#I could talk about that and just my culture in general for ages since I've finally grown comfortable with expressing my heritage

[saucy-mesothelioma]

Apart from movies/series, what would you say is your favourite art medium? It could be digital, traditional, or a combination of these.

Well, I love a good book just as much as the next person with Harlan Ellison, Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, and Tolkien being some of my favorite authors. But I also have a very strong love for vinyl records and collect them.

I've got John Denver, Queen, ABBA, ELO, and some soundtracks like Guardians of the Galaxy and Minecraft, but the two displayed in this picture are my pride and joy. They're both from 1966 and are in incredible condition, even playing better than the ones I bought online (these two are from a thrift store). Not to mention that these two artists mean a lot to me: Tom Lehrer is one of my favorite comedic songwriters and Jim Nabors is not only a gay icon to me but was also born close to where I'm from. I've got some new vintage records I've got to pick up from my grandparents house as well, stuff like Hank Williams and Buck Owens as well as a non-vintage Credence Clearwater Revival.

And of course, I'd never forgive myself if I didn't mention my love for Appalachian folk art. Dollywood is a well-loved vacation destination for my family, and although I love the rides and the cinnamon bread (that shit is like CRACK I swear to god it's so good), one of my favorite things about that place is the Craftsman's Valley. They let you see things like glassblowing, woodcarving, and ironworks among other things, but where there's pottery now they used to have a wagon station that used to be my grandfather's favorite since he breaks horses and drives wagons. Here's some pictures of what it used to look like:

Unfortunately I'm too young to remember that specific station, but I've spent hours watching the glassblowing and ironworks. It's genuinely mesmerizing and helps me feel a lot closer to my culture and have a newfound appreciation for it every time I see it.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

To add onto that Malleus popularity speculation, I think another major reason why that you never mentioned is the simple fact that characters of Malleus' archetype are just more popular in general in the west amongst working age women.

There are plenty of adult novel containing male supernatural love interests. Fae and vampire romance novels are still extremely popular amongst adult readers. A Court of Thorns and Roses is technically an ADULT novel, NOT YA. Even m|m supernatural stories even fall into this category with Stolas/Blitz from Helluva Boss being an extremely popular over here. That pairing is from an adult animated show. Stolas shares a lot of similarities with Malleus.

Hell, even if you step into western contemporary romance novels, the male love interest tends to be more brooding and angsty with flawed leads. Everything from classic literature like Jane Eyre to modern shit like anything Colleen Hoover writes. (Don't get it twisted. I'm NOT saying that Malleus is anything like those leads. Just using those very popular example of brooding bad boy love interests in adult contemporary fiction in the west.)

Meanwhile in East Asia, those sorts of leads tend to be geared towards teenagers. Working age women want a more stable, realistic love interest that would take care of them like Trey.

Westerners seem to prefer more complex, intense romantic relationships, where the stakes feel higher and the emotional payoff is more significant. They will naturally write Trey off as a "big brother" character instead of seeing him as a romantic lead material thanks to being more used to seeing characters like Malleus as the love interest in stories.

I could be way off base, since I'm not Asian and far from being an expert on Japanese culture, but that's my two cents based on my observations. This is also based on broad generalizations. Neither culture is a monolith.

[Referencing this post and (more specifically!) my speculation here!]

Oh, for sure ���� I made a post a while ago talking about how Malleus (especially from the yumejoshi/self-shipping perspective) reminds me a lot of the new "Shadow Daddy" archetype that has emerged in the romantasy genre. I mean, just look at how many of the Shadow Daddy traits Malleus ticks off:

is a nonhuman being (usually fae)

500 yrs old (or at least several hundred years old or a significant age gap between the Shadow Daddy love interest and typically female main character)

looks young and hot/conventionally attractive despite the age

is OP (usually with shadow/night/darkness related magic)

is royalty or in some kind of position of power

dark hair and/or skin (sometimes both)

“morally grey” and/or has issues (you can fix him)

brooding

looks or is rumored to be intimidating but is actually lonely and misunderstood, with a heart of gold

animalistic in some manner (usually with bat/raven/dragon-like wings)

has a tattoo or some kind of bodily markings (Malleus has the scales under his hair; you could also count the OB facial markings I guess)

Outside of romantasy novels geared towards older teens (18-19) and adults, the west seems to really love brooding bad boys as love interests in a lot of its media. Something else I noticed is that the "good guys" or the "boy next door" types like Trey tend to be "the other man" in heterosexual love triangles, which miiight also explain why he gets looked over in the western fandom. (I discussed some of my own observations, which are similar to the points mentioned here, in the posts linked above.)

I wouldn’texactly phrase it like westerners preferring "more complex, intense romantic relationships [... with higher stakes and more significant emotional payoff]", as that unintentionally implies that there has to be brooding or angst in order for the story or character arc to be "good". I feel a lot of it actually depends on the execution rather than the tropes present. For example, I've seen many "Shadow Daddies" that exist purely for wish fulfillment rather than emotional or story/character complexity (which, to be clear, there's nothing wrong with if this is the kind of thing you enjoy!). Wholesome or "normal" romances also have the capacity to be complex, intense, high-stakes, and emotionally significant too! Again, it all depends on the quality of writing and what one's personal preferences are. You'll find outliers regardless of culture as well--as the asker has stated, no culture is a monolith!

[omgthatdress]

Tackling the fashion around the Manson case is needless to say, a huge fucking subject. I've had to do a ton of research on all the little aspects of everything, so before I get into the story, here's the resources I've used to make sense of it all:

You Must Remember This: Charles Manson's Hollywood by Karina Longworth

This series from one of my favorite podcasts is the best straightforward telling of the story that I've found. It makes the basic assertion about Manson that I have come to agree with: that he was a bitter wannabe rock star who was seeking revenge on the Hollywood that rejected him, and using his Helter Skelter prophecy as an excuse.

YMRT puts the story in cultural context and fills out the stories of the victims and the famous people in the periphery of the story incredibly well.

Jay Sebring: Cutting to the Truth

A documentary, directed by Jay Sebring's nephew, not just about the life of Jay Sebring and how he pretty much re-invented the men's haircut (srsly the most influential fashion person I am going to cover, played an absolutely massive role in how men presented themselves in the 60s), and how his fame and influence was overwhelmed and then eventually eclipsed by how he died.

It's a very good look at Manson-mania in the media and how the victims kind of got lost in the mix of it all.

Manson

An Oscar-winning 1973 documentary about The Family, with the members who weren't in jail telling their stories and how they came to be with Charlie. Has some excellent footage of what everyone was wearing.

and of course

Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi

You kinda have to include this in any coverage of Manson simply because it's the definitive telling. It's the events and trials as the lead prosecutor saw them and experience them, so it tends to be very factual, very cut-and-dry, very lawyer-y. Worth reading if you're into the legal stuff, but otherwise honestly kind of boring.

Manson: A Geographic History by Sean Munger

Classic 2 1/2 hour long Youtube video essay about something that outwardly seems incredibly boring, but nonetheless sucks you in and suddenly you know way more than you thought was possible about the subject. Looks at the places in the story and fills in the histories and class significance of those places.

Shit About The End of the Sixties in General:

The White Album by Joan Didion

One of the non-fiction books that helped define the sixties after they had fizzled out. It's a collection of Didion's essays and recollections on the era. It is clear-eyed and unsentimental, to the point of being cynical, about the era of peace, love, and joy.

If you want to get further into the disillusionment of the 70s, you can pair this with Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, which is mostly about Hunter S. Thompson going to Los Vegas and doing an absolute shit ton of drugs, but has a few moments of poignant reflection on how the counter-culture lost its joy.

Emma Rosa Katharina is a YouTuber who does essays on 1960s fashion and culture. I find that she tends to romanticize the era, but she still provides some pretty good analysis and insight into what was going on.

IN CONCLUSION

Doing all this, I had the thought I should talk to a great-aunt of mine who was more of a Kennedy-era girl, but still was young and politically involved at the time. Unfortunately, she passed away before I was able to talk to her. So the important lesson is, TALK TO PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE.

Since my grandparents passed away in the 2010s, I've been struck by the passage of time: my grandparent's generation, who grew up in the Depression, fought in World War 2 and enjoyed the American prosperity of the 1950s, are all gone.

The ex-hippie baby boomers who in my childhood and teenage years seemed perpetually middle-aged are now the same age that I remember my grandparents being, and are slowly dying.

I've had so many times since then when I've wished I could go and talk to my grandparents about what they remember of those years. If you're lucky enough to still have your grandparents in your life, TALK TO THEM. They won't be around forever!

[nauticaltrain]

is the way you interpret the stex characters, are they robots or a mix? since they don't feel pain, but bleed oil etc. what is the lore? are they built at a young age or are they built into adults? (p.s your art is delicious too look at !!)

ohohoho boy, the lore i have for you, strap in

(brief note, this is all my personal interpretation and is definitely not the word of god lol. I genuinely love every interpretation and believe that headcanon variety is vital to a healthy fandom ecosystem)

So, this is something I have thought a lot about and still continue to think about. I'm pretty sure I've nailed it down but it might still be a little nebulous so bear with me.

In the most basic sense, my interpretation of Starlight Express, and all of its characters, is that they are real world pieces of rolling stock that have the ability to shift between a train form (primary configuration) and a human form (secondary configuration). Not an uncommon idea in this fanbase.

However, I'm an overthinking bitch, and I love going in-depth on things like this, so let's expand a little.

There are three main phrases that I use to define my interpretation (headcanon? au? lore?) and to keep myself on track when developing ideas. Sort of layers, if you will. They are as follows:

Fabricated manifestation of psyche - This is rolling stock's appearance in secondary configuration, or what we see in the musical. Their human bodies are a cosmetic representation of their will. A psychological trick. It reflects their personalities, their jobs, their mental age, the demographics of the region they serve. There about a million different factors that go into how they look, and like us, they can't control it. (well, except for CB, but he's another story) It's important to note that this is a manifestation. They are not Transformers. Secondary configuration is not 1:1. There are certain things that get muddled in the changeover. Wheel arrangements being different, missing certain parts, changed color palettes. You could open one up and see parts but not in any sort of similar arrangement to their blueprints. I mean, who can honestly picture every single part of their body in perfect detail and then reinterpret it into a new shape? (this is in part my answer to discrepancies between the real costumes and my lore shh shh)

Counterfeit reflection of humanity - This is their minds. They are our copies. They experience everything we do. They work, play, socialize, fight, fall in love. You could talk to a piece of rolling stock and have a fully human conversation. They are people. However, the longer your conversation goes on for, you may notice certain...oddities. Gaps in their knowledge, speaking in rhythmic sentences, constant repetitive movement. Someone copied humans and didn't do the most perfect job. Like looking at human culture through a lens. Many a train has pondered the simultaneous existence of being machine and being alive.

Physical incarnation of industrialism - Now this, is the origin of all of this. The humans did not create trains to be the way they are. Every piece of rolling stock is designed as they would be in the real world: vehicles to transport people and goods from one place to the next. No one designed Greaseball's slicked back hair or big, studded belt, they designed an EMD E7 built for pulling fast passenger trains. My point is, at the advent of industrialism as we know it, the trains manifested their secondary configurations themselves. They are the offspring of humanity, sired by ingenuity and innovation and birthed from the overturned earth of the Industrial Revolution. No one knows how or why, they just are.

