#they also all put amnesia low

[cerastes]

Do you think at some point early on in Arknights the intent was to be a buildup to a more critical look at Rhodes as more morally grey than it first appears? Because when I started the game I was so sure that's where it was going. Popukar probably being one of the first characters you get, the idea of SWEEP, the understanding I had at the time of darknights doctor and y'know, the villains being who they are. I just thought it would be more of a thing.

I don't think necessarily, I think the intent was always to posit Rhodes Island as "as good as you can get while still being a relatively major power but not quite as big or resourceful as a state". I do think it bears mentioning that child soldiers/children and teenagers with a job as a concept don't seem to really carry a stigma as they do in the real world: The only real times in which these are painted in negative lights are when the conditions or results of these decisions end up in something negative:

Popukar was clearly indentured labor at the lumberyard. The part that's condemned is that she was miserable and practically a slave, not really that she was working per se, and she's given a job by RI later after Kal'tsit personally gets her out of there.

Frostleaf's being a child soldier even before Rhodes Island isn't really all that condemned, the effects it had on her psyche is.

Absinthe, just orphaned, is made a Rhodes Island Operator. This notion isn't rejected or truly contested, no more than "maybe we can send her somewhere proper for care". Hell, all the Ursus kids also get made into Operators.

Even outside of this, we hire children frequently: Bubble, Suzuran, Shamare, you name it. Sure, each has a context, especially Shamare who is Fucking Haunted, but the matter of the fact is that Rhodes Island isn't just housing them, it's also showing no real qualms with them taking the Operator Testing Battery and, if they succeed, hiring them. It's mentioned several times that Rhodes Island has many non-combat roles -- Angelina used to be a Messenger for Rhodes Island before taking the Operator test, Orchid was offered a desk job at Rhodes Island initially, and Weedy was a Rhodes Island researcher who explicitly worked out and trained so she could pass the physical components of the test -- but there's no real turn of eyes when a child says mmmm yeah I'll do the Battlefield Supporter Battery please, thank you.

Amiya is, you know, the CEO of Rhodes Island, and that IS pointed out in a "damn, fucked up" way, but what's being lamented is not her having a job, it's her having a BIG difficult job. I think no one would bat an eye if Amiya was a regular Operator under Theresa instead (granted, because she's the owner's daughter, but even without that link).

These are some examples of in-universe logic regarding the whole child soldier and kid with a job. I'd wager it's because life expectancy in Terra is pretty damn low from what we've gathered: Armed conflict, crime, Catastrophes, Oripathy, there's plenty of ways to kick the bucket in Terra, much like it was in Ye Olde Ages in real life, which is coincidentally an era in which by 16 you already were an adult and were expected to start having adult responsibilities.

Pre-Amnesia Doctor was definitely not a stellar person but it's always understood that they weren't bad as much as broken: Scout put it best that it broke his heart to have seen this kind educator and fun, loving individual become a heartless tactician. Even when described this way, though, it wasn't like Doc became this Brooding Evil Mass, it's still mentioned plenty that they were pretty beloved by most people and a person they liked being friends with -- Ace, Scout, and Amiya all corroborate this, and in flashbacks, you have Theresa being pretty warm with Doc -- but if you were a footsoldier, Doctor was probably your worst nightmare because you were disposable -- W, Ines, Hoederer and Flamebringer can tell you as much -- so we had less a villain or a vile individual and more a broken individual who was remolded into someone that could withstand the immense psychological pressure that came with having their role. That's not to sanitize pre-amn Doctor, it's to echo the game's own words on them as per the characters in the setting that knew them from back then, and who held both positive and negative opinions on them.

Looking at all of these from an in-universe lens, they all have coherent in-universe explanations. I also think they would have foreshadowed any sort of Rhodes Island Insiduous Vileness with characters or actions by now: Less than stellar, antagonistic high command, dubious orders to do some vile stuff, other such things. The closest we get to this is Kal'tsit hating Doctor's guts, but also Kal'tsit is a really good person and her hatred of Doctor stems from her knowing them pre-amnesia, seeing how that happened, and what Doc did in those times, particularly one big event that's pretty lore relevant.

You may have noticed the elephant in the room [SPOILERS FOR PEOPLE NOT DONE WITH THE REUNION ARC YET]: I didn't address the enemy part yet. That's because that's the part that I still have some conflicted feelings over: The real enemy, in the end, isn't Reunion's ideals -- which are shared with Rhodes Island -- but rather it's what Reunion has become, a false flag operation for the Ursus Empire to justify a war. On one hand, I like that, on the other, I do think it's something that should've been more graciously hinted at in the very early chapters, because in those very early chapters, you REALLY are rent-a-cops in essence, putting down the people you set out to help. Of course, it's not that simple and there's a nuance as to why and the business dealings and all that, but given the relative simplicity and pace of the early chapters, it really is easy to see it come across that way.

It does, however, ring consistent with what we were previously talking about, though: The essence of, more than the act or thing in itself. Or, in other words, in Terra, the onus of things seem to be placed on the result or context surrounding something more than that something in itself: Child soldiers are fine, unhappy and in-risk child soldiers are not. Teenagers with jobs are fine, teenagers with huge stressful jobs way out of their league are not. Revolutionary movements are fine, revolutionary movements with civilian casualties are not. And so on. There is DEFINITELY commentary that can be had about this, mind you, but that can be for another post in another blog.

With this in mind, I go back to what was first said in this post, I think the idea was always to posit Rhodes Island as "as good as you can get while still being a relatively major power but not quite as big or resourceful as a state".

#arknights

[samwise1548]

My friend and I have been playing dnd together. They're the dm and I'm their only player. It's really interesting and different but fun!!

Anyway here's Ferris, my undead warlock who's soul was put into a statue and also they have amnesia. They're doing okay (lie).

Last game, they were so dejected by failure after failure (damn low rolls!) that they decided to get high and got kicked out of a cassino. Poor baby <3 . And then they tried to (keyword is tried) fight a werewolf, which was fun and definitely not stressful at all (/pos).

------

[ID: Three drawings of a dungeons and dragons character named Ferris. Ferris is a living statue with pointy ears and long curly hair tied in the middle. They're wearing a frilly dress with a red sash to hold their daggers, a dragon amulet with a red jewel in the center, and they are holding a quarterstaff.

The first drawing is of Ferris in a chibi style, standing and smiling with their eyes closed.

The second is a short biography of the character titled "Basics about Ferris" with an illustrated picture of the character below it. There are sparkles around them as they flaunt their looks. Two buttons on the right show the nonbinary and aroace flags, and one on the right says "they/them" in reference to their pronouns. Below this is a chart of their likes and dislikes. Under likes it reads "horses [with three exclamation points], three money symbols, gambling, shiny things, dressing up, writing, and attention." Under dislikes it says "any other animals [besides horses], being excluded (big fo-mo), cold, losing, and children." The final section on this drawing is titled "background stuff" and reads, "Ferris is a statue of the Goddess Petra, given life. They have no memories since they woke up in this body, but can't help but feel they were once someone else... At the very least they remember once being warm.

The final drawing is of Ferris drawn onto a picture of a carousel horse. They are looking very sad.

/End ID]

#oh did i mention they have a mysterious voice (their patron) in their head telling them to do things #they are my baby <3 #and i need them to be okay #my art #oc: ferris #dnd #dungeons and dragons #warlock #living statue #ramadan drawings

[bonefall]

Looking for advice since you're great with stuff like this: I'm struggling with how to have a character fundamentally change. A character in my cat story loses his memory and ends up working with the main characters to stop his own plan he made to destroy the world (and after the plan is stopped, he regains his memories). I want his time in the Starless to change him, make him less obsessed with power, but I'm really starting to struggle with whether or not that makes sense and how to work that.

Hmm.. well, first bit of advice I always give is that characters are not people. They are writing tools. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be "realistic" or that connecting to the human traits in the audience isn't important.

It means that a character exists to tell a story.

By "tool" I mean "machine." Every trait is a piston, and ideally they work together to drive your story along. What are you saying with each trait? What is your beginning point for the story, and their end? What do you want to explore? What do you want the audience to take away?

