#I love Raj so much though

[spencerwatchestoons]

TD SPOILERS//

a present for @a1asta1r :D

[amphibifish]

actually while i'm still on this tybalt and mercutio are so heimdallr and loki

[hannibalismos-jaaneman]

is it just the cogs of my brain whirring wildly or was bedelia kinda sorta in love with hannibal too?

[aconstantstateofbladerunner]

@rajghafa Hey there, glad you like the post! I’ve actually never met anyone else who’s even heard of these books besides me, so I’d love to hear more of your thoughts if you’re willing to share them.

As for your question about ableism, towards the end of the third book, main character Kelsey gets bitten by a shark and reacts in the aftermath like this:

(Apologies for the low-quality screenshot)

Apparently, people with amputations can’t find love or raise children.

Now, one could make the argument that these are the irrational ramblings of someone who just survived a traumatic experience. However, Kelsey walked off numerous other animal attacks earlier in the series, including getting mauled by a bear, so why is this one different? I don’t think the author put that much thought into it. Not to mention the main focus here isn’t the injury itself, but how it will hypothetically affect her love life, further emphasized by her boy toy Ren telling her on the next page that he would still find her pretty even if she lost both legs. That is the resolution. Not that Kelsey is being irrational, but that she’s still sexually attractive wife material no matter what.

Not to mention the casual sexism of it being a woman’s “responsibility” to get married and raise kids. Unfortunately, the misogyny is a much more common occurrence throughout the series.

I don’t think the author hates disabled people, but I also don’t think she bothered to consider how unnecessarily shitty and hurtful that was to write her main character saying. Just like she didn’t consider how to respectfully depict a culture she wasn’t a part of or if she should look up whether or not China still had an emperor in 2011.

@jelly-as-in-grape-concord made this for me

Tiger’s Curse book 3 is officially the worse book I’ve ever read and Colleen Houck is my eternal enemy.

[m00nl1ghts1vt]

Don't Think Different - Matt Sturniolo

Requested by anon Pairings - bf!Matt x gf!Reader Summary - You and your long-term boyfriend, Matt, get invited to a friend's wedding. As the ceremony goes on, you and Matt can't help but wonder what it'd be like if it was your wedding day instead. Warnings - Just some fluff 🥰 established relationship, mentions of marriage and children W/c - 907 A/n - Heyy guys ❤️ I tried my hardest with this one. I don't have too much experience when it comes to cultural differences so, please don't hate. I had to do a bit of research for this one! I hope everyone likes it! (Dividers and photos are not mine. All credits to owners) Tags - @lvrsturniolo (if anyone else wants on my tag list just let me know!) Masterlist. Requests are open. Current series - City of Love.

“Ready baby?” Matt sounds from the driver's seat of his car. You look at him, nodding, “yea let’s go.”

You and your boyfriend, Matt, were attending a close friend's wedding. You met the couple in college, quickly becoming their third wheel. A year later, you met Matt on a fun night out with them. You labeled Raj and Carina as your ‘parent friends’, so when Matt got their approval, you were jumping for joy! 

Though, three years have passed and both relationships have flourished tremendously. Your relationship with Matt didn’t move as quickly as Raaj and Carina’s did. I mean, they were getting married while you and Matt just hit one year of living together a couple months ago. You were happy for your friends, but a bit jealous that you and your long-term boyfriend weren’t in their shoes. 

Exiting the car, Matt grabs your hand and leads you into the venue. It’s an outdoor wedding with flowers and tapestries draped from the sky, setting a fun and playful mood for the guests. It really was beautiful.

“Oh my god,” you slap a hand over your mouth. You look around, taking in the breathtaking view. Matt looks over at you smiling, “I know! This is amazing!” He was in awe just as you were. The two of you take your seats, waiting for the ceremony to start. The groom, Raaj, comes in first, music blaring and his groomsmen following close behind him. When Carina approaches the aisle, all eyes on her, her dress is all white and bedazzled with crystals. Her veil matches, beaded crystals drooping off of it. Looking over at Matt, “I love her dress!” you mouth at him. He smiles at you and nods back to the bride. 

You turn your attention towards your friend as she approaches her soon-to-be husband. You couldn’t wait for that to be you and Matt up there. Your heart fluttered at the thought of marrying him and starting a family. It didn’t matter that your relationship went at a slower pace than most. As long as he wasn’t going anywhere, you didn’t care how quickly things progressed. Matt reaches his hand out, placing it on your thigh, and rubbing small circles into your skin. Your eyes meet his and he gives you a reassuring smile. 

The two of you watch as your newly married friends circle around the fire seven times and exchange varmala’s. Raaj bows as Carina puts the varmala around his neck, accepting his wife. He stands upright, smiling big as he puts his varmala over Carina’s head. The crowd cheers, giving the newlyweds a standing ovation as confetti and flowers shoot through the air. Matt wraps his arm around your shoulder, ducking his head until its ear level to you. He places a soft kiss on the side of your face, “that’ll be us next.”

Heat rises to your cheeks at his comment. God, you wish it was your moment right now. You had a habit of wanting as much of Matt as you could get, not in an overly possessive way. The passion your relationship with Matt held was undeniable. As guarded as he was, it only made you want to break his walls down even further - and that’s exactly what you did. It took a while, but you got there. So, Matt telling you he planned on marrying you was something you only dreamed about before. He never talked about marriage before, him mentioning it now made you fall into a daydream. Imagining the wedding you always wanted felt surreal to you. 

You look over at Matt after a while, “I’m not in a rush.” You knew damn well that if you could have it your way Matt would be dropping to one knee and pulling out a ring right then and there. That’d be considered rude at someone else's wedding, right? You watch as Matt purses his lips together, “I am,” making you giggle at him. 

“Seriously, we’ve been together for years. Getting married doesn’t seem too bad, right?” he scratches the back of his neck nervously. Truth is, Matt never knew if marriage was a goal for you. You came from a divorced household, so he always thought it was a sensitive topic for you. He wasn’t wrong and he never brought it up. 