So, in summary, they're sort of robots? Sort of a power of the mind situation? Sort of my own self-reflection on the nature of being alive?

Bonus facts!

Indeed, they do not feel pain. In fact, much of their sense of touch in general is limited. It ranges from same sensitivity as human flesh (hands, face, wheels) to just registers contact (shoulder boxes, hip plating, couplers). I have a diagram of the exact distribution somewhere lol

They bleed? Kind of? If parts are pulled off or damaged, they sort of…leak. Also, if their fleshy bits are "injured", the wounds only heal when the actual machinery is repaired. Also also, if you remove a human part (arm, leg, head, etc.) it will turn back into a train part!

Their temperature resistance is notable too. Comfortable is between -10 F to well over 500 F. Anything above or below that, and they start to complain. Wooden rolling stock have a harder time than steel ones.

They're afraid of deep water and tornados.

In addition to their nails being painted in relevant colors (which I believe is a semi-popular headcanon already), their mouths are the same. Some more unnatural colors include, black, yellow, and blue!

Tall! Generally between 12 and 17 feet. Loosely correlates to their height in primary configuration. Some are the same height, some are taller, some are shorter. Really depends on personality. I contemplated once to have their heights be the length of their primary configurations, but that would result in some pretty awkward height differences and they would be too big for their loading gauge.

They always manifest as adults, or at the very least, late teenagers. They kind of age? Sometimes? Momma started out a bit middle aged, but Rusty has spent like 50+ years looking 25. Really depends on the person, workload, environment, etc.

[corseque]

Hi! I've been following you for ages for your great Solas takes and immaculate taste in sad men. I've been thinking about this because I have a Dragon Age Inquisitor who is an abomination, what do you think Solas would think about abominations/do you recall him ever talking about them? Both Anders/Justice and the more demonic unwilling variety.

Personally I would assume he'd be initially horrified because that might seem like a violation of consent for both parties, but after learning more about them he might grow more curious/respect actual unions a mage might have as an abomination. I am basically just workshopping an OC and hitting a wall and you're the local Solas sage, so... XO

Oh, that's so nice..

Solas is more chill with willing abominations than you might think. And he seems to know all about it already. In Jaws of Hakkon, in the quest called “In Exile” you meet a young mage named Sigrid Gulsdotten who had been willingly possessed by a friendly spirit in order to teach her magic. Which is what the Avvar do culturally to make mages safer.

Sigrid was getting old enough that it was time for her and the spirit to part ways, but she didn’t want to give it up because she didn’t want to lose the spirit as a friend/confidant. Solas has a surprising amount to say in Jaws of Hakkon in general about how the Avvar interact with and relate to spirits, and he talks a lot in this quest too. He is very gentle with her. Let me look up exactly what he says. When you find clues about the mage's failed ritual to part with her spirit, Solas says (a mage in your party always speaks here):

"Residual magic. Someone was casting a spell, and was interrupted. Or stopped."

"If a mage was performing a ritual to part with a spirit, she may have needed to replenish her strength."

Then later, when you talk to her, the conversation goes like this:

Sigrid: "I could not do it! I have no close companions in the hold! No kin! I cannot lose my only friend!"

Inquisitor: "You're friends with this… spirit?"

Sigrid: "It has taught me with patience and kindness since I was a child, frightened of the fire I could suddenly call down."

Solas: "A great comfort. But you are no longer a child."

Sigrid: "Some mages need the help of a god all their lives."

Solas: "Very well. Perhaps, however, ask yourself if it is help you need, or companionship."

Sigrid: "I do not wish to lose the one who loves me."

Here is a playthrough that has this dialogue:

At the end of the quest, if you recruit Sigrid for the Inquisition, Varric, Sera, Vivienne, Iron Bull and Cassandra have strong negative feelings about it, while Cole approves. Solas doesn't seem to approve or disapprove, as far as I can tell. He doesn't say anything, at least. When talking to the Shaman about this Avvar practice, you get this conversation:

Inquisitor: "You let spirits possess your mages on purpose?"

Shaman: "What better teacher than one woven from magic? The spirits in the hold have helped us in this way for hundreds of years. Once a mage masters their powers, their teacher departs, duty ended. Unless the mage is weak."

Inquisitor: "What happens to these "weak" mages?"

Shaman: "Their teachers stay with them and the other gods watch them both, so neither soul turns sick. If one does sicken, or the mage stands in risk of harming the hold… One day, they do not wake in their bed. It is very sad. It is what must be done."

Solas: "It is kinder than what happens in many mage Circles."

So Solas seems to understand the reality that abominations become corrupted more easily, and that it's probably best for abominations to separate willingly.

Solas offers to separate Lucanis and Spite, and says their forceful combination was "a crime against [them] both" so I can only assume that it's the willingness factor that he gets upset by, along with him always being upset at the thought of spirits becoming corrupted.

[cinnabutcringy]

vertin and her relationships with others

hoo boy this one is gonna be a long one; i've barely really interacted with the fandom so admittedly if people have been talking about this, i might not really know! feel free to engage with this conversation however you'd like. this will also not be very structured, i am a pure yapper, a pure rambler at heart.

[ spoilers for the main story but specifically the first 4 chapters, i know i'll probably mention at least ONE major spoiler; also just as a cursory warning i will be talking about vertin-related ships in this one if that for some reason puts you off ]

so this has been in my mind for quite a while; again, as i don't engage a lot in fandom content (i am extremely nervous about joining discords despite wanting to and general fandom experiences make me wary but anyway) i'm sure there are people who have talked about this or think about it and i'm just not around to see it

before i TRULY begin, i just want to state: THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HATE TOWARDS VERTIN SHIPS, PARTICULARLY THE WLW ONES.

i understand how important this game's sapphics are to people and i'm not trying to say you cannot ship sonetto with vertin or schneider with vertin, but i think that fandom culture as a whole is incredibly ship-reliant/ship-focused and in my opinion that tends to take away from the nuance of certain media/characters, and i just want to see if other people also share my thoughts but haven't voiced them or whatever.

anyway, to start this post out: i do not think vertin is capable of forming truly deep bonds and relationships with people. romantic or otherwise. at least, not right now.

while vertin isn't entirely separated from her friends and allies, i think it's pretty evident that on some level, she puts up walls between herself and other people. vertin as a character is extremely composed, reliable and overall a trustworthy leader. and she's not entirely aloof, she has her quirks and interactions to show for it

but the fact remains that i think vertin, ever since witnessing the "storm" at such a young age, has put up walls between her and others just enough to where she can assume her responsibilities without letting her relationships stop her outright.

what i mean is basically, vertin allows herself to get close to people to an extent, but there's always a bit of distance between her and especially the people she's known for years. she never read as someone who gets particularly chummy with other people and i assume it's both because she feels obligated to carry out her duty, and because ever since the first "storm" she witnessed, she's felt it incapable to get too close to people because she felt it was her fault.

the close bonds she had with those at a young age made it all the more painful when she witnesses what the "storm" is truly capable of. i think it's reasonable to say that because of this, she's hesitant to truly let herself express this closeness to other people.

this post was originally going to be focused on vertin and schneider's dynamic, because to me it's the one that is both the least developed and just makes the least sense, but honestly? ironically that'd also be focusing too much on the ship in my opinion. plus, it's not just schneider, it's sonetto. it's mesmer. it's matilda. it's practically everyone she's met in her life.

schneider is just the easiest example to me because (and, this could just be because of the pacing of the early chapters, who knows) vertin never truly had an opportunity to get to know her. vertin knows her backstory, vertin knows her personality, and vertin ultimately knows that schneider will not be forgotten. but that doesn't mean vertin is in love with schneider.

on the contrary, i think she has empathy and care for her, but i think schneider is more infatuated with vertin and the genuine kindness she was shown. vertin on the other hand treated schneider like she treats everyone else: with kindness, compassion, and understanding.

the kiss scene i think kind of gave people a preconceived notion about vertin or at least, people used her reaction as fuel without considering anything else. (personally if schneider kissed ME like that i think i'd be just as shocked but COUGHS thats just me)

another example with a character basically outright stated to be in love with vertin is sonetto; i think that vertin has or at least had feelings for sonetto too, but she drowns them out because of the reasons stated before. with sonetto i actually think there's even more layers to how she feels seeing as she knew sonetto since they were kids, and sonetto got to see vertin change in real time in response to the experience she had. though analyzing specific ship dynamics in this post too much will take away from the vertin analysis so i'll probably leave that for another discussion.

i think vertin's sense of responsibility and duty ultimately mixes a lot with her trauma and makes it harder for her to prioritize herself and whatever feelings she may have for people; she can't risk getting too close, because if she does, she may lose the ability to do her job and i think being the timekeeper is something that matters deeply to her.

in conclusion, i think vertin is a very complex character. i mean, duh. this post wouldn't exist if i didn't think that. she's been deeply wounded and is trying to avoid that wound being constantly reopened because of her own habits (getting close to her allies, letting her guard down too much) and i think as a result she ends up putting up walls when she feels she's probably getting too close to someone.

obviously this is the sort of post i'd want discussion to form around, so if anyone thinks i'm wrong or there's some sort of objective evidence anyone wants to share i'm happy to engage. clasps hands Let's Discuss.

[venus-vault]

Enlightenment

Mr. Reed × Fem!Reader (18+)

Synopsis: Pt. 1 - (y/n)'s 6am Theology course turns out to be more interesting than anticipated.

⚠️TW: Age Gap, Professor × Student, University Setting, Teacher Crush, Yearning and Longing, General Butterflies.

It is 5:32am and as I climb the steps of the Two Hundred Building, I cannot help but silently curse at myself for voluntarily taking a class that starts this early in the morning. I'm technically early for the first day of 'Theology 207: Cross-Cultural Functions of Belief' which is good. Around 10 minutes of rest can be gained here and I set my messenger bag down, sitting cross-legged beside it and letting my eyes close, my mind clear.

My meditative state is almost immediately broken though, by a cluster of keys jangling down the hallway, paired with a set of weighted footsteps. This must be the professor. He's more casually dressed than others in jeans, sneakers, a simple button-down and checkered cardigan combo. His hair is silver, well kept, blue eyes crinkled at the ends behind wireframed glasses. He smiles, extending a hand down to help me to my feet. "Hello, early-bird. Hope I haven't kept you waiting long." I watch him sort through the gargantuan assortment of keys and unlock the lecture hall, inviting me in.

"Not at all. I'm (y/n), by the way." He sets his bag on the desk at the front of the room, opening it up to look for something. "It's nice to meet you (y/n), I'm Professor Reed." He glances me over his shoulder, eyes lingering along my frame for a moment before refocusing on the task at hand. He pulls out a stack of light green papers -syllibi- and divides the stack in two.

"Since you've bothered to be here so early, would you mind helping me get set up?"

"I'd be glad to."

"Brilliant, one of these on each desk then. You'll start at the highest row, I'll take the lowest, meet in the middle." He hands me a stack of syllibi and I bound the steps of the lecture hall, beginning at the far end of the top row.

Before long, each desk is covered by a little green page and Mr. Reed shakes my hand when we meet again in the middle of the room. "Now then, it'd be selfish of me not to reward your efforts, am I correct to assume you haven't eaten yet today?" His eyes narrow.