So if you feel stuck on a character, find the larger message you want to impart with them. The job they're doing in your narrative.

What do you want to say about power?

What do you want to say about why Character X wanted to destroy the world? Why was he wrong? What feelings and information lead him to that conclusion?

What is his redemption arc doing for your themes?

Every writer answers those questions differently. For example, I feel strongly that power doesn't corrupt, it reveals. When you finally have the influence to make others do what you want, you make them do it. I don't see "power" as being like... a magic, abstract thing, it's influence over other people, and those people are ALSO individuals with their own reasons for following the leader.

Digressing; what I'm getting at is that, as a writer, I have a lot of thoughts on power itself. I got this way with a lot of reading and interest on the topic. You might find it insightful to experience more art, essays, and commentary on the subject, if you ever get stuck, and develop an opinion you feel strongly about.

Not just about power, as broad writing advice.

Anyway.

If I was writing the character, these are the things I'd be thinking about specifically and changes I'd be making on personal taste. I don't know your full story enough so, hopefully it's insightful;

First of all I'm always SUPER wary of the "correct but demonized radical" trope. Does my villain have a point?

Am i just giving them a Kick-a-Baby scene to make them wrong when they should be completely right otherwise

What are my themes and tone? This is VERY important. Steven Universe is about family and emotions with low stakes violence; the Diamonds are essentially abusive grandparents that Steven is coaching through intergenerational trauma. They fit the universe they're in. Jack Horner does not belong in SU.

So I'd look at Character X's purpose.

Knowing me, I'd actually take out full amnesia entirely. I have memory problems related to trauma so I'm a lot more familiar with major, important details blotting out RIGHT when I need them. Enough that I can put myself in the shoes of someone like BB!Fallenleaf who remembers a lot but the details are fuzzy.

So personally I think I could write this villan to be VERY funny lmao

"Hello. I am Gnagnathor the Destroyer."

"No you're not. He has three horns. You have two."

(DID I USED TO HAVE THREE HORNS?????)

I also just find it more resonant when a character still remembers what they did, why they did it, and is able to refute themselves with their own growth.

To me like... when a character remembers NOTHING to the point where they're not informed by their actions or history at all, how are they really still the same person?

in general though I find total amnesia uninteresting. I wish it was less popular.

What did Gnagnathor DO with his power? What did he WANT from it?

The simplest version of this I know is "Gnag was hurting and wanted everyone else to hurt too. Now that he has a happy place, he doesn't want that."

TO BE CLEAR THATS FINE. That's a REALLY common power fantasy and it's not automatically a bad story. It's popular for a reason.

Personally I feel strongly about the idea, though, that people with power don't change unless they lose it. There's no reason to.

People don't change until you break the environment that contributes to the behavior.

Especially with victims unfortunately-- the ugly truth is that a lot of problematic behaviors exist because they protected the victim from their abuser's actions. You need safety to really start to unpack that.

You can personally identify it and address it as much as you want, when your abuser starts to use That Tone you will still seize up. Just try to yank yourself back into your head when you're disassociating during a screaming session; your reward is raw distress.

That said, not all villains HAVE to have tragic motivators like that, or be ex-victims at all. Leveraging power to get what you want can be as ugly as just being taught the people you're hurting are subhuman.

Or making up justifications for why This Is a Good Thing Actually.

Some people will lash out violently when these justifications fall apart, because accepting it would mean they're Being Bad

Most people have an innate desire to Be Good. Like... the vast, vast majority of people. Some sense of morality is observable in all intelligent social animals; dolphins, chimps, elephants.

Tangentially, if you understand that people don't WANT to be bad and that the natural response to a scolding is defensiveness, you understand that convincing people of something is a LOT easier when you approach with kindness.

AND IN TURN: be wary of those who are flattering while trying to convince you of something. This is Manipulation 101.

So back to Gnagnathor

Do I want to talk about environment and how it changes him to be away from power? How traits that previously earned him wealth or influence are suddenly incredibly taboo, so he can't use them here?

On that-- HOW did he get his power in the first place? Re: I'm very wary of the "correct but demonized radical" trope.

Were his minions following him because they have serious issues and he exploited their desperation? .....are you centering the experience of the poor, sad abuser over his victims

Or are they ALL united over something important and legitimate? With the redemption of their villainous leader, how are you planning for that to frame all of their former followers?

(This is why redeeming minions is usually a lot more productive than doing it to the leader, imo. Redeeming Zuko means you can explore the familial legacy, the indoctrination of the Fire Nation's children, their justifications, the way systems make monsters out of people. Redeeming The Firelord would probably have caused Azula, one of his victims, to pick up his slack and now, suddenly, you have a VERY uncomfortable situation where Ozai is thrashing one of his abused children but Good This Time.)

(Not to mention that, again... why would he do this. He has power. He's doing what he wants and is used to this situation. It would be a numbskulled narrative choice.)

Aaaand that's about all I can say without essentially being a cowriter or editor. It's on you to figure out what you're trying to do and say here. I'm a good writer on this subject because I think about it a lot, which has lead to my strong opinions and point of view. Your art is a reflection of you.

#This is mega off topic but the question kinda reminds me of hazbin which I watched a couple days ago #I'm starting to identify why I was dissatisfied with it I think #I didn't dislike it though and I'm waiting for the next season #If only as something I enjoyed but wish could be better. #Bones gives advice

[crucifiedbymypriestess]

So while researching some things to start writing a fanfic, I found some things about Charles that I feel were not exploited enough. I also leave you some headcanons. Things written on "()" are just opinions. If something is wrong or you have any opinions, please comment, I need all the help possible before start writing sht.

•His mother was about to have twins, but apparently Charles was forced to kill her, so she was born, but died shortly after. (Which may lead Sharon to hate and blame her own son for her baby's death, but rather a distancing of Charles as her son. She may also have suffered postpartum depression. Honestly, we can exploit this more when writing fanfics. Like, I don't know, Sharon seemed unconvinced but tied to Raven because of it.)

•The mutants were not publicly known until the incident in Cuba in the 1960s, when Charles is 30s in the movie, but he manifest as a child of ten depending where you found the info. (Which may put Charles whose mutation is not physical at risk of being taken as a mentally challenged child, especially in the 1940s. I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet, this is something I plan to do in my own fanfic. So Charles may have been treated with experimental or insulin therapy. He easily could be diagnosed with schizophrenia or smt.)

He may have mental health problems, depression and tendency to addictions.

Cain bullied Charles and Kurt may have not only indulged it, but I think he participated in it. Kurt was also abusive to Sharon.

•Charles was part of powerful groups due to his position as a millionaire.

Low level of telekinesis. YES, HE HAS IT OMFG.

Military training and fighting expert.

His dark side is one of the most curious things I've ever read, as he was not only capable (but didn't, I think. I didn't read enough) of it for his personal gain.

•Charles has other abilities, so I will list them all, and I will put the description of the most interesting ones.

•Telepathic Illusions, Telepathic Cloak, Mind Link (He has the ability to develop a mental link with any person which remains as a connection to that individual.), Telepathic Camouflage, Mind Blast, Mind Control (This power could allow him to completely shut down several people's minds, making it appear as if time has stopped.), Mind Possession: Xavier can possess the mind of another and use that being's body as his own.), Mind Alteration, Mental Amnesia, Psychic Wave Manipulation, Mental Shield, Psionic Blasts (Xavier can project psionic force bolts which had no physical effects but can affect a victim's mind so as to cause the victim pain or unconsciousness and could even kill an adversary.), Mental Detection, Mind Transferal (Xavier possesses the ability to transfer both his mind and powers into other host bodies if his own physical body was somehow killed☠️‼️‼️‼️‼️), Absorb Information, Telepathic Learning, Omnilingual, Astral Projection (Charles can use astral travel and communicate with others astrally through his own will, or through contact with the thoughts and memories of others and more.)

#cherik #charles xavier #xmen

[a-oct0]

My personal versions of the Squidbeak Splatoon Agents! More info on each Agent below the cut-

Captain

Current leader of the Agents (Marie is his second in command)

His actual name is Adam

He's got a twin sister and younger sister (Agent 4)

Everyone besides Agent 4 calls him Captain, 4 calls him 3.

