#zero-sum game

[starseekerstar]

Started reading zero-sum game.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/32263660.

[ehj3]

“WOOF!”

[Insert epigraph about serving two masters here] This is not about how you can’t worship both YHWH or Mammon. (Matthew 6:24) The former has been functionally made a servant for the latter for quite some time, so that edict is meaningless. No, it’s about the strange situation where a plutocrat and an autocrat both act as if they are the one and only master of a kleptocrat pretending to be the…

[xokp]

The Vertigo of Power: Empathy, Gaslighting, and the Fight for Reality

I would like to think that if I had the good fortune to acquire billions of power coupons (dollars), I would live a comfortable life, but I would also make sure as many people around me as possible lived comfortably. I think a lot of us would. That’s why some of us can’t fathom the evil that drives men like Trump and Musk. Most of us, if given such power and influence, would help people, and we…

[ossie50]

'The Zero-sum Game'

I recall listening to a podcast earlier this year (“Why Is This Happening” with Chris Hayes), in conversation with Minnijean Brown-Trickey, one of the African American students (the Little Rock Nine) who, in 1957 were escorted into what was otherwise an all white high school. This was a key event in the history of fighting for de-segregation in the USA. The conversation with Chris was very…

[kunosoura]

Man it’s crazy how there’s always a plausible reason for why the terms Trans women use to identify each other and talk about their particular issues are either evil or actually belong to everyone. CAGAB terminology is misgendering and Transfem belongs to everyone and “Tranny” can be reclaimed by everyone who’s trans and “Transfem” can be used by anyone who feels it describes them and so for that matter, can “trans woman” (and saying otherwise is intersexist), TMA/TME is binaristic/misgendering/whatever.

Like I’m a very relaxed person in general and I have zero interest in policing lgbt slur reclamation or individual identities or anything but like is it not glaringly obvious who is being systemically deprived of the language to discuss their particular circumstances here

[restlesshush]

The end of supernatural is basically impossible to resolve because what it boils down to is Cas has two favourite items, and if you take either of them away from him he will start crying, but they should absolutely Not be in the same place

[haveyouthoughtaboutcomicstoday]

Your name is Guy Gardner and you have an angry father. Your mother barely seems to notice that life is happening around her. Your older brother is perfect, perfect, perfect. Except that he isn’t and he gives you the ammunition to hurt him, but his greatest fear is being treated the way you do. The way he watches dad treat you and does nothing. There is an angry man in your house and everyone is just trying not to catch his ire. You will never be the perfect son, but you do not blame them for not helping you. 

Your name is Guy Gardner and you have an angry father. Your mother is dead, dead, dead. She wasn’t much of a mother to you before, and so you don’t think you can grieve like everyone else. You have an angry brother, but his mom died so you understand. You have a sister and she’s the only one who doesn’t look right through you and it’s your job to protect her. There are three angry men in the house because you don’t know any other way to be.

Your name is Guy Gardner and you have an angry father. He hits your mom sometimes, and you know it’s your job to take care of her. You know the shape of your father’s anger and you know how to turn it toward you. You can’t fight back yet but taking hits meant for her is the next best thing. She doesn’t thank you, she mostly just doesn’t understand what would drive you to do this.

Your name is Guy Gardner and you are an angry man. You don’t know how else to be but you never hurt kids and you still know how to take a hit better than anyone. You carry your love for others in the bruises on your face and the scars on your skin. Every time you fail to protect another rookie you feel the weight of failure crush you a little more. There will always be an angry man in your house, but the person it’s directed at never changes. 

[beanarie]

i hear you, fans who want may to have a heartfelt, well developed arc and a super cool job. i just want her to be a main again. getting to see her on a regular basis, developing a rapport with characters we know she knows but she's barely interacted with on screen, would be good for the ecosystem

[wafultheawful]

“I think you look good as a short person.” She laughed with soft delight.

Moira snorted, “I look good regardless."

