#[ yOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DISCOURAGE THIS BEHAVIOR NOT ENCOURAGE IT ]

[radioconstructed]

⌖ Of COURSE Vagatha is MALDING!

⌖ No caviar for HER!

[onlygarden]

[when i look at you, i cannot find you.] - yang jungwon

genre: angst/ comfort

description: when jungwon's behavior towards you suddenly becomes hateful, you start to wonder where your precious boyfriend went.

a/n: this was a hard write i cant even picture jungwon treating someone like this omg

your head perks up as you register the sound of your front door unlocking, and your heart plummets to your feet as you watch jungwon walk in. it was strange for your body to react so despondently to your boyfriend’s arrival; his usual beaming expression (which beamed even when he wasn’t smiling) and glimmering eyes always painted any room with the most cheerful of colors. he was always so infectiously precious, filling any space he occupied with an indescribable warmth that touched all your senses. you normally couldn’t resist the enthusiasm that welled up inside you when he came home, springing yourself towards him and wrapping your arms around him as your heart bloomed even further with admiration for your lovely little garden. his recent actions were much more prickly, which justifies your current unmoving position on the couch as jungwon aggressively slams the front door behind him. 

he’s done that a lot recently, you think. he’s developed a habit of performing any action aggressively; placing objects down with great force, slamming any door he opened, yanking drawers open with a certain roughness. when you first acknowledged his behavior, he snapped at you, telling you to give him some space (almost in warning, it seemed). you obliged, and although you were shocked by his words, you weren’t particularly hurt by them. you figured he would confide in you about whatever was bothering him when his anger subsided. you were certain he would apologize to you for speaking so harshly, as well. but before you knew it, an entire week drifted by, and your beloved jungwon only seemed to descend further into his rage.

your thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the silverware drawer being flung open. the sudden clanking sound startles you, since you’re still not accustomed to this sort of behavior from jungwon. he must be preparing a meal for himself, you think. you lightly consider approaching him and telling him to rest as you prepare a meal for him, but that inkling is quickly erased as you hear a loud sigh escape his mouth, followed by the loud slam of a cup onto the counter. 

you knew better than to annoy him further, remembering how he reacted last time. however, you couldn’t ignore the desire to ask him about what was burdening him. his behavior was far too uncharacteristic to just ignore, and you didn’t want the supposed anguish he was experiencing to get any worse. it bothered you a bit that he refused to discuss it on his own. then again, maybe you should’ve encouraged him a bit and reminded him that he could confide in you. 

you prepare yourself for the irritation you’ll be greeted with, and you begin to walk towards the kitchen. when you enter, jungwon is opening a bottle of beer, but his expression concerns you. his brows are furrowed intensely, and his lips flatly form a line on his face. what’s bothering him so much? you think for the hundredth time this week. 

“jungwon,” you start, placing your hand gently onto his arm. he tenses under your touch, and his gaze pierces the sight of your skin against his. you swiftly retract your hand, and he roughly drops the bottle opener onto the counter. he places his hands onto the edge of the surface, gripping tightly, and keeping his head low. not allowing his actions to discourage you from getting to the bottom of his behavior, you continue. “can you please tell me what’s bothering you so much? you haven’t been yourself at all, and i’m really worried about you.” 

he closes his eyes briefly before turning his head to meet your gaze. his dull eyes give you goosebumps. you couldn’t find any semblance of joy or delight within them. the normal adoration his eyes held for you was absent, too. he suddenly lets out a bitter chuckle, causing alarm to rise within you. 

“so you ignore me all fucking week, and now you have the nerve to tell me you’re worried about me? fuck off.” 

his deep, hushed tone caught you off guard more than the possibility of him shouting at you. above all, his sharp accusation that you’ve been ignoring him demands your full attention. the boy that cruelly dismissed your concerns pinned the blame on you for ignoring him. it just didn’t make any sense. in truth, he drove you away.  

you furrow your brows slightly, giving him a puzzled look. “are you serious, jungwon? you told me to give you space just a few days ago, and now you’re accusing me of ignoring you? i figured you would come talk to me when you were ready, but you just kept bottling it up. which is exactly why i came to you today.” he rolls his eyes at your words, then turns away from you, closing his eyes. you watch as his frustration with you seems to grow, and you cannot figure out why. 

“was it something i did, jungwon? is that why you’re so upset?” 

god she’s so annoying, jungwon thinks. he scoffs, turning to face you again. 

“‘was it something i did jungwon,’” he mocks you, spitefully matching your tone. raising his voice slightly, he continues, “give me a fucking break. you spend all this time everyday waiting desperately for me to come home, and you don’t even do anything useful while i’m gone. you just sit here like a fucking lump,” he remarks. 

you stare at him in disbelief. “what the fuck? do you hear yourself? i do every single chore around here just so you don’t have anything to worry about. even though i have a job too, i try to think about how tired you are when you come home.” you defend yourself, surprised at his blatant dismissal of your efforts. 

again, he rolls his eyes, almost completely ignoring you. 

“when i am home, you barely give me any space to breathe. did you ever stop to think that maybe you annoy the fuck out of me.” 

he turns his entire body to face you, his tall figure looming over you. you remain in the same spot, intimidated under his fixed stare. 

“you’re a lot to fucking deal with, and i need you far away from me.” 

with that, he grabs his dinner, and trudges past you in the direction of the living room. you hear him turn the TV on. 

you want to believe that jungwon is lying. he normally never even thinks to speak to you this way. you know something is terribly wrong. he keeps contradicting himself, ultimately looking for any reason to direct his rage onto you. but tonight, you decided you were too tired to find out. he was already angry and spouting harsh words at you, and you weren’t particularly eager to hear more. even if he didn’t actually mean what he said, it still hurt, and you needed time to recover. 

a sudden laugh emerges from jungwon. you assume he was laughing at something from the show he was watching. your body tensed up at jungwon’s sudden switch to such a casual mood. god, you really felt like you were sharing your home with someone new. how could he laugh so playfully after the way you just argued? has he already stopped thinking about the heartbreaking words he said to you moments ago? 

your eyes open lazily, and your body lifts itself from your sleeping position shortly after. upon noticing the vacancy beside you, you assume jungwon fell asleep on the couch last night. as you make your way down the stairs, you notice that jungwon has already left. 

as the evening approached, you busied yourself with yours and jungwon’s laundry to keep your mind occupied. he would be arriving home soon, and you were honestly afraid. there was no way to predict the way jungwon would feel towards you lately, but he was usually mad. even if he didn’t come home immediately mad, he would eventually grow upset over something you did, and you never knew just what would set him off. it was difficult to keep your obsessive thoughts at bay. jungwon’s words and actions kept blaring inside of your head. the more you pondered your argument from last night, the guiltier you felt for solely blaming him. maybe i am a bit pushy, you think. before he suddenly changed, jungwon would happily agree to give you all his time whenever he was home. maybe he truly did start to feel smothered by you, which led to him lashing out in such a cruel way. guilt begins to consume you at your belated realization. maybe he was only upset with you because you didn’t realize how you were suffocating him. 

the sound of the door unlocking snatches you from your thoughts. the door didn’t slam as jungwon closed it, and that gave you a glimmer of hope. maybe his mind was being kinder to him today. 

“y/n,” he shouts gently. “where are you, noona?”

‘noona.’ jungwon’s favorite way to refer to you, and it felt like an eternity since he last called to you in such an endearing way. you find yourself thinking of how adorable he is. 

you smile a bit before answering. “i’m in the laundry room, wonnie.” 

you hear a series of quick footsteps, and jungwon’s distant voice quickly grows closer. “look baby, i really wanna-”

he stops in front of you and stares at you, and you only catch a glimpse of his cheerful face before that dreadful expression you’ve been seeing too much of lately returns.

you look up at him as he scans your form. you quickly try to figure out what you could have done to cause his smile to drop so quickly. he sighs loudly, and briefly closes his eyes. 

“take it off,” he states plainly. 

what? 

“take what off?” you ask hesitantly. 

“you’re wearing my hoodie. it doesn’t belong to you. take it off.”

you almost thought he was joking. but with the way he was behaving lately, you’re sure he must be serious. jungwon is somewhere in there, but you’ll calmly comply with this monster until he was ready to come back, you decided. you felt guilty for thinking of your boyfriend that way, but the way you were being treated didn’t even slightly resemble the way your boyfriend normally treated you at all. 

you take it off slowly, left in the tank top you were wearing underneath. jungwon sighed at your leisurely compliance with his request, snatched his hoodie from your hands, and tossed it into the laundry basket in front of you. 

“from now on, leave my stuff the fuck alone,” he says, “don’t fucking touch anything of mine. it doesn’t belong to you.” 

he turns around, leaving you there, and heads up the stairs to get ready for a shower. jungwon normally wants me to wear his clothes, you think. you quickly shake the thought. there’s no rationalizing jungwon’s actions right now. he’s not in a normal state of mind at all. you don’t know what he’ll be upset about next. he could even come out of the shower perfectly content, acting as if nothing ever happened. it would be nice if he acknowledged his harmful behavior, but him pretending nothing happened certainly beats him growing irritated with you for another groundless reason.  

if there’s one thing you’re certain of, though, it’s that you’ve had nearly enough of this unusual side of jungwon.

as you begin plating the dinner you’ve prepared, you hear your bedroom door open. jungwon must be done with his shower. 

he enters the room, his beautiful face free of any sign of despair. you want to say that you’re relieved, but the sudden changes in jungwon’s mood are far too alarming. anything you’re doing could upset him. 

he looks at you, and you feel your body tense up. you watch as he walks closer to you, offering you a small smile. 

“it smells really good, noona,” he says gently, placing a hand on your lower back and kissing your cheek as you continue to plate dinner. 

there it was again. you’re not foolish enough to be deceived by his kindness towards you, just for him to bring you crashing down with another fit of hatred. it hurt you to see him this way, and it hurt that you were thinking of him this way, but you needed to protect yourself somehow. 

“dinner’s ready,” you tell jungwon, watching as he grabs his plate excitedly. you sit across from him at the dining table, watching as he stands up to grab something from the fridge. 

he returns with a beer in his hand, and you’re hoping it won’t sour his mood. 

“jungwon,” you start. he places his full attention on you, eyes shining and eyebrows slightly raising as he nods his head in anticipation of what you’re going to say next. you almost smile.

“am i,” you hesitate a bit, but he encourages you to keep going. “am i smothering you? is that why you’ve been so irritable lately?” 

his eyes leave yours for a moment before returning. 

“no, baby. you’re not.” he says calmly, but he completely ignores the second part of your question. 

“then why-” you watch as jungwon brings his bottle of beer to his lips, quickly finishing what remained. 

you watch as that awful expression returns to his face, and you start to wish you never asked the question. he sighs and rubs his hands over his face, and you start feeling guilty for even being in the same room as him. you begin to feel like your presence alone is worsening his burden. he stands up to clean his plate, and you watch as his eyes fall on the basket of laundry you didn’t fold yet. 

he sighs, tossing his plate onto the counter with such force that his fork bounces off and falls to the floor. he doesn’t bother picking it up. 

you can already feel the tears burning behind your eyes before he inevitably opens his mouth to berate you again. 

“why is this still sitting here? you can’t seriously be this fucking useless,” he rants loudly, just below a shout. “if you can’t even do something as simple as this, i’m not gonna let you stay around.”

“jungwon!” you yell, standing up from your seat at the table. by now, your tears are streaming down your face, and you can hardly speak coherently. you’ve had enough. your precious little garden was wilting, and you had no manner of preserving him. you couldn’t ignore your boyfriend’s behavior for another second. it was like torture; playing along when he would pretend like nothing happened, trying not to upset him even though there’s ultimately no right answer, watching as he transformed into the worst version of himself you’ve ever witnessed and you just couldn’t figure out why. it was all too much. 

jungwon turns to you, his face contorting into an expression of complete anguish. his heart sunk and shattered as an abundance of emotions ran through him, regret being the conquering force. 

“im so confused!” you sob, crying harder as every word of every thought you’ve had this week comes rushing to you at once. you can’t even begin to form a sentence, but jungwon understands. 

he walks towards your crying figure, hoping he could still make things right. what could he possibly say to you now? he reaches out to pull you towards his body, but you pull away from his embrace. he tries to pull your hands away from your face so you’ll at least look at him, but you yank out of his delicate grip. jungwon starts to breathe heavily. 

“baby,” he attempts. he rests his hands on your shoulders, which you don't try to fight. 

your cries calm down, and you finish wiping your face with the backs of your hands. jungwon rubs your arms, hoping to comfort you as he soaks in your expression, realizing just how much he hurt you.  you don’t even look at jungwon as you turn to walk up the stairs, his hands slipping off your arms and falling back to his sides. he watches you in alarm as your frame disappears. 

you walk into yours and jungwon’s shared bedroom, and you refuse to focus on anything other than packing. tears blur your vision again as you hastily throw your personal belongings into your suitcase. you hear jungwon running up the stairs; he stops in the doorframe, watching you in complete shock. jungwon begins to panic. 

he hurries towards you and joins you on the floor, grabbing your hands and begging your eyes to meet his. 

you try to yank your hands away to continue packing, but jungwon makes sure to hold tightly. you still refuse to meet his eyes. 

“noona, look at me please,” jungwon begs, his face decorated with worry and desperation. “please let me talk to you, i need to make this right.” 

you meet his eyes, and his breath quickens at your sudden indifferent expression. “i don’t know you,” you tell him coldly. 

he feels like he could cry. he’s your same jungwon, and there’s nothing he wants more than to tell you that. 

