#I enjoy more diving into the psychological aspects of things :^)

[strebcr]

Fun fact I made my own version of the powerpuffs once :^)

They're all middle school aged and coming to terms with "Hey the shit we delt with at a young age was pretty fucked!" They still fight crime but now there's just some other heroes to help take some of the slack :^V

This is mostly just dealing with the ptsd of being super heroes at a young age :^V and how they cope differently. Along with the other things and challenges that come with that age.

Anyways dumb concept is dumb 😭😔

[hermajestyimher]

Hello <3

I am currently 20, in the process of enhancing every aspect of my life so I would really appreciate if you could generously list your resources for self-improvement in general.

And one more question, how to make people take me more seriously? I am quite the youngest member in my family and everyone have always been so over-protective of me that they always see me as this little girl even though I am almost a grown woman lol.

Thanks!

Thanks for your question. I commend you for wanting to invest in yourself and self-improvement.

The resources I use to shape my mindset toward success are a mixture of books, podcasts, subliminals, and direct revelation from God. I'll break these parts down for you:

✧༺♥༻∞✧༺♥༻∞✧༺♥༻∞✧༺♥༻∞✧༺♥༻∞✧༺♥༻∞

Books:

There are a lot of books out that deal with the topic of self-improvement and you are almost guaranteed to find some that will be able to help you in whichever area of your life you wish to get better at. The key, when it comes to these books, is that you have to find ones that you know you can action realistically in your life. Theory can be energizing and inspirational, but it is ultimately futile if you are unable to put the gained knowledge into reality.

You must seek books that are practical in their way of describing how to succeed in whatever subject they touch upon and focus exclusively on that specific book so that you may action its commands and see real results in your life.

I'll give you 5 books that I've used throughout the year that have helped me mold my character in meaningful and practical ways:

She Comes First, by Brian Nox.

Can't Hurt Me, by David Goggins.

The Alter Ego Effect, by Todd Herman.

Stop People Pleasing, by Patrick King.

Fabulosity, by Kimora Lee Simmons.

Podcasts:

Podcasts are a good way of keeping your mind "fed" constantly with content and knowledge from others. I use them not just for knowledge, but also for entertainment. I enjoy podcasts that deal with politics, human psychology and behavior, societal phenomena, travel and culture, business, success life stories, and even some niche topics of interest.

Whatever podcasts you choose to listen to will be a very personal choice. My rule of thumb is to not waste time listening to someone just because they seem authoritative in the field of self-improvement if the messages they are putting forward do not resonate with you. It's ok to be picky with this type of content.

Subliminals:

This is something that I've never touched upon before directly on my blog, but it is something that I've been digging into a lot lately and I've found has been positively impacting my life.

Subliminals are audio messages that we play in the background while we do other activities. The concept behind them is that our subconscious mind can pick up and internalize the messages being played and therefore can help in reprogramming our own internal self-concept and beliefs. It can help you manifest things because you genuinely believe that they are possible for you, rather than pretending.

Subliminals are extremely powerful because if utilized correctly they can help you shape your entire personality and perception of yourself towards one that is more self-loving, positive, and confident. It can help us erase the damage of harmful things we've internalized throughout the years and replace them with thoughts that are working in our favor.

If you or anyone else from the blog would like for me to dive deeper into this subject and share some of the subliminal that have helped me (including my own creations), please let me know!

God:

This part is simply all about having communion with God. I've found out that in the periods that I'm away from him and that I do not take our relationship seriously, I become an easier target for spiritual attacks and also less in tune with my spiritual gifts. It's hard to hear from him when my spiritual life is filled with so much baggage that does not come from him. And whether you are aware of it, everything around us is spiritual in one way or another: the music that we listen to, the people we spend time with, the places we live, the content we consume, the things we allow others to speak into our lives, etc.

It's important that I read my Bible, pray, and worship without ceasing. God purifies our spirits and removes bondages this way. He gives us a renewed mind full of discernment and peace. We can hear from him more clearly and be led through a path of prosperity.

This is something that I need to get back on with him, as I have fallen off throughout the years. But understanding that you do not have to make life alone and that investing in your spiritual life can only tenfold your riches in the physical realm is crucial for us to live a life of purpose and success.

✧༺♥༻∞✧༺♥༻∞✧༺♥༻∞✧༺♥༻∞✧༺♥༻∞✧༺♥༻∞

I hope this list was helpful, and if you or other people would like to delve deeper into any of these or other subjects, please let me know.

[necroromantics]

Reminder that Tumblr has a filter tag feature so if you dont like certain posts you can always block them 👍 I personally dont feel comfortable reading NSFW content so I just block the tags and move on. No need to hate on people creating things even if its not what you deem ok, good, or comfortable. Art is art, and it's authoritarian to tell people what they can/cant make

And the Creepypasta fandom has always been a half/half of horror and fun. The dynamics between the two are what make the fandom so unique. Having fun with fictional horror characters is not the same as romanticizing serial killers, or disrespecting real life issues. As important as it is to handle serious topics with respect, we also need to understand that 1. The OG stories are barely serious in themselves 2. These are fictional characters made by kids back in 2010s for fun

You are absolutely free to value the horror aspects of the fandom. Personally I do enjoy deep diving into the more realistic and dark/disturbing/uncomfortable aspects of the Creepypasta characters in a psychological horror type of way, but there is a lot of beauty in taking something scary or horrible and creating something so full of love and joy out of it. To take something tragic or dark and make it into something lighthearted and happy is very human. Theres a lot of value in being able to enjoy things like that

[meafortuna]

ASTRO NOTES # 7

Spiritual awakening or just an astrology? 🪬

It's kind of a trend nowadays to get into spirituality, which I can't say is a bad thing, but I'm a logical thinking person and an over-thinker😅 and decide to go a little deeper into this topic. After all, astrology is a science, and that science can explain a lot about things like the dark night of the soul, the death of the ego, or even twin flames. Here are some astrological transits that will make you feel like something extraordinary is happening to you. I hope you enjoy this one. 🫶

• Uranus transiting (conjunction, opposition, square) your natal Moon. You may start to feel like you are thunderstrucked⚡️, something in you have really changed with the blink of an eye. Your emotions may become more unpredictable, your thoughts may start moving in different places and directions. It’s like you are going crazy, but you know you’re not. You will feel just like an alien, like you don’t belong here. 🛸

• Transit Pluto to your natal Sun. Oh, my godness! 🫥 This is one of the biggest transformation you will have in your life, especially if it’s in conjunction with your Sun. The ego death is real, your whole belief system changes and it’s hard, really hard. You will struggle with the urge to make the changes you will need to make, because you will have to lose someone or something you don’t want to lose. This will be your greatest rebirth. 🌅 After this transit, nothing will be the same in you and for you. It’s painful, but it’s probably the most powerful and beautiful process of your entire life.

• Saturn returns, in particular the first one. Here the things can be a little bit smoother, because after all Saturn represents the karma, the lessons we have to learn. 🪐 So if you have been working hard on the things you want and you still doesn’t see any results, wait until your Saturn return, everything it will reward you. And if you haven’t done any work to achieve your goals (here we can talk about health, work, love life and etc, depends on the house your Saturn is sitting) you will have to learn the hard way why does something always go wrong. In these about two and a half years, you will have to learn some lessons about patience or responsibility, in other words - you will have to grow up. 🐛 - 🦋

• Transiting Neptune 🔱 aspecting your Moon. With this transit you can start diving really deep into your subconscious. 🧘‍♀️You may feel the urge to start exploring yourself more, things like astrology, psychology, esotericism will naturally appeal to you. But there’s always a catch��� there is a danger of overuse of substances that can lead to addiction. But if you’re smart enough, you will use the 🍄🍃more as a tool and with intent, not just to escape reality or to make yourself feel better.

• On the Twin Flame topic. ♾️ Here we don’t talk about transits, just aspects.

Pluto/Saturn/Neptune in contact with Venus or luminaries in synastry. The intense of the connection between two individuals it will be so strong, powerful and magnetic, like its something really destined to be. Aspects like this can lead to feeling like you have finally met your Twin Flame. 🎎🔥I will quickly explain why. With Pluto you will feel that transformative love you have never met before, we know the relationship between twin flames is super tense and emotional. 💣 Saturn will make you go back to each other, because there are lessons that have to be learned, that gives the on and off dynamic of the couple and the feeling you know that person from before. Neptune will give you that telepathic and outworldly feeling. 💞

I don’t want to kill the magic, but science is science and if you know how to use it, you will go much easier through your spiritual awakening journey.✨⚔️📚

~meafortuna💙

[belle-keys]

My Year of (Educational) Podcasts

I spent 12,000 minutes this year listening to podcasts according to Spotify. No, I do not listen to alphamale or girlboss or true crime podcasts– I mostly listen to history, philosophy, and literature podcasts i.e. educational podcasts. Here are 12 fun, well-executed podcasts I’d recommend if you’d like to learn more about your favourite (Humanities and Social Sciences) topics.

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. This is a podcast about the history of sex and sexuality. The podcast pays special attention to overlooked aspects of queer history, pop culture, and cultural superstitions. The love life and sex life of historical and artistic figures are also discussed with historians.