“Well, duh,” you say a little louder than expected. All the guests are exiting their chairs, relocating to the reception tables. Matt snakes a hand around your waist as the two of you follow the group of people. “I know we’ve never talked about it, but marriage is a big goal of mine,” you tell him honestly, “and I hope it's one of yours too.”

Your words make Matt abruptly stop in his tracks. The sudden halt makes you stop with him, tripping over your own two feet. Matt keeps his grip on your waist firm, not letting you faceplant and he turns you to him. “Of course, I want to marry you, Y/n. This isn’t just fun and games to me, this is serious. I want it all with you, I want to put a ring on that finger and babies in that belly,” his fingertips dig into your waist as he talks, lifting your hand and stroking your ring finger. He brings it up to his lips, giving your hand a small peck, “don’t think any different, okay?”

[torantuga]

are.you.an.angel..

I've been looking for AleNoah as dads my entire life man!!! You're like.. sent from above!!

..

wait how did they get MK then..

did Noah and Emma have MK then divorce, and then Noah gained custody..or is she just adopted..

I don't know if you mind me doing this but like,

I like to imagine :3.. that Aleheather broke up and Nemma actually got married but divorced so then MK is just like..there. Then boom Noah and Alejandro meet again and they're like "btw did you know in World Tour I loved you" "fr!? Me.me too!" "do you wanna get married" "yea!!!!"

yea. (I may have gotten Raj into the mix..bleh.)

Wow this is incredibly long sorry about that drink water and have a lovely day!!!!!

-⏰

OKAY I ACCIDENTALLY MAY IR MAY HAVE NOT MADE A CHART THAT EXPLAINS THE AU THANKS TO THIS ASK (IN MY EYES) !!

i personally dont like the idea of the women in the respective relationships abandoning the men to let them be gay w each other, esp since so many people that write similar things end up making emma just straight up abandon the family cause of stress. its way too convinient yknow, jst my opinion, and it makes emma look bad (which shes way too awesome) i think she would be very close w the mudaliar-burromuerto family but as a close friend/honorary aunt sorta way.

but your idea of the au is cool! i like it.

this is kinda of like a long answer to your question being like. how did they have mk.....

okay so.

how did they end up together? i inspired myself from a fic that is literally just noah being alejandro's only visitor in the hospital post-WT. they become friendly and, since the burromuerto family sees alejandro as an embarrassment for being too vulnerable and letting himself lose the million dollars in front of many people, leaving him being kicked out, they eventually end up moving together! its kind of a slowburn college romance if im being honest. and once theyre juniors/seniors in college, they end up getting together.

so. hooow do they adopt mk? since its from birth? wouldnt they be super young? EXACTLY

theyre young parents due to alejandro being pressured from his side of the family to at least get a child if he's going to keep being a failure. this hurts ale deeply and he genuinely starts to panic, thinking he should raise a kid as soon as possible. he manages to convince noah that its true baby fever and that they'll be wonderful parents, even though normally "ideal" parents marry and then have children.

they search for a while and eventually come across someone who was thinking of adoption whilst pregnant, and the three of them worked very hard to make it possible. so in 2007, MK is born, and adopted into the mudaliar-burromuerto family. (i do not know SHIT about adoption so i wont make much detail about it)

of course, not being married and having a child was also critizised, so they quickly married around a year or two later. (it took a while to cut the burromuerto family out of his life, but back then ale was very young and very easily manipulated by his family)

so, around 6 years later, they adopt another kid, which was already a year old, but who really didnt have a name. he was dropped off at an orphanage when he was around 6 months old, but he didnt seem to be registrated anywhere. ale n noah, curious, took on the role to foster care this kid and came up w a name for him, which alejandro chose, nicolás. they adopted him soon after

so yeah full story!!! may be susceptible to change!! wahoo!!

[treason-and-plot]

Further Replies to Raj and Mia and An Attempted Explanation of Their Dynamic

(Replies to comments made on this post)

@coreene-simblr

I take back what I said in the previous post. Fuck you, Kaleb. I am getting some vibes from Raj though. I feel like he likes Mia a lot more than he's letting on

Raj has never forgotten Mia's loyalty towards him when he was in jail. It was one of the darkest times of his life and most of his former friends and colleagues deserted him but Mia didn't. He knows Mia is in love with him but he also will never forget her kindness and yes, he does love her for that. He also loves her candour, her complete lack of guile and her ability not to take herself too seriously. She is no match for him intellectually though, nor does she fit his physical type...like Roy, Raj is attracted to sophisticated brunettes.

@muses-circle

Raj is giving me whiplash, going from looking like a possessive asshole to an asshole father figure. Pretty sure Mia is gonna crush on him even harder now.

Do long term readers remember what happened to David when he tried to sexually abuse Mia...and also what happened to his ex-wife Naomi's abusive stepfather?? Raj has a moral code that is all his own. He will do his damndest to protect those who are in his inner circle.

@zosa95

Kaleb is a jackass! Good riddance! That said, Raj is one too… but I think perhaps he has a tiny soft spot for Mia in that shriveled, frozen heart of his? Cookie would shit kittens if that is true.

He values Mia both as a loyal friend and an employee....as detailed above, she was one of the few who didn't desert him while he was in jail and he knows he can always rely on her. Cookie knows this very well and it's one of the reasons she dislikes Mia so much. She's very jealous of their history and the fact they've been friends for so long.

@mysimsloveaffair

Nanette giggling made me giggle too. lol Why do I have the feeling that Raj is in love with Mia too?

'In' love might be a bit strong...but he definitely loves her as a friend. I think this is something that not even Julia and others in his inner circle fully appreciate.