“you’ve never treated me so terribly before, and i just don’t understand.” jungwon feels guilt devour him at your sudden confession. “i didn’t know if it was my fault, or if you were dealing with something inside, but you never told me anything. you just pushed me away and made me suffer.” you feel yourself beginning to cry again, jungwon gently placing his hands on your jaw, and wiping your tears away with his thumbs. 

“baby,” he searches your eyes, “i don’t know whats wrong with me. i’ve never been more sorry in my life. it rips me apart to know that i hurt you.” he squeezes your face slightly, moving his hands to grab yours again. 

“is that all?” you ask, “how am i supposed to know you won’t get irritated with me tomorrow and start treating me the same way again?” you didn’t want to sound so mean, but you just couldn’t keep dealing with this. jungwon’s sudden tendency to behave this way frightened you, and it made you wonder if he would behave this way in the future if you stayed with him.

he shakes his head, looking down for a moment before meeting your eyes with desperation again. “i swear to you, i’ll never leave you feeling like this again. i know i can’t force you to believe me, but please just let me show you. you’re more than precious to me, and i’ll never let you forget that again.” he rubs his thumbs over your knuckles with fervor, trying to communicate his deep passion and longing with any method that he can. 

you look at jungwon. you’ve never seen your cutie boyfriend in such a state of misery before. your heart begins to feel sore as you explore his expression, his posture, his heavy breathing. he still hasn’t told you why. 

“then can you please explain how you ended up like this in the first place?” desperation makes it’s way across your expression, too. “what made you so hateful?” you prod. 

jungwon breathes out, the tension leaving his body. “i’ve just been feeling so drained lately. it’s getting harder to have the same motivation, but i don’t really understand why. it never used to trouble me that i don’t get very much rest, but now it’s starting to take a toll on me. that really bothers me.” he pulls you into his lap, squeezing your frame. “but i never meant to take it out on you, baby. i just didn’t know how to process the way i was feeling, and i let it get out of control.” 

you turn to him, moving his hair from his face. “all you had to do was come to me and talk about it. that’s all you ever have to do. it hurt me to watch you suffering when i had no idea what was going on, and no way to help you. please don’t bottle these things up anymore.” 

“i know baby, i promise that i won’t.” he pulls your body close to him again, beyond grateful that you didn’t leave him, but still guilty that he allowed himself to treat you that way. he can’t imagine how hollow his life would’ve felt without you. he couldn’t begin to describe his gratitude for your tolerance of his seemingly unforgivable behavior. you’re truly such a compassionate and tender person, he thinks. you shine so brightly it makes him blossom so eagerly. 

“i love you,” he says suddenly, sending you the fondest expression you’ve ever received. 

“i love you, too,” you return his expression, grateful that you can finally recognize the gentle eyes that stare into yours.  

he eventually helps you to return all your belongings to their rightful places, and you both return to the kitchen to clean up together.  you watch him as he cleans the dishes for you. he’s so cute, you think. you approach him smiling, and you stand at his side. unable to control the urge, you reach out to pinch his cheek. he fakes an annoyed expression, and you grab his face with both hands squishing him further. “you’re so cute!” you tell him, moving his face from side to side. you giggle when he fakes a snarl, and you let go. “hey,” he says, looking at you with a playful expression as he quickly dries his hands. he reaches his hands out to squish your face in the same manner, “how do you like it? huh?” you giggle and slip away, and he chases you throughout the house, shouting “but you’re just so cute!!!” to tease you.

[akirathedramaqueen]

The bias is not always conscious

And that's the case with Stolas. That's it, that's basically the post, so you can count it as your tl;dr, but let me elaborate. :)

(A little gratitude note! Sorry @tealvenetianmask, I failed being concise here, but I thank you for encouraging me to put it all together :3 I also thank you for our conversations about Stolas and about museums in particular which heavily contributed to it)

I think there's some misunderstanding when people get offended by the suggestion that Stolas acts classist/racist. It seems that people assume we’re implying he is malicious and intentional with it, but the actual problem is that he doesn't think.

S2EP2, Seeing Stars, 1:29

The problematic behavior we're discussing is reflexive and internalized. Stolas was raised in an environment where the lower demon class is looked down upon, and while he believes he expresses nothing but deep respect for Blitzø and treats him as an equal…

Goodnight, Blitzø. S1EP7, Ozzie's, 14:50

And while you can see from this bow that this intention is sincere, which is both wonderful and fascinating—he preserved this profound gesture ever since he was a kid, despite being actively discouraged from doing so!...

[Stolas]: I'm Stolas! It's nice... Ouch! [Paimon]: Don't bow to that one! He bows to us! Idiot! S2EP1, The Circus, 7:40

He was still raised in privilege and influenced by the narratives around him. For him, it's acceptable because that's what he was taught is fine. It's part of his everyday speech, and he never actually asks Blitzø, or anyone else, how they feel about the literally belittling nicknames (like literally—do you notice how often he uses the word "little" when referring to imps?).

I mean... there's a lot, okay? I'm just going to pull out some examples off the top of my head. All of them are from Season 1, and I'll explain why later.

I was hoping you brave little imps would accompany us! S1EP2, Loo Loo Land, 5:15

Ugh, that's better... Where's Blitzy? He's my knight in shining armor, not you, littler ones! S1EP2, Loo Loo Land, 13:22

And it [grimoire] isn't supposed to be lent out to itty-bitty imps like yourself. S1EP5, The Harvest Moon Festival, 0:30

Greetings, tiny Wrath Ring imps! S1EP5, The Harvest Moon Festival, 8:22

[Stolas, in the background]: Who dares threaten my little impish plaything? S1EP6, Truth Seekers, 18:20

How the fuck did you get caught by humans? Are you little creatures not being careful up here? S1EP6, Truth Seekers, 19:38

He also takes pride in being part of Ars Goetia. That pride seeps into his mind whether he wants it to or not. He lives in a huge palace, never worries about money, can arrange a seat in a club that’s always booked out, and gets admitted to a hospital immediately, while hellhounds wait five years for a Hellbies shot.

Being part of the Goetia family is rather valuable, you know. S1EP2, Loo Loo Land, 4:39

Most of these examples come from Season 1 because, after the disastrous Ozzie’s date, Stolas begins to unconsciously cut back on this language. He seems to sense that something is wrong, though he doesn’t fully understand why. However, he is acutely aware of the problems with the transaction and the unfair dynamics it creates, and he is serious about putting Blitzø on equal ground by providing him with the means to run his business independently of Stolas.

And still, he maintains full control over the conversation during the Full Moon meeting, immediately dismisses Blitzø after one mistake, and throws him out. He continues to impose his narrative on Blitzø and…

I don't look down on you! How many times do I— When have I ever?! S2EP9, Apology Tour, 2:45

When have you ever indeed, Stolas? You literally look down on Blitzø saying that. This moment illustrates the problem clearly. He isn’t lying when he says he doesn’t look down on Blitzø because he genuinely believes he doesn’t.

Despite all said, Stolas is making a tremendous effort and is progressing, and he is far ahead of Stella, who is openly classist/racist and very conscious of her biases. So I believe—no, I know—he will get there one day. But not today.

This is something I take quite seriously, and I think people need to understand how dangerous this subtlety can be, as it happens all the time in real life too.

How often do you ask yourself why medical research groups are predominantly represented by white, cis, upper-middle-class males, and how this affects the efficiency of treatments suggested in these studies for everyone else—women, people of color, non-binary folks, and those who struggle financially?

How often do you visit museums and see art created by wealthy aristocrats who defined what constitutes 'fine art,' while 'folk art'—often created by marginalized communities—is overlooked and lost to time?

I could elaborate further on how deep and cruel this bias is, but I’ll stop here. I just ask you to consider why you might get offended when someone points out Stolas's subtle bigotry and why you might downplay it compared to the loud, aggressive Blitzø, whose anger and avoidant issues are obvious.

Just sit with it.

[witheredoffherwitch]

Y'ALL CAN EXCUSE RACISM?

Let's get one thing straight: I have no part in this chaotic mess (infact, I have blocked all the accounts mentioned below), but it's grinding my gears how it's devolving into another petty fanfic drama: case 607. I know this drama is getting the attention for certain individuals who are demonstrating mean girl behaviour and gossiping about other writers behind their backs. However, I am solely focused on addressing the racist and discriminatory remarks made by these individuals in the leaked text messages.

For those not in the loop, there's been a huge drama in the fanfic community involving leaked text messages from a group chat of four prominent members. In these messages, two users - Fae and Bel - have admitted to sending hate anons and talking smack about other writers behind their backs. Two other members left the group after it was revealed that B tried to make amends with someone who these two, Em and Ange, don't particularly care for. As a move to clear their names, Em exposed all the texts, trying to prove that Fae and Bel are the real villains here.

But wait, there's more! In these same chats, Bel not only mocked fellow non-English speakers but also bragged about sending rat emojis to an 18-year-old Pakistani writer who was already receiving racist anons. While everyone is focused on getting back at these two women for being shady af, it's mind-boggling how Em and Ange are suddenly jumping on the anti-racism train.

These two ladies stayed in the same chat as a fellow Pakistani writer was driven away because of racism, knowing full well that one of their own was contributing to it, and said NOTHING! Zero discouragement, no condemnation - they only hopped off when things got personal.

So here it is… I've had it with all of you hypocrites. You praise and encourage these women at every turn, feeding their egos like they're the second coming of Beyonce. But let's not forget who's always stirring up drama in this fandom - hint: it's these same people with a sense of entitlement the size of a planet. The issue is groupthink and y'all have all jumped on the bandwagon. You're worse than HBO's marketing department because just like their shitty teams, everyone involved here SUCKS ASS. You don't have to pick a side because they are all petty, mean losers. Bel and Fae are facing the consequences of their actions, which they rightfully deserve.

However, Em's exposé on Bel's racism seems more like an opportunistic move and it's disappointing that so many of you are supporting it. It's a predictable cycle now; there will be a half-hearted apology, an announcement of a hiatus, and then tons of people will flock to their inboxes to shower them with praise and excuses. It's ridiculous! I know there are many who feel the same way as me but are afraid to speak up because they don't want to upset the "village elders" and risk losing their connections and engagements. It's a joke atp!

Instead of taking responsibility for their own wrongdoings, they will come up with a list of 10 different cyber crimes by others to divert attention from their own nonsense. These very same women have confessed to creating multiple fake accounts, secretly stalking servers without mods noticing, and constantly harassing individuals through anon messages.

Yet, we are supposed to consider them as examples of moral integrity and ethical behavior? 😒

[thundernator7]

When looking at Jimmy's rape of Anya and Curly's failure to address it, I think it's important to recognize Pony Express's own role in it. Like with other workplaces, Pony Express's policies not only enables but encourages and protects Rapists. Within the opening scene, when Jimmy steers the ship towards the asteroid, the entire crew has their pay docked despite being completely unaware of what Jimmy is doing. Just like the crash, Pony Express's policies forces the entire crew to bare the consequences of Jimmy's actions. Rather than discourage Jimmy's actions, all it does is punish the rest of the crew as well. Anya was afraid to speak up about Jimmy raping her not only because the power he held over her as Co-Captain and him being Curly's best friend, but also the fear that if she speaks than she and the rest of her crewmates would be punished as well. She, along with everyone else except Daisuke and maybe Curly, were all struggling financially as well. If Anya's rape was reported to Pony Express, then the crew's entire pay would be docked. They would punish Anya and the rest of the crew for her pregnancy. So instead, she remains quiet and is forced to endure Jimmy's abuse and sexual harassment until her pregnancy puts her in a place where she can longer hide it. Furthermore, asides from Curly's own enabling of Jimmy's horrid actions and his own misplaced empathy, Pony Express policies discouraged Jimmy from taking action. Yet unlike Anya, Curly's ignorant to just how awful Pony Express is. While we don't know exactly how long Curly's been working for Pony Express, like his friendship with Jimmy, we can assume it's been for a while. And like his friendship with Jimmy, Curly is not only ignorant towards, but also downplays and excuses Pony Express's harmful behavior.

Anya: "Why do you think Pony Express puts a lock on the medical room doors but not the sleeping quarters?" Curly: "I suppose for the same reason they put a lock on the cockpit. Safety." Rather than recognize the lack of privacy for his crewmates as a problem, he instead tries to excuse and rationalize Pony Express's actions. Similar to how he tries to rationalize Jimmy's awful character. Curly's employment with Pony Express mirrors his friendship with Jimmy where his passivity enables their abusive behavior and hurts those around him as well. Not only does Curly refuse to speak up or do anything about Anya's rape or the lack of locks, but he also: 1) Fails to object when they're forced to take in an intern despite only having enough resources and cryopods for 4 people. 2) Doesn't say anything about the unsafe working environment for both Swansea and Daisuke. 3) How Anya's not only the nurse but also women on the ship while everyone. Like with Jimmy, Curly's blind loyalty and passivity towards Pony Express, enables their awful abuse. Instead of doing the right thing and accept the consequences that come with it, he instead chooses to remain blind and takes the easy way out. Now none of this excuses either Jimmy's or Curly's actions or lack thereof. Jimmy's still responsible for raping Anya, trying to kill everyone in a suicide crash and forcing everyone to suffer. Meanwhile, Curly's the one who decided to hire Jimmy as Co-Captain despite being aware that he's an Ex-con, not Pony Express. Yes, they allowed it when they shouldn't of, but it was ultimately Curly's decision to hire him. And Curly still holds the blame for placing his friendship with Jimmy over Anya's safety and the rest of his crew. However, Pony Express's policies and workplace culture created an environment where Anya is forced to remain silent, Jimmy's sexual abuse of her is enabled, and the only person able to help her, Curly, is too submissive towards them both for him to be of any of help.

[jackdaniel69nice]

How about Tokoyami and Aizawa relationship together? They don’t seem to interact very much but I feel like they would share the same vibe.

You know it’s funny you say that…I have a bit of a controversial opinion on that haha.

Look I love dadzawa content but fanon goes a little off the rails making him a caring and supportive father…this man is not that. He is cold and critical and purposefully discourages his students to weed them out. His actions show more than his words by doing everything in his power to saving them. He does care about them but he does not show it well. He purposely keeps a distance between himself and his students. While tokoyami and aizawa prioritizes rationality above all else that similarity actually strains their relationship more than anything else.

Because tokoyami is so strict on himself and doesn’t allow himself to feel emotional responses to anything the extra criticism from aizawa is encouraging these bad habits. Tokoyami is already so hard on himself for his failures and Aizawa just creates more pressure with his threats of expulsion or reminding him he will die if this is a real battle. Tokoyami already knows this and the stress is slowly breaking him.

This is why he gets along so well with hawks I think. Hawks is very free spirited and encourages a more emotional and even silly side from fumikage. Even if Tokoyami doesn’t realize the reason he feels better around hawks is because he’s actually being more open and emotional. At first hawks ignored him which is a sort of neutral stance but then after tokoyami decided to catch up to him on his own he became encouraging and inspiring. He took him flying, he said he has potential, he said “those who can fly, should fly” and totally flipped Tokoyami’s world view on his head. No one has ever believed in him before, no one ever encouraged him, it was ground breaking.

As far as UAs teachers go Tokoyami actually likes aizawa the least for this reason. A teacher should be someone who encourages you and also pushes you to be better. Aizawa is a “firm hand” and while that may work for other students tokoyami has had far too many of those hands strike him down to feel believed in or even safe around aizawa. He needs a gentle and kind teacher, someone he can feel safe enough to go to for advice and support. In case it wasn’t obvious toko has had lots of problems with teachers in the past and is slightly afraid of them. He has also had problems with heroes. He tries to be on his best behavior around adults in general.

The thing that obviously scares him most about aizawa is his quirk. He doesn’t like when shadow is erased, it makes him nervous and shadow is always a bit disoriented afterwards. He keeps thinking that if aizawa tried to attack him he wouldn’t be able to escape (even if that situation is very unlikely…unless shadow was in a rampage…). He feels bad for not being able to trust aizawa when the man has clearly shown he will do anything to protect his class. He just doesn’t believe Aizawa would protect him specifically :(

Shadow is also afraid of aizawa for the same reasons. No adults have ever listened to them before and Aizawa doesn’t seem very open minded (dark shadow is actually wrong about this assumption). Dark shadow tries to keep from talking in front of him as much as possible. It is inevitable that they would slip up eventually but aizawa seemed surprisingly cool about them being out when they’re not supposed to?? (Shadow you are wrong about him he is nice and understanding I promise). Maybe Aizawa talks to nezu about Dark Shadow and understands a bit better about what they need and how their training should look. Both birds are very surprised when he starts addressing shadow directly in training. It says something about shadows past treatment that even if aizawa is the teacher they don’t like the most that the man still treats shadow with common decency.

Regardless I think toko stays to the shadows of 1-a so to speak so aizawa doesn’t pay much individual interest in him for quite a while. Once shinso joins class 1-a (however you imagine that happening) he has more free time for one on one training so he offers tokoyami a chance for training at night. Tokoyami immediately refuses. Aizawa makes it obvious that it’s not actually a request but an order and tokoyami relents. After getting erased several times in a row shadow is very sluggish and disoriented, after a few more times toko is having trouble getting them to manifest or wake up at all. He doesn’t want aizawa to think he is making excuses so he keeps trying to train without saying anything. Eventually tokoyami also becomes disoriented and passes out and aizawa is very upset toko didn’t mention anything (not to mention worried because he doesn’t actually know what’s wrong).

Once they are feeling better aizawa immediately berates them on keeping their discomfort a secret. Something snaps in toko and he says “why would I tell you anything when I don’t even trust you.” They have to have a long talk about Tokoyami’s frustrations with Aizawa’s teaching style. Even if Aizawa doesn’t suddenly become a reliable and empathetic teacher he is more careful about beating toko down and no longer a direct hinderance to their progress. Maybe shadow even feels good enough to come out during his class~

(This doesn’t have to be the only scenario where a resolution occurs but what’s important is that toko will not say anything about his issues until he is prompted or his hand is forced)

Eventually tokoyami could be forced to talk about his fear openly with aizawa and could be reassured that aizawa would never hurt him. Once again Aizawa would need to be paying close attention to Tokoyami’s behavior and subdued behavior around him. Then he could truly become a reliable figure in tokos life which would be nice.

As far as aizawa’s opinion on tokoyami goes when nezu told him about toko’s…history he was expecting a problem child but toko didn’t seem to stand out at all and never caused any issues. A good but albeit confusing kid. He quickly learns dark shadow is the actual trouble maker and doles out specific punishment for them if they act out. I’m not sure if aizawa is fully aware of how bad it was when toko lost control at the training camp but he did place his room next to aoyama in the dorms so he probably knew something happened.

I just want a final result of aizawa giving him head pats (without him flinching) and shadow coming over to his desk to play with his stapler and capture scarf while toko is trying to take a test and needs to focus.

PS if anyone has any different hcs for aizawa and toko with good reasoning I’d love to hear it!

[inbabylontheywept]

you can eat some eggs raw (my friend had a raw quail egg at a restaurant so you could probably try that) (not to encourage your behavior)

I have had quail egg shooters before, yes. And you don't have to worry about encouraging or discouraging my behavior. I myself have had little luck with either. I am not sure what to degree we can choose our desires, and to what degree we simply have them, but I think for me, at least, the latter is far stronger than the former.

My conscious mind is this little, teenie tiny man, and my subconscious is this great, powerful elephant, and sometimes the man gets to sit atop and steer. But occasionally, the man has to sit back and watch and go yes- I suppose we shall eat eggs today. As the elephant wishes.

Do you have days like that?

[rhapsodyyyyyyy]

The Cracks in the Foundation: A Look at Poor Quality Education

Education is where society begins. It shapes the future, fuels innovation, encourages creativity, and empowers individuals. But what happens when the foundation starts to crumble? When quality education collapses, the consequences can ripple through future generations, leaving a legacy of inequality and limited potential. If you know a thing or two about the struggle of Poor Education, critical issue of education, the hidden or ignored problems and you want to be aware about it. If you are looking for a way on how to support poor quality education, then this blog is for you.

THE STATISTICS OF THE CHALLENGES IN ACHIEVING QUALITY EDUCATION

Statistics show that we are falling far behind and we need to take action with utmost urgency. The world cannot afford to let millions of children fall behind, deprived of the education. unable to reach their full potential. We must invest in education, bridge the gaps in access and quality, and build a future where every student has the opportunity to learn and thrive. This serves as a stark reminder that we urgently need to invest in education and ensure that every child has access to quality learning. We must face these challenges and build a future where everyone has the chance to succeed.

CAUSE OF POOR-QUALITY EDUCATION

Lack of funding:

Lack of qualified teachers: Little pay and no or fewer professional development opportunities will discourage better teaching professionals from teaching in less privileged schools.

Poor infrastructural facilities: Poor ventilated classrooms, crumbling buildings, and even the lack of adequate water supply and sanitation facilities.

Inadequate Learning Materials: The absence of books, computers, and other fundamental learning equipments may limit the interaction with the curriculum among the students.

2. Poor Teaching Skills:

Lack of training by the teachers: Teachers may not have the expertise and knowledge in conducting interesting and useful teaching processes.

Large class populations: The teacher is unable to offer every individual attention and care for her/his students due to a huge number of students in a class.

Discrimination and prejudices: The victimisation of the marginalized groups in the society is carried out in the classroom, and they are supposed to be treated with fewer expectations and fewer opportunities.

3. Systematic inequalities:

Gender discrimination: Girls are specifically disadvantaged in the shackles of education, especially in developing regions. It is because of culture in some cases, and in others, lack of economic power and security in school.

Socioeconomic disparities: Many children from low-income backgrounds cannot attend schools due to poverty, poor childcare, and an uncaring parent.

Schooling inequality based on rural-urban divide: There will be fewer resources, fewer qualified teachers in rural areas of development than in their equivalents in urban communities, and students from the former may gain lesser educational achievements.

CONSEQUENCES OF POOR QUALITY EDUCATION

1. Individual Level:

• Scarce and low-paying jobs : Individuals without adequate education are confined to low-remuneration jobs and are unable to undertake stable employment. • Economic mobility: Education prevents subsequent generations from devolving into poverty cycles, although education impacts economic ability to achieve success in the labor market. • Health outcomes: Education fosters healthy behaviors while developing an understanding of health information. Poor education leads to underlining bad health results.

2. Community Level:

• Economic stagnation: It prevents economic growth, development, and leads to a leakage of skills. • Social unrest: High unemployment and poverty lead to social unrest and instability. • Limited civic engagement: Citizens educated are knowledgeable, conscious, and have a voice in the democratic process and are able to get their leaders accountable.

3. National Level:

• Competitiveness reduced: Low-quality education systems make it hard for countries to compete on the global economic scale. • Inadequate innovations: The absence of sufficiently skilled employees and an innovation culture can easily hinder technological advancement. • The excess usage of foreign aid: A country with a poor education system will inevitably use more foreign aid within their society to solve the social and economic issues.

SOLUTIONS

1. Increased funding:

•Infrastructure development: That means the quality school building and maintaining them, computer technology, and enough resources for learning. •Raise the salary of teacher and professional development: Higher salaries and professional benefits will attract current qualified teachers; however, low salaries and the lack of both might discourage qualified teachers from teaching. •Expand access to early childhood education: Early childhood education programs can lay down sound foundations for future learning and development.

2. Better Teaching Skills:

• Evidence-based instructional approaches: Use teaching methods that have been proven to increase involvement and learners' achievement • Class size: Limiting the number of students for each teacher enables them to fully cater to an individual's needs • Equity and excellence: All learners should have equal opportunities for quality education that recognizes cultural heritage and social background

 3. Systemic Inequalities:

• Institutionalizing gender equality in school: Availing girls with equal opportunity in education while putting them on watch for safety in schools. • Eradicating poverty and extending social safety nets: Poverty needs to be eradicated through these net services thereby offering the opportunities that are economic ensuring all children can go to schools. • Rural development: Extending resources towards making rural communities at par with the urban community.

WAYS TO SUPPORT:

Support International Organizations: Volunteer or donate to organizations like UNICEF, Save the Children, or the World Bank and bring attention to education reform in developing countries.

Educate Yourself: Learn more about the issues and opportunities in international education. Learn the problems with the children of other nations and how you can help with that.

Share Your Knowledge: Talk about global education with friends and family, and encourage them to become involved.

Donations: Organizations working for education improvement, helping schools with allocations of resources and funding for training teachers, educational reform.

Advocate : Speak out for quality education. Share information, write to your elected officials, and participate in campaigns that support educational initiatives.

Engage Your Community: Attend school board meetings, offer to volunteer at local libraries, or become active in the events of your community that would promote literacy and learning.

Addressing this challenge requires a concerted effort from governments, educators, communities, and individuals. By investing in education, improving teaching practices, and addressing systemic inequalities, we can create a world where all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Remember: " Every action, big or small, can contribute to creating a world where everyone has access to quality education."

[homeofhousechickens]

I accidentally hatched chickens 3 weeks ago (they were supposed to be duck eggs) and am learning so much about the differences in raising them (ex: chickens jump very early. Ducks do not. Had to get a different brooder very early) I was going to ask you how to get them to be friendly and cuddle but apparently its super easy?? I cant even open the brooder without them all launching themselves up onto my arms and snuggling in. One has started doing the Beeper snake neck to get me to pet it. Anyway the point of this is thank you for having such wonderful posts and information, its made my surprise chicken rearing easy!

It's all about positive interaction and being gentle! Once someone gets the hang of it they tend to be able to continue raising lap chickens. I think the biggest hurtle is that most people buy farm store chicks and those chicks basically have trauma due to the hatchery and shipping process which makes them naturally more skittish and fearful because of all that cortisol in their blood.

Basically baby chicks want one thing and that is a mother so if your able to interact with them in that way so they see you as a parental figure you will have a good foundation to build a positive relationship. This even works on chicks being raised by a broody as long as the broody is human friendly since broodies sometimes helps each other raise chicks or the rooster helps so it's kind of like that but your a human lol.

Do keep in mind that cockerels tend to start getting bitey when they come into their hormones you want to discourage that immediately, just like their mother would do! As it's rude boy behavior. You gently push them away (go for a wing push not a chest) and disengage, if they continue you can redirect them onto a stuffed animal or put them in time out. Cockerels do the same thing to their mothers and they get pecked on the head instead lol.

