner by taking the brunt of the attacks. The grace needed to not physically attack Joe Biden for interrupting her to tell her she did a good job only equal to the beauty of thanking President Obama without acknowledging him.

Could break one of Pete Buttigieg's limbs with a well-timed glare.

----

PETE BUTTIGIEG: Showed up ready to fight everyone on that goddamn stage in a real heel turn moment but Elizabeth Warren broke one of his limbs with a well-timed glare. 

Real good with words. I liked watching him and Beto fight.

Should they kiss? Maybe.

----

BETO O'ROURKE: RUN FOR THE FUCKING SENATE, YOU GORGEOUS IDIOT. RUN.

----

JULIAN CASTRO: Needs to take the "I AM THE TRUE OBAMA" jab he sent at Biden a debate or two ago and run with it. I have thoughts. Take my calls, Julián.

Had what felt like a pretty inspired comment on the problem of involving police in mandatory gun buybacks that nobody will ever talk about again. Is frequently very presidential.  

----

TOM STEYER: DROP OUT AND DEVOTE YOUR BILLIONS TO DOING ALL THE SHIT YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO AS PRESIDENT.

I LIKE YOUR TIE.

----

ANDREW YANG: Probably would be a good pick for a cabinet position. Potentially ahead of his time. Yelled "YES" in the background when Beto mentioned giving weed to veterans. 

Is possibly assembling an army of robots to make a point.

----

BERNIE SANDERS: "I'M HEALTHY AS A FUCKING HORSE, ERIN BURNETT. NEXT QUESTION." 

----

JOE BIDEN: Interrupted Elizabeth Warren talking about creating the CFPB by yelling that he supported it; throwback to Cory Booker being, like, "Sure, Kamala supports reproductive rights but you know who else does? Me. A man." 

Seems content not to speak unless necessary which is, like. Fine. Good. Probably for the best. 

[cavehags]

did u ever watch charmed? it was so fun to me and i liked it even more than buffy but that's mostly bc of gay alyssa milano thoughts lmao. my friends refuse 2 watch bc they think it's too camp which idk. it mostly feels earnest and silly which mights be camp? idk what it means i guess lol

Nope never saw it! I saw a few scenes of the new version while my roommate was watching and it's um... definitely not for me. And I think the original might be too campy and unsubstantive for me to get into now even if I might have liked it back when it was airing. I know lots of people who really cherish it tho.

[knuckle]

It really was a crime for Kishimoto to write Sakura as a tragically unrequited love interest rather than a lesbian - or at the very least a bi girl who needed to get over her unsubstantive crush on some guy who like never even smiled in her presence if Naruto wasn't there

[medicarevideos]

Democratic Party & Media disregard for women candidates? Medicare for All Daily Report.

For FREE help finding a Medicare plan, Click here or call 1-800-729-9590.

I follow the news intently. The candidate bar none that is providing real policy proposals is a woman, Elizabeth Warren. The candidate that displays the most effective way to combat unsubstantive answers or statements is a woman, Kamala Harris. The candidate most attuned to keeping us out of war is a woman, Tulsi Gabbard. The two least substantive men based on their rhetoric thus far running even though I really like both are Beto O’Rourke and Pete Buttigieg. The person that has proven to be a multi-time loser in the Democratic Primaries is an old man, Joe Biden.

Every single one of those men tends to get better coverage than the women. Why? Former Georgia State Senatorial Candidate and Tamara for Georgia host, Tamara Shealey will discuss this.

And of course, after that segment, I am sticking with Medicare for All. We cannot allow the misinformation to metastasize as it did with either Thelma & Louise and Death Panels.

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[consolecadet]

I did photo call for Stop Kiss (excellent, made me cry multiple times) and [title of show] (irritating, unsubstantive, still made me tear up a little because Wellbutrin fucks your cry reflex and the show has a whole song about creative self-doubt)

I was gonna help another friend move but he flaked on me so I’m gonna use the time to Zipcar into Davis to pick up some freecycle stuff, try to sell things to Buffalo Exchange, and then trawl Allston for free furniture if there’s time

[thetigerisariver]

I don't even care if Atomic blonde is a good movie, I want to go see it in theater If I was trying to go for quality I would go see Baby Driver, but unfortunately that seems like a glossier, more unsubstantional and *straighter* version of Drive. Which like. Will still probably be enjoyable to watch, but. Yk.

[blogchristianvogel]

U.S.-China Trade Deal Will Be More Substantial Than Expected

After months of diligent negotiations, the U.S. and China are nearing an end to trade talks. Investors are expecting a resolution, but most assumed the deal would be unsubstantive. That’s where markets could be surprised.

[efdnet]

Economy updates: McKinsey seems to be left behind and a [unsubstantive] new plan against the rising inflation...

Economy updates: McKinsey seems to be left behind and a [unsubstantive] new plan against the rising inflation…

Turkish gov’t launches plan against surging inflation

Hurriyet Daily News Unveiling a new set of measures to fight inflation, Turkey’s treasury and finance minister vowed an “all-out war” on inflation on Oct. 9.

President Erdoğan instructs Turkish ministers to not receive advice from US firm McKinsey

 Hurriyet Daily News President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that Turkey will not…