[yamujiburo]

hiya again yam! i can't think of any hanamusa stuff to ask/talk about currently, so i've decided to ask about one of the shows you work on! i have a few (extended) family members who like the show, and by extension, i've caught much more than a few episodes (i always think of hanamusa when i hear the theme LOL)! (it's big city greens)

my question is... 1) who's your favorite character if you have one? (the dad is very goofy imho he is fun)

and 2) (idk if this is NDA-able or not so if it is please feel free to disregard LOL) did the scriptwriters consult you for gloria's parents speaking jp in the episode where she was like, showing off her 偽物の life to her parents? i'm always interested in hearing about the processes writers go through in including different languages in shows, especially kids' ones... *especially* in confirming that it's accurate enough which is why i ask. bc tbh i feel like it's pretty rare to have that in the end? we bare bears had lots of korean speaking characters in it iirc but that's one of the only shows that comes to mind.

thanks!!! o/ (ps: i think it'd be really funny if lisia pokemon met tr james and talked about fashion or something!with him just as a fun lil friendship rarepair, this may be a Bad Idea but in a fun crackfic-y way??? maybe i need to write this .)

I have a few! I love Tilly, Nancy and Tracy hehe (i won't say bella bc that's cheating

Early on, we didn't have scripts because we were a board driven show haha. There's been a few times in my own episodes where I'd throw in Japanese. Then for Rent Control (the episode you're talking about) my friend Raj, who boarded on that episode just came to me for some line suggestions! There's a whole language department though so everything goes through them when the final script for records is generated!

[castawavy]

November Save MEGA summary (part 2)

before / next

hope you all enjoyed the previous summary, it was a nice walk down memory lane for me 😁❤ anyways let's just jump into the next one

so basically overall steve was really HATING working at Hogan's but June was just doing really well in general (enough to be the main earner in the household essentially so steve was able to quit his job)

june attempted to wingwoman raj again because things didnt really work out with kamala... LMAO

on friday she took a day off and decided to go for a job interview to join an in-house legal team

and very quickly she learned shed got the job 😁🤸‍♀️💖

on monday she let her manager Margot know she was resigning and officially handed in her resignation to the boss, boss, Jared. they were all super happy for her, and june was grateful to have had a good time working with them all

THEN, after that she visited her mom for awhile (who lives in Brindleton Bay, and caught up with her without steve or the kids)

that same weekend it was adelaide's birthday and they threw her a modest party (they are always paycheck to paycheck kinda ngl but june's recent job change / promotion means that things are getting better

bonus shot of the kids being EXTRA cute (they get on really well) 💖

very VERY soon after that, june attended a conference in Tartosa with her new team, which was a great chance to get to know everyone...

UNFORTUNATELY things got a bit flirty at the dinner 🌹😢 and the brunette guy behind june flirted with June and she did it back 😵 and yeah... nothing else happened but YIKES. my interpretation of june is honestly that she got a taste of what her life could have been like, without steve... the kids... bills etc, and she got a bit carried away by the glitz and glam of it all 🤷‍♀️ (sorry I do like my sims to have flaws, & like everyone else june is not perfect </3), but yeah as I said nothing else happened and june immedietaly felt AWFUL about it as she should (shes a loyal trait sim) 😘 but she did look stunning that night

when she got home it was extra bad as well because she had to face steve (and the kids) and it made he realise how lucky she had it, cuz steve also got her some champagne to celebrate her new job ☠😂

so... june confessed and told steve about what happened, and ngl even I was suprised he took it so well and was understanding + I think he appreciated she told him right away

also right after he mentioned marriage??? I think the two of them needed to talk about it cuz june always saw herself getting married I think and steve hadnt really considered it...

BUT YEAH drama / crisis averted AHAHAH sorry this seems really fast but I promise it had been brewing for some time - I think out of the two of them, unfortunately june is just a little bit more insecure than steve, because she has set so many expectations on herself & her mother growing up was very strict with her </3 overall I know she invisioned her life going differently, but when faced with that actual opportunity she didnt take it 😘❤🤸‍♀️

bonus picture of steve because we havent seen him for awhile now and hes gotten a lot healthier recently / working on himself and his mental health a bit (not quit smoking yet though) also raj came over and june seemed more like his best friend than steve because they were joking around so much 😂😂😂

also omg then adie had a bear phase...

😁 and that's a wrap for this summary but PHEW a lot of focus on june this time (I always love giving my sims really complex spouses)

before / next

[mechanoize]

First of all, I love your most recent post, he looks so elegant

Second of all, I am very much intrigued, and would enjoy a ramble, if you are up to it :)

copy pasted from my other ask.. :P

BUT.. so basically what I had in mind was…

(big fat big ramble incoming…)

prowl is a sorta crime boss,, big guy, big name, big money yk. and so there’s this big ol’ masquerade getting hosted… not by him, he doesn’t care for them, but in his name. whole buncha other big name guys are there too, ‘nd OUUUU jazz is an enforcer who specializes in undercover work. he recently got transferred to praxus yk. and this is his first real dangerous assignment.

hes done lotsa research, he’s a smart guy. and so they set it up so he’s working as a lead singer for a little live music/entertainment sector of the masquerade. he was meant to be in the least compromising position, whereas Mirage was actively invisible and snooping around the premises, and Tracks was meant to act as a distraction more than anything, keep the attention more so on her. (I need to design her so bad for this,, and ‘raj :P )

but worst comes to worst, Jazz ends up being a little bit TOO good at his job and many mecha are attracted to the music he and others are providing. causes complications, of course, but jazz is quick to reassure they’ll be fine. and they can’t really withdraw, because Jazz is too far cemented into the scene at that point.

the night draws to a close and there’s a sort of (probably traditional) dance that Prowl is kinda forced into. Not really, there isn’t many people who can force him to do anything, but a little but of persuasion from bluestreak and he crumbled. He didn’t have anyone TO dance with, and though not an inherently romantic performance, it’s still.. demeaning, in his eyes. Too much so to do it with anyone familiar.

so he chooses a partner at random, and as per protocol, many if not all the mechanisms present at least loosely knew the choreography. jazzs commlink is on fire, they think oh crap, our guys cooked. we didn’t know OR cover this. but surprise,, Jazz loves culture, loves learning. he loves dancing, music and all that stuff, and though he didn’t learn it to benefit his mission, he knew it. HOORAY!

so that’s settled, and it goes better than anyone (mainly prowl) could have imagined.

this is getting too long but Prowl is also smart. He actually is very much aware of Jazz and Track’s position, and he’s ran into his cities law enforcement many a time. he’s started threatening, yk, trying to shake them off. not because Prowl is hiding some big twisted secret, but because their enforcers are being met with increasingly harsher repercussions when caught within his vicinity. hes trying to spare them the trouble. they’ve also never even gotten close to uncovering anything beneath prowls jurisdiction so 😭 but they keep trying. And prowl is genuinely baffled that they keep sending their agents directly into danger, and this was their dumbest idea to date.