Chicks can get a bit "spoiled" where they will demand to be near you at all times. The only way to get them to stop is to encourage independence, broodies do this to by just up and walking away so don't feel bad if you need to let them "cry it out" but if that is uncomfortable for you holding them and cuddling them isn't going to negatively effect them, just your own sanity really lol they do grow out of it usually (side eyes beeper)

[deep-spaghetti]

my undertale act structure analysis post is getting traction all of a sudden and ppl in the tags have all sorts of ideas about what Specific Gamer Behavior undertale’s narrative is condemning and like that is the most lame way to interpret that narrative. if the emotional and thematic core of undertale revolved specifically around some gamer bros who really ground toby fox’s gears it would be a shitty story. if i were to pick A Condemnation or at least a concern undertale expresses it would be entitlement surrounding art and rapid consumption of it. it offers you its story, its compelling world and characters, its happy ending and then it’s done. at least internally, it doesn’t really guide you to anything but true pacifist. a no mercy run is not something flowey eggs you on to do at the end of neutral runs, it’s not an encouraged mode of play in “The RPG where no one has to die!” the entire no mercy run is about how it is your active, conscious decision to have gone out of your way to do harm, even when it is actively more tedious and difficult than any other option. if you engage with its narrative exclusivey through the lens of it being a meta spin video game tropes and mechanics and nothing more, then yeah, it does look like the thesis statement is “completionism is immoral” but i think an extremely critical thing that people miss is that no mercy is not an encouraged mode of play. there is an entire discussion around how implementation functionally is encouragement, “if it’s in the game on purpose, the developer didn’t put it there to keep it out of players’ hands.” but again observing through the lens of narrative and not activity (or activity as a means to communicate narrative) the implication is that feverish unconditional consumption of media is destructive. the player is literally given the agency to suck the life and joy out of a game about quirky characters and big cheesy emotions because that’s what happens when you are dead set on seeing as much as possible instead of appreciating what’s there. althought undertales [FIGHT] and [MERCY] buttons are functionally similar to a dialogue option to be nice or an asshole, undertale’s no mercy differentiates itself from other games’ “evil” routes because it actively discourages engaging with the evil option on a mechanical level. you have to tediously grind away literally every enemy through a small habdful of encounter configurations in every area and the game denies you as much of itself as it can at every turn, long stretches of tedious grinding interrupted by deliberately ludicrous difficulty spikes, trying to act as roadblocks so utterly insurmountable that you just quit. if you do succeed, your reward is a copy-tainting flag that makes a point of ruining your good endings if you every try for them again. it is an actively discouraged mode of play on every level above implementation. you are not supposed to play this way, and the only reason you would (and again this is from like the gameworld’s internal moral perspective, enjoying a challenge or wanting to experience an aspect of the narrative yourself is a perfectly valid reason to want to do it) is if you wanted to exhaust something you enjoyed of every last drop of stimulation it could offer. undertale is a game packed with secrets and even with direct messages to data miners. it was aware from minute one that it was going to be gutted and picked apart and given a million cover to cover skimmings across the world because that’s just what happens to art in the information age. i think it definitely does actively encourage paratextual engagement, everything to do with FUN values and gaster are absurdly rare random chance events that try to foster discussions about mysteries only witnessed by a precious few players, but i think it does resent that to some extent it cant truly have any real mysteries. so quickly was every code cracked and every secret shared to millions, because that’s just what people do to things they love, they shatter them into pieces so they can put them back together a thousand times.

[granulesofsand]

I am a gatekeeper of the system who sent an ask in a bit ago expressing concern about signs of potential programming. I would like to add some additional information, because I must concede we may be in need of some recommendations. We do have a therapist, however she lacks training in RAMCOA, so I am beginning to wonder if we may need to seek someone who has that training to proceed safely.

Content warning for specific descriptions of potentially programmed behavior in the rest of this ask.

I was able to safely facilitate an attempt to make contact with the alter in question, by someone in the system who is mentally boundaried(?) enough to resist most passive influence and the like. The alter kept repeating two sentences in a monotone way: that she cannot "know" and cannot "remember."

The alter making contact with her first tried a safety-based approach, letting the alter know that we are safe and that it is safe for her to know things now. The alter heard her, but kept repeating herself. The alter making contact tried to distract her to see if she could get the alter to "snap out of it," but this was ignored. She tried directly contradicting the statements, which made the alter start to get agitated.

After allowing the alter to calm back down, the alter making contact decided to try redirecting this alter by telling her that the thing she was supposed to not know about was something else (an area of mathematics that our system has no interest in, has never learned, and will never have any reason to learn). As soon as she was convinced of this, the entire system felt something the host described as a layer of dissociation lifting.

I try to maintain an illusion of being an all-knowing, all-controlling authority to the rest of the system to discourage them from poking into things they are not ready to know. But I was genuinely surprised that this worked, and now I am questioning if it was safe to redirect her when in reality, I do not know precisely what this alter was meant to obscure from the rest of the system. I have "quarantined" her for now, while I figure out the safest way forward.

I would also like to add, in case it is relevant, that it is my understanding that we had already developed DID from non-organized CSA before the trafficking began, so I wonder if our system is atypical of both non-RAMCOA *and* RAMCOA systems... if our suspicions about this alter are correct in that she reflects some form of MC was attempted on us.

More so than anything else, I am wondering if you have any resources about the safest way for us to proceed. I do not know for sure if this alter was programmed, but at a minimum, I believe her robotic statements and the fact that the only way to successfully address them was redirection raise enough of a red flag to warrant caution.

Thank you for being a resource on this.

A More Helpful Response

🗝️🏷️ RAMCOA, programs, deprogramming, memory work, isolation, CSA

I apologize, I meant to send this response within an hour of the first, but my devices had other ideas.

The ordering is a mess. We have three main pieces of advice; one for memory work, one for kindness, and one for this alter in particular.Breaks always encouraged, you can skip parts that aren’t working at the moment, and you can take as much or as little of it as you want.

Programmed Alter

Yes, this is more clearly different. It is still possible that it is conditioning or a natural response, though it will not hurt to treat it as RAMCOA so long as you respect the need for time and trust required before memory work.

Loopholes are best for dire situations, yet can also serve to break down some of the initial noncooperation programs. It’s very good that you’ve gotten this alter to redirect her silence programs, and that creativity is the same force perps use now on your side.

Memory alteration programs are tough and often layered with several incidents of trauma. Allowing her to remember will be a great help to your system, but there may be memories viewers (or the holding alter herself) aren’t prepared to witness.

Lifting the Veil

One method of easing the weight is through changing the format of the memories. It’s convenient to have an innerworld, but this can be done with visualization or drawing as well.

We use a small movie theater setup. The projector sits at the entrance, opposite the screen, and opens like a box. I believe it was Alison Miller who recommended using the exit and return to daily life to define a clip.

Find the piece where the body gets into a car or notices behavioral shifts in perps. Fill in the gaps until you have a full sequence and an arrival home or the perps leave you, whatever these landmarks look like in your history.

Programmers often divvy up memories and programming lines to insure no singular alter holds too much information that could render programs defunct. We use the box so everyone can place their pieces inside. They can put in their copy and no longer remember their piece, they can duplicate it and keep one, anything that works for your system and systemmates. The doors are always open to the theater, so anyone can come or go without consequence.

You may find it safer to make it so only the alter who placed the memories can remove them, and this can be done by the same hypnotic process DID depends on; if you believe it and require it, it will be done. A therapist can help with this without much knowledge about RAMCOA or systems.

You don’t need to view the memories immediately. We only permit the contributors to view the final version, the only exception an archivist who can file away the clip for future use. You might have to stop and search for missing pieces as you watch. All the sights, sounds, and sensations should be accounted for.

Once you have enough of a movie to view it, play around with details to make it more tolerable. Observe scenes from the distance, in black and white, or as a stop-motion. No one has to watch it all in one sitting, and breaks are encouraged.

What This Does

The system members who do not hold pieces do not need to view the film. Goals with this exercise can be:

associating memories— to disempower programs, stop flashbacks, bring closure

increasing integration— to prevent time loss, skill variation, or dissociation (without fusion) by lowering barriers

fusing alters— to find wholeness, undo what programmers or abusers have done, allow trauma holding alters to rest

If your goal is integration, eventually more alters will have to view the movies. If it’s fusion, the alters who need to know will be those who are participating in the merge.

Discovering the mechanisms behind programming can take away the influence of the tied programs. Healing the trauma removes the hooks programs sink in to be effective. It’s not something to do fast, but rather alike to meeting strangers and trying to heal their trauma. It can be done, and you can find safety within your system.

If this alter is not programmed, associating the memories can still break conditioning and loosen holds. They may be the only programmed alter in the system, but there’s no way to know for certain.

Finding Programmed Alters

Body memories are particularly common in programmed survivors, so asking the void if anyone is responsible for aches and pains can locate unknown alters. If they say it is their job, ask why. If you reach a standstill or they refer to a boss, ask who has them do it.

Programmed alters can be very mean, cruel, or unresponsive. They are still members of the system, likely not initially different from any other new alter. There is trauma there, and that trauma has been interpreted for them to control them. Kindness, constant and noninvasive, is a powerful thing.

In the start, before memories or movies, define what your systemmates are to you. Find meaning in the differences between internal and external people, assemble them into a concept of what your system is for you. Then hold that true to programmed alters.

Treat them as they need to make them feel safe. Don’t fall into the shame they’ve been burdened with, they are not bad. You may find this alter or others have done things that violate your moral code inconceivably, and you must understand that they had to survive. Even if they act like they enjoy it, even if they shove every reason to hate them toward you. They are not bad. Even if they believe they are, they are not bad.

Fitting In

Your whole system may be co-opted by abusers, or just the one or a small subsection. Neither is odd, and you can label your system by your preferences. There will always be people who disagree, but a community exists because we are similar even when we are different.

You can work this out with time, but the main goal of deprogramming is freedom. You should worry less about the things you cannot change and more about current events.

Moving Forward

Look for evidence of contact with a group, including family members or old friends. Make sure no alter is reaching out and telling perps you are becoming aware. Know where you should be and record how time was spent to see if there are discrepancies.

You are allowed to believe your memories, and it is more helpful to act towards healing than shy away from them. Not every memory needs to be perfectly sensible. They are through the eyes of a child, or from a time of extreme distress. You can look for plausible explanations for implausible scenarios, but be careful to sit with memories to support the alters holding them.

Implausible might mean demons flying around the room, eyes in someone’s hair, vampire fangs on perps. These can and have been faked, and need not change beliefs on reality. I do not mean people in cloaks or maiming or blood. Those things are plausible, though you may have to adjust your worldview to accommodate them.

Perps are cruel and creative, but they are not all-powerful or benders of the impossible. You might not encounter these deceptions, and that is valid and preferable. But you still might, and you can be prepared if they do arise.

Resources

Here is a link to the Legion System’s English version Drive. There are books for survivors that I recommend, but only if you can consume material about others’ experiences without doubting your own.

Becoming Yourself, which is pushy for fusion and uncomfortable because of the tone, includes survivor stories in some detail. Safe Passage to Healing talks to systems like singlets and pushes at least constant co-consciousness, and has more explicit descriptions by survivors. Both are helpful, but neither are perfect. Take what you need, leave what you don’t.

Next Steps

You are on the path to recovering from this. I would recommend you don’t isolate alters unless they are a danger at the time. Inform this alter about rules for the system and for communicating safely with others.

She may need a space she can relax in, even if only slightly. Ask what she needs and find a place for her. If they aren’t triggering, include soft blankets and plush toys. Ask how old she is, what she thinks about your current living situation and what rules she’s still following. Feed her if she is hungry, keep her warm and comfortable. If she has to be isolated, consider giving her an option between her room and another safe place.

She might not talk anytime soon, but her barriers might be coming down hard. Some paints, inside or out, that she can use might be easier than speaking aloud.

Any therapist can be a RAMCOA therapist if they are understanding and willing to learn. You will be guinea pigs, but it is better than going it alone. A therapist who will not hear you is not a safe therapist.

I can dig up some conference dates and maybe connect them with other therapists in similar situations, if those would make you feel more secure. There are books for clinicians in that Drive, though still not perfect, and we can write up a doc with context we have our therapist as some are not for survivors. It’s your choice, and your therapy is yours.

We’ve got a preoccupation for the next week, but a cell phone should suffice for simpler communications. We will try to remain reachable, and will answer eventually as long we have internet.

[maureen-doolittle]

Are the Jedi a cult?

So my wife and I were talking about Star Wars while eating dinner, and we landed on the topic of the Jedi. I mentioned my absolute hatred of the Jedi approach to child-raising. Like, oh, you want your group members to deny attachments? I know, give them all disorganized and disrupted attachments to primary caregivers!

And then a THOUGHT hit me: are the Jedi a cult? Specifically, to what degree do their beliefs and actions resonate with Steven Hassan’s BITE Model of Authoritarian Control? I pulled it up and my wife immediately said, “Wow, that would do NUMBERS on Tumblr. Please help prove my wife right because she’s awesome. 

For the unaware, BITE is an acronym that stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotion. It refers to four different types of control that organizations can have over their members. The higher a given organization scores, the more cult-like that organization is likely to be. (Disclaimer: this post is exclusively for shitposting reasons and I am extremely not a mental health or sociology expert.)

Behavior Control

Regulate individual’s physical reality - unclear? 

Dictate where, how, and with whom the member lives and associates or isolates - literally yes that’s the whole thing that PROMPTED this post

When, how and with whom the member has sex - yep, celibacy rules!