[starseekerstar]

AHHHHHHHHH

Izuku only wanted to be a hero because of all might and he only liked all might because of katsuki-AHHHHSHHS

This fic is making me feel all the feelsjdjdhd its sooo good

http://archiveofourown.org/works/32263660.

[miabrown007]

Adrien is so tired of the new wave of fangirls every time he makes it to the Vogue's most eligible bachelors list. so Marinette jokingly suggests this year he should date someone while the results are being complied, thus avoiding making the list.

but Adrien thinks, dragging an unwitting girl into this and dropping her the next week would just be cruel. and Marinette thinks, as Adrien's very good friend and achingly platonic superhero partner, she should have really shut up instead of offering to help.

[son-of-avraham]

It seems, sometimes, like people sometimes almost expect converts/converting people to hate where we come from, and if I'm honest... I think connecting with judaism has made me want to connect with my roots even more.

I'm thinking about starting to learn the languages (some of) my family would have spoken before emigrating to where I live now (german and italian), and, hell, I've learned a lot about xtianity since officially embracing judaism and diving head-long into it.

In my experience, judaism doesn't inherently demand that you forsake everything you were or are. What is asked of you is to embrace judaism. To recognize g-d, to worship g-d, to willingly join the jewish people. That is not the same as demanding you to spit on what led you where you are now. Nothing will change my past, my heritage, and judaism has actually helped me appreciate where I come from. I want to connect with myself, my family, because I embrace judaism.

I don't want to speak to other people's experiences, so just a reminder that this is only my story as a student, as someone who adores judaism and appreciates the experiences that were a one-way ticket right to where I am now.

[crimsondinnerparty]

Hannigram: The Ultimate Zero-Sum Game

If there’s one thing *Hannibal* nails perfectly, it’s the complex, borderline insane dynamic between Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter. But what makes their relationship so captivating is how it's a zero-sum game from start to finish.

One of them has to lose for the other to win—and sometimes, it feels like winning is the worst thing that could happen to either of them.

What Is a Zero-Sum Game?

In basic terms, a zero-sum game means that for one person to gain something, the other has to lose an equal amount. It’s like a tug-of-war where both sides can’t win at once. And that’s exactly what Will and Hannibal are doing the whole time—pulling each other apart in this twisted dance of love, manipulation, and survival.

Hannibal Wants to *Consume* Will

Let’s be real: Hannibal doesn't just want to be friends with Will. He wants to **own** him. Hannibal's love is this dark, possessive thing where he needs Will to embrace the darkness completely, to be his mirror. Think about it—every time Hannibal talks about "seeing" Will, it's always about how *he* sees Will’s potential for violence and darkness, and how Will just needs to step into it.

Season 2, “Mizumono”: Hannibal’s attempt to flee with Will wasn’t just an offer; it was an ultimatum. For Hannibal, Will’s refusal to fully join him led to one of the most violent, heart-wrenching betrayals in the series. Hannibal leaves Will bleeding out on the floor not because he’s rejected but because Will *failed* him by not becoming what Hannibal wanted him to be.

Will’s Struggle: To Keep His Soul or Surrender It

On the other side of this is Will, constantly fighting against Hannibal’s pull. What makes this a true zero-sum game is that if Will gives in to Hannibal—really gives in—he loses who he is. Will’s whole battle is about preserving his empathy, his sense of right and wrong, but the deeper he goes into Hannibal’s world, the more that slips away.

Season 3, “Digestivo”: When Hannibal lets himself get caught just to stay close to Will, it shows how far this game has gone. Hannibal’s giving up his freedom, but it’s all part of trying to win the ultimate prize: Will’s loyalty. Will is trapped because any attempt to leave or resist Hannibal brings him back into this twisted love, even at the cost of his sanity.

The Finale: Both Can’t Survive

Fast forward to the series finale, and we see the game come to its ultimate end. When Will finally acknowledges his attraction to the darkness Hannibal represents, he’s no longer just resisting—he’s accepting that there’s no middle ground for them. It’s all or nothing. So what does he do? He takes them both off the cliff. In a true zero-sum game move, Will realizes that for either of them to win, they both have to lose. And so they fall together.