Dan Snow's History Hit. This podcasts discusses the most exciting and culturally relevant historical events and figures with expert panel guests. Clears up historical misconceptions and deals with the most interesting topics in an engaging way.

Occult Confessions. This podcast is about the history of the occult, witches, folklore, magicians, and conspiracies. There are discussions of folklore, religious history, and cults. The themes are dark but quite fascinating.

Intelligence Squared. This podcast is centered on cultural and academic debates and deep-dives into polemical topics among top UK experts. I really enjoy their episodes about writers, art, and artists.

The History of Literature. This is about, well, the history of literature i.e. the contexts that created impressive writers, literary movements, and literary works. It also debates and critically discusses classic works.

The Korea File. Y'all know I love kpop and kdramas and by extension, am quite fascinated by Korean culture and society given how much I interact with Korean media. This podcast, produced by a couple of Korean guys, critically explores Korean media, culture, society, and history.

Not Just the Tudors. A fun history podcast that doesn't only cover English Tudor history, but definitely covers a whole damn lot of English Tudor history. Mainly focuses on 13th-17th century global history.

Classical Stuff You Should Know. A podcast about the classical world, the Western Canon, and world philosophy. Discussions of the classics are in conversational layman terms. Topics not restricted to the Graeco-Roman world.

Why Theory. A podcast that uses philosophy and psychological theory to examine culture, history, art and human behavior. Lots of pertinent contemporary social topics are discussed.

Brown History. A podcast about South Asia and "brown" Asian demographics. A wide range of topics, from Pakistani history to the Indian diaspora to Afghan migration to the colonization of India by Great Britain.

Philosophize This!. This podcast covers philosophy, philosophies, and philosophers. I highly recommend listening to the episodes in order as much as possible. Breaks down the complex philosophical ideas using simple terms.

The Thing About Austen. This is a podcast about the world of Jane Austen from the time period to the people to the culture which influenced her big literary hits. Hits that sweet spot between literature and history in a creative way. Recommend for all the Pride and Prejudice (2005) fanatics.

[zepskies]

Why We Love the Boys

As promised, here is my review of Supes Ain’t Always Heroes. I actually used to write book reviews in my high school journalism days, so here we go!  

What this book is: A masterful deep dive. A study on character psychology, the source of the comic and show’s inspiration, and the narrative themes illustrated in The Boys that parallel American culture and our real lives.

It includes interviews from one of the comic’s creators, Darick Robertson, The Krip himself (Eric Kripke), and actors Jim Beaver (Robert Singer), Aya Cash (Stormfront), Chace Crawford (The Deep), Jessie T. Usher (A-Train), Nathan Mitchell (Black Noir), and of course, Jensen Ackles (Soldier Boy).

It also includes a small but significant ode to the creativity of fans and fandom (with a mention of fanfic writers)!

I’ll admit, I felt seen. 😊

Who wrote it: Psychologists Lynn S. Zubernis and Matthew Snyder, among several other contributors. Zubernis is a self-proclaimed fangirl of not only this show, but also of Supernatural and Eric Kripke in general. (That aspect definitely comes through in her writing.)

She is also editor of Family Don’t End with Blood: Cast and Fans on How Supernatural Changes Lives and There’ll Be Peace When you Are Done: Actors and Fans Celebrate the Legacy of Supernatural—both of which I now want to read.

As I mentioned, several other authors also contributed to this book, as their expertise and backgrounds lend to the subjects they’re covering, such as racism, sexism, the entertainment industry, the comic’s inception, and more.

Who wants to read this book: Anyone who enjoys learning about what makes characters tick. What drives their choices, their sense of morality and justice, and their trauma and strife that lead them to do heinous things. This book will help you better understand your favorite characters (and how to write about them).

Perhaps most importantly, this book is for anyone who wants to read it put into words, why many of us love The Boys, as well as Supernatural.

In a way, the latter is more escapism entertainment than The Boys. Because in this show, there isn’t much, if any escape.

Despite this being a “superhero show,” as we all know, it’s so much more than that. It’s a mirror held directly into our own faces: about why we enjoy heroes and antiheroes, and excuse the “bad behavior” of the ones we like.

About mental health, grief and loss, nature and nurture, coping mechanisms and the importance of choice in dealing with trauma; of racism, sexism, misogyny, weaponized social media, politics, corporate greed, and the power (and cruelty) of good marketing.

This book explores the true villain of the story...and it ain’t Homelander.

I’m going to get into my favorite aspects of this book—as well as an amazing chapter on Soldier Boy’s character study (and why we love him, perhaps too much).

There was also one small, but key thing I would add to that argument. But first...

The Mirror of The Boys on Screen

This world is a gritty, bloody, and at times all-too realistic take on how superheroes would be if they lived in our world.

They are the worst of celebrities, professional athletes, and politicians all rolled into one. They are the shiny products of a company and are marketed as such—and worst of all, they often buy into their own hype.

Some of my favorite quotes on this topic:

“The Boys often reflects darkness in our real world that is uncomfortable to watch. While we go through the tedium of our daily lives, trying to get by and using television or comics as an escape, it can feel difficult and overwhelming to confront the very real and insidious sources of authoritarianism, nationalism, and corporatism that are not just part of a story. “This show holds up a mirror and forces us to catch a glimpse of things we need to question, and asks us why we so easily believe the talking points of systems with marketing departments and press flacks behind them that carefully massage every word in order to get us to feel enamored with their product or policy.” (p. 227-228)

“The Boys works to reveal the nonaltruistic, sociopathic nature of contemporary US corporate culture. In a sense, The Boys uses the behavior of its characters to diagnose not an individual, but a culture.” (255)

In studying narrative I’ve learned that the best fiction and art serve to reflect the human experience. In this case, it’s something The Boys does expertly, even though it’s packaged in extreme, shocking, and often uncomfortable ways. But also in brutal, hilarious satire that’s fun to watch.

It “exposes real-world abuses, revealing many” of our own frustrations in American culture and in life in general (267).

Major Themes & Questions Explored

Several Boys themes are explored from a psychological, cultural, and narrative point of view, as I mentioned earlier. These are some of my favorite segments:

Toxic Masculinity & Narcissism

A whopper in The Boys, and the main theme of season 3. This book defines clearly what both of these words actually mean from a psychological point of view.

It also takes the bad taste out of your mouth that you might get from just hearing the words “toxic masculinity,” as it’s a phrase that can be carelessly thrown around to describe men and character traits that aren’t truly toxic...

How being emotionally available to your loved ones and not repressive of your feelings doesn’t make you weak, or less of a man. And how “being strong” doesn’t mean being physically violent and domineering. (AKA: the Big Swinging Dick™️ in the room.)

Narcissism is explored in a very interesting way. The book gives a diagram of different aspects of narcissists and how each character (Soldier Boy, Homelander, Butcher, and the Deep) falls into them.

Soldier Boy, for example, is classified as a “Classic Narcissist,” while Homelander a “Malignant Narcissist.” <- This will play into Soldier Boy’s character study, and the main difference between Soldier Boy and Homelander.

Butcher, however, displays narcissistic tendencies but is not, in fact, a narcissist. (More of an antisocial sociopath. Yay for him.)

Misogyny & Sexism

The classic superhero world of comics dates back to the 1930s and ‘40s. It has been, and in many respects still is a (White) male-dominated industry, where in narrative, female superheroes typically work under a male leading the team, as in Justice League, Teen Titans, and the Avengers.

As much as I love DC and Marvel comics, female characters have also been depicted wildly sexual for male readers and the male gaze, and non-supe characters have been written primarily as love interests and damsels for the hero to save. (Think Lois Lane, Lana Lang, and Mary Jane.)

Modern adaptions have given female characters more agency, but their foundations were rooted in underlying sexism and the mythic hero—an Odysseus-type with certain characteristics of male strength and heroism; and that goes all the way back to classic literature, like The Odyssey, Beowulf, and the Epic of Gilgamesh.

In The Boys, the female supes go through the same issues as their comic counterparts. They are treated how women are treated in the real world—marketable as sexual objects. Starlight’s forced costume change is a prime example.

Author Danielle Turchiano argues in the book that the women in power at Vought (Madelyn Stillwell, later Ashley) are given only so much power as men like Stan Edgar and Homelander give to them.

Stillwell, Ashley, and even Stormfront “drink the Kool Aid” of the misogynistic infrastructure of Vought, but they’re not truly “powerful” in and of themselves (112).

I would add that the only female characters that have or find true agency are Grace Mallory, Annie January/Starlight, and Maggie Shaw/Queen Maeve. Even Victoria Neuman is trying to work the political schematic and Vought by operating within the system Vought has created.

Mental Health, Trauma & Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms

This is a huge section, and rightly so. It kind of spans throughout the book, really, because all of these characters have traumas that inform who they are as adults making the (often grotesque) choices they make.

For many of these characters, it stems from their upbringing and fraught relationships with their parents, whether explicitly or implicitly explored in the show.

Butcher: Is an antisocial sociopath with narcissistic tendencies. Arrogant, emotionally manipulative, violent, and obsessive. He was also physically and emotionally abused by his father, led to use drinking and violence as a means to cope and express himself. His rage is so deep under his skin—he loathes himself for it (and his father), but struggles immensely to escape it.