Control types of clothing and hairstyles - yes, unless you’re mace windu

Regulate diet – food and drink, hunger and/or fasting - no, not that i know of

Manipulation and deprivation of sleep - nope

Financial exploitation, manipulation or dependence - i am absolutely not going to research the star wars economy for this shitpost. we’re leaving it at “unclear.”

Restrict leisure, entertainment, vacation time - lol do the jedi get vacation? like, at all?

Major time spent with group indoctrination and rituals and/or self indoctrination including the Internet - can you imagine if the jedi had twitter? god, anakin would be such a pain in the ass about it. anyway, this feels like what the jedi council is, so yes. 

Permission required for major decisions - SPEAKING OF THE JEDI COUNCIL... also, according to my wife, “obi-wan consults with the jedi council more than raiden consults with the elder gods.” i don’t understand this reference, but i’m glad some of you will.

Rewards and punishments used to modify behaviors, both positive and negative - again, the jedi council!!! like, there’s the whole “well you’re not a master YET” nonsense and... this post might turn me into an anakin skywalker apologist

Discourage individualism, encourage group-think - this is literally what caused the council to collapse. no one had an original thought.

Impose rigid rules and regulations - oh my god SOOOOOO MANY.

Punish disobedience by beating, torture, burning, cutting, rape, or tattooing/branding - happily, a no on this one. holy shit.

Threaten harm to family and friends - technically, this is a “no,” but it’s specifically because you’re not supposed to have any of those, so i’m giving this a half point. also, see everything that happened with Shmi Skywalker.

Force individual to rape or be raped - again, no.

Encourage and engage in corporal punishment - we don’t see what goes on in the crèches, but since we don’t have evidence, this is a no.

Instill dependency and obedience - they LITERALLY have a master/padawan system where you can’t question your superior, like???

Kidnapping - hot take but i totally think this is what they do with some younglings. that said, this is just my hot take, so this is technically still a no.

Beating - again, no

Torture - no

Rape - no

Separation of Families - actually yes??? like, true, i don’t have proof that the kids are kidnapped, but they fully separate children from their families at extremely young ages!

Imprisonment - no

Murder - listen, we could be here all day debating whether all, most, many, some, few, or none of the jedi’s killings are justified. but like... they’re warrior monks, so i’ll give this one a pass.

Score: 11.5/25

Information Control

Deception: a. Deliberately withhold information - i didn’t remember this one so i asked my wife and she immediately went “yeah, definitely” b. Distort information to make it more acceptable - “What I told you is true... from a certain point of view” - Obi-Wan Kenobi (this is a yes) c. Systematically lie to the cult member - DARTH FUCKING VADER had to tell Luke about his parentage! like! obi-wan! what the hell!

Minimize or discourage access to non-cult sources of information, including: a. Internet, TV, radio, books, articles, newspapers, magazines, media - this probably gets a “no” on a technicality. how would we even measure this? b. Critical information - nope c. Former members - again, this is a technical “no,” but it’s only because i really don’t think there are any “former members.” d. Keep members busy so they don’t have time to think and investigate - arguably yes, given how much they’re constantly running all over the galaxy. like, they’re definitely not the only law enforcement/army in the galaxy, so what gives? e. Control through cell phone with texting, calls, internet tracking - huh, i wonder if those blue video things are tracked? do we have any confirmation of that? i’m pretty sure they have the capability to do so, so i’m giving this a half point.

Compartmentalize information into Outsider vs. Insider doctrines a. Ensure that information is not freely accessible - again, no way to measure this, so no b. Control information at different levels and missions within group - oh ABSOLUTELY. i’ll cut them a tiny bit of slack because they have to do this for like, legitimate national security interests sometimes, but they also do it for bullshit information control reasons. c. Allow only leadership to decide who needs to know what and when - again, this is literally just the jedi council

Encourage spying on other members a. Impose a buddy system to monitor and control member - hello again, master/padawan relationship!  b. Report deviant thoughts, feelings and actions to leadership - you have ONE bad dream about your secret wife dying in labor, and everyone’s on your case about it. c. Ensure that individual behavior is monitored by group - yep

Extensive use of cult-generated information and propaganda, including: a. Newsletters, magazines, journals, audiotapes, videotapes, YouTube, movies and other media - another no on a technicality. also, this gives me the horrifying mental image of Jedi YouTubers, so now you have to suffer with that. b. Misquoting statements or using them out of context from non-cult sources - nah

Unethical use of confession a. Information about sins used to disrupt and/or dissolve identity boundaries - oh, you’re sad because you miss your enslaved mother? well THAT’S just proof you could NEVER be a jedi! b. Withholding forgiveness or absolution - do they even have a process for forgiveness or absolution? am i losing my mind or do we not see this? anyway, no. c. Manipulation of memory, possible false memories - nope

Score: 9.5/19

Thought Control

Require members to internalize the group’s doctrine as truth a. Adopting the group’s ‘map of reality’ as reality - this is just crèche training b. Instill black and white thinking - jesus, CONSTANTLY. “once you go over to the dark side, forever will it dominate your destiny!” c. Decide between good vs. evil - see above d. Organize people into us vs. them (insiders vs. outsiders) - see above again

Change person’s name and identity - huh, this one’s actually a sith thing. bonus points for the villains actually doing the cult-y thing this time, i guess.

Use of loaded language and clichés which constrict knowledge, stop critical thoughts and reduce complexities into platitudinous buzz words - the fact that yoda’s advice to a terrified first-grader is “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering” really says it all here.

Encourage only ‘good and proper’ thoughts - once again, see above.

Hypnotic techniques are used to alter mental states, undermine critical thinking and even to age regress the member - nope

Memories are manipulated and false memories are created - not that we see, no.

Teaching thought-stopping techniques which shut down reality testing by stopping negative thoughts and allowing only positive thoughts, including: a. Denial, rationalization, justification, wishful thinking - those earlier yoda quotes are really pulling their weight in this section. goddamn. b. Meditating - i have to assume meditation is a part of jedi training, because like... come on. of course it is. that said, i don’t know if it’s specifically used to stop negative thoughts, so we’ll give it a half point. c. Chanting, Praying, Speaking in Tongues, Singing, or Humming - i put these all in one because they’re all religion-focused, but in a way that doesn’t map onto the jedi/star wars experience of religion. and the answer is no to all.

Rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism - the jedi are so afraid of constructive criticism that anyone who tries gets hit with immediate professional consequences and social shaming

Forbid critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy allowed - again, see above! it’s wild how many times i’ve said that here!

Labeling alternative belief systems as illegitimate, evil, or not useful - they literally call it the dark side. like, i’m not saying that Force choking or lighting is a good thing, but really, guys?

Instill new “map of reality” - eh, not really

Score: 10.5/16

Emotion Control

(upon seeing this i went “oh, i’m sure this will go GREAT.”)

Manipulate and narrow the range of feelings – some emotions and/or needs are deemed as evil, wrong or selfish - fear, anger, the need for a parental figure... yep! all demonized!

Teach emotion-stopping techniques to block feelings of homesickness, anger, doubt - yes again

Make the person feel that problems are always their own fault, never the leader’s or the group’s fault - your fear and grief about missing your mom are YOUR fault, anakin! it’s definitely not our fault that we took you away from your mom and left her to die!

Promote feelings of guilt or unworthiness, such as: a. Identity guilt - eh, not really b. You are not living up to your potential - oh absolutely yes. “you were supposed to bring balance to the force!!1!11!!!” like, i know it’s not said as a control tactic, but that’s a lot to put on a person! (side note: i was correct earlier; this post is totally turning me into an anakin skywalker apologist.) c. Your family is deficient - i actually don’t think they do this, so like... hurray for the bare minimum. d. Your past is suspect - they don’t explicitly say this, so even though i get the vibes, i have to give them a no. e. Your affiliations are unwise - fuck off this LITERALLY sounds like a yoda quote! i don’t care if he didn’t actually say this, i’m counting it. f. Your thoughts, feelings, actions are irrelevant or selfish - including your desire to grieve your mother, aunt, and uncle! g. Social guilt - no relationships allowed! f. Historical guilt - nope

Instill fear, such as fear of: a. Thinking independently - yeah there’s no way the council allows that b. The outside world - actually, no. they’re in pretty regular contact with the outside world, despite the fact that they ignore the increasing corruption of the galactic republic. c. Enemies - hello dark [side] my old friend... d. Losing one’s salvation - the only way the jedi could be worse is if there were some version of this. the only afterlife they have is being a blue ghost, which is rad as hell. e. Leaving or being shunned by the group - technically, no, but see above - no one ever leaves this group. f. Other’s disapproval - if mace windu looked at me with disappointment in his eyes i would DISSOLVE g. Historical guilt - nope

Extremes of emotional highs and lows – love bombing and praise one moment and then declaring you are horrible sinner - qui-gon and yoda both do this to anakin and luke, respectively.

Ritualistic and sometimes public confession of sins - the jedi council is responsible for so many of these

Phobia indoctrination: inculcating irrational fears about leaving the group or questioning the leader’s authority a. No happiness or fulfillment possible outside of the group - yep b. Terrible consequences if you leave: hell, demon possession, incurable diseases, accidents, suicide, insanity, 10,000 reincarnations, etc. - no, but i also don’t think leaving the group is presented as an option? i know i keep giving half points, but it’s my high-effort shitpost and i’ll do it if i want to. c. Shunning of those who leave; fear of being rejected by friends and family - see the above logic. hey look, the half-points evened out! d. Never a legitimate reason to leave; those who leave are weak, undisciplined, unspiritual, worldly, brainwashed by family or counselor, or seduced by money, sex, or rock and roll - oh my god can you IMAGINE yoda complaining about former jedi being “seduced by money, sex, or rock and roll.” someone get frank oz on this, stat. that said, people who join the dark side are explicitly said to be “seduced” by it, so... maybe? half-points abound! e. Threats of harm to ex-member and family - nope

Score: 14.5/25

Total Score: 46/85, or 54.12%. Honestly, that’s not quite as high as I was expecting, but that’s still like... concerningly high! like, if you join an organization and describe it as “just over half-cult,” that’s really bad! jedis! what are you doing!

[luckyshouse]

basically my point is that people discourage an autism diagnosis at every turn and despie people who are allistic systems falling under all the requirements for autism, they're still told theyre allistic for whatever reason. who does that help? if theyre expereincing symptoms that mimick autism so heavily that it can be confused for autism but is actually secretly their trauma disorder, then why deny them of a diagnosis that'll allow them to get the help they need for those traits, and vice versa. if someone with autism is presenting enough symptoms of DID that they could have DID, but are being told that it's just their autism causing it, isn't it worth it to get them help for traits they are exhibiting that point to trauma and severe dissociation? and it perpetuates this weird hatred of autism, like i said i've met a bunch of allistic systems and honestly you were spot on with saying that they're ashamed of their community, a community that is essentially known for 1) gender play 2) "eccentric" dress and behavior 3) weird social interactions and 4) "cringy" behaviors, which are again, all autistic traits that get lumped in with DID. and whenever i meet people who are so horrifically ashamed by people, i dont know, trying to find themselves and have fun doing it, its hard for me to believe they aren't disabled in some way and have been abused to reject and turn their backs on that part of themself. the most ableist people i've ever met in my entire life are disabled and autistic people who have been conditioned out of identifying that way and now lash out when they see that behavior because it not only triggers them but they get excited to "enforce" rules they've had enforced on them because it reasserts their place in allistic society. and if they're someone who strongly doesn't identify with autism and JUST has a system, how are they ever supposed to learn that they might also be autistic? they've convinced themselves that all these traits they experience that are in proximity to autism are just caused by trauma that they need to "recover" from and "get over" than theyre never going to be open to learning about autism and their possible own autistic self. and because of psychiatries general distaste towards autism diagnosises, they wouldn't be encouraged to either, because autism isn't treatable. PTSD and DID is "treatable" with medication and therapy and every other process they can scrape money out of, but autism isn't, because it's a neurotype and a disability that exists in a world that essentially doesn't believe that it exists. i just think its interesting. i think the overlap is so interesting. i'm constantly wondering what the thresh hold for DID or OSDD is, and also wondering if you traumatized a young child and then put them in the most healthy most understanding family, would they still develop DID? would they still be severely autistic? or would they be able to learn how to cope well enough that they would be able to avoid having DID as an adult, and be able to manage their autistic symptoms enough that it wasn't disabling? i assume the latter is POSSIBLE, but the former? i have no fucking idea. i dont know. the point is that the reasonings im being told that these disorders arent connected dont make sense to me, it just sounds like more psychiatric jargon to keep people in the psyche system trying to treat a disorder that isn't the root cause.

[theblackestnight-ffxiv]

[ffxivwrite2024] prompt 19: taken

The Drowning Wench was positively swimming in patrons this fine summer evening. D’zinhla couldn’t recall the last time she’d been able to pay a visit to Baderon and her other acquaintances, but the sheer crowd was, on its face, rather discouraging. She paused on the walkway, her ears flicked back in hesitation.

“Too many people, love?” Airraim asked softly.

“No, well, yes, a bit, but-” She bit her lip. “I think I can handle it, anyway. Chances are, they’re all caught up in their own business. I might not get to chat very much with the staff, but… oh!” Her ears perked again at the sweet sound of a La Noscean fiddle cutting above the drone of the crowd, and sudden cheers that rose with it, along with the pulse of hands clapping in time.

Airraim smiled. “I suppose that settles it for you.”

“Quite!” She grinned back, brushing her tail against her partner’s. “Well, shall we?”

“I’ll go find us a place to sit, while you investigate the music,” she said with a gentle shooing motion. 

She didn’t need any further encouragement, her steps far lighter–and timed with the beat–as she approached.

It was hard to get a glimpse through the standing crowd at the entrances, especially in a city with so many Roegadyn, so she wasn’t sure who was playing, but she could think of a few fiddlers she knew that played with that style. That reel was especially popular in Swiftperch, and a few other clues hinted the same, but it wouldn’t necessarily follow that the fiddler themself was from Western La Noscea. She threaded her way through the crowd, trying to get a better vantage, and- aha! Solkzedyr! He was from the west, and was astonishingly dextrous, both with the fiddle and with his feet. From the way he bobbed in time with the beat, she figured it wasn’t long before he started to dance along with his own playing, something she knew from experience was tougher than it looked!

Already a space had cleared enough for dancing to begin, and she smiled wistfully. It was great fun to dance, and she wasn’t half bad at it, but it would put far more spotlight on her than she really wanted. After all, she was here to catch up with her guild acquaintances and the staff who had seen her so often, and once she started dancing, she wasn’t likely to want to stop anytime soon.

“Pretty thing like you all by your lonesome?”

Her ears flicked back at the voice beside her, and she forced herself to pull her attention away from Solkzedyr, into the slit-eyes of a fellow Seeker. He wore his wide-sleeved shirt half open, and the knife at his belt suggested he was a sailor. He grinned as their eyes met, dipping his head toward her with a half-wave. “Doesn’t seem right for you to be all alone like this.”

She forced herself to produce a polite smile, one that didn’t go into her eyes, suppressing her urge to lay her ears back. There was still a chance he wasn’t coming onto her, and it was an odd relief to muse that he likely hadn’t recognized her by her realm-wide fame, which was refreshing, despite his behavior otherwise. “I’m quite alright, and here in company, thank you.” 

“Company that’s left you alone at the edge of the dance floor?” He shook his head sadly. “No way to treat a lovely lass like you!” He grinned anew, in a way he must have thought was rakishly charming. 

Her smile thinned. “I assure you, I’ve no complaints, thank you for your concern.” She turned away as she said it, hoping to signal her disinterest in further conversation.

He stepped to follow her. “Aw, come now, and that’s hardly a way to treat a sailor in for the first time in a moon!” He spread his arms imploringly as he said it, which also had the effect of blocking off her ability to move further in that direction. “You came to the Wench for a good time, so did I, why not have it together and see how the night takes us?”

Her ears slanted back. “I told you, I came here in company, and I am not interested in your idea of a good time.”

“And I’m telling you that I can give you better than the sorry arse that left you alone! Come now!” He held out his hand.

She raised her head, feeling her roiling distaste, forcing it into her words. “Leave me alone.”

A flicker of uncertainty made his grin falter and stumble. “Oh, there’s no need for that, now, I’m just being friendly-”

A hand clapped down on the sailor’s shoulder, fingers curled in a clawlike grip. The man’s face registered irritation as he turned–and then his face went white.

To everyone else, the person who had forcefully gotten his attention was an especially stern looking Miqo’te woman. To D’zinhla and the man, it was a figure made of shadows, featureless but for the red eyes glowing balefully at him. To everyone else, the voice was quiet and serious. To D’zinhla and the man, it had an eerie effect, as if simultaneously echoing from a deep well and also coming from right beside the ear. ”She told you to leave her alone. Do it, or you won’t spend very long regretting it.”

The man flinched away from both of them, his hands raised fearfully. “Seven bloody hells!”

“That’s a good first step. But you’ll become acquainted with all seven of those hells sooner than you thought if you don’t leave the premises. Immediately.”

Face fully drained of blood, the man wheeled and cut through the crowd, headed directly for an exit.

As he left, the shadows dispersed and coalesced, leaving Airraim with her arms crossed and a murderous expression on her face. Her eyes were still glowing. “I should follow him and teach him to never again speak to a woman that way. Or anyone.”

“I think he’s gotten the point,” D’zinhla said softly, aware of the concerned and curious looks of the people surrounding them. Thankfully the music was still playing, so they hadn’t caused a scene for the entire establishment to gawk at. Feeling unclean, she shook her head, then took hold of Airraim’s arm. “Did you find a place to sit?”

“I did.” The crimson glow in her eyes faded, leaving them their usual pale gold. “Come on,” and she pulled her through the crowd to a table for two up against the wall.

D’zinhla sat heavily, feeling much better with a wall to her back. “Gods,” she said, shaking her head. “Haven’t had one that persistent in a while.”

“I was biding my time to let him get the picture, but he insisted on ignoring you. So I had to take action.” Airraim lifted her chin, as if daring D’zinhla to refute her.

She would have tried to say that it wasn’t necessary, but she knew it would be a losing venture. The greasiness of the man’s insistence still lingered on her. She shuddered again, ending in a lash of her tail into mercifully empty air. “If he didn’t learn from you, he’ll learn from someone with fewer compunctions about drawing a dagger on him in public.”

Airraim snorted. “The only reason I didn’t cleave him in two was because that would be a mess for Baderon, and a ruin of your evening.”

It wasn’t exaggeration. She smiled a tiny smile. “I appreciate the restraint. I wish it hadn’t been necessary at all.”

“So do I,” she said darkly. “But a fool used to taking what he wants doesn’t learn until he gets it scared out of him–or ends up dead first. The way he’s going, it’s more like to be the latter, but I’ve done my work for the former, only in consideration to you. Not like he’s worth it.”

D’zinhla sighed. She didn’t like dwelling on him, rude as he had been.

Airraim looked back toward her, and her gaze mingled a softness that overlaid pure steel beneath. “You are mine, beloved,” she said, reaching across the table to seize D’zinhla’s hands. “You are mine, and I won’t allow such filth as that to tarnish your evening.”

Something shivered within her, her eyes locked to the fierceness of Airraim’s expression. A resonance within her darkness, a reminder of what they shared, what her shadow held of her. Everything. All of me. She softened, closing her eyes and taking a steadying breath, then gently squeezing Airraim’s hands, her lips curling upward. “Well then. Let’s get on with our evening.”

Airraim smiled, releasing her hands to lean back in her chair, a look of satisfaction on her face. “Yes, let’s, and you can start by telling me what songs our fiddler is playing.”

A distraction, but an effective one, and D’zinhla smiled. “Well, it’s Solkzedyr Einfedarsyn, from Swiftperch-”

“Ah, the nimble Roegadyn, I do recall. You were quite impressed with the way he could slide so many notes into those breakdowns.”

She brightened. “Yes! And he’s been playing several Western pieces, but-” she paused to perk her ears, “yes, this one is fully Lominsan, it’s a piece by L’sonri Tia, written when Merlwyb was named Admiral. Gods, I do miss L’sonri’s fiddling, but Solkzedyr is up for it. He’s got his own style to it, of course, but it does honor the original writing much better than others I’ve heard.”

Already she was feeling better, and she knew that Airraim knew, and was deeply satisfied for it. She could hardly fault her. This wasn’t the first time she’d taken very direct action to discourage unwanted attentions on D’zinhla, and it likely wouldn’t be the last. This one was only meaningful for the fact that the man hadn’t recognized her at all, and she wasn’t inclined to pull the “do you know who I am” card, when that was exactly what had drawn some of them before. Besides, what if he’d only learned to respect those with the standing to safely reject him?

She felt a mental caress, and flickered her eyes back to her partner, who was once more gazing at her with a firmly possessive stare. She flushed warmly, biting her lip, then cleared her throat. “Mm, sorry, where was I?”

“Telling me about Lominsan fiddlers of note,” Airraim answered, with an amused arch to her eyebrow.

“Mm, yes, right, well!” It was a good topic to get caught up in, and hopefully drive away the memory of the unfortunate start to her evening, while the way that Airraim was looking at her held a great deal of promise for the end of the evening.

[douglysium]

The Flavor of MTG: Blue, the Color of Progress(Part 1)

Prologue

Before we really dive into this color philosophy I have to get the usual stuff out of the way. If you haven’t read the previous, albeit really long, article covering some of the more general aspects of the Color Pie then you should probably do so, even if only to decrease the chance that you ask a question I’ve already gone over or to make sure that I don’t have to repeat myself over and over(You can read said article on Tumblr here(https://douglysium.tumblr.com/private/672979718186975232/tumblr_r5hjo0WAWg1ycm9nu) and on Google Docs here(https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y1d7vBZozSEmkARSeGYj4onyty6uAXlooaXKR9WxLOI/edit)). I should also mention that today I am focusing on MONO-Blue as a color philosophy. This means some specifics here may not apply to every color combination that includes Blue. It is also important to remember that the color pie is ultimately a vague philosophical archetype, not a personality archetype(even if a personality can be influenced by one’s personal philosophy). When I say things like a color’s “strength and weaknesses” there are definitely exceptions and know that I am speaking broadly and mostly talking about the behaviors and personalities that such a philosophy either attracts/encourages or discourages. Also, the color philosophies are all about what people find most important. So when I say something like Blue likes knowledge and Black cares about the self that does not mean that it is all those colors care about. Even Blue may care about emotions, Black may still care about others, and White often still cares about the individual. It’s just that those things come second fiddle to other things and should not get in the way of their primary goals. I should also note that because this article is about Blue and I do not have infinite time I will mainly be covering things from Blue’s perspective. So sorry if it comes off like I’m just bashing Red and Green philosophy at any point but I promise that those colors will get their chance to shine in their own articles one day. What I’m saying is don’t base your entire view of Blue’s enemy colors on this article since it probably won’t be the most flattering perspective.

General

One thing that all the color philosophies in Magic have is a little phrase that helps summarize their philosophy. This phrase basically has two parts, the end goal of the color and how they seek to achieve that. In Blue’s case, its phrase is “Perfection through Knowledge.” In this case, the end goal is “Perfection” and the means is “Knowledge.” What this is supposed to tell us is that Blue philosophy is all about perfecting one’s self and the world around it and creating a world where everyone and everything can be the best version of themselves. I think it’s important to clarify the wording here for Blue is not saying you literally need to be perfect or never make a mistake. Only that you should strive to be the best version of yourself you can be. In the case of Blue, perfection isn’t an end goal but an endless process and a mindset saying you should be constantly striving to do better. Since Blue is all about being the best you can be, its philosophy is often summarized as perfection since if you're striving constantly to become better and better constantly then you are always striving to get as close to perfection as possible. If I had to put it in a simpler way, Blue is about “Improvement/Progress through Knowledge.”

The way Blue believes we should achieve this is through the aforementioned knowledge. Blue is a philosophy that believes anything and everything can theoretically be understood and made possible as long as you have the knowledge, tools, time, and dedication. To this end, it is important to properly obtain and use knowledge since Blue believes almost anything can be achieved if you have the proper knowledge, resources, and time. In order to utilize this knowledge it is important to use your head and think through your actions as much as possible. Blue is a philosophy that strives to be open to any possibility but not too hasty to action because everything has a theoretical solution if the right amount of time, energy, and understanding is applied. This tends to mean Blue is generally against both impulse and instinct. Now Blue isn’t inherently against any and all emotions and it often acknowledges emotions as a powerful force(which makes discipline and forethought all the more important). Blue is simply arguing that you shouldn’t let things like emotions and instincts control you without tempering them with thought and reason because they often spur short-sighted actions that can hurt you in the long run. While they can grant you quick satisfaction, if improperly controlled they can come back to bite you later(or even immediately). Also, just going with whatever you immediately feel tends to conflict with Blue’s ideal of not making hasty decisions because Blue wants to strive to make the best and most optimal decision as much as possible. Part of doing that is keeping in mind more long-term goals over transient short-sighted ones and keeping the big picture in mind so that you can properly understand the ramifications of your actions and choices. Blue also understands that there are typically a limited amount of resources and time one has access to and to Blue it is important to maximize these resources by making informed, thoughtful, and considered decisions.

Similar to how White has some notable ways it tends to use structure, Blue has some notable ways it tends to approach and use knowledge. First off, since Blue believes knowledge, understanding, and thought are the key to everything it is often advocating for as much knowledge as possible and gathering any knowledge it comes across since you never know when the knowledge may become helpful in the future. There is also the fact that Blue may not always know or be aware of the knowledge it may need which can also often encourage it to collect as much knowledge as possible in order to increase the chances that it finds out something it didn’t know it needed or if the knowledge becomes helpful later. This often gives Blue an emphasis in regard to learning and education as these are some of the best tools to acquire more knowledge. This also tends to extend to a more structural level and not just individual levels. From Blue’s perspective, being the best self you can also mean that the society in which individuals reside needs to also be the best it can be. So Blue tends to prioritize things like education systems, libraries, schools, and other structured systems in regard to education. These can act as vectors for people obtaining the knowledge to become whatever it is that they consider to be their best selves as well as allow for Blue to obtain even more knowledge in order to give it an edge and allow it to overcome obstacles. If Black’s goal can be described as attempting to become as close to omnipotent(all-powerful) as possible so that it can get everything it needs, Blue’s can be described as one that strives to be as close to omniscient(being all-knowing) as possible. 