"You are." I breathe out a laugh.

"Typical. Come here," he nods toward the desk at the front of the room and I follow him there, where he pulls a small waxed paper bag from his satchel.

"Are you opposed to fruit in pastry?"

"Never, bring it on." I beam.

He chuckles warmly at my enthusiasm and pulls what appears to be an old fashioned donut from the bag. Its perfectly crisp edges and even coat of glaze make my mouth water and he splits it, handing me half. "Blueberry. From the café down the road."

"Thank you, professor."

"Thank You, (y/n). Saving me from myself. It is entirely possible this is the fourth one of these I've had this week."

"Oh?"

"I've stopped counting. Completely addicted. Before long I'll be rolling into the room. You'll see."

I giggle, he smirks, we chat, we eat. Maybe an early class won't be the worst thing in the world. I feel like I could listen to professor Reed talk for hours. Which is probably a good thing, this being a lecture-based course.

"Do you hold office hours?" I blurt, nervous.

He raises a brow at me, mid-bite and swallows.

"Of course, but you don't seem the type that'll need to utilize them, and, at the risk of self-deprication, this is a pretty easy course. Half the class could fall asleep mid-lecture and still pass."

I won't need any help with this course, but I want to know him better. He seems like such an interesting, warm person, and I'm not exactly a social butterfly outside the classroom...

"Maybe so, I'd really like to pick your brain about all this stuff, though. You seem really cool, Professor Reed."

He smiles to himself, looking away just breifly.

"How about this? If you plan to come in this early every week, I'll do the same, and you can pick my brain to pieces right before class."

"I'd like that. As long as you plan to keep sharing your breakfast with me, that is."

"I don't see why not, and another perk of your timeliness : you've got your pick of seats. Better grab one before the 5 minute rush, hm?"

Scanning over the lecture hall, I grab my bag and decide on a desk that's front and center. Professor Reed seems somewhat surprised by my choice, striding over to tap at the edge of the desk.

"You realize this means you're getting called out immediately if I see a phone during class or a wayward glance during testing, yes?"

"I think you'll find I'm very well behaved during course hours, some have even gone so far as to say I am 'a pleasure to have in class'." I air quote, smirking up at him.

"I'll be sure to remember that," he smiles "Something tells me you're not like the other Philosophy majors here, (y/n)." He saunters back to the desk, perching himself back on its edge.

"No?"

"No. I'm finding you quite... pleasant, and unpretentious. Likable, even."

"Oh? Thank you. I like you too, Professor."

"You'll change your tune when it comes time for me to start handing back your assignments though, I'm sure."

"Harsh grading system?"

"Not so much harsh as critical. You wouldn't believe the amount of papers I'm handed that have no real thesis, no point, no opinion, no meat."

"Really?"

He nods, eyes rolling.

"Mm. Seems to be the curse of this major. Hoardes of budding philosophers afraid to express an opinion or explore a fresh perspective. Who'd have thought?" He chuckles to himself and I can't help but simper in response.

We're interrupted by a small group of students chattering as they wander in, he greets them, I watch them pass by, opting for seats in the back row of the lecture hall.

It's this moment in which I realize I've done it again. I've managed to alienate myself from my peers immediately by way of being early, caring about the curriculum, speaking to the teacher, and the most egregious offense of all: sitting at the front. But that's okay. Because Reed finds me likable. And he's already agreed to speak to me on a regular basis so that sort of makes us friends... kind of. I hope.

More students come in, he greets them, this pattern repeating til the lecture hall has filled out and Mr. Reed closes its door.

"Right. Let's crack on, mm?" He claps his hands together loudly, several half-asleep heads snapping up from their syllibi at the sound. "What are we doing? Where do we come from? Why are we here? What happens to our souls when we die? I can answer these questions for you. I can give you a comfort no religion in the world could possibly give... but I'd like you to ask and answer yourselves, because at the end of the day, we are left in our own husks, pondering our own existence, caring fuck-all for anyone else's wellbeing." The room is silent and he continues: "Harsh, yes? Not very PC I'm afraid," a close-lipped smile as his bright eyes examine the faces of all present, resting on mine for a few seconds, "But true all the same. Over this course, you will investigate and interrogate theologies. Some you are already familar with, some you have only a vague understanding of at present. You'll break them down into their basic elements. You will then dissect those elements, and bring to me their beating hearts, their purpose. Why are Men at the helm of each of the 3 most practiced faiths in the world? Why are their needs placed first in the rhetoric? Is it because they needed an excuse to rationalize the subjugation of the women around them? Is it because of a historical, then implied biological, need on the part of Man to have control over someone they perceive as weaker than they are? Dark stuff. I want you to take it to such a level, though. I want each of your personal microanalyses of the 3 Abrahamic doctrines. This will take the form of a paper, let's say... 7 pages per religion, should be enough? I'll keep it easy for you. This will be due in 3 weeks, on the 23rd. In the interim, we will discuss less widely practised doctrines A.K.A the reason most of you joined this course to begin with. Now,"

I thought he was cool before, but as he fills the hours pacing the room on informational tangents, I come to realize two truths: he's completely in his element, and I happen to find the fluidity and fluency of his teaching style incredibly attractive. I find him incredibly attractive.

He emphasizes and gesticulates and monologues and it seems like no one else is as interested as I am in the material or the man teaching it.

Professor Reed is passionate and charismatic and by the end of his lecture, I'm left with 13 pages of notes on Bhuddism and a wildly unrealistic crush. He has to be at least 30 years my senior. He's my professor, for fuck sake. Could I be anymore cliché? Maybe it's just that he's the only cool, or even interesting professor I've had. Maybe it's that he's really nice. Or, maybe he's just... hot. Especially for a man his age, whatever age that is. Sixty? Fifty-five? Does it make it any better if he's slightly closer to my age? There's no way he would ever be into me, though, so there's nothing worth making a fuss over. I will not allow myself to be swooned by his effortless magnetism, the way he seems to glide rather than walk, the warmth of his smile, depth of his eyes- Oh. This is going to be an issue for me.

Especially because I've agreed to meet him before class. Weekly. Why did I do that? Shit. It's just once a week though. And there will be free food...

I'm jolted from my thoughts by the shuffle of bags zipping and desks scraping against the floor. I follow suit, tucking the notebook into my bag and slinging it over my shoulder.

I'm nearly out the door when

"First in, last out, eh?" He's sat on the desk again, one leg crossed over the other.

"Uh, yeah, I kinda zoned out towards the end of class there, sorry."

"Don't be, you were engaged for the most part, I saw your pen move, all's well. But I would like to know your thoughts on the lecture, seeing as you may have been the only person paying any real attention."

I have a million thoughts on the lecture, a million more on him, and I nip at my lower lip, attempting to sort through it all. It was revelatory without being leading. It was genius but accessible enough to learn from. For the first time in ages, I don't feel like I'll have to go above and beyond to earn my grade because a professor is finally speaking my language. He teaches in my learning style. And he looks damn good doing it.

"Well?" His eyes search mine.

"I have uh, a lot of thoughts on the lecture. I'll have to sort them out and give you a full report before class next week."

"Fair enough," he smirks "Can I expect you'll be here around the same time?"

"Yes, sir." I smile.

The days between feel like watching paint dry, and by Thursday night he's all I can think about.

The way he spoke, his kindness, the way the entirety of his lecture felt like he was speaking directly to me. What if he was? He wasn't. What if he's thinking of me the same way I am of him? He isn't. It'd be completely inappropriate. He's probably married. Has to be, with a smile like that?

But if not... I let my imagination wander to places it shouldn't, places I'll never be able to access in reality. A rich dinner with him by candlelight, a lavish library where he reads to me and strokes my hair, a sun-soaked bedroom, his arms wrapped around my waist, lips on my neck, glasses on the nighstand, while- No.

I'm sat in my dorm with four completed assignments for my other courses, halfway through my paper for Reed's class, fantasizing about him and waxing poetic to myself about the ethical dilemma of a completely theoretical affair between us? This is so stupid. I save and close the document I'm typing in -it's not due for another couple weeks anyways and I could write it in my sleep- and open my email, refreshing for any reminders or campus event emails, anything to get my mind off of him and-

One new email.

a.reed@colorado.edu:

(y/n),

I am afraid I'll need your thoughts on the lecture as soon as humanly possible, for my own sanity if nothing else.

Furthermore, I have no idea what pastry to bring you. Do you enjoy a scone? Muffins? Are you a coffee or tea person? Allergies?

Please answer these questions at your earliest convenience.

-Reed

I re-read the email a few more times to make sure I'm not mistaken. He wants to know what I'd like for breakfast... because we've agreed to meet up for breakfast. But why does he care what I thought of the lecture? Is he looking for my approval? Maybe I was picking up on something. It's possible for him to have more than just an academic interest in me... I am a grown woman. I may not be completely delusional, and hit reply to begin tapping out a response.

Mr. Reed,

I thought the lecture was incredible. I left class excited and curious. Seems we'll have a lot to talk about tomorrow.

As for my café preferences: all pastry is good pastry, all tea is good tea, (Especially earl grey! with honey!! And a splash of cream!!) I'm not picky. No allergies.

Additionally:

Do you personally endorse any of Bhuddism's Four Noble Truths? They initially read as pessimism to me. Would love to hear your perspective.

Best,

(y/n l/n)

Sucking in a breath, I breifly skim through my reply to make sure it's completely clear of fawning, Freudian slips or obsessive questions. It is, amazingly, and before I can psych myself out, I hit Send.

He reached out to me... which implies that he might be thinking about me. And if he's thinking about me, I must have made a good first impression. But he might just be like this with all his students, and- I am way overthinking this.

After a shower and some cup noodles, I'm about half an hour into a video essay when a little (1) appears on the email tab I've left open.

a.reed@colorado.edu:

(y/n),

I believe in the Second and Third of the Noble Truths; suffering springs from attachment to fleeting things, and that suffering can end. But to live is not to suffer, in my opinion. We're capable of much more.

Café preferences noted. London Fog and a mystery treat.

Glad to have your feedback, looking forward to sating all curiosities in person.

-Reed

I find myself grinning at his response, mind racing. Surely not all curiosities, but I'll take what I can get. For now.

Sleep comes fast, Friday morning comes faster. I'm up before my alarm to freshen up, and decide that today, just for Reed, I'll actually try to look nice. A thin coat of lip gloss and a few swipes of mascara later, I pull on jeans, boots, a thin cashmere sweater and denim jacket, and I'm out the door.

5:08. It should take me about 15 minutes to get to the Two Hundred Building from my dorm, slightly less if I jog some of the way, and before long I'm bounding up the steps, legs aching. It is simply too early for excersise, and I'm nearly out of breath by the time I make it to the doorway of the lecture hall. Still locked. I beat him here.

But not by much. Keys jangle, I turn, he saunters down the hallway, chic in a pair of aviator sunglasses and a less vibrant variation on the outfit he wore last week. He carries a lidded paper cup and waxed paper bag in one hand, his keychain in the other.

"Hello. Even earlier than last time. Consider me impressed."

"Well, if you give a mouse a cookie..."

"And if I give her a large London Fog and a blueberry scone instead?"

"Even better. Thank you, professor."

