#I'm not promising a deep meta every time

[lightthewaybackhome]

I decided after my second SGA watch through to watch SG-1 and do this whole chronological order thing.

Over the weekend, I got to the divergence between the two shows and was able to start SGA over again. Guys, I'm going home!

I've really grown to love SG-1, but Atlantis will always be my Gater home. I didn't think I would have that many thoughts, because I thought all the thoughts last time through. (Y'all have got to be tired of my meta by now.)

I was wrong.

First off, it was supremely rewarding to watch this in chronological order, to go from SG-1 to SGA. It's like I've read the other half of the story, heard the other side of the conversation. I know Daniel and Jack at this point of their life and what they've been through. I know Elizabeth. I know that she's the anti-military who stood up for the military to the vice-president. I know she's earned their trust.

John "I like Antarctica" Sheppard. Of course he does. Also I love that he goes into the Stargate program basically blind, but he goes. It really shows he has nothing on earth and no one.

Highlights include:

Weir says: We need him. Everyone else with the Ancient gene can train to get better. John Sheppard does it naturally. I love that she picked Sheppard. She saw his potential.

When he walks into Atlantis, I always think: The city that lights up for Sheppard just the way Elizabeth left it for him.

When Teyla says Summner looks right through her and Sheppard asks if he does, and she says no.🥰

Okay, so when Sheppard picked up Teyla's necklace, did he activate it? Because 3 drones show up right away.

They all feel so light, buoyant. Even when you know Sheppard is here because he has no home, he's worlds away from the man he is in Doppelganger. And the same with Rodney. Rodney isn't really even stressed yet. He's kinda calm. Even when he knows they're running out of power he's not freaking out, not really freaking out. (So, does that mean the better you know Rodney, the more he's willing to whine at you?)

Also, the cinematography stood out to me because it's often framing Sheppard and Rodney in the same shot, like a hint at their friendship, or is panning between Elizabeth, Rodney, and Sheppard, hinting that they're the crew, the team, the family.

Also, Peter. Sigh.

[kilannad]

Musings on Dragon Age alla the Veilguard Controversy

I was talking with my brother after I finished Veilguard and its led to some Thoughts. For context, shortly after Veilguard came out and my dash became nothing but DA, I asked him if the games were worth playing; he said the first three were but the newest was shit and that I'd end up rage quitting quickly.

Naturally, that meant I played all four back to back.

Warning: I'm a literature major first and gamer second. My analysis/meta commentary reflects this. Spoilers for all four games below the cut.

this got stupidly long

I saw a post recently about how the greater theme of all Dragon Age games is Grief. Through all four storylines, it's the one thing they share, the uniting force of the series. I cannot agree more that Thedas is a setting about grief and the greater arc between games reflects that. However, that and the conversation with my brother had me reflecting on the story each game was individually trying to tell.

I'm setting aside the technical gameplay for each of these because while I think it helps tell the story, it's also largely reflective of what technology was like when each game came out and doesn't add much to the point I'm trying to make.

Origins

When you boil it down, Origins is a story about Duty. Someone, for whatever reason, is placed in an organization bound to protect Thedas and is then left nearly completely alone to do it. From the very beginning when Alistair looks to you to make a call in Lothering, it's people and the world asking for a choice and telling you this is your job. It's your choice. Can you live with it? Are you making the right one? Irrelevant. You are a Warden. The Warden. Alistair refuses to lead and you're the only other one left. You need to get allies to stop the Blight and that is the only thing that matters. Do you save the mages or damn them? Can you reconcile the werewolves and elves? Which king do you raise in Orzammar? Every decision you make ripples out and effects the world but you have to make them. The Blight must be stopped. How you get there is important because it changes the world but it doesn't matter because you end up in the same place anyway; fighting an Archdemon, stopping the Blight. You can be cruel, kind, aloof. It doesn't change it. This is your job, your Duty. You are the Warden and the Blight must end.

DA 2

Is there a word that means perseverance and failing anyway? If so, that's the theme of DA2. Inevitability, maybe. You lose your home. You lose your sibling. You go to a city where you're promised a better life and have to sell yourself in order to even get in and live in squalor. Every step you take, every day you live is about protecting your family and fighting for a better life. You collect strays because you are one and maybe together you can make everything a little better (the streets run red with blood). Surely going to the Deep Roads will fix things, will get your mother the life she deserves. (It does, but what is the cost? Unknowable, considering the next two games and the effect of the idol and red lyrium). If you earn enough respect from the Arishok, surely you can prevent bloodshed, can save the city. (You do but you're too late. People are already dead; the Viscount is already dead). Maybe, if you're quick enough, if you're smart enough, you can keep the city together. You're the Champion now, you have real power. You just need to be smart enough, funny enough, forceful enough. (It doesn't matter. Whatever steps you took don't matter and it is your fault. You blow up the Chantry as surely as Anders does no matter what because you let him get here. You promised to protect and you failed). You get up and do your best to limit the bloodshed anyway. But the match has been lit. The path has been laid out. (It's a tragedy. I could make a whole post about how the 3 Act structure lends itself to this story, but I'll save it for another time.) (This doesn't touch on the two DLCs. You have to wonder, years and years later. You are the reason Corypheus is freed. You are the reason those Qunari spies are never identified. Could you have stopped Dragon's Breath? Maybe.) (No.)

Inquisition

Faith. Not religious faith on whether you think you are Maker sent or not (see this for my thoughts on that), though that is important. But Faith in people. In the world. In what could be. Do you have Faith in Cassandra, Leliana, or Vivienne being the Divine? Do you have Faith in Bull? In Dorian's father? Do you have Faith in Solas? Do you have Faith in yourself? I've ignored gameplay for most of this post since it's not very relevant in most ways, but for DAI it is. It's open world for many reasons, most Doylistic, but it also lends itself to the weight and size of the story. The entire south is depending on you keeping the world together. You feel that in every minute you spend running around huge maps, doing a million little things. In a lot of ways, it's the sister game to Origins. But whereas Origins concerns itself with a singular, focused duty, Inquisition is about having Faith in making a better world. Sure you stop and make watch towers; after Corypheus is defeated, this area will still need protection. Why not help the draconologist? He's a good guy. Of course you help Valta go towards the Titan; she's a friend at this point. Every choice you make showcases whatever brand of Faith you carry, whether it be weary or reluctant or passionate. The world is changed by the Faith people have in you but just as equally as the Faith you have in the world.

Veilguard

Finally, we get here. The fourth, bastard child. The reason that I even started these games in the first place. Plenty of people have pointed out that what Inquisition is to Origins, Veilguard is to DA 2. That is a fair comparison I think in many ways, but also diminishes what Veilguard is trying to do. There's a lot of criticism towards the game (and much of it is very fair I think. There is no joy in engagement that isn't critical (meaning well thought out) and shit sometimes needs to be called out) but that being said, I think some things need to be taken in good faith.

The atmosphere: I've seen many a complaint that Veilguard removes the 'dark fantasy' elements that were so beloved in various previous games. Do I think some of the factions were sanitized for the sake of time and staying focused in a way the other games didn't do? Absolutely, yes (Minrathous, looking at you). HOWEVER I don't think that means it stopped being dark fantasy, or magically stopped feeling like Thedas. Did we all see D'Metas Crossing? Treviso/Minrathous? Harding/Davrin??? DA games have always been hilarious (Morrigan and Alistair banter comes to mind, to say nothing of the Bull/Inquisitor BDSM scene) while still feeling real and I don't think Veilguard loses this at all if you're willing to enjoy it for what it is.

Consequences from previous games: this one... this is my biggest pet peeve with the game. Zevran, Fenris, Merill, Hawke/Warden choice... this game is so big (geographically) that there were a million ways to have more of an impact from whatever world state you have. On one hand, I understand that it might take away from the story being told (see below) but on the other I think a few more lines of dialogue, possibly by these characters themselves, would fix a lot of problems about the factions being sanitized that people have complained about. I wasn't part of the development and don't have the knowledge to know if there's a doylist explanation for this.

Personality/choice impact: I've seen some complaints that even the 'mean' options aren't actually that mean and the game hard-fixes you into an archetype. I've also seen complaints that most of the important decisions are near the end game and thus aren't felt near as much as in some previous games. These are both very fair criticisms that are completely understandable. However, I do think there is a reason for them, whether you think it's a valid reason or not. See below.

Here is the crux on which all conversations about Veilguard's plot must rest: what story is it telling? Origins is about someone forced to carry a duty they did not ask for. DA 2 is Some Guy (gn) fighting for a life and life fighting back. Inquisition is an accidental miracle doing everything they can to save a world on the brink of ruin. But Veilguard?

Veilguard is a story about a reluctant hero. If Origins is Duty, DA 2 is Inevitability, and Inquisition Faith, then Veilguard's theme is Responsibility (which is not the same thing as duty). Rook gets hired. That's their problem, that's what sucks them in. They don't even have Hawke's excuse of coming to a place for a better life anyway. Varric finds them on the street (so to speak) and drags them along. And then he dies (not that they realize it) and suddenly the world is ending and it's their problem! There's a conversation where Solas asks you why you're leading the Veilguard and one of the options is you saying because someone has to step up. That's the whole point of Veilguard, the whole story that is being told; the world is ending and you have to be the Hero. Like with all the games, the companion quests all relate to the main theme. Bellara has to take responsibility for her brother and deal with the consequences. Neve takes responsibility for Dock Town. Lucanis for his cousin specifically and then the Crows as a whole. Taash for their identity, Harding for her lost heritage, Emmrich for his life (one way or another), and Davrin for the griffins and also what it means to be a Grey Warden. It all comes back to this one question: if I have to step up, what does that look like?

Rook has to save the fucking world and they did not ask for this. They aren't like the Warden, who was the only choice left. They aren't Hawke, who is fighting for their family and friends and home. They are closest to the Inquisitor, who was also chosen to save the world seemingly by accident, but crucially the Inquisitor had no choice--they had the anchor. They had to be involved with the Inquisition, one way or another (which is why they aren't actually the Inquisitor until after the first act ends and you end up at Skyhold). Rook?

Rook could walk away. Rook has every right to say fuck this and walk away. Let Harding or Neve lead the Veilguard. The only thing stopping them from doing that very thing is the fact that Varric is their friend and has asked them to do this, to take on this responsibility. And that is enough.

A story depends on character motivation. This is especially true of every DA game; if they didn't find a way for the character to buy into the goal, then there is no story. It's the first rule of writing. Even as an asshole, the Warden is still caught in a duty they don't want but have to complete. Even aggressive, Hawke still has to protect their family. Even doubtful, the Inquisitor still has to stop their world from falling apart because they are literally magically infected by the disaster. Rook doesn't have any of that.

Rook can't be an asshole, or at least as much of one as in previous games, because then the whole story stops working. If Rook doesn't care, if they don't value the world, or their friendships, or at least their responsibilities, then why the fuck are we here? You can say that Solas is controlling them as much as the anchor forced the Inquisitor's hand (ha) but I don't buy it. He has to use constant manipulation tactics and hallucinating Varric just to get them to do as much as they already are. If they didn't care about Varric? If they didn't willingly reach out to Solas for help? No fucking way could he get them to do it.

And that means there is no game.

There is a term many of you are probably familiar with: railroading. I would find Veilguard guilty of this far more than any other game, though Inquisition comes close imo (another post for another time). However, I would equally argue it has to be. It is a story of a reluctant hero, forced to carry a responsibility they are not ready for and deal with the consequences. If you aren't willing to be a hero, if you aren't the underdog, if you don't deal with your responsibility, then there is no plot. There is no game. They could have put those conversation options in, but where would it get us? A hollow game without even a sense of internal consistency, which DA has long prided itself for.