Mark has given us 4 notable ways Blue may like to use knowledge in his “True Blue Revisited” article. Firstly, knowledge can be used to control people or get them to act in a way that is beneficial for you, others, or society via withholding pieces of information. Secondly, it can act as a key, allowing those with the right info to access or do things others do not know how to do. Those who know the proper words or actions may know how to do things others cannot. Thirdly, it can act as a form of protection. It goes without saying that if you know something’s coming you can better prepare for it and if you know what exactly something even is you may be able to use it to your advantage or exploit a weakness. Fourthly, it can be used as a weapon or a form of attack. This sort of ties into the first point since while controlling knowledge gives you the ability to exercise control over others, knowing/exposing the right piece of knowledge or secret information can be quite devastating(think stuff like blackmail or exposing weaknesses to the public). 

Also, restricting someone’s information by lying, deceiving, hiding it, etc. can give a tactical advantage since they may not even realize there’s anything to fight back against or how to do it.

Blue is also a color philosophy that is more likely to take advantage of technicalities or utilize loopholes in laws and/or rules to get what it wants since it is a philosophy that is all about nuance and understanding the world around it and how they function. This emphasis on knowledge and understanding means that Blue often has a respect for science, since science is quite literally defined by the dictionary as “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.”, “a systematically organized body of knowledge on a particular subject”, or “knowledge of any kind” and science is literally all about understanding how things work. Now just to be clear, you don’t need to be a scientist or specifically engage in science first and foremost per se to be Blue, but that’s something I’ll get into later. Tying in with Blue’s themes of knowledge and understanding, Blue is a philosophy that believes every phenomenon that exists or happens has an explanation for how and why it occurs even if we have yet to figure it out. This adds an aspect of questioning basically everything as much as possible since anything and everything can theoretically be understood in due time and under the right circumstances. Where colors like White or Green may see events as holy miracles or some sort of occurrence that cannot always be explained, Blue argues that there is an explanation for how and why these events occur. Although, this is not to say that Blue could never attribute something to a god or some sort of magic(even if I would say that in general Blue would probably usually, but not always, subscribe to the “Magic is just science we don’t yet understand yet” style of thinking. Although it is important to acknowledge that for some people and places within the multiverse some sort of magic, supernatural occurrence, or similar explanation could be a valid one for them).

This brings us to Blue’s themes of perfection, self-improvement, and technology(as they are all related). As mentioned, Blue is all about being the best self one can be via knowledge and forethought. This ties in with some of Blue’s philosophy as Blue believes anything is possible and everything is a blank slate. When I say this I don’t mean Blue believes you can just magically start flying because you think about doing it hard enough or that it doesn’t believe in genetics or being more likely to be predisposed to certain things. Rather that everyone basically has infinite potential and there is a way to achieve what they want or want to be. Let me put it this way, if someone is born blind then they may be able to have perfect 20/20 vision via glasses, contacts, or surgery. 

If something is born without wings to grant it the ability to fly then it may be possible to grant it flight using something like a jetpack, flying vehicle(such as an airplane), or maybe even some crazy futuristic genetic engineering to change someone’s very DNA.

This is all to say, Blue isn’t claiming you can just will yourself to grow wings or have perfect vision but rather that with the right amount of knowledge, one can do these things in order to make themselves better if they so choose. This is where Blue’s themes of technology come in since said devices and technology allow you to alter yourself and/or do things that you could not do on your own. 

Normally, humans cannot fly but airplanes change that. Normally, nearsighted people cannot just manifest 20/20 vision but glasses change that. So Blue’s idea of a blank slate is more the idea that there is a path that allows you to become whatever it is you want to be if you take the right steps and make the best-informed choices possible and that it is possible for you to overcome and/or break free of things like genetics, fate, destiny, etc. 

Blue also has a mindset that encourages one to never give up since there is basically always a way to get what they want. In Blue’s eyes even if it were to assume there is some hypothetical that could literally never be achieved no matter how much knowledge one obtained and no matter how advanced technology became there would be no way of knowing unless you are actually trying to achieve it anyway. The best way I can put it is through an example given in Mark Rosewater’s “STRIVING FOR PERFECTION” article: “For years no human was able to run a mile in under four minutes. Physiologists at the time claimed that it was quite possibly beyond the ability of the human body and that the mere attempt at such a thing would be dangerous to the athlete that tried it. Then one day a man named Roger Bannister did it. Forty-six days later another runner broke the four-minute barrier. Within three years, fourteen more runners had also done it. Now it's the standard for mid-distance runners… It was an impossible task, that is, until someone did it. Then it became a doable task and many people did it. The only barrier was a mental one. Runners couldn't do it because they didn't believe it was possible. Once it was proven possible, it completely changed how they approached the problem. People can do things they believe they can do. If you take a task at hand and assume you can do it, guess what happens? You do it.” This type of perspective in regards to the potential most people have is what Blue’s mindset may often be likened to. In a way in order to understand what is truly possible Blue is saying we must approach everything with the assumption that it is somehow possible. All the color philosophies basically have an answer for what your goal in life should be and how to achieve that and in Blue’s case that goal is basically pushing yourself to the limit and being the very best you can be while constantly seeking to better yourself and the world around you so it can in turn encourage and facilitate ways for you and others to be better. Blue is interesting in that it stresses that one must be flexible and open to all the possibilities while also not being too hasty or quick to action(as to give yourself time to figure out the best possible decisions). Of course, like all color philosophies, Blue usually wants a society that encourages this. So it will typically advocate for citizens being granted good opportunities for education, places to safely experience things through trial and error(as outside of controlled situations you should strive to make as few errors as possible), and some way to access the best and most recent tools and technology so they to can gain the knowledge and understanding needed to better themselves, the society they live in, and the world around them. Blue philosophy is ultimately, and succinctly, revolving around self-actualization(which is defined as “the realization or fulfillment of one's talents and potentialities, especially considered as a drive or need present in everyone.”)

Blue’s emphasis on knowledge, understanding, information, and forethought means that within Magic it often has an emphasis on academics, books & other repositories of information, mind/thought, control, memory, manipulation, artifice, trickery, subtlety, complexity, and illusions. Of course, the emphasis on knowledge means that Blue also has symbolic associations with the mind, and by extension abilities and magic relating to the mind and information regarding it, like telepathy and telekinesis. On the other hand, Blue’s emphasis on utilizing your time to the absolute fullest in order to gather as much information and time to think as possible tends to associate it with time-based magic and passivity and Blue’s emphasis on progress, betterment and what could be what gives it some future symbolism. Meanwhile, Blue’s emphasis on technology, improvement, and tools gives it a strong symbolic connection to construction/technology, artifacts, and man-made items.

Requirements

As with my previous discussion about White philosophy and beliefs, I think it's important to help cement a more concrete understanding of what one needs to believe in to be Blue aligned. I’ll do this by discussing the most basic and barebone ideals needed to potentially qualify for being Blue aligned. Of course there are a couple of disclaimers. It’s important to remember the Color Pie is a vague philosophical and value archetype. The color pie is ultimately about VALUES and IDEALS. A Blue character can end up being hot headed and overemotional, although they would normally see this as a flaw/mistake or potentially have some sort of self justification for it, and not every person who values knowledge is necessarily Mono-Blue or even has Blue in their color identity at all because they may have a different outlook on life or value something more important than progress and knowledge. They may also think knowledge should be used for a purpose different from that of what Blue says. Also, this article is specifically about Mono-Blue so these requirements are only meant to apply to just Blue, and any color combinations that contain Blue mixed with other colors may not necessarily follow the same rules, for example: it is possible to be Blue-Red aligned and believe that your emotions are more important than thinking things through.

First off, in order to be Blue aligned, one must believe that theoretically anything is possible and can be understood with the right amount of time, advanced enough technology and/or a certain amount of knowledge. As mentioned before Blue isn't foolish enough to believe that you can just grow wings with the power of thought but it may be possible in the distant future to create artificial wings, jetpacks, or vehicles that could carry you just as well, or even better, than any naturally occurring wings. Blue can also concede things like the fact that being literally perfect and without flaws is impossible. It’s a philosophy that believes that everything in the universe can theoretically be understood with enough time, advanced enough technology, and/or a certain amount of knowledge and thus believes everything has an explanation even if we do not know what said explanation is at the moment. We might not be able to grow wings or understand all the mysteries of the universe now but who knows? Maybe in a 1,000 years, these things and how they work will be as common as running water or something. If it wasn’t clear from some of my examples you don’t need to believe that LITERALLY anything and everything is possible or that there are no limitations. Like Blue isn’t about to say that a random ass roaches on the sidewalk is about to start inventing advanced technology just because it wills it or that it could reach the same kind of thoughts as a human without outside interference. It’s also important to remember that one tends to only have a limited amount of resources and time(which is why Blue would often say you need to make the best decisions possible). There are plenty of Blue characters that would argue one can never become completely perfect or that achieving something isn’t feasible within a certain amount of time or time frame and for many it would be utterly ridiculous to believe that a human could do something like break the sound barrier while running through sheer force of will and no outside technology to aid them or that you can achieve omniscience and understand all of the universe with the current level of technology.

Secondly, and most obvious, one has to believe in following their mind and using forethought over one’s emotions. This also ties in with the idea of knowledge being powerful and most important since the knowledge you gather allows you to make better decisions and letting your emotions have you just constantly make shortsighted and hair-brained decisions would just put that knowledge to waste. Doing something because “I just felt like it” outside of specific situations(such as a game or something) usually isn’t going to cut it even if you can understand where it is coming from.

Thirdly, you must believe that everyone is a blank slate. As mentioned before this does not mean one needs to straight up completely not believe that things like being predisposed towards certain things via genetics or biology or even destiny and/or fate exist. Rather that it is possible, in one way or another through willpower, discipline, knowledge, technology, etc. to change, overcome and/or break free of these things in one way or another. 

Essentially, these are not the end-all-be-all limits for what we can and can’t do as long as we have the technology, time, and/or knowledge to do so. Blue philosophy tends to fall under various types of tabula rasa style schools of thought(that the human mind receives knowledge and forms itself based on experience alone, without any pre-existing innate ideas that would serve as a starting point. Tabula rasa thus implies that individual human beings are born "blank" (with no built-in mental content) and that their identity is defined entirely by their experiences and sensory perceptions of the outside world… ).

A Colorful Quote

In order to hopefully better understand where each color is coming from, even if you may ultimately disagree with it, I thought it would be helpful to pick a quote that I felt really resonated or matched with the color's themes/ideals in order to help package the color in a philosophical form of thought you may be more familiar with or understand.

The first quote is Lao Tzu’s “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” I feel like this quote does a pretty good job of showing why Blue tends to put all its stock in knowledge and understanding. As that knowledge allows you to do anything and can also be used to aid and better yourself. Understanding and knowing how to fish and how fishing works puts people in a better position than just never accumulating the knowledge while continuously buying fish without thought. Teaching people how to fish instead of just hoarding the knowledge can also allow for a better society and the world. Since dispensing the knowledge of how to fish allows more people to gather food which means society has more food. Having this knowledge also puts one in a position of power since if you know how to fish but your clients do not then they are more likely to have to rely on you and do what you say for food. “Knowledge is power” as they say(a phrase we’ll come back to later). Similarly, the famous Sun Tzu quote “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle” also shows how a philosophy that puts all its stock in knowledge might be appealing to Blue, and both quotes display that when Blue is faced with a problem it almost always advocates to tackle it from the angle of knowledge. The first quote also shows how knowledge can be used to make the world a better place, by teaching others, and this Sun Tzu quote also displays that while knowledge can be used to make the world a better place it can also act as an offensive or defensive weapon by understanding a situation or knowing something your enemies do not.

"Mind over matter" is a popular phrase and is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as  “-used to describe a situation in which someone is able to control a physical condition, problem, etc., by using the mind.” As mentioned before, Blue doesn’t necessarily believe you can say just start growing wings through sheer force of will but I feel like this quote still tends to embody a very Blue mindset or goal. Mind over matter situations are going to be the types of situations Blue tends to gravitate towards, and views problems as, because Blue believes that knowledge, willpower, and time can allow you to overcome many different kinds of weaknesses and problems. 

The emphasis on mind over matter is also why in the game of MTG Blue tends to get things like telekinesis, an ability that allows one to perform physical actions using the mind and may even allow them to do things they could not do physically. While Blue can still believe in getting jacked and perfecting one’s body/physique it will argue that the best way to approach this is through knowledge and understanding. At the end of the day if you can understand the why and how something works it is possible to exert your will over it in some way and get the desired result. You may be able to increase your stamina while running by pushing yourself to the limit and exercising or by using some specific running technique. As pointed out earlier, from the perspective of Blue how can we know what truly is or isn’t possible for both the world around us and ourselves if we don’t push ourselves. I’m sure everyone had a situation or thing that they thought they would be bad at but turned out to be actually decent at or enjoy it. Or maybe you thought something like “I’ll never be a good artist” only to see how far you’ve come a couple years later.

“Knowledge is power” is a phrase that one could argue may apply a bit more to Dimir(Blue-Black) philosophy but I think it also applies to Blue quite well, and while Black and Blue do overlap in an emphasis on knowledge, Black sees power somewhat differently than Blue and doesn’t always see knowledge as being synonymous with power. However, I’ll get into that later. Of course, the color philosophy that believes knowledge and understanding can be used as a way to achieve anything would also see those things as the vectors for obtaining power and control if it really wants or needs to. This quote is also meant to emphasize the importance of passing on knowledge and education which is usually going to be important to Blue philosophy. Knowledge gives you the power to gain control over your own life. Similarly, Martin Luther King Jr’s “Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control” hits a lot of the same beats(even if it might be overall a more White-Blue or Bant(Green-White-Blue) quote).