I take the items from his hand, grinning to myself as he swaps his sunglasses for the regular ones in his pocket and opens up the lecture hall.

"And thank you again, (y/n), for managing to not stand me up on a Friday at five in the morning."

"What can I say? I'm a total sucker for classical conditioning."

"Aren't we all?" He winks.

Farther east, the sun has just begun to rise, and the hall, though hollow, feels like a more intimate space under morning's blue light.

I watch Professor Reed set his things down on the desk up front, and mirroring him across the room at my own, I hazard a sip of the tea he brought me. It's divine, almost floral. "Professor?"

"(y/n)? How is it?"

"Delicious, is there lavender in this?"

"There is, they use an infused honey. Thoughts, comments, concerns?"

"I think this tea is incredible and I'm concerned I'll never know where the café is." I joke.

"Oh its just down the way, little French spot, you've seriously not been? Le Petit something-something?"

It doesn't ring a bell and I shake my head

"No? Really? I'll take you sometime."

My face is hot and there's a beat of silence between us.

"I mean, we can meet there. For a study hour. If, y'know, you'd like to-"

"I, yes- I would love to, study there sometime, I mean, with you- to... research." I beam, praying a smile will somehow translate that atrocious word vomit for me.

"Great. I'll email you later on and we'll sort that out. But for now, (y/n), I'd like to bring up two topics." He holds up a finger.

"One. I would like a small delivery fee. The crispest corner of the scone pleeease." I pull it from its little waxed bag and for a scone, this thing is huge.

"How about half?"

"If you insist," he smirks. I break the scone, handing him half, which he brings back to his desk, a barely perceptible trail of crumbs following.

"And...the other topic?"

"Ah, yes," he perches his glasses atop his head, continuing "Your email got me thinking. I should explain my stance on the Noble Truths I do agree with."

"I'd hoped you might."

"Suffering springs from an attachment to fleeting concepts. But if life is finite, and all things are fleeting, we would all constantly be suffering all the time with no end in sight because to be human is to connect. If we live in fear of fleeting connections to others and the world around us, we inevitably attempt to shelter ourselves from the pain of loss. This, of course, is a loss in itself. The third noble truth, that suffering can end, I find to be an objective truth. But in the majority of scenarios, the subject of suffering must put its ending into motion."

"Well-said. But you don't believe the Eightfold Path is that solution."

"I don't believe any singular faith holds the solution to anyone's personal suffering. If it did- never mind. What I'm saying is, we are responsible for our own wellbeing and cannot live in fear of connection with others. It's inhuman. Your generation may disagree, being nearly antisocial, but we are social animals by nature. We need to know eachother."

"I do agree with you, actually. Problem solving is a valuable skill and so is the ability to at least try to socialize with a variety of people, generational instability be damned."

"See, I knew I liked you, (y/n). You've got a very good, very reasonable head on your shoulders. Makes me look forward to reading your paper later in the month. I don't generally like to assume, but you strike me as someone who writes well." He smirks.

"Oh, I don't know about that," my cheeks burn, I pray he doesn't notice, but what was once a smirk widens to a grin as he walks over to my desk, crouching before it to catch my downturned gaze.

"Well, I know about that. I know quite a lot about that, actually. Quiet people, their brillance." He speaks softly, as though a louder tone would break something in this moment, would break something in me, and he continues: "The deepest streams are silent."

[red-hot-kick]

Theory: Ryuji was popular, before.

I'm not entirely sure if anyone has really talked about this but I maintain my interpretation that, in the canon of Persona 5, Ryuji used to be very (or at least moderately) popular prior to the events of the story.

This is something I've gotten into before when talking to friends who like the game and the character, but I haven't really considered writing it down until now. The main argument I have is based on three things:

Things Ryuji alluded to in canon (but no one believed him on)

The deliberate choice of making him a track athlete

Typecasting for voice actors

1: "There were girls all over me!"

I don't really have the time to go on a deep dive through all the instances in which he hints at his reputation before the Kamoshida incident, but I think the most clear-cut representation of this was during the scene where he and Ann spend the day with Futaba during her post-palace social rehabilitation:

So here's the thing...I don't think he's lying about this. Nobody in the room would be that impressed to find out whether Ryuji was popular since they are already friends (or in Mona's case, he really just doesn't care), so it wouldn't make sense for him to lie.

Regarding everyone's reactions though, here's my impression: Ann was simply not aware of what was going on with the track team, being predominantly focused on dealing with rumors, her friendship with Shiho, and her modeling career (and eventually Kamoshida's advances once he started doing that shit) and she mentions a few times that she and Ryuji weren't actually close before joining the PT; they were just in the same class in middle school. Futaba hasn't interacted with anyone her age in years and isn't the most reliable source when it comes to what people generally find attractive; just because she doesn't have any interest in Ryuji doesn't mean that nobody her age would. And Morgana is a cat that brags constantly about how cool he is, so he shouldn't be throwing rocks.

There are many other times in the game when you get little glimpses of his social savvy, and from my understanding of Royal (I'm an OG vanilla P5 player and haven't done 3rd-semester yet, so don't kill me) when the track team returns to "how it was", he is getting along extremely well with everyone. Not only was he the team's ace: this kid was also expected to become the captain by his senior year (as briefly mentioned when he bumps into his former senpai at the gym, iirc). That's huge! If his team held him in such high regard, then the general student body of Shujin surely had a similar opinion. This brings me to my next point:

2: Girls like boys that run fast(???)

This is honestly something that baffles me. It's also really difficult for me to substantiate; any source material on this is obviously in Japanese and if I could find any of it, I sure as hell can't read it. The only English-language source I know of I cannot find anymore; I think it was an old Tofugu article? However. If you've watched any romance anime set in a high school during the last 20 years, you might have seen this trope at some point: the school sports festival is happening, and the relay race is kind of a huge deal (it's the final event! a make-or-break moment for the class!). The boy thinks to himself "If I win this race, I'll be able to win her heart/ask her out/etc." Low-stakes drama ensues. Maybe a confession happens.

This is (from what I've been told) based on a long-standing trend of girls and women self-reporting in surveys about how, oftentimes, their crushes in junior or senior high school were simply "the boy who ran the fastest in the races". I have no idea what this means in a broader cultural context. It makes no goddamn sense to me at all. Do not cite me on this. But I think it's worth keeping in mind, even if it's almost entirely speculative (and possibly outdated) information. And even if it's just based on rumors, don't you think it's pretty in-character for Ryuji to go for a track scholarship—despite being adept at other sports like baseball and football/soccer, as mentioned in P5 and P5D—because he was aware of the potential of being more popular with girls? Of course, his priority would be getting the scholarship and paying his way through school to lighten his mother's burden, but hey, getting a girlfriend on the way up wouldn't be half bad!

I think this could also inform us as to why Kamoshida (as a predator who wanted attention from high school girls) felt so threatened by the track team in particular, and why he felt a need to specifically knock Ryuji down a peg and sought out a weakness to do so (as opposed to targeting any of the probably just-as-popular boys on the many other athletic teams and clubs in the school). Just some food for thought on this one! Also, if anyone can find a source or has any insight on the relay race thing, please share. I am so confused about it.

3: Typecasting

So this is something that you really only notice if you are very into keeping up with seiyuu in Japan. I am not one of those people. But I do have some favorite voice actors! One of these being Mamoru Miyano.

So I freakin' love this dude. He's voiced a lot of my favorite characters, sings incredibly well, and has an unreal sense of comedy. He's stated in interviews that his acting inspiration is Jim Carrey, and let me tell you: it shows. He is also quite consistently typecast into certain roles, predominantly as princely pretty-boy types, Coolguys, or complete fucking nutcases. Sometimes all three at the same time (shoutout to my boy Ling FMA!)

ATLUS definitely cast him for P5 because of his comedic chops. But I think they also cast him because having him voice someone like Ryuji is a great way to subvert expectations for the player. I think it's supposed to give you whiplash—"what do you mean the voice of LIGHT FUCKING YAGAMI is coming out of this guy's mouth?" "why does the delinquent character sound like king of the host club Tamaki Suou?" "isn't that Rin Matsuoka's voice?" etc. etc. etc.

(here's a quick list, just to really get the idea across. maybe you recognize a few.)

This is obviously a non-comprehensive list, but something that a lot of the characters he's voiced over the years have in common is that they were considered cool, handsome, or popular. Not just for fans, but within the canon of their stories! So...what does that mean? What does that say about how we should see Ryuji?

I think players are supposed to expect that he will fall into one of those categories too, and then be surprised to find that it's not the case—that he's been isolated and made bitter and resigned by what happened to him the year before.

Speaking of his tone, I think it's very telling that Ryuji actually forgets to keep up the delinquent act a lot in the original JP audio, which unfortunately doesn't really carry over in the ENG translation. The delivery of his JP lines sounds a bit more subdued in comparison too—yeah he's got a lot of energy and is very hotheaded, but when he gets to talking about serious shit, he sounds a lot more regretful and melancholy as opposed to the EN delivery which depicts him as more resentful and outwardly angry. I think before Shit Went Down, he probably had the Coolguy vibe. Still a bit of a rowdy idiot and a showoff, but I think he probably came across to most people as a very friendly, sincere, and popular guy.

So yeah, the girls probably were all over him, at least for a short while.

[zortartrix]

HAI I just found your blog and... I absolutly ADORE your artstyle !! I love dragons in general but your horses ! They look so cool too 😭😭

Thsi might be specific but your artstyle reminds me of those cool wolf/animal comics I used to see on deviantart but never actually read cuz I was too young to understand how deviantart worked.

Anyway. I want to know everything ajout your characters now jsjsjsjs.

Cool art ! Love it !

Oh Tysm!

As for everything about my ocs... most of them have years worth of lore but I'll try to summarize best I can lol. I've also got like...over 100 ocs so I'll just talk about a few of em. If there's specific ones you wanted to know about feel free to ask.

They all live in a post apocalyptic world that was torn apart by war and unethical experimentation.

I'll just upload their artfight descriptions here.

So first up is Forcieus since I probably draw him the most

Basically the All Might of this universe if All might liked fart jokes and adopted over 10 children. He’s an absolute powerhouse. He can inhale surrounding light then shoot it in a concentrated beam. Kinda like Godzilla but not Godzilla if that makes sense. 

When he was younger he couldn’t control his powers and accidentally injured or killed others frequently. He was always  on the run from guards. He's pretty smart but he has the humor of a five year old.

He was killed by Rorzaun and possessed later. Rip. He's about 40 years old at the time of his death(these guys age like humans).

Next is Aero.

Aero's a little shit. He has a stealing problem and he likes to be a smart ass. He's also a hothead. He can speak to and raise the dead. He can also sense when someone's gonna die soon. Using his powers too much makes him ill.  He's also good with a sword. And he hates the markings under his eyes. In his culture, scary markings mean bad futures. He's deaf due to an accident that involved a triple dog dare.  Age 14 by the end of the story.

Next is Vanduo. Aeros's older brother.

Vanduo is usually a gentle character but he can get tough when situations need it. He also doesn't like expressing his own needs or having people fawn over him. He's got a bad  habit of keeping secrets from everyone he cares about. He's also got a hero complex and will attempt to save everyone even if it's pointless or could be at the cost of his own life. He measures his self worth with how many he can save. He's a vigilante that takes out bad organizations(cults, terrorists, environmental hazard loving politicians, ect)

He also has an identity crisis later on cuz of his weird uncle Rorzaun kidnapping him.