Homelander (John): A malignant narcissist, the height of arrogance, and emotionally manipulative. He lacks empathy for others' pain, and in fact enjoys inflicting it. Yet according to Jonah Vogelbaum, "John" was a sensitive, gentle child who only wanted connection and love. Vogelbaum raised him like a lab rat and fostered him in a cold, detached cell. He was raised to be entitled and to believe he was an all-powerful god, the lord of his own kingdom within his mind, excused from the responsibility of his actions.

Soldier Boy (Ben): Also a narcissist; violent, arrogant, misogynistic, and often indifferent to the damage he causes, emotional or physical. Yet he was also emotionally abused by his father, who set high and exacting standards for what it meant to be a man. It drives Ben to try and prove his worth to his father, though he’s never able to. It fosters the lack of self-worth he probably feels as he seeks validation through fame, and what he believes power to be.

These three characters have many similarities, but also notable differences that set them apart from one another. And both Butcher and Soldier Boy use substances like drugs and alcohol to cope with their traumas—ones that their forced stoicism and sense of manhood won’t allow them to easily express.

“We see Soldier Boy use substances almost continuously in season three to deal with his PTSD from the childhood emotional abuse he received from his father, the betrayal and assault from his team, and the torture he endured from the Russian scientists.

“In the short term, the use of drugs and alcohol to avoid thoughts and feelings about traumatic experiences can be felt as helpful, but in the long term, it hinders one’s ability to process emotions and can cause a deeper depression from the guilt and shame of both avoidance and substance abuse.” (27)

Heroes, Antiheroes & Villains

This book explores two key questions that the show encourages you to think about:

Who the hell is the hero of this story?

And who is the villain?

The surface-level answer is that Homelander and other supes like him are the villains, and Butcher and his band of bros are the heroes (or antiheroes). But they commit just as questionable, sketchy, and downright murderous acts as the supes they’re trying to take down.

“Butcher is not really a good guy. He’s manipulative and self-centered. His reasons for wanting to take down Homelander are utterly personal. That it serves the greater good is almost a coincidence.” (9)

And if Butcher is not a hero, but a vengeful vigilante, then why do we root for him so much?

Well, we see his incredible flaws, of course, but I sympathize with his struggle in losing his wife and the life he could've continued to have with her. I root for the underdog going against the hydra head of Vought and the psychopathic Homelander.

I see in Butcher, as I also do with Homelander and Soldier Boy, their traumas and their internal conflicts, their deep-rooted self-loathing, and a desire, deep, deep down…to be loved.

(And to foster connection with others, even if they’re unable to sustain them.)

On the flipside, we have antagonists in this show who do truly heinous things. What makes them compelling even sympathetic at times, yet again, are their painful upbringings that have shaped them to be who they are. The supes of this show are byproducts of being treated like products.

Like the saying goes: Villains aren’t born, they’re made.

That’s why the real villain of this story is Vought International. It’s an allegory, and an indictment of the ruthless corporate greed that pervades American culture—and much of the world.

It’s why Stan Edgar is sometimes scarier to me than even Homelander (and was the true villain of my story, Break Me Down), if far more insidious.

Speaking of BMD, let’s get to it, shall we?

Here’s a (lot) bit about the Soldier Boy section of the book.

Soldier Boy: Why We Can’t Hate Him

I had to laugh out loud at the title of Soldier Boy’s chapter:

Loving the Villain: The Confusing Case of Soldier Boy

I’m not gonna lie. I felt called out. 😂

It is a confusing dichotomy. Soldier Boy is an absolute asshole. Misogynistic, narcissistic, arrogant, callous, violent…

But also deeply traumatized, a man-out-of-time, emotionally abused, a byproduct of the historically and culturally different time he was raised in, a man who just doesn’t get it…

And also charming, adorably grumpy, and undoubtedly attractive.

It’s hard to indict “Ben” as an unredeemable villain in the same way I do Homelander, the psychologist-labelled Malignant Narcissist.

Therein lies the main difference between Soldier Boy and Homelander: Soldier Boy doesn’t seem to take joy in harming others the way Homelander does...but, Soldier Boy still harms people, whether he means to or not. He is arrogant and callous, deeply traumatized and vengful.

Zubernis confirms many of my own conclusions and ideas about Soldier Boy, and why I still rooted for him to be better, and didn’t want him to die at the end of season 3.

As Zubernis rightly exclaimed during her own watch of the finale: “Noooo, don’t kill the Danger Grandpa Baby Murder Kitten!” (175)

Because Jensen did what he does best in his roles: He made us feel Ben’s pain.

“What’s funny is, in regard to Jensen playing Soldier Boy, you know he’s fucking fantastic, he’s just so good at bringing the audience, and it’s almost like—what I laugh about is, he was probably a little too good at his job!” Kripke said. (180)

And he continues, “In part it’s because of the fandom. So many people took his side in the finale, they’re like, Were’s on his side, fuck everyone! And you’re like, but he���s the bad guy and he’s trying to kill a ten-year-old.”

Were there fans who held this viewpoint? I’m sure. There are some radicals who don’t care about the humanity of characters or story and will side with their favorites, come whatever. But while I can’t speak for others, that’s not how I interpreted that moment in the season 3 finale when I watched it for the first, second, and even third time.

Yes, I think Soldier Boy was wrongfully willing to fight Ryan after cruelly batting him away. Do I think he would’ve killed him? I’m not sure. I think he would’ve continued to do what he had to do to get Ryan out of his way in his fight with Homelander. Maybe he would’ve been more violent than he intended, in the callous collateral damage he’d shown throughout the season. Maybe he would've held back at the last second. Or maybe he would’ve gone that far, if provoked.

It’s a tough call, as I think this character can go one way or the other in terms of his “villain” nature. We just haven’t seen enough of him in the series yet for me to make that conclusion on the canon-version of Soldier Boy. (In fanfic, I’ve explored my own interpretation.)

But overall, I think The Krip underestimated the power of Jensen’s acting.

…And the ardent nature of his mostly female fanbase. 😂

Why We Love Soldier Boy

The author cites multiple reasons for why we love Ben more than we probably should:

It’s Jensen Ackles: Fair enough. His talent speaks for itself.

Soldier Boy’s backstory: He was emotionally abused by his father and as a result, he has a complex regarding his self-worth, “something to prove,” and I would imagine a secret need for attention, validation, and praise.

He has trauma and PTSD: He is displaced from what is familiar to him and confused when the boys find him, and that is the least of it. He’s been tortured for 40 years. Can you even wrap your mind around that?

He’s charming: In a sexy grandpa, adorably grumpy, lovable asshole kind of way.

We’re drawn to danger: Dangerous “edgy” types are fun, especially when you’re physically attracted to the character.

He has his moments of vulnerability: Jensen’s ability to play the nuance in the character is the ultimate draw. I felt his pain, could see his torture, and his resulting PTSD. He even admits that he longs for a family, even if his ability to bring up those children is questionable at best. 😅

But I think the one aspect that can also be considered is the character’s capacity for change.

Soldier Boy’s Potential

Again, I don’t think you can write off Soldier Boy’s potential for positive character development the same way you can Homelander, or even Butcher.

For one thing, we just haven’t spent enough time with the character. In season 3, a lot of his collateral damage after he escapes imprisonment has been accidental, or PTSD-induced. Though we can’t discount how he murdered M.M.’s grandfather via collateral damage (and was callous about it).

I think this is what drew me to write about Soldier Boy. For all his arrogance, his chauvinism, his massive ego and general bastardry, there’s still humanity in Ben.

In the book, Nathan Mitchell says something amazing about his own character (Black Noir) that resonated with me about Soldier Boy as well:

"One of the ingredients of a compelling character is contradiction. How does one aspect of our personality contradict with one another? [...] Who is he underneath? How might his true nature contrast with the demands of his job?"

Or coded for Soldier Boy/Ben: The pressures he puts on himself to be the type of man he thought his father wanted him to be.

Again, his sexist, misogynistic ideals are shaped by the time he was raised in, by being a product of Vought, and of his father’s emotionally abusive upbringing. Does this excuse or justify all of his behavior? Of course not.

But I do think those 40 years in captivity changed him from the careless alpha dog we saw in 1984 Nicaragua…

He admits to Crimson Countess, with tears in his eyes, that he’d loved her. That he waited for her and his team—arguably the only social system he had in his life—to save him. He’s gutted to realize that not only did she and the rest of the team never love him, they hated him. They traded him for nothing. Just to get him out of their lives.

For all he claims to be afraid of nothing, tough as shit, he is afraid when he goes to face Mindstorm. He knows what the supe is capable of, and he visibly takes a shaky breath and tries to steel himself.

For a moment, he drops the “Soldier Boy” persona that he wears like that fine tailored suit, and he tells Butcher that the backstory Vought created for him was a lie; he grew up a rich kid who got sent to boarding school, but flunked out, because "he was a fuck up." And his father couldn’t be bothered to lay a hand on him, implying he didn’t care enough about his own son to "discipline" him.

He is reluctant to kill Homelander when he finds out he’s Ben’s son (sort of). He even claims that he would’ve been willing to share the spotlight “with his own son.” — Something I doubt even Homelander would do.

Ben even seems to be fighting tears when he levies the same vitriol at Homelander that his own father did at him:

Homelander: “Weak? I’m you.” Soldier Boy: “I know. You’re a fucking disappointment.”

Let me be clear. I don’t think it’s up to someone to change him (like a love interest). I don’t subscribe to that thinking, that a woman can “change” a man.

For example: In season 2, Butcher tells Becca, “Who was I before you? Nothing.”

And yet, she tells him that he put her on an unrealistic and unsustainable pedestal, in which she felt like she wasn’t allowed to fully be herself, unable to keep him from flying off the handle in rage. That kind of relationship (where one is dependent on the other to “keep them in check”) doesn’t work as a lasting, satisfying redemption arc, and it often doesn’t work in real life either.

I do think, however, that a person is capable of change if they’re broken down enough (pun intended), and if they themselves have a desire to change. Someone they encounter can inspire them to be better, like Butcher with Hughie. That person can help support the other.

At the end of the day, however, it’s Ben that has to want to change.

If he wants love and connection, he’ll have to somehow want it, and try (and sometimes fail) to get it, thereby giving him agency and a redemptive character arc.

Now, obviously, it’s up to The Krip where Ben goes from here. He seems to have a more indicting vision of the character than I do (at least, so far). But we’ll see! The fan demand to bring back the character has already had Kripke confirming that Soldier Boy will be back.

Maybe it will encourage him to give the character a more satisfying ending than Dean Winchester got in Supernatural. Though granted, that one wasn’t his doing, apparently he was in favor of that ending, which ultimately culminated 15 years of monster slaying and broments under Baby's roof.

Comparing Dean & Ben

In his interview segment, Jensen talks about what, if any, are the comparisons between Dean Winchester and Soldier Boy. AKA: Wanting a father’s approval, and an undercurrent of “John Wayne”-esque masculinity in John Winchester that Dean sought to emulate.

Jensen also talks about where he drew from to not only embody the character of Soldier Boy, but bring nuance to him—and show the peeks of vulnerability under the bravado and stoicism.

“He’s so fragile and his ego is fragile. Just like Homelander. These bigger-than-life powerful heroes really have a glass jaw… “And everyone walks on eggshells around him [Soldier Boy], and they tell him that they love him, and it’s the same with Homelander. Then when all of a sudden he faces his old team and Crimson Countess says we never loved you, we hated you—that’s a gut punch for him. Because even though on some level he may have known that, he never thought he would hear it. “And he probably propped himself up around trying to believe otherwise, because how can you walk around knowing everyone you’ve ever cared about hates you? It’s too painful.” (191)

It really is. I inherently felt this about Soldier Boy (Ben) when I watched season 3 for the first time. That’s exactly what I got from his performance and thought, there’s more to this guy than the toxic masculinity he represents.

This guy just wants to be loved, like everyone else. He wants to feel important, and even after his father’s dead, “show him” that Ben is the man his father wanted him to be. And so, he bought into the illusion Vought painstakingly crafted for him.

Whether he can come back from that remains to be seen, but I choose to be optimistic until evidence points to the contrary. 😅 (Maybe we’ll see in season 4!)

So that’s my personal take on Soldier Boy and this awesome book. 💚 Thank you again @kaleldobrev for recommending it to me! I hope you all enjoyed my long-winded review and want to check this out.

And if you do read it, let me know! I hope to read your thoughts as well!

Tagging people who said they wanted to read my review on this book: @venus-haze @jessjad @kristophalis @sl33pylilbunny

[reorientation]

hey, no pressure to answer this obv, but could you elaborate on how you as a cis man came to enjoy this kink? as a trans person i feel pretty lukewarm about it but can understand why other trans people would be into it, but it’s harder for me to understand how it would appeal to a cis person.

Sure, happy to get into it!

First off, the simple chronological answer: breeding is my biggest kink, and trans guys / transmasc NBs are a force on breeding kink Tumblr + the other site. (Seriously: before getting into this kink scene, I did not appreciate what T does to a mf-er.) There's a ton of blogs and they often have a lot of intense, personal, original content - so I started following a bunch of them and things developed from there.

In terms of what I like about it:

I like need and desperation, and it's hard to find anyone needier or more desperate than a trans guy taking T shots. Inexperience also lends itself to dark fantasy - like taking someone's virginity by raping them, or getting them pregnant the first time they have sex - and lots of trans guys on the site are virgins, or single and very inexperienced, for easy-to-understand reasons.

I really enjoy sexual desire as an almost coercive force - people losing control of themselves and doing things that they thought they would never do and liking it - and that's an incredibly potent element of orientation play. Voluntarily giving up your whole identity that you fought so hard for, just because you come so hard when you think about it, is fucking hot. As is it being forced upon you, but you liking it against your will.

I'm also immensely into the physically coercive aspect of breeding: the way that it makes AFAB people's bodies change whether they like it or not, and whether they consented or not. In the case of orientation play, this is amplified by the idea that it's forcing you into being a woman, taking away your identity. Plus, as before, the idea of you liking being pregnant, discovering that what your body did against your will was what you really wanted, is delicious - especially since I've seen some cases where it actually happened.

Bioessentialism is a really hot form of objectification - "I don't care what's in your head, you've still got a pussy and a womb" - and it couples well with fantasies about free use (e.g. "fakeboys should be public fucktoys for straight men until they get over their delusions") and also the extreme horniness induced by T. ("Aww, you tried so hard to be a man and it just made your pussy get wetter?")

Transmasc people are very vocal and enthusiastic participants in the kink scene - this blog gets way more asks, DMs, reblogs with horny tags, etc. than my other one, even though it has fewer followers. Interaction is the most fun part of running a kink blog, so that's a big incentive to keep being active.

Probably more than you were asking for, but I think a lot about what psychological factors power various kinks, so it was fun to dive into discussing it a bit. :)

[comikadraws]

besides itachi what other naruto characters do you like?

do you dislike any ones?

Mmm. I like many characters, I'd say, but to varying degrees, and not always do they bring me as much joy in canon as they do in fanon.

I've been into Naruto since I was 12, and my interest in the series has gone up and down over time. Back then, I don't think I gave much of a shit about Itachi at all and instead, my favorite character was Obito. Oh, how the turns have tabled. I also liked Gaara a lot early on, but that period was fairly brief.

Currently, my biggest favorites are Itachi and Sasuke. I'd vote in Shisui as well, but unfortunately, I think many of my opinions are shaped primarily by fanfiction 😭 Which brings me to my next point...

It's a joke at this point, but sometimes the fanfiction - not even by altering a character's characterization but by diving deeper into their existing psychology and expanding upon its human aspects - does a better job at portraying a character, leading the fandom to develop a new commonly accepted lore which is referred to as "fanon". This is how I often end up enjoying characters like Madara, Izuna, and Tobirama as well even though their canon characterization might not speak to me personally (because nothing goes over a tsundere adopting children /hj). Fugaku is on the list as well-ish. He is the one that I got attached to IN SPITE of fanfiction telling me otherwise. My entire issue is that I am no longer certain whether the personality I have in my head for Fugaku is actually canon or just... made-up (he barely has any screen time, why is my interpretation of him so complex?).

There are also a lot of characters that I like a moderate amount. That list includes Kakashi, Tsunade, and Choji. And if we include Boruto characters, I do enjoy Sarada and Mitsuki as well. It simply just isn't enough for me to become very attached to or even just seek out fanfic that portrays them as more complex or more compelling characters. A good fanfic could probably change my perception of them but that's just where I am currently at.

As far as characters I hate go... I do dislike Jiraiya. His "quirks" don't translate well for me personally. That's a me-problem, though, and I understand and support anybody who likes him regardless. I also have beef with Hiruzen, though I have to admit it is mostly a show-vs-tell conflict in which the show pretends he isn't that bad when actually he is and I am not sure whether to prioritize the show or tell version.

Then there are characters I hate and that list includes Danzo and the two elders. Go to super-hell 😊

Regardless of any of this, I do not support harassing anybody over liking or disliking a character (though I don't mind venting). Like and dislike do not necessarily need a justification. They just are and why should we waste our energy on fictional characters of all things? Fandom activism? Too often are favorite ships and characters used to establish group dynamics of fans shitting on other fans.

It's a different story if said people are harassing other fans, publically insulting them, or making shit up. Still not worthy of harassment but definitely deserving of a call-out as, if not regulated, hatred just breeds more hatred and eventual transgressions. I am sure all of us had someone popping up on our blog before only to tell us how stupid we are (not even discussing but just immediately insulting us) for liking something.

[merely-a-caricature]

Arousal and Attraction: How They Coexist with Asexuality

I haven’t posted anything informational in a while, and I’m working on some bigger posts, so I thought I would make a post about these topics as I’ve been thinking a bit about it recently. I will be discussing arousal in the sexual context, making distinctions between the different types of sexual arousal, talking about attraction, and explaining why arousal is not the same as attraction all with a sprinkle of asexuality. One of the motivations for this post was to explain how one can be asexual but also experience arousal and sexual attraction; I wanted to talk about these topics in an asexual context. Obviously, disclaimer if you’re uncomfortable reading about this type of thing. I don’t say anything very graphic, but if it makes you too uncomfortable, please don’t read. I am also by no means an expert. I just read some stuff and know some things and want to communicate it to y’all. Without further ado, let’s dive in.