Due to the events down in the deepsea metro he suffers from sanitization scars all down the right side of his body, while generally they don't bother him they can flare up and hurt quite badly. So he doesn't go on many missions anymore.

While he is quite strong and battle smart, he's also incredible dense- and a bit dumb- high intelligence, low wisdom is the best way to put it.

Agent 4

Self proclaimed "Best Agent"

Her actual name is Camri

She has an older sister and older brother (Captain)

Roommates with Agent 8

Doesn't proclaim that title for nothing, she's the most skilled with multiple weapon types out of the four agents.

Wears shades to hide her sunken in eyes, claims it's cause "Sleep is for the weak" however she stays up late playing video games/reading because of nightmares she doesn't want to deal with.

Incredibly egotistical, sarcastic and all around snarky. She isn't mean no matter how rude she seems. She won't just insult someone for no reason.

She also during her time in Octo Canyon she picked up how to understand Octarian (loosely she isn't fluent or anything)

Agent 8

Originally from Octo Valley

His actual name is Octavius

He's the youngest of eight, however due to the amnesia he doesn't fully remember all his older siblings (some have made it to the surface, some haven't)

Roommates with Agent 4

Still suffers from nightmares due to his time down the the deepsea metro.

He's quite cocky and very proud but to the extent that he physically cannot bring himself to show vulnerability around others.

Which has cause him to spend the last 5 years silently but not very subtly pinning for Captain (who's too dumb to realise) because he can't bring himself to be open and confess.

Agent 3

Also commonly referred to as just Neo

Their actual name is Hina

They have a twin brother who they live with in Splatsville where they're from.

They have a pet smallfry whos nicknamed lil Buddy

The red markings under their eyes and on their hands are inkmarks (or inkfish birthmarks)

They are the most calm and collected of the group (ironically). They also tend to be quite blunt, not realising what they say is slightly hurtful.

Probably the least traumatised from their time as an agent, however they can't look at Judd or lil Judd the same way again- anything furry or fuzzy makes them very uncomfortable.

#I decided on giving Eight his OE outfit cause-- im lazy and dont wanna draw the side order gear #splatoon #splatoon2 #splatoon3 #agent 3 #agent 4 #agent 8 #new agent 3 #art #fanart

[tenojan-in-tevinter]

I um. May have Done Something. Idk if it was good. You decide.

I couldn't make him nearly pathetic enough but I tried. I went ahead and made him a dark urge because amnesia, and yes, he's also a bard. He's going to be using nothing but a hand crossbow all game. Well, and his violin.

I based his build on how I usually play in disco elysium, with low intellect and medium motorics, with physique a little higher and psyche as the highest stat.

And of course I had to make his guardian Kim, but I don't think I did him justice. Couldn't even give him his pencil 'stache. But I did get a mod so he can have his glasses. Went with the hair I felt was closest. Totally forgot to put any grey in it though.

I am so incapable of doing Normal things in this game. I think I might be losing it.

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #disco elysium #harry du bois #kim kitsuragi #i have been thinking about doing this ever since I saw you could have a muttonstache #so pretty much since launch lol #this run will be... interesting. #bg3 durge #bg3 dark urge #sorry to anyone in the de fandom who sees this. but I have to share it. im going insane.

[demigods-posts]

I’ve only read PJO and HoO so idk if this is still the case but I don’t like how the Hypnos cabin replaced the Aphrodite cabin as the butt of the jokes. Does there really have to be ‘that one cabin’ that everyone makes fun of?

Initially in PJO the Aphrodite cabin wasn’t taken very seriously and they were kinda seen as useless in comparison to the others. Obviously Selina disproved the stereotype and getting Piper’s perspective/ journey in HoO further established them as a respectable cabin. But it feels like as soon as that started we got the brand new Hypos cabin to fill the role as the comic relief?

Like sure Clovis tries to help Jason with his amnesia and he helps carry messages but most of the time Clovis is mentioned he’s just falling asleep and waking up at comical times. He doesn’t get a enough recognition imo

And the Hypnos cabin is just sleeping all the time?? I get that they navigate the dream world and stuff, that’s important. But shouldn’t they train as well? In the Lost Hero, Clovis is described as looking ‘like he’d never lifted anything heavier than a pillow’ which is obviously hyperbolic. But still! A huge part of CHB is teaching campers to fight for their lives in case they need to fend off the literal monsters that can smell them and track them down? Seems pretty inconsistent that the Hypnos kids wouldn’t be able to defend themselves

And I want to know more about them! Why are they sleepy all the time? When Percy was about to get the blessing of Achilles, Nico put a bunch of skeletons to sleep which made Nico very tired, is it like that? Are the Hypnos kids using their powers every night to help the insomniac demigods get some rest? Are there other powers they can have besides putting ppl to sleep and navigating the dreamscape? ‘Cause it seems like Nico can sorta do those things a bit as well. Is there anything specific Hypnos kids?

Sorry if I’m going on and on but I’m just so curious about this very underrated and vaguely-described cabin.

You have very valid questions that I don't have the answer to, lol. But I do agree with you that it seems inconsistent that chb is designed to train demigods to fight for their lives, yet some demigods just...don't? why wouldn't they at least train, you know, just in fucking case lmao. and also, i don't see why certain cabins are the butt of the joke either. i'd argue it's for the sake of the plot, something to pace the story by giving the reader a break when the tension is thick. but the demigods making fun of other demigods? like, come on now. y'all's life expectancy is way too low for y'all to make fun of each other :|

#answered

[absideoncollective]

The Analytical Classification System (WIP)

@bunzfluffle can now rest easy knowing that I am, in fact, alive and willing to post this Classification System for all systems!!!

And if I wasn't clear enough - THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS!! Still trying to ask other systems if this is a system (this type of wordplay will happen a lot, apologies) that they would use, All the systems I have "interviewed" have liked it so far and have provided feedback I have used to make the system better, but I need a bigger group to see if it's missing something, and Tumblr will apparently be the platform I will use. Yay!

I will explain what all the terms mean at first with a few additional terms that are nto directly related to the Classification System but useful to know. I will then give examples of what a certain type of system would fall under in the Classification System.

:--------:)--------:

Basic Categorization

There are 2 types of systems: Conscious and Unconscious systems. A system may be only one of those types, a combination of those types or they may not know because of a multitude of factors (usually amnesia).

Conscious

Conscious systems are systems that were intentionally created. This optional modifier is generally used by tulpas, daemons and soulbonds and any headmate who has been created with a specific method and systems whose members all have that same type of origin, but those who were created without a method or who don't identify as any of those (but were still created intentionally) also use this modifier.

Unconscious

Unconscious systems are systems formed inadvertently or unintentionally. This label applies even to tulpas, daemons, soulbonds or any other headmate who identifies with terms usually used for Conscious systems but who were created by accident. If one does not know if a system or member of a system was consciously or unconsciously created, usually this modifier is used.

:--------:)--------:

There are also 2 categories that explain the origins of a system: Reactionary and Adventitiary. These terms can apply to both Conscious and Unconscious systems and headmates.

Reactionary

Reactionary (from Reaction) systems are systems created as a reaction to something. That something may be emotions, trauma or adverse experiences, sensory or physical experiences, the needs of the system or someone outside of it or other events. The main characteristic of Reactionary headmates is that they were made for a reason.

Adventiary

Adventiary (from Latic Adventire = Arrive) systems are system created for no specifc reason. When an Adventiary member of a system is created, they may not have a predefined reason for their existence and they may just exist to live as themselves. They may be given or obtain roles in the system at any point, but their creation wasn't a need of the system to fulfill that role.

:--------:)--------:

Basic Hirearchy Categorization

These are terms that can apply to all, some or no system members. This depends if the system works in a hierarchy (what a hierarchy means in this context will be explained later).

High Members

High members of a system are headmates who are integral to system functioning. They may hold important functions within the system, have abilities useful to the system or hold an integral role in the hierarchy.

Low Members

Low members of a system are headmates who are not integral to system functioning. They may lack or have a very specific role, be a Transient or Recurring headmate that because of their nature do not have a stable position in the hierarchy (if they have no position in the hierarchy they would not use this term) but in general are in a lower position in the hierarchy for whatever reason. This can mean different things for different systems.

