#and i'm choosing to believe you did that deliberately because this

[neurolady]

I Forgive You!

I've seen a million and one different takes on Aziraphale's "I forgive you" in the Final 15. Most peoples initial knee jerk reactions of what the fuck does Crowley need forgiving for, to forgiving Crowley for an unconsented kiss, to (once folk have calmed down and started to see Aziraphale really has no choice but to go back to Heaven) forgiving Crowley for not trusting him. What I haven't seen is the suggestion that it actually has nothing to do with forgiveness at all!

When he says, "May God forgive you" or "May you be forgiven," it's always after Crowley does something Aziraphale believes is out of character or wrong. In Uz Crowley saying he wants to kill Job's children and at the bandstand after his ourburst at God (I'm missing one, I'm sure). I think in these instances he is genuinely saying I hope you're forgiven for what you just did.

On the two occasions, he uses, "I forgive you," Crowley is not acting out of character at all, and neither is he wrong. Aziraphale knows this! The two scenes are completely parallel in s1ep4 by the car when Crowley pulls over to apologise and, of course, in s2 the Final 15.

Crowley wants to talk about them and is ALL in for them to be together - literally, both scenes basically begs Aziraphale run off together.

Aziraphale can't get past his cognitive dissonance and insists Heaven is the answer. Obviously, everything is ramped up 1000 in the Final 15, but even in s1, you can see Aziraphale's turmoil at being asked to choose Crowley or Heaven.

This is where I think "I forgive you" has nothing to do with Aziraphale offering forgiveness to Crowley. In both scenes, Crowley pushes Aziraphale's attachment to Heaven even further. In s1, he keeps it about Aziraphale, "...how can someone so smart be so stupid!" In s2, no such restraint, so you know just "No Nightingale's" and THE Kiss!! The effect is the same, Aziraphale is shook (obviously just a teeny-weeny bit more in s2), he's retreating into himself, and his reflex is "I forgive you". He's a being of forgiveness it's an instinct. He also knows - again probably more out of instinct than any deliberate intention - that Crowley will immediately recoil from any attempts at forgiveness, which gives him space to process. So I think "I forgive you", is actually Aziraphale's shield that he throws up between himself and Crowley when his love for Heaven (or more for being an Angel) is in direct conflict with his love for Crowley. He is pushing Crowley away because in the moment, he can't cope with the choice he has to make, and it works both times, and he instantly regrets it both times!

On the plus side, if you condense all the shenanigans that happen after the "car argument" in s1. Crowley instantly forgives Aziraphale for pushing him away, as soon as Aziraphale has a plan he goes to Crowley, he chooses Crowley and Earth without hesitation when the shit is really about to hit the fan and they get their happily until Gabrielle shows up naked at the bookshop a few years later after!

#the blueprint for s3 is all there in the original book #it's not gonna be so easy for them this time #but we know it'll end in the South Downs #ineffable husbands #good omens #good omens theories #aziracrow

[fala-alfredo-pasta]

What’s your dream danganronpa blunt rotation?

pov you're about to get your kidney stolen

#anonymous #danganronpa #nagito komaeda #kokichi ouma #korekiyo shinguji #rantaro amami #yasuhiro hagakure #Garbage Men #fala replies #req art #anon i just want you to know this question came in twice #and i'm choosing to believe you did that deliberately because this #question was in urgent need of answering and by god was it answered #can u believe this is the first official appearance of the Garbage Men? #legit have so many wips of this failure gang but have yet to finish a single one #one day one day #a e i o queue #keep forgetting to add the names for my tagging system #komaeda nagito #shinguji korekiyo #ouma kokichi #amami rantaro #hagakure yasuhiro #i should really just change to first and last name for simplicity #but don't have the energy to retag all my past posts atm so uh #this will do.

[aurae-rori]

DR RATIO ANALYSIS: PART 2, ELECTRIC BOOGALOO

SPOILERS FOR 2.1 CONTENT.

Now, you might be saying - "Aurae, you already did one, why do you need a second?" And my answer is, "LORD, I FORGOT TO TALK ABOUT HOW HIS DEFINITION OF 'IDIOT' IS DIFFERENT. AND ALSO HE DOES NOT HATE AVENTURINE NOR DOES HE THINK AVENTURINE IS STUPID." Once again, here is my disclaimer - although I have been researching psychology for a solid six years, I am NOT a professional. (I will be, one day. Just you wait, just youuuu wait-) So understand that everything I say has been analyzed with personal judgement, with my own conclusions, come to with logic and my personal interpretation. This is just what I have concluded, and you are always free to disagree.

This is my legacy. To be an analyzer. So let's go.

Okay, now that my disclaimer is over, let's take off Ratio's plaster head and chuck it into the sea, and see - what does he mean by 'idiot'?

This will be much shorter than my last, so don't worry - I will not be flashbanging you with another 4k words. This is more like a follow up, than anything else, because there's a few things I wish to touch on.

Dr. Ratio doesn't hate idiots in the sense that he hates people that have 'low IQ' or are 'stupid' in terms of being 'slow to understand'. I definitely touched on this in my last analysis, but he hates people who take their education for granted and don't go places with the gifts that they've been given. He hates "idiots" - "narrow minded" people who have the capabilities to do more and perceive more than they choose to do. People who deliberately look away or take what they know and what they could do for granted. He wants to open people's eyes and allow them to see life from multiple different angles and he believes that everyone should have a chance to learn - with the whole "knowledge for everyone" thing he's got rolling.

He wears a plaster head around people he doesn't seem to know too well in order to think more, or so that he doesn't have to see the faces of the people he dislikes. Pretty good roast. However, he does NOT wear that plaster head around Aventurine. Let's listen to the doctor's judgement - Aventurine is far from stupid. Although he likes to chalk up a lot of the things he does to his own luck, he is an INCREDIBLY capable individual who's managed to get this far because of his own form of genius. He's a man who relies on chance and good fortune, yes, but his charm, his way of scheming, and the way that he's good with people? That's skill. A talent he doesn't take for granted. Dr. Ratio respects him for this - because despite the fact that he has no proper education, he has his eyes wide open to the world and doesn't take shit for granted. He learns what he can in order to survive and he does it fucking well - Aventurine is a very smart man. He's observant, quick on his feet, and great at going with the flow and thinking in the moment.

Aventio aside, I actually believe that Dr. Ratio would be a really good teacher to those who struggle. He's patient where it's needed to be, even if he's got a quick temper, and I believe in his pursuit for knowledge he would do his best to go out of his way to find strategies that would work for their individuals. We're all unique, and he's aware of this - and because he wants to allow people to think for themselves, whatever helps the individual works. Depression? He's got a psych degree, I'm sure bro could give you some strategies. Autism? He has a touch of the 'tism himself. ADHD, and not feeling organized? Bro will help you. It's canon that he's a great fucking teacher - those who finish his classes go on to become successful people who are intelligent and critical thinkers. Round of applause for Ratio, the man that kins my father. He's shit at emotions, but great at knowledge.

Also, on that note, I believe that he would most likely hate parents that push thier "gifted" students to the limit without any compassion for the person that they really are. He's most definitely got some of that academic trauma so I believe that bro holds a secret disdain for parents who just use their children to gain more recgonition. Well, not so secret. He'd cuss them out. (Ratio please cuss out the horrible parents.)

Dr. Ratio, the Teacher ever. (Hey, maybe he'd get along with Kunikida...)

Also, I am definitely planning on making a fic where he teaches Aventurine Latin. As long as you're eager to learn and willing to look past the chalk being thrown, he's got a place for you.

Thanks for coming to my tedtalk. I did not read this through, so this is not edited. Take my unedited rambles.

#aurae analyzes #dr ratio #drratio #veritas ratio #analysis #character analysis #honkai star rail #hsr #aventio #ratiorine #aventurine #dr ratio x aventurine #character study

[itsclydebitches]

I know there's a lot to unpack in James' new interview but I am feral, FERAL I SAY, over this fucking line right here:

"His need was to be loved, and his tragic flaw was the belief that he was unlovable."

Back before Season 3 hit and Tedependent became ~trendy~ (not actually lol) I was heacanoning and writing Trent as a pretty anxious individual, someone with a ton of internalized self-loathing whose "whole vibe" was more of a mask than legitimate self-confidence. At the time I worried about him coming across as too OOC because really, what did we have to support this? Ted Lasso's prevailing theme of men discovering love and support when they previously had none? The lovely parallel of Trent struggling with many of Ted's own flaws, but presenting in opposite ways (cutting cynicism vs. endless optimism)? The then—far less developed—comments from James that Trent might have a rough relationship with his father? It felt unsubstantiated, unpersuasive, built more on my own interest in those kinds of characters and the occasional awkward moment from Trent than actual canon. Even into Season 3 I questioned whether my reading of him as struggling, significantly, with the care Ted offers wasn't just a result of my own, imagined inner life for him.

But NOW.

I'm sorry, hold up, can I just re-confirm that TRENT'S TRAGIC FLAW IS HIS BELIEF THAT HE'S UNLOVABLE? Unlovable??? Thank you, James Lance, for validating every reading I've had of this character since he first appeared on screen. Do people realize the depth this adds to every interaction Trent has? Particularly with Ted? Unlovable Trent Crimm starts off this relationship with a sincere compliment on his style ("I like your glasses"), something that Season 3 will present as a core part of his personality, something he's largely hidden away. Unlovable Trent Crimm grappling with the fact that yes, Ted enjoyed spending time with him. Him. WHILE he was playing the part of the asshole journalist. Unlovable Trent not being rejected when he admits, in moments of vulnerability, that he "Loves [their] chats." Unlovable Trent having his father's (likely snide) "Independent" comment reframed as a fun pun + advice to follow his "bliss": you have support, Trent, no matter what you choose to do. I don't care if you're successful covering a masculine-coded sport, I care if you're happy. Unlovable Trent committing the ultimate betrayal and being forgiven for it, immediately. Unlovable Trent being forcibly integrated into the Richmond family; actively accepted rather than passively tolerated: yes you should work here, yes you're a Diamond Dog, sit your butt down, Trenthouse Magazine, you will never be excluded again.

I'm sorry for the rambling post but I'm just so!! Insane about this!!! So much of Trent's hesitance could have been written off as a result of his career. That is, it might have been merely a learned reaction after decades of deliberately pissing people off. Of course they dislike him, but take him out of that environment and everything's fixed. Yet James has confirmed that he played Trent as intrinsically believing this. The career was a result of that unfounded fear—Might as well keep people at a distance before they hurt me first—as well as, simultaneously, a desire to somehow achieve the love that should have been unconditional from the start—Maybe my father will like me if I can be that "alpha male man's man" in print. Because this isn't just a flaw, it's a tragic flaw, a literary term that denotes a deficiency that leads to the character's downfall. This belief is so entrenched that it has led to Trent actively self-sabotaging his chances of being loved in the first place; a horrible self-fulfilling prophecy. He NEEDED someone like Ted—a fucking love sledgehammer that forces people to accept his care in the least subtle ways possible, even when they're acting as their own worst enemy—and by god, he got him!

Aside from Nate, Trent has always felt like the most isolated character to me at the start of the series (and even Nate has a good relationship with his mother and sister). What we've learned in Season 3 and James' interviews has only reinforced that reading for me: he was closeted in his marriage, unintentionally hurting his daughter, he's suffering under his father's expectations, he hates the press persona he's created to survive, he's bored at his job, footballers and other potential interviewees despise him—and not without reason (Roy). He has no friends that we see pre-Richmond and he's reached a point where the simple act of someone saying that they liked spending the day with him—again, while he's actively TRYING to piss them off and keep his distance—has him in such a state of shock he runs for the door, pens an uncharacteristically hopeful write-up, and is well on his way to upending his entire life for that man.

Because of course he is!!! From Trent's perspective Ted is a fucking impossibility shaped into human form. This is a man in his 40s whose greatest lifelong fear—now all but a certainty at his age—has been dismantled in a matter of hours. I'd write a book-length love letter to him too! And RIP to finale!Trent, but I would have run fucking Rom-Com style after the man who not only changed my life, but my entire sense of self-worth. (Ah fuck, but there's that tragic flaw again, keeping Trent hesitant. I now stand by my reading of the "I'll leave you be" scene as an unrequited goodbye.)

But finale aside, the man who'd convinced himself he was unlovable fell for the man who was love incarnate.

If that's not the most romantic shit you've ever heard idk what is!!!

#Ted Lasso #Trent Crimm #Tedependent #mymetas #don't worry everyone I'm SO normal about this🙃

[sugarandspisces-writes]

for a possible suggestion/request: reader is being silly and teasing melissa, melissa gets playfully annoyed and threatens to "get" the reader; reader sees it as an empty threat because melissa would never hurt her and cheekily pushes her buttons further, which ultimately results in the reader losing a very one-sided tickle fight 😭❤️ (though perhaps still "winning" to the reader because 1) physical affection and 2) they got melissa to be silly with them too 🫠🫶🥹)

Speaking From the Heart Pt. II

Pairing: Melissa Schemmenti x reader

Summary: Melissa is trying to get some work done, and r just wants her attention

Word Count: 1.9k

A/N: Thank you for the request, nonnie. I hope I did your idea justice!

P.S. I'm just now realizing that I already wrote a physical touch headcanon. Oops. But this one is cute and fluffy and silly and I loved writing it. I hope you all enjoy reading it. Okie bye!! <3

Physical Touch

You were big on physical affection and luckily so was Melissa. It took some time for you to figure it out, but she was a huge softie. At any given moment, Melissa was likely to display her affection through touch. She was observant and enjoyed learning all the things that made you melt. At home, you loved when she would wrap her arms around you and place kisses on your neck. In public, she would be discreet with her actions, but she still made sure her adoration was evident. If you were walking side by side she would link your pinkies together. If you were in an unfamiliar place, she would place a hand on your lower back and guide you around. She always made you feel utterly safe and cared for, and while you appreciated the heartfelt gestures, you liked to have a little fun every now and again.

✦ ✦ ✦

The steady pitter-patter of rain held your attention as you sat on the couch. You watched the raindrops as they hit the window and made their descent to the ground. Sometimes one droplet became two, creating a large bead that would race down the pane faster than your eyes could keep up. The light rapping of precipitation on the roof was soothing and almost relaxing enough to make you fall asleep.

There was just one thing missing: Melissa. She was right there with you, sitting at the coffee table grading her students' worksheets. For some reason, though, it felt like she was miles away. Her back was facing you (maybe that had something to do with it), but you could almost picture what she looked like. Red reading glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose, eyebrows scrunched, and lips in a small pout as she deciphered messy handwriting. You watched as she tapped her pen on the stack of papers – something she did to help her think. She was deciding which encouraging note that student would receive.

“Oh, I know,” the redhead murmured once she figured it out. She was always attentive and deliberate with her feedback, firmly believing that her positive comments helped her students’ confidence. 

God, she was so cute. You let out a sigh, becoming painfully aware of the space between you two. Maybe you could distract yourself for another thirty minutes. Her stack of papers seemed to be slimming down, and you were certain she’d be done soon. You picked up your phone, choosing to scroll through the messages you’d received. Seeing a Tik Tok from one of your friends, you clicked the link before remembering you’d sworn to a vow of silence. Melissa had been hesitant to let you keep her company, knowing she’d be running the risk of you interrupting her. You could only sit with her if you were going to be quiet because she’d lose focus otherwise. 

She was already a week behind on grading, and you let out another sigh at that realization. Really, your only options were to sit there and watch the rain or to read your book (something you already grew tired of since you’d been doing it for the past hour). You truly just wanted Melissa’s attention at this point.

“Something wrong back there?” The woman asked as she scribbled dark ink onto stark white paper.

You startled at the sound of her voice piercing the quiet, “No, why?”

“You’re doing a lot of sighing,” she noted, not bothering to look back at you.

“I’m just bored.” You answered truthfully, a slight whine in your tone.

“I’m almost done,” she updated you before murmuring, “What the hell?”

You assumed that wasn’t directed toward you. She must have read a crazy answer on one of the worksheets. Her kids were known for writing down some wild things. 

You decided to watch that Tik Tok after all. You came to the conclusion that it wouldn't bother her too much if the volume was low. However, as soon as the video began to play, the teacher noticed.

“Hon,” she said in a cautionary tone.

“Yes?”

“If you don’t turn that phone off, I’m gonna break it.” She huffed.

Any other time you’d feel the effects of her words, but that particular statement didn’t have her usual boldness. She wasn’t the best multitasker, unable to grade papers and be stern at the same time. She’d have to stop one thing to do the other and you knew that. So, you continued to play the video, turning the volume down lower in hopes that it would fix the issue. If she really wanted to stop you, she would.

“Y/N.” She whipped her head over her shoulder giving you a sharp glare.

“What?” you asked, a smile playing on your lips as your theory was proven to be correct.

She put her pen down and moved to face you. “Turn it off. I’m not kidding.”

“Okay, Mel.” You smiled sweetly, with the intention of not giving her any grief.

Then your finger slipped and you accidentally scrolled down to the next video. Your eyes widened and your mouth rounded in surprise. Unbeknownst to Melissa, you had meant to exit out of the app, but your phone seemed to take its own interpretation of your actions.

Melissa got up from the floor quicker than you expected her to, and before you knew it she was walking over to you. The same look from before took hold of her face, and you tried not to focus on how pretty she looked in her glasses. A smile planted itself on your lips as you admired her and that seemed to provoke the woman.

“Something funny?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

“No,” you shook your head as she walked closer to you. “It’s just– that was an accident. I was trying to close the app.” 

She’d made her way onto the couch, placing her legs on either side of your body and angling herself so she was leaning over you. Funny how a few minutes ago you were dying to be near her, but now you felt nervous under her gaze.

“Mhmm,” she nodded, “I bet you did.” Her hand reached out to snatch your phone.

 You were quicker than her and swiftly moved your hand before she could catch you.

“Y/N, come on.” She tilted her head and reached out for the device again. “I don’t have time for games.”

“I’m not playing games.” You laughed. “If you want it, you’re gonna have to try a little harder.” 

Moments later, you found yourself in a struggle trying to keep your phone safe. Once she realized where things were going, Melissa resorted to the only thing she knew would give her the upper hand. 

“Melissa, I swear to God if you tickle me.” You gritted through heavy breathing.

She grinned at you before moving her hands down to grab at your sides.

“Melissa! Stop!” You tried to wriggle out of her grip, legs kicking and hands grabbing at her, but it was no use. She had you pinned down to the couch and you were too weakened by laughter to fight back.

“I’ll stop,” she paused when you looked at her with hopeful eyes, “if you apologize.”

“I-It was an acc–” you giggled and gasped through her attack. “An accide–”

She didn’t even give you the chance to finish what you were saying. If the words weren’t “I’m sorry”, then she didn’t want to hear them.

“Melissa!” Your eyes started well up with tears as you used your last bit of available breath to let out a laugh. “Stop, I can’t breathe!”

“Apologize,” she smiled, knowing that she was going to win this fight. Your phone was long gone, had dropped out of your grip once she laid her hands on you.

Your breathing troubles increased and the muscles in your stomach were burning, so you caved in. “Okay! O-okay! I’m s-sorry.”

After your confession, she stopped as promised. You were breathless with tears streaming down your face from laughing so much. Melissa was laughing nearly as much as you, and it was probably because you looked like a hot mess.

“That was so uncalled for.” You pouted as she loosened the grip her legs had on you.

“It was so called for,” she mocked. “You wouldn’t turn your damn phone off.”

“I tried!” You exclaimed. “Clearly my phone has a mind of its own.”

Melissa reached up to wipe your tears away. “You’re strong. I thought you were gonna fling me off of this couch.”

“I thought you were gonna let me die on this couch.” You looked at her with wide eyes.

She threw her head back in a cackle, “Don’t be so dramatic.”

“I couldn’t fucking breathe, Melissa!” You emphatically motioned to your lungs.

“Poor thing,” she cupped your chin with her fingers. “Maybe next time you’ll keep your phone off.” She moved to get off the couch, but you reached for her arm to stop her in her tracks.

“I think I deserve a few minutes of cuddling for my troubles.” You proposed the idea hoping she would give take pity and give in.

“Your troubles?” she looked at you quizzically. “I’m the one who has to spend the next hour grading.”

“Please,” you whined as she started to move off of the couch again. “Just for a few minutes.”

“No, because a few minutes always turns into a few hours.”

“Please, baby.” You gave her puppy dog eyes. “I’ll help you finish grading.”

At the sound of you calling her baby, her eyes softened and you knew you were about to win this debate. She may be the queen of coercion, but you were also pretty good.

“Fine,” she conceded, “but only for ten minutes.”

She laid back on the couch and held her arms out to welcome you. You happily took the invitation and snuggled up to her chest. You placed a kiss on her collarbone to show your thanks, a chuckle escaping your throat.

“What?” She asked, her fingers already making circles on your back to calm you.

“Nothin’.” You continued to laugh quietly.

“Tell me.” Melissa couldn’t help but join in on the laughter, finding it infectious.

“You’re such a softie.”

“No I’m not,” she grumbled.

“You are.” You looked up at her. Even though she disagreed with you, you could see the twinkle in her eyes.

“You sure you wanna talk to me like that? When my hands are this close to you?” She asked, alluding to the fact that she wasn’t afraid to start a tickle fight again. 

“Hey, let’s not get crazy.” You eyed her cautiously.

“I’m not soft.” She scrunched her face in disapproval.

“Whatever you say, Lissa.” She was soft for you whether she admitted to it or not. “You know we're gonna be here for more than ten minutes, right?”

“Yeah, hon, I know,” she laughed. “If you wanted my attention you could have just asked.”

“Well, where’s the fun in that?” You winked at her. “Plus, you were busy.”

“I’m never too busy to cuddle.” She placed a kiss on the top of your head as you moved to rest on her shoulder. “I love being close to you.”

At that confession, you looked at her with raised eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, maybe I see what you’re saying.”

“You big softie.” You teased again.

“Stop it.” She poked your side. “Or I’m gonna get you.”

“It’s okay. I love you just the way you are.” You smiled, sealing the deal with a kiss.

Previous Chapter

#melissa schemmenti #melissa schemmenti x reader #abbott elementary #sugarᥫ᭡writes

[yandere-daydreams]

Title: Hanging Piece.

Pairing: Yandere!Ningguang x Reader x Yandere!Beidou (Genshin).

Word Count: 0.9k.

TW: Implied Imprisonment, Dehumanization, Mentions of Sexual/Emotional Abuse, and Implied Non/Con By Proxy.

“Pretty little thing you got there. How much did it run you?”

You shifted on the edge of Ningguang’s lap, doing what you could to make yourself smaller, less visible. It was a futile effort, obviously. From where Beidou was seated on the opposite side of Ningguang’s elaborate chess table, less than a full arm’s length away from you, she was free to scan over you, to let her remaining eye bore into your skin as she slowly evaluated the merits of her Ninggaung’s newest luxury, from your silk robe to the golden chains strung around your wrists and ankles to the way you were being held – closely, but not tightly, already trained not to mistake a slack leash for one that didn’t exist at all. Already taught what would happen if you mistook her gentleness for an unwillingness to enforce her overbearing rules.

Ningguang hummed, by way of response. She made a show of her preoccupation, her fingers skirting over the hand-sculpted chess pieces laid out in front of her as she pretended to consider her next move. You’d been with her long enough to recognize the way her lips quirked upward, to catch the silver-lined glint in her eyes that seemed to darken as she drank in Beidou’s playful envy. Usually, she tried to keep you away from those who might share her fixation, but today, she'd made an exception for her sometimes friend, most times rival. What end she was working towards, you couldn’t say, but you were thankful she seemed so set on it. You were thankful for anything that released you from her chambers, even it meant she only wanted to flaunt you in front of one of her many, many adversaries.

Eventually, she selected a pawn, but her gaze fell away from the board and onto you before she could finalize her decision. “Only my love and care, although I won't deny its value. I'm not expected to adorn myself with anything but the finest gems, after all,” And then, after a short pause. “Now, what do we say when someone pays us a compliment?”

You hesitated, but not for very long. Bowing your head and stringing your arms around her neck, you buried your face in the dip of her shoulder, doing your best to remain properly respectful without seeming too excited to speak to anyone else, anyone she might see as a threat. “…thank you, Captain.”

That earned a deep laugh, a cheek propped up on a curled fist as Beidou leaned forward. Unlike Ningguang, she didn’t deliberate over her course of action, choosing her piece in the time it took for her hand to reach the board. You didn’t know anything about chess, but Ninggaung’s easy smile faltered, and you chose to believe it wasn’t only because of Beidou’s brazenness. “You know a fine gem, but you clearly don’t know how to treat one. I mean, if it were me, I’d skip the clothes and jewelry altogether. A diamond shines a lot brighter when it’s stripped bare.” You stiffened, but if Beidou was concerned, she didn’t stop. She seemed to lean forward, if anything, to soften her tone into something more coaxing, but no less unwanted. “I’m not trying to suggest anything, but I'm set to leave port next week, and there is an open spot on my ship. It’d be a shame to pass up such a golden opportunity to fill the vacancy, if you think they’re up for a little travel.”

You held your breath, waiting for Ningguang to narrow her eyes, to dig her nails into your side and order you back to her bed. You knew there wouldn’t be an outburst, Ningguang would never wear her anger so visibly, but you could already hear her sharpened tone, picture her cutting stare, imagine how she’d make you regret garnering the attention she’d put you on display to attract. In less than a moment, you were able to convince yourself that her punishment wouldn’t be so delayed – that she’d just shove you to the floor now and let you kiss her thighs and beg for her forgiveness until your throat went hoarse, until her guest was well-assured of where your loyalties had been forced to lie. You clenched your eyes shut, bracing for Ningguang’s sneer, her disciplined outrage, her…

Her laugh, airy and distant, as if nothing in the world was wrong. Involuntarily, you melted further into her, but there was no need. With little more than a palm pressed into the base of your spine, she replied, her voice completely void of any trace of hostility. “I suppose it would be rather selfish of me to deny you outright, especially after you’ve been so flattering. And I seem to remember someone complaining about how greedy I've been recently, isn't that right, dear?” You tried to shake your head, to silently plead with her to stop, to think this over, but she didn’t pay you any mind, only humming as she drew small, shallow circles into your lower back. “I wouldn’t be opposed to adding a few new stakes to our game. If, by some miracle, you win out next match, I could be convinced to let my prized jewel temporality leave my collection.” There was a slight pause, a tap of curved nails against your hip. “As long as I’m told exactly how you intend to polish it, of course.”

“Never took you for that much of a voyeur. You don’t have anything to worry about, though.” You could hear Beidou’s smile, even if you were too much of a cowered to look.

“I intend to take very good care of your precious little gem.”

#woman loving wednesday #on thursday #yandere #yandere x reader #yandere imagines #yandere prompts #yandere x you #yandere oneshot #yandere genshin x reader #yandere genshin impact #genshin imagines #genshin impact #genshin impact imagines #yandere genshin imagines #genshin x reader #ningguang x reader #yandere ningguang #yandere beidou x reader #yandere beidou #beidou x reader #yanderecore #yancore

[bestworstcase]

I'm just thinking about your points about Penny and dehumanization and the heroes essentially taking decisions away from Penny while trying to protect her. Penny and Winter don't interact until Penny passes the Maiden powers to Winter in Volume 8. But in 7 - the last time they see each other - Winter buys time for Penny to make her decision with Fria. Which I think puts a neat layer into Penny ultimately saving Winter in the Winter versus Ironwood fight.

You can read Penny being puppeteered as a continuation of the dehumanization and how Atlas treats individuals. And she never really has a chance to fight that personally. The whole Cinder blowing up the evac plan happens first. But Peny being the tipping point with Winter versus Ironwood, especially in the reading that they were both baring the weight together... The thing is it is very very hard to get out of bad situations solo. And Penny did get someone out. I hope this makes sense

what always gets to me is. winter panics when penny rescues her ("what are you doing?! my life doesn't matter!") because it puts fria and the staff in jeopardy. and then not five minutes later she makes what is clearly a conscious, deliberate choice to step back and let fria choose penny as her heir, throwing herself in between them and cinder with her aura still depleted, against ironwood's orders. it's such an important moment bc it reveals that winter absolutely meant what she told penny earlier about wrestling with her feelings because she values her humanity—winter is not mindlessly following orders or blindly self-sacrificial, but she is willing to die for what she believes is right.

(winter is also the reason we know fria's name, because she makes a point of saying fria instead of calling her the winter maiden. which is the moment her break from ironwood becomes narratively inevitable, that rejection of fria's dehumanization)

i think the way penny frames the situation to jaune is really revealing of her perspective on… everything that's happened to her since she became the maiden. in her eyes it snatched away what little autonomy she had; ironwood and the ace-ops pulled out all the stops to manipulate and then outright control her, and all of her friends collectively decided that the maiden power was too valuable and too vulnerable for penny to do anything except go hide somewhere they hoped salem couldn't follow. everyone puts so much emphasis and importance on the magic that when penny is being eaten alive by watts' virus she considers the situation in terms of "i can make sure the powers go to [ruby]."

so when cinder fatally wounds her--and penny recognizes that there isn't enough time to heal her (& there isn't, he had less than sixty seconds before cinder had weiss disarmed on the ground)… "let me choose this one thing."

it's weiss, or winter, or cinder. if jaune hesitates or ignores what penny tells him, cinder kills weiss and then him and then claims the power for herself; if he mercy-kills penny now, penny can make sure the power goes to weiss so that weiss can get herself and jaune out alive…

…or she can give it to winter, her best friend. who for all she knows is already in vacuo right now, as penny has no way of knowing that ironwood is free or that winter is in danger.

in many ways, winter is the wrong choice in that moment; weiss and jaune are in danger, cinder has both relics, and without the magic weiss doesn't stand a chance. winter is not here, and penny has no idea where she is--or even if she's still alive!--so the pragmatic choice, the "correct" decision, the thing she "needed" to do, was make sure the magic went to weiss.

penny's whole arc in atlas is about the unreconcilable conflict between what she needs to do and what she wants to do, and in the end--forced by horrible circumstances to make a binary choice--she chooses to do what she wants. to follow her heart. to think of her friend. to take a small moment of peace and happiness for herself by saying goodbye to someone she loves very dearly.

and that's the moment of triumph over ironwood, who saw his own humanity as his greatest weakness!! penny choosing to do something for herself, because it's what she wants. in coldly rational terms it was the wrong choice, but thematically it was the right thing for penny to do--the human thing--so it saves not only winter but also weiss and jaune, too (although both of them do fall, because penny took a risk and a central theme of V8 is that risks don't always turn out for the best).

it's such a well-constructed tragedy. and it's thematically so important that penny choosing her friend over her 'duty' is the only reason winter survives, bc that final battle between ironwood and winter symbolizes the ideological conflict of the atlas arc--is human feeling strength, or is it weakness? has he made hard but necessary choices or has he sacrificed everyone and everything that truly mattered?--so of course penny's humanity is his undoing.

#you chose nothing. this was a *gift* #WAUGH.

[pomplalamoose]

Hey bae 🙏 do you think we could get something about turning sith!luke to the light side?💗

Hiii dear anon, thank you for your ask🩵

It's been a while since I received one and I'm sooo excited, especially since I get to talk about Sith!Luke, my beloved

I wasn't sure what exactly you wanted but I hope you like this discussion of possible scenarios anyways <33

• when it comes to turning Sith Luke back to the light, I think it really depends how and why he choose the dark side in the first place and what interpretation of him we're talking about

• if, for example, he turned during the original trilogy, you'd have to approach him differently than it would be the case if he grew up raised by Vader

• while his struggle to remain on the right path for himself and the galaxy is often highlighted in the movies and books, trilogy Luke never strays too far away from what Obi-Wan and Yoda taught him

• he certainly has his darker moments in which he considers everything he loves lost, but ultimately, even then, he'd rather sacrifice himself for the greater good than reach for the power Vader, and later the Emperor, offer him

• "Never. I'll never turn to the dark side"

• "Soon I'll be dead and you with me"

• so should he fall or, for whatever reason, deliberately make the decision to join the dark side, I see two possible ways in which this could turn out, his stubbornness and wish for justice and equity being one of the more important factors

• 1) he's convinced it's for the best and in favor of many

• it's hard to resist a seemingly easy solution in times of crisis, especially if it's offered in a tempting way and Luke is by no means unreceptive to manipulation

• however I do believe he'd realize his misconception rather quickly and so the most prominent thing keeping him from pursuing the light again wouldn't be his ignorance but his deep shame

• because of the weight he carries he's very hard on himself and no less so as a Sith

• consumed by the dark side he'd probably be less focused on improvement but on self doubt and hatred instead

• he may even go as far as to remain in this situation willingly as a way to punish himself

• not only would he think himself deserving of being miserable but also think it's for the better if he never comes near his loved ones again, afraid to hurt them

• here his stubbornness hurts him decidedly more than others because obviously there's still good inside of him, he just isn't allowing it to be there in favor of another misconception and self doubt

• ("I don't deserve to be around my family after what I did.", "Because what if I'm truly evil and don't know it?", "What if they fall victim to one of my mistakes and get hurt?")

• in this case it'd definitely be possible to make him see reason

• Luke is able to and eager to learn from the past, as well as adapt to a new point of view

• if he can believe it's for the best to join the dark side, he can believe the opposite once more

• it may need patience and coaxing, much affection, assurance and insistence but through your love (romantically as well as platonically) he'd be able to find himself again

• 2) his opinion of the galaxies political situation changes to such an extent that he's convinced his fall to the dark side is genuinely important in order to implement a just system

• I will be honest, I have no idea how that would even happen but let's stick with the idea anyways because we're taking about Sith!Luke here

• (maybe he was brainwashed???)

• in this scenario I imagine it to be rather difficult to make him reconsider

• not only is he now convinced of what he's doing is inherently good but also of the fact that the people not sharing his opinion have some devious plans to make those he's so set to protect suffer

• Luke firmly stands by what he believes in and while that is a wonderful attribute to have it's rather problematic when it's used for harm

• that man is ready to fight for his convictions and I see him defending them in a way similar to how he resisted the dark side in RotJ

• he's still Luke though and not stupid, I belive it still possible to reason with him especially if you're someone he admires or otherwise holds dear

• in order to get him to listen to you though you'll need time and patience to get under his skin

• now let's take a quick look at the interpretatiom of the Sith!Luke I write about

• to some extent he's still the same person as trilogy Luke but while they share certain traits, they turned out like opposites due to the circumstances they were exposed to during their lifes

• basically my Sith!Luke is a "What if Luke and Leia were raised with the dark side by Darth Vader"-version in which he grows up in a galaxy after the Empire defeated the Alliance and thus doesn't know anything about Jedi since they just,,,don't exist anymore

•(granted, this is a rather dark AU but I saw no other way in which Luke would act like he does in my fics, without any hope of him changing his ways)

• (there are of course works that discuss a different outcome, exploring Luke turning to the light side despite being raised as Sith, so it is of course a possibility if that's what he's set up to do)

• (I, however, like to center my Sith!Luke around the idea of just that being unthinkable since it's so far fetched and ooc for a person so full of light and good)

• (please keep that in mind when continuing to read, xx)

• this too is the only case in which I think it wouldn't be possible to turn him to the light side because the concept in itself is a foreign and outdated one

• it does exist, yes, and Luke is aware of it too, after all he's well studied and educated, has to be if he is to be the successor of his father

• but it is nothing that seems worth looking into further since the classical "fight" between good and bad is a thing of the past

• because while Luke may not agree with every political stance his family takes he knows he'll be the Emperor sooner than later, able to make changes as he likes

• in this regard, depending on the role you take on in his life, you might be able to slightly influence his decisions and/or his treatment of a certain group of people

• if you're important enough to him he'll listen to what you have to say, though he won't necessarily implement it into the system

• you are well advised to approach such attempts carefully though since you don't want him to suspect you of disregarding his status and position

• or, even worse, want to alienate him from his family and loved ones

• because no matter the universe, Luke would move worlds for those he cares for and accordingly (mainly Sith!Luke) grows easily suspicious when someone so much as questions their behavior, motives, etc. or insinuates to be against them

#ask #luke skywalker #luke skywalker x reader #star wars return of the jedi #luke skywalker x you #luke star wars #dark luke #dark luke skywalker #sith luke skywalker #sith luke #star wars #star wars fanfiction #star wars a new hope #star wars empire strikes back #star wars legends #star wars alternate universe #star wars headcanons #fanfic

[izzysillyhandsy]

Prince Ricky and Izzy Hands - WTF actually happened there and why?

Yesterday I was rewatching the finale with my first-time-OFMD friend, and she was absolutely baffled by Ricky shooting Izzy with his own gun.

In her words: "Nobody took it off him, that's not realistic! That's impossible, totally impossible, I can't buy that, you don't just forget a gun on a prisoner?!?!?!?"

And on my first watch I thought the same thing (as we all did), and then forgot about it a bit, but now I want to speculate. Because WHY did that happen?

The easiest explanation is, of course: Ricky needed a gun and it doesn't really matter where it came from. The writers didn't think it was important and neither should we.

But I'd like to expect a bit more from this show - I remember that I was taken out of my immersion quite a bit by this obvious "mistake". Ricky is a hostage who was just about to kill every single pirate we know - and nobody notices he's armed? And he's led through the enemy lines by Izzy with only a small knife to his back?

If Ricky still has his gun, that means that they took his sword but noone thought of searching him properly (and to really rub it in, Ricky is shown cleaning his gun in an earlier scene). The gun also seems very accessible later, so it probably wasn't even hidden well.

So why didn't the writers have Ricky take Izzy's (or Black Pete's) gun? I know Izzy almost never carries a gun (which is interesting in itself), but they were all in Navy uniforms anyway. Why not take the weapons too? Or have Ricky stab Izzy with a hidden knife (in a way that the other characters won't notice, like with the gunshot, presumably)?

Or was the whole thing actually deliberate? In a "it doesn't really matter if you take it at face value, but if you look closer there might be another explanation" kinda way?

(that was a really long introduction to what I'm actually here for, I'm sorry)

Who actually searched Ricky and took his sword? Was it the same person who stayed next to Ricky during the cool dressing up montage? Who led Ricky through the woods?

(Hint: it's the guy who's always in the background when these 2 are kissing)

Of course we have no proof that Izzy searched Ricky, but I think it is very probable.

Izzy had just been talking to Ricky. He'd been sitting next to Ricky when he was knocked out.

Izzy had just deeply insulted and provoked Ricky and made himself the spokesperson of piracy - "It's about letting go of ego for something larger." - "Kill me. Kill us all. Our spirit will last throughout your entire fuckin' empire." - thereby almost goading Ricky into killing him.

And then Stede presents his nebulous plan we never actually hear, and Izzy (why Izzy?) is put in the most dangerous position, right at the frontlines leading the hostage. Did he volunteer for that?

And are we really expected to believe that Izzy wouldn't double-check that Ricky was unarmed?

I really don't like where this is leading, by the way. Because the explanation that makes most sense from a Watsonian perspective is that Izzy either didn't mind or actively wanted to be killed/wounded.

The show went out of its way to portray Izzy as older, wiser and more resigned in the last 2 episodes - he looked like he'd aged 10 years in a few days, he moved around slower and seemed to be in more pain (and groaning when sitting down, etc.). Also, he seemed to have made peace with everything and everyone, and he seemed... tired.

(I know he's just been shot here, but he just looks exhausted)

I think there might be a possibility that Izzy let Ricky keep his gun because he did want to go. Stede's "It's only suicide if we die!" sounds almost to fitting in this context. Izzy might have thought that the one conversation Ed needed, the one where Izzy could set Ed free, could only happen on his deathbed (as I said elswhere, Iz and Ed are closest in life-and-death situations).

Or (and this is what I choose to believe until S3 comes around), Izzy took Ricky's pistol while he was unconcious, took the bullet out and faked his death to set Ed and himself free. He very pointedly doesn't want Ed to see his wound, after all (Ed: "It's not even that bad!"). If it's only about the deathbed absolution, and removing himself (and the spectre of Blackbeard) from the situation, Izzy doesn't actually have to die, does he?

This also fits with the song played over the end sequence, panning to Izzy's grave:

And don't speak too soon For the wheel's still in spin And there's no tellin' who that will be namin' For the loser now Will be later to win For the times they are a-changin'

Yeah. A bit too conspiracy-theory-like maybe. But it was the first assumption my friend made - 5 seconds after the scene: "The gun can't have been there by accident, that's just stupid. Oh no. Did Izzy arrange that? Did he really want to die for Ed?" and I thought - you know what? That was my first thought as well. I just immediately dismissed it for being too dramatic.

So, either Izzy is the most reckless, stupid and negligent pirate ever (which he obviously isn't, quite the opposite) - or he trusted the person who (badly) searched Ricky (oooh, new conspiracy theory - it was Ed! Sorry.) - or there was something else at play.

OR

...maybe it was just lazy writing after all.

#ofmd #izzy hands #ofmd meta #you must admit it is a weird scene #it's such a glaring oversight #WHY WHY and WHERE did the pistol come from #I love over-analysing :) #Izzy lives btw I've circled back to denial - feels great!

[fansplaining]

Do you have any advice, guides, or opinions on how write a good rec list?

WELL! This is Elizabeth, and as the longtime co-curator of "The Rec Center" newsletter (with @hellotailor) I do have *a lot* of thoughts about rec lists. 😊 I'm delighted you asked, because as I'm sure both Flourish & I have mentioned on the podcast, rec-list-making is way less prominent now than it has been in previous fandom eras, and I think that's a shame. Reccing can be a great critical tool, and rec lists make a fanwork space richer—not least because they can move readers beyond the mostly quantitative metrics of the AO3.

I'll put the rest of this under the cut:

So obviously there are different kinds of rec lists, including by category/trope, favorites about a character or a ship or fandom, etc. To me, a true ~authored~ rec list is one in which the writer(s) deliberately put together a batch of fics to make some kind of argument about the works/the ship/the fandom/the source material.

Most of the lists we run in the newsletter are not like this, because we're pulling 5-7 works from our guest submissions bank—and since we don't (realistically, can't!) read the stories that are sent in, I have no idea if those 5-7 compliment each other in any real way. (When I put together one of these lists, I aim for balance: not all M/M, not all white characters, not all Western source material, etc.) (Yes, unsurprisingly, those are overrepresented in our submissions bank.)

But an authored rec list treats the rec list itself like a fanwork: you can tap into connective tissue that runs throughout the fics you choose, and you can put stories side-by-side that illuminate something when read together. You can approach this from two different directions: working from a broader pool of fics you like and pulling out a coherent batch, or starting with a theme, an argument, that connective tissue, and seeing what fits.

When I first got into my current fandom, I kept a google doc with fic titles, links, brief descriptors, and general thematic vibes etc., for future reccing use. (Obviously you can do this with AO3 bookmarks, but I use those differently, so this was a separate endeavor.) These were set up to transfer to "The Rec Center" easily, e.g.:

“Celestial Navigation” by kaydeefalls. 9K words, rated Teen. Canon-era: C & E go to NYC to try to recruit several mutants. Delicate balance sort of story with a soft revelation. No tropes.

When I actually go to rec something, I reread it—mostly because I want to get the content warnings right, but also because reading it to rec is more like reading for work: you wind up looking at the text with a different eye, always lowkey thinking about how you'll make your argument about it in writing. I haven't actually recced the fic above in the newsletter, but here's another X-Men fic I did rec at one point:

“Come Together” verse by blarfkey. 60K words across 4 stories, rated Teen.  Backstory: When Peter gets arrested for breaking Erik out of the Pentagon, Erik returns the favor and breaks Peter out in turn—and takes him to live with Charles. Beautifully awkward father-son bonding coupled with bitter, stubborn exes pining: *chef’s kiss*. The verse spans five years, with really believable character growth, which is really saying something, based on the emotionally-stunted starting point for all parties involved. Rec: Peter is the POV character here, so a+++, and the close third-person narration plays with the spaces between what he feels and what he says while capturing his voice beautifully. This means 50% dragging people and 50% feeling like an idiot, which is a total joy. A lot of X-Men stuff, canonically or...fanonically...sorry...is about found family, and I mean, this one is about finding your literal blood relations, but it’s also about building a true family, and I think the author gives that enough space to really sell it.  Content warnings: Canon-typical violence, torture, ableism, the unenlightened thoughts about women’s bodies that preoccupy heterosexual teenage boys 

That rec is from a whole list I did with @morgan-leigh a few (five???wtf lol) years ago, which I think is a good example of an authored rec list: Morgan and I had overlapping tastes and similar interpretations of the characters, so all the fics here feel like they're talking to each other in some way, and making an argument about who these characters are (in Morgan's beautiful words, many of these stories "capture the exquisite and venal dickishness of both our heroes" lol).

Obviously rec lists don't have to be super formal—we created this reccing format a long time ago to keep things standardized—and I certainly don't think recs need to sound like literary criticism (not that the examples above sound like literary criticism lol...you know what I mean). Some of my favorite rec lists are pure vibes and (performatively? in a good way) emotional, and that's great. If you're a fic author, you know what a delight those comments are to receive. And like someone's AO3 bookmarks, the all-vibes rec list is an opportunity to see if you, too, feel like the selected fics smack you in the face or whatever violent expression of appreciation people are using. They often don't give you a ton of information, but if you and the reccer have similar taste, you know you can trust their picks.

But! I would make the case for reccing as a chance to talk about fic in a way that you really wouldn't in a comment to the author or in a performatively emotional tag: critically, not in the "this is bad" definition of "criticism," but, like, in the lit-crit way. Why does this work—and how does it work? As with all literary criticism, "work" is totally contextual; a good rec list sets up that context, and gives you just enough information to want to click through and see for yourself.

All that being said, you don't need to overthink it—and I say this partly because I'd really love to see more rec lists floating around! The AO3 often primes people to sort in a top-down way, and though there are tons of great fics with lots of kudos, as the meme goes,

Rec lists let you include things that aren't super popular, that hit niche characterization or plot notes, that really worked for you specifically for whatever reason. They're pure human curation—not just recs, but an arrangement of those recs that creates a whole new work in the process. And that's something I really love about fandom! We don't want algorithmic 'if this, then that' for-you pages; we're interested in doing the actual work of reading, thinking about, and sharing what we like with others, and that's wonderful.

#asks #fanfiction #reccing #rec lists #the rec center

[argumate]

(in response to a response to this post in which I joked about political parties constantly splitting; hopefully this offers some insight rather than inciting)

I am not familiar with the Party for Socialism and Liberation beyond what I read on their Wikipedia page, so I'm happy to hear they engage in worthy causes, but that alone is insufficient to exclude them from what I maintain is a much deserved roasting, along with their fellow travellers in Australia with whom I have more direct experience.

over here, the local communists can be found in front of the state library every Sunday afternoon, offering hot food, warm clothes, and revolutionary inspiration to the homeless population of Melbourne (or anyone else who happens to be passing by and wants to have an argument with them, because as with me that's how they like to make friends with people I think).

and this is a truly wonderful thing that they choose to do! feeding the hungry, clothing the cold, engaging in heated debate with the otherwise ignored, it's beautiful and it makes this corner of the world a little brighter than it would otherwise be.

I don't volunteer any of my time to that particular effort; I could say that I don't have the time to spare or that my skills don't run in that direction but really it's just that everything you do is contingent on who you know and how you know them, we are all firmly embedded in the web of social connections that define our lives and my path took me in other directions; had a few things twisted differently in university then who knows.

I do donate a little money towards housing the homeless as I believe it's a crime that this city compels anyone to sleep rough outdoors; this is a deliberate policy choice that we did not need to make and do not need to continue, it is a problem that we created and could solve at any time, and since I'm quite vocal about this I'm obliged to put up or shut up etc. and hopefully my contribution will offer some shelter to those who would otherwise be denied it.

but while some volunteering here and some donations there is certainly better than nothing, it's not enough, it's nowhere near enough! the gap between what is done and what needs to be done is staggering! it galls me, and I joke about it because things can be very funny even when they make me mad, the serious is often funny and the funny is always very serious.

when right-wing political parties fracture and begin to eat each other alive it's funny because the people involved are usually assholes, their vain attempts to spin the narrative in their favour are hilarious, and pratfalls and petty drama are just a reliable source of humour, and all of these reasons apply just as well to the scenario of left-wing political parties gratuitously shooting themselves in the dick.

however a right-wing party getting fractious is entirely on brand: at least ideologically they're supposed to believe in the virtues of individual self interest and robust competition and a war of all against all and to the winner go the spoils, so why not stab each other in the back for personal glory at the cost of the greater good?

but a left-wing party is notionally founded on the dream of overcoming what ails humanity by way of collective action, the principle that cooperation can achieve what competition cannot, that class interests supersede all other antagonisms, and in that case what the fuck does it mean when that party cannot even cooperate with itself? what is left for us to offer but derision for such monumental failure, not even to fail in a valiant but doomed fight against a powerful adversary but to be torn apart by internal contradictions (!) and the inability to unite as one despite the professed importance of the mission?

Australia never banned the Communist Party, and as a liberal democracy we can be proud of that, but of course we never needed to: it faded into meaningless irrelevancy of its own accord (a tradition continued to this day by the Greens, who if they ever catch a whiff of electoral success and the chance of actually doing something useful will promptly collapse into acrimonious debates about ending capitalism and disappear up their own arse until everybody else loses interest).

so is it funny that organisations predicated on working together for the common good keep splitting? yes of course it's funny, it's fucking hilarious! and tragic, if you believe in the goal, and think that it ever had a chance of being achieved in this way by these people.

in the meantime the rites continue to be dutifully performed but the modern infrastructure of Marxist organisation resembles little more than a pyramid scheme or an evangelical church that exists solely for the purpose of sucking in enough idealistic students to perpetuate the ideology to the next generation, while ensuring that they stay carefully isolated from any ideas that might seriously challenge the status quo (or honestly even ideas that might help to understand the status quo, a prerequisite to doing anything about it); this is also a funny situation but it's getting a little bitter, and I don't enjoy seeing so much potential go to waste.

I've said more on this topic, scattered across the past few years of posts, but I think that probably conveys the gist of it, although of course as always I'm happy to keep talking.

[surplus-of-sarcasm]

I am largely very unpolitical on here, and this is my writing blog, but it is also the one with the most followers, and this needs to be said.

TW: A lot of talk about war and war crimes

What Israel is doing to Palestine is nothing short of several war crimes, and the US's "stance" on it is a pathetic excuse for these attrocities.

Tell me, how do you justify the slaughter of innocents, of women, children, elderly and people who have no business in this, who don't deserve all this torture? I mean, it is ignorant to say crap like they've been caught in the crossfire because this is clearly deliberate. How can anyone justify cutting off electricity, water, medical care and basic needs of life and the overall subhuman treatment of Palestinians? They're not even letting other governments help.

And about Hamas? I don't support what they did in the slightest. If anything, all they did was give Israel an "excuse" to do this to innocent civilians, no scratch that, not an excuse, a supposed reason that the ignorant choose to believe. Since when has punishing innocent people for the actions of an extremist group that doesn't give two damns about civilians and their country been seen as fair? As something to defend?

"Israel is the only military to warn civilians before bombing them." Oh my God. How admirable. So if I were to call someone and tell them I'd murder them and I do just that, I somehow don't end up in prison? I get a goddamn medal of honour? The hypocrisy is unbelievable.

And somehow, they want to pawn all this on Egypt. Give us access to your borders to house the civilians so we can destroy Hamas. Like Egypt is somehow the villain here. Like Israel doesn't have any bad blood with Egypt. And like Israel doesn't know who it's hurting. Like they actually care about those civilians. You see anyone from Hamas suffering? Hell no. Here's their cock and bull argument blown out of the water.

Don't expect me to believe that a military as powerful as theirs, however scummy it is, doesn't know who it's hurting. Like compassion is a trait of theirs. They just need a stupid argument to make it look like somehow any of this is okay. Like cutting off people's access to electricity, food, water, and bloody medical supplies is "defending themselves."

And listen. Hamas are a bunch of terrorist bastards. What they did is disgusting, and I'm not supportive of anti-semitism at all. But stop treating Israel like the bloody tooth fairy and look at what they've been doing for years to the Palestinians. It wasn't heaven before this attack, but now it's full-blown hell.

And before anyone gives me spiel about collateral damage, look up the West Bank. A Hamas-free area still being targeted.

I stand with Palestine. 🇵🇸 If you stand with Israel, please just dni. Block me if you want to. I'm not in the habit of having fights with people online, and please don't try changing my mind. I'm usually quite open to discussion, but not on this. Never on this.

Also, I've referenced things from this brilliant interview. I highly recommend watching it.

#not writing #i stand with palestine #tw: war #tw: politics #tw: war crimes #Israel is committing war crimes #free palestine

[eeveecraft]

Oh, I'm mad. I just spent over half an hour, writing a really detailed response to another person who's misconstruing the cultural appropriation bullsh!ttery yet AGAIN, and I clicked the wrong formatting button, instinctively pressed ctrl-Z, and it just... nuked my post. Gone. No draft saved, all the screenshots, GONE.

I do not have the fucks to give right now to rewrite all that, but I'm gonna summarize: Tulpamancy is not cultural appropriation, never has been, never will. Actual Buddhists do not care about Tulpamancy as long as Tulpamancers don't claim it to be a Buddhist practice. Creating a new word from another language isn't inherently appropriation, and anyone who says this clearly does not know what actual cultural appropriation is.

I can't believe this "discourse" has lasted so long. The argument was NOT made in good faith, and was literally just fabricated to target Tulpamancers and tulpas, and split them from the rest of the community. Divide and conquer as they always say. I'll say it again: it's just like the "queer is a slur" discourse, deliberately fabricated by TERFs to split the community. Because I guarantee you: if people really did drop tulpa, sysmeds would 100% find another excuse to target whatever word we choose to replace tulpa with.

Because it was never about protecting actual Tibetan Buddhists, it was just a facade to target and harass another minority into submission because they hate endogenic systems that badly.

*Insert obligatory apology for not posting much.*

5-14-2023

#sysmed tw #sysmed mention #cultural appropriation #tulpamancy #tulpa #endogenic #plurality #actuallyplural

[catgirl-catboy]

Mastermind Whit Essay

Okay, I'm really unsure of how to begin this post. I know most people in the DRDT fandom suspect Teruko as the mastermind due to her secret, but are we perhaps playing right into the masterminds hands?

I feel like if Teruko was genuinely the mastermind, she wouldn't give David of all people a note confirming she is. Due to how misleading the secrets have been with other people, it makes far more sense to read this as a frame by the true mastermind.

Maybe Teruko would deliberately make herself suspicious if it were chapter 5 or 6, but in chapter 2??? I'm not buying it.

I feel like this red herring of Teruko is hiding another, far more suspicious character.

Before we get into our theory, the mastermind should match up with the killing game's mascot.

Monokuma and Junko are the obvious pair, since Junko herself chooses to look like Monokuma. There are also hints in Monokuma theater about her true identity.

Monomi and Izuru also have some parallels, especially since Usami's transformation into Monomi could be considered a nod to Hajime's transformation into Izuru.

Monokubs are cheap ripoffs of Monokuma. Tsumugi is a cheap ripoff of Junko.

This trend also tends to apply to fangans, but I'd rather not spoil any for you.

So what does Monotv say about our mysterious mastermind? Monotv's personality tends to focus on one thing: ratings. He will also fake ineptitude on occasion to make things more interesting.

What if I told you that there was a DRDT character whose every action happens to increase ratings?

That's right, ladies and gentlemen (and Nico!), I'm talking about Whit.

Whit is one of the few characters we see before we get an introduction for him. And what do we see him doing? Turning Hu against the group.

Hu is one of the few characters that isn't willing to trust the group with her secret in chapter 2, and this could very well be because of the bad first impression Whit helped make. This has a side effect of having her emotionally dependent on David by trial 2, which I'm positive will have bad results when the hiatus ends.

When we get to his introduction proper, he spends most of it trying to force Teruko and Xander closer together. This isn't his only notable interaction with Teruko either, since he's the only one that prods her to talk about her past pre-trial 1.

It's hard to say for certain about Whit's intentions, but most of his actions appear to have negative concequences later on in the game.

When it comes to Whit, he claims most of his actions are guided by his intuition, like Sayaka before him.

But when you look at things from an objective point of view, his intuition might not hold up. This is the person that hid David's secret from the class for as long as practical.

Why?

In-universe, Whit claims its to help David's career.

But if you look at it closely, does this claim make any sense? This killing game is televised, so it'd be reasonable to suspect that the in-universe DRDT audience knows all the secrets before the characters do.

Besides, how good can Whit's intuition be if he believed in the good of someone as suspicious as David.

So, if Whit's stated motive for keeping that secret doesn't hold up (to me.), what would? Why, MonoTV's motive! Everything Whit does intentionally or unintentionally ups ratings.

Teruko distrusting and being isolated from the group? Is good for ratings.

(Whit didn't bring her back into the group like he did with Charles, which reads as OOC behavior to me. But do you know who canonically doesn't want Teruko talking with the group? MonoTV.)

Hu and David getting close and having a falling out? Is good for ratings.

You could even argue his relationship with Charles is good for ratings.

Speaking of David, I find it interesting that Whit used the same tactic as David to avoid sharing his secret, but did it better.

Unlike David, Whit dropped multiple possible secrets, and admitted the possibility that it could be none of them upfront. This makes him dodge the suspicion David got when his stated secret wasn't on the list.

Whit's secret wasn't even given much attention in the trial itself.

I also feel like Whit's secret was worded a lot more plainly than most of the other secrets. Compare "your mother is dead, you always omit that truth" to "Your older brother died, but you don't remember him at all." or "Your younger sister killed herself because of you. You should have never left."

It could just be because the secret isn't plot-relevant this chapter, or it could be because Whit's secret isn't what it seems.

Another thing, Whit is pretty strange around corpses. He made a dark joke about Min's execution, and under reacts to every corpse in the game so far. Many people think this has something to do with his mom, but I have one question for those people. Would that really explain why he's worse than Veronika, who canonically enjoys the game?