“The Wrath of the Lamb”: That final scene is the perfect metaphor for their entire relationship. Will’s decision to pull them both into the abyss is the only way to escape the endless push and pull. They can’t just be together; they can’t just walk away. If Will fully embraces Hannibal, he’s lost to the darkness. If Hannibal lets Will go, he loses the person who sees him most clearly. So, they fall.

Endless Cycles of Power-

Even when one gains the upper hand—Will trapping Hannibal, Hannibal framing Will—this only pushes them deeper into each other’s worlds. Hannibal sees Will as a masterpiece in progress, something to mold. But the second Will truly gives in, he stops being himself. The balance between them means that love, survival, and destruction are all the same thing.

In Conclusion: Their Love Is a Zero-Sum Game

The Hannigram relationship is tragic because it’s unsustainable. They are trapped in a game where the only real "win" comes from total domination or destruction. Hannibal's love is about consuming Will, and Will’s love (or resistance) is about holding onto whatever is left of himself. Every moment of their relationship is about pushing the other to a breaking point, and neither can win without annihilating the other.

In the end, love isn’t just complicated between these two—it’s a weapon, a means of control, and a game where survival means the loss of something essential. **They can’t exist together without breaking each other apart.**

---

Hannibal once said, “Killing must feel good to God too… He does it all the time, and are we not created in His image?” In Hannigram’s case, this line rings true: their love is all about creation and destruction. To love, for them, is to annihilate.

-—————————————————————————

[cdr2002]

Follow @starfleet-library if you want someone who’s really making this their thing, but I’m gonna drop some trek book reviews as I read through the collection I’ve amassed and if I remember. Hopefully this will be more consistent than my Voyager episode reviews on my BlueSky lmao

Currently reading through “Typhon Pact - Zero Sun Game”. Enjoying it so far!

Spoilers ahead:

Mack brings to life a really awesome full agency realized version of Sarina Douglas, Bashir is just right for my tastes and his capacity got self reflection shows his growth in and after the series, and my girl Ezri looking adjusted to that worm at last; confident, daring, decisive, and clever, oh captain my captain how far you’ve come. And she never becomes Short Jadzia, she always feels like Ezri.

The Typhon Pact are a fascinating concept for a villain alliance in Star Trek, taking the ever popular Romulans and aligning them with a cadre of more underused antagonist races and those rogue elements that get left behind as the Federation (now with Bajor!), Klingons, Ferengi, and Cardassians become all friendly after the Dominon War. The Breen taking on industrial responsibilities in this partnership feels right for them. Thot Keer is perfectly captured as a tired foreman trying to get a job done and not giving a damn about these politics no matter how much the Romulan and Gorn representatives want to bother him. All of the worldbuilding for the Breen as well is excellently done and the idea that a multitude of species are hiding under those masks (I imagine including the alpha canon Breen from Discovery) is super interesting.

The baby Breen in a little baby helmet fucking took me out though oh my god I burst out laughing they put the Breen mask on the baby oh my god lmao.

On page 126 so we’ll see how things develop further, enjoying how this is is developing so far.

My current plan after this one is to read through the duology of Warpath and The Soul Key because Taran’atar seems like a fascinating character and I love Ro and Kira working together and I’m a big mirror universe girlie who ships Mirror Ezri/Mirror Leeta hard and likes seeing my Rebellion homies in general. I will try to forgive them for killing off the Intendant to prop up prime Illania Ghemor. Then after that either Wrath of the Prophets or the SCE reunion under the guise of a TNG novel “Indistinguishable From Magic”, a major favorite of my beloved girlfriend @laneleeta

After that probably the Cold Equations trilogy then the remaining Typhon Pact books I own. And then who knows! I’ve acquired quite a few of these now. Hope this will be fun

[sirlonius]

I don't want to elicit envy or jealousy in anyone. When you see me I want you to know that you can do it too. We can all win.

[kittyblobo]

How started. How ended.