Because Prowl had known from the moment they stepped ped in the venue, and the bots present were not all dumb. And to be uncovered would result in things that not even he could stop, lest he shatter his own reputation. And that is something he’s unwilling to do; he has mechanisms of his own to protect.

so Prowls actions are all calculated, and he sorta has an idea to fake a liking towards Jazz and book him again, the following orn. Implications get twisted, yeah, but he just wants to speak to him one on one so he can relay a message to his superiors, tell them to back off cus though he is merciful many others are not.

Jazz sees this as an opportunity. and with little input, he accepts. of course, immediately reprimanded, but not discouraged. the mechs overseeing his mission see this as a needed win. a chance to finally crack down on the crime empires or whatever, starting at the heart of it all, Prowl.

ILL CUT IT SHORT NOW but !!! Prowl makes Jazz aware of it all, Jazz is like holy moly. And at that point Jazz is too involved for Prowl to send him on his way and forget so he sorta keeps an eye on him, something Jazz is more than aware of.

yaddah yaddah more interaction that i do have ideas for but are not major enough to send here 😭

+ a bonus wip sketch! very messy rn but I’ll actually render this one when i get the time LMFAO

[literary-illuminati]

2024 Book Review #39 – Inglorious Empire: What the British Did To India by Shashi Tharoor

I honestly forget who first recommended this book to me – quite possible I just googled ‘good indian history books’ and found it that way? - but it’s been on my TBR list for functionally forever at this point. Which meant I went into it essentially blind, with no memory of what if any details I’d been given with the recommendation. Which meant I had a moderately disappointing reading experience just because I was hoping for a narrative history and not an explicit polemical/persuasive text. Still, taken on its own merits as one of those, it’s really quite a good one.

The book is an adaptation and expansion of a performance the author gave at an Oxford debate (arguing against the notion that the British Empire was a good thing) which was recorded and went viral enough to make it a commercially viable prospect. The origin story shines through in the form – aside from an introduction and conclusion, each chapter is a clear and specific argument against some specific justification offered for the British conquest and colonization of India, full to bursting with statistics and quotations buttressing every point.

I would very much like to say that most of it is devoted to stuff the average reader will know anyway (if illustrated with clear and affecting examples), but, going by the apparent public response to the original debate and some polling cited in the conclusion, apparently not! The YouGov polls about the English public’s knowledge and opinion of the Empire are bleak enough that yeah this probably is a direly needed work of public education, if mostly for people who will not at any point read it.

Still, the fact that the British Raj was explicitly and institutionally racist and reserved functionally all positions of real power and authority for white men shouldn’t be much of a surprise, nor the fact that the ‘rule of law’ was basically a sick joke as far as crimes across the colour line went, nor the fact that the extraction of wealth from India to make fortunes in Britain was the explicit goal of policy, nor the fact that resistance (especially resistance successful enough to spook the authorities) was responded to with utter and excessive brutality. All that is basically the meat of what having been a colony means.

That said, I was taken a bit aback by the sheer rapaciousness of early Company government – it’s one thing to hear about oppressive taxation, another to get quoted the census figures of how they were so extreme that enough peasants fleeing their land and homes to look for greener pastures to show up as overall population decline in the areas under HEIC control. Similarly, my understanding of how India was turned into a captive market for British goods was much more subtle and indirect than the outright smashing of looms and legal prohibition of any attempts to compete with British industries that were actually used.

Whereas I did know about the deadly famines that kept occurring throughout the Raj, but the sheer cartoonish malevolence of colonial authorities when faced with them always manages to shock me a bit. ‘Nature’s solution to overpopulation’ was a really horrifyingly opinion at the time.

The audience of the debate performance the book’s based on definitely shines through in the choice of sources – wherever possible, Tharoor quotes from or cites western (Anglo-American, generally) sources for his eye-witness accounts and always takes care to introduce and ground them in terms of western governments or academia. The quotes themselves are all helpful illustrations, though there’s probably slightly more than are really strictly necessary – I’m pretty sure by wordcount at least a chapter of the book was actually written by Will Durant.

I’m not sure if it’s because of the original format or just how Tharoor writes, but the book also just has a great love of adjectives. Seemingly every source referenced is ‘historic’ or ‘path-breaking’ unless it is merely ‘compendious’ or outright ‘invidious’. Not a bad thing, but once I noticed it I was totally unable to stop doing so.

The book is straightforward polemic and Tharoor makes no bones about his position, so I take his verging-on-idyllic descriptions of pre-colonial Indian governance (especially regarding land tenure and caste) and the probability that India would have unified into a modern nation state without colonialism a dose pour of salt. There’s a few other inaccuracies I noticed (referring to the East India Company’s theft of Chinese tea plans as the ‘birth of agricultural espionage), for example), but it was all in the realm of little asides or colourful anecdotes rather than anything load-bearing.

It is rather funny that the book repeatedly draws comparisons with French colonies to argue that India was worst off, on the grounds that Paris at least made gestures towards integrating Indochina or Algeria and their peoples into France (however inadequate and hypocritical those efforts were), whereas in India the maintenance of total domination and the clear policy that India and Indians were things to be exploited for the benefit of England never changed. Funny, because from the book of Vietnamese history I read a few months ago the perspective of nationalists in Indochina was quite the reverse, seeing the English as at least somewhat honest brokers who were willing to grant some level of (limited and inadequate) self-government, compared to the French. Grass is always greener, I guess.