Is it perfect? No. Could some changes have been made to alleviate these problems at least? Yeah, of course. But that's true of all the games. How many people complained about DA 2's repeated maps? Of DAI's obnoxious fetch quests? Of Origins' either or mentality for basically all the choices? Don't let its flaws blind you to the story being told. Because that is where it shines, just as all the Dragon Age games do. It's why we're all still here, being heroes even if we don't want to.

[pastorfutureletthembe]

Link Click and flowers

When CANON gives us such amazing and layered characters, we're always fascinated. We go on treasure hunts to find every little secret about them. Because we want to understand them better. We empathize with their struggles. We write meta and fanfictions.

Sometimes, CANON shares golden nuggets of easter eggs: Birthdays and flowers.

Today I'm gonna tell you everything you need to know about Myosotis and Daisies!

> Myosotis ~ Forget-Me-Not ~ Scorpion Grass

The genus name comes from the ancient Greek word, mus (mouse) and ous or otos (ear). This comes from the shape of the plant’s foliage, which features short, pointed leaves reminiscent of mouse ears. More than 70 species of myosotis exist in the world. Most likely, when you picture this flower, you think about Myosotis Alpestris. The alpine forget-me-not species is distinguished by its delicate blue petals featuring yellow throats, which create a striking contrast against the rugged landscapes where it grows. Its ability to flourish in harsh, cold environments makes it a remarkable example of nature's adaptability. Another type, Myosotis scorpiodes, is sometimes called scorpion grass, which seems like an unusual name for such a pretty little flower. Before the flowers bloom, the plant's stem appears coiled, like a scorpion’s tail. It then slowly uncurls as the flowers open up. When you give someone these tiny blooms, it represents a promise that you will always remember them and will keep them in your thoughts.

Lore

Throughout history, forget-me-nots have been laden with meaning. Europe: A German knight was strolling with his lady along the banks of the Danube river. The lady saw pretty blue flowers—but they’d been pulled loose by the river’s flow and were about to disappear downstream. She wanted to save the flowers, so her chivalrous knight jumped into the water. He couldn’t fight the strong current, so he tossed the flowers onto the bank, and as he was carried out to sea, he called out, “vergiss mein nicht”, which is German for “forget me not.” World War I, they were linked to fallen soldiers and were used as a symbol to remember the dead. Victorian era: emblematic of true love and remembrance, often given as tokens to signify faithful and enduring love. During this time period, people sent each other flowers to convey messages that couldn’t be spoken aloud. In this flower language, they represented love, devotion and everlasting faithfulness. They also conveyed the message, “Do not forget me.” Christian creation: God bestows names upon all the plants He created, except for one tiny blue flower. Afraid of being passed over, the unnamed flower calls out, “Forget me not, O Lord!” In response, God declares, “That shall be your name!”

Symbolism

Forget-me-nots represent true love, devotion, and faithfulness. Everlasting love: From the Middle Ages to Victorian era, they were used to decorate valentines. Devotion: They seen as symbols of remembrance for loved ones who have passed away. Commitment: They’re often given to spouses, significant others, or friends to convey deep affection and loyalty. Friendship: Long distance, two friends enduring affection living in different places.

> Daisy ~ Bellis Perennis ~ April Flower

Daisies originated from the Old English word "dægesēage”, meaning day's eye. This etymology reflects the flower's association with the sun and its daily cycle. It refers to the nature of the flower's sunny appearance as well as its behaviour of opening in the morning and closing at night. A sun-like core surrounded by delicate white petals as if a radiant sun is peeking through the clouds. The white, often red-tipped petals are both separate groupings of numerous flowers giving the illusion of a single flower. It actually posesses a composite flowerhead: daisies are two blossomes in a single one. Daisies are a diverse family of flowers, each carrying a unique symbolism. Bellis (meaning pretty) perennis (meaning everlasting) are the common Daisy, and those provide a message of innocence, childlike happiness and playfulness. Shasta Daisies have an ability to thrive in diverse climates, mirroring our own human resilience and making it a fitting symbol for enduring love and the continuity of life. No matter the species, it is known to bring hope and joy for anyone who takes the time to appreciate its beauty. They are often given to someone you admire. It is also a tangible expression of union, used in weddings, and ironically considered as a heartfelt farewell, placed on graves, as promise of remembrance through genuine love even in death. The birthmonth for Daisies is April.

Lore

Norse mythology: In Norse mythology, daisies were considered sacred flowers because of their power to predict the future. They represented love, loyalty, and destiny. They were also associated with Freya, the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. According to legend, whenever Freya cried, her tears turned into daisies. Ancient Greek Mythology: According to Greek mythology, Zeus, king of the gods, fell in love with a beautiful nymph named Belides. When Hera, the wife of Zeus, learned of this, she turned Belides into a daisy to protect her from Zeus' advances. Zeus could not save Belides and instead honoured the daisy for her beauty and love. Celtic Mythology: In Celtic mythology, people associated daisies with the sun, bringing prosperity and good luck. They also believed that these bright flowers were a sign of the summer solstice, carring the sun's light to the earth. In Victorian era, they developed floriography, or the language of flowers, to relay different coded messages depending on the type of flowers they sent and received. Daisies in particular symbolized loyalty and the ability to keep secrets. Someone would send daisies to a person who told them a secret to let them know their secret was safe.

Symbolism

Daisies are quite popular for radiating cheerfulness and positivity. The beauty of this flower is that it implies trust and reciprocity. Innocence: symbolise innocence, purity, and childlike wonder, because of the flowers’ soft, white petals, which give a sense of freshness and purity. They also stand for innocence in the sense of faithful love and loyalty. Love and Romance: associated with true love and secret admirers. As two flowers which have blended harmoniously together into one bloom, it represents perfect union. Beauty: while appearing simple, their sunlike attribute makes them the symbol of aesthetics. New beginnings: for transformative times, most especially for new beginnings. Popular for spring and to welcome new chapters in life. They represent a positive change or even a fresh start. They are often used for depictions of Mary, mother of Jesus, as childbirth symbol. Friendship: tokens to express appreciation or to celebrate a beautiful bond between friends. Joy, loyalty and union in the purest sense. This one is for me haha: Celebrate a 5th anniversary

That's all for today! they choose wisely, don't you think?

I am willingly ignoring that Forget-Me-Not could hint on Lu Guang's death :D I just wanted a cute post on flowers for now.

Find out more about Hyacinth, Qiao Ling's flower, here!

[space-age-bachelor]

Missing Link [Clone!Buck]

Since Clone!Buck lost the poll by the widest margin, but some people were really interested (looking at @ennieasys ). So I decided to post what I had so far. Idk if I'm going to move it over to ao3 yet since the actual plot is missing, but consider this the prologue!

Buck should’ve noticed something sooner. 

He’d started working out once he left home. He was hitting the gym, cultivating a more active lifestyle. He surfed every morning when he was on the coast. He was moving heavy equipment in construction, breaking ground and hauling metal from one end of the yard to the other. Even as a bar back, he was easily lifting kegs to swap them out every night. In Montana he was tossing hay bales while barely breaking a sweat. 

Sure he was benching around 300 easy, but that was normal. Right?

The house party was when it became obvious. He’d been getting…close? With a girl. She’d offered to take him upstairs to get even closer, and in the heat of the moment, he’d pulled the bedroom door off his hinges. 

It wasn’t an impossible feat. He was sure he’d seen someone do it on YouTube, but those people had been trying. There was effort involved. Buck hadn’t even been trying and suddenly he had a door in his hands.

”Oh my god,” the girl, Eloise or something long for El, giggled, too drunk to be worried about the property damage. Buck should’ve been right there with her. He’d drunk more than her, but alcohol hadn’t been having the same effect recently. “You’re strong.” 

She ran her hands over his biceps and pecs, pushing him towards the bed. Despite it being hard to focus on El-something when worrying about accidentally hurting her, he did his best to give her a good time, and then hurried out of the house before she could even think of reciprocating. 

The next morning, he tried lifting the Jeep. It was difficult, but when he got the back a few feet off the ground, he decided he didn’t want to know what else he could do.

Everything Buck had learned about his powers happened against his will. After discovering his strength at the house party, he found his invulnerability after getting hit by a car, and his speed when someone tried to mug him. If there was anything else, he didn’t care. He wasn’t Superman or some meta human. He was just a guy who didn’t need anything else making him different. 

He didn’t even tell Maddie. Not that a postcard would be the way to tell someone their brother was a freak. But still, if he didn’t want to know, there was no way he was going to tell someone else.

Thankfully, he wasn’t very accident prone for his first few months at the 118. There had been close calls, but anything that would require medical attention for a normal person happened when he was alone. Until he paired up with Hen.

They’d been helping a mother out of her burning house when a window broke free. He spun without thinking, taking the hit to the back to spare the woman any pain.

”Buck!” Hen shouted, rushing over to push the window away and help support the mother. “Just keep going.” She kept encouraging him their whole way out, giving him just as much of her focus as she gave the actual victim.

”I’m fine. It barely grazed me,” he tried to argue, but she was having none of it. 

“A second story window just hit you in the spine. You need to get checked out.”

He knew she wasn’t going to leave it alone. He’d be the same if their places were reversed. With a deep sigh he shucked off his coat to give her access. “Just promise you won’t tell anyone.”

Carefully, she pushed up his shirt, running a hand over the unblemished skin. “How… I saw the hit…”

”I’m a meta.” It was the first time he’d ever said it aloud. He shut his eyes against whatever her reaction would be. Metas weren’t treated horribly, especially not after the Protection Act, but you never knew how someone would react.

”Oh Buck…” A gentle hand squeezed his shoulder. “They’re not going to care. We love you.”

He wanted to believe her, desperately, but he cared. It had been a little over a year and with every new thing he discovered he just felt more inhuman. His parents must’ve sensed it, known somehow that he’d be this disgrace. 

“Just give me time…it’s new.”

Her gaze hardened, not harshly, but with the protective glare she got when a patient had been treated poorly in the past. She nodded. “Take your time, Buck, and if you ever need to talk, I’m here for you.”

He smiled knowing he’d never take her up on that offer.

After the tsunami, the Diaz boys were a constant presence. It was everything Buck ever wanted, people who stayed and made him feel welcome, even though he was cut off from the rest of his found family. The only problem was, they’d notice. His crushed leg was an internal injury, with the healing kept at bay by the foreign materials in his leg, but the scrapes and bumps from the pier would be visible. 

It had only been two days and already he was looking better, much better than he should've been looking. Telling Hen two years ago hadn’t been his choice, but it had been nice to have someone who was in on his secret and could usher him to the side when Chim or Bobby would’ve freaked out about him. 

Beyond that, he actually wanted the Diaz boys to know. They’d become family and he wanted to share this part of himself with them. 

The next morning, when Eddie came to drop off Chris, he brought them both inside. He stood before them while they sat on the couch and came clean. “The only other person who knows about this is Hen, so I’m trusting you with an important secret.”

Chris nodded seriously, though he wasn’t the one Buck was worried about. 

“I’m a meta. It’s how I was able to find Chris and keep hold of him.” The water had messed him up, along with getting hit in the head, but when the water first hit, without his ears they could’ve been separated for good. “It also helps me heal fast, so if I don’t look injured by tomorrow, it’s normal.”

“You’re different!.” Chris beamed and grabbed at Eddie’s arm. “You’re like me and dad!”

”Dad and I,” Eddied hurried to correct. “And this is different, Buck has superpowers.”

Chris rolled his eyes. “We have superpowers too, Dad. If Buck’s telling the trust, we should too.”

The rug was pulled out from under him. He’d never pictured his confession ending like this. “You’re meta’s too?”

An unfamiliar feeling of elation and determination welled up in Buck as Chris screwed his eyes shut in concentration. 

Eddie leapt to his feet, waving a hand that somehow removed the strange emotions. “Christopher, stop. We don’t do that without permission.”

Understanding dawned on him. “You’re empaths.” He smiled at his partner, remembering the one bright spot in a night he’d rather forget. “You kept me calm. When everyone was lifting the truck, you kept me from panicking.”

There was more to discuss with their secrets out in the open, but Buck did his best to project his own emotions as he told his boys, “Thank you.”

A dog driving a truck had been new. Buck thought it would be the most surprising thing to happen that day, until Mateo turned to TK and asked, “Did the dog say he was sorry?”

TK only laughed. “Nah, he was so stressed out he didn’t even realize he did it.”

Buck stared in confusion for a few moments before he figured it out. “Oh, you’re a meta too.”

”Uh yeah,” He shrugged. “It’s not really a big deal. My dad and I can talk to animals. It was just hard to hide when we got a station dog.”

”Don’t forget the thing with the bull.” Mateo chirped up. “Cap basically gave the poor guy therapy in the middle of a parking lot.”

”Well, I use my abilities every day and my team still hasn’t figured it out.” He shrugged with a forced casualness. He didn’t want TK to freak out over his friend accidentally putting him. 

The friend in question hurried ahead so he could face Buck while walking. “You have powers too!”

Buck and TK shared a fond glance. 

“I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. I haven’t done any testing,” Despite Hen’s urging, “But it’s a lot of augmentation: senses, strength, durability, speed.”

”So the car?” TK asked.

“That would’ve given me a pretty good scratch, but it wouldn’t do any real damage.” He smiled at the other two. “I still appreciate the save. The dog could’ve gotten really hurt, and if I’d taken the hit in front of everyone…”

Surprisingly, it was Mateo who nodded sagely and finished, “They’d all know.”

”Don’t worry too much. If anything happens, the 126’ll have your back.” TK reassured him.

Buck hadn’t anticipated needing that assurance, but with Bobby missing and those words filling his mind, he didn’t hesitate to refocus his eyes. He tapped into his abilities, watching as the world flipped from fire to a cool blue. The forms of his companions swarmed around the downed chopper, but there was no one inside. 

“They’re not here,” he called out, and began scanning the horizon. 

“How the hell do you know that?” Judd asked, coming up behind him.

With a quick glance, Buck answered, “Same way I know you’re wearing boxers with little peppers on them.”

”I believe him,” Marjan laughed, patting him on the shoulders. 

Judd nodded and took back command, utterly unashamed about what had been revealed. “Alright Buckley, keep using your freaky eyes. Let’s go find our men.”

“You have x-ray vision!” Mateo was gushing as he bounced around him. “Can you fly too? You sound more like Superman than a meta human.”

Buck raised an eyebrow. “I’m not an alien. Just a meta with multiple powers.”

He hummed thoughtfully, calming down considerably. “Most metas don’t have a ton of powers, any additional abilities are usually supportive. Your augmentations, they all connect, but your senses, that’s something new, especially with the x-ray vision. It sounds more like an alien.”

”Well I’ve got two human parents, so…” He didn’t know what to say to that.

”Yeah, and you don’t look enough like any hero to be a clone like Superboy. But hey,” he tried with a smile, “At least you don’t have to worry about Kryptonite.”

The boy in the picture was him. Maddie may have claimed it was someone else, but everything about them was practically identical. The only thing that separated them was his birthmark and the date on the back.

He tried to listen to Maddie, hear her out about their brother who died when Buck was too young to know him. But Mateo’s voice kept circling his brain. Another child wasn’t a guaranteed match, look at Maddie, and he couldn’t see his parents taking that chance. His father was connected. He still remembered sitting outside the office while his father took business calls, the low voice slipping under the door, helping Buck calm down when he was supposed to be asleep.

He left her apartment, the picture still clutched in his hand, and went straight to the source. He needed an answer, no matter how badly it would hurt.

”Evan, what a pleasant surprise,” His mother greeted him with a smile. It didn’t reach her eyes. It never did when she was smiling at him.

He forced his own, just as fake. “Maddie told me about Daniel. I had a few questions, if you have time to talk.”

She nodded and stepped aside.

”Oh, Evan, we weren’t expecting you.” At least his father was warming. He could almost pass as genuine.

”I need to know what really happened,” he started before he could lose his nerve. “You had me to get a match for Daniel. Wasn’t that a risk?”

The pretend kindness drained from both of his parents. His mother was cold as iron as she asked, “What do you mean a risk?”

”Nine months of pregnancy and I could’ve ended up having the wrong marrow. I know you had friends—“

”Just ask, Evan.”

He took a breath and closed his eyes. “Did you clone Daniel?”

”Yes,” she admitted easily. “A friend of ours worked for a subsidiary of LexCorp. They were experimenting with cloning and had progressed to human trials. It’s all very top secret, but they needed volunteers.”

”And you figured that it could save your son.” He couldn’t fault them, not for that. Their son had been dying. Buck remembered losing Chris to the waves. He’d been so desperate to have him safe in his arms again. No, he couldn’t fault them for taking every chance they had.

”You weren’t an exact clone,” Margaret continued. He didn’t know if he could call him his mother anymore. “Since they were concerned about you developing leukemia as well, they combined his DNA with another source.”

”Do you know who?”

She shook her head. “They never said, and we never asked.”

Buck nodded. “I’m sorry it didn’t work. Thank you for not giving me up or sending me back after.”

“We couldn’t.”

For one heart stopping moment, Buck expected his father to say that they loved him, that he was still their son. Or at least that they recognized the cruelty of throwing him away like he was defective.

And then Philip said. “You look just like him.”

”Thank you for being honest. It was a nice change” He stood up, eager to get out of there. “We don’t have to keep doing this. Just tell me the name of the lab and we can end this whole charade.”

Phillip opened his mouth, probably to say something else horribly misguided, but Margaret cut him off with a firm nod. They’d never actually seen him as their son, and outside of getting along for Maddie, this would give everyone a clean break.

”It was called Cadmus. Our friend was Dr. Carl Packard. We lost contact after Daniel, but he’ll have more information if you’d like.”

He nodded and left the hotel room without looking back.

“Thanks for meeting me.” A tall blonde man took the seat opposite Lois at the small coffee shop. 

Evan Buckley had reached out to her via email a week prior. She’d made the decision to meet him alone when he’d asked about Cadmus. While the man himself might have objected, there was no need to get Clark involved. The young man was probably doing research for another podcast about unethical science. He looked the type.

”I was in town for a conference, and I’m always willing to foster the next generation of journalism.”

He winced, but quickly covered it with a smile. “Still, Cadmus is difficult to get information about outside of your article.”

”For good reason,” She warned. “Their work was controversial at best, and anyone attempting to replicate their results should be subjected to extreme scrutiny.”

Evan nodded. “That’s actually my main topic. Not trying to replicate anything. The most science I do is for science fair projects, but I’m looking into their controversial work, their cloning experiments. Specifically from the early 90s.”

“I might have some general information, but it sounds like you want specifics.” She had everything back in her hotel room. She’d pulled everything related to Cadmus when she got the email. It was under the best security Superman had available, but if Evan really needed it, she could get it for him.

He bit his lip and carefully scanned the shop. “A man named Dr. Carl Packard took DNA from his friends’ son. The kid had leukemia and they needed a match. Apparently, they mixed his DNA with another sample to try and avoid him developing cancer as well. My main focus is finding the donor, but anything on that experiment would be great.”

Lois didn’t need her files to know who the donor was. It was Lex before Conner. If Evan was right about the date, it would’ve likely been the first trial after Bizzaro, their first attempt at mixing human and Kryptonian DNA. 

“Do you know what happened to the clone?”

Evan flinched at the last word.

She cursed internally. Kon had always hated being referred to as a clone, especially in the early days. It only changed when Bart started calling him MewTwo. If Evan knew the subject, he likely wouldn’t take too kindly to that term. She rephrased, “Sorry, the boy. With Cadmus, these stories rarely have happy endings.”

”He was given to the family for the bone marrow transplant. It didn’t work, but they kept him.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. Cadmus didn’t take the boy back. She couldn’t imagine losing a son, but losing two at one time would’ve been horrible. “That’s good.”

He shrugged, “Better than a lab, at least.”

She narrowed her eyes. Despite having never met the man before, there was something so familiar about him. The strong slope of his nose, the dimples when he smiles, and those eyes. They were blue, but so much brighter than any shade found on Earth. She recognized all of those traits, saw them everyday in her husband and son. 

“Give me some time to try and dig something up on the donor.” Read: Convince her paranoid husband to talk to the poor man. But she knew of one family member who was very personable and would love to talk to someone he could relate to. “But I can put you in touch with my source. He and your friend have some things in common.”

Evan lit up. “Of course, give him my information. It’d be nice to have someone to talk to.”

From there, they moved on to less serious topics. Lois told him about her conference and asked about his job. (A firefighter likely hiding Kryptonian strength was impressive.) It wasn’t something she would do with most fans, but, as far as she was concerned, Connor was no longer her oldest.

[mitsuki91]

Mega meta post about Coriolanus Snow, somehow copypasted from a discord chat.

The start point was the summary of a tiktok video (I will link it later): "Snow is not an evil genius, he is super emotional and everyone can see through his shit, he is constantly on the verge of a panic attack, and Sejanus and Ma' ignore it because they are desperate to feel they belong with someone"

So this are some takes:

About Sejanus: For me Coriolanus doesn't even think through, he was on the verge of panic attack and act, and then regret, and then try to justify himself, and then Sejanus was put in jail and he is in full panic attack mode and try to call Strabo because he doesn't want to kill his only friend for real (he can tell himself he despise him how many times he wants but in reality he grows fond of him) and then he is only defeated. He crossed the line. He can not go back. He doesn't know how to forgive himself.

That's why "the third one" line exist, because he feels real guilt. No ammount of self-justification is going to explain this in the deep of his heart.

If Coryo was only a cold mastermind he never even slip the "third" in that sentence.

Also, let's not forget, that until he found Sejanus was lying to him the thought of betraying him never ever cross his mind. Even if that makes him a rebel too.

He did it only because of the spiraling of paranoia. "If he lies to me like this then I can not trust him then even if I try to save him he can make me hanged".

Not that Sejanus was wrong for lying, in his own way he was trying to protect him so even if he was caught Coryo was clean.

About Lucy Gray and the downfall: Even the spiraling with Lucy Gray. He is so... He contraddict himself a lot and he ignite because in his own mind she lied to him.

I mean, he found the weapons, his first thought was "I'm leaving her".

NEVER in his mind cross the thought about "she can sell me to the soldier". EVER.

It's only after. After the shawl. Beside the snake that okay, enraged him... But the shawl is where he sees the first lie of Lucy Gray. And if she, a person who he trusts with all himself because she told him that trust is everything, can lie to him... Not having care of his precious shawl after she promised... What else could be lying about?

Then of course the snake, the fear for his life, the worst betrayal of all of this added together. But at the end of the day... Even after he try to kill her in the mental breakdown induced rage, he sees the food and thinks "well the Covey can have it or Lucy Gray can use it to survive".

He wants her to survive.

Deep down.

Because he knew he was wrong and he lost it but it's a wrong so wrong, so bad, he can never think about it directly.

I think if he had succed in killing her he could even commit suicide after. He was not in a good mental state. He was saved by... Hope.

(And I want to point out Lucy Gray has all of the reasons to do what she did and I will never deny that.)

Even at the end, because I re-read the passage in the book yesterday, he said something like "Talking about Lucy Gray with someone always make him sad".

He didn't want to erase her for erasing her, at the end of the day. He want to do it to try to not feel guilty, to not have a reminder everyday to see with his own eyes that he wronged her so bad he lost her forever.

I think now (years later in thg saga) everytime he watches the reaping at the start of every hunger games and the mayor tells the name of the past victor... "Lucy Gray Baird"... He is forced to remember and his heart ache and he feels anger at the same time, in a way like "How dare you say her name she was nothing for you she is nothing for you all how dare you".

About Gaul's philosophy take on humanity, that is bad and corrupted at the core: I mean he can say that out loud. He can even think that. But he knews, deep down he knews, that this is wrong. And he does it, he continue the hunger games and all. Because it hurts less this way.

Because what if he become a better president? If he try to hear people, to improve the quality of life of everyone?

Then he still had lost his Lucy Gray. The world is dark anyway. His heart is shattered anyway.

There is not point. At least he can try to belive that he is destined to darkness and greatness. He can become a killer, he knew how to kill. If he continue to do something unforgivable, sinking deep and deep and deep, at least Lucy Gray is really safe so far away from him. She will never came back because there is no point. She can be happy somewhere else.

He can be a real monster and it will not be... A waste.

Link of the tiktok:

[doublel27]

That’s so valid about Owen. “I’m gonna go annoy my kids now”

And there was something so squishy about the 3 of them being a lil family unit now 🥹

I'm sure whoever you are, dear sweet nonny, you threw this in here knowing I would likely meta on about it.

And I've been thinking about the end scenes nearly all day.

I'm notoriously interested in Owen as a character. He's a facinating character who, like his son, has had his life scarred by loss. Owen's whole raison d'etre is saving his brother. It's why saving that one little girl from drowning sent him into a life focused on saving others. Then he lost his entire firehouse in 9/11, and slowly lost other survivors of 9/11 to cancer and mental health disorders.

Then, he has to bring his son back from the dead and moves him to Texas in an attempt to save his life and restart, all while diagnosed with cancer. We lose Tim Rosewater which sets Owen into deep levels of depression and guilt, because he'll never be able to keep the promise that everyone who starts a shift goes home at the end of it.

Gwyn is in town, and they're still in love and he's working on making it work. They're gonna have a baby and Owen has a redo. He's got a chance to do it RIGHT this time. Because Owen's fatal flaw is always believing if things had been different, if he had been better, if he'd beena moment sooner: maybe he could have fixed things. He had a whole speech to that effect in last night's episode, where he figured if he'd known about 9/11 ahead of time that he could have prevented his whole team from dying.

Then the baby's not his and Gwyn leaves and whatever Owen managed to cobble together of his mental health for Gwyn and teh baby disipates and there's a lot of very classic PTSD/depressive/anxiety things that come up in Owen.

And then we lose Gwyn which is devestating to everyone but Owen soldiers on for TK, but he's...not doing well, at all. He finally gets his ass to therapy and even though we see him make some progress he's still keeping TK at a distance. Mostly because TK's doing well and Owen CANT be Captain Save a Ho for TK in these moments. He does crop up (usually) when TK's struggling, but only when there's something TO DO.

This episode marked a change.

Owen, in talking with O'Brien, who is giving a speech pretty reminicent of Owen's own speeches, about how he made a promise and he didn't keep it because look at this awful thing that happened, and Owen manages to give solid reasoning to be like "Look, he's alive and his son's alive and that's something."

And then it's like the lightbulb goes off in Owen's brain as O'Brien takes off after his great nephew - that Owen is indeed alive, and his son is also alive, and that's something. He may not have saved everyone but he saved TK.

Then, Owen goes and picks up food (which is really one of Carlos and TK's main love langauges, is feeding people - TK does it with takeout because he shouldn't be in the kitchen) and brings it over. But he doesn't just pick up any take out, he picks up the chinese food that TK introduced Gwyn to that they used to eat as a family.

I take this to be significant in multiple ways:

One, the Gwyneth Morgan of it all. Owen picked something that was a family thing and brought it over. Which is a very significant thing to do.

Two, it's one of the few times that food is involved and Owen doesn't mention the healthy/unhealthy nature of the food. Look, I could probably write a whole disertation on why Owen Strand, who has survived 21 1/2 years post 9/11 is obsessed with his health, but nearly every interaction with food, Owen has a coment about it. He doesn't make a single comment about this round of chinese food. I lied, he doesn't mention it in 3.08 either. But that's in the wake of grief, and maybe here Owen's still living in it.

Three, ordering chinese is very clearly TK's comfort meal. Look, a lot of us who are neurospicy joke about TK being neurospicy. And when you are neurospicy, there are certain foods that are..."safe" or an instant "yes" all the time. And we default to them often. I know when I'm struggling when I'm like "It's a comfort food day." (I have a rotation) but it eliminates decision fatigue and the need to emotionally regulate if it's not exactly what you wanted. Chinese food has a connection to Gwyn, and comfort and it comes up a lot when TK's stressed. (Even in 3.03, when Carlos doesn't come home, TK ordered chinese for them)

And then Owen does something he hasn't done...at all...since TK moved out (maybe they did when they moved into Owen's house and I don't know where they had chinese in 3.08) but Owen shows up at their place to share a meal with them.

And it's significant because TK and Carlos have invited him over for many meals between seasons 2 and 3, and Owen never accepts. Or, in the case of 2.11, Owen accepts and then goes off to catch an arsonist instead, which could be his hero complex but could also be a general avoidance of things that are uncomfortable for Owen, like TK growing up and not needing Owen anymore.

For as much as Owen has been an absent father for various parts of TK's life, because of his PTSD and trauma and general *waves hands* Owenness, Owen is a loving dad who would do just about anything for his son. We know this, we've watched him do it. But Carlos is also a competent control freak who Owen trusts implicitly with TK's life on numerous occasions. I do believe there's a big part of Owen's psyche that doesn't know what to do if he's not NEEDED.

But at the end of 4.06, he shows up, with chinese food, which is not needed because TK and Carlos already made a beautiful dinner and are looking very handsome, but he comes in and tells TK that he's proud of him, again. And you know, not trying to blow people up is a very low bar, but you know, TK clears it. And then they stay and have dinner, and Owen inserts himself in his son's life, not because TK needs him, but because Owen WANTS to be there, and that's such a drastic change for these two.

I love that Carlos and TK bring him in. Look, we could punish Owen for his mistakes and transgressions, but that's never been who TK is and this is his last living biological parent (Enzo forever) and TK loves him. And Carlos loves TK and respects Owen and wants them to have a good relationship.

And I cannot wait for Owen to "do what he does best" (owen's words) and be a pain in their asses about this wedding.

[neversetyoufree]

Ok gang, so while I've talked a lot on here about VnC's recurring Vanitas painting allusion, I don't think I've ever actually talked in detail about my favorite example of that reference, so it's time to do the thing.

I am obsessed with the cover of the first volume, and I think you should be too. It's the perfect introduction of Vanitas as a man doomed to death, executed entirely through symbolism.

To start off, for those of you unfamiliar, a brief introduction to the concept of Vanitas art: Vanitas paintings are artistic reminders of the inevitability of death and the futility of all earthly pleasures. A Vanitas can technically be any form of art, but still life paintings are the most common variant by far.

Vanitas still life paintings were most commonly done in 16th and 17th century Europe. They use specific symbolism to evoke the images of death, the ever-ticking clock of time, and the transience/inevitable decay of the fine things in life. They often place images of the decadent and luxurious next to the rotten and dead in order to remind the viewer that death is always there waiting, no matter what pleasures you may have. This was, of course, a deeply Christian art movement. 16th and 17th century protestants were very invested in reminding themselves and others that pleasure (and even life itself) was futile and transient in the eyes of death and god.

I promise I'm going to relate this art history lesson back to Vnc soon.

The most common symbols in Vanitas paintings include, among others, books, maps, and instruments (symbols of worldly knowledge); jewelry and gold (symbols of wealth and power); bones, especially skulls (symbols of death); fruits and flowers (luxuries subject to quick decay); and clocks, hourglasses, and burning candles (symbols of the passage of time).

Fun fact: Mochijun once did a Gangan Joker cover featuring Vanitas and Jeanne hooking up in front of a Vanitas still life.

If you think about it, the presence of the still life there kind of turns this cover into a Vanitas painting in its own right, but that's a deep dive for another day. In the meantime, let's look again at the volume 1 cover:

The frame that Vanitas is sitting in here is covered in images from Vanitas paintings. In particular, it very heavily features bones and flowers, which are two of the most common Vanitas symbols. Bones are the very direct reminders of death, especially skulls, and flowers are something beautiful and pleasant that decays quickly.

The frame also includes a crown (luxury and wealth made meaningless by the presence of death),

butterflies (living things that are beautiful but incredibly fragile and brief),

and what I'm fairly sure are pomegranates (fruit as another example of luxury subject to decay).

Plus, though you can't see it on the front cover itself, the exact same frame is replicated for volume 1's inner cover illustration, and guess what's on the bottom under Vanitas's leg.

It's an hourglass! The symbol of time's eternal running out, and one that is very deeply tied to Vanitas as a character.

Beyond the fact that these images are commonly found in Vanitas paintings, almost all of them have further significance and meaning. The traditional uses of the flowers featured are very relevant, pomegranates have the Persephone myth, butterflies have their own established symbolism in vnc, and the way that crown is bolted onto the center skull is also important. However, each of those could be a meta post in their own right, and this post is already long enough, so for now I'm going to focus on the simple fact that these are Vanitas images.

Because the thing is, the inclusion of Vanitas painting imagery in this cover is really just what sets the groundwork for my favorite part of it. By introducing the idea of Vanitas paintings via these images, then putting Vanitas the character inside a picture frame, Mochijun suggests that Vani himself *is* a piece of Vanitas art.

Every volume cover features a version of this frame motif, but volume 1 is the only one in which the featured character is within the frame in this way. Vanitas is perched on it and almost entirely contained, as though he's coming from within it, and the background suggests much the same thing. With the stark white of everything outside of the frame, it doesn't look like an empty frame that you can see through to the other side of (the way Noé looks on the volume 3 cover). It looks like volume 1's Vani has climbed out of a painting.

Thus, with the symbols decorating the frame putting Vanitas paintings in our minds and Vani himself held within the frame, he becomes a piece of Vanitas art, and that fits the story perfectly. Vanitas the man is a walking, talking Vanitas. A human reminder of death. And that's why he's called that.

I've talked before about how I suspect other vampires called Luna "Vanitas" because they served as a living, breathing reminder of futility and death for crimson vamps, and Vanitas took his name from them. So on an in-universe level, it makes sense for Vanitas to be called that because he has taken on the role of "death symbol to crimson vamps." But even more interestingly than that, on a more metal level, his whole life is eventually going to become a reminder of death and futility for those close to him.

The story of Vnc is the story of Noé and Vanitas's relationship. It's Noé's memoir of their time together and his case study of Vanitas as a man. They've only grown closer and more important to each other as the story has progressed, and I doubt that's going to change. Vanitas is a great source of joy and color in Noé's life.

Vanitas is also going to die at the end of the story. From the very first chapter, we have known that Vanitas's end is coming and that all of that joy and closeness is going to do nothing to stop his demise. And that is the futility of Earthly passion in the face of the inevitable creep of death. That is the reminder that no amount of joy or pleasure can avert the end of all things. That is the setup for a powerful reminder for Noé and the others at the end of the story. Death comes for us all and will render your pleasures moot, and there's nothing you can do about it.

Furthermore, Vani's inevitable end won't just serve as a Vanitas, a reminder of death, for the characters of Vnc. It also serves the same function for the audience. In fact, I'd argue that since Vnc is the case study of Vanitas (the character), and the character is a living (for now) Vanitas, Vnc itself functions as a piece of Vanitas art. It's Vanitases all the way down.

Vani's oncoming death at the end of the story carries the exact same lesson for the audience that it does the other characters he meets, and that's what makes Vnc a piece of Vanitas art. As a story, it's exciting and it's sexy. The art is a feast for the eyes, the settings lush and almost every character beautiful. And yet, the cold, painful reality of death waits inescapably at the end. What is that if not the manga equivalent of a painting of stunning finery with a skeletal hand lurking in the background?