He's 18 at the time of his death/end of the story.

Since Rorzaun's mentioned twice in here I may as well shove him in too. (Tw mentions of child abuse and torture).

Rori is an abusive, manipulative asshole. Picture Mother Gothel from tangled but way more violent.

He had a son named Fiera who got brain damage in an accident at a really young age, he accidentally killed him in an experiment trying to fix him. So Rori basically kidnapped his nephew (Vanduo) and psychologically tortured him into thinking he was his dead son.    He also took over a kingdom by infiltrating as a therapist. He killed the queen, accidentally banished the king(he meant to kill him too lmao) then kidnapped their children. He tortured one physically and the other psychologically. 

This dude is unhealthily obsessed with Forcieus to the point he wants to be him. It was only about getting closer to Van at first but it got a little crazy.

Age 47(I think?) at the time of his death/end of the story.

Was gonna include Katoptris too since he's one of the royal kids but this post is already hella long so I'ma leave it at that.

[cherrytastiq]

Time Squad Character Analysis #2: Lawrence "Larry" 3000

Hi again! I'm finally continuing this series of analyzing the TS main trio. This time it's the Larry 3000, Cartoon Network's sassiest robot and the only character that's made me believe the network execs didn't bother watching Time Squad after the first episode. More on that later.

Backstory

Much like Tuddrussel, Larry's full backstory isn't really discussed in the show and is only referred to in throwaway lines, though we can get a rough sense of his life before the show.

The only mention of Larry's early life and childhood is in Monty Zuma, where he explains the first 9 years of his life were spent in a pitch black warehouse. No other information is known about Larry, like his model manufacturers or if he was even built on Earth.

Larry mentions his past diplomatic affairs multiple times in the show, like escorting Queen Jezebel III to a costume Halloween gala or being an assistant to presidents, a part of his past that he's very proud of. From the way he recalls the memories it's almost like part of him wants to go back to the "good old days" back when he was surrounded by etiquette and class, instead of being stuck as a janitor slash cook, basically working for a manchild. Look no further than in Tea Time, where he calls the fancy tea party "a refreshing change of pace".

One specific figure resurfaces multiple times in Larry's memories, that person being a Senator Fiskmeyer, whom we never get to actually see in the show.

He and Larry were presumably very close, to the point Larry felt comfortable enough to play pranks on him, and Fiskmeyer gifting the robot a golden set of golf clubs for helping out with negotiations.

It's basically impossible to pinpoint Larry's exact age, but there's a few hints that suggest he is a very old model, since his job as a diplomatic assistant / ambassador could only exist prior to Earth's political unification which made his services obsolete (see Larry Antique Theory).

Before Otto joined Time Squad, Larry describes his experience working solely with Tuddrussel as a "nightmare", since he's not programmed in the subject of history and Buck is the less than ideal time cop. It's always struck me as odd that Larry wasn't taught anything about history considering he's meant to be a diplomatic assistant. I figured knowing about world history could help a lot in negotiations between countries so you can at least know the context behind wars and sociopolitical states, but I guess whoever designed Larry thought it wasn't a big deal. Speaking of his coding, he's known to be programmed in a couple things, including etiquette, culture, all known languages, and apparel composition and design. Why they made him knowledgeable in fashion but not history is beyond me.

Freud's psychoanalysis

Freud describes Larry as suffering from "acute self doubt, which makes him passive aggressive, manipulative in nature[.]", all traits that Larry actually displays in the show. Another analysis has already touched on this, but Otto and Larry are both verbal manipulators, with the robot (kind of ironically) relying on emotions to get his way. As for him being passive aggressive, just watch any episode where he complains about something.

Larry and Otto

I've talked about this before but Otto and Larry is my favorite character dynamic in the entire series due to how much it grows throughout the show. In the first couple episodes, Larry sees Otto as little more of a nuisance, some kid from the 21st century they shouldn't have picked up, just another mouth to feed and another mess to clean up after. He finds his general presence and curiosity annoying and dismisses him, especially while he's working.

Although, even in these early episodes Larry isn't completely irritable. He shows Otto the Milky Way galaxy in Blackbeard and they go shopping together in ancient China in Confucius, both activities sans Tuddrussel. I wonder if Larry's more affable when he's not around the big oaf?

It's only a few episodes later when something really shifts. Maybe Larry realized how polite Otto is, or maybe he saw how many missions they've succesfully completed ever since the kid's been part of the team, but by Tea Time he's happily making scrambled eggs for Otto (this cements him as the cook of the trio, something that we'll go further in depth later).

From here on out the two only get closer and closer, to the point of replicating a parent-son relationship. It's damn cute. Larry takes care of Otto when he's sick in Floundering Fathers, they go shopping in Ancient China again in Kubla Khan't, and he joins forces with Tuddrussel to get some gifts for the little guy's birthday.

Also, this exchange from Kubla Khan't. I love this show.

Somewhere along the road both Larry and Buck recognize Otto as a kid they have to take care of rather than a coworker. Larry is no patron saint, though. He ignores Otto in Father Figure, abandons him in Hate and Let Hate, and his retelling of the mission in Thrilla' reveals he finds his infodumping annoying.

Other things to note: In Ivan the Untrainable, Larry mentions he had to 'fail Otto in nuclear physics', implying he home-schools him, and even goes as far as to teach him subjects fit for his intelligence rather than the standard 3rd grade academic curriculum. Otto also loves mirroring Larry's movements and general mannerisms from time to time, and is eager to learn about Larry's interests, like learning how to sew or curtseying.

THE MACARONI ARTTTTT

I could go on about Larry and Otto forever, so let's move on to the next relationship dynamic.

Larry and Food

Yet again, another wonderful analysis already discussed this at full length, but I feel that it's important I mention it here. I heavily recommend you check it out! Seriously, read Larry and Food: A Love Story.

One of Larry's main interests that becomes an integral part of his personality is his love of food and cooking. Despite this, he has no functioning mouth and no real way to enjoy food. He's programmed to be deeply involved with human culture yet he can't fully experience it due to his physical limitations. Therefore, the dissection argues, Larry's cooking is his way of communicating his own needs and emotions onto others and to manipulate how others feel.

Larry and Buck

Where do I even begin with these two. Okay.

Larry and Tuddrussel's relationship flip flops between work buddies and married couple, that is, one that's about to file for divorce. Larry detests Buck. He hates how filthy and unkempt he is, his immaturity, his bad manners, how brutish he is and how he never appreciates Larry's efforts to keep the Satellite running. He loves insulting him through passive aggressive remarks and, unlike Tuddrussel, Larry rarely shows fear towards him, aside from the times he gets physically hurt (or threatened to be hurt) by the big oaf.

Yet, despite this, despite all the hatred he holds for him... Larry finds himself desperately in need of him. Though he'll never properly admit it, Buck's presence in the Satellite gives Larry something to do, a change in routine from the computers and mission logs.

Larry is stuck in a constant battle with himself, sometimes wanting to apply for a transfer so he never sees Buck again, and other times getting so jealous he concocts an evil plan to sabotage a meal between the man and his ex-wife just because they were getting along again.

Speaking of Ex, it's a fan favorite for a reason. It's so late into the show that Mark Hamill's influence on the character had transfomed him from an annoyed ex-diplomat to an effeminate housewife suffering from one-sided love/hatred. How these lines got past the network censors still baffles me along with everyone else in the fandom.

God that turkey is still disgusting no matter how many times I watch this scene why did he do that

His jealousy gets cranked up to 100 in Ex, proclaiming Tuddrussel as "his" and accuses Sheila of trying to "take him away". Even at the end of the episode when the misunderstanding is clear, he is still mad at Tuddrussel despite him doing nothing particularly wrong, and tells him he's "sleeping on the sofa" that night.

More things to note... Remember how Tuddrussel has Texan heritage and likes to act and sometimes dress like a cowboy? Larry has a semi-confirmed cowboy fetish. He's presumably the one who dressed Cleopatra like a cowgirl in Shop like an Egyptian, one of his clones flirts with Tuddrussel in what is basically a gay robot nightclub in Day of the Larrys and he finds being a cowboy fun in Billy the Baby. Either Tuddrussel awakened something within him, or the big guy simply reinforced what was already there.

Sidenote, in Billy the Baby Larry takes the role of the comic relief, becoming uncharacteristically stupid. Something about that cowboy outfit turns him into a bimbo.

The show loves treating the two like a married couple, from Buck referring to Larry as "the old ball and chain" in Larry Upgrade to Freud becoming their couples counselor in Horse of Horrors. While Buck has hearts around him when seeing Cleopatra, Larry has hearts around him when seeing Buck in Thrilla', albeit this only being Buck's vision.

Other relationships

The only notable relationships Larry has with secondary characters are XJ5 and Lance 9 Trillion, the two other robots shown in Time Squad. Lance is Larry's celebrity crush; he asks for his autograph and generally looks up to him. That's about all there is to say about the two.

As for XJ5 and Larry, I've always struggled to define what their relationship is like. They act like petty rivals, and XJ5 loves critiquing Larry's lack of technological gadgets and antiquity. Even still, they find middle ground in Ex since neither of them want to see Sheila and Tuddrussel back together (possibly for different reasons).

Yes Larry is gay and camp

The more you rewatch Time Squad, the more you realize just how much the writers (and Hamill) flanderized Larry as it went on.

Series co-writer Carlos Ramos describes Larry as "nothing but fetishes", and he's absolutely right! Larry might be a robot programmed in etiquette, but deep within him lie some more... risqué interests.

He loves dressing up in feminine clothes and doing effeminate activities like foo-foo cooking, putting on makeup (something Buck recalls in Monty Zuma), manicures, books meant for young adult women featuring glamorous women and provocative romances (Danielle Steel and Jackie Collins are his favorite authors) and sewing. He's apparently been called a sissy "his whole life" so take that as you will.

Larry's buttons

Okay this is a bit of a jokey section but hear me out. Larry's chest panel and buttons are sort of like his... cleavage? Nipples? He's embarrassed when Otto opens up his chest in Daddio DaVinci (how did he know he could do that?) and exclaims "Excuse me!" when the kid tries picking up a radio signal.

Genuinely what is his problem

Final Thoughts

Did you know Larry calls Buck quequi in the Mexican dub, a nickname so convoluted I made a chart for it?

Larry sends me into a blind rage. I can't write any more about this robot it's killing me. Bad Girls by Donna Summers is ruined. Because of woke.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

The Subtle British Pop Culture/Timeline In CHICKEN RUN

On occasion, I've pointed out when the original CHICKEN RUN is set.

It's often been written that CHICKEN RUN was "set in the '50s", a sort of vague descriptor of its rather dreary post-war England setting. One could assume that from the technology present in the movie, and the homages to 1950s prisoner-of-war films. The obvious ones being STALAG 17 (the number 17 is on the main hut that the chickens all plot in) and THE GREAT ESCAPE. The character Fowler was of the mascot division of the Royal Air Force during World War II. All that talk about his medals. Chocks away!

The easiest way to pinpoint when CHICKEN RUN is set, at the earliest, is knowing what the songs are.

The chickens, in a hut, dance to a cover of Joe Turner's 'Flip, Flop and Fly', Turner's original was released in 1955, an early example of a rock n' roll song. Britain certainly had rock n' roll in a pre-Beatles era, but it doesn't seem as well-known to the average American as American rockers - you know, Elvis, Little Richard, etc. - are to Brits.

Later in the film, Rocky the rooster is jamming out to 'The Wanderer' by Dion.

The song first appeared in North America in November of 1961 - both as a single and as an album track on RUNAROUND SUE (the title track another big hit for him), and if you look in the opening credits sequence, Mrs. Tweedy works with a calendar that says "November"... However, 'The Wanderer' was first released in the UK in January of 1962. And it doesn't seem like much time has passed since the opening credits and the end of the movie...

'The Wanderer' reached #10 in the UK, which was great for an American rock/pop song over there... If anything, the movie is likely set in November/December 1962, so that was plenty of time for 'The Wanderer' to climb the charts, and then be played on the radio every once in a while. Things took a little while in a pre-streaming age, ya know? *waves cane* *I'm actually not that old, nowhere near lol I just love this kinda pop culture history*

So CHICKEN RUN is still kind of a post-war/pre-Beatles England, and it's set in a secluded location inhabited by a middle-aged couple who likely wouldn't have had any idea what was going in the teen beat scene. The Beatles' 'Love Me Do', the single that really put them on the map in the UK, was released in early October of 1962. Being their first true single (not the 'My Bonnie' recording they did in Germany with Tony Sheridan), it charted at a great #17 in the UK... Which of course was nothing compared to what was to come, the strings of #1s, or at least close to that. 'Please Please Me' was the second single, released in January 1963, it hit #2 in the UK. Beatlemania pretty much becomes a thing in the UK by the middle of 1963... It would take a little while for us yanks to catch the fever...

Anyways, CHICKEN RUN is set in November/December 1962. Or maybe it's 1963, who knows, but I think it's pre-Beatlemania rural England. Yorkshire to be exact.

It's kinda funny how the Disney animated ONE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS shares some similarities in this regard. That film was released in January 1961, and is set in both London and rural England. Its second half during the late fall/early winter no less. The puppies arrive in October, as stated in the film, and the film ends during Christmastime. Snow everywhere, dreary atmosphere, etc.... And then you have the Tweedys in CHICKEN RUN. Mrs. Tweedy is kind of a combination of Cruella de Vil *and* Jasper. She's got the contempt for animals like Cruella, and is taller and the brains like Jasper. Horace, the shorter, pudgier one in the equation - who is onto what the animals are doing but isn't believed, is totally Mr. Tweedy.

That brings us to the recently-released CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET... The sequel swaps prisoner-of-war movies and World War II imagery for James Bond and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE. Spy movies in general.

One look at Mrs. Tweedy's high-tech new factory shows that in *spades*. But the folks at Aardman Animations did their homework, a lot of the details and background design and such, it legitimately looks like the lair of a supervillain in a '60s spy movie. Much like how Nomanisan Island does in THE INCREDIBLES, another very midcentury modern-inspired movie and franchise. There's also that charming UPA-esque cartoon on how the chickens are processed into nuggets, great stuff there. I also kind of get a bit of a Gerry Anderson vibe here, too. He was known for marionette shows - done in a process called "Supermarionation" - like THUNDERBIRDS and CAPTAIN SCARLET AND THE MYSTERONS. I assume most of the crew behind these movies grew up watching those shows.

And of course, a big indicator... Towards the end of the film, all the chickens - brainwashed by mind-control collars that make them all happy-go-lucky - are being forced up an escalator to a popcorn chicken death. In this pretty creepy sequence, they're all doing this while Cliff Richard's 'Summer Holiday' plays in the background. The bright, pastel-colored set adorned with simplistic countryside-looking hills that these chickens are brainwashed in before they are to be ground into fast food is reminiscent of vintage British and European children's programs. I was thinking of stuff like THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT and such, which was also a stop-motion production.

Oh yeah, 'Summer Holiday'. That song came out in January 1963, it was the title song for a movie that was *huge* in England when it first came out. Cliff Richard is the prime example of a pre-Beatles British pop/rock star, I feel he's almost synonymous with that period of British pop music before John, Paul, George, and Ringo showed up. So, CHICKEN RUN 2 is set *after* January 1963. Plus, Ginger and Rocky's daughter Molly needed some time to grow up a bit.

Either this was intentional or not, but it strangely adds up. It's pretty chronological, either by accident or they made sure they didn't have too many anachronisms... Other than the cartoonishly high tech of Mrs. Tweedy's Fun-Land Farms, but then again, the pie machine in the original CHICKEN RUN was kind of improbable too. But that's the fun of the CHICKEN RUN movies, so it's a staple.

And even in other Aardman works, there are fun nods to British pop culture and media. For example, in WALLACE & GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT, Art Garfunkel's 'Bright Eyes' can be heard on the car radio in one scene. Garfunkel is American, yes, but 'Bright Eyes' was composed and recorded for the soundtrack of the British animated classic WATERSHIP DOWN. Just in case you've never seen or even heard of that movie. WATERSHIP DOWN is about rabbits, and in the WALLACE & GROMIT movie, they're dealing with rabbits! Quite clever.

Another favorite of mine is in FARMAGEDDON: A SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE. Of course, Shaun the Sheep is spun off from WALLACE & GROMIT, he appeared in the short film A CLOSE SHAVE. The second SHAUN THE SHEEP movie brings in science fiction and aliens, a real 180 from the small-scale first film. At the end of the film, the Farmer accidentally gets onto the UFO and is not on Earth anymore! Before they get him back, a song called 'Forever Autumn' can be heard playing on a radio.

'Forever Autumn' is a rewrite of a Lego commercial jingle composed by Jeff Wayne in 1969, with lyrics by Gary Osborne and Paul Vigrass. The two lyricists recorded the first version of that song in 1972 for an album called QUEUES. A couple years later, Jeff Wayne got the idea to do a musical version of H. G. Wells' THE WAR OF THE WORLDS. A musical album, bringing in several mostly British talents to retell - through story and song - the British sci-fi staple. 'Forever Autumn' was covered for the album, with lead vocals sung by Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues. Of course, another British group... all for the section of the album in which the protagonist - a journalist - fears his wife had been killed in the Martian invasion. "'Cause you're not here." Which is the lyric heard in FARMAGEDDON when they realize that the Farmer went to outer space!

(It takes a special kind of skill to take such a depressing song and make it FUNNY in any context.)

Anyways, those are just a couple examples off the top of my head. Aardman's work is distinctly British, to the core. And the CHICKEN RUN movies give me a fascinating idea of when they are set, a very cartoon British '60s.

[peachyblkdemonslayer]

All the shows I watched in 2024

Spoilers for some of the shows being talked about

Fright krewe EP 12

7.5/10 Fright Krewe is the story of 5 teens from New Orleans being brought into the world of Voodoo by the Queen of Voodoo herself to stop an ancient demon from wrecking chaos on their town with the help of the Lwa who have chosen them. 

I enjoyed the show overall especially with getting some more knowledge about the Lwa and other spirits and creatures. The problem I do have with the show mostly has to do with it begin the age of streaming and budge restrictions. it feels a little empty despite being set in New Orleans in terms of the back ground shots. The animation also feels very stiff at times as well and makes the characters come off as a bit emotionless when the voices aren't making up with it.

I also would have preferred if that whole main cast was of black kids instead of it being 3 out of the 5 of them seeing as Voodoo is a African based religion and culture. I couldn't really tell what Missy was ethnicity speaking and they could have easily made Stanley afro-latino too. And finally the show felt way too rushed and short in the first season since we're not really given time to explore this world way more in depth especially when it comes to the spirits and monsters that inhabit the world. Still an enjoyable show but I wish it was given more time to flesh it's self out. 

A sign of affection EP.12

8.5/10 Ahhhhhhhhh!! This show is so cute and nice and comforting for me. The way Itsuomi takes the time to make sure Yuki is comfortable and that's she's at peace makes my heart melt. And it's really nice that so many people in Yuki life take the time to learn hot to communicate with her and be accommodating to her needs.

And I would have given the show a 10/10 had it not been for the whole side plot with Emma and Shin. I didn't care to much for their story in general since didn't overlap too much with the main plot also cause their romance wasn't really giving anything. Loved all the side characters and getting a more in depth look into how deafness effect people depending on a multitude of things 

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity can make you a wizard? EP.12 

9/10 Oh my god this show is so good and wonderful. I love that it shows a realistic deception of how some people may struggle to communicate how they feel to their partners. Along with how Adachi had came to depend on his powers too much when it came to telling Kurosawa how he felt at times.

Also adore that they talked about their relationship and got through the rough patches instead of doing the miscommunicate trope that I hate so much. Their matching rings and moving in together at the end made me so happy that my face kinda of hurted. Wish we got to see more of Minato and Tsuge relationship but i could see if there's a side manga for that. Overall really good watch and will come back to watch again one day. 

Tadaima Okaeri EP 12

8.5/10 When I heard about this manga getting an anime I was surprised and excited since it was one I used to re read a lot a while back. And to no one surprise I loved the show as well, not only is is super cute and just a all around very good comfort show this has to be one of my favorite deception of the omeagverse I've seen. In an average one they tend to only knowledge some of the problems that come with the hierarchy in the world but here we cover a lot more.

One being that things like birth control, as Masaki has to take a shot since the pills he was used to taking had stop being affective. They show the side effects of him doing so which is a nice touch I really like as it reflects the real life struggles people go through when trying different forms of birth control. 

And how someone like Mochizuki might feel being around alphas as omegas are treated as second rate citizens. Though we dont spend too much time on that story line it was nice that they were being realistic on how someone who doesn't have the support system they can depend on may feel in that situation. Overall love the show and kinda hope the mangaka comes back and adds more to the universe on day 

Twilight out of focus EP 12

7.5/10 Like a lot of shows I've been watching this year I had a really great time with this. It so nice to see that not only are we getting more queer anime with good budget to show off some great animation, but also something super cute and endearing to see unfold. I liked all of the cast including the reoccurring characters that popped up here and there. Through the 3 couples we had I have to say Mao and Hisahi were my favorite but the other two were nice.

My only complaint I have is that everything went at rapid speed which I can't really blame the show for since more then likely the manga went at a neck breaking pace. Also loved the transition shots from TV to wide screen like the movies. I even looked liked a film term when it came up if I wasn't already familiar with it. Also loved that we started the show with Mao and Hiashi and ended it with them too. Overall a really good and easy watch and wouldn't mind coming back to it again.

Wind breaker EP 13

9/10 Really enjoyed this show and the premise that it laid out. Our main lead Haruka is a nice slight change to the usual lead we have in these types of series. Someone who feels the need to be by themselves cause of how the people around him treated him terribly let a mark on him. But Haruka learning to get closer to other characters and depend on others and seeing that getting/being the top dog isn't as what it seems makes him feel a lot more fleshed out.

The show also does a great job of getting you to like and get attached these characters very quick and craving more interactions between them. The fight choreography is some of the best I've seen in any show ever as each punch and kick feels like it has weight to it. Along with a great ost and plenty of good build up I see this being a sleeper hit for the year. Hate that we left off at a cliff hanger but will be seating for more next year.

