#On the other hand it's incredibly reductive to assume that you need to use make up to tempt female fans in

[yesterdayiwrote]

Can we discuss the way that after a really promising start, it's taken about 3 months for the promotion around F1 Academy to become a bit of a reductive mess?

Susie, I love you, and I appreciate that it's an unnecessarily difficult task that hasn't been entirely supported to its fullest by the male counterparts, but what are we aiming for here? Why is every race suddenly turning into a Charlotte Tilbury influencer event?

I can understand there's probably a necessity to 'sell out' while it's still in its early stages, and fairplay to a brand like CT who at least do seem to be investing and commiting and reaping the benefits in #ads, but is it going to benefit F1A in the long term to just be seen as the place where the wags go to get a make up session and a goodie bag each week? Is that going to help these girls get taken seriously as racing prospects?

[stillness-in-green]

Sorry if this question rubs you the wrong way, but wouldn't going out of their way to try to help villains to the absolute extreme that you propose be a bit suicidal? I feel like trying to talk no jutsu criminals like Moonfish who's a serial killing canibal, or Muscular who doesn't have any actual reason for commiting violence against others other than he enjoys it, would end up getting people hurt or worse.

Idk, maybe my perception is skewed because my country has problems with the justice system being too lenient with criminals, but then striking hard against honest folk.

Like, let's say heroes try to talk to Muscular about his feelings and stuff, and he just beats them to death. So should they arrest him and take him to jail now, or should they respond "understandable, have a nice day" and let him carry on with his rampage and try to talk no jutsu him the next day?

I’ve had enough exchanges with you, rvg, to assume you don’t mean it this way, but I gotta say, this is an incredibly fallacious way to frame the “talk to Villains” discussion.  I wrote two responses to this, first a characteristically long and rambly response which you and anyone else who’s interested are free to read below the cut.  The second response is much shorter and is here above the cut, if only for those readers who think it’s a waste of time to try and give a sincere answer to what reads like deliberate reductiveness—though again, I don’t think that’s your intent.

Here is my model version of how Heroes should engage with Villains:

Step One: Heroes should put in a basic, good faith effort to defuse and de-escalate every Villain encounter they have with the tools and knowledge they have available; the ideal result is that the Villain will choose on their own to stop presenting a danger to the public.      

Step Two: If that is not feasible for some reason, or if it is ineffective, then the Heroes should make all possible efforts to arrest the Villain with the minimal possible harm.      

Step Three: If there is an immediate threat to the lives of bystanders and there is absolutely no way the Heroes can come up with to stop the Villain non-lethally, then there should, afterwards, be an investigation into the death of the Villain and all Heroes who were involved should have to face questions about their role in the situation and their decision to use lethal force.  Measures should then be implemented to help prevent the situation from arising again in the future.  A Hero killing someone should by default be treated as a punishable failure, not a victory.

That’s it!  That’s all there is to it!  Try talking first, then try arresting, and if killing is truly the only way, be ready to explain why.  That step-by-step should be the standard, and if there are going to be deviations from it, they should be exceptionally well-justified by both the characters and the narrative.  If that’s not the standard, then I think it’s a key thing we need to see the protagonists confronting and changing.

Hero Society is obviously in the not-the-standard camp: most of the Heroes spend most of the series jumping straight to Step Two, totally skipping Step One; there are then multiple instances of Step Three being botched completely, with non-lethal tactics being discarded or ignored and lethal force being accepted without question or resistance.  By the end of the series, a tiny handful of Heroes are now hesitantly attempting what should have been their very first go-to, Step One, but their prior reliance on Steps Two and Three make the Villains much more resistant than they might have otherwise been, which reenforces the push towards lethal force in a society that will still not enforce any consequences for it.

This would all be more forgivable if not for the way BNHA positions its Heroes, as lawful defenders of the status quo in a basically modern version of Japan—i.e. they’re cops but the story either doesn’t want to saddle them with the responsibilities real cops would have or else Horikoshi has some alarming views that treat said responsibilities as bothersome administrative red tape.

Therein is my fundamental complaint: BNHA makes the choice to frame its Heroes as being basically specialized police but then disregards or attempts to minimize how that framing colors the Heroes actions’ and decisions, especially with regard to the Villains.  My thoughts on what the Heroes “should” be doing are nothing more than taking that framing (Heroes = cops) to its logical conclusion and asking the story to treat the Heroes accordingly.

Below the jump, find the longer version of this answer, which contains more picking apart of the ask’s premise, more references to the canon and to real life, and an extended discussion about the non-Hero institutions in BNHA that are in some way responsible for Villains and what Heroes’ obligations are re: those institutions.  It is, in other words, the version of this answer that’s 4000 words long instead of 500.  Reminder that it was the version of this answer that was written first, so pardon any recycled phrasing or reiterated rhetoric.

I’ll just start by re-pasting the question…

What I think is that there is a lot of air between “beating up Villains while being more concerned about the news camera catching your good side than you are about talking to the human being you’re pummeling” and “trying to talk to the Villain but just shrugging and letting them carry on if it doesn’t work”.

A perennial response Villain fans get when they talk about this is an exasperated, even outraged, “What, so you’re saying Deku should just let Shigaraki kill him or innocent people?!”  And like, no, that’s not what we’re saying at all, and it’s a really reductive, bad faith characterization of the argument.  So I want to talk first about what Villain fans are saying, and then I’ll circle back to your question about trying to talk no jutsu the really bad news Villains and what Heroes should do if that talk no jutsu fails.

First things first, and to get it out of the way, not all Villains are on the level of Muscular or Moonfish.  For the vast majority of the series, the numeric bulk of Villains are just street criminals.  It would not be a life or death struggle for Kamui Woods and Mount Lady to try and talk down a purse snatcher together.  There is so much room for positive change in how Heroes engage with street-level Villains that just gets glossed over entirely when people want to spin-kick the argument all the way to S-class threats like post-surgery Shigaraki.

Note how handily and briskly Hawks deals with the nudist flasher guy when he’s walking around town with Endeavor—he doesn’t even glance in his direction.  Would it have been so impossibly hard to use his feathers to pin the guy’s coat back together and then cheerfully ask him why he went and did a thing like that?

So just keep that in mind, first of all: for the vast majority of what a Hero does day-to-day, especially the powerful ones who are way up near the top of the rankings, there are options available to them beyond “immediately resort to extreme violence” or “give the Villain a thumbs-up and walk away, whistling to cover the sound of civilian screams.”

But okay, how about with the more dangerous Villains?  Well, the point still stands: multiple heroic characters throughout the manga show themselves to be entirely capable of carrying on a conversation—be it with the Villains or with Hero allies—while fighting.  Mirio is able to temporarily keep ShigAFO talking and distracted by simply asking him a few basic questions; he and Nighteye both are able to get at least some answers out of Overhaul(!) just by asking about his intentions. Ochaco and Toga have coherent conversation every single time they fight.  Hawks and Twice have a whole argument while fighting.  As soon as Shouto can be bothered to talk to Dabi, Dabi’s eager to spill his whole backstory to him.

Shigaraki in particular comes off as desperate to share his grievances practically every time Heroes encounter him, and that only stops being true at the very end—and even there, it might be less true if that green twit fighting him could have been arsed to just fucking ask him, “Hey, last time we fought, when we were in the same headspace, I saw an image of you crying with a dog.  What was up with that?”  Deku doesn’t have to stand there with his hands in the air while asking!  As all the examples cited demonstrate, Heroes are more than able to fight and talk at the same time.  So why don’t they try to make that talk a little more actually useful?

What I’m saying is simply that I would like it if less of that conversation were dedicated to Heroes giving moralizing sermons about how bad and unforgiveable Villains are and a lot more of it were dedicated to Heroes just asking why the Villains are doing what they’re doing, and letting the conversation go from there, fighting defensively and keeping the Villain focused on them as much as they’re capable of doing.  We see the results in the series when Heroes bother trying this—think Deku’s results with Gentle Criminal or Ochaco’s with Toga—so it’s damning that they don’t try it more often.

The likely explanation is that professional heroism as a matter of practice and culture does not tend to bother with de-escalation tactics; after all, while you’re standing there trying to talk to the bank robber, some other Hero could easily be coming in for the take-down, and then they get all the credit and glory and not least the pay.  The whole system is geared towards rewarding fast, uncompromising takedowns, ignoring the possibility of more peaceful, productive resolutions in favor of stopping the Public Disturbance as quickly as possible, because it’s more important to stop random civilians feeling inconvenienced than it is to maybe try addressing a Villain’s issues so they stand down themselves and are less likely to become hardened criminals.

Heck, even Deku really only gets anywhere with Gentle because his first instinct—shutting down the fight right away with a Smash—gets him rebounded off an air trampoline with enough force to knock him back nearly a neighborhood block.  The defensive, evasive nature of Gentle’s power means it’s difficult to hit him directly, and Gentle’s personality was such that he kept talking while Deku was figuring out how to beat him.  That talking was really what gave Deku enough insight to trigger his empathy, so he started returning the conversation in ways that he never did against e.g. Stain, AFO, or in his first fight with Muscular.  He didn’t lead by asking why Gentle was invading his school, though; he just ordered him repeatedly to stop.

Heroes and, in turn, the kids, just don’t default to trying to talk to the Villains.  We see that they can, they’re just not trained to, so it becomes a tactic of last resort, or of distraction, or, finally, as being the result of moments of connection that make them incapable of continuing to ignore the Villains’ humanity.  But when it’s a last resort like that, when they don’t bother asking questions until after the Villains have been pushed past the point of wanting to engage, everything gets so much harder and more dangerous.

Look at Shigaraki and Toga.  When Deku and Ochaco initially encounter them, the kids’ first response is basically just revulsion and terror.  And like, okay, they’re students, newly fledged Hero Course trainees.  They shouldn’t have been facing real life Villains for another two years, at least!  So it’s not surprising that they don’t know what to do and don’t react in the most empathetic manner possible.  I’m not blaming them for that.  But I do want to ask what would have happened if their classes and the Hero culture were more focused on attempting dialogue with Villains.

All Might at USJ writes Shigaraki off as a faker with no real beliefs, and Deku at the mall calls him an incomprehensible cipher, but what if either of them had instead asked Tomura why he was there and what he wanted, then asked follow-up questions from there?  How much earlier might they have found out that Shigaraki had some tragedy in his past that he blamed All Might for not saving him from?  What might finding that out early on have led them to change about how they approached Shigaraki in subsequent encounters?

If Ochaco and Tsuyu had asked Toga why she attacked people, then followed up on whatever answer Toga gave about liking blood with some questions about consent, how much sooner might they have found out that Toga spent her whole life feeling ostracized and repressed because she was convinced by the adults around her that people finding out she craved blood would make her a freak in their eyes?  How might they have engaged with her differently if they realized her parents had been verbally abusing her since she was three years old?

But we also don’t have to stop with U.A. types!  Toga went on the run at only 15—how many times did she have had close scrapes with arrest before the training camp attack?  How many other opportunities were there for someone to talk her down before she made it to the League?  Heck, even all the way to the end, if the green twit hadn’t just insisted on antagonizing Toga one last time for the road—as if he’d learned nothing at all since the mall scene!—how much more easily might Ochaco have been able to engage with her?  Maybe if Toga hadn’t set her mind to embracing Villainy because Deku functionally became yet another person calling her a freak, Ochaco could have gotten to the breakthrough point before Toga stabbed her in the gut?

I’ve been talking about the more sympathetic Villains here so far, but all this goes for the rest of them, too.  Sure, Moonfish is a cannibal serial killer now, but was he always?  Or was there a time when he was just like Toga, a teenager wrestling with quirk-driven hungers who was abused and ostracized for them?  I’ve thought, from time to time, about the idea of a League ageswap AU, where Moonfish is that scared but defiant teenager who’s been pushed over the edge and done something violent, but is not yet past saving.  Conversely, it’s all too easy for me to imagine a Toga who was never captured and never shown any compassion growing into an adult who fully embraced her vampire serial killer reputation and “deviant” hungers to become just as much an alleged monster as Canon Moonfish.

How about Muscular?  Was he always a violent sadist?  Was it impossible that he could have grown up to be anything else?  Could that taste for violence ever have found an outlet other than murder?  Could he have gotten into underground fighting, like Rappa?  Could he have become a Hero like Mirko, always hungry for a better challenge than she’s getting?  Quite frankly, even if Imasuji Gouto was a violent little bully who killed neighborhood pets as a child, he still deserved some kind of intervention—psychological counseling, medication, more acceptable outlets, etc.

How many Villains would HeroAca!Japan be spared if the people in power were more focused on intervention and rehabilitation at every stage of a Villain’s life and career?  Why do Heroes think it’s helpful or necessary to tell everyone in earshot their personal opinion about the unforgivability of their opponents?  Why is it such a problem for some readers when Villain fans point out that a lot of issues could be sidestepped entirely, and the HeroAca world considerably bettered, if the Hero Industry were less focused on showy grandstanding violence, less terrified of the optics of being anything other than maximally harsh on Villains?

That all said, that’s the nuance of what I want when I say I want more talk no jutsu.  But let’s go back to your question—what should Heroes do when they run into Villains who can’t be talked down?

Say that all the interventions and counseling programs have failed, and someone—some mother’s son, some father’s daughter—has grown up to become a Villain.  And not just any Villain, but a really dangerous one.  What do?

Well, I do still want to see Heroes try to talk first, unless they have some reason to believe talking won’t work, like knowledge that knowing that efforts in that direction have already been made and documented in previous encounters between law enforcement and the Villain in question.  There’s also some flex here based on how capable of dragging out an encounter the Heroes on-scene are, and how much danger any bystanders would be in—I would want more effort from someone who can hold their own for long periods like Deku than e.g. Manual.  But like, anyone can yell a few basic questions about motivations to see what sort of response they get.

But say our Hero is up against someone like Muscular, who just laughs off questions like that.  What to do then?

Then arrest him.

Seriously, this is not that complicated.  I’m not asking some run-of-the-mill Hero to get their arms ripped off trying to give battle therapy to Muscular!  But I do want Muscular to get therapy, or at least be offered it, once he’s no longer presenting an immediate threat and those conversations can happen in a safe environment.  And if he doesn’t accept it,[1] I still want him to be treated as humanely as reasonably possible in prison, with the therapy option always on the table if he ever wants to try it.  I also want his prison term (even if it’s for life) to not involve methods of punishment that are considered by the United Nations to constitute torture, like Tartarus’s apparent extended solitary confinement.

1: Perhaps because he would rather rip his own arms off than talk about his feelings or waste any more time getting analyzed by shrinks than he already has; pick your poison based on why and for how long you think he’s been killing people.

I truly do not have any problems, ethically speaking, with Heroes arresting dangerous Villains.  My problem has always been that Hero Society is comprehensively awful in how it treats those who don’t fit neatly into society’s little boxes.  Their social support networks are full of holes, their law enforcement is financially disincentivized from attempting de-escalation, their judicial process is completely invisible, and their prisons are concrete holes that only serve to make people worse, as we can see clearly in the case of people like poor Ending—already unstable when he was first arrested by Endeavor, but so blatantly suicidal when his sentence is up that the literal first thing he does after release is to investigate Endeavor’s personal life so as to find a way to goad Endeavor into killing him.

Now, sure, Heroes are not responsible for prison policies and practices; those are under a completely different part of the criminal justice umbrella.  Nor is it up to them to determine how e.g. financial aid programs or family services work.  But I want Heroes to be better in the ways that they—personally and professionally—can be, and I want them to be cognizant of the flaws in the system they uphold.  I want them to have some basic intellectual curiosity about the Villains they fight—why they turned out like they did, if they can be helped, and what’s going to become of them after the Hero hands them off to the police.

Like, what is All Might’s opinion on Tartarus?  He spent 30+ years fighting for the society that maintains it—does he think or care at all about the fact that some extremely damaged, abused people wind up in there after he gets done beating them up?  And if he doesn’t, what does that say about him?  What would Ochaco have done if Toga had lived and said she’d rather Ochaco kill her than let her go to prison forever?  Does Shouto think now about the family situation of every Villain he fights, or did his ability to care about “some mother’s son” begin and end with his mother’s son?

Obviously, Heroes stop Villains all the time; I’m not asking them to do deep dives into the history and treatment of each and every one.  I just want them to ask the questions they can while the Villain is in front of them, and to care about the state of both the systems that produce Villains and the ones tasked with their care.  I think that when handing people over to state custody, Heroes have a responsibility to be meaningfully confident that the state won’t abuse that custodianship.  If they aren’t—if they truly don’t give a shit about what happens to Villains once the police van door swings closed—then in my view they’re no different than any professional who shirks their duty.

So many people insist that the kids—that Heroes in general—have no duty to care about the Villains, but to me, this view comes off as wildly ignorant about the wide variety of jobs in the real world that do, in fact, confer a duty of care.

If…

…a teacher sees a child with unexplained bruises but doesn’t bother to do their due diligence as a mandatory reporter—

…a prison guard leaves a handcuffed inmate alone in a room with a fellow warden wearing brass knuckles—

…a medic doesn’t speak up when a flight attendant asks if there’s a doctor on the plane—

…a bartender just keeps on serving someone who’s obviously intoxicated and then lets them stumble out the door to the parking lot—

—then they are shirking their duty.  There is no shortage out there of examples of this sort of responsibility, one that you can be held legally responsible for, one that you choose to accept when you sign up for the job.

Heroes are not Samaritans doing the work out of the goodness of their hearts; they’re not vigilantes just trying to keep their own patch safe.  They’re government employees, crucial members of the lawful system they represent.  They have to care—not personally, not individually, but on a professional, structural level, they have to care about the people they fight because the system has to care about those people.  And if the system doesn’t care, the system has to be changed.

I'm segueing here into real life stuff, so let me note as a disclaimer that what follows is based on my cultural familiarity with American policies, as well as periodic research into that of other nations. I don't know what country you live in, rvg, so I can hardly speak to its crime-and-punishment situation. This is all a lefty American's opinion on what reading she has done about American, Japanese, and, in the case of this particular post, Scandinavian criminal justice systems.

That said: in real life, de-escalation works.  One of the things you’ll often see talked about in police reform/abolishment circles is that the police are, quite frankly, doing too much work.  Or, more specifically, they’re doing the wrong kind of work, work for which their training has not prepared them and which other groups would be far better suited to handle.

Here’s an article on offering a campus police force de-escalation training and the resulting 26-36% drop in injuries suffered by both civilians and officers; it also talks about how de-escalation tactics are used by SWAT teams but regarded with suspicion by patrol officers, with this quote being particularly telling: “[Special operations] officers were taught to use time, distance and cover to their advantage.  For patrol officers, time was viewed as 'The more time you give a suspect, the more danger you're in.'”  De-escalation is not the usual training patrol officers get, so it runs against their gut feeling, despite its proven effectiveness—compare this to BNHA’s repeated focus on speed in shutting down altercations.

Here’s an article on the results of a test run of a program in Denver, Colorado, in which police officers were completely removed from response teams to 911 calls about situations considered low risk (drug abuse, trespassing, welfare checks, etc); instead, teams of mental health specialists and paramedics were dispatched.  Reports of nonviolent crime dropped 34% over the course of the time the program ran, and the direct financial cost of the response was four times lower than sending police.

The classic dramatic image of this sort of thing is the hostage situation—and when I looked into it, numerous articles said that containment and negotiation tactics have over a 94% chance of resolving hostage crises without fatalities!

The common element in this sort of thing is refraining from showboating displays of force, loud assertions of power and authority, arguments, moralizing, threats, and so forth.  Far more effective is listening, active attempts to communicate and understand, not throwing one's weight around and not rising to aggression even when provoked.

Meanwhile, on the carceral side of things, restorative justice leads to greater satisfaction from both victims and perpetrators, more feeling that they were listened to and respected, and increased belief that justice was served.  While the evidence on its impact on recidivism is mixed, it certainly doesn’t seem to be less effective than traditional retributive justice, and may well be considerably more effective if combined with programs that focus more specifically on lessening recidivism than restorative justice alone (research is ongoing).

This article on how “cushy” Scandinavian prisons are far more effective at reducing recidivism than their much harsher, bleaker American counterparts argues that a crucial factor in reducing recidivism is minimizing the amount of resentment criminals bear towards the system.  When perpetrators can point at unjust or disproportionate punishments, cruel treatment by wardens, rejection by society, etc, it’s much easier to stew on resentment, to turn nastier themselves, to blame outside factors.  Conversely, when life inside prison is made as much like life outside prison as possible with the key difference being the crucial deprivation of freedom, that resentment is defanged, leading to more more self-reflection and willingness to accept responsibility. And again, it works: Norway is a world leader, with their recidivism rate being a mere 20% compared to the U.S.’s nearly 77%.

The studies and the evidence for this stuff is out there, it’s just fighting this huge, ugly uphill battle against people who care far, far more about inflicting punishment than they do actually improving outcomes.  And so much of that is based on cultural values—what people believe, what values they’re taught. That's where pop culture comes in.

That last article I linked above talks about the efforts made in the U.S. to turn prisons into a for-profit industry, and how demonizing criminals to encourage maximum sentences helps that effort; here’s another on how U.S. police departments rehabilitated the popular image of the police in the early part of the 1900s as bumbling fools or a corrupt gang by consulting on the writing of police procedurals, most crucially starting with Dragnet in 1951, but continuing even today.  Here’s one on a growing concern in Japan about the relationship fostered between TV studios and police when police permission and cooperation is required for filming those popular reality TV police documentary programs.

Mass media and pop culture informs this stuff.  True, Horikoshi is not having to get his work cleared by a police PR department to publish it, but you can see from the above how the police have used and do use mass media to polish up their image; they see it as an effective tool to use because it is.  And the closer to our reality a work of fiction is, the more obviously it resembles the world around us, the more it seems to purport to moral instructiveness, the more true that becomes.  That’s why I criticize BNHA much more harshly than any number of other manga or anime I follow where Good Guys Kill Bad Guys all the time and no one thinks twice about it: because those series aren’t parading the Good Guys out as Japanese citizens working with Japanese police under Japanese law to maintain the rosy image of the Japanese status quo.

I’m long past the point where I’m just rambling, so I’ll wind it down here by pointing out this: Horikoshi also thought that things in his world needed to change.  As much as I loathe BNHA’s endgame and think much of its epilogue is trite shoulder-patting pablum that fails to meaningfully address the setting’s real problems, multiple aspects of Hero Society were at least nominally challenged and subsequently changed: citizen inaction, the dominance of professional heroics as a career path, the diminishment of non-Hero careers, quirk-based discrimination.  As a direct result of the main characters’ efforts to address places where the old system was failing people, the incident rate of Villains is decreasing.

The fact that these changes are made provides in itself the evidence that they needed to be made. I think they need to go further still: my number one greivance with the epilogue is that we've seen all these changes aimed at reducing the numbers of Villains that arise in the first place, and that's nice and all, but we don't see any evidence that the Villains that do arise are treated any differently than they ever were, not even the common purse snatchers, much less the serial killers, the cannibals, and the terrorists.

So, should Heroes have to get themselves nearly killed trying to reform a Villain?  Ideally no, but that assumes a world where Heroes are working in concert with a bunch of other people who are also dedicated to preventing, reforming, or rehabilitating Villains.  If none of that other personnel infrastructure exists, then, well, to paraphrase Nedzu, someone has to take the first step.  Why shouldn’t it be the combat-trained professionals with shounen battle stamina who also happen to be the main characters?

[us3rnam3-r3dact3d]

Inspired by the latest Reductive Audio Pt. 2!!

I realized as I was posting that I missed like… half the channel. I didn’t include the ones I just don’t care for or I’m not interested in. So sorry if that includes ur fave 🙏. If you want me cover anybody else or want another lol headcanon for anybody I’ve covered so far, feel free to send an ask!! You can find part one here! With no further ado;

Ollie

Mike’s Hard Lemonade enjoyer. He’s a simple man. What he wants from alcohol is a lil tasty treat that gets him drunk. Mike’s Hard does that. His fav flavor is the strawberry lemonade one.

Babe (Ollie’s listener)

Neat whiskey kind of person. They don’t believe in mixed drinks and are terribly embarrassed when they have to buy Ollie’s Mike’s Hards. They do like it when they order drinks at a bar and the bartender assumes the daiquiri is for them. The look on most faces when Ollie starts slurping that thing down is delicious.

Aaron

Can’t keep his desktop organized for the life of him. Aaron is a Virgo to the max, he has like… five placements of it in his chart. He is incredibly organized. He folds his underwear and puts them into little stacks in his drawer. He has a little velvet lined case where he keeps all of his cuff links and tie pins. His shoes all go in the exact same spot on the rack every single day. But he can’t organize his folders for the life of him. Everything is just saved wherever there’s room for it. It’s incredibly frustrating for him to try and find anything.

Smartass

They are So Good at grocery shopping. Aaron hates grocery stores. The lights and noise and amount of people stress him out. So they make a list together and Smartass gets shit done. They have a system. They group their list by aisle and start at the back of the store, and make their way up to the front, wearing through the aisles. In total, it takes them about 30 mins to shop for two weeks worth of stuff. They time themself. Their record is 23 mins.

Elliot

He wants a cat really badly. His and Sunshine’s current lease agreement doesn’t allow pets, so they’re waiting until they can move. He volunteers at a local cat cafe and is in love with a little calico baby there. He’s determined to adopt her as soon as he can.

Brachium

He wishes that he could try strawberries. Sunshine loves them, but he isn’t able to experience them through anything but their memories. When he feels resentful of his situation, the small thing he gets caught up on is the fact that he’ll never get to try strawberries.

Sunshine

Hasn’t been behind the wheel of a car since their accident. They’ll ride in one if they have to, but they haven’t been able to drive since. Elliot is more than willing to drive them wherever they need to go, and they have a bike they use when he’s busy.

James

As a form of short hand when asking his partner if he can be in their brain for a while, he telepathically goes “Knock Knock.” He has to stop himself from using it with other people.

James’ spouse

Uses snail mail with James. Of course they text and email and call, but they love to write out a letter, put pictures in, pressed flowers. They make beautiful, decorated papers with their gorgeous handwriting. James has chicken scratch, but he still replies to every one. He just has to send an accompanying email with the translation so they can read it.

Anton

Writes poetry in his free time. He’s a scientist, but he believes that science and art are not so different from each other. When he’s stuck on a problem having to do with his work, he’ll write a poem about it. He writes a lot of poems to his partner. He never sends any of them.

Brian

Loves Animal Crossing New Horizons. He’ll never admit it, but it’s his absolute favorite pass time. His favorite villager is Lucky and he bought an amibo card to get him. His island is beautiful and has a sort of cityscape theme. He changes up certain areas for the seasons and does custom builds. He doesn’t believe in treasure islands and does everything for himself. He’s completed the Happy Home Island DLC and is a minor celebrity in ACNH spaces for his customs. If this ever gets out he’ll be ruined.

The Asset

Gets songs stuck in their head. It’s a weird, human thing that they just happen to have. Brian was startled when he heard them humming a Mitski song under their breath. It seemed to disturb him that they were capable of it.

Guy

He thinks he’s a good script writer, but he’s actually most talented in writing fiction. He would absolutely slay as a novelist, but he’s stuck on the idea of being a screenwriter. That’s why his script hasn’t gone anywhere in the last few years.

Honey

When they were a kid and people asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up, they always said “bus driver.” They just thought it would be fun to drive those big ol things around.

Kody

Still stalks the entire D.A.M.N. crew’s social media. He has a few alt accounts he uses to drop nasty comments on everybody’s posts. The crew pretty much knows it’s Kody, but every time they block an account a new one pops up. He seems to delight in messing with Lasko the most, since every time he gets a Kody comment, Lasko won’t post for a few weeks. Kody thinks it’s because he’s scared, but actually Lasko is afraid he’ll violate terms of service with the things he’s likely to reply.

Geordi

Avid consumer of reality tv. He will never admit it, of course. It feels non-intellectual. But he has watched every season of both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette and has incredibly strong feelings about it. He runs a semi-popular twitter account where he live tweets every new episode. He’s deeply, deeply ashamed.

Cutie

Early riser. They’re up before the sun is. It’s somewhat comforting to them to know that they’re the only person up, and there’s nobody who can be thinking about them and them not know it.

Blake

Thinks that Drake won the Kendrick beef. He won’t even listen to “Not Like Us.” He’s been an avid Drake fan for years and refuses to accept that he lost.

Bestie

Does tarot readings, funnily enough. They like the idea of being able to look ahead to the future. On the day that Blake died, all their deck would let them draw was The Ten of Swords.

[raxistaicho]

Edelgard doesn't actually do away with any of that in a meaningful way, she just replaces one authoritarian rule with a worse one.

Description time! Authoritarianism doesn't mean, "one person is in charge," or literally every leader is an authoritarian at the end of the game.

Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by a controlling government and the rejection of democracy, human rights, and political plurality. It involves the use of strong central power to preserve the political status quo, and reductions in the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic voting. Political scientists have created many typologies describing variations of authoritarian forms of government. Authoritarian regimes may be either autocratic or oligarchic and may be based upon the rule of a party or the military. States that have a blurred boundary between democracy and authoritarianism have some times been characterized as "hybrid democracies", "hybrid regimes" or "competitive authoritarian" states

Democracy isn't a thing in any ending (no, not even in Dimitri's), but Edelgard certainly doesn't reject human rights (her whole revolution is about ushering in new ones), nor does she reject political plurality:

Pluralism as a political philosophy is the recognition and affirmation of diversity within a political body, which is seen to permit the peaceful coexistence of different interests, convictions, and lifestyles. While not all political pluralists advocate for a pluralist democracy, this is the most common stance, because democracy is often viewed as the most fair and effective way to moderate between discrete values. Political theorist Isaiah Berlin, a strong supporter of pluralism, wrote: "let us have the courage of our admitted ignorance, of our doubts and uncertainties. At least we can try to discover what others ... require, by ... making it possible for ourselves to know men as they truly are, by listening to them carefully and sympathetically, and understanding them and their lives and their needs... ." Pluralism thus tries to encourage members of society to accommodate their differences by avoiding extremism (adhering solely to one value, or at the very least refusing to recognize others as legitimate) and engaging in good faith dialogue. Pluralists also seek the construction or reform of social institutions in order to reflect and balance competing principles.

Her detractors will reject it, but she's open to all manner of walks of life.

SYLVAIN gets rid of the Crest and Relic system on his own in most of his epilogues! And he's just ONE guy. And the fact is he evidently did this with "oration alone" in some cases.

After Edelgard's war shook the status quo and removed Rhea from power.

You know what's not good for the nation? Implementing a fascist state. Which Edelgard does. On the blood of thousands of corpses.

No she doesn't.

The only reason the caste system EXISTS is because the Church had no choice. The alternative was, as I've said before, another genocide. If people found out that Nemesis and the 10 actually were villains who BUTCHERED the Goddess Sothis in her sleep and then took her bones and made them into weapons AND stole her blood and got incredible power and used that to genocide almost ALL of her people but for a HANDFUL that barely got away, you know what they’d do? FINISH THE JOB and try to kill Rhea and Seteth and Flayn to take THEIR body parts and blood to gain more power. So no SHIT the Church doesn’t tell people everything that happened. They don’t want humans finishing what they started.

I'm actually curious, is this ever said anywhere? I see this point being assumed quite frequently by Rhea's defenders, but I don't know if it's ever really supported in game, especially since Rhea, the Saints and the Apostles themselves help to expose this secret by giving their blood to certain chosen people.

The irony here is, even if that's true, Rhea trapped herself in this because she and the Saints granted Crests to the progenitors of the Adrestian major noble families. She couldn't then say Crests were cursed when her own side had them.

In any case, there's so many leaps of logic there. Even if humanity knew where Crests came from, they'd have to somehow figure out how to identify Nabateans. Rhea, Seteth, and Flayn live in secret already. Further, leaving Fodlan is always an option. They'd be able to live in peace in another land, but Rhea's convinced herself that governing Fodlan is her responsibility until she can pass the duty back off to Sothis, whether she's wanted for that role or not.

And again...Sothis was a benevolent God and so were her people.

You actually don't know that. The only account we have of Sothis's rule comes from Rhea, who is the furthest thing from an unbiased source. Further, the fact that people of his day genuinely viewed Nemesis as a hero, leaving Rhea with no choice but to give him and his Elites an in-universe Historical Hero Upgrade indicates enough of humanity believed he was genuinely "liberating" them from something bad.

Now, obviously Sothis the brain gremlin is benevolent (if sharp-tongued, heh), but amnesia changing a person's personality is a very common literary trope, and Hopes goes a way to further indicate Sothis with her memories intact is a far crueler person.

They basically CREATED human civilization as the land knows it and gave them incredible knowledge and gifts and bounties

Thank you for making the argument better than I could that Sothis was a colonizer, because holy hell if that wasn't colonizer rhetoric.

and she didn’t ask for human sacrifice or anything. But instead of being GRATEFUL, humans tried to take her power for their own and use it to conquer the whole world.

According to Rhea, who, again, is not an unbiased source of information.

And then after being punished

By being driven underground and almost to extinction.

But nooo, no no no, Edelgard is cute so we forgive her.

Nah, Edelgard is right so we forgive her. It's not our side who bitterly wishes Rhea wasn't portrayed as stoic and with a short fuse and not a motherly type.

UUUGGGHHH. Fire Emblem fans, man, sometimes they just...uuuuggghhhhhh.

I agree. Why they gotta be so eager to stan for the Divine Right of Kings?

im having uncontroversial opinions lately

[kuiperblog]

Deathloop sure is a video game

Every October, there's pop-up entertainment venues like "haunted houses" (or other haunted attractions) that attempt to artificially recreate the motifs common in horror movies, complete with live actors who are dressed as vampires or zombies or serial killers or whatever who leap out and scare the guests who squeal in delight, if only because it gives them an excuse to tightly cling to their partner.  It's more exciting than going to a horror movie, because it's a more tactile experience, so you're mostly just there to experience the various horror motifs without being concerned about a plot.

The thing is, there are actual horror movies that are set in haunted attractions.  And while this does make for some fun early reveals (like when the teenagers laugh at the knife-wielding man who they assume is an actor and part of the attraction, only to realize that he's actually a homicidal madman), the very idea of a horror movie set in a haunted house kind of feels like cheating.  Haunted attractions are, in a way, a simulacrum of a horror movie, which I suppose is an odd thing to say considering that haunted attractions are real and the events in horror movies are not, but I think that is the main level on which most haunted attractions are designed: a haunted attraction is a "horror movie IRL," so to then make that the setting of your horror movie “horror movie IRL but in a movie” is like a simulacrum of a simulacrum.  It’s shortcutting past the part where you would ordinarily come up with some kind of lore-based explanation for why the teenagers are hanging out in a creepy house and why there’s a demented killer or vampires or whatever who are trying to kill them.

I sort of feel this way about one of the first levels I played in Deathloop, which is a video game both in medium and form. It's a bit like Dishonored (one of Arkane's earlier titles) in the sense that the core objectives boil down to identifying an assassination target, and hunting them down in their mansion or laboratory or whatever.  The first target I assassinated was a fellow by the name of Charlie Montague, who is obsessed with games, and has populated a section of the world where you can speed-run an obstacle course to be rewarded with a gun, because this is a first-person shooter video game that is set on murder island, where everyone's favorite hobby is killing each other because they’re in a timeloop where everyone will revive the next day.  However, when I found Charlie Montague, he was in the middle of a LARP session.  This is literally how the game describes it: Charlie is hosting a game where he invites guests to participate in a game somewhat akin to a murder mystery, or maybe more like Among Us. When I arrived, Charlie announced over the loudspeaker to all of his guests that the killer monster (me) had arrived, and the objective was now for them to hunt me down.  (I, for my part, did my best to avoid the guests, but I had to gun down the entire party before finally getting to Charlie at the top floor.)

So, this is a video game level that felt very much like a video game level.  Which I don't really mean as a knock against it -- it was a fun environment, I had fun hunting down the game designer Charlie Montague and murdering his LARPing buddies, and the environment was set up in a way that made the confrontation with Charlie himself interesting, since Charlie possesses the blink power that lets him teleport across gaps and between floors.  But it kind of feels like cheating to have a video game level where the setting premise is, as explained by the game's fiction, literally a game created by a game designer (as opposed to trying to sell you on the idea that the level you're traipsing through is just some rich dude's mansion, or a military base, or whatever).  It is the video game equivalent of setting your horror movie in a haunted house attraction.

As an Arkane Studios fan (who started with 2006's Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, and counts Dishonored among my personal top 10 games of all time), I quite enjoyed Deathloop.  But it is by far the most video game video game that they've ever released.

Games like Dishonored and Prey (2017) exist in what is sometimes described as the "immersive sim" genre, where there's a big emphasis on player choice and giving the players a bunch of tools to approach objectives without giving them a prescribed route through the game.  Dishonored pushes you in the direction of being stealthy and quiet (with a "chaos" system that causes the world to become more desolate if you kill too many enemies in each level), but there are many routes through the levels -- and sometimes, you'll find your way to an objective through what feels like it isn't a prescribed "route" at all. The objectives are often quite simple -- "infiltrate, kill a dude, exfiltrate" -- but a level that could be completed in just a few minutes might take an hour to complete the first time you play it as you spend time scoping out the target, gradually getting a feel for the environment and learning which parts of the level have lots of enemies and which parts are safe and easy to stealth your way through.

The immersive sim's emphasis on carving your own way through levels leads to a phenomenon where a lot of the progression that you make is "meta" progression that exists entirely outside of your avatar -- you might spend an hour prowling around a level, and your character hasn't gotten any stronger (apart from maybe finding a few optional collectibles), but you as a player have "leveled up" to the point that you now know the level like the back of your hand, which is how you have people who spend hours exploring a level in Hitman so that they can do a perfect 5-minute speedrun of that level.

Sometimes, this sense of "meta-progression" is further emphasized by making some of the collectibles information that you as a player can store.  I remember a part in Dishonored where I found a locked safe, and I had to root around the game environment and find the code to the safe before I could come back and get the goodie inside.  But if I wanted to, I could write that number down so that on any subsequent playthrough, I could just go right to the safe and open it right away -- which feels a bit like cheating, but it's no less cheating than sprinting through a specific route through a level because I know from previous playthroughs that the path I'm taking has no guards.

Deathloop isn't quite like that: the game is filled with combinations and whatnot (in one "puzzle" I had to insert specifically-labeled tapes into a machine in a specific order), but all of these are generated randomly: you can't take that information with you across playthroughs, and you can't look the number up in a walkthrough like some older immersive sims would let you do. But Deathloop takes this meta progression and makes it actual progression: it's a time-loop story, and your character (Colt) remembers everything that he encounters across playthrough, so when you find the combination to a door, Colt will make a mental note of it (no need to bust out your pen and paper), and the next time you come to a locked door that requires that combination, you don't even have to punch in the numbers: just hold the triangle button on your Playstation controller and Colt will automatically punch in the numbers that he learned during an earlier loop.

Deathloop is full of little things like this that, on first glance, almost just feel like QoL improvements.  But there's something that feels very different about how things are done in Deathloop: in gameplay terms, it basically boils down to, "Go to this place and press square to read the password, then go to this other place and unlock the door," which is really not that different from "go to this place and press square to pick up the key, then go to this other place to unlock the door."  The "passwords" that exist throughout this game are basically just keys that Colt can store in his brain and take with him whenever you advance to the next loop.

And to be clear, that's not necessarily a *bad* thing.  In fact, immersive sims are kind of a niche genre that don't have a very big audience, so anything that helps streamline and make it more like, well, what you'd expect from a "video game," is probably going to make the game accessible to a lot more people.  And they streamline a *lot* in this game.  The game is all about planning the "perfect loop" where you manage to kill the 8 big baddies in a single day, and everything before that point is just preparing for that final loop.  Even though that seems like an abstract thing that might require you to hold a bunch of disparate information in your head, the game is actually *really* good at making it so that Colt is already mentally mapping out the game plan as you go, to the point where you can just go into the quest book, select a thread, and then just follow the waypoints.  Colt is planning for the "perfect loop" and collecting all the information he needs (including passwords, and memorizing information about how to get certain bosses to go to certain areas where they'll be vulnerable), and Colt is so good at remembering these things that the player never has to: you can play the entire game from start to finish just by traveling from waypoint to waypoint and stealthing or shooting your way past anything that stands in your way.

That is, of course, incredibly reductive.  The process of getting from point A to point B in Deathloop is fun for the same reason that getting from point A to point B is fun in any other game.  The guns feel good to shoot, the levels are interesting to navigate, and the game lets you earn the ability to take certain pieces of gear with you between loops so it always feels like there's forward progression.  But I think that there's a critical thing that's missing:

Immersive sims aren't just about getting from point A to point B.  Before you can get to point B, you have to discover where point B is.  *Where* in this mansion is the assassination target?  Better spend some time skulking around and listening to his staff gossip about his daily habits so you know which parts of the mansion he's likely to appear in.  Oh wait, I don't want to just get in the same room with this guy, I want to get myself in the same room with him *when he's not surrounded by his guards*.  How do I do that?  Better do some more snooping.  And in a sense, Deathloop *sort* of does this.  Before you can follow the waypoint objective marker to your target, you have to find out where they are.  But the "find out where they are" is often, "follow this *other* waypoint objective marker to find the slip of paper that tells you where they're going to be, at which point you can follow the waypoint objective marker to their exact location!"

And to be fair to Deathloop, it's not *all* like that.  There are some times where the game sort of just points you in the right direction and leaves you to figure it out, like one dude who has hosted a masquerade party where he and his guests are all wearing the same masks, and so you have to figure out a way to ferret him out.  (Or you can just murder everyone at the party to figure it out by process of elimination -- which is actually much easier said than done, because this is murder island and everybody is packing heat, and this is an exclusive party so his guests are the type of people who carry around heavy weapons.)

Another way that Deathloop takes the "meta progression" inherent to immersive sims and makes it explicit in-game progression is by having a time loop where you can encounter and kill the same targets over and over again.  That's the kind of thing that tends to happen in immersive sims across multiple playthroughs -- Hitman doesn't *require* you to play each level multiple times, but you generally want to, because each level is filled with tons of different routes to explore and different ways to deal with each of the targets.  But that's all on the player: it's not as if in the fiction of the Hitman universe, Agent 47 is repeatedly murdering a bunch of people who magically revive so that he can kill them again, whereas in Deathloop, that is very explicitly what is happening.

The thing is, because Deathloop is kind of designed with the assumption that you'll kill each target multiple times, the first time you encounter them and blow their head off, it doesn't feel like the grand emotional climax.  In fact, in a way, it feels like the *start* of a relationship.  "Goodbye, Charlie Montague.  I hardly knew ye.  But I'm sure I'll know you better by the third time I'm leaving your LARPing session with that slab upgrade you're carrying."  I feel like that robs the kills of some of their impact, and maybe that's just inherent to what kind of game this is: in Dishonored, you feel as though over the course of a level, you get to know your target as you snoop through their quarters, overhear what their staff have to say about them, read the journals of their rivals while looking for possible weaknesses, and so on.  Because it's a stealth game, it makes sense to hide in the background and learn about their life.  Stalking a character through a level while waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike can actually feel incredibly intimate, because as  the eponymous Visible Man in Chuck Klosterman’s novel says, to truly know who someone is, you have to see them when they’re alone at home; their behavior anywhere else is just a performance.

But when I'm chasing down Charlie Montague with an SMG in one hand and a pistol in the other, the only thing I really know about him is what he's announcing over the loudspeaker.  (I don't really remember exactly what he said, but the subtext is that he's mentally unstable, and he's obsessed with games.)  And even though Charlie Montague was shouting at me what kind of person he said, I feel like I never really got to *know* him like I got to know some targets in Dishonored.  In fact, the moments when I got to know Charlie best weren't when he was yelling at my over the loudspeaker as I ran through his level as Shooty McFPS guy, but the moments when I got to read his notes or chat correspondence (which is *entirely optional*, because even if I don't learn the relevant facts from Charlie Montague's notes, Cole will -- and he'll verbally narrate the cliffsnotes version of them as I'm headed to the next objective)

Despite feeling like a clear descendant of Arkane’s earlier titles, Deathloop feels neither "immersive" nor "sim."  It's constantly doing things that remind me that I'm playing a video game -- which, to be clear, is not a bad thing!  It’s fun to be Shooty McFPS guy without worrying about hiding guards bodies or making noise. More than any other Arkane Studios game, it does everything it can to minimize player frustration, whether that means feeling lost, or feeling like you're not making forward progress, or feeling like your progress is being gated by a huge spike in difficulty.

Dishonored is a game that rewards patience.  This is one of my favorite things about it, but the fact that it rewards patience so generously means that it also *asks* patience of the player in order to get its best moments, which means that some players will never experience them.  Deathloop asks very little from the player.  Deathloop is a very "even" and "smooth" experience, but that's both for better and for worse.  The lows aren't as low, but the highs aren't nearly as high. Deathloop is a good game.  And it will probably be a "good game" to a greater number of people than Arkane's previous titles, but it didn’t have nearly the same impact on me.

Anyway, more than anything, my time with Deathloop has convinced that I should go back and play Prey (2017).

[ssaltbending]

Ok, guys, hear me out: Zuko is a Capricorn, Katara is a Cancer —and here’s why (it would be so poetic).

Part 1: Zuko

TW: explicit mentions of child abuse.

I know this statement might seem weird and out of place, but in the last couple weeks I’ve been digging a lot into astrology and, in order not to forget my roots, I thoroughly felt the need to combine both of my most recent obsessions in one post, given that this headcanon hasn’t been able to leave my mind ever since I came up with it: if we applied astrology to the Avatar world, I’m sure Cancer and Capricorn would be Katara and Zuko’s signs, respectively. And I don’t say this in a superficial way, just by looking at zodiac memes and associating Katara with the crybabies Cancers are portrayed as or saying Zuko is a Capricorn buzzkill as people who know astrology on a surface level would assume they are —those are some of the most common stereotypes about the signs. No, I’m saying that they embody those signs on an archetypal leve: in the way their stories, especially Zuko’s, resemble the myths that originate the zodiac signs and their respective traits.

Therefore, without further ado, let me explain.

The Capricorn archetype: the sins of the father...

As any casual astrology enthusiast may probably know, the sign of Capricorn is connected to qualities such as perseverance, integrity, resilience and ambition, typically treated as the CEO or boss of the zodiac. However, the sign itself has a richer and much more complex story as we look at the deities it is associated with as well as the planet that rules it: Saturn, linked to the Roman god of the same name and the greek gods Cronus, Zeus, Hestia and Pan. Some astrologers choose Cronus as Capricorn’s patron god and others prefer his children, but that can be explained very easily.

The myth goes like this: Cronus, a giant and father of what we would know as some of the main greek gods (Hestia, Demeter, Hades, Poseidon, Hera and Zeus), was actually the son of Uranos, who he subverted thanks to the advice of his mother Gaia to use an agricultural tool to kill him. But as time went by and Cronus had started having children with his partner, Rhea, the fear of his descendants becoming stronger than him and doing the same thing he had done to his father took over him, which led to his decision of swallowing them all whole. He started with Hestia all the way back to Zeus, whom he couldn’t swallow right after he was born, unlike his other children, because this time Rhea had hid him in the island of Crete to protect him from his father. To deceive him, Rhea then covered a rock in cloth to make it resemble a baby for Cronus to eat it, thinking that it was a newborn Zeus.

Time passed and Zeus grew stronger until he was ready to confront his father and save his siblings from his womb, and when he finally did it, he managed to force Cronus into disgorge them one by one, in the reverse order they had been swallowed —which left Hestia as the last sibling to be disgorged.

After that, Zeus was left with a prophecy, where he would also be possibly overthrown by a son of his. And after Métis, the woman he was told would bear said child, gave birth he swallowed the newborn whole just like Cronus had done with his brothers and sisters. The child in question, however, started giving him headaches as it grew older and bigger inside of him and would become the goddess we know as Athena. What Zeus did with her was the repetition of a cycle perpetuated by his forefathers, a cycle of abuse and trauma that seems inescapable. What this part of the duality of the Capricorn archetype shows one of the ways in which those ideas of tradition and legacy can be carried on (a very negative one, to be honest), but that’s not the only way they can manifest, which gives the archetype this… almost cinematic quality, in my opinion. (And if we take this into account, I might headcanon Azula as a Capricorn rising due not only to the archetypal coincidences but the overall mastermind outlook she has and how much of a natural, domineering and calculating leader she is, but that’s besides the point.)

Now, let’s talk about the other side of the archetype, which gives it this incredible dual quality: Hestia’s path. Unlike her brother Zeus, Hestia was the one who not only had been devoured by her father, but she had spent the most time inside him as well. This is often associated with the emotional isolation many Capricorns experience in their youth, the lack of warmth and love by one of their parents, along with the desire not to become the abusive parent they were exposed to. Hestia is the other side of the story, the unspoken leader of the Olympians, the one who broke the toxic cycle running in her family for generations, vowing to become an eternal virgin and protector of the earth. Besides, Hestia means “hearth”: the inner fire, the one that is never allowed to go out.

(art by @elisebrave​)

That is the soul of the Capricorn archetype: the crossroads of destiny, the moment when the child decides whether to become like their parents, or forge their own path like Hestia did. Do you guys see what I see now? Are the similarities clear enough?

As my dear friend @persephobeee​ points out in her Capricorn essay (a crucial source for this one): “The Capricorn archetype is a cycle of stuck parents putting stress on their children at such a young age so then their kid ends up making money in retaliation, but then treat their kids the same as well due to the lack of warmth and freedom they had in their own childhood. The intense pressure put onto them as a child [then] leads to isolation and depression. It’s a cycle. ‘I don’t want to be my parent, but also… how they have ruined me’. The chain can continue with Zeus (projecting sorrows and nightmares onto their own children) or it could break with Hestia (the path of love, light and protection).”

This is why Capricorn’s planetary ruler, Saturn, is also associated with ideas found in this myth: restriction, limitation, order, boundaries, leadership, responsibility… pretty much dad vibes, to be honest. Do you guys see what I see or do I have to dig deeper?

“But isn’t zuko a firebender?? Why would he be an earth sign??”, you may ask.

The way that I might be making headcanons about the Gaang’s western zodiac signs isn’t gonna be based on which element they bend, because that would be quite reductive and restrictive for me as an astrology junkie, but their similarities to each sign’s archetype and overall characteristics. And yes, I do see Zuko as an earth sun, but that wouldn’t be his only sign, there is also the moon and the rising sign, which also have an important impact on the individual. In my opinion, Zuko’s personality embodies the qualities of fire signs as well: competitiveness, drive, passion, impulsiveness and loyalty. But to me those qualities are better shown in his character through his moon sign: an Aries moon, to be specific. See those anger outbursts? The “I don’t need any [fucking] calming tea!!”? The “you never think these things through”? Aries moon behavior, right there. But I’m not going to focus on moon signs right now. Let’s get back to the behavior I am the most well-versed at: Capricorn behavior.

So, the sign of Capricorn is also a cardinal sign, a leader, since they are the ones that begin each season. In the Northern Hemisphere, Capricorn season starts right on the winter solstice, and the opposite happens in the South. However, since all the astrology lore comes from the North thanks to the Greeks, Babylonians and more, the seasonal connections are related to the seasons there. As a consequence, Capricorn is the cardinal sign that brings the coldest, darkest season of the year: winter. And incorporating that into Zuko’s character would be incredibly fitting, in my opinion, because of some stuff I’ve read here on Tumblr saying that making him being born during the coldest time of the year would make it a terrible omen for a firebender, worse in this case due to him being born into the royal family, symbols of the power and “supremacy” of the Fire Nation. The fact that he would be born in winter, if we follow this reasoning, would have made him seem as a disappointment to his father ever since birth. 

… or maybe I’m just cruel, guys.

Moreover, I think Zuko embodies many of the Capricorn qualities in the way he carries himself (because no, not all Capricorns are confident managers with the world in our hands) and how hard he has to work to earn everything he gets. A key part of what this sign represents is “the path of hardships the goat has to overcome in order to reach the top of the mountain”, which along with the myth I have described before, could easily be applied to Zuko. It describes values of endurance, hard work, discipline and drive in order to achieve your goals, something that can be seen in Zuko all throughout the series, but changes its focus as the seasons go by. Besides, uhm… have you guys seen “The Day of Black Sun, Part 2”? That is literally the positive outcome of the Capricorn myth made into animation: the confrontation between an abusive father figure and his abused child who has decided to part ways with him in order to become a better person.

On another note, I think it is important to highlight how the Capricorn in Zuko could be seen based on how the rest of the Gaang treats him as well when he changes sides and he’s accepted into the group. How?, you may be wondering: as a father figure, but in a positive way. In many scenes it can be noticed how he naturally takes a position of leadership within the group as well as he takes care of the younger members such as Aang and Toph but, especially in Aang’s case, tries to ground them and teach them. As examples, take the following: Zuko reminding Aang that soon he will have to face the fact that he might have to kill Ozai, him trying to get everyone to train when the comet is about to arrive; how when Aang gets lost, it is him the one people look to in order to lead the group, etc.