And of course, it's not like Mochijun is a 17th century protestant. I don't think she's trying to teach her readers a lesson about the meaninglessness and vanity of earthly pursuits so that we'll devote ourselves to god. However, I've always read Vnc as a tragedy, and futility is a fundamental mechanic of many tragedies. All the pleasures Vani has experienced will be inevitably erased by death. All his relationships will be forever marked by one-sidedness and grief. And that's because his story is tragic, and no matter how much he heals from his traumas, he cannot take himself off the path toward death.

But it's not like every character in Vnc is sitting within the frames on their covers. And though Noé and the others will be marked by tragedy in the sense that they will suffer Vanitas's death, not every individual character arc in Vnc must necessarily be tragic.

This is the case study of one instance that encapsulates the ideas of a Vanitas. It is the story of Noé experiencing Vani the man and reacting to his death. It doesn't mean that futility and death are the only lessons that Noé learns through that experience. And though the central theme is bleak and heavy, the manga itself is about the beauty and pleasure experienced on the way to death as much as it is about the death itself.

The love and joy and sensuality is all tangled up with the death in Vnc, and neither can be extracted from the other. It is beautiful and fun and it is a piece of Vanitas art, and none of that is contradictory. You cannot have one without the other, and that means that death can never be escaped.

So on the cover of volume 1, Vanitas the man becomes a living piece of Vanitas art, sitting within a frame that is covered in Vanitas art, within a manga that is in itself a piece of Vanitas art. And that's why it's my favorite illustration from this series.

[nebelihood]

Hey!! First of all I just want to tell you I love your content so much, your looney toons and hey Arnold content bring me so much nostalgia and the las comics have given me emotionally damage (in the best way I promise)

Also I know this may be out of topic but about your opinion on LT back in action?? I'm so hype about it not only is one of my favorites movies but the reason I know there's more about this characters that it lead on

I tell ya every time I see the campfire scene with bugs and daffy I tear up a little, you can see the weight of resignation and tiered in him when they talk and even bugs; who's been trying the whole time to get him back on the show and miss him, doesn't contradicts him or even spoke about it and just fade like that.

I know the ending is supposed to be a meta ending (a movie inside a movie) but there's something raw and tender about this part that doesn't fit 100 in it but at the same it does

I believe this scenario wasn't really scripted (in the movie universe) that way that it's not supposed to be taken seriously or being deep but it did and it was, that something real happened and they let it on to us see a fraction about it.

I could ramble on and on about this and analyze the whole movie but Im sorry for the full on paragraphs and Im not sure it it was ok to message so Im dumping all of this in here

Exited to what's up store next and nervous where Lola and porky talk is leading!! (⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧

DUDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YOU EXPLAINED IT SO WELL!!!!! AGH I WISH I HAD THE MENTAL CAPACITY TO REACH THAT AGH

I love coming back to read this cause AGH I LOVE IT- IT'S SO TRUE! Like I felt that if you shifted your perspective before watching ltbia you could see all the baffy crumbs like all the tension and the date and the looks and ALL AJAGSJF BUT HONESTLY IT IS AN SCENE THAT FEELS OFF. LIKE- why is it there? what does it bring? What does it imply? the way Bugs didn't even reply? He didn't joke about it or attemped to comfort him as if to teach kids how to be a good friend (like with the excuse to teach something) And at the end, even though Daffy saved Bugs it's not like he got recognized by the rest of the characters and barely by Bugs cause he didn't get what he wanted which was to be called a Hero by him??? LIKE THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH IT? IT'S AGH IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S MORE TO THAT SCENE!!!!

(Also THANK YOU!!! dumb your thoughts here any time you wantB) LOVE THEM)

[cookinguptales]

So... Dante's Inferno. I promised my second post would be a deep dive into the parallels and allusions being made to Dante in s2 of Malevolent. In other words, I'm going to finally make my case for you.

I think it's a pretty good one! But I guess whether you agree with me is up to you.

I'll preface this by saying that the last time I read the Inferno cover-to-cover was about fifteen years ago. I did some skimming to reacquaint myself while relistening to this season, but I didn't do a deep dive. So let's just call this an inexhaustive list, okay? I'm sure there are more examples than I'm going to throw out in this post, but I figured that I'm writing a tumblr meta not a dissertation, so it would be okay if I didn't have every single potential allusion.

I'll also say that any quotes I make are from the Mandelbaum translation just because it's by far the easiest to understand. I'm not going to be doing citations or anything (again, not a dissertation) but if you want to know any of my sources, just drop me a line and I'll be happy to drop the canto.

(cw: discussions of suicide, violence, and general Christianity)

As I said before, I believe that the Dreamlands, as Arthur Lester experienced them, were a manifestation of Dante's Dis that The King in Yellow used specifically to give Arthur a path towards penitence and salvation, hoping that he would eventually allow himself some sort of "divine forgiveness."

In other words, the KIY forced Arthur to face the punishments of the last four circles of Dante's Inferno in the hopes that it would cause Arthur to let go of his guilt, and therefore his attachment, to Faroe. And then, of course, he could make his move.

(In plainer English, sometimes a person who is dreaming wishes that they were dreaming, not knowing that they already are. Like that, Dante wanted to be forgiven for his actions not realizing that he already was. Dreamlands, penitence, guilt, etc. It's a whole thing.)

I'm going to try to stay on track in this post because there's a lot to cover. I'm going to talk about some of these concepts and themes a lot more in-depth later, but for now I just wanna lay out some very surface-level observations.

Dis is a gated section of Dante's Hell that includes circles 6-9 -- in other words, the circles dedicated to punishing the heretics, the violent, the fraudulent, and the traitors.

We should probably technically start with 6 and make our way down, but the ordering gets a little fuzzy as we go, so I'm going to structure this a little differently.

This is my meta so frankly I'm going to do what I like here. I'm just going to talk about these in the order I find them most compelling.

The first part of s2 that really made me sit up and take notice was the living forest that Arthur and John pass through near the beginning of the Dreamlands. Dante's forest of souls in the seventh circle is one of the most famous and lingering images of the entire poem, so it immediately caught my attention.

I'm going to be dedicating an entire post just to this forest, so I won't go into too much detail here, but there is a forest in the seventh circle where the trees are black and gnarled, like the ones in the Dreamlands, and like the ones in the Dreamlands, they were watered with blood.

These are the bodies of souls who committed suicide, and Dante is told that when the end times come and Hell is emptied out, when all of the other souls are reunited with their bodies, these souls, in punishment for taking their physical bodies for granted, will be forced to carry their own corpses hanging from their branches.

These trees can speak and bleed, and -- I mean, there's a lot to say about themes of suicide and self-sacrifice in s2. There's even more to say about this concept of protecting your physical body, not giving it up, and not allowing yourself to be separated from it. And then what does it mean when John and Arthur sacrifice a piece of themselves to this living wood in the end...?

Those are questions for a later post. But the parallels between the Dreamlands forest and that in the Inferno seem clear -- and that's before the winged monsters come. Yes, that happens in the Inferno, too, and they're Harpies.

(*looks into the camera like Kermit the Frog*)

There is also depiction of dismemberment in this section of Inferno, which is another pretty crucial similarity to Malevolent.

Ugh, I did get bogged down in some details. Let's be brief with the rest of 7.

Other key punishments found in the seventh circle of Hell and also the Dreamlands: a sea of red sand in a desert that is so hot that it constantly burns you, a vast ravine, an incredibly painful storm, and various red bodies of water surrounded by black rocks. Different water does different things, but none of it's really good. It's probably good that John and Arthur didn't go in the red or purple lakes.

(Perhaps more of a stretch, when Dante and Virgil are taken to the next circle of Hell, it's via a huge serpentine creature that can sting people. It's not exactly the same as the snake in the boat... but well. It is a serpent and a boat is a method of conveyance.)

Circle 8 -- fraud. Circle 8 is comprised of these things called "malebolge", and I've seen a lot of different translations of that word. The male- part is easy -- it's the same one that we see in "malevolent". Evil. The -bolge part I've seen translated as pouches, ditches, trenches, and... well, pits.

There is this really, really, really long part of the poem where they go around to all the pits to see all the different kinds of punishment for fraud. I'm not going to be exhaustive here, nor do I think that all of it lines up quite as 1:1 as it did in circle 7. Some of these things I'm about to point out I think are stretches but others I think are pretty clear.

The two main parallels to circle 8 that I see in Malevolent are the giant pit that they fall into (where they encounter the creature that's being fed) and the smaller prison pits that they're later trapped in by the KIY.

Let's talk about the cave system first. When Dante and Virgil first enter Dis (and in other parts going forward) they struggle with a lot of uneven, gravelly terrain that Dante occasionally falls on. (Created by earthquakes that happened because of Jesus, but that's not important.) That does seem to correspond to the gravelly ground that gave way beneath Arthur and John to send them into the vast blackness that has quite a bit in common with a few of the malebolge. One malebolge is an endless black void that Dante eventually realizes is filled with black pitch. (See: the endless darkness of the pit.) Another is filled with stench and refuse, like the rotting remnants of the creature's dinners. Another involves heads being wrenched from their place and turned around in their sockets, reminiscent of Arthur's dislocated arm.

Other malebolge seem to align with later experiences, like when they are in the ritual halls and in the prison pits themselves. There are two malebolge that seem to speak to Arthur's concern that John will either be separated from him or take over his body: one pit contains dragon-like snakes that bite the punished sinners, then slowly transform into the sinner as the sinner becomes the snake; the other pit involves people being quite literally cleaved in two.

(From the part where the dragons become one with the sinners, then take their bodies. Sounds familiar!)

A third malebolge contains sinners who are being tortured with incessant thirst, like Lorick the cana.

So I do think that the actual contents of these evil pits come up fairly often throughout Arthur's travails, but I think the much bigger issue, and the one that maps more clearly onto Arthur's time in the Dreamlands, is the concept of pits designed to punish prisoners in the first place. The description of the malebolge (circular pits surrounded by a huge wall that encircles all of them) is similar to that of the prison pits (many circular pits that are encircled by a huge wall) and, like the sinners bound to their malebolge, John and Arthur are being tortured in their prison pit as well.

Even more interesting, I think, is a particular sinner that can be found later in the 9th circle. (Forgive me for jumping ahead a bit, but you'll see in a moment why I'm doing it.) There's a man named Ugolino that Dante encounters in the lake of ice who is frozen to another man -- and Ugolino is eating that man's head. Why? Because in life, that man held Ugolino and his children prisoner and purposefully starved them.

Now -- this next part is argued over by both translators and scholars (one of the translators I consulted for this had a whole diatribe about this in the middle of his translation, lmao) but what I'm about to say does seem to be an accepted interpretation of the text. I even checked Sparknotes and it's the only interpretation they give, so I assume that regardless of what Dante intended, this is a common modern understanding of the scene.

Ugolino, after his children had died (arguably due to his own actions), was forced to consume their flesh.

(Some scholars say he just starved to death, but again, even Sparknotes is a big proponent of the cannibalism theory. lmao)

So... we have a story about a prisoner being denied food specifically to demoralize him and force him to feed on the flesh of his fellow prisoners. That sounds familiar. :')

(And "Faust", of course, is an allusion to another literary figure who dealt with the devil...)

I think that regardless of how well the specific punishments of the pits fit Arthur's journey (I'd say... so-so, depending on the punishment), the concept of punishment pits in general is strongly associated with the Dreamlands, and what happened to Arthur in those pits is uh. Let's just say that Dante did it first.

Now... before I go onto the ninth circle, one of the clearest, most obvious, and in some ways most fascinating allusions to Dante, I'll quickly backtrack to the sixth circle of Hell, heresy.

Heresy is a complicated thing in a universe that contains both Christianity and a lot of other gods, and I think it's certainly dealt with in s2, but maybe in not quite the same ways...

The description of the sixth circle of Hell is pretty quick and pretty sparse. Essentially, it's a vast plain of open tombs that are surrounded by fire. They're made of stone and the people inside them are supposed to be dead, but they are unable to rest, instead being roasted alive inside of their tombs.