Arousal

Now, arousal in psychology refers to more than sexual kind, namely a physiological reaction to any stimulus, but this post will be focusing on sexual arousal and is meant anytime I use the word arousal.

Arousal can be split into two kind of arousal: physiological arousal and subjective arousal. Physiological arousal is self-explanatory; someone becomes warmer, their heart starts to race, and blood flow to their genitalia increases amongst other things in order to prepare for sex. This type of arousal is regulated by the autonomic and somatic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system deals with automatic functions, and the somatic nervous system deals with both voluntary and involuntary functions meaning that physiological arousal is uncontrolled and involuntary.

Subjective arousal on the other hand deals more with the mental and psychological aspect of arousal. This is when one’s mind and emotions are positively engaged in sexual activity.

Sexual attraction

Sexual attraction on the other hand is most simply defined as actively wanting to have sex when a specific person. It differs from libido or sex drive which is the general hunger for sex. Someone may feel sexual attraction for a variety of reasons, but they’re taking sexual interest in a specific person.

Arousal versus attraction

Arousal and sexual attraction are not the same; arousal is a physical or mental response to a stimulus, getting turned on whereas sexual attraction took is not merely feeling sexually excited but wanting to have sex with a specific person because they are drawn towards them. It is entirely possible to get turned on by someone and have a physical response but not experience attraction and vice versa. This is called arousal non-concordance.

I also want to make a quick note—sexual arousal and attraction are not the same as sexual desire which is motivation and want to have sex. Being aroused doesn’t mean wanting sex, and even if you were sexually attracted to someone, that doesn’t necessarily mean you actually desire to have sex with them.

Asexuality, arousal, and attraction

Someone can be asexual and be aroused. The definition of asexual is someone who experiences little to no sexual attraction. Arousal is not the same as sexual attraction.

Using the argument of arousal in the physical sense against asexuality does not work as physiological arousal can be completely disconnected from the mental experience. Our bodies are programmed to behave a certain way to certain things and circumstances even if we feel very differently about the matter. Just because asexual people or anyone for that matter experience certain bodily reactions does not mean they’re enjoying an experience, are experiencing sexual attraction or want sex. This argument demonstrates a lack of understanding of asexuality, attraction, and arousal.

Furthermore, if someone experiences sexual attraction, that doesn’t nullify their asexuality. Being asexual is defined as experiencing little to no sexual attraction. That definition allows wiggle room for those who are demisexual, fraysexual, graysexual, whatever. Experiencing sexual attraction still falls under the umbrella of asexuality.

I hope you were able to learn something from this and it didn’t feel too disconnected! It’s my wish that this helps people to better understand these terms, exactly what they mean, and how asexuality intersects with these topics! I would definitely encourage researching anything talked about here more on your own if it interests you, but I have linked some resources and articles covering what I’ve discussed here in more detail.

Resources:

American Psychological Association definition of sexual arousal

NCBI Understanding Arousal

AVEN Defining Arousal vs attraction

itsbido Sexual arousal vs. attraction: what’s the difference?

Embrace Sexual Wellness, LLC. Arousal Non-Concordance: It’s More Common Than You Would Think

AVEN: The Gray Area, Sex and Related Discussions subforum post regarding arousal non-concordance and asexuality

The truth about unwanted arousal Emily Nagoski TED Talk

AVEN post on the Frequently Asked Questions Thread about what sexual attraction took is and more

Sex Positive Psychology: Sexual Desire and Arousal - Same or Different?

[harmonyhealinghub]

A Month of Mystery and Shadows Shaina Tranquilino October 1, 2024

As the leaves turn crisp and the days grow shorter, October 2024 marks a special moment in my year-long storytelling journey. For those who have been following along, you know that every month for the next year, I’m diving into a new theme, using it as the creative fuel for a collection of short stories. So far, I’ve explored a wide range of moods and settings. Now, we’re stepping into the eerie, enigmatic heart of autumn, and I couldn’t be more excited to share what’s in store.

This month’s theme is Haunting Whispers.

October always has a certain magic to it, doesn’t it? The crisp air, the glow of pumpkins on doorsteps, the feeling that something unseen might be lurking just out of sight. It’s the perfect time to explore the strange and the spectral, the kinds of stories that send shivers down your spine and make you question every creak in your house late at night.

With Haunting Whispers, I’m going deeper into those unsettling spaces. This theme is all about the voices we can’t quite hear, the secrets hidden just beneath the surface, and the eerie sensation of being watched. Each short story will capture a different aspect of haunting—whether it’s literal ghosts, echoes of the past, or the unsettling whispers of our own minds.

Whispers, especially when haunting, evoke mystery and tension. They can be both intimate and terrifying, something we lean into to hear better, but recoil from once we understand. There’s a quiet power in them—they are hints of something greater, something unknown. This October, I’ll explore those subtle moments of dread, when the truth lingers just out of reach, tempting and terrifying us all at once.

Expect stories with a variety of tones—from ghostly to psychological, from paranormal encounters to more subtle hauntings, where the ghosts aren’t spirits but rather the echoes of choices, memories, and regrets. Some stories might be more traditional in their spookiness, while others will lean into emotional or existential hauntings.

Why Haunting Whispers?

I chose this theme because I believe whispers hold a unique place in storytelling. They can be soft yet insistent, subtle yet unforgettable. A whisper is never meant to be the main event—it's a secret, a suggestion, a call for attention without demanding it. That's why whispers are so haunting—they leave so much to the imagination. What is being said, and more importantly, why is it being said quietly?

For this month, I want to play with that tension—between what's being told and what’s being withheld, what we hear and what we imagine. October is the perfect time to tap into these shadows of storytelling, when the nights are longer and the mind is more prone to wander into strange, unsettling places.

I hope you’ll join me on this month-long journey into the eerie and unknown. Whether you’re a long-time fan of ghost stories or someone who enjoys psychological twists and emotional depth, Haunting Whispers will have a little something for everyone.

Each day, I’ll post a new story, and at the end of the month, I’ll reflect on what I’ve learned from exploring these darker corners of imagination. I’d love to hear from you as well—what whispers are you haunted by? What stories have lingered with you long after you’ve turned the last page?

This October, let’s embrace the mystery of the whispers, the things left unsaid, and the chilling feeling that someone—or something—may be watching from the shadows.

Until then, stay curious, stay haunted, and above all, listen closely. You never know what you might hear.

[iamgroot-42]

10th best marvel movie of all time: Thor Ragnarok

To start off this list of the top 10 best Marvel movies, I'm starting off strong with #10. Thor Ragnarok. This movie is one of the most underrated movies in MCU history, and I'll go down to my grave believing this. Obviously, I'm gonna talk about how it has an amazing character development shown, great comedy, and an amazing villain. Not only those things, but there's also thrilling music and the whole story behind it is just genius.

Not only is the movie itself so good, but watching it just brings back so many good memories. For example, the very first time I saw this movie, it was in theatres with my mom. We would always go watch the new Marvel movies together and share popcorn and orange soda. Even now, on rainy days, when we're both free, this is our go-to movie.

To dive a little more into detail into the character development, Thor specifically had a lot of learning in this movie. Like literally in the first 20 minutes we see his hammer get destroyed and that's what he would really rely himself and his powers on beforehand. For example, whenever he faced a difficult challenge or anything of the sorts, all he had to do was reach his hand out for his hammer. We even saw this happen when he first showed up to Sakaar, he reaches his hand out, and when it's not there it's just an “oh sh$t” moment. This movie really forced him to grow and learn the potential of his powers if he just put his mind to use and concentrated. I really liked to see him develop and mature throughout this movie and see his full potential finally.

The other character development seen is Loki. He FINALLY starts to become self-aware of all his flaws but doesn't really believe he can change, resulting in him flip-flopping, but this time it's actually kind of sad because we know he's actually trying. I especially love watching Loki's character development in this movie because of my love for Psychology. He's always very conflicted, trying to do what's best but doesn't want to at the same time because it's difficult. I think he is so interesting to analyze throughout the movie.

To continue, like always, it is just hilarious. I love this aspect of the movie so much because I adore anyone with good humour. It is one of the most important characteristics in a person for me. My dad is the funniest person I know, and he's always cracking jokes that I can't help but laugh at, just like the ones in this movie. He also is a big Marvel fan, so we get to enjoy watching Thor and bonding over the humour.

The characters are just so lovable and funny. Like Korg, this big scary rock man. Turns out he's this super sweet and super humorous character that no one was expecting, but adores to see him in further movies. Korg is definitely one of my favourite characters in this movie. Not only him, but the little jokes cracked here and there by Thor himself, the Hulk, Loki, Valkyrie, and even Stan Lee made a funny appearance. The humour is definitely up-to-date and perfectly timed, it just adds the little details that make this movie so good.

Furthermore, to dig even deeper into the movie, I'm gonna talk about Hela and what she represents. So she is the main villain, and she is a great example that history is literally written by the victors. Although she is seeking revenge, and that's not all the greatest, she does have a reason to be angry. Her history was completely rewritten to favour the "good guys". I'm not going to go into further detail with that because I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't watched it. Hela had insane potential to be a great hero in the MCU universe, but didn't get the right guidance.

So yes, this movie is not only hilarious, but there is so much underneath the surface that needs to be acknowledged, so it deserves its spot rightfully at #10.