Another thing that is well-known in Capricorns is our resilience and perseverance and, honestly: do I even need to explain that? When it comes to the guy who would get his ass beaten again and again and again for one season straight in order to get what he wanted which would also give him the approval of his father, what he craved most? It screams earth sign behavior to me, but with a heavy saturnian influence due to Zuko’s background which, to me, can be quite an interesting reflection of the Saturn/Cronus myth with his children. Said tenacity could also be exacerbated by the willpower and energy brought by the possibility of him having a fire moon, I don’t know, think about it. I stick to that headcanon.

That perseverance can also be seen when it comes to Zuko’s firebending, given how much he’s always trying to improve his skills. Although it could be argued that in reality he’s doing so due to the expectations put on him to be a proficient bender just like his sister in order to be accepted by his father, and his constant training to the point of exhaustion is just a manifestation of that toxic behavior. I am sorry to tell you, but that’s textbook Capricorn behavior, associated with the symbolism of the hardworking goat in general: working the hardest in order to get what you want is always on-brand when it comes to important Capricorn placements, and in my opinion Zuko is no exception.

Final thoughts.

Anyway, what I think would be most relevant is what I mentioned before about the Capricorn archetype and how it could tie in nicely to Zuko’s character arc with him as a representation of Hestia, who could grow out of the abuse she experienced and got a chance not to make her father’s mistakes and break that horrendous cycle she had been a victim of. I would go into this more deeply, but I think it has been enough for now. However, I’ll be back soon with a part two, talking about my water queen Katara. What do you think about this headcanon? Do you agree? If not, why? 

Thanks for coming to my weird-ass TedTalk at 1am. I needed to vent and I haven’t been able to put the computer down since 9pm, I literally only stopped to eat, lol.

See you soon, 

a Capricorn sun.

[fandomlovingfreak]

Healing His Heart (8/?)

Young Remus Lupin/Reader

Rating: E for Everyone

Word Count: 1715

MasterList Link I AO3 Link I Wattpad Link I Tiktok Link

Summary: (y/n) is two years younger than him, a popular Slytherin, and Regulus Black’s best friend. Yet he can’t help but be attracted to her bewitching personality and sweet smile. Unfortunately, his er–problem makes it harder to get close to others. Despite his attempts to push her away (for her own good) she seems determined to worm her way into his life.

Enjoy

Something is touching his face, bringing him back into consciousness. He recognizes the soft touch as fingertips as they graze the skin underneath his eyes and across his bottom lip. Remus nuzzles into the hand that's caressing his face. Slowly he blinks his eyes open, a bit of the morning sunlight blinding him. Remus puts his hand up to block the offending light, grumbling about the offensive light. "(Y/n)?" His voice sounds groggy, as it usually does after the full moon. "Can you sit?" (y/n) entirely comes into focus as his eyes adjust to the daylight. Remus nods, letting her help him sit up. "Here." (Y/n) presses a glass of water to his lips. He glances over at her before taking the glass in his hand. Remus takes a large gulp of the cold water before setting down the glass, "what are you doing here?" "I assumed those three knobs didn't do much more than help you back into the castle, so I volunteered this time." "Why?" "Why?" She giggles, "because you're my boyfriend, duh." "I'm not your problem—" (Y/n) rolls her eyes, "I wouldn't say you're my problem, but you're mine, so I'd have to argue with that." He notices then he's missing his clothes, "uh—" "I have your clothing." She turns, dragging his bag from behind her. "But I want to heal those cuts first—" "Let me put on my trousers!" He's a brilliant shade of red, trying to cover up. "It's not that big of a dea—" "(Y/n)! Just—" he reaches for the bag, snatching it from her hands. She laughs, "but are you sure you didn't hurt —" "There's nothing wrong with my legs." (y/n) giggles, getting up to turn around towards the door, giving him privacy. Remus hurriedly pulls the jeans he's packed himself from the bag, struggling to pull them up his legs. He watches her as he gets the zip and button done. "Okay... you can uhm—turn back around." She does just that, instantly moving back towards him. Her hand reaches back for his face, examining the new damage he's done to himself. "There isn't a ton that needs too much attention, but--" she gently rubs her thumb across his lips, "this one is particularly nasty. Any discomfort otherwise?" "Just sore—" she nods, moving to grab a little vial of green liquid. She hands him the vial. "What's this?" He looks at the contents of the liquid. "Something I've been making myself for years for after Quidditch games. Got a bludger to the shoulder a few years back, and it still gives me issues. This is—well, it's a tonic for muscle soreness, I suppose." "It works?" (y/n) rolls her eyes, "of course it works! When has a potion I've made not worked?" He smiles, wincing at the movement as it tugs at the cut, "that is true. And is it safe?" He grins, so she knows he's teasing. "Quit talking till I've healed that lip. You're making it worse." He tries not to smile again. She pulls out her wand and begins to heal the cut. "There," she pockets her wand once again, reaching to get something else. "What's that?" He asks curiously as she pulls out a salve. "Well, if you wanted—" she holds the salve up, "and this is only if you want this. I'm not pushing it on you, but I have this scar reducing salve. It won't completely erase the scars, especially not the deepest ones, but the color will correct somewhat. Again, not a miracle salve, and I don't want you to think I care about the scars." She swipes her thumb against his cheek, "I like you just as you are. I just thought I'd ask in case you were interested." "Wait—where do you—how'd you get that?" (Y/n) grins, "made it myself, of course." "How are you so brilliant?" He's genuinely impressed with the girl. How she was so incredibly intelligent but so— into him? It blew his mind. (Y/n)'s giggle is magical as she leans in to kiss him quickly, "do you want it or not?" "Uh—does it sting at all?" "Nope, truthfully, I made it because I had a scar on my leg from a playground accident. The scar is still there and still somewhat visible, but… it worked enough for me to be content. Healing scars is a tricky business, you know. And it's not going to be a dramatic difference. It will be a slight reduction. I don't want you to think this will completely heal them. Again, It's hard to heal scars..." "I know... maybe? Just on the bad ones?" "You're going to have to use it yourself then. I don't which ones you personally feel are the worst." "Well, can't you tell?" He motions to his face. "I really can't, Remus. I don't only see the scars when I look at you. I see you, Remus, exactly how you are." He huffs, hiding his blush behind his hand, "why do you have to be so sweet—?" She touches the newly healed bit of his lip, "I'm not being sweet. I'm being honest." Remus pulls her into his arms, leaning his chin on her shoulder, "I don't know what I did to deserve you." "You don't do things to deserve love, darling," she says against his bare chest, "love is—well, it's not a transaction." "You're spectacular," his voice is breathy as he reaches out to touch her cheek. "Me? Spectacular?" (y/n) chuckles, "well, maybe a little bit. Do you think you can walk?" Remus gets up to stand, pulling his clean sweater over his head, "Yes, but I might need a little help from you. Do you mind?" "Not at all." She wraps her arm around his waist, allowing him to lean some of his weight on her. "Do you want to get breakfast?" she asks as they make their way through the tunnel. "Sure, do I look presentable enough?" (y/n) hums, "you look well enough. We could also find a sunny spot in the castle and eat there if you don't want to sit in the Great Hall." Remus smiles down at her, "you don't mind?" "Of course not. I don't really want to share you with anyone else right now, anyway." He suddenly remembers, though, that he should probably check in with Madam Pomfrey, "Wait-- I have to check in with Pomfrey." "Okay. We can stop in the Hospital Wing first." "Let me go alone. She doesn't know you are aware--" "What does it matter if she does? Would it be crazy you've told your girlfriend of your condition?" He purses his lips, "No, but I don't want to get you in trouble. It's only supposed to be me that knows about the Shrieking Shack, darling." (y/n) rolls her eyes, "fine. I'll wait for you in the hall." *** Madam Pomfrey looks a bit confused that he hasn't got a single scratch on him. "No damage this time, Mister Lupin?" She hands him a bit of chocolate. Remus pops it in his mouth, nodding along. "Doesn't seem so." "No soreness? Last month you complained about your shoulder quite a bit." Madam Pomfrey doesn't seem convinced that he's so-- okay. It's the first time in seven years he's come into the Hospital Wing without a single scratch or bruise. "I'm feeling pretty good, honestly." Madam Pomfrey hums in the back of her throat, "interesting. Well, you may leave if you'd like, Mister Lupin." Remus jumps off the hospital cot, "thanks, Poppy." Madam Pomfrey only shakes her head, not bothering to correct him. Opening the heavy door, he looks around the hall, not seeing (y/n) anywhere. "Remus!" He looks towards the voice, seeing (y/n) carrying something in her arms. "What'cha got there?" he quietly closes the door behind him. "Breakfast, of course." (y/n) grins, kissing him on the cheek, "let's find a place to eat." *** They're able to find a quiet, sunny space in a deep-set windowsill. (y/n) climbs up onto the seat, patting the space next to her. Remus sits next to her. His stomach growls audibly, causing (y/n) to laugh. "Hungry?" She teases him. Remus rolls his eyes, "What did you manage to get?" "All sorts of stuff." She begins to place the food in front of them. He grabs for a piece of toast, taking a large bite. It tastes marvelous. "How are you feeling, honestly?" She places her hand on her own face before putting it on his forehead. "I'm fine. I feel good. Whatever is in your... muscle soreness tonic or whatever works wonders. I'm not sure I've felt this well after a full moon ever." (y/n) takes his hand in hers, "Really?" "Yes. Are you going to tell me what it is?" "Of course not. It's a secret." Remus raises an eyebrow, "you won't? Why?" "What if you... stole my secret and claimed it as your own?" He can tell she's teasing by the way she grins at him. "Do you really think anyone would believe someone so... dreadful at potions concocted something so brilliant?" (y/n) pretends to think it over, "No, I suppose they would assume you've stolen it. It is quite brilliant as you said." Remus chuckles, taking another bite of his toast, "so if you won't tell me what is in your secret tonic... how about the salve?" (y/n) takes a bite of her own food, "I don't believe that's necessary, Mister Lupin. You won't get my secrets that easily." She makes her point with a light jab to his chest. Remus's lips curl into a flirty grin, "oh? Can I not? Not even if I do this--" He leans in to kiss her, tilting her chin up to meet his kiss. (y/n)'s hand comes up to touch his face lovingly. Remus pulls away to admire her. (y/n)'s eyes flutter open, a goofy smile painted onto her face, "No, I don't think even that will make me spill my secrets--" He stops her speaking with another kiss, this time crowding over her, his arms wrapping around her body. "How about now?" he pulls away just enough, their noses brushing against each other. (y/n) hums, her eyes still delicately closed, "I don't know yet... maybe another kiss could convince me--" Remus chuckles before giving in to her request.

[withteeths]

Maybe Steamrolling Games is Bad Actually

Videogames are unique in that they are inextricably tied to corporatism and have been since birth (this is an oversimplification but roll with it). This means that to an extent most companies even since the ’80s have never really cared about proper preservation or easy access to their titles. Nintendo carts were originally manufactured to have their battery die in 3 years so you would have to buy a new one (this failed, but it’s why you still see a lot of dead carts floating around). I think there's a nostalgia issue within the gaming fandom regarding "oh x was great back then" but a lot of the time, games manufacturers have been historically shitty and anti-consumer and it’s just that they now have the tools to execute it much more effectively. Regarding obtrusive DRM, that’s an issue PC games have had since their zenith, where if you lost your original copy of a manual or a small plastic key you could never play a game again because the codes were individualized for each copy and support would refuse to give you a new one. Even back in the arcades, there were particularly batshit examples like the CPS board, which I shit you not was built to explode a battery pack filled with corrosive acid if it detected you were attempting to repair or modify it. There’s a lot to say about the current state of games but what I would likely illustrate is that 2/3 major consoles are racing to decide who will be obsolete first. Games consoles are reaching a point where they are trying to emulate PCs with more restrictions and DRM. We're already seeing interest in steam spike again and it’s likely that eventually, we will see almost a crash for consoles where no one can justify the price for games they can play on a PC rig. The only solution I see there would be a merger between the two consoles which feels inevitable. 

That being said as interest in the PC space increases again so does attempts at entering the bubble. We have Epic, Origin, Microsoft, Indiegala, Itchio, and Steam all vying for attention, requiring accounts, and offering exclusives to justify the use of their storefront over others. Some people think this is a good thing because it's breaking up Steam's monopoly but it literally is not, if you ever really wanna hear me rant ask me about Leftist obsession with itch being some sort of ethical steam, which it is provably not. In the end, the real sort of saviour figures that work to preserve games are random ass people on the internet. I know people who automatically assume that at the end of the day, companies care about games preservation too, and they usually have a three-pronged argument that cites a) Steam’s ability to allow the redownloading of delisted games, b) retro companies periodically rereleasing titles for modern consoles in compilations, and c) companies doing limited reruns of a game that fans request. All three of these examples are basically an incredibly effective use of diversionary tactics, but most of the time when someone cites these I just assume it’s a misunderstanding and not outright malicious intent because a lot of the time companies will attempt to actively implant these ideas to build brand loyalty.

My main dissertation is usually that Steam is incredibly selective with what titles you can redownload, and most importantly, corporate benevolence is more-so a band-aid on a gaping wound! There’s no contingency for when Steam might migrate to a new service, go belly up, or become obsolete when a new OS is created. That means thousands, tens of thousands of dollars worth of games are just gone, permanently, along with fan mods, DLC, and content. It’s a terrifying thought that not many people bring up when discussing the problems with game storefronts that focus so much on providing a cloud and have DRM attached to every purchase. In a way, Steam preceded the trend of not allowing consumers to actually own the things they purchased, and they’ve avoided criticism by strategic use of silence and creating the illusion of a company being made by the consumers they’re attempting to serve. At the end of the day, Steam is a business, and if you ever lose access to your Steam account, or they decide to up and leave one day, you will not be able to play almost all of those games, even if you have them installed on a hard drive, because if you’re online, they connect with a server to ensure your steam account has the ability to play them. When it comes to other arguments like the limited rereleases or use of compilations to preserve arcade titles, I usually just beg people to look at community-driven options that have existed for years. The Scott Pilgrim game is a big source of contention, but I would point out that for years now, it was playable, for free, with all the DLC, on PCs. Preservationists didn’t wait for the gods of Universal and O’Malley to rerelease it for 30 bucks or save up to snatch the fucking ridiculous 200$ limited edition with shitty paper cut-outs, they straight up just did the work to make the game free and available. RCPS3 has (with a contemporary build) been able to run the game pretty flawlessly for years now, in fact, it was how I played through a majority of the game in high school on my shitty brick of a laptop. If you look further out than this one example then it gets even better, MAME and other emulation backends have been able to play obscure, unfinished, and homebrew titles with 100% accuracy, on almost any setup, for free, for decades! I found out about many of these options back in 2015 or so, certainly late to the curve, but I never really questioned as to why emulation, games preservation, and some key titles being available on PC remained some sort of arcane, unknown knowledge to most people interested in games. In the end, the answer was a highly effective propaganda campaign that combined with strategic use of DMCA takedowns has resulted in the concept of communal games-preservation and emulation becoming some sort of debate, where people will wholeheartedly side with corporations in some sort of quest for preserving things the “ethical and correct way,” which is code for preservation on the condition that it remains profitable for the IP owners.

 I think the best way to illustrate this would be with the community built around the preservation of an infamous PS4 title, PT. The story of its inevitable delisting from the storefront and the messy breakup between Kojima and Konami is well known, so I won’t regurgitate it, look it up at your own leisure. What is significant here is corporate reactions to attempts at preserving the game, which can basically be boiled down to Konami acting with borderline rabid fervour to prevent redownload, redistribution, or recreation of a seven-year-old demo, released for free download. Mentions of solutions to redownload the game have been taken down, fan-made recreations for PC, and archival servers that store a copy of the game for future preservation or emulation. Usually when this is brought up a debate occurs citing that technically speaking, Konami has a right to do this whenever they want, for whatever piece of media they believe infringes on their copyright. On one hand, yes this argument is factually correct considering the current state of copyright and ownership of media, but on the other hand, what compels someone to step into the ring for a multi-million dollar company with the primary argument being “well actually, people SHOULDN’T be able to play this specific video game until it benefits the shareholders”? In my opinion, it’s some sort of corporatized symbiosis where players believe that, if you cull the bad actors and play by the rules of the company, you may be able to eventually play the game a couple of years down the line. Sure, this has happened in the past with a few isolated cases, but it can’t be stressed enough that this is a genuinely dangerous and reductive position for people to take regarding games preservation.

 I have two colleagues, Mariken and Fotocopiadora, who released a short interactive title called Videopulp (playable here: https://fotocopiadora.itch.io/videopulp). It’s a dramatic reimagining of a real historical event, wherein a promotional event was held in 1994 at Lelystad to destroy bootleg carts by a figure in a Mario costume. This perhaps best encapsulates something I am pleading with younger generations to understand, as an archivist, art historian, and creator: corporations are not your friends, and they never will be. With the rise of online circles of leftism, this concept is starting to gain traction but is starting to be polluted with concepts of fandom and tribalism. This has lead to arguments that while *most* corporations are bad how could you say that about Nintendo? Or Valve? Mario is so innocent and characters like Wheatley are beloved by all! I feel some people don’t realize that they can enjoy a select title or character without enlisting in a corporate faction in the battle for “best company” or “best videogame”. It leads to a parasocial kinship with a nonexistent figure that was hand-crafted to ensure consumer loyalty to a certain brand. It’s depressing, terrifying, and should stand as a disquieting example of how the grip of capitalism on works of art has permanently distorted how we think and engage with media today. So, what’s the solution? As always I can never really provide something concrete that’ll act as a cure-all, only things that people in games need to work towards. Bring up conversations about games preservation, create archives for your own work, support archivists and boost their work whenever a new discovery is created, and try to promote optimism and solidarity in your hobbyist communities. I’ve noticed a lot of futility being intertwined with the future of AAA gaming, use of online storefronts, and the inability to own pieces of media anymore, and I feel this should be pushed back against, even in a minute way. Open-source programmes still exist that allow you to