​​​​​​​ Higurashi when they cry EP 25

8/10 Ah yes one of the most iconic horror animes to ever exist. Higurashi when they cry is most definitely the show 13 year old you looked up for it most gore scenes but if you sit down to actually watch it way more then that. Despite the fact that I've watched many videos explaining the storyline and backgrounds of the characters I couldn't help but be fully immersed in the story. Finding out more details about the little rural village was slow but worth.

And coming to connect the dots yourself as more of the time loops happened made me feel good. And you really get to love these characters and understand why they did the things they did. I can most definitely see why this is such a staple in the anime horror space and I can't wait to start watching Kai.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

So... twst anime—

I feel I should be much more excited than I actually am. Don't get me wrong- I am excited ( for Leona animated content ) to see how they'll handle some things- but apart from the worries you listed, I just... I know this sounds a little gatekeepy but an anime will mean more ppl will know and talk about the story and I fear that they won't go into the game/other content and thus have a limited opinion on characters/events and misunderstand them. Basically I fear that characters will be even more mischaracterized than they already ( sometimes ) are by the current fandom 😭 ( specially Leona- gunshots )

[Referencing this post!]

I feel like there's for sure been mixed reactions to the recent anime news. The general consensus is excitement, but occasionally I've also seen skepticism or worries that the anime won't be as good as the long period since the initial announcement would have had us believe. That's to be expected; we won't know the quality of the anime until we watch it ourselves.

Mmm, there's that age-old sentiment again 😅 The thought of, "More people will be exposed to Twst because of this; I'm worried they will misunderstand the story/characters." It always seems to make a comeback whenever a new major piece of Twst media is announced... It happened when the official EN localization was announced too. People were jumping to conclusions and worrying that the influx of "EN-only" folks and/or a sub-par localization would lead to newer fans not seeing the story and characters the same way as the JP side did. I'll repeat what I said back then (as I think the same logic applies), along with a few additional points/expansions, as are relevant:

As you've said, mischaracterization happens, even now. This is normal in fandom, and it doesn't necessarily make fandom a "bad" space. Variation in thought is a normal human thing in general and I don't think it should be discouraged. If everyone thought the exact same way, life would be boring and we would have a limited number of ideas circulating.

This thinking sort of presupposes that the Twst fandom is currently without issues (or has few of them) and that it is the growth of the fandom that will cause problems. From experience, I can tell you that fandoms always have their toxic pockets. Fandoms growing larger just exposes more of those pockets because, statistically speaking, with more bodies present, there's a higher chance something will come to light, be it a personal squabble, a cultural difference, actually serious allegations, etc. It's a natural part of a fandom's lifecycle.

How other people interpret the story/characters should have limited or no bearing whatsoever on your own enjoyment. It does not erase your own views on the story/characters either. If you find that your concerns about others are becoming overwhelming, I'd encourage you to take a step back and think about what in this fandom makes you happy.

I feel that the mentality I mentioned earlier stems from an "us versus them" mindset. We're viewing current Twsties as the "in" group and everyone else as the "out" group... when, really, I think it might be healthier to perceive the "out" group as potential Twsties. Like... instead of fearing them as strangers coming in to "taint" the fandom, let's try to think of them as "friends we haven't met yet". After all, these anime-first or anime-only Twsties could end up being your next buddy, someone cool you meet at an event, a Twst content creator you enjoy, etc. Try to reframe your thinking!

Lastly!! We have no idea how the anime will go. They might not make it solely the main story just because it’s a manga adaptation. The team might have weaved in vignettes/event stories or bonus content exclusive to the anime which helps flesh out the characters.

I think that about wraps up my thoughts. I hope that helps alleviate some of your concerns. Hang tight, keep an open mind, and pray that the L*ona content in the anime is good 🤡

[lamardeuse]

This is not a Wendy's, and my story is not your burger.

A note up front: the following does not refer to the serious issues of racism, anti-Blackness and white supremacy in fandom spaces, which deserves a much more nuanced discussion than a ridiculous food metaphor could ever hope to express. This is a general discussion of fandom standards around tagging and warnings.

Over the three – now nearly four – decades that I've been in fandom, I've seen a lot. I've seen a lot of foolishness, and a metric fuckton of toxicity, and even some good faith, honest debates about how we should conduct ourselves as we move through fannish spaces and interact with one another. So from the start, let me explain that this is not the old lady crabbing at the kids. None of this is particularly new, and fandom culture ebbs and flows. Heigh-ho, nonny nonny, the wheels roll on.

That said, we need to have a talk. Because some people may not be as experienced as the rest of us, and need to understand some fundamental truths about fandom that they may not have picked up, because no one reads Fanlore from top to bottom for fun. That's not inherently a concern. We all learn from one another – I've learned so much from younger people in fandom, particularly here on tumblr – but there are occasions when younger fans could also benefit from some knowledge flowing the other way.

First, fandom is vast. It was huge when I started in the Dark Ages, and it's increased exponentially in the last fifteen to twenty years, since “geek culture” has gone mainstream. That widening of the circle – and more importantly, the naked commercialization of it by media giants who smell our money like vampires in a blood bank – is both a blessing and a curse, because on the one hand, more people who love a thing means more love for everyone! On the other hand, though, I think it's unmoored us in some senses from the fundamental truth that fandom is unhinged, joyful obsession, the fulfilment of a need for communication, creative expression and connection, and most importantly – community.

Yes, fandom is – or should be, at its best – a community first and foremost. And just like any community, it's filled with individuals who form groups, subgroups and cliques. And none of those groups have ever, in the over half a century since the first Star Trek fan made Kirk and Spock fuck, agreed upon one single, overarching view of what 'community' means. Which means the minute you as a fan come striding up to another fan's little electronic nest on the AO3 or Youtube or tumblr demanding that standard X be applied to their fannish creation in the name of 'fandom courtesy' or 'fandom etiquette'? All the old ladies (gn) in fandom realize that you are desperately, painfully new*.

Does that mean that we shouldn't strive to be a community? Of course not. But I would argue that the single and only “rule” of that community is that we make an effort to treat each other, first and foremost, with kindness and grace, and the understanding that the person you are interacting with is not you. They're not even one of the fifty-two people you interact with on Discord who all agree to the same “rules of fandom” (newsflash: they probably don't). And if you come into their fannish space as a stranger demanding they cater to you, you are probably going to be in for a shock.

Commercialization complicates this issue, because I think one element that's new is that some of us have lost sight of the fact – or never learned – that fans do not place their creations in front of you like a server handing you a bag at a fast food drive thru window. They are not producing a commodity to be consumed for which you paid hard earned money that entitles you to certain rights, such as the right to complain if you ordered a burger with mayo and received mustard instead. You would certainly have a right to demand compensation if you're allergic to mustard and had to go to the hospital as a result.

Fandom is more like a potluck, a gigantic potluck with literally millions of dishes. At some tables, there are agreed upon warnings for certain allergens, but others are not required to be mentioned and if you have an allergy, you will need to ask directly. At some tables, you are told that there may be allergens in any of the dishes and you proceed to eat them at your own risk. That risk and your assessment of it is, for better or worse, entirely your responsibility to manage. And your preferences – level of spice, aversion to certain textures and flavours – those are not allergies and there is no prior agreed upon standard to break down every possible element of a dish so that you will always be able to avoid any contact with the foods you personally don't like. There never has been, and there never will be.

The only thing you can be certain of is that on every single table, there are dishes that people have created for you for free with love, effort, experience and care. If you walk up to that table and take a bite and then politely turn down any more, that's fine. If you take a bite, spit it out and loudly tell that person that is not what you were expecting, you wouldn't have tried it if you'd known what it tasted like, and you are appalled that this person did not inform you of every single ingredient before you tried it? You, my friend, are not going to be welcome at the potluck.

Fandom is not a Wendy's. The stories, songs, costumes, artwork, edits that we put out into the world are not mass produced burgers made in a giant factory and shipped to restaurants where you can rest assured that the burger you eat in London will taste the same as the one in Dubuque. And no, the time you invested in reading a fic, watching a vid or contemplating a piece of artwork posted freely on the internet is not something you have the right to demand a refund on either, because again, fandom is not a fast food restaurant, and our interactions with one another in fannish spaces are not transactions. Every creation you choose to put in front of your eyeballs took that person time and energy, and they are putting that out in the world to make a connection with other human beings.

The next time you leave a comment, choose connection. It's easier than you think.

(*I'm going on good faith here and presuming most people who do this are relatively new to fandom. I'm not counting the people who think it's fine and dandy to hurl abuse at strangers for not obeying their standards – those people should be blocked and excluded on sight. I sincerely hope that they get help for the demons that are chasing them and telling them this is an acceptable way to live.)

[mbti-notes]

Anon wrote: INFP, 25. Feeling pretty lost in life. After a long battle with mental illness (runs in the family, I'm surrounded by people that as of now don't want to go to therapy and keep reliving the same patterns, hurting everyone who hasn't gone through the process I've - THANK GOODNESS - gone through thanks to therapy and medication), I find myself unemployed, without friends, without money, still studying for my degree (I'm almost finished though) and for the first time seeing things so, so clearly.

I wasted most of my teenage years trying to understand what the fuck was going on in my head, battling anorexia, depression and social anxiety - and the latter still has a big impact on the way I speak to people since words don't come to my head, plus depression really wrecked my memory and it can take a whole 20 minutes for me to remember a specific name that I wanted to bring up in a conversation. I feel like I'm cooked.

I don't hate myself nor I feel like I have low self-esteem; actually, I really like who I am when given the time and emotional space to make my true self and inner creativity shine. I think I could give a lot to people but because of a general lack of understanding of common references cause I was detached from everything most of my life and I've missed them all, I tend to be perceived as cringe/weird/naive/childish and none of my conversations are surviving past the first week.

I'm really trying hard to develop my vocabulary, catching up with tv shows characters or even basic history references, but it feels like a huge toll of notions that I can't possibly internalize in such a short amount of time. These people dedicated years (consciously or not) to common knowledge, their family members had culture and raised them to be curious about the world - I'm only now waking up and looking at the world for the first time, with the intention of developing my social and verbal skills.

Basically I need to step up my life and I don't feel like it's working cause everyone can tell I'm so behind and I'm not up their standards - especially in my age range, and considering my economic state. Whenever they ask "what's your job" or "what's your favorite music genre" and I can't really give them an answer to either, I feel ashamed. I know it's not my fault, I had to survive violence and ignorance growing up and I was never given the time to discover who I am or to become a functioning member of society or even feel "safe" enough to try ANYTHING, so yeah, I do have self-compassion, I guess - but others seem like they don't, and I'm so slow when I speak, I'm so slow when I wanna come up with a joke and in a social setting everyone looks at each other like they think I'm stupid.

Is there any advice you can give me? I know I can make it. I am exactly like everyone else, I can develop the same abilities and have a good future. Am I right? Or is this just some lie I'm telling myself? Am I deluded? Will people always look down on me and avoid me altogether?

--------------------

I'm not in a position to tell you that you're lying to yourself; it's something you need to determine through honest self-reflection. There's nothing wrong with talking yourself up in order to motivate yourself to do better. It's also a good thing to try to focus more on the positive aspects of life, especially when you have a history of getting stuck in negativity or narrow-mindedness. This would certainly help you with Ne development, which should be an ongoing project.

As far as I can tell, the root of the problem you're describing isn't psychological but social. Not everything in life is under our control. In fact, studies have consistently revealed that people are far more influenced by their social environment than they care to admit. You don't get to choose which family you're born into. As a child, you have no say in which neighborhood, city, or country you live in. Yet, upbringing, community, and culture are three major factors that influence the trajectory of your life, everyone's life.

If you're unlucky, you grow up experiencing a painful mismatch of personality and environment. And it is down to luck. You shouldn't fault yourself for accidents of birth. And you also can't really fault the "environment" because it's not really a conscious entity that intentionally sets out to harm people. Although the social environment is created by the people comprising it, it's not within any given individual's power to change or control it. This is why, historically, you see people migrate far from home, in search of better environments with better opportunities.

You're young and, because of your upbringing, you didn't really get a chance to participate properly in the world. This means you haven't really experienced firsthand just how big the world can be. There is such a diversity of people, places, and culture in the world, which I take to mean that there's a place for every person. Somewhere in the world, there's a place that will allow you to be your true self. Somewhere in the world, there's a place that will help bring out the best in you and allow you to contribute the best of yourself.

However, that place may or may not be where you were born and raised. When you feel like you don't fit in despite all your best efforts, it might help to ask whether this is really the place you're meant to be and the people you're meant to be associated with...

I've known a lot of immigrants in my lifetime, so I have taken part in many complicated discussions about how to fit in, culturally. Some people find it easier to pick up mainstream culture as they go, looking up references and remembering them as necessary. Some people like to be more prepared and put effort into studying cultural history. I've had a lot of people ask me for help getting to know western culture's most important artists, writers, books, musicians, songs, movies, and tv shows by decade.

It used to be easier to learn cultural knowledge when media was more centralized. Nowadays, people are more siloed, ironically because of social media. Subcultures abound, appearing and disappearing with short-lived social media trends. In today's chaotic media landscape, trying to keep up with the latest cultural trends isn't really worth the energy anymore because collective memory has become so short. What's the point of remembering a meme or viral event when most people will have forgotten it a month later?

What is one to do when faced with this kind of information overload? There are two helpful strategies that go together:

(1) Narrow Your Focus

One reason people are so interested in cultural knowledge is because culture is an important avenue of self-discovery. Have you ever noticed that when they put together a boy/girl band, they find four or five guys/gals with very different and distinct personalities? They're hoping to ensure that teenage listeners will find at least one band member to relate to on a deeper level. It's a way to cover all the bases and maximize the chances of turning someone into a fan. While it sounds like a cynical and calculated ploy, it's actually an important way for teenagers to learn more about their own likes/dislikes, in contrast to others.

One could argue that the reason we have so many genres in music, movies, tv shows, and literature is because of the diversity of human beings. We're all born with a personality that we express in our own unique way, which means we all have a propensity to like and dislike certain things. As much as I've tried to get into death metal, I just can't seem to resonate with it. And there's nothing wrong with that, as long as I'm not out there trying to stop other people from appreciating it. We are all entitled to our personal tastes.

You're hoping that by learning more cultural knowledge, some of those factoids will eventually pay off during a social interaction. But what are the odds that they will? Pretty low because it's too random. Is it really worth the energy spent in remembering all that information only for a small portion of it to come in handy at some random time in the future? Sure, there are people who have a head for remembering trivia, but if you're not one of them, it quickly becomes a waste of energy that could be better spent elsewhere.

But wastefulness aside, cramming yourself full of factoids isn't a good strategy for two reasons. Firstly, when learning is motivated solely by a desire to obtain external rewards (e.g. approval or money), people don't tend to achieve true mastery or genuine appreciation of the subject matter. In other words, it's a shallow way of learning that doesn't help memory retention, as you're finding out. Secondly, doing something just to impress others is basically contorting yourself to conform with other people's expectations. This doesn't help you learn about yourself, quite the opposite, it takes you farther and farther away from yourself, which is why it doesn't feel right.

While we often associate identity formation with adolescence, the fact is that learning about who you really are is a lifelong task. Thus, the question isn't about when you started (early or late), it's more about whether you're using a good approach that actually gets you incrementally closer to the truth of who you really are.

If participation in culture is an important pathway for learning about oneself, what you should be doing is exploring different aspects of culture to learn about potential likes, dislikes, interests, and hobbies. For example, you're not going to know whether you like horror movies until you watch a few. But once you've watched a representative sample of the genre and realize you don't like it, let it go and move onto something else.

It's almost as though you believe you have to know everything so that you can relate to anyone. I don't think this is a good or efficient socializing strategy, unless you love researching and have a great memory. You need to accept the fact that you're not going to be friends with everyone. It's okay that you're more compatible with some people more than others.

To improve your chances of social success, you have to know what you're looking for and how to find it. When you go fishing, you don't just throw a hook in the water and hope for the best, right? You have to use the right kind of bait. In the context of relationships, "bait" refers to the things that attract people to each other. One of the best and fastest ways of connecting with people is through common interests. However, this pathway won't be available to you as long as your interests aren't genuine or you haven't developed them properly.

(2) Prioritize Quality (Over Quantity)

One reason people feel easily inundated with too much information is lack of critical thinking skills. Critical thinking helps you sort through information and evaluate its quality. It's like learning how to quickly spot the rare diamonds amongst the pile of cheap shiny jewels. This also helps with the first point of narrowing your focus.

When you have a better idea of what you like or find intriguing, you open up opportunities to dig deeper and nurture a more sophisticated appreciation of the subject, to refine your tastes. A like/interest (feeling) can be transformed into an edifying intellectual pursuit (skill). But this can only happen if you value learning for its growth potential and not just for the social approval it might bring.

You seem a bit too concerned with how people judge you as a "weirdo". It could be the case that you've met some nasty people. But it could also be the case that you're projecting because you low-key feel ashamed of being "behind" in your development.

There's nothing wrong with being ignorant when it happens through no fault of your own. Nobody comes out of the womb knowing everything and we don't all have equal opportunity to learn what we need to know. It's pointless and illogical to compare yourself to others when you didn't begin life at the same starting line. And being human means having blind spots. Ignorance only becomes problematic when it is willful, that is, a person denies their ignorance and refuses to remedy it with proper learning. Given your motivation to learn, it's clear that you're not stuck in a state of willful ignorance, so there is nothing to feel ashamed about.

On occasion, people come to me asking about a psychology book they've read, only for me to break the bad news to them that it's a terrible book, full of misinformation. Should they then walk away and give up out of embarrassment? I sure hope not. I hope that they would learn to choose their learning resources more carefully.

The trouble with being a newbie is that you don't yet know enough to separate out the good stuff from the junk. To counter this, instead of becoming too reliant on one resource, communicate with a wide variety of people who seem to exhibit more knowledge than you. Eventually, you'll get a better feel for the quality of the knowledge. For example, if most experts are in general agreement, then you've probably stumbled upon trustworthy information. But when nobody can seem to agree on what the "truth" is, then be more careful.

Following from that, instead of slinking away in shame when you're caught not knowing something that seemingly "everybody should know", why not just be honest about not having had the chance to learn and welcome the person to enlighten you? Allow yourself to be humbly schooled. I can't tell you the amount of useful information I've picked up by simply letting people go on and on about their passions and interests.

Doing this could also take a lot of pressure off you, in terms of having the opportunity to: 1) sit back, relax, and listen, 2) learn and absorb information in a more natural setting, and 3) get some valuable tips about which direction to take your learning and where to find quality sources of information to speed up your learning. You might even get inspired to pursue something new and interesting.

The concept of "quality" also applies to people. Every person is a mixture of positive and negative qualities, but some people exhibit more of their negative qualities. When you meet people like that, it is fine to feel repelled and get away from them. But don't then overreact and overgeneralize and believe that everyone is bad.

If the people you're interacting with are truly judgmental jerks, it's better to find out sooner so that you don't end up in a toxic relationship. You truly like yourself? Then wear it proudly. Be open, authentic, and transparent about who you are and the struggles you've been through. Observe how willing people are to accept all of you. This should help you quickly separate out the good from the bad eggs. A good person should be:

empathetic and compassionate

willing to give you the benefit of the doubt

inclined to see and acknowledge the good in you

curious rather than judgmental

sensitive and accommodating, within reason

Every place has its good and bad people, and meeting new people is luck of the draw. When you meet bad people, there's no need to waste time with blame or anger. It's their problem, not yours. Simply walk away and keep looking for good people. And if your social environment isn't overflowing with your kind of people, you might have to migrate to a new and better environment.

Generally speaking, the process of improving yourself and your life goes a lot more smoothly when you know how to tune out noise and keep focused on your main goals.

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

Hello! I don't know if you've done this before (and apologies if you have and i've missed it) but I'd love to hear any headcanons you have about Théodwyn that you haven't included in already posted fics. (For no reason. There is no reason for this. Not fic relevant or anything ;)

Aah, Théodwyn! One of my favorite messy ladies of Tolkien! I think most of what I have worked out about her already exists either in Unwary (the history of her relationship with Éomund and the explanation of her death), this ask from you about Théoden’s sisters (general background on her place in the family and relationship to her siblings), and some of this story (which gets a bit into the role she played in Théodred’s life after Elfhild died and some little bits and pieces of her personality). I think you’re already familiar with all of that, so I’m sorry that I don’t have a lot more to offer on that front! But here are a few stray thoughts that I’ve collected over the course of time but don’t think I’ve used much or talked about directly:

-Since she tagged around Théoden so much as a little girl, she spent a lot of time around teenage boys at a very young age. As a result, she swore like a sailor (a habit she kept for her whole life, much to Morwen’s consternation), and enjoyed inventing her own particularly creative profanity. Think of her as being like Selena Meyer from Veep, but in Rohan. (Théodwyn getting into it with Thorongil about something: “That’s like trying to use your stupid lembas bread as a dildo. It doesn’t do the job and it makes a fucking mess!”)

-Speaking of Thorongil, she didn’t like him. She met him when she was a teenager, and she could spot right away that he was lying about who he was (though of course she had no way of knowing that he was Aragorn or what that actually meant). That made her distrust him, and she was very suspicious of his motives even as he only ever acted honorably in service of her father. One of her sisters suggested once that Thorongil might be a good match for her, and she hated the idea so much that she made it a point to be especially rude to him from them on, just to ensure he didn’t get any ideas. (She would have *died* to hear that her daughter thought herself to be in love with the same man many years later!!!)

-Because her parents and three oldest siblings had very positive views on Gondor (having lived or been born there) and kept many customs of Gondor in the royal house, Théodwyn took the contrarian position and was fairly anti-Gondor. She hated visiting Morwen’s family there and always complained about having to go. She leaned very hard into the traditions and culture of Rohan, embracing them much more fully than any of her siblings, and especially so after meeting Éomund, who took huge pride in descending from Eorl. She learned a lot about Rohan’s culture and history from Elfhild, specifically, since she was a native born Rohirrim, and that shared passion for their people was something that kept Elfhild and Théodwyn very close. 

I’m very excited to hear that you’re….not working on a fic involving Théodwyn! 😉 I look forward to reading it even though nope, you’re definitely not writing one! ❤️