[torchshippod]

Crew Profiles Part 2: Doctor Bleddyn Stevens

Ahoy Cosmonauts! First of all, I’m not dead! And neither is this project! Apologies for the radio silence everyone. Mary had a minor issue with the cloak and was trapped in a pocket dimension for a few months. Read: A series of upheaving life events including a total career change and a month spent in the worst place known to mankind: Texas, shudder, meant I was unable to make any progress with Forbidden Space. But I'm back now, and we're hopefully back on track! The pilot still needs some time in the oven, but with some luck we should be able to release it soon. Until then, enjoy the first dive into one of the characters of Forbidden Space.

Who better to start with than the person responsible for maintaining Mary Gillham-32’s most important component: Her crew. Meet Doctor Bleddyn Stevens:

Art by the excellent @whirligig-girl

Broken bones, radiation poisoning, acute psychological trauma. If suffering from any of these, you can’t go wrong with seeing Mary Gillham’s acerbic, long-suffering Doctor. Stevens is responsible for all aspects of the crew’s health, both physical and mental. It's his job to both patch people up after an away mission gone wrong, and act as rocket therapist, staving off mental ailments from cabin fever to imposter syndrome. And while his dry disposition and devilishly sharp eyebrows have been known to rankle, he brings a steadying level-headedness to all aspects of the job that his crewmates can’t help but find comforting. It doesn't hurt that he also happens to be the one with the keys to the rocket’s psychedelics cabinet. 

“Please, I’m your doctor, of course I have the best psychedelics.”

But he’s not just the doctor/therapist. Like everyone in the Mary Gilham program, Stevens pulls double duty. He’s also the rocket’s tactical specialist. Responsible for operating Mary’s all important cloaking device and her variety of torpedoes, ranging from mundane nuclears to the exotic graviton warheads. One of the most destructive weapons in the IUR's arsenal and enough to ensure that size is no object. It's his job to direct space-borne engagements, formulating the battle plans that ensure Mary comes out on top, or at the very least, unscathed.

"Torpedoes will have impacted by now. Deploying periscope, outputting visual to the main… oh… Would you look at that… We’ll have to add a new asteroid belt to the charts…"

While the ability to remain calm in a crisis is a prerequisite for any cosmonaut, it’s even more so for Stevens. The requirement to perform complex neurosurgery one day and fire continent-threatening anti-matter warheads the next needs a very specific disposition. Stevens is calm, analytical, and generally the voice of restraint and consideration in any situation, although often parcelled with a sarcastic thrust his crewmates have learned to put up with. He takes this requirement for coolness and clear-thinking so far he actively refuses to indulge in any kind of mind-altering substances, even for medicinal purposes. A practice his fellow cosmonauts often find baffling to concerning.

"What? But he keeps the biggest variety of recreational drugs I’ve ever seen!" "Apparently for morale only." - Specialists Yureli and Martin on Stevens

Perhaps the most notable thing about Doctor Stevens though, is that he is an almost unprecedentedly strong Psychic Void, an incredibly rare trait that renders him invisible to all but the strongest of psychic phenomena, and incapable of interacting with any psychic technology. While being immune to mind altering phenomena may sound like a boon, it’s an impediment he’s uncharacteristically sensitive about. For one he's unable to use the psychic translator, forcing him to rely on inaccurate machine translations and learning languages the old fashioned way to communicate. Luckily, he’s a prodigal linguist, and is fluent in over a dozen languages, Human and alien.

"You’d be amazed how many languages you can learn without a psychic translator atrophying your brain. Though I admit I do envy it sometimes. Cetacean Auxlang is murder on the throat."

Perhaps the largest issue being a psychic void presents however, is the wedge it drives between him and Mary Gilham-32’s resident psychic, Yvette Martin. To someone whose view of the universe is coloured by psychic impressions, the lack of all empathic feedback makes the doctor come across as cold and unfeeling at best, and at worst, impenetrable and untrustworthy… 

"Anyway, she gave me this little Voxyte entertainment device that makes holograms. They look, totally real. You can touch them and interact with them and everything. I mean, it’s just dialogue trees and a basic language model, but they’re totally convincing. Except… I can’t feel them. Their minds. They're like... hollow... That’s what you’re like! uh ex... except, I mean, you’re a real person! Obviously!" " I am? That’s a relief, I was beginning to get concerned." - Martin and Stevens, on holograms.

So there you have it, Doctor Bleddyn Stevens. A steady, reliable cosmonaut who can't be beaten in a crisis. Or a sarcastic prick with a stick up his arse, depending on who you ask and how recently they had their mandatory medical. We'll be doing some more dives into the rest of the cast soon, so watch this space!

[primalbeatsourhearts]

:00 please do tell about anything! Headcanon, plans, anything! :D

Well I have lots of plans and headcannons, but I can share a few I got so far: Note that I will probs be focusing mostly on Champ/Wild in this post since at the moment, they are the focus of the series.

-I am currently trying to work on a spotify playlist for all the chain members! Once I am finished, I'll post them! -Wild's theme song at the current moment is "No Complains" but Noah Kahan -The Yiga in this au of mine are to be treated a LOT more seriously. They still have their goofey aspects, but above all they are serious threats. There is a reason why Champ does not like them. -Honestly, over all this Fic/series is probably to be taken seriously. There will be a lot of darker aspects that show up in my stories and I will be diving hard into the psychology of the chain :)

-Champ and Wild are almost entirely different people. They share some traits of personality that is the same, but otherwise the only commonality between the two of them is that they share the same body.

-Twilight has already met Wild, long before he has met Champ in "When The Curtain Closes"

-Champ is one, if not THE best swordsman in his Hyrule right now. He's basically been training with the sword from the moment he could hold one.

-Currently, in Champ's Hyrule, Dragons are a myth. They haven't been seen in centuries. Wild's Hyrule HAS seen the dragons (obviously) but no one is entirely sure how or why they returned. -Though the dragons may be physically gone. In the most recent chapter, when Champ was praying at the Spring of Courage. It was actually Farosh that answered his prayers. He's the comforting presence around Champ.

-Zelda and Champ do not like each other, they do eventually get on better terms but there is a lot of bad blood between them. However, Wild and Zelda DO get along, but more so like siblings. They trauma bonded hard and never acknowledge the issues that they still have.

-Wild is in a v happy relationship with Sidon and Yona, that started when it was the two of them he ran to when he discovered the truth about Zelda.

-I won't get into specifics, but The Demon King's fight with Wild lasted a long time. It was a grueling as hell fight. It doesn't end the same as it does in TOTK however.

-U will be getting some Eldritch vibes from Wild, because I love the concept.

-Everyone has something a bit more unique to them in this AU of mine. However, just recently, I thought of a very very interesting plan for our boi Sky. It may take a while for the reveal...but I sure do like it hehehe

-Lastly, pay attention to my reblogs! I am...taking inspiration a lot of things

Anyways, hoped you enjoyed the small amount of headcannons! Feel free to request more, or ask me to elaborate on something! I would be very much happy to :D

[silphine]

ESCAFLOWNE Voice meme (3/5)

[ Escaflowne voice meme made by @drkstars-art ]

PART 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

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3. Which side are you on ? What do you think happens Post-Hitomi when she leaves? Who do you think will be the next opposing power?

 Why necessary choosing a side ? (Funny, I never asked myself this question...) Well... As the series focuses/develops way more "good" side than Zaibach’s side and its characters, it's easier for me to empathize and lean more towards main protagonists. But deep inside, I’m a neutral observer. Because each side has its own set of we can label "good" or "bad" moral aspects. - I really love Folken, Narya and Eriya. - I don't see Dornkirk as pure evil despite I don't appreciate him... I would had loved to dive more in Zaibach generals (specially Adelphos), Sorcerers and Dilandau's soldiers psychology. But I don't think staff had planned to explore or develop these points... (Too bad because I love nuances in stories !) I digress but that's why I love Mononoké Hime (Miyazaki) that much or enjoy a big part of Game of Thrones for example.

    [ About Post-Hitomi ]

Well... I have more questions than ideas or answers on that matter... - Post-Zaibach is a big enigma in my mind :

Who can rule or give a strong and desirable direction after Dornkirk's reign ?

What could be Zaibach people's opinion on Great War events ?

What would they want to do next ?

  As Hitomi says in Ep 18 : " I wonder if Zaibach people are really happy... "

Personally, if many Sorcerers survive, I like to imagine high tensions with Adelphos.

We don't know lot of things about the General, but I noticed that :

He doesn't seem to appreciate or trust Sorcerers

He sees Dilandau as a demon.

He doesn't seem to blindly trust Dornkirk neither.

When he saw Celena in the garden scene, he felt clearly unconfortable. He even said : " I wonder what Zaibach has become (or what's going on in Zaibach)... "

He almost died in Basram's "energist" attack. But didn't go further in the war, unlike Alliance countries - betraying each other right away.

I tend to think he has a moral code and could play a good partition in "Peace" on Gaea. - Globally, it's quite difficult for me to imagine what Post-War Gaea could be because the end of the series doesn't take time to properly explain political, energy and technological context with other countries (like with Basram for example).

I would be definitely interested in translated informations on that subject !