I puzzled over this one for a while, and I think it's still entirely possible that it was meant to be skipped altogether in Malevolent. But. There is a part at the very beginning of s2 that never quite seemed to tie into the rest of the narrative, and I wonder if, in a way, it was meant to be one of these stone tombs.

A stone building, like the stone tombs indicated by Dante. Roofs of red iron, like the stone heated to "glowing heat" that Dante likened to hot iron...

A large hole in the ground. Perhaps a stack of firewood...

Inhabitants thought to be "departed" but clearly still very much still here...

I don't know. Could be an allusion to the fiery tombs of the living dead. Hard to say.

It's hard to know where he was going with this portion, honestly. I get the impression that something might have been headed off by an audience decision here, so idk where it would have gone if it had found its logical conclusion. The souls in the sixth circle can see the future (but not the present), so it could have been something pretty cool.

Ah, well. Hard to know.

I'll get back to more solid ground. The ninth circle.

The ninth circle of Hell, home of traitors (including Satan himself), is one of the most well-known parts of the poem. At the bottom of Hell is, quite infamously, a frozen lake of ice.

I mentioned poor Ugolino before, but there are other prisoners of the ice who are also very interesting.

One in particular, Branca d’Oria, seems thematically important. This was kind of a weird addition to Dante's Hell. See, Branca d’Oria was a real-live person who was still alive when this was written. How is a living person in Hell? Well, Dante asked him that in the poem, too.

According to The Inferno, Branca d’Oria's crime (the murder of his father-in-law) was so terrible that his soul was taken down to Hell while he was still alive, and his soul was replaced with a devil who took control of his body.

(If you think that a simple murder doesn't seem worse than all the other stuff in Hell, I guess... this is kind of Dante being a true crime girlie...?)

Regardless of Dante's writing choices, I think you can see why this one caught my eye. Once Arthur and John get to the lake of ice, their imminent confrontation with the KIY has them both wondering if just that will happen to Arthur. Will a devil (John) take control of his body and cast his soul out?

There are a lot of passages of Dante that are concerned with the attachment of the soul to the body, so I'll probably do an entire post on that. Lot of stuff about whether souls can be severed from their mortal form, whether they can be replaced by other spirits, etc.

Kayne specifically brings up this question (as does the KIY) in the lake of ice, which brings me to the other really fascinating part of the ninth circle.

Caina.

(Yes, named for that Cain.)

Caina is the portion of the lake of ice that is reserved specifically for people who have killed family members. It's part of the realm of traitors, not murderers, and is considered particularly heinous. Dante finds two brothers who are being punished by being quite literally frozen together.

(Again, two souls, one body, one whole, there's a vibe here.)

I talked a little bit about Kayne before... I don't think he's bound to this part of the Inferno, or even an organic part of it, but I do think that he's consciously playing along with it. After all, he chose to meet Arthur and John in the frozen lake. He chose to call himself Kayne. It's not his real name. That seems pretty clear. But it's what he chose to call himself.

He lured Arthur in with the music box symbolizing his dead daughter. He dirtied it with blood. He purposefully leaned into Arthur's guilt about "murdering" his daughter. And he called himself Kayne.

Feels pointed to me.

And I do think Kayne very certainly belongs in the ring reserved for traitors. lmao. I cannot imagine that he's not fucking the two of them over somehow.

Side note, I'd also say that the description of amphitheater-like rooms feels like an allusion to the Inferno right there. Its circles are shaped like an amphitheater with the lake of ice right in the center!

And just to be clear, it points both up and down. When they get to Satan and fly past him, the same shape is going out the other way. (Through the earth's core.)

The final really big allusion to Dante is not an allusion to the Inferno at all, but to Purgatorio/Paradiso. I am speaking, of course, of the garden.

A garden that his followers can't enter... A garden where things are presumably safe... A garden where Arthur finally comes to true understanding...

I mean. It's Eden, right? Of course it's Eden.

And Arthur, in his own way, is partaking of the fruit.

Eden is actually where Purgatorio ends and Paradiso begins, in Dante's travels. There's... a lot to be said here, about "Earthly Paradise", as it's called in Dante, and how it's a symbol of regaining innocence, its connections with Beatrice, etc. But I'll leave that for another post.

The reason why it's important here, though, is that it symbolizes an escape from Hell. It's what Dante found after going through all the punishments of Hell, after meeting Satan, after regaining his metaphorical innocence. It's what the KIY was dangling in front of Arthur as escape, both from the Dreamlands and his own guilt.

The fact that it was used to manipulate, to hurt, to fake Arthur out, is actually such an interesting twist on the source material. I kind of love it.

(I'll also just say real quick that I believe that the selenine (while existing as a cure-all in other Lovecraft literature) is actually a parallel to the waters of Lethe, which can also be found in Dante's Earthly Paradise. This is water that makes you forget your past and all past sins so you can become purified and continue on to heaven! Or get your ass snatched by the King in Yellow! I'll talk about this more later!)

And then... y'know, there's Daniel.

I have a lot to say about Daniel in the future, but for now... I think this is what it all kind of boils down to.

Like yes... on a surface level, there are a lot of Dantean punishments in this book. Yes, Arthur starts rambling about the Minotaur, who guards the seventh circle of Hell. Yes, there are tons of little asides and allusions to the cosmology of this universe.

But I think this here is the key. This whole dream is about judgment from a god that Arthur no longer believes in and absolution that will never come.

Arthur is, quite frankly, out of options. He's been clinging to this guilt and shame for a very long time now, and he sees no real possibility for forgiveness from God or anyone. Only punishment.

So... the KIY gives him God's punishment. But do the tortures of the Inferno really make Arthur come to terms with his own guilt? Not in the way the KIY wants, obviously, but... I mean, I do think there is some growth there. I just don't think it came from the torture.

Arthur wanted to be tortured. He thinks he deserves to be tortured. To be punished. That comes up... many times throughout the podcast. But it isn't punishment that helps him come to terms with his own actions, that help him come to live quietly with his guilt.

It's love.

And Dante's Inferno, at its heart, is about love. According to Dante, the deepest depths of Hell are frozen because ice is the lack of warmth, and a lack of warmth is the lack of love.

Because here's what Dante's Commedia is about, from beginning to end. Dante is having a crisis of faith and his lost love, his dear deceased Beatrice, orchestrates this journey (and eventually becomes his guide) from her place in heaven and saves his soul on earth -- through her love.

I'll talk about this more later, I swear I will, but for now... The KIY gave Arthur the Hell he thought he deserved because he wanted Arthur to find grace through penitence. The King wanted Arthur to give up his past so he could steal his future.

But what Arthur actually gleaned from this awful experience is perhaps closer to what Dante actually intended his message to be. That closing yourself off from others, that hurting others, that betraying others, these are all the worst sins. In the end, it's a violation of human connection that will damn you.

And the only real way to salvation is through love.

I feel like in some ways this is the largest allusion of all, opaque as it is. This is what the entire poem is about. Not just gawking at punishments but finding growth through love.

It's about learning that shame can't fix you, y'know? Love and support are an awful lot more effective if you truly wish to change.

And that, my friends, is Dante's Divine Comedy. :')

[lavend-ler]

beginner fic writer who likes your work, can you give some advice on how to write a good fic (characters are not ooc, natural sounding dialogue and such)?

hi there! first of I'm very flattered that u like my fics, thank u! 🥰 I've spent my last 3 days thinking of the best advice I can give to fellow writers so here is a list of tips and examples. I hope u will find it useful!

writing characters who are not OOC requires a deep understanding of the canon u're writing. my best advice for this is to truly think abt the characters u write. a great exercises are writing metas or doing list of canon traits. but writing fic is all abt interpretation and having fun. I think the best thing abt this is to fill in the blanks urself. when u see the characters and see them as a whole person it's much easier. also every action requires a reaction. I'll give u an example - Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime is a character who is all abt community, leadership and upbeat, daredevil personality. but with him loving his friends but ALSO being in front of many of them dying and also also having such responsibility, it's a natural conclusion that he'd have a survivor complex. it's never stated outtight in canon but u gotta fill in the blanks like such with ur interpretations. ur fics are all abt how u see characters and their interactions with the world and themselves

my best tip on writing natural dialogue is to constantly check the source material. listen to characters u want to write abt and learn the cadence of their voice. before my EVERY writing session I rewatch scenes from canon, sometimes to the point that I myself am tired of it. but it works! u see the interactions, u memorize the words, u see how characters talk. I don't live in an English speaking country so I watch and observe how others talk. observation is ur most important tool

"but Ed" u ask me "u also write characters who DON'T have canon voices, how do u manage that?". with characters like such u gotta get the vibe of them, which goes back to my first point. u gotta understand characters u write abt and set some rules for urself. I'll give u an example with Norma Wiggins. she only has her "older" voice and I don't have a hc for how she would sound when she's younger. but the characterization must shine through. let's think of this: Once-ler asks her "well, Norma... look. it might sound out of the blue but would you want to go out somewhere with me? I dunno, coffee or tea, aanything you want" and I will give u two responses:

"w-well, Once-ler, of course, ehm. if that won't be a problem, that'd be heavenly"

"what, you wanna take me to your loveshack? sorry, I was just teasing! c'mon, stop that face, of course, I'll go out with you"

u can see that the characterization is much stronger and matches Norma much better in the second one cause instead of shy and uncertain, she's teasing and spunky!

show don't tell. oftentimes the most hated advice new writers get. but trust me when I say it's necessary. ur readers aren't idiots, they will take the cue. u can't give them everthing upfront, u gotta work around it a bit and give them context clues. again examples:

"Upon those words, Rhys felt angry. He turned on his ECHOeye to learn all about him."

vs

"Upon hearing those words, Rhys gritted his teeth in anger, the breath in his chest got shallower. With a flash, he turned on his ECHOeye. There just had to be some secrets buried within his files, he knew. And he had to know them personally."

ur characters do not exist in a vacuum. each one of them is a full person with other relationships, goals etc. show them change poses, change expressions, interact with the background

PLEASE only refer to ur characters with their names and their pronouns. everything else is incredibly tacky, I promise u. if u refer to characters as "brunette" or "brown-eyed guy" I will hate ur writing

remember TiP ToP rule. change ur paragraphs at every change of TIme Person TOpic and Place

inspo is everywhere! be observant, look at ppl in ur life and learn from them. the every day, mundane stories can often lead to u writing amazing creations

besides metas 100 word drabbles are ur friend. giving urself limits like so expand ur creativity and will allow u to craft stories in any scale u want. it's a very fun challenge and great way to see

it's another very obvious rule but READ A LOT!!!! u can't be a writer if u don't love what u're doing! read a lot, see what words ppl are using, see how their sentences flow. published books, fanfictions, no matter what, reading is a great time and it doesn't have to be in lang u're writing it either. I read a LOT and 99% of books I read are in Polish. and they still help a lot. and if u're reading a fic and u love it, don't forget to let author know via the comments <3

thesaurus is also ur bestie. just saying

u gotta find ur best workflow. everyone is different and different things work better with them. for example I work in complete silence. I listen to 1 song before writing and then I just focus on work. but some ppl rly like listening to music. as for me, I'll just bring up one of my fave tips from legendary Richard Williams and Milt Kahl:

and last but not least and it pains me to say it.......u gotta beta ur work. if u don't have a beta u gotta do it urself. I know, I hate it too but it must be done. I found that listening to what u write is the best option so my beta process looks like this: I use a text to speech google extention which reads me my whole fic. I stop it every time I hear sth that sounds wrong for me and I rewrite it. oh and also don't worry abt it - my text to speech can't pronounce things like "energon" but he still helps me a lot

[greentrickster]

something I really admire about your writing is that I feel a deep wellspring of kindness behind it. Even if you're kicking a metaphorical chair out from under a character there will be a hand outstretched to pull them back up again, even if they take a very long time to choose to take it.

^///^ Thank-you so much! And yeah, I- ... I write partially with the mindset that every cannon character I write about (and even some of my OCs) is someone's fav, and I try to treat them as well as the story allows in this regard.

I also... this may be a little weird, but I saw the movie Stranger Than Fiction when it came out in 2006. In a very rough description, it's about a writer trying to finish a novel, and also about the man who is both real and the main character of her novel. It's a weird, rather fun kind of meta, and it had the effect on my writing that there's now this little spot in the back of my mind constantly asking, "If you met this character, the version of them from the story you've written... could you justify it? Could you look them in the eye and tell them why it was all for the best?"

So now one of my secondary roles is my stories is hugging the characters I write from behind and whispering in their ear, "It's for the best, I promise it's for the best, I love you so much and you're going to be so happy before it's all over..."

(You know, even as I'm winding up to hit them with a baseball bat.)

It makes me kinda pants at long-form original fiction, because I have a hard time writing original antagonists and flat-out can't write real original villains, because I can't love them properly, not if I have to make them from scratch. But that's okay, because I adore writing fanfiction, and getting to share how much I love these worlds and characters with my readers that also love them. :)

Thanks for the ask!

[starvcives]

Top 5 nightwing v2 moments and top 5 foods

ohh my godd nightwing 96 my beloved. truly some of the most INSANE character arcs and dialogues of all time. i still cant pick!

okay so i dont really remember which issues are V2 so if some of these are wrong just use your imagination, my fav moments from nightwing v2 in no specific order::

dick expressing his love and pride for tim. goshh that scene really was everything. dick watching and admiring tim just like people used to admire dick, feeling confident in his little brother and how much he's learning and how he's oh so better than him.

"God, I love that kid. I love him too much to let him see me like this."

especially with what comes after! tim actually taking the time to come to dick and ask him how he felt about the adoption. tim tells dick that bruce still needs him, needs to believe that dick is on his side, and by extension tim needs dick too. and dick's response! his justified anger bc he's in such a bad place rn and he does not wanna here about bruce's fake promises, especially coming from tim.

"Remember how I once told you that Batman needed a Robin? Well that's still true.

But even more than that, he... he needs you. You know, not like every second or whatever, but at the end of the day he needs to know that you're still on his side. It's...important."

and what does dick say?

YOU--! --You have no idea how much of my life I've wasted believing that was true.

2. the whole evil mob arc like "ooh look at me im so bad and evil and everything i touch rots" like babe aint nobody believing that except youu. quoting del's post (im pretty sure) dick grayson you look for your father's love in the most fucked up places <3

"You take as long as you need son, and when you're ready to come home just show up day or night."

3. the scene where roy comes to check up on dick?? hello??

"Nightwing? That you, man? Good to see you fighting the good fight bro!"

"Roy..."

"Ive been hearing all these crazy rumors that you've gone over to the dark side."

AND THEN- THE PUNCH. OUGH.

he is trying to keep roy away, if he keeps him at arm's length, makes sure he doesn't come back, then he won't get hurt. this is dick's mess and dick needs to fix it. classic deflection trick from the bat-book. he also doesn't want roy to see him like this. dick envies roy's sense of self...his ability to stay even when things get tough.

roy's abandonment issues vs dick's active detachment fight

4. the blockbuster monolgue scene... truly one of the best nightwing villains. feeding into dick's guilt complex... u can never go back and the way forward is washed with the consequences of your sins. it's an understatement when i say i lost my MIND reading this.

here's a link to the transcript of the post comparing grayson's dialogue vs taylor's reboot version

5. when dick goes to meet helena and she tells him

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't pry them away from you with a crowbar."

referring to rose and sophia when dick asks helena to care for them--bc he trusts HER.

like.. deep down u know she is right. my girl was not taking his shit today. so much can be said about their relationship and about dick from this one scene but i'm afraid i don't have the words to say it. but i could link some great dickhelena metas here and here.

bonus: literally all the scenes with sophia and rose in them. i really disliked how they left that knot untied, there was so much potential there... so much love and discovery. never getting over them and their messed up little family of have beens and could bes..

--- 𓆩♡𓆪

as for my favorite foods.. that's a toughie. im a really picky eater so those vids you see on social media about going to restaurants and ordering chicken nuggets is exactly me. buttt here's a fragment of an answer::

i lovee my mom's homemade food. mama's cooking is always the best and whenever i venture anywhere away from home it's literally all i can think about. also i know all the love she puts into each and every fresh meal and there never passed a day she let me leave home on an empty stomach <3

the loml kfc fried chicken. look i LOVE chicken of all types- butter chicken, fried chicken, chicken kebab. but kfc chicken as my friday takeout meal has always been a staple in my life.

ALSO CHICKEN RENDANG MMM. THEY WERE REALLY COOKING WHEN THEY MADE THAT.

aloo paratha with butter. you can keep your pancakes and ur waffles there's nothing i'd rather have for breakfast than a yummy aloo paratha and i KNOW im not the only one.

[godstaff]

Hey do you want to provide a in-depth analysis why you you prefer superwonder over clois, wondertrev, and wonderbat?

My analysis are always skin deep and, of course, biased according to my preferences.

First of all, I adamantly reject the couples of humans and supers. Not, as Lork fans suggested, because matters of eugenics (poor kids, they are grasping at straws trying to prove we, Superwonder fans, are evil). I'm not a nazi, looking for a superior race. It's only a matter of different physical characteristics. As a matter of fact, when a meta and a human share a bed, there's always the risk the meta could kill the human in their sleep. It is common the sleeping person turns, extends the limbs (sometimes violently), hugs the other...a lot of involuntary actions which could harm the human, even asphyxiate the partner by accident. Nobody can control the movements in their sleeping phase. I can imagine Scott Summers suddenly waking up in the middle of the night and opening his eyes without his protecting visor and blowing Jean's head by accident with the rays coming out of his eyes. Jean herself may be having nightmares of being attacked and projecting a repellent force field with her mind, causing Scott being thrown through a wall or being crushed. If the super has superstrength, the greater the risk. So, there's even peril with two metas sleeping together. Individual beds or even separated bedrooms are needed. Clark may have meteorism one night and kill Lois with one potent fart (one can only hope). Sorry to burst your romantic bubble, but each case must be considered individually.

Another instance in which there is a dangerous loss of control is when the meta indulges in their romantic urges. When the blood abandons your brain and goes to your nether parts, instinct becomes stronger than care for the other person. When you are two or three times stronger than your partner, like it may happen in human couples, it's not a big deal. However, when the difference is hundreds or even thousands of times, like "okay, dear, you can tumble a tractor tire at the gym. Quite impressive. But your partner can move the very planet where you and that tire are standing on." That's significant and very dangerous.

You can't expect, like Lork fans do, that Clark is always in control of his impulses and emotions in Lois behalf. Sex is one of the few instances in which you have to be able to let loose, to enjoy yourself, and Clark can't do it with a common human. Supes is always holding back in every other circumstance of his life 24/7 (world made of cardboard, remember?), let him have this one. It seems to me a selfish attitude from fans to relegate the main character to benefit a secondary one. The same goes to those willing to throw Diana/Wonder Woman under the bus to make Trevor or Batso look important.

A mortal human and a superbeing could never constitute a couple of equals. Nor soulmates, since their souls are focused on very different interests: a superhero needs to look at the World from a global perspective, not from the petty need for notoriety and what would be good for the front page of the paper the next day.

An elephant and an ant could never be more than friends.

Writers love saying "superheroes" are the modern gods and demigods. So, let's take a lesson from ancient Greeks, historical scolars and experts on everything regarding deities: Truth is their gods bedded mortal women and had children with them. The trick was they were forced to take a lesser form to be with the human. If the deity presented itself as a god, the mortal would burst in flames at the mere sight of the Olympian magnificence. Mortals couldn't be in the presence of the god in all its glory. Semele, the god Dyonisus human mother, made Zeus promise her he will appear before her like he really was. It ended badly for her.

Instead of posting idiocies like eugenics accusations to justify they have no real arguments to defend their position, this is what fans should focus on: The important thing in a comics book is the guy under whose name is the publication and the franchise, and this principal character can't and shouldn't be defined by the supporting one he goes to bed with. That's why James Bond is sorrounded by a constant carrousel of women. Ironically, the one time the importance of the female companion got promoted to principal, meant the demise of 007, as it should be, because his own survival wasn't his priority anymore.

SuperWonder is, IMHO, totally different. A true pairing of equals. Not only because of their matching powers, the easy argument other couples fans often use. They both are protectors, guardians, helpers, defenders. Their goals are similar. They won't hesitate to sacrifice in the name of justice, peace and truth or to give each other's life for their partner.

They don't have to hold back to be with the other, which is of great help when you want to share your life with your beau without restrictions. "Oh, yeah! because your only interest is for them to have sex...!" Some detractor might say. I say what's wrong with that? Don't you like to enjoy such liberties yourselves? Don't you want the same for your fictional favorites?

The whole planet is their oyster and they want to make it a safer place for all the people to share and enjoy. They communicate with monarchs and peasants all the same: they listen a lot more than they speak to understand our conflicted species.

They usually associate themselves and work with human heroes to give us the chance to admire someone of our own species as role models. Thanks to their upbringing they have strong family values and can't wait to form a nucleus of their own, when the planetary situation allows them.

Some humans, like Batso, think because they have more intelligence than the rest they have the right to tell the others what to do. Diana and Kal believe in sitting down at the side of the road to encourage and wait for those who take longer to walk the path. They know if we don't make it to the end together and convinced of what we do, it doesn't matter how fast we do the journey.

Because they began their relationship as friends with total honesty which later developed in love and care they concluded their relationship with humans should be based in those traits: honesty, love and care. Hence they ditched their secret identities and secret hideouts. This, in turn, made their loved ones be safer, because now the whole planet recognizes them as friends and is looking after their family and friends, warning the heroes when ill intentioned people is around those loved ones to hurt them. Around the Globe there's aproximately 1 billion smartphones and growing. All that people made possible to inform in real time of any event happening anywhere, covering the planet with a tight network of information.

Being romantically associated with humans significantly slowed them down. We humans are too prone to drama, mistrust and always want to have some kind of benefit ("what's in it for me?"), economical or otherwise, whenever we do something or engage in some project. Humans are a drag.

Regardless of our good intentions, a selfish strike is always there: a woman once told Clark that he being Superman and her won't ever work as a couple, because she isn't prepared to share him with the rest of the World.

Nobody could understand one another like Diana and Kal. They are each other's shelter from the storm. This is the main reason why I prefer them together above any other pairing DC may decree for them. Screw tradition.

The situations and characters here described are a projection of mine of how the infinite potential of Wonder Woman and Superman could be exploited if well written if the writers and DC Comics really cared for them.

Thank you.

Sorry for the wall of text.

[thebroccolination]

I saw you mentioned Queer As Folks recently. OMG how I missed Brian and Justin. When they went angst, they reeeeeaaaally served angst. I seriously don't have access to watch the entire series in my country, I can only watch snippets from youtube. I'm so sad 😭 Can you share with me what you like most about QaF and maybe if you have your favorite Ao3 fics about them. Thank you so much, Key ❤

Aaahhh, Anon!

You've unsurfaced some deep memories.

Okay, I just finished writing the thesis below. I'm back from the future. A lot of what you're about to read is pure emotion, so I apologize that it's not, uh. Well structured or especially rational. Queer as Folk was very formative for me, so my thoughts on it are very formless. \:D/

•

I watched Queer as Folk in high school, and it was a core experience. I vaguely remember writing Brian/Justin fic, but I think I mainly just read, and unfortunately, all of the fic I read was on LiveJournal, so I have no idea how to find it anymore. I'm really, really bad with names and titles, so I'd really only know them if I saw them again. :')

I have hot takes, though!

As far as fandom goes, the US version was phenomenal. So much fic. So much fic, and I loved it so much. The fanvids, the art, the meta, etc. It was such a great fandom.

BUT as a show, I preferred the UK version. I thought it was better crafted, the story and characters felt a lot stronger, and the dialogue was fantastic. It felt more inclusive in every way, and it had this…cozy warmth to it. Even at his worst, Stuart is nowhere near as much of a menace as Brian, and I think that's because he has Vince, and Brian has Michael.

(I didn't like Michael. At all. \:D/ The actor is lovely! I just regularly pined for the character to be pushed through a nineteenth floor window and then get stepped on by an elephant tourist visiting family at the Pittsburgh Zoo.)

The US version also screamed Written by White Cis Gay Men Who Held a Weird Grudge Against Lesbians and Didn't Believe Bisexuality Is Real. I was a "definitely straight except for that one time and that other time and that other other time I had suspiciously queer thoughts and also argued a shade too passionately about queer rights at the dinner table" teenager, and while I loved Brian and Justin as a ship, the UK version made me feel like I could find friends who'd feel like family one day. (And it came true, and they're queer, too.)

I think of the US version of Queer as Folk as fandom fodder. After every episode, I'd dive into LiveJournal, read fics, meta, look up fanvids, etc. I learned so much from Elder Queers who talked about safe sex and the importance of getting tested and all the things either referenced in the show or totally ignored that Elder Queers were like, "This was ignored but if you're ever in Justin's situation, here is what you do, please promise you'll do this."

The UK version is the one I rewatch when I want to revisit that warm, safe feeling.

And it'll always fuck my brain up that the US showrunners of Queer as Folk watched Stuart fuck a fifteen-year-old that was blatantly framed as "this is a bad thing, Stuart is doing a bad thing, everyone is aware that this is a bad thing, this is very bad, Stuart" and thought, "Okay, the bad thing is that he's fifteen, so let's age him up to seventeen and make him the love interest instead of the best friend who's the same age."

MIND. BLOWN.

I mean, it explains why Michael's all [evocative hand gestures]. His English counterpart actually ended up with his hot Irish best friend. And, like, Vince is obsessed with Dr. Who, so they gave Michael comic books? Like? Why not Star Trek? And he's obsessed with Brian and has the same soul-destroying crush that Vince has on Stuart, but there's a point to Vince's crush on Stuart the point is that they end up together and Nathan is a high school boy who is genuinely meant to be a blip on the radar in the background of their story.

It's been long enough that I don't hate Michael anymore, I'm just still fascinated by CowLip's bizarre story decisions.

Here's how I'll summarize my complicated relationship with the US version of Queer as Folk:

Season five was an insult to me personally, and I never watched the last episode. That stupid ending reversed all five seasons of Brian's character arc and landed him exactly where he was in the first episode, only multiple years older. And CowLip talked about it like it was brilliant and not a pathological misunderstanding of how storytelling is meant to operate to connect with audiences.

But.

I remember watching the Babylon bombing episode. Viscerally. I was staying at my sister's house, and I waited until everyone fell asleep. I snuck into their home office to watch the episode on their computer because I kept all queer media I watched secret from everyone in my very conservative family. I turned the volume down to one bar, kept the lights off, and held my shallow breath whenever the house made any kind of noise. Because Brian had never said "I love you" before, and this was it, because he thought Justin would be one of those corpses rolled out on a gurney from the club where they met, where their friends and family all gathered, the only place they felt safe being gay.

And many years later, when something similar happened far, far away at Pulse in Orlando, a memory surfaced of secretly watching an episode about love and desperation and grief. Of feeling caged inside a sexuality prescribed to me. And it was the first time I came out on social media.

Because it was a ridiculous show in some ways, and a terribly written one sometimes, but I think it also cut to the quick for many of us who just…didn't have anything else. We didn't have many options back then, and the fandom was massive, and it nudged me a little closer to understanding who I am and who I love.

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

There's a lot of intentional phrasing I've included in Gibbous/Crescent that if I ever get to the reveal, I hope is pleasing to readers who might had a passing inkling or even makes it a satisfying reread. I'm a firm believer that a plot twist works best when it makes sense narratively while also being rewarding to keen-eyed readers.

I think I've expressed this before, but I love playing with "negative space" concerning characterization/relationships in my writing, especially within the last few chapters of Gibbous. Some character details are best left implied/absent to create intrigue & plot threads that can be later elaborated upon or serve as "noodle incidents" that make the world seem richer.

I think novice writers feel the pressure to do character exposition at every possible opportunity but real life people are complicated and messy. They don't always understand their emotions and sometimes make vague references that only their conversation partner would understand. I love writing Logan and Patton in Gibbous for these reasons.

Here's an example of what I mean:

“Logan, this isn’t right.” Patton said. Logan flinched at those words. It didn’t matter how many years had passed—whenever Patton chastised him, it caused Logan to feel much like a child being reprimanded by a parent. But Logan was not a child, even if Patton seemed to forget this fact at times. Logan pulled his face away from his hands to stare Patton directly in the eye. “What do you mean, ‘this isn’t right?’ What did you expect to come from this situation? Regardless, isn’t Virgil staying with us what you originally wanted?” “Not like this and you know that!” Patton burst out, “I wanted him to have a choice—packs are based on choice, Logan.” “You should have never brought him here if you didn’t want this,” Logan snapped, “we cannot trust that he will not expose us.” “He promised he wouldn’t!” “He said that while he was under duress, Patton! He would have said anything if it meant we’d let him free!” “You don’t know that for sure!” “Yes I do! Not everyone is as good as you think they are!” Logan’s voice shook. Deep breaths, he needed to keep taking deep breaths. He was allowing himself to get too consumed by his emotions. “Patton,” He began in a quieter tone, “In the event that he would expose us—the times are different, Patton, you know this. This is not the seventies, we can’t up and move across the country as easily to escape a problem like this. I made the necessary decision to best mitigate the danger you brought to the pack.” “He is not a danger, Logan. He is just hurt, sick and scared. Doesn’t that remind you of anyone?” Patton pleaded. Logan sighed, shaking his head. “Patton, why bring that point up when you’re well aware of what my response will be?”  “You are right, I should’ve taken him to a hospital—but he looked so small and vulnerable, I couldn’t just leave him,” Patton said, his eyes glistening, “I only wanted to help him, Lo. And I believe he was telling the truth.” “Why?” Logan asked, knowing such a question would be in vain, “Why do you insist on always believing in the best of people, of humans?” Patton made a noise. It was something between a sob and a laugh, “I believed in you, Logan, even when you were human.” “I—that—you really shouldn’t have.” Logan’s chest tightened. “But I did. I always will.” This was unfair. It was an absolute appeal to Logan’s pathos and Patton knew he had no reasonable retort to this. -Crescent Chapter 7, Revised

[daandov]

[ ... ] ─── i do it so it FEELS LIKE HELL - i do it so i feel real.

i am only thirty and like the cat i have nine times to die. ─── [ ... ]

O MY ENEMY DO I TERRIFY ??

#DAANDOV. ──────── a writing blog for an ORIGINAL CHARACTER for the LAST DRAGONBORN in 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚'𝐬 𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐕 𝐬𝐤𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐦. [ ... ] focusing on motifs of :: the tragic hero , being nothing but a vessel for prophecy , gods leaving husks behind of their champions , coming out the other side of the hero's journey worse off , dogged loyalty , getting chewed up and spit out , feminine rage , how much more of myself do i have to give? , being doomed by the narrative [ ... ]

crossovers are preferred & no knowledge of elder scrolls is needed to interact ── blog established october 2023 , character est in 2018 , blog triggers include ;; substance abuse & suicidal ideation , loved by ouija , 21+ , she/her , rules below the cut

affiliated with @recitedemise , @bendwill , @tidesfate / @eldritchborn

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⸻⸻

( ₁. )  character timeline .   ( ₂. )   pre-est connections .   ( ₃. )   spotify .   ( ₄. )   meta sideblog .   ( ₅. )   pinterest .   ( ₆. )   carrd .

001. general  ⸻ this blog is a writing blog for my oc VALVARI ALANTAR who i've built over the past five years. intrinsically tied to the legacy of the dragonborn mod, she is a canon divergent last dragonborn. i use caps from baldurs gate just because of it's character creation.

SPARK NOTES :: valvari's adoptive fathers own museums across the world. she's grown up first learning deep history, and being more book focused, but as she began showing a bit of a temper and anger streak, she was sent with one of her father's to start adventuring to begin finding artifacts and curios that are gathered to store in the museums. just recently, they've opened a new museum and val is going to start adventuring on her own in order to help fill it.

002. following ⸻  this is a highly selective blog , i am keeping my circle very small right now and will only interact with those who make concerted efforts to plot with me. i practice mains, i'm not interested in exclusives. i do not follow writers under the age of 21. if you're ever softblocked and you still want to interact, please feel free to follow again, it's never that serious i promise.

i softblock liberally if we have not interacted, i'm not interested in being a number to people. i don't expect to be responding to our threads every day, i don't expect constant ooc talk, we all have lives and other muse interests. what i expect is interaction with other posts that show you're interested in my muse. a like or a reply to a post goes a long way. when time goes on and you're radio silent but still active on dash, i'll likely just softblock just so i'm not feeling unwanted. i promise it's not a big deal, it's just about curating my dash to active mutuals.

003. formatting  ⸻ i don’t care about formatting or icon usage on your end , you do what makes you most comfortable. i personally use normal text with some formatting, and icons only show up in writing if i feel like it. i'll use them if i'm feeling it, otherwise there may be threads or posts where they're absent because i couldn't be bothered to add them. if there's something about my formatting that doesn't work for you let me know and i can adjust.

004. shipping ⸻  i love shipping and am always open to discussing it. val requires chemistry to ship with and i require being comfortable together ooc. it's not going to be a focus on this blog and i'll never be the first to ask in order to keep people from feeling uncomfortable. if you are interested, let me know, i won't consider it forceshipping, but be aware i may say no.

please note :: val is sex positive and a bit blunt, so she may flirt if she thinks your muse is attractive but i'm ALWAYS okay with her being shut down. i promise it's never that serious, and i'm not trying to beg for a ship. she will also drop the topic the moment someone isn't interested.

005. plotting ⸻  i rely heavily on plotting and interacting ooc and my attention will be focused around those of my followers who i have a plot for and rapport with. it isn’t necessary to have one off the bat , but if interactions are going to go anywhere , plotting is required. i typically prioritize these threads/muses and if we go a period of time without interacting or you showing interest in my muse/blog at all, i'll softblock so i can keep my dash to the people i'm actively writing/chatting with.

006. interacting ⸻ i will like starter call , but do not wait to see one on my blog because it won’t happen often. instead , please send memes. they can always become threads. and they are great ways to explore our muses while we aren't working on our active threads. send them and send them often, i'm never agitated if you're sending multiple. i'll delete any i don't have muse for but i'll always answer some.

007. triggers ⸻ there will be adult content present on this blog including , but not limited to :: sexual content , potential mention of self harm , violence , adult language. if you are uncomfortable with any of these please tell me and i will avoid them in our threads. i don't have any specific triggers, however i will always tag potentially triggering things as : trigger tw

008. ooc ⸻ hey i’m ouija , 30+ i’m just a nerd. I have a full time job and a home to maintain so my activity will vary. icon border by ariapsds and icon psd by jaynedits

i've grown comfortable existing on the edges of fandoms and just fitting val within them, thus i'm very crossover friendly.rape, incest, pedophilia, hate / bigotry (ie: racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc) is not accepted on this blog. i may keep myself distant from callouts or personal drama that appears (mainly just because i don't like calling attention to myself), however i'm not against them when it comes to keeping the dash safe and letting people know about problematic people.