“Measure twice cut once” is a quote that I feel perfectly encapsulates Blue’s ideals of trying to take as much time as possible while using the knowledge you have to make the best possible decisions. One only has so much resources and so much time so it is best to avoid careless mistakes or accidents as much as possible. You shouldn’t just go with whatever your emotions or gut tells you but always be trying to use your brain. Your emotions and what you want aren’t always the things you need and may sometimes only offer short-term gratification at the expense of more important or long term goals. You also shouldn’t rush things and try to take the time to understand a situation/problem as much as you can. Doing this can also save you even more time down the line than just rushing in would have.

Finally, “knowledge is its own reward” is probably one of the most Blue quotes out there. Out of all the colors Blue is the one that is most likely to be concerned about knowledge for knowledge’s sake because it wants to accumulate as much as possible since you never know when said knowledge may come in handy and it may reveal yet another bit of knowledge you didn’t know you needed. While Blue does have its own reasons for wanting to obtain knowledge, such as perfection and self-betterment, the other colors, such as White and Black, are less likely to care about knowledge for its own sake and are more likely to see it as just a means to an end.

Philosophical Strengths

Despite all of Blue’s themes of perfection, nothing is truly perfect and that goes for all color philosophies, including Blue. However, before I go over Blue’s philosophical weaknesses it is vital to go over Blue’s philosophical strengths in order to show some of the upsides and positives its philosophy can often encourage.

Blue’s most obvious and noteworthy strength is how it can encourage the use of knowledge and information. Blue does not only seek to figure out the best ways to acquire knowledge but also how to properly use knowledge as a tool. This encourages a way of approaching things that involves taking the time to utilize said knowledge by looking at the big picture/plan, and trying to figure out the consequences of each and every action they take. Blue strives to never act careless or without great thought and this can lead it to being less likely to make obvious or avoidable mistakes and consequences(but this does not make them immune to them mind you. No one is perfect). This also ties in with how Blue values restraint due to prioritizing using one’s knowledge and forethought over letting one’s emotions control them. This is another factor that can encourage the avoidance of careless mistakes. Blue argues for preparing for the long game and big picture and tries to not let its emotions ruin more important or bigger term goals for short term gratification. Blue’s prioritization of knowledge and understanding also makes it more likely to notice, understand, and/or utilize nuance(s) that may otherwise be missed. 

Going back to knowledge being a powerful tool, it is important to remember that one such way it can act as a tool is by being a weapon. It’s easy to see Blue and assume it just wants to spread knowledge constantly at all times but since Blue sees knowledge as vital when it’s approaching an opponent it seeks to not only use its own knowledge but restrict the knowledge of its opponent. This means Blue is more likely to lean into things like secrets, trickery, disinformation, and lies. By restricting someone’s access to information/knowledge you gain a tactical advantage because at the end of the day there’s only so much someone can do if they don’t even know they’re in any danger or what you even plan to do. 

Due to this, Blue can have a bit of an underhanded sneaky quality that some people may miss when discussing its color philosophy, but I mean it is ally colors with Black(a color that’s all about doing literally whatever it takes to get on top.) so this trait is to be expected to one degree or another. 

Philosophical weaknesses

Now for the weaknesses. A philosophy all about knowledge and understanding may be seen as being objectively all upside by a lot of MTG players at first, but nothing is perfect. Even Blue still has some weaknesses.

For one, Blue philosophy is one that can encourage being very passive to a fault. Striving to think just about everything through and utilize all the time available to do so can make quick decision making or taking immediate/spontaneous action difficult unless you already knew something was coming. This means that Blue may be prone to being outsped by others or opponents taking initiative and making a decision before it can figure out the best course of action. Simultaneously, this can also severely limit Blue’s flexibility. Blue is ultimately a philosophy that is extremely adaptive since it's all about “anything is possible,” and “everyone is a blank slate” but it is not the best at encouraging on going with the flow and/or being flexible enough to change and adapt on a dime. Blue is all about finding answers and improving but via an overall slow process of carefully considered knowledge and thought. This also segways nicely into my next point. While it can act as a strength, Blue’s restraint can also become a weakness when pushed too far. Due to Blue doing all it can to take its time and fully understand what’s happening in order to make the best decision possible it may end up becoming paralyzed and not making a proper decision. Think of it this way, Blue is all about being the best you one can be and part of doing that is trying to make as few mistakes as possible while also making the best decisions one can make. This means that Blue can sometimes end up becoming “paralyzed” while it tries to figure out not just what choice(s) to make but what is the very BEST choice(s) it can possibly make while considering all the nuances and trying to avoid any mistakes. 

This can encourage inactivity and even potentially not making any choices at all or not making a choice in time out of fear that one may make a mistake, bad decision, or a suboptimal choice. This is another factor that can encourage a mindset that leads to one not making decisions fast enough.

Another way that Blue’s emphasis on knowledge can end up acting as a weakness is that Blue is a philosophy that tends to want to put all its eggs in the metaphorical basket of  understanding what’s going on. This can once again add on to Blue’s weakness of acting too slowly or not at all, as Blue may struggle to come to a decision if it is put in a situation in which it can’t or has trouble understanding what’s going on. The other colors are more likely to advocate for taking action or make a choice even if they don’t or can’t completely understand the full picture of what is happening or what they are facing. This also means that Blue is usually the slowest out of the five colors in mindset, flavor, mechanics, and gameplay.

Another thing to consider is that Blue believes almost anything is possible. Which can, when pushed too far, encourage an outlook that pushes someone way too hard or tries to force things to change/happen in order to prove something or because it feels like it can. This can be sort of seen with some of the Green-Blue Simic Combine’s, the Blue-Red Izzet League’s experiments, as well as some of the horrifying creatures created by Innistrad’s various Blue mad scientists and Black-Blue stitchers. The best way to think about it is there is a sort of Victor Frankenstein side to Blue. The idea that everything can be known and mastered. This can sometimes lead to this philosophy pushing things a bit too far in the same way most people agree that Victor probably shouldn’t have been messing with life in the way he did. To Blue, The world is everyone’s sandbox in a way, anything can be improved and fiddled with.

Sometimes Blue encourages one to push themselves, others, or the world around them too far just to see if it can or in order to better understand it. To Blue, the world is its canvas in a sense.

Common Misconceptions

This brings me to what is becoming one of my favorite parts to cover in regards to color the Color Pie. One thing I’ve noticed about the Color Pie is there tend to be a lot of misconceptions about it in general. This is understandable because most people aren’t losers who will read and listen to all of Mark Rosewater’s Color Pie teachings and probably won’t technically need to know much about it outside of general gameplay mechanics. Although, of course, I still want to tackle these common misconceptions to show some of the work and understanding that Magic’s designers and writers have that people may overlook. I also want to hopefully make any conversations someone may have about the Color Pie more informed, nuanced, and productive. 

One of THE MOST common misconceptions I see is that being Blue makes you smart, or that being smart must mean you’re Blue. This also tends to extend to people who begin to self identify as Blue and identify other people as Blue because they are smart and not because they actually agree with Blue philosophy. First off, just thinking a lot or appreciating thought doesn’t make one any more Blue then having emotions makes someone Red, having to eat makes someone Green, or wanting rules/regulations makes someone White. The color pie is a VALUE system; it ultimately comes down to what one values as more or less important. The other colors can all value or like being smart or intelligent but may not see gathering knowledge and information in order to improve yourself as the most important thing we should strive for. Furthermore, it also comes down to how you would argue one should use said knowledge. Blue would argue you should use knowledge and understanding to better oneself(although if you want to include multicolored identities it is possible to have Blue in a color identity and see knowledge as a thing that should be used for some other goal. However, my point still stands). This brings me to the other point. Blue VALUES knowledge but simply valuing something doesn’t automatically mean you have it in spades. Just valuing information doesn’t mean you have it and just valuing being smart doesn’t mean you are smart. Let me put it another way, not all Black aligned characters are powerful just because they value power and ruthlessness and not all White aligned characters are kind and just people simply because they value those things. That’s like saying that just because you want to be rich that means you are rich. You can have weak Black aligned characters and asshole White aligned characters. Likewise, you can have stupid or uninformed Blue characters. 

The truth is, just merely being smart is a trait that anyone of any color or color combination can have in the same way that something like being emotional or shy is. This kind of goes hand in hand with the misconception that the Red alignment is somehow inherently stupid even though Red can be quite smart. 

In fact White, Black, AND Green all greatly value knowledge in their philosophies, but just in their own different ways. 

Now it is important to acknowledge that personal philosophy can influence traits or personality even if they aren’t one to one. You don’t need to be super emotional to be Red aligned but, since Red is all about following your heart and doing whatever your emotions tell you one could argue or acknowledge a Red aligned character is more likely to act emotional. So one could argue that a Blue aligned character may be more likely to come off as smart or knowledgeable because they are likely to reward themselves for going out of their way to seek knowledge and information, and a Black character is more likely to seem powerful because they have a philosophy that rewards being power hungry. However, there can easily be an overly emotional Blue aligned character who struggles to control their emotions, sees their emotions as justified, or feels that they aren’t letting their emotions control them even if they actually are(people are weird and aren’t always perfectly rational. Sometimes people convince themselves that what they are doing fits in line with their world view or is justified). I would also be remiss not to mention the impact Magic’s cards themselves may have on the general public’s perception of a color. It is important to remember that most(but not all) cards are depicting things from their associated color(s) perspective. 

So the reason Blue cards may often come off as “smart” is the same reason so many White cards may invoke heroism and all kinds of heroic and “good” traits. That’s how the color itself tends to view said action or person being depicted on the card. Blue wants to be smart and make the most calculated and logical moves by utilizing all the information it has available. Also, being Blue doesn’t mean you are well rounded in your knowledge or have a perfectly even field of expertise on almost all subjects while spouting fun facts the entire time. Blue is ultimately all about using knowledge to better yourself so if your best self involves idk becoming an artist or something then one may tend to seek out information regarding art and art techniques and is less likely to go out of their way to understand how a car engine works. 

I mean, yes Blue will argue you should obtain knowledge as you can because you never know if it will be useful or reveal something you didn’t know would help you(I mean I’m sure everyone has heard stories of how say a football player learning ballet helped them play football better and the like) but Blue also acknowledges that most people have limited time and resources. Which in its eyes, making careful and considered decisions through knowledge in order to avoid as many mistakes as possible and make the best decisions possible is so important. Not everyone has the time to read through an entire library so it is important to carefully pick and choose what you want to do so you can better yourself. Additionally, Blue isn’t even saying you need to be good at everything. Your best self may specialize in a very specific category or may not be a jack-of-all-trades. The point here is that Blue philosophy isn’t one that is just about being the smartest person in any given room. It is about self-improvement.

[pokeblader3]

You know that post that’s like “someone can call you ‘bitch’/’fag’ in a way that makes you feel so loved and affirmed, but no slur will hold as much malice as someone with homophobic beliefs saying ‘those people’ in a certain way (often polite and technically correct manner)? That’s how it feels reading how some of the posts on here use “Men”, often before spouting something with subtle underlying transmisogynstic/misandrist (or even outright patriarchal), not blinking twice while saying some shit to queer/trans men/men of color.

It’s not that I disagree with most of their points, I’ve been horribly traumatized and abused my many men and all marginalized men regularly deal with shitty men, both in and out of their community, and have a number of thoughts on the Patriarchy and all the fucked up, insidious ways it gets to you and creates the horrible parts of our society and culture that create traumas and abuse. I regularly spend a lot of day standing up to shitty men for being shitty using all the male-passing privilege I can muster (I still pass pretty well as a ‘cishet’ man). But the way a lot of these posts are phrased often feels... manipulative. Men and women are people, and the number one thing transitioning and being friends with more people opposite my assigned gender has taught me is that human behavior and emotions get ascribed to ‘femininity’ and ‘masculinity’ when they’re just normal emotions we all have. Violence and aggression and cruelty aren’t “masculine”, wisdom and compassion and empathy aren’t “feminine”, even if these things are associated with them because of gender roles and how the Patriarchy has shaped the society around us.

And the fact that people regularly face opposition or get run out of queer groups for being ‘cishet men’ by afab people and (usually cis) women who don’t want to engage with any of our queerness or the fact that we’re feminine (honestly often due to still lingering trauma which makes them distrustful of other people who remind them of their abusers and a lack of actual good mascs in their life who, I get it, I was afraid of men and masculinity for a long time too and had a friend group of mostly women, but it wasn’t healthy and my world is much better for trying to reach out and be close with some who seemed to be kindhearted and genuine, and eventually not be so afraid of other normal people you see on the street)... I’ve probably been discouraged to express myself and my femininity (you know, anti-patriarchal things for a man to do) by women and femmes just as much as I have by men (not mascs, they Get It, and trans men often are adamantly against this behavior but get drowned out or bullied into staying quiet). And it’s so much worse if you’re a masc/enby/transfemme of color, who are demonized for existing and held to impossible beauty standards even by those in the community who are supposed to be ‘on their side’ (and who still hold them to being on their own side). And it’s not like I haven’t been groomed, sexually abused, manipulated, and physically/emotionally abused by women throughout my life, either.

The people who run my state are trying to make crossdressing a sex crime. I cannot go out dressed femininely without risking being queer bashed or made an example of. This is not abnormal in this country, and if you live in a world where men are encouraged to express gender nonconformity and femininity and androgyny is accepted, I hate to burst your bubble but you live in a socially progressive part of this country, and the rest of us get at best bullied relentlessly for any ‘femininity’ from all sides around us.