My inner feeling is that true Peace is an utopia because each country has its own point of view, interests, history, concerns, culture and beliefs... so it necessarily leads to tensions with other countries.

But nations have to do their best to aim for this ideal in the interest of the greatest number, respecting everyone’s differences, thanks to a true and permanent diplomacy.

When you know humanity's complexity, it's a huge challenge...

  [ On a more character level ]

I am not quite confident in Allen and Celena's future...

I can not imagine she definitely recovered from all she's gone through in Zaibach.

And I think Allen would be (quite understandably) an overprotective brother... (this attitude never brings anything good in a relationship, even a brotherly one.)

Not that I don't wish the best for them. But I simply don't buy it...  (or at least, not without a huge and very long psychological work for Celena...)    

My opinion on Millerna and Dryden is way more positive.

I really think they would form a great and supportive couple. But they both need a lot of time.

However, I won't be surprised if Millerna relied once again on Allen for a while before going back to Dryden and sincerely falling for him (she is still lost at the end of the series...)

I can imagine her being the new Queen of Asturia, just as Eries      

About Van and Hitomi...

It's funny because I can just as easily imagine them never seeing each other again as they will definitely meet one way or another, whatever the form. (single or already married, with or without children from another partner, or even with different ages...) I would bet more on the idea they will meet again. It's how I feel and always felt since my first viewing. But it can also never happen. [ NOTE : If I am not mistaken : Kazuki Akane (director) said in an interview in "Roman Album" Artbook that Hitomi would surely meet Van again. But as they shared a "youth love", they need to grow up and mature before truly going back to one another. ( Please take this information with a grain of salt because I lost the translation many years ago... )  ] Some elements make me question a lot on their non or hypothetical reunion :

Their last dialogue (based on subtitles of Japanese dub)

Time Flow (which doesn't seem to be the same on Gaea and Earth...)

Van’s royal status.

    ( Their last dialogue ) H - I want to see this world with you, Van. But can I stay ? I love Gaea and Fanelia... V - If you want it, so do it.      As long we would share the same feelings, we can see each other again. ( Hitomi cries and gives him her pendant, telling him ) " I will never forget you, even when I will be a grandma. I will never forget you. " (I never get why she gives him her pendant before leaving Gaea...) I'm maybe wrong but I always felt that Hitomi thinks she will never meet Van again, or if : only with a big age difference between them. What does she mean by "grandma" ? That she will go on with her life, probably marry another man, have children, become a grandmother ? Or just an old lady ? It keeps remind me about Hitomi's grandmother and Leon’s story... ( Time Flow )

Too many questions run through my head on this part...

I wonder if we can even define a temporal correspondence between Gaea and Earth. (the more I try, the more I think this story element doesn't follow a strict rule... ) If we stick to chronological events : > it seems Leon met Hitomi's grandma 2 times : 1)  A first one (picture above) - Hitomi’s grandma is around 15. - About Leon : No precise idea... Except he is an adult. No direct mention of his wife and his children. 2)  A second (Leon’s search for Mystic Valley and meeting with  Isaac / Dornkirk)   - We know at that point - for sure - Leon is married to Encia and already has Allen. [ In his discussions with Allen, Leon never mentions Celena. " I get married and became father by obligation. I tried to live denying who I was. But men always wish to escape from destiny others impose on them. When I saw this young woman the second time... I realized I loved Encia... and you too, Allen..." ] I guess Leon died 15 (gaean) years before the events of the story. - Leon meets Hitomi’s grandma just before his death and is surprised to see her " like in the past ". He concludes : " I see... Here is the secret of Atlantis... The Power of Wishes..." He gives the pendant to Hitomi’s grandma, telling her : " Wishes become reality. No matter the distance, they transcend time and space." It seems to imply that time has passed for him but Hitomi’s grandma (still 15) is the materialization of his desire to see her, as he knew her. (Not her real appearance on Earth, on that moment.) I tend to think Grandma was not 15 when she received the pendant.   Another fact which makes me lean towards this hypothesis : > If Grandma really received the pendant at 15 and told her daughter about her experience when she was still a little girl, then : why did she give the pendant to Hitomi and not to her own daughter ? A part of me wonders if she received the pendant when she was already a grandmother and gave it right away to Hitomi. (But it's just my own hypothesis...) This part of the story leaves me with many questions :

How old was Leon when he met Hitomi’s grandma the first time ? Was he already married to Encia ?

How old was he on the second meeting ?

How old really was Hitomi’s grandma on the second meeting ?

Whatever the answer, it seems time passes quicker on Earth than on Gaea.

But this topic remains an enigma for me...         (Van’s royal status)

Moreover, "Hitomi living by Van's side" means sharing her life with a royal figure (and huge responsabilities) of a land she doesn't really know by the way... She, who just wanted to live a simple life... What a pressure for her... Van felt the same at the beginning of the series : he never wanted to be King and always clearly aspired to a simple life. I think he would truly understand her need for time to adapt. But it's clearly a situation that requires lot of compromises... There are plenty of possibilities ! [ > PART 4 ]

[messenger-of-stupidity]

Okay, for starters I fully accept the option that I am, in fact, ignorant (ignoring the connotation of the word. I suppose calling myself oblivious would be more accurate if we're not ignoring connotation) of a lot of topics. I don't particularly enjoy doing research and the random tidbits of knowledge I have are from academic necessity, friends, and things I can say to make people who creep me out get slightly traumatized so they'll leave me alone.

Should I put research towards things that matter, as well as social issues I aspire to learn? Absolutely. But the problem is building up the motivation to do so. And I get fed little things here and there, which usually satisfy my dulled down sense of curiosity.

One of those things is whitewashing within Fandom.

I understand it in art, when you take a naturally different race of a character and draw them with more Caucasian features. I understand how that's gross and invested in a sense of bigotry. I'm not oblivious to that, thankfully.

But when a character has no Canon appearance, and it's entirely left up to interpretation, is whitewashing possible?

Diving into the psychological aspect of it, someone's brain is more likely to view characters that don't have a canon appearance as a member of their own race, or a race they spent a majority of their childhood around. It's part of that whole social species thing. It's in the same ballpark of why serial killers rarely choose targets outside of their own race. (Other things too, but I'm not trying to be triggering, just trying to educate myself)

Now, it's completely possible to envision a character as a race you didn't grow up around, or you're a part of. And sometimes that's how it works, you just get a feel for something and envision it in that way. (Hence why human brains are evolved. We've evolved to that point)

But, back to my main question, is it possible to whitewash a character that has no Canon race?

[metellastella]

Animation Usurper

Happy International Asexuality Day!

Fun Fact, I wrote this during Ace Week in October. But apparently I either am so forgetful, or dissatisfied with my prose or am distractible or just couldn’t motivate myself to do clarifying edits, or some combo of those, here we are all these months later. 

So. Let’s make up for lost time.

I’m very far along the ace spectrum, so I typically don’t like Western ‘adult’ cartoons. (as a result of a particular brand of ace, not all ace people experience repulsion) Really, it’s more because the industry has collectively decided ‘adult cartoons’ should mean almost always be *obnoxious and in-your-face* about sexuality, as opposed to some animes made for adults whose focus isn’t that but maybe it includes it occasionally. 

To go on a bit of an unrelated tangent, Japan has a lot more respect for the ART medium of animation. And aside from aesthetics and effort, middling thematic variety between ‘this is all about sex’ and ‘for kids.’ 

(not fond of violence either) 

Sadly though, I find the style repetitive and haven’t really done a deep dive on anime. It doesn’t sate the ‘novelty-seeking’ aspect of my psychology. But I venerate all the effort. I just wish there was some fusion between the two, where Japanese animation was a little less rigid in its style dictates and Western animation aimed a little higher for quality. Maybe that’s arising, as you’ll see here in a bit later. 

It also doesn’t help that Western adult cartoons seem to think it’s funny to have a dial-it-in art style. 

I don’t like the idea of someone spending months of their lives, limited time on earth per minutes of animation, just to have it look scruffy, or flat, derivative, or unimaginative. That is incredibly disheartening to picture, as an artist. Even just being a hobbyist. 

Call it vicarious existential anxiety, I suppose. 

Maybe some might misread that concern and call me a ‘snob’ for that, but, hey, what’re ya gonna do. 

It’s as if, since again they seem to have very little self-respect for their stories or characters, the crude animation and character design itself is a crutch to add to the writing of comedy, and should be laughed at. 

Maybe people do find that funny. 

And note, I’m not even necessarily talking about making animation realistic or proportioning bodies exactly like anime does. Elegance can be found in the simplest of character designs, if someone deliberately creates it that way. See: the animation studio that produced The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner, Wolfwalkers, and most recently, My Father’s Dragon. 

(kinda glad I dragged my feet and got to give a shout-out to that last one) 

Lego Monkie Kid, for that matter!!!!

Cannot say enough good things about that show. I’ll probably make a whole separate post about it. 

To be honest, I quite frequently find myself digging for aesthetically pleasing ‘moving art,’ and sometimes the story is secondary. A stationary artist doesn’t have to tell me a whole story for me to enjoy their painting- and artist animators who just happen to draw a bad card from the deck and not to be blessed with pairing to good writers nonetheless pique my interest. 

I’ve done enough stationary art browsing over my lifetime, that, in fact, maybe I’ve jaded myself a little. If even a tiny fraction of the stellar character design in art communities online were animated, I think people would start to see the problem, and variety would blossom. 

So, that brings me to an interesting intersection of this musing. 

And don’t worry, the ace spec subject does come back into it full circle. 

Independent animators.

If you had described these two very well-known web animations to me beforehand, and asked me which you think I would like more, I would’ve selected ... 

Bee and Puppycat. 

I mean. Obviously. Cute creatures and whimsical settings. Not too adult and not too babyish either, something that is astonishingly rare among Western animation?? 

You might have heard grumblings of this before in fandom spaces, questioning and wondering about why there seems to be no middle ground.

But, oddly, even though I fully mentally recognize B & P as a landmark achievement, both as a step outside monopolized media production spaces and hitting a sweet spot that is sorely lacking within them ... I just didn’t resonate with it. 

This is baffling to me, because as I mentioned, the style of it is very appealing, so what gives? I’m put off of some shows with good writing because of aesthetic style, (as a corollary to the seeking styles and disregarding writing, kinda like someone may vibe to acoustic stylings of a piece of music even if the lyrics are utterly insipid on their own) but usually the reverse does not happen. Even if I didn’t like the writing or plotting, which is far from the case, as the writing’s fine, I should have been motivated to finish it.

Honestly, I haven’t quite worked that out yet, tho I have an inkling, and it’s related to suggesting an IRL friend to record Bee’s lines since she likes it so much. 

But, that’s not the reason I started this ramble, and not as well-developed as my thoughts on art styles, so forgive me for leaving it aside. 

Enter the Dark Horse animation that, had you asked me beforehand if I would like, I would’ve said ‘yeah prob not for me, I’ll move along.’ 

Helluva Boss (and Hazbin Hotel). 

There are LOADS of reasons I shouldn’t take a shine to this cartoon. 

1. HH & HB are barely above the likes of Rick and Morty and Simpsons et all in its incessant ‘adult’ jokes 

and again don’t misunderstand me here, I /enjoy/ Star Trek Lower Decks. It makes tolerable and judicious use of adult jokes and doesn’t overly rely on them.

2. HH’s style- while absolutely cool- is behind B & P in terms of preference. BUT. In terms of creativity and flow, is heads and shoulders above practically all big name cartoons out there. What I call the “golf ball eye” phenomenon, in which eyes are perfectly round with mere dots. So you get two moldy foods to consume for the price of one: lack of variation in creativity AND lack of character expressiveness and nice looks. Three sci fi examples are Star Trek: Lower Decks, Final Space, and Solar Opposites. One I love, the middle is not bad, and S.O.’s humor is great. Buuuuut. Their face aesthetics….. Even SU Pearl’s exceedingly simple, no-pupil eyes add SO much to the draw of the character with just the inclusion of a single color. I’m not asking for much. I promise. Not even Owl House style highlights are a bare requirement. I know how hard animating is. I like things like She-Ra, soft and round shapes, and tend to dislike sharp edges (Sorry, most recent Ninja Turtles remake. Kipo, you’re fine hunny, just a lil off) and yet. Somehow HH has bypassed that into ‘wtf why do I love this so much.’ Wily little sneaks. 

I mean, when the likes of Aquaman 2022 feels like ‘a breath of fresh air’ because there’s so little visual variety in animation, you know something’s amiss. Not to knock it too hard, though. I wish that had been that artist’s “breakout role,” tbh, instead of the first job he got stuck with before that, because he will be forever remembered as the guy who ruined a nostalgic fandom’s wishes at behest of executives and not the guy who made something as whimsical and fun as this iteration of Aquaman. The character was usually the butt of the joke among DC fans to begin with, and therefore has more leeway to be silly. That style won extra points that supplements its questionable aesthetic raw merit. To be fair, there’s so much motion in the character’s body emoting, that also goes beyond very stiff, basic poses common in other shows, I have to give points for that, too. 

3. HH universe takes religious concepts and obviously has no respect for them. In a somewhat similar but more lowkey way, recalling a screed by a practicing Hindu who was understandably angry at the less-than-respectful comedic moments in ATLA towards certain cultural aspects, I simply find the /premise/ cringe. I know cringe culture is dead and all. I even agree with that general sentiment. I think Vivzie will sleep fine at night if one backwater Tumblr blog- who’s ultimately still complimenting her- uses the term as a one-off. 

It doesn’t help that the vision of Hell typically forwarded in the modern day that is used to terrorize fundie-raised kids during childhood doesn’t resemble the original Hebrew belief and therefore the whole show ends up reminiscent of so much IRL totally unnecessary angst. 

I’d almost rather have a fantasy setting that had its own underworld concept, or could be similar to HH canon but with 4th wall breaks that slyly hinted they’re all in Dante’s Inferno which was, historically, political satire of the time (essentially a longform political cartoon, hue hue) and 0% Biblical to begin with …..  Idk. 

(though I did have a strange conversation with someone recently which indicated Dante’s Inferno may have been based on pieces of the Quran. Weird.) 

4. HB characters are abrasive. I could barely get through Homestuck. Lower Decks is here again a good comedy counterexample of characters that aren’t CONSTANTLY backbiting each other for the sake of a joke.

(or verbally abusing children, as one sci fi protagonist everybody loves to hate)

So, the mystery: how did I manage to stick with this cartoon, with so much pulling against it? 

Again, can’t quite put my finger on it 

But, I know that by the second episode, it had one little grip on me with Stolas sweetly serenading his daughter against a backdrop of the cosmos and exploding planets. 

Encouraged, I thought that perhaps there would be more sincere moments like that. I was hurting for musical animation after all, I can barely comprehend why it’s not more common. (sadly, Centaurworld did not really effectively scratch that itch, for me personally, tho I did latch onto a couple songs long term). Corporations want people hooked on their content, but you don’t offer us that which burrows into the brain and repeats itself for days at a time? 

The one time capitalism fails to take advantage of something, and it’s the pleasant things. Figures.

So, back into the thick of it, I’m halfway through the season and have found some bits and pieces to like, but still am questioning if the likable outweighs the negatives. Then I see Blitz and Moxie do their duet. Now that scene alone was worth everything else. Purely aesthetically it’s a treasure, a subtle shift in artstyle that mimicked the likes of Disney, and the character depth upgraded several notches.

So now by this point, I knew, I’m gonna watch the rest of this series at least. Dunno if I was gonna be super invested in the fandom, but not everything you watch will consume your soul like that, so all good. 

And then. 

Drumroll. 

The Wrath Ring pair visits the club. 

They are relentlessly mocked for being ‘too vanilla’ for everyone around them. 

Man. 

You don’t know HOW hard that hit me. You can’t comprehend it. 

Feeling constantly out of place b/c of not being allosexual. It’s not a perfect parallel obviously, but it nonetheless struck a deep vein of accumulated angst. 

Irony of ironies, the cartoon that may have slipped through my fingers because of VERY SIMILAR issues to that scene IRL managed to take a pickaxe to my psyche. 

Seeing two people being unapologetic about being more modest in their desires in the face of what could be interpreted as amatonormativity on steroids was indescribable. 

In fact, the parallel gets even closer to reality when you consider any perfectly ordinary woman who’s had the accusations flung at her for being ‘frigid’ or ‘repressed’ whether by men pressuring her or well-meaning friends or acquaintances who think they know what’s good for her better than she does. 

An excellent counter-anthem: 

I’d think she’d resonate with this too, and if not, maybe see the episode with new eyes after reading this little entry. 

In the modern era, in these ways, there is ubiquitous prude shaming and over-forced sex-positivity even of non-aces. 

So, I formally present to you my carefully constructed headcanon on behalf of bygone Ace Week: Moxie and Millie are both gray ace. Their attractions are more subtle than that palm sweaty, instant-draw that ‘primary attraction’ often generates, and subsequent strikes of physical desire. 

They might or might not have ‘secondary attraction’ as their only experience (demi) in the stylings of the very popular Friends-To-Lovers trope, but without their backstory of how they met, we can’t determine that yet. 

They are alloromo, of course. Alloace. Probably hetace. 

After some reflection, as an inversion, Blitz could probably be read as aroallo. 

(I know it’s played as if he’s simply ‘afraid’ of getting in a serious relationship, but if you pay close attention, his platonic relationships are presented the exact same way- so it could be just relationships and emotional vulnerability in general. It doesn’t directly have to mean he experiences romo attraction. We don’t see a lot of him deliberating and being ‘drawn’ to it but shying away- rather he’s so oblivious to romance he stumbles into inviting Stolas out without even once thinking what it might mean to the other. Sorry but, that is an incredibly common experience among aro people, not realizing how they’re coming across to another person!!) (and his response to a clearly romantic overture of watching movies and cuddling even more hints that his brain operates in aro mode)  

And Angel Dust gives off vibes which are much more straightforwardly aroallo.

And to round it all out, we have the canon aroace character, Alastor. 

And thus concludes HH’s careful courting of me. The initial rocky start, the resistance, has evaporated and I am invested.

...

P.S. 

If you’d like to see some more independent animation, check out Lackadaisy, which is absolutely stunning 

And Talon, the fluidity of which is somewhat rougher, but is nonetheless ambitious, has some neat light effects, and definitely for those who adore dinosaurs