Though that does get at Tharoor’s argument as to why the British were worse not just in degree but in kind to the Mughals and any other empire-builders from outside South Asia who had come before them. The Mughals became Indian, both in the simple material sense that all their taxes didn’t end up back in Samarkand and Indian merchants were intentionally ruined for the benefit of traditional central asia trade routes, and in the more cultural sense that the ruling class set down roots and intermarried with their subjects rather than establishing a cloistered ruling class. Instead, the Raj was more akin to Tamerlane’s sack of Delhi, extended across 200 years. (One gets the sense Tharoor thinks a permanent settler population moving into stolen palaces would have been preferable to the rotation of soldiers and officials arriving from the metropole for long enough to get rich before heading back to build mansions in the Home Counties.)

Also, speaking of Vietnamese history, I only have a sample size of two but it’s interesting how in both cases a class of liberal (in the western sense) intellectuals and bourgeois emerged who tried to take the colonial propaganda at its word and enter some sustainable partnership with the imperial power – and in both cases got at best ignored and at worst imprisoned, tortured and executed for their trouble.

Anyways, interesting read, if one that makes me want something more specific and rigorous about basically any specific section of it (though, not to jump up and yell ‘Canada Mentioned!’ but every time Trudeau was used as an example of a colonial power’s leader handling the apologizing and acknowledging stuff gracefully and well I had to really try not to laugh).

[serenpedac]

The Depiction of Motherhood and Fatherhood in Remembrance of Earth’s Past

Or: a defence of Jin and Raj

There are many posts online on how feminity is seen as soft and weak in Liu Cixin’s writing, while masculinity means being able to make those hard decisions, but I haven’t seen anyone focus on motherhood and fatherhood specifically, so I decided to write my own post about that. The points made here are similar, but the approach is slightly different.

This post is a blend of things happening in the books and the Netflix adaptation, so spoiler warning for both. For anyone who is unfamiliar with either, Cheng Xin is Jin Cheng, and Zhang Beihai is Raj Varma. In the books, these two characters never meet, but in the adaptation, they not only meet, but they start out by being in a relationship. The ending of the first season hints that they will be running into each other in the future as well.

At first, it seemed to me the adaptation mainly did this to let the characters have some kind of connection, as both of them will be very influential in the future. They may have though it better to introduce characters that are connected, rather than isolated. This is likely to be a reason as well (and I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad one, tbh, though I can understand criticism of this choice). However, as I was writing down some thoughts regarding the depiction of motherhood versus fatherhood in the books, I realised that it are exactly these two characters who came up the most.

Death’s End casts Cheng Xin several times in the role of a mother to the humans on Earth. When she becomes Swordholder, the image of her protectively holding a baby appears several times, an actual baby is even pushed into her arms at one point. Then, the droplets attack and she has to make the choice to send the deterrence signal, but “she was a protector, not a destroyer; she was a woman, not a warrior.” She feels the weight of life on Earth and is unable to destroy that.

She dooms humanity here, and later on when Wade wakes her from hibernation and she has to choose whether to continue research on lightspeed travel. The thought of the war this may cause and its casualties lead her to put a stop to it. Again, she chooses to protect the existing life.

No matter how much she might wish to protect life and act out of love and care, she cannot protect humanity, because she feels a mother would feel about her children. 

Perhaps surprisingly, but Ye Wenjie does a similar thing with her own daughter, Yang Dong. She decided to keep her unaware of the ETO and Trisolaris. This led to Yang Dong finding out by herself and eventually committing suicide. Would she have done so if Ye Wenjie had been open about it? Possibly, but her life might have also taken a completely different route. I’m not 100% sure if the books say Ye Wenjie kept it from her because she wanted to protect her, but the adaptation does, and it seems like a reasonable motivation for her in the book as well. Again, the need to protect leads to death.

Back to Cheng Xin, the idea of her being a mother also goes the other way: humanity sees her as a mother as well, see for example this moment when the people of the Gravity and Blue Space see a picture of her holding a baby:

“Cheng Xin stood in front of the UN Secretariat Building, holding a baby. Her picture had been blown up to be as large as the “brush” bristles, and the contrast between the two images could not be sharper. The basic color scheme of space was black and silver—the depth of space and the cold light of the stars. But Cheng Xin resembled a Madonna from the East. A warm, golden glow bathed her and the baby, giving all those present the feeling of being close to the sun, a sensation they had missed for half a century.”

Cheng Xin’s motherly warmth contrasts the cold of space. Space that has become the (temporary) home of those aboard those two ships because of Zhang Beihai.

Going back two pages, the description of the people lining up in Blue Space’s great hall to discuss what to do after the droplet attack on Earth compares these two moments:

“Sixty years ago, the officers and enlisted men of this ship had also lines up here to accept Zhang Beihai’s command, and most of them were still there.”

Like Cheng Xin is mentioned to be a figurative mother, Zhang Beihai is seen as being a figurative father. He’s a father of these Galactic humans, but also for Dongfang Yanxu, the captain of the Natural Selection. During the time that he is assigned to monitoring her actions, and also later, when they have escaped, it’s said that she sees him as the father figure that she never had.

Zhang Beihai’s own father also plays a small, but important role. When he is sitting at his father’s death bed, Zhang Beihai asks him what he should do. His father tells him to (paraphrasing, because I already returned the book to the library) “think about it, and then think some more”. This is enough for Zhang Beihai to conclude what he should do.

Later on, in a section on the Natural Selection, he also says how he can still feel his father’s presence, watching his actions. That presence is what gives him strength to do what he must.

Now, what is interesting to me is that both Zhang Beihai and his father die, leaving their child(ren) to carry on their vision. Unlike Cheng Xin’s all-controlling actions, these two fathers let go. And it is in this letting go, in Zhang Beihai’s father dying, giving him those final words, in Zhang Beihai being killed by one of the other ships, that their descendants change, develop, continue.

Fatherhood is seen as giving strength, as taking actions, as letting go to let your descendants move forward.

Another thing that the amazing @onewomancitadel made me think about (go read their Three Body Problem posts, they are very insightful!), is that Cheng Xin is entirely passive to her circumstances. And I think this is also reflected in the idea of motherhood in these books: she gets handed this responsibility, this baby. Similarly, her mother found her as a baby, and decided to raise her. Motherhood is not written as an active decision, but rather as something passive that happens to women.

Compare this to Zhang Beihai, who thinks and plans and makes sure those plans come to fruition. 

Finally, I gave this post the subtitle “A defence of Jin and Raj”, because I think it’s a very interesting choice of the adaptation to link these two characters more closely. In the books, Wade acts as a narrative foil to Cheng Xin, but I would argue that Zhang Beihai is even more her foil. Zhang Beihai and Cheng Xin share the same goal: for humanity to survive, but their ways of thinking are completely different. They show two different paths, whereas Wade yields control to Cheng Xin in the end.

By making Jin and Raj know each other, the series has a perfect set up to expand on their differences, and to show how one of them becomes the father of the Galactic humans, while the other is the mother of the Solar System humans.

Pfffew, that was it! 

(A personal note: I think Jin and Raj make for quite a bad couple. They both seem more invested in their work/personal goals than in their relationship, so I’m going to be really, really disappointed if their previous romantic involvement will play a role in the future through something like jealousy or wanting to get back together. They just didn’t seem to care enough about each other for that.)

[vestaclinicpod]

Audio Drama Sunday - 23rd April ✨

I’ve had such a better week this week and have enjoyed some truly jaw dropping audio drama!! 

👻 @tellnotalespod (S2E12.5) Oh I love, love, love that the gang is getting back together but I hate, hate, hate the possibility that Riley and Julia are less interested in Leo and more interested in getting back inside that warehouse. Help, I just need them all to be happy 😭

I’m trying to be chill about having only FULL LENGTH episodes after the hiatus!!! What amazing news!! Also… Tell No Tales Patreon when? 👀

🌲 @hellofromthehallowoods (156) Someone tell Buck Silver that when a vampire raises the stakes, you have to raise yours!!! (For legal reasons, this is a joke, I want him to solve the case with minimal violence) I keep returning to my silly little theory that Riot is actually Dashell’s kid and side eye-ing that Valerie Maidstone look-a-like… AH. That whole scene with Vincent just knocked my socks off! ?Confirmed that it’s physically Vincent doing these horrible things, even if it’s Voltaire’s (?SOLOMON’S ?WHOEVER HE IS’) will. Raj overcoming his shock and fear to be so gentle makes me want to cry. If only this was the way that people were treated in real life 😭 I love this show so much 😭😭

🦀 @thesiltverses THIS IS HOW IT’S DONE!!!!!!!!! I don’t want to spoil the episode for people who haven’t listened (because I would be fuming if I got spoilers this late in the game) but I HAVE to share some out of context quotes that made me feel as though my heart was going to escape via my mouth. “… nobody will help me carry all of this, since I’m the only one holy enough to have earned the right.”

“All is as the water wills it. High tides and low"

“You know who I am. And yet you’re not running.” (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

“Sorry, old boy, I’m not going to be one of your saints.” 

🌊THE RIVER RISES🌊

[gaiahypothesims]

I'm always so happy to see you resume posting! I love seeing Jonah and Laken and Evelyn and Jake again. It's like catching up with family. I missed them. I even missed Barry. Almost as much as I miss Ruby *hint hint!*

Awwww that's so nice. I always disappear but I invariably can't leave their story unfinished. Yours is also the only story simblr I can catch up on. I don't know anyone anymore that still does them!!

And Ruby girl is always around somewhere. She'll never be gone. I want to get her back in some way, because she's hilarious. But I do my stories so loosely based on gameplay that its hard because I don't like to switch households. That's how Harris and Layla ended up getting together, which worked out in the end but they threw a wrench in my plans many years ago. lol

But just for you, I spied this little bit of HOT GOS!

I got a notification that things were getting hot and heavy between Ruby and another sim, but when I clicked on her portrait I saw this, miss Ruby just alone outside her house:

RAJ??? What are you doing here? ..... What's going on?! I thought she was hot and heavy with some other Dude!

And then like a perv I waited outside the house and I heard.... sexy noises!!!!! OMG!

So even though my eyes aren't on her, she's still getting into mischief. hahaah

[zeherili-ankhein]

Hii!! Just wanted to let you know I very much appreciate your posts about bengali culture and mythology :)

Btw, what other bengali books do you read? I'm big fan of Sukumar Ray (the whole Ray family honestly>>), i also love feluda among other things. I'd love to discuss bengali literature with you <3

First of all thank you so muchh :D

I have always been a fan of literature and mythology so I try to dig up as much as I can hehe

I have read some Chhoto Golpo by Rabindranath Thakur, he's my absolute favourite, my Gurudev. I have the Golpo Guchho, though I haven't complete read all of them till now, I plan to do very soon. Poems I've read a lot I guess I forgot, I know the story of Chokher Bali through movies and stuff, mom won't buy me that now cause I am too young for that she says. I LOVE LOVE LOVE rabindrasangeet trust me.

I have the Raj Kahini by Abanindranath Thakur in my to read list actually, I will read that once I complete the novel series I am reading currently. Cannot forget Khirer Putul, it was actually what my school did in my class 6th fest that was too memorable for me...

Other than that and Abol Tabol – I LITERALLY HAD ALL THE POEMS MEMORIZED AS A TODDLER – till now my bengali literature reach is not very much actually sadly... Though I do keep all my old school books and they have some great poems and stories in them.

But to ACTUALLY read, sadly I would have to get more books, which I plan to do very soon..

I have read the Chander Pahar by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay (the movie was bad but I did enjoy it as a child) and Aranyak I've only read a bit, it was in my school textbook I loved that and will read the entire thing oneday. but Pather Panchali I've read a bit, in a book called Aam Aatir Bhepu, – it was it also in my school syllabus – though I'd love to read someday, I have watched the movies OFCOURSE.

I have read some of Upendra Kishore Ray Choudhary too, like Banor Rajputro or Tuntunir Golpo. I read his Cheleder Ramayan too (that was the first ever Ramayan I ever read). Gupi Gayen Bagha Bayen, I've only watched the movies.

AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON PANDOB GOYENDA. MY GOD I LOVE THAT SO MUCH. Bilu was my first ever crush ngl lol.. I still love him.

But sadly I haven't read any of them, including Feluda and Byomkesh Bakshi. My knowledge in them only goes till the movies and shows. I watched those ssoftoons animation Pandob Goyenda and Gopal Bhar – ANOTHER THING I ABSOLUTELY ADORE – I still have those DVDS but I broke my laptop (don't ask me but it was funny T_T) so I have to wait now till I can watch them again.

And other than that, I am an ABSOLUTE SUCKER for Thakumar Jhuli, like I love them so much. I can talk about them for hours.

I would love it, if you have some good suggestions for what I should read.

And I would love it even more to be able to talk to someone about Bengali literature and stuff.. even mythology because I am a sucker for that too lol..

[fanaticsnail]

OMGGGGG I'm so excited you're watching this movie. You'll love it, trust me! The way I'm so obsessed and need you to be too. I've got the court jester downloading so I can watch it on my flight tonight, and I'll send a brainrot paragraph your way when I watch it.....only if you send one back lol.

-♡♡

Anything for you, ♡♡ Anon. I've got my hot Milo, my Tim Tams, and Griswold the ugly orange cat to watch it with. My Friday night date night 💃

I have decided to add my live commentary to this as I go for you:

Immediately, I am absolutely loving the friendship between the mother and her daughters. The teasing, and the love between the parents is spectacular. I don't know, but it's so joyful. The "When a daughter grows up, the mother becomes friends" motion is absolutely beautiful. I love Simran, her desire to fall in love is so incredibly relatable. Her glee is spectacular, and the yearning in the poetry is gorgeous.

-

Oh my gosh, the dance she does while correlating with Raj's unhinged persona is ridiculous. He's insane, and it's hilarious.

-

Raj's dad is equally as insane, but I also love their playfulness. What even is that? The fact that he loves his son so much, and celebrates him even though his shortcomings are painfully obvious to the audience.

-

NOOOOOO NOT AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE. SHE WANTS TO FALL IN LOVE! NOOOOOOOOO.

(I know that it is a cultural norm, but the foreshadowing and the emphasis on love depicts the yearning for romance, as opposed to having an arranged marriage set for her).

-

OH MY GOSH THEY MET AND DID THE BRUSH PAST. AAAAAAAAAAA. It's crack for me. They didn't even look at each other!

-

Oh my gosh, she wants to got to Europe too. Just like Raj 🥹.

-

DAMN IT RAJ COMING IN WITH THE MIGRAINE ASPRIN BULLSHITTERY. WHAT AN ASSHOLE. Beat him with the umbrella. Yell at him.

AND HE TOOK THE BEER ANYWAY? Oh my gosh, I hate him.

The daughters dancing with the mother reminds me of my own family. We did this often at home. Music and liveliness lives in my heart.

And angry dad. Yes dad. Justified dad. I'm on his side.

-

"When a daughter grows up, her father's shoulders start to droop. But with a daughter like you, my shoulders do not droop but my chest swells with pride." - your honour, I love Simran's dad.

-

AND HE HEARD HER PLEA AND LET HER GO TO EUROPE?!

Is this a romance, or we all out here simping for dad?

-

ANOTHER TIME THEY MEET!!!!! AAAAAAAAA.

A N D - T H E Y - H O L D - H A N D S

Raj is a cheeky lad. I am not fond of him so far. I hope he improves for Simran's sake. The constant attempt to snuggle and flirt with her is driving me insane.

-

Oh my gosh, she hates him. I love this. It's ticking my enemies to lovers box big time. Oooooooh and they're both going to the Paris Opera. And they hate it. This is funny.

Okay, I love Rocky.

HE USED THE SAME LINE ON THE FRIEND THAT HE DID ON HER. WHAT AN ASS-HAT. I HATE HIM.

-

Yes baby girl, get your revenge on him my darling. Publically humiliate him by making him live up to his lies.

WHAT THE FUCK RAJ. WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING TO THAT PIANO?!

The Simran slow clap. An icon.

OH SHIT HE CAN ACTUALLY PLAY. Fuck him. I hate him. Damn it. Cocky arrogant prick.

-

The iconic music scene. I still hate him, but he is so playful.

C'mon Simran, you can do better. (I can tangibly feel her tension and hatred rolling off her in waves). I also love her teal dress. I want one. Oh my gosh, her friend agitates me.

-

The flower humiliation trick. I hate him.

AND NOW THEY'RE STUCK TOGETHER. THEY MISSED THE TRAIN. She's crying, you asshole. She hates you.

All this needs is a one bed trope.

-

Okay, the "passport car rental police interruption" was kind of cute. I half-expected him to accelerate as soon as she reached the passenger door.

OH MY GOSH AND THEN THE CAR FAILS.

-

I CALLED IT. I CALLED IT. I CALLED IT.

Say it with me everyone:

One

Bed

Trope

-

And she's staying in the barn. AND HE HAS THE AUDACITY TO STAY IN THERE TOO INSTEAD OF THE ONE BED. DAMN IT RAJ.

And then it's snowing. It's snowing. And they're too cold. And there's cognac. WHY DON'T THEY GO INTO THE BEDROOM. THEY'RE SO STUBBORN.

And she got to the cognac. She's a woman after my own heart. I adore her.

-

SHE IS NOW AN INSANE DRUNK. She is feral, she is unhinged, she is about to break a window with a rock to get a pretty dress. They are singing, they are dancing, they are in love.

Shit.

-

He had gone too far with a joke, she is crying, oh shit. He's sincere, confessing his love for her after being an absolute scoundrel. The gentle thumb caress on the hair. THE CUDDLE. "Don't joke like that ever again," "I'm sorry," -> romance.

-

Okay. He has the same dream as her to fall in love. The call back to the original song. AAAAAAAA.

He's starting to catch feelings, I can tell. She's absolutely not yet though.

-

The admission of love with the sincerity before the "pfffft, I'm joking. I'm a silly joker, aren't I" RAJ YOU'RE NOT FOOLING ANYONE. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. She likes him, he likes her. Damn it.

"What if we fell in love, Simran? What then? 🤌"

"..."

GOODBYE MY GUY.

-

"No I won't come to your wedding," he says with tears pooling in his eyes and glazing over with unconfessed desires and bitter melancholy.

He is so in love. He is so in love with Simran.

He is fantasizing about her. He can't help it.

Poor Simran thinks he hates her

HOLD UP SHE'S SEEING HIM TOO.

-

DAD IS A N G R Y

Her confession is literally everything.

He's an angry dad. "We're leaving for India tomorrow for good." A sealed fate. Oh my gosh, this movie literally has every trope.

C'mon interrupted wedding. You can do it, interrupted wedding.

OR A PLANE TRIP. I'd take a plane trip.

-

HE SHOWED UP AT THE HOUSE AND HE WAS TOO LATE. Oh my gosh, I love it. He's so in love with her.

And now they're in India and dad thinks he's won. The parents are so happy. They are all teary, I am all teary. We are all crying. Everyone is crying.

"I have held these tears back for 20 years," grandmama, I love you. You beautiful woman.

-

Oh, the beau is a WANKER.

Okay, I'm rooting for you Raj. You can do it. Come get your lady. Simran deserves happiness with you.

I hate the beau. I can't. The dialogue and asshollery with the baby sister. Nooooooo. No, honey, no!

Side note: I am in love with the outfits here.

-

HE'S IN INDIA. THE COWBELL RETURNS.

That field looks ripe for the running. You better run, girly.

SHE RUNNING. SHE RUNNING TO HER MAN!!! AAAAAAA. Their love is so tangible. I love it.

Those contrasting colours are spectacular.

-

"I didn't come here to run away with you... I came here to make you my bride." OKAY RAJ, I SEE YOU. YOU HAVE WEASELED YOUR WAY INTO MY HEART. DAMN IT.

He's if Buggy the Clown, Usopp, and Sanji combined into one beautiful man. He's so in love.

-

RAJ, WHAT THE HELL MY GUY?! You were doing so well, and then you prank the fiance??!! What the hell??!!!

-

Oh NO. PREETI LIKES RAJ. NOOOOOOOO. The beau's sister likes Raj. Raj likes Simran. Simran needs to marry her beau. ITS GLORIOUS.

-

Dad recognises Raj. Ohhhhh nooooooo. Noooooooooooo. Oh no, how horrible. How beautiful.

I do not enjoy the fiance. I am glad I was swayed by the rascal, Raj.

-

He's wooing all of the women in Simran's family. I love him so much. He is absolutely unhinged. He is trying so hard with dad, and it's just not happening for him.

This movie is amazing, I can't even.

OOOOOOOOOH NOW WE'RE BACK WITH THE FORESHADOWING WITH THE BIRDS.

AND RAJ IS DOING IT TOO.

-

A STOLEN ALMOST KISS.

Oh my gosh, ♡♡ Anon. I don't know why I didn't watch this sooner. You should've been yelling at me way earlier.

Raj is trying so hard to win over dad, and it's just not happening 😭.

-

"No idiot can give you a ring and take you away from me." -> be still my frozen heart.

And the little peck on the cheek 😭😭.

"I really don't like Kuljit... But I do like the man on the roof." SHE SAW THEM. LITTLE SIS SAW THEM TOGETHER. AAAAAAAAAAA.

-

Simran you little shit, coming in hot with the bandage trick to avoid wearing Kuljit's ring.

Oh my gosh, Raj is singing to her again. WHY AM I SO IN LOVE WITH THIS??

-

THE SCREAM.

The SCREAM I LET OUT WHEN DAD STARTED SINGING TO HIS LADY. THE GASP I GUSPED. THE SHRIEK I SHRUCK.

Oh my gosh, dad being playful. I am in love with Simran's dad. Also, Simran is gorgeous, j don't think I've said that so far.

-

RAJ NOOOOOOOO.

How's he gonna get out of this one?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DON'T INVITE YOUR DAD TOO.

-

....do I have a thing for Raj's dad too.

What is wrong with me? Why am I like this?

AND WHEN HE BUMPED INTO AUNTY. AAAAAAA. MY HEART SCREAMED.

-

The blessing from Raj's dad. The silence that held all meaning. My gosh. I am obsessed.

-

Okay, the way I am going to incorporate some of these elements into Crocodaddy's Sapsorrow fic... The stubbornness particularly.

-

NO MAMA NO

-

YES MAMA YES

-

Oh my gosh, you asshole Kuljit!!! I hate you. He's fully intent on cheating, isn't he? What a dishonest prick.

NOT GRANDMAMA

-

Oh my gosh, how are they going to get through this? How are they going to get together? I'm literally screaming.

-

YES GO OFF DAD

-

Oh my gosh.

This movie.

This movie.

This damn movie.

Oh the confession, the fighting, the violence, the forbodence.

JUST AAAAAAAAAAAA

-

"Let me go to my Raj"

"Go Simran. Noone could ever love you more than this boy. Go to your Raj."

C'MON MAN. C'MON.