:--------:)--------:

Other Terms

Hierarchy

In a system, a hierarchy is a type of bidirectional internal organization system that puts some members with certain qualities in a direction and members with other qualities in the opposite direction. It often takes the metaphorical shape of a pyramid.

One type can be a Hierarchy of Power, where all members on the tip (High members) are headmates with most influence over the system, that make important decisions for the system, body and shared life and members at the base (Low members) have les influence on the same aspects.

Another can be a Hierarchy of Presence where inwards (High members) are headmates who are more "established" in the mind, and outwards (Low members) are more transient and less "solid" (common in young created systems).

A system may have one hierarchy, multiple hierarchies, no hierarchy or a partial hierarchy, it depends on how they feel like they function.

Transient Members

Transient members of a system are headmates that are created or enter the system temporarily, and then leaving it. May also apply to system members who front only once.

Recurring Members

Recurring members of a system are headmates that enter and leave the system at different times. The difference between Recurring and Transient members is that the latter "visits" the system once and then leaves, while the former will visit and leave multiple times. If a Recurring member of a system decides to stay. they cease being Recurring. May apply to system members who only front for specific uncommon reasons and leave.

Foundatory Member

The foundatory member of a system is the first headmate who was created, apart from the original (in some circles, namely the tulpamancy community. "original" and "host" are synonymous by the way). They are the member of the system that lays the foundation for how the system functions.

Generally used for created systems, as they are usually easily identifiable. If a system was created by splitting, there may be more than one foundatory member if those headmates choose to use that label.

Iterative Members

Iterative members of a system are headmates that went through a process of demolition and rebuilding of their identity or personality, usually because of overwhelming events. They usually have "tells" that they are iterative, like having the same memories as an old headmate, their same personality, their same mindvoice or anything else, but they almost always retain the same role in the system as the original headmate.

:--------:)--------:

Case Studies

Wow such fancy language! I am so cool!!! (These are not actual case studies as I am making up these systems as examples!!)

Anyways

CASE STUDY 1

Alex (they/them) discovered their system in their mid-20s. Only known members of the system right now are:

Alex, the original

John (he/him), who took over Alex's daily duties in his teenage years while they were severely dissociated and slowly splitting their own identity from John's

Alice (she/them), childhood protector created to protect alex in his childhood from trauma

Kai (it/them), system member who seems to show up only in high stress situations to destress, take the system away from danger and subsequently leaves

Daymon (he/him), persecutory part of the system. He holds trauma and acts erratically because of it, feeling like he doesn't deserve to be the one who's holding those memories.

The system operates in a bihierarchical fashion, with a Hierarchy of Power that from top to bottom goes Alice, Daymon, Alex, John, Kai, and a Hierarchy of Presence that from the inside to the outside goes Alex, John, Alice, Daymon, Kai.

This system is an Unconscious Reactionary Bihierarchical system.

Unconscious because the system was created unintentionally, Reactionary because the system was created as a response to trauma, Bihierarchical because the system operated with two hierarchies.

Alice, Alex and John are High members of the system, while Kai is a Low member of the system. Daymon does not wish to be part of the hierarchy and therefore does not use any Basic Hirearchy Categorization terms.

Specifically Kai would be a Recurring member of the system, because of his specific role that makes him unable to interact with the system

CASE STUDY 2

The Railway System is a system created when the body was 17 years old. The current members are

Darren (he/them), the original

Emily (she/her), first created member of the system. created to cope with loneliness

Liam (they/him), Emily's daemon. He takes the form of a wolf generally, while cycling through other forms sometimes. A result of Emily talking to herself a bit too much

Mia (she/her), walk-in. She spent 5 months with the system and decided to leave afterwards.

The Railway system does not operate on a hierarchy.

This system is an Conscious Reactionary system.

Conscious because the original decided consciously to create the system, Reactionary because it was a reaction to loneliness.

Emily would be the Foundatory member of the system, being the first headmate after the original. Mia would instead be a transient member of the system, as she joined and left the system after a period of time. Liam and Mia would both be Adventiary members of the system, with Liam being unconscious.

CASE STUDY 3

The Solar system does not have memories of not being plural Their earliest memories were of them playing in their headspace and being happily multiple, and they soon learned to live as plural throughout their childhood, adolescence and young adult life. They are now 28 and their system looks like:

Beatrice (she/her), one of the three headmates who were present in childhood

Mattia (he/him), one of the three headmates who were present in childhood

Il Pifferaio (all pronouns), one of the three headmates who were present in childhood, who later split into Jerry e Tuffy

Jerry (he/she), a little mouse whose purpose was to guide the system

Tuffy (neopronouns), also a little mouse who was in charge of keeping everyone happy through jokes

Daniele (he/him), an emergency protector

The Solar system operates on a Hierarchy of Longevity, were from start to end there's Beatrice and Mattia together, Jerry and Tuffy together and finally Daniele.

This system is an Unconscious Adventiary system.

Unconscious because the system was spontaneously created very early in their life with them not having the capability of creating it consciously, and Adventiary because, again, this system was created spontaneously

Beatrice and Mattia would be High members of the system, while Jerry, Tuffy and Daniele would be Low members.

:--------:)--------: And that's it!!

Let me know your thoughts and I will update this system based on your suggestions! By this system, I'd be an Unconscious Reactionary headmate in an Unconscious Reactionary system with no hierarchy and the other host would be a Conscious Reactionary headmate. If you want, let me know what type of system you are!

#actually plural #plurality #pluralgang #plural system #endogenic #traumagenic #daemonism #plural terms

[eclipse15]

Things that are secondary traits of polyfragmentation, using ourselves as an example-again, secondary!!

These are just some secondary symptoms of being polyfragmented that I’ve observed in us :D also, when we say secondary symptoms we mean they aren’t essential to being polyfrag but a lot of C and HC systems have them and it could be a sign of primary symptoms!! Lmk if y’all want a post on the primary symptoms btw!!!

Switching a lot in one day (on average)

We switch an average of 7 to 9 times a day, I think our record was 25 times in one day. Most people would consider switching 5 to 7 times a day a lot. Switching a lot can be a sign of heavy dissociation, and dissociation being a go-to coping mechanism. This is what many, including myself, consider the root of polyfragmentation.

Vivid inner world memories

At the time of writing this, I just came out after an almost 3 week long time out and I remember the whole time I was doing paperwork ):< I remember what the work sheets were about, what I had to write down, signing a bunch of shit, Y’know all that shit. Anyways enough complaining, point is I probably wouldn’t remember a good third or half of that if we didn’t have such a vivid inner world. And you know what a vivid inner world is? A primary symptom of polyfragmentation. Having vivid inner world memories is like a symptom of a symptom, if that makes any sense.

Having more non-fragment parts be EPs rather than ANPs by a lot

For this one I really wanna emphasize the by a lot. I’d say a rough 3:1 average for EPs over ANPs is considered that. We personally have 13 logged ANPs and 31 logged EPs, though ngl some of these bitches are lazy at and don’t put which one they are sometimes…anyways. This is a symptom we have to a lesser degree, honestly. The reason why this is a secondary symptom is because one of the key things about polyfragmentation is way more less formed parts than fully formed parts. In the primary symptoms, this manifests as a huge fragment>alter ratio. In secondary this manifests as more EPs than ANPs.

Relying more on external communication than inner communication (If y’all communicate at all LMAO)

We definitely have this one LOL. Even in my own layer when I’m fronting it’s like almost like I’m a singlet. I can hear others feelings, if that makes any sense whatsoever, but thoughts? Words? What are those? Instead of all that we have a 5 subject notebook we write in. Its a pain if we have something we need to share when we’re out and about but whatevs. The reason this is a secondary symptom is that atypical, usually high, amnesia barriers are a primary symptom of polyfragmentation. Amnesia extends to when you’re in the front, too! This one isn’t as directly related as some others, but they’re still first cousins.

Note: alternatively, the opposite in some areas and this symptom in others can be a secondary symptom. For example, if you’re in a subsystem you could have communication that feels like it doesn’t have any amnesia barriers but outside of the subsystem if feels like you’re locked in a concrete cube.

Complex fusing patterns

Kinda like a sibling to the primary symptom of complex splitting patterns, complex fusing patterns are interesting. There are three ways I’ve seen this in our system. One is group fusing, where when a part fuses it fuses with multiple other parts instead of two parts becoming one. The other way is high fusion tolerance, where once a part is made it has a very hard time fusing. The opposite, low fusion tolerance, could also be true even though it doesn’t occur in our system. The third is really weird, it’s when alters just kinda die. They don’t actually die die, they just…poof! Gone. I honestly have no idea why LMAO

And those are all the secondary symptoms of being polyfrag that I could think of!!! Tysm for reading and feel free to comment on symptoms or a symptom if you wanna (: that’s all byyyyyeeeee

#🤖 #did alter #polyfrag system #polyfragmented #polyfrag #actually polyfrag #polyfragmentation #c did #hc did #pf did #secondary symptoms #did osdd #osddid #actually mentally ill #endos dni

[weepinwriter]

My guess is:

MC was some sort of spy or an undercover cop sent to collect information within the rebellion because they were one of the best spies/cops possible to send in (hence them having plenty muscle memory despite amnesia)

MC instead started to believe in the cause and ended up abandoning their original mission— and their bosses knew that

MC slowly climbed up the hierarchy, high enough to be handed sensitive, crucial information, and the bosses realized they could try to catch MC and extract all that information

They knew MC enough to form a successful ambush, kidnapping them while also getting to wipe out and/or arrest some important rebels, but they didn't realize MC would go as far as to erase/block their own memory just to keep important information away from them

However, because MC did it hastily, it was sloppy work and they ended up accidentally putting themselves in a coma that lasted two long years

MC was high ranking enough that capturing them was enough to make the rebellion wobble, but the loss of some other important figures and the bosses strategically leaking that MC was a spy that ended up demoralizing and distracting the majority: they believed it was MC who gave the intel that led to the murder and arrest of high-level rebels and leaders, and now they were hiding like a coward

Basically, MC was made out to be the scapegoat, a traitor to the rebellion, hence why the survivors hate their guts

After the incident, it was easy to wipe out the rebels, but still, some important people did manage to escape and lay low, people MC has information on

MC cannot be let go: they have important information tucked away in a dark corner of their mind that can still be extracted, they are too powerful and charismatic that they can end up forming a second group of rebels more powerful than the other should they bring back their memories, and other surviving rebels might kill them

And now... we are here at today lol MC in jail, hated by the population that remembers them both before and after the rebellion, under the close surveillence of their former bosses

OH LORD I WAS ITCHING TO ANSWER THIS ASK FOR A WHILE, BUT NOW THAT I CAN, CAN I PLEASE PLEASE TELL YOU WHAT A MAGNIFICENT WORK OF ART THIS THEORY HERE IS????

It's *multiple chef kisses* JUST.PERFECT. although not entirely correct, there are some part in this super long and deliciously juicy theory that I can't help but fear that you are some sort of telepath to closely guess the basic storyline I had in mind. I mean the part about MC being a spy was quite far fetched, however them being ambushed and used as a scapegoat to topple the rebellion and becoming the centre of everyone's ire is quite close. I won't say anything more for fear of revealing anymore sensetive information and possibly spoil the fun, but this is one theory that I can gladly read over and over and never lose interest in. It's that good.

Anon are you a telepath in hiding possibly? 🧐 How could you come up such an amazing theory that mindblew me so much.

I love this theory and I hope to see more such theories, it makes it so much more fun to answer your asks and also gives me a good laugh (plus puzzled head scratch) every once in a while!

#interactive fiction #if game #current wip #road to heaven if #asks #interactive game #theories

[randomthefox]

I do like the interpretation that Raditz was basically toxic masculinity The Character. Even moreso than Vegeta, since the prince honestly seems like he was just born broken and had to be pieced together very slowly. Goku getting amnesia and becoming a sweetheart does seem to suggest that the tabula rasa for the sons of Bardock is to be decent people, and it's the culture of the Saiyan species that turns them into what they are.

Raditz was a low class warrior, and the son of a low class warrior. His species was wiped out and his planet blown up. And the only Saiyans left in all of existence were two Elites, who constantly looked down on him for being garbage who was barely as strong as literal vegetables (the saibamen). They probably only barely tolerated him because he was also a Saiyan, but especially considering this is Vegeta we're talking about here that tolerance probably didn't extend very far. Raditz might have felt the urge to prove himself to his superiors, to show himself worthy among these Elites, by overcompensating and amping up how ruthless and brutal he could be so that he could earn their respect.

And then one day they find themselves having difficulty conquering a planet. Even these two Elites would be challenged by it! But then Raditz remembers, he has a baby brother. Another low class cast off just like him! Surely Kakarot will be enough to tip the scales in their favor, and if he does maybe these Elite's will see them differently. They'll see that they have value as Saiyans despite how low class they are, he and his baby brother will finally earn the respect of his (male, violence obsessed) peers.

So when he finally meets his little brother Kakarot again and finds out what became of him, you could read quite a lot into his reaction and what must be going through Radtiz's head. Based on the way Raditz talks to Goku, it's clear that Raditz EXPECTS Goku to remember him on a personal level. They MUST have interacted before Kakarot was sent off to earth to at least some capacity, otherwise dialog like this doesn't really make sense.

Raditz and Kakarot KNEW each other before the calamity that befell their planet. They've been separated for decades and a lot happened during that time, but Raditz still expects Kakarot to remember him. He seemed genuinely shocked that Goku had suffered from amnesia, and his demeanor was pretty flapped. His only family left in the entire galaxy, his fellow low class Saiyan and kin the only person in the entire galaxy who is on his level. And those memories of their childhood as brothers was erased. Read this panel with that in mind.

Raditz WANTS his brother back. But he has also had 20 years of living with Vegeta to sculpt him as a person, and this is where the Toxic Masculinity creeps in. The desperation and confusion he let drive his interactions with his little brother thus far is put under control, and Raditz starts playing the aloof and bemused monster. He puts on the mask of being the ideal saiyan warrior. Someone who laughs off the destruction of their home planet

Someone who relishes in the thrill of carnage and bloodshed. It's the very reason they became the most powerful race in the galaxy. It's the very reason they are both still alive.

He's TRYING to wake Kakarot back up. He's TRYING to get his brother back. He's overcompensating, he's playing it up, he's EMULATING VEGETA because he thinks this will rile up the Saiyan inside of Goku that has laid dormant.

When Goku rejects him it must be crushing, but he hides it under a confident veneer. Because he's still confident that he can make this work when he notices Gohan. If Goku won't be motivated by the promise of battle and wrecking death, MAYBE Goku will be motivated by the paternal instinct to protect his son?

Think about this given what we know: Saiyans aren't supposed to CARE about their children. At least that's what we've been told. And yet Raditz is trying to wake up Goku's Saiyan instincts by threatening his son. It's almost a Catch-22, Saiyans are supposed to only care about strength and fighting and killing over everything else, and yet Raditz is hoping to stoke those flames by tugging on Goku's love and protective instincts for his child. It's like Raditz is blending what he knows about his own family with what is expected of Saiyans - if Goku was a "real" Saiyan then he shouldn't care about Gohan especially considering he's such a weak child, but Raditz is COUNTING on Goku caring enough about his son that he'd be willing to slaughter a hundred earthlings.

He hopes that if he's FORCED to kill for the sake of his son, that experience will bring Kakarot back out and he'll remember what being a Saiyan who lives to fight and kill is like again. And the only reason he'd think that plan would work is if he assumed, BASED ON NO OBSERVABLE INTERACTION HE'D HAVE WITNESSED SINCE ARRIVING ON THE ISLAND, that Goku cares about his son. THAT'S the true Raditz, the Raditz who assumes based on nothing that his brother would love and value his son more than one hundred random strangers. It's the toxic masculinity of living around Nappa and Vegeta his whole life that makes Raditz think that "a real man Saiyan" SHOULD only care about battle that makes him think that engaging in senseless slaughter will wake Kakarot back up.

He's trying to impart this onto Goku because he wants Goku to join him. He's trying to turn Goku into a monster because that's what Raditz thinks he is, thinks that they both should be, so that they can fit in and be seen as worthy by the only two other Saiyans left in existence. He wants more than anything for Goku to join him so they can both go back to Vegeta and show those Elite's what they're worth. And Goku is rejecting him, rejecting his very nature as a Saiyan, CHOPPED OFF HIS OWN TAIL just so he could fit in with these weak earthlings?

Rejecting his family, his species, his heritage, and for what? So he can be a weakling who isn't worthy of standing next to the Elites?

So that he can leave Raditz alone with those two Elites who he can't possibly measure up against? Again?

He HAS to try and convince Goku to become a monster. That's the only solution, truly. Surely, once he sees how fun it is to commit genocide, he'll come around and be his brother again, right? After all that's what Saiyans are all about. He's a Saiyan, just like me, and we Saiyans HAVE to be this way otherwise we're not worthy, that's what those Elites have always said and they should know because they're the creme de la creme of Saiyan society! I have to be ruthless, I have to be obsessed with strength and power and nothing else, I have to be willing to kill my own brother and nephew otherwise I'm not a real man. And maybe, just maybe, if I show my poor brain damaged little brother that that's what we Saiyans are all about, maybe he'll Wake Up and come back to me and we can be a family again. A family of monsters.

The poison drips through.

#raditz #dragon ball #saiyans #dragon ball z #don't mind me just overthinking about this incredibly minor character that is never mentioned by the story ever again after he dies #and is considered a joke by the community at large #why is he my pet character lololol #blame the fact that he's always the first fight in every single Dragon Ball Z game and damn did I play a lot of those as a kid

[hollowistheworld]

Hot Chocolate

Day 5 of IBWeek2023, hosted by @the-bureaucracts-are-everything

Also on AO3

“I have a confession to make,” Gabriel says, “and I would appreciate it if you would attempt to hold back on the judgment.”

Beelzebub’s eyebrow nearly reaches their hairline. “Might this be a good time to remind you about demons and lying?” they ask, already smiling. Anything Gabriel is worried about being judged for is bound to be good. Even in Hell, Beelzebub’s never known anyone so confident. 

He gives them a wounded look, which only makes their smile wider. “What is it, my sweet? I promise to keep my judgment as quiet as possible.” 

Gabriel sits down on the couch with a deeply skeptical look on his face. Beelzebub bats their eyes at him, a perfect picture of innocence. It isn’t their fault he’s so fun to tease. 

“Don’t think I didn’t notice how vague ‘as possible’ is.” 

Beelzebub only flashes their teeth. “You’re teasing me now. What is it?” 

Gabriel makes a dramatic show of rolling his eyes back in his head, resisting having this conversation even though he was the one who brought it up. “When I was staying with Aziraphale…” He takes a deep breath and stops, looking displeased. “Well, he - You know he was never a very good angel.” 

Beelzebub laughs and makes a show of stretching out like a cat, putting their head in his lap. “I’m afraid I have dreadful news about what kind of angel you are.” 

Gabriel huffs, but he runs a hand through their hair, coaxing a content noise out of Beelzebub's throat. “Yes, well. Besides that. I never… ingested.” 

It takes a moment for the implications of that to click together in Beelzebub’s head, and when they do, they prop themself up on their elbows, eyebrows both going up this time. “My darling, are you telling me you have now?” 

Gabriel groans, sinking further into the couch and throwing his head back. “I didn’t remember! Aziraphale just handed me the cup! I didn’t even remember what gravity was, much less anything about… consuming things.” 

Beelzebub covers their mouth with one hand, caught somewhere between laughing at him and being disgusted. Six thousand years since mankind had taken a bite out of an apple, and a brief encounter with amnesia had broken Gabriel’s streak of ignoring human food. “Well,” they finally manage. “That isn’t… your fault. It isn’t as though you sought it out.” 

Gabriel groans again, even more dramatically this time.

Beelzebub sits back up. “Gabriel.”

“You said you would try to hold back on the judgment.” 

“I reminded you that demons are liars. And that was before I started to suspect you were going to tell me you wanted human food.” 

“Just one human food, if that helps.” 

“It doesn’t. You want to consume human food. On purpose?” 

“It’s really good, I swear.” 

“Gabriel!” 

“What? It’s not like I have to care about what Heaven wants anymore.” 

“I know, but-“ They shudder. “Human food?"

Gabriel straightens, leans over, pushes them into the couch, and looms over them in a way that probably would have been intimidating for anyone else. Beelzebub is mostly just trying not to be too obviously smitten during this conversation. 

“Some people,” Gabriel says seriously, “might be equally disgusted by flies.” 

Beelzebub scowls and emits a low buzzing noise to indicate exactly what they think of that.

“Not me though,” Gabriel says, like he didn’t even notice. “I like your flies. I like all flies, actually, because they make me think of you, and I love you, so I love everything about you.” 

Beelzebub’s scowl deepens as they realize where he’s going with this. “So because I love you I have to be alright with you ingesting?” 

“Is your love for me so conditional?” 

Beelzebub smacks him, which only makes him smile. Threats never work on him; he knows they’re Beelzebub’s last stop before giving in and letting Gabriel have his way. “Fine. If you really must. Perhaps I should be less grateful to Aziraphale for his help after all.” 

Gabriel beams as he gets up off the couch. “It really isn’t that bad, I promise. Aziraphale might have been onto something.” 

Beelzebub makes an exaggerated expression of disgust. 

Gabriel insists it needs to be done properly, not just miracled into their house, which really has Beelzebub rolling their eyes, but they follow along as he slides into one of his fancy jackets and leads them into town. Beelzebub suspects Gabriel just finds it fun to go into human establishments, but they can’t really judge him for that - it is fun. Humans are always up to something, always looking for something new, not like angels and demons who might repeat the same action for thousands of years until a better idea comes along. 

“Two hot chocolates,” Gabriel says with a bright smile passing some human money over the counter at the clerk, who, for some reason, looks surprised that Gabriel’s willing to pay. 

“Do you want change, or-?” the clerk begins, and Gabriel shakes his head, waving the clerk off as Beelzebub picks out a table. 

"Two hot chocolates," Gabriel repeats firmly.

The establishment isn't as noisy or as dark as most of the places they go to. Definitely not Beelzebub’s favorite establishment. The smells are nice though, even if they aren’t willing to admit that - that’s only one step away from saying you want to taste whatever is making the smells. 

It isn’t until Gabriel sits down beside them that they register his order. “My dearest. Did you order two of this human beverage?” 

“In case you want to try some,” he says casually, shrugging one shoulder, the very picture of angelic innocence, because angels actually can lie, no matter what anybody says. “I’m not willing to share mine.” 

Beelzebub isn’t sure which half of that statement they’re more offended by. “I do not want to try some. But why wouldn’t you share?” 

“Because it’s good,” Gabriel says simply, and puts on his brightest smile as the cafe employee hands them two cups. “If you really don’t want it, I’ll drink both.” 

Beelzebub considers the cup dubiously. Gabriel has a point when he says they don’t need to care what anyone says about their activities any more. Any judgment other demons would have about Lord Beelzebub consuming human food is far eclipsed by their having abandoned their duties and run off with an angel. The angel, even. 

Still. Beelzebub imagines this is how a human would feel if told to eat a maggot. It just isn’t done. “What did you say it was?” 

“Hot chocolate. It makes you feel warm, like, all over. From the inside.” 

“So does being on fire.” 

Gabriel laughs and takes a drink. 

He’s bolder than them about trying new things, Beelzebub muses, which doesn’t seem right at all - it was demons who first tried changing things, all those millennia ago. Gabriel had once been as traditionalist as they came - but now that he’s free of Heaven it’s as though he’s making up for lost time. Dancing, trying human food, even being friendly with their new neighbors (who, at least, seem to have the decency to be intimidated by the two of them). 

So - fittingly for a prince of Hell, former or otherwise - it’s pride that makes Beelzebub pick up the mug of hot chocolate. If Gabriel can try it, so can they. 

The mug is filled with a brown, sweet-smelling sludge, and Beelzebub takes a brief moment to check that the same thing is in Gabriel’s, that he’s really willingly ingesting the stuff. 

He is. 

So Beelzebub takes a deep breath of preparation and manages a small sip. 

Their immediate thought is that it hardly seems worth the fuss. It’s sweet and thick - Beelzebub thinks they like the thickness and is less certain about the sweetness - but overall nothing so exciting that Gabriel should be willing to go out and about town looking for it. Not dreadful either, at least, though they can still barely believe they did it. 

Then the warmth hits the top of their chest and they jolt up at the sensation. 

Gabriel laughs. “See? Isn’t it great? Wait, wait, it gets better!” 

Beelzebub waits, and as they do they decide they rather like the feeling of the hot mug under their hands. It has the comforting familiarity of hellfire, without the press of millions of other demons around them. 

The warmth hits their stomach and rolls out to every other part of their body. It feels… 

It feels a little like the feeling that comes over them when Gabriel smiles because of them. 

Gabriel puts an arm around them. “Well?” 

Beelzebub takes another drink, and though they don’t look at him they can feel that Gabriel’s looking smug. 

“What did I tell you? It’s good.” 

Beelzebub settles themself against Gabriel’s side, careful to do so in a way that won’t cause either of them to spill their drinks. “I suppose there may be something to be said for ingesting. Occasionally.”

Gabriel laughs and reaches around to take their free hand with his. “Of course. Only occasionally.”

#my writing #good omens #ibweek2023 #ineffable bureaucracy #gabriel x beelzebub #good omens gabriel #beelzebub

[jim-bones-spock]

Okay, alright, here’s my analysis of seasons 5 and 6 of Community, starting with Repilot (an episode that lives rent free in my mind!!!)

Repilot is the epitome of what I’m trying to say, it’s meta and dissecting the very essence of the show, since it’s a literal “do over” (Re-Pilot)

The ironic thing is that Jeff would have succeeded in his law practice if there wasn’t a season 5, but since we need him back at Greendale, Jeff fails.

Hard.

The episode is basically a huge mirror from the pilot episode.

The same character from season 1’s inciting incident, Allan, sends Jeff back to school. We see what Jeff would have become if he didn’t go to Greendale for four years, so we at least have this parallel to go on.

Our Jeff is not that defeated that he would go as low as Allan, right?

Right????

We already see Jeff’s delusion with the world, he’s back to his cynical self, drinking and wallowing. His red tie almost undone vs the red superhero suit in his commercial. It’s already darker but the narrative needs him in school, so it has to be a little extreme.

Then, Jeff goes back to Greendale. Immediately Leonard is there, blowing raspberries. Jeff sees his and Annie’s trophy. We’re having a much better time, even if it’s not for a long time.

Because Greendale has turned the camp and the chaos and the sheer stupidity to eleven. Because the narrative needs to remind us of how detached from reality the school is. Because it’s a TV show. There’s a class about ladders, for god’s sake.

It needs to be this wacky because the show has now shifted to: We’re gonna save Greendale. We’re gonna save the show, like it’s been saved on Yahoo.ca, whatever it takes.

When they get to the study room, the table has been buried - the show has been buried, too, but when everyone comes back (Abed: the Dean called me, I called everyone else) just like the pilot, they put life back into it.

Abed is still Jeff’s mirror here, and suggests that Jeff becomes a teacher at the school, because it would be the most TV-logical thing to do, especially since Jeff got his diploma in education hello!??

I LOVE how Jeff is like absolutely not. He’s still fighting the narrative, trying to make sense of his new role.

The Dean also has a very interesting speech about “Greendale is a good place for good people, that old spiel” basically having a cynical view of seasons 1-3 and making fun of the initial message of the show. We already know this, but Greendale has changed. Or maybe, Jeff has changed and is now starting to see the cracks.

Coming back to the study room, they immediately start to fall back into old patterns of bickering, because they all have something to hide and are too proud to admit they are miserable. Shirley brings them back to reality before they get too far. Once again, rooting us slowly into reality.

Jeff, for his part, forgot how good it felt to be bad. When he beats down Allan with his own tie… woof, that was rough. He takes the tie. Takes charge. Wants his own identity back, because it’s much easier to be bad than good. Much easier to pretend that he doesn’t care, than actually caring. Caring got him hurt.

Then Chang appears and makes fun of the absurdity of his character. It’s easy to see here, because when said out loud, Chang’s development is the most extreme. Like come on, amnesia? Get a grip, show!!!

Jeff then feels he has been robbed of his identity and starts to point out each character’s development:

Britta was an eclectic anarchist. She is now the airhead, which is heartbreaking and I don’t want to think about season 1 Britta too much or I go insane.

Shirley began the show by taking back her independence from her cheating husband and is now the one who cheated ???

Annie lost her go-getter attitude and settled for a job she hates.

Abed, multiple breakdowns. Like, at least one per season.

Troy’s Clive Owen Tumblr (what is his url u think) but no, seriously, always being with Abed and nothing else.

They did ended up like mixed up cartoons, and not only because of the “gas leak year”. They’ve become stereotypes, as sitcom characters often do. They’ve evolved, but perhaps not in the original direction intended, or not where we left then in season 3.

Now, it’s time for them to Get Something Back. Their narratives.

Annie says to Jeff: Greendale is in your hands. And it is. If Jeff talks long enough, he can make the people around him do things. It’s his power. Greendale’s fate is in his hands.

Then, Abed throws his words back at him: you make us see the right truth.

And that could be that Greendale is a place worth saving!!!! Jeff knows that, because, as usual, with one sentence, Abed has thrown off his resolve. Maybe Jeff needs to show them another thruth. But Jeff needs one last convincing first.

The Pierce hologram is my favorite. The fact that only Jeff could see it for some reason, echoes season 1 when Pierce was more of a grumpy grandpa that sometimes gave Jeff some nugget of wisdom and acted like a distorted father figure. Same here.

Jeff walks back in the school, screaming to the Dean about his power to destroy the place. But he won’t do it. He’s so desperate for something to matter once more and for that thing not to be dark and twisted.

And then. And Then. The Dean offers him a job.

Teacher.

The way Jeff looks up as he would be talking to god (non specific) when he whispers “Screw you Abed” as soon as he sees his path laid out for him: become a teacher at the school who, he thinks, stole 4 years of his life. He looks up like he’s delivering a monologue in theater, like he’s alone, like he’s praying.

As you can see, I feel VERY normal about the acting choices.

Screw you, Abed. Screw you, TV show. Screw you, logical way for my character to stay and have the rest of my story be mine, or trying to be.

The table burns, but that’s okay, because they build a new one together. This is truly theirs, now. They have the power to do anything.

And Jeff, well…

Jeff still, in his darkest moments, thought of his friends. In his most ironic moment, looked UP to Abed/his mirror/the narrative and said “Screw you…

…I’ll do it anyway.”

#jeff winger #community #abed nadir #troy and abed #community meta #meta #this got way too long ajdhsiauay #repilot #ramblings #community show

[thewales]

My opinion on W&K's work schedule.

They just need to be consistent, do diverse daily work engagement and RECORD EVERYTHING they do. KP has selective amnesia in recording stuffs.

"they do behind the scenes excuses" isn't cutting it anymore. They need to be posting BTCs. And also, their monthly updates needs to be more detailed.

We love W&K and I know that we'll still repeat this next yr unless they change. The narrative of "Work-shy" for both is taking too long to get ripped off. W&K have launched applaudable projects but with their low total engagement counts it'll get downplayed.

I'm not saying they need to do Anne or KC's work. I'm saying they need to at least project the "Work Loving" image balanced with "Loving parents" image. It's very easy. It's all about balance.

We know that they'll be K&Q at the right time, I mean it's signed and sealed but before then, there are some narratives they need to cancel. They need to rip it off. The media and people (haters and fans) alike need to see to believe. If we didn't follow them as keenly as we do, we wouldn't know the efforts they put in.

Plus, it's very easy to think CP Mary works harder than Kate (THE TRUTH IS SHE DOESN'T, Kate does more) but she has something that Kate nor her team has figured out: VISION, DELIVERY, and PROJECTION. If Kate and her team can figure that out, Kate will be more golden than she is.

Let's be realistic, Kate is the most popular royal ever. Abroad or home. She's popular. But for some reason, they don't want to explore that. Kate has the power to do more than what any royal lady projects to do. With even more impact. Anything she does, it'll always spread like wildfire. Whether intentional or not. Look at the early years, people are paying more attention, haters, fans and professionals alike. She has that power. The photography projects? Perfection. So why stop?. More must be done.

This was longer than I expected, but my final note is that, Gone are the excuses. If it's BTCs you want to do, you release the picture as proofs. You write it in the CCs. W&K will always be judged and placed higher on any other pedestal than any royal anywhere. It's their cross. How they handle it is left to them!.

😌😌

[profoundbondfanfic]

There's Work To Do

There’s Work To Do by Hekate1308 (@hekate1308) Rating: Teen Word Count: 73k

Dean Winchester tried his best to keep the garage he'd taken over from his father open, meanwhile ignoring his loved ones who wanted him to take more care of himself as well as his possibly not platonic feelings for his best friend Castiel Novak. Until the day an accident taught him more about himself than he would have thought possible.

Okay, my friends, this fic is just SO GOOD, I’m telling ya.

At least I most certainly think so, in my very humble opinion. Because this story is about Dean and his low self-worth, his urge to please his father, his strict refusal to even acknowledge the maybe not so platonic feelings he has for his best friend - and it’s doing it all with a twist. 

Dean has been trying to fit into that narrow, hyper-masculine picture John has established for him his whole life and doesn’t even allow himself to admit that it’s been making him miserable the whole time. But then an accident happens where Dean loses all of his memories and suddenly there is nothing standing in his way anymore. He doesn’t remember his father’s expectations or the heavy weights on his shoulders. And all of a sudden freed of this all Dean shows his true side to his family and friends, none the wiser that he’s actually supposed (at least according to his own rules) to hold back.

So instead of the hard-working ladies-man persona Dean has been maintaining for so very long, he is open and a little dorky and doesn’t shy away from perhaps flirting a tiny bit (or a bit more) with the gorgeous blue-eyed guy that is apparently his best friend.

It’s wonderful to see Dean shed all that pressure he and John put onto him and just be as he’s (secretly) always wanted to be. Starting with his family and their dynamic and last but most definitely not least ending with all those feelings he has for Castiel and basically senses the minute he first lays eyes on the guy after the amnesia incident. Dean knows that there is so much more between them and it brings a lot of euphoria, but also confusion and hesitation. Castiel, meanwhile, has quite a hard time dealing with a suddenly so open and welcoming Dean as he himself has been harboring some major feelings for his best friend for quite a while as well (because how else could it be, right?).

Dean’s journey of self-discovery via amnesia and slowly breaking down all the obstacles in his path to finally find the way to true happiness is surely worth a read, I can promise you that 💗

#destiel #fic rec #au #teen and up #amnesia #modern setting #mechanic!dean #teacher!castiel #hurt and comfort #hurt!dean #friends to lovers #slow burn #bad parent john winchester #50k to 100k #author: hekate1308 #there’s work to do

[elluka]

Happy Pride. These are my Limbus Company headcanons. ID in alt, long ass explanations + extra headcanons under the cut bc I didn't like the look of when i put two flags on each character.

The City is a hellscape but it IS established that being GNC is cool in ruina, and I'm going off of the assumption that being nonconforming is fine for the most part, but queer identities aren't really something people talk about, BUT also it does vary wildly depending on the part of the city, leading to culture shock with a few characters having come from more conservative areas (sinclair, don quixote) when seeing people from more relaxed areas just living their best lives (faust, outis). (warning for mentions of trans and homophobia)

Dante isn't sure if they identified like this already or if they were just kind of assigned nonbinary when they had amnesia and has not questioned this. If they were to think about it, they would still be nonbinary, but maybe in a different way? They have the Agonies to go through and amnesia to wretsle with though, so they don't spend much time thinking abt gender when they;re fine with it as it is.

Sinclair is an egg still, but will eventually realise he is bigender and gay (for guys). He is aware of and respects nonbinary people and ppl who use other pronouns like Dante but subconsiously thinks that you need to have like, qualifications to be allowed identify as trans and it's not something that just anyone is allowed to do. He still hasn't accepted that he likes boys OR that he's not into girls. Give him some time, poor kid has catholic guilt in a setting with no catholics, he thinks every little thing he does is sinful, nevermind the stuff that other people actually say is a sin. He thinks its fine and is supportive when others are queer but not when he is.

Ishmael is a lesbian. She got up to some yuri on that boat. Nowadays she's too focused on revenge to think about romance though.

Meursault is pan. He doesn't care about gender, just appearance (he has comically high standards here, usually) and whether you make him do stuff he doesn't wanna do or not (he has comically low standards here, usually).

Rodya is bi. She will flirt with guys and girls alike, but when she's chatting up a woman she takes extra care to make sure it can easily be taken as a joke. My source for this is when she's flirting with Faust in canto 4. Bi4Bi with Gregor, at least in the LCB universe; she gets with others in different realities.

Gregor is also bi, nad pretty casual about it. Like, he gets nervous when chatting with anyone hot, but he's no more nervous with guys than with girls. I also like him being a trans guy, but I still need to workshop my lore for that. Bi4Bi with Rodya in the LCB universe, damn near bitchless in every other one. He has NO game.

Yi sang is something called reflectshift, which was defined by the coiner as "a gender related to mirrors , reflections & shapeshifting". He uses any pronouns but he doesn't tell people this and so people only use he/him so now he yearns for just one weirdo to break the cycle and call him something else. He will not ever express this sentiment, nor will he ever bring up his gender unless prompted, though if he is directly asked he will go on a long poetic rant about it.

Faust was a woman but then she made that contract with that undefined being and their minds connected so now Faust is a demigirl and Faust is Faust.

Outis is a lesbian the way the way many ancient greeks were gay. Men just aren't as smart or hot or personable or cool or strong as women, you see, they don't have the soul,

Hong Lu is gay. He thinks straight people are like, not real. All the books he's read only have straight romance in them but he thinks it's like, just one of those things that people think they should add, or like a job, where no-one actually WANTS to be straight but they have to, for some undefined reason.

Ryoshu is a trans guy. He cut his own hair with a sword in a dramatic moment. It's not that he hides his identity, but he's fine with people assuming he's a cis woman bc it is funny. He will confidently walk into mens restrooms or walk around in just boxers or whatever and everyone is always just like "oh man, ryoshu's doing a fucking bit again", which is funny enough that he doesn't say anything. If someone were to react with genuine hatred or something, though, he would walk up to them, explain that he IS a guy, and kill them. It's an art.

Don Quixote is a lesbiknight, a gender "related to being a lesbian and being a knight". She used to be out, and used she/her, he/him, and the neopronouns he/her/heroself, but after one too many incidents from before joining LCB and after losing sancho (her one ally) she has decided to just be a normal weird girl since people are nicer that way.

Heathcliff is currently only about Catherine, but if she had been another gender, he would have fallen just as hard. While he hasn't processed his identity, he is still perfectly happy to knock the brains out of homo/transphobes, because he likes hitting stuck up bastards with his baseball bat and he does feel very strongly that people should be able to do whatever they want without any buggers butting in on wtuff thats not their buisness. Good for him.

Demian is bi, and his gender is "a normal human boy" or "a boy, which is one of the most common genders held by homo sapiens, who are the dominent species on earth, not counting us abnormalities, of course".

Oh yeah also Charon is a lesbian. So is Sonya. That one person who said Sonya is a he/him lesbian is so real.

OH AND ANGELA IS A TRANS GUY. I will die on this fucking hill.

Sinclair's entire section here is inspired by both the game and the book. Ishmael was pure vibes. Ryoshu was inspired by the insane backstory i came up with for her after reading hell screen. You could read hell screen and not in a million years understand the backstory i came up with. Hong Lu not knowing abt straight people was inspired by my own experiences being uninterested in romance. Thank you.

#limbus company