This concludes the main part of my analysis, but here are some details that could be questionable with Mastermind!Whit in mind. (Or maybe I just think everything he does is suspicious, who knows!)

In chapter 1, he deliberately threw the arm wrestling contest to Teruko. Could be hiding his true strength?

He chooses NOT to break up fights that were going nowhere. This seems contrary to what an ideal matchmaker should do in this context.

His name. Whit is one letter away from Wit, meaning intelligence. That could be an example of some very clever foreshadowing. But... its a reach.

He was one of the 3 to get redesigns, along with the protagonist. However, he got specific attention done to his eyes. Every Mastermind in canon does something cool to their eyes upon the reveal.

Out of all of the canon Danganronpa characters, Whits talent is the closest to Toko's. Charwit could be an inversion of Togafuwa, with feelings being one-sided on Toko's (Whit's) end this time.

#drdt #danganronpa #drdt whit #mastermind whit #whit young #drdt theory

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck Week 2024

Day 5 - Favorite Arc: Intro Arc

This is without question the hardest prompt this whole week for me. I don't even have any arcs that I dislike, and you want me to pick the one that I like the most???

How am I supposed to choose between Andy and Fuuko beating Victor by learning that they can reinterpret their Rules in the Autumn Arc, the Union clashing with Under in classic shonen battle manga fashion in the Spring Arc, every Negator banding together to see Fuuko safely to the next world in the Ragnarok Arc, and Feng learning that he's a simp for Fuuko in the Hong Kong Arc??? This is a cruel question that makes me second-guess every decision I could possibly make for it!

However, after much deliberation, I realized that for me, there's only one answer that I could definitively be satisfied with, and one that I think deserves a lot more love than it gets: the introduction

When I say the introduction, I don't just mean the first couple of chapters in Shinjuku, I mean everything leading up to Andy and Fuuko officially becoming seated members of the Union. From their meeting in chapter 1 right up until Juiz challenges Fuuko to work her way up the ranks to become the First Seat of the Roundtable, I consider that entire span to be the first major arc

This is because this is the prologue to Fuuko's development and every single plot beat to follow; from believing herself to be unworthy of living, to realizing that life is worth living, to resolving to make life better for others, the journey of Fuuko's life begins here. Unlearning the lie she believes, learning the truth that she needs to understand, to gaining the confidence to spread that truth, none of that happens without first meeting Andy, then Gina, then Juiz

I really hate to sound like a hipster, but whereas other people had a tough time getting into UU when it started because they felt chapter 1 was too rough, I mean no exaggeration when I say that I fell in love with it instantly. It really did feel like I was the only one who knew it was going to be great all along, and while I'm ecstatic to see that I was right, there's a little bit of a bitter taste mixed in there considering that to this day I see people dismissing its origin

Both fans and haters alike talk about the introduction as if it's this arduous hurdle, something so unlike what comes later that they wish it weren't even there, but to me (and I hope more people reading this than I'm giving credit for), that "rough patch" is an absolute necessity. It is simply unskippable! To appreciate how far Fuuko and Andy come over the course of the narrative, you need to understand where they started, not just as individuals, but as a couple! Everything that Undead Unluck is, was, or will be can be summed up from the events of chapter 1, and the immediately following chapters set up the dynamic of the entire story to come

Without that arc, if somehow Tozuka had skipped straight to Spoil and started in media res, I don't know how attached I would have been to the story. But that's not what happened; instead, I turned every page with wrapt attention, engaged with every single panel, desperate to know what was coming next. And four years later, that feeling has not faded

Every Saturday night I go to bed like it's Christmas Eve; "Undead Unluck tomorrow!" I wake up, roll over, grab my tablet and just start reading the moment it gets uploaded. Everything else in Jump I read in chronological order, but UU? That cannot wait! I need to know what happens ASAP!

All of that excitement, all of that joy, all of that love was inspired by chapter 1 and reinforced by the arc that followed. Other arcs reached incredible highs that I never could have seen coming back then, and nearly all of them are much more refined by nature of Tozuka's growing experience, but the sheer wonder that I could feel being sparked in me from the very beginning? The feeling of the fire continuing to burn is completely different from the feeling of its ignition, no matter how much more brightly it shines

Perhaps future arcs will find a way to overturn this opinion; maybe the final arc will be so spectacular and such a perfect culmination of everything that came before that I can't imagine the story ending any other way, but for now, the beginning that so readily convinced me to follow this series and allowed me to feel so spectacular for so long has to be the one that I consider my favorite

#undead unluck #fouryearsandananime #uuweek2024 #uu spoilers

[jerzwriter]

You are so fucking disgusting Elsa. Using your bland ass straight white bitch MC to be the MC of the Month for Pride Month.

You’ve gone really low

Good morning, Nonny.

I'd like to say hope you're having a good day, but clearly, you're not.

I was 50/50 on putting this in my "delete because Nonny is a bitter troll who doesn't deserve the attention/exposure they desperately crave" file. But this anon goes beyond the usual "I'm a pathetic human who hates someone on the internet who has zero impact on my life so much because of (insert stupid/insane reason here), so I'm going to be a vile bully and send them anonymous hate because - IDK - I can't find a good therapist? I'm off my meds? I'm just a vile piece of shit?" See, I no longer waste my time or energy on those.

But I decided to answer this because a) you're wrong, and b) you're engaging in bi-erasure - something that happens in the fandom and in real life every day, and I'm not going to pass up a chance to educate your ignorance and address your bigotry.

Casey was picked at random - the same way all MCOTMs and WOTMs are. I grappled with the decision to highlight her bisexuality... because of people like you. In the end, I decided to be true to the character. I've been dealing with people like you my entire life - in my personal life - never mind fandom. So let's educate.

Bisexuality is real - people.

Your ignorance in understanding it doesn't make it any less real. I am proudly bi, but trust me, it feels like a pretty shitty thing to be at times. You're never queer enough for many in the queer community, but you're too queer for those who aren't. There is no real safe space outside of a precious few who get it. And I mean few.

Your straight friends talk shit about you "doing this" to be "cool/get attention" or whatever... and they're "relieved" when you're in a hetero-presenting relationship. Your queer friends are happiest when you're with a same-sex partner, and if you're not, they accuse you of lying about who you are or "hiding." It's awesome. You know, instead of just having friends that are fucking happy if you're happy. People CAN BE and ARE attracted to more than one gender and the feelings/love we have toward both are real, valid and do not have to be explained to anyone.

Anyone who follows my MC (and I don't believe Nonny has) knows that Casey has been presented as bisexual from the day I entered this fandom. If some choose to ignore that, that's on them, not me. The fact that she is half of a pairing that is hetero-presenting does not make her any less bisexual. How ignorant are you?

Her profile clearly states she's bi. I've written about her being an activist for LGBTQ rights and about her reluctance about coming out to her parents (because she doesn't believe she should have to "come out," why is straight the default?). I've introduced her ex-girlfriend, Jessica, in fics and text fics, and discussed Casey's identity at length in numerous asks over the years.

So, yes, her current partner is a man, and he ends up being the love of her life. GUESS WHAT! THAT HAPPENS TO BI PEOPLE! And, TRUST, we know the privilege that comes with being in a hetero-presenting relationship. I've never once had someone throw something at me or hurl slurs when I've held a male partner's hand in public, but I've had it happen when my partner is a woman. But no one bi is "suddenly straight" because of it! And asking us to parade as hetero just because we're with an opposite-sex partner is pushing us into a closet - and I'm sorry, but fuck you - because no one belongs there.

Last June, I deliberately avoided all pride-related events in the fandom (NOT in real life). I did so because I was coping with the guilt that is tantamount to being bisexual. The "Should I put it out there. I mean, there are others who are more queer, right? I have no right to do this? Their characters are more important than mine, right?" And yeah, I've felt that way in real life, too. THIS is what it's like being bi. I'm out for decades, I'm comfortable and proud of who I am, I counsel younger people in the community that they are valid - and I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes right now because with all of that, THIS SHIT STILL CREEPS IN - largely because of s-bags like this Nonny.

So you know what, I'm not grappling with it anymore. It's pride month, and in real life, I'm celebrating to the fucking max. And you know what - I'm doing it in the fandom too. Casey is going to be as out and fucking proud as I want her to be, and if it makes your ass uncomfortable, well, that's not my fucking problem.

Re-read your ask, Nonny. The only disgusting person in this exchange is you. Do fucking better.

#playchoices #choices fandom #bisexuality awareness #bi erasure #hate anons #open heart choices #do fucking better #your ignorance is showing #pride