#OVER THE COURSE OF TWO SEASONS

[the-hilda-librarians-wife]

Just thought about how Tildy/Peter could act as a narrative mirror for sketchbook. I need to sit down.

[kuulpenguin]

”Look at the sky! It’s looking back!”

[mleemwyvern]

is zedaph really about to get involved in a war? ZED??

[jaggedjot]

“Louis de Pointe du Lac. That's an interesting name.” “Louis of Pointe du Lac Plantation. My great-great-grandfather owned one. All that remains is the name.”

“And a sizable trust to oversee as a consequence. Capital accrued from plantations of sugar and the blood of men who looked like my great-grandfather but did not have his standing.”

When introducing himself to Daniel both in 1973 and in 2022, Louis alludes to the ways that the legacy of chattel slavery in the United States remains present through his life. The ramifications of this history will be explored further in his interviews; it is intrinsic to the racism that Louis describes experiencing, and it is built into the economic and cultural foundations of the societies that Louis has and continues to navigate through. The way that this subject is broached however, in both the past and present, specifically centres the relationship between slave plantations and Louis’ own affluence.

Daniel’s remark being prefaced by Louis offering to “Get the boy whatever he wants”, before carelessly pushing a platinum credit card between them, implicitly correlates Louis’ response with that ostentatious display of wealth. It is not an intentional association made by the characters, and Louis immediately downplays the link when he recognises it (“All that remains is the name.”). Given his reaction, it seems likely that Louis did not talk about this topic during his subsequent interview with Daniel, though, again, that does not mean it would have had no bearing on other matters discussed. By contrast in the present day, Louis broaches the subject himself and fairly openly acknowledges the correlation. It was a slave plantation and the exploitation of enslaved people that created the sizeable trust that paid for the house and lifestyle that Louis and his family enjoyed. While Louis does not state it directly, the unavoidable implication of Louis clarifying that his great-grandfather was black and had a different social status to that of slaves (“[…] the blood of men who looked like my great-grandfather but did not have his standing.”) is that several generations of Louis’ black relatives have, at least indirectly, financially profited from chattel slavery. It is unlikely that this wealth was all inherited after the fact, considering that the abolition of slavery in the United States occurred only a couple of decades before Louis was born. These pieces of information seem to contradict then the implicit suggestion of Louis’ earlier explanation in 1973, that the only direct bearing the de Pointe du Lac plantation has had on his life is a shared name.

Both the dismissal and the acknowledgement are characteristic of how Louis describes the past; factual as a basic statement but carrying additional implications whose accuracy is more questionable and or left carefully unexamined. This is a rhetorical device that aids Louis in maintaining control of the narrative and its meanings while avoiding, as much as he can, outright lies. While Louis does view Daniel as a necessity for him to revisit his story, it needs to be stated that this does not prevent Louis from consciously and unconsciously tailoring it for his audience. It is possible that Louis only acknowledges the subject at all in the second interview because he is aware that Daniel has likely done some background research on his family. Considering how insensitive to racial issues Daniel can be, as well as his deliberately combative and contrarian approach to interviewing, it may be that this is a subject that Louis does not want to explore with Daniel specifically; it is perhaps notable that the penthouse Louis shares with Armand contains at least two pieces of art (Slave Auction by Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Transformation by Ron Bechet) which are about chattel slavery. Regardless of the reason for Louis’ selectivity, this context continues to hover on the periphery of Louis’ story, adding additional layers of meaning to the events that follow.

It contextualises the contradictory feelings Louis has about his work as a landlord and pimp, roles that may step outside of the shadow of sugarcane and slavery but are only made possible through investing the profits of them. When Louis confesses to the ways he treats his workers, tellingly he invokes plantation imagery with “[…] I lie to myself, saying I'm giving them a roof and food and dollar bills in they pocket, but I look in the mirror, I know what I am; the big man in the big house, stuffing cotton in my ears so I can't hear their cries.”. This conflict then deepens the resentment Louis has towards his family for criticising how he provides for them, with Paul being the only member who even entertains the idea that they should not spend the money at all (“We should tithe that o'er to St. Augustine's 'fore this house falls in on us.”). Whereas the family judges Louis for connecting them to an industry they view as sinful and lacking respectability, contrasting it to the seemingly fondly remembered family plantation (“Daddy was here, we'd still be in sugar cane.”), Louis is troubled by the exploitative nature of that work and capitalism as a whole. Yet there are also times when Louis exhibits pride towards his business dealings (“And I was now the owner of the brightest club in the district. My club, my rules. […] It was everything I had ever wanted or wished for. […] I made a mountain of money, enough to retire and be buried like a pharaoh.”). This could be suggested to be partly because Louis has moved away from the legacy of his family’s past to create something that he can try to believe is helping his, primarily black, workers (“I paid the staff better, paid the band better, all the while helping those who had been with me down the block to better themselves.”).

Most significantly of all, this context adds an additional lens through which Louis and the audience can examine some of the overarching existential ideas that Louis has been grappling with throughout his life, and that the second interview brings to the forefront. How does the past continue to define our present? Can we be considered in any way culpable for the actions of others? What reparations can we make for the harm, deliberate and unintentional, that we do? The open-ended way that Louis approaches the link between his inherited wealth and chattel slavery, as well as the subsequent ways that these have shaped his life, is reflective of those unanswered questions. Louis is desperately trying to find, if not a definitive answer to these philosophical quandaries, an insight that can give his existence purpose and direction. It is vital to Louis that his experiences offer some greater lesson (“That's the purpose. Our book must be a warning as much as anything.”), and ideally one that he can prove that he has already learnt. The different ways that Louis approaches the subject in 1973 and 2022 then reflect how he is revaluating the past and himself (“The passage of time and the frailties that accompany it have provided me perspective.”), but despite this, critically and symbolically, Louis still does not seem to have come to any conclusions.

[bitchthefuck1]

you know what, I actually will talk about this because it's bothering me. The issue with focussing so heavily on syd and carmy's potential for a romantic relationship isn't that there's something inherently unintellectual about romance or whatever, it's that a lot of people seem incapable of doing that without immediately flattening the story and ignoring or intentionally misreading any and all nuance for the sake of that romance. Every scene suddenly becomes about how it impacts their relationship, every analysis is done through a romantic lens, every frame or line of dialogue becomes about finding some easter egg or hint that "proves" these people should start dating. Their dynamic is absolutely a fundamental part of this show, but if you can only see it as a will-they-won't-they, you miss so much of what the story is actually trying to say with these two.

There are good versions of this story where their relationship is romantic and there are good versions of this story where it isn't, but as soon as you decide them being together is "the point," you lose the ability to actually judge the story for what it is, not what you want it to be.

[imminent-danger-came]

something about mk brutally smashing his head against azures sword till it shattered. something about mei modeling her sword after azures (im insane)

I went ahead and gifed both scenes (which proves that I'm very clearly normal)

So, Mei shatters her family sword defending MK. She then models her sword after Azure's. MK later brutally smashes his head against Azure's sword, cracking it (and Azure) apart. Azure then uses that sword to stitch the universe together, losing his life in the process.

The first thing that comes to mind is the Curse's words, "Such pitiful creatures: cowardly, reckless, monstrosities; all doomed to play a roll in tearing this world apart! To cause nothing but chaos and destruction.", with 4x13 being titled "Rip and Tear" and Azure quite literally tearing the world apart. You trying to do what you think is right but that still leading to bad outcomes—to shattering and breaking and destruction.

Other bonus parallels/contrasts include:

Mei breaking her sword to defend MK, while Azure breaks his sword attacking MK

"But how am I supposed to protect everyone if I don't have my sword!" and then Azure uses his sword to save the entire world aka everyone.

Mei: "If you're not giving everything you have to protect the people you care about you are nothing!" Azure: "I would have done anything in my power to bring them back—but it wasn't in my power, it was in yours." (Using power for the people you care about) (Interesting to note however, Azure is fine with his friends as collateral ((love you 4x10 roar)) where as Mei will put a lot at risk for her friends ((she doesn't object when MK suggests going into the scroll even if it'll risk the curse being released)))

Mei: "What's the point of having power if you won't use it! [...] Inaction is careless! [...] Then maybe you don't deserve power!" Azure: "I did not sacrifice everything simply to be an idle deity! I will do what my predecessor did not!" (Aka those who deserve power are those who will use it)

Both were totally willing to sacrifice Wukong for their goals (Mei in 3x12 and Azure throughout s4, but especially in the special)

Mei: "Wukong knew the risks—that's the hard part of being a hero!" Azure: "Nothing is won without sacrifice!"

Jade Emperor Azure and Samadhi Fire Mei as containers for uncontrollable power (I talk about this one a lot)

Do we think "How could you lead us into this fight without a real plan!" applies to the Brotherhood's attack against heaven

They really did not need to have Mei model her sword after Azure's, so I wonder if this is building to an eventual "Mei V MK" fight (where Mei is most likely fighting MK to save MK) and Mei uses her sword to protect herself from one of the people she cares about.

I feel like there's more to the sword situation, but I can't put my finger on it.

[glassfullofsass]

love that space podcasts fuck you up. just delightful to discover. all the new ways in which I can be fucked up. by fiction.

[thundergrace]

[throughpatchesofviolet]

Been quietly figuring out which E.G.O Sherry has ... been making some adjustments, lately, since I want her to have the same amount of E.G.O as the other Sinners (so, currently she can have 7, including her default), but also I need them to make sense.

[obikinetic]

A war crime is brewing in the Walmart toy aisle: Black Friday Edition

Happy American Capitalism Day 🥰

[kaktusaufbalkon]

Petition for that volcano from Texas to spontaneously open up underneath Gerrad, then immediately closing and going back to Austin.

[pagesofkenna]

i wanted to make a post about a thing but the more i think about it the more i want to say and it's just going to end up being a big ramble essay, so instead i'll just give the thesis statement, thusly:

as the #1 Ratgrinders Apologist (self-appointed), of course they're the final boss fight to the death. i expected nothing less and the people trying to make discourse about it are ignoring the entire context of this being a Dungeons and Dragons game

[vividbeast]

CHRISTOPHER STORER WHAT IS YOUR HOME ADDRESS I JUST WANT TO TALK

[macadam]

Adding to the bees nest analogy I would like to argue that the transformers fandom is more like a nest of ground wasps. You are just bushwhacking along the forest minding your own business and then suddenly you have stepped in a hive. Now, most people would choose to not continue walking deeper into the forest upon learning this discovery...

[cookinguptales]

I'm dying, I had another fandom breakup several years ago where I also poured my frustration into a deeply pornographic fic.

The main differences are:

different fandom, obviously

this was actually one of the last fics I ever wrote for that fandom, it really was a kiss off. the only fics I posted after it were just me finishing up some prior obligations.

I actually wrote it and posted it, as opposed to the pornographic vent fic I was writing for wwdits that I set aside for now.

I APPARENTLY POSTED IT TO TUMBLR FIRST?

I know this because someone just reblogged it (and said some really kind things, thank you ;;) and I had completely forgotten that I'd been so deep in my fit of pique that I was like "well this is vent fic that I wrote to cope with my frustration towards canon, not REAL fic, so I should post it to tumblr, not AO3."

At first I was just laughing over the sheer timing of it all, someone digging up this ancient post with like 25 notes from many years ago the exact same week that I'm having angst over the fandom I replaced the old one with, but then I actually clicked on the post in my notifications and was like.

wait.

did I.... post a sixteen-thousand-word fic to tumblr?

I DID. AND PEOPLE READ IT??? like that's the fucking wild part, that people were willing to sit down and read a fucking sixteen-thousand-word fic under a read more on tumblr. people were so strong back then.

(thankfully, I was convinced to crosspost it to AO3 a few days later, which actually made the fucker readable.)

the sheer ridiculousness of my tantrum (and my weird internal classification for what fic "deserved" to be on AO3 vs. what should just quietly be forgotten on tumblr) has me laughing. which I think was actually kind of needed, haha. we all need to laugh at our own fandom angst sometimes.

if I do end up finishing and posting the wwdits ventfic, I promise I'll actually post it on AO3. lmao

[daringdarlingdt]

me, before starting to rewatch dr who: I can be normal about david tennant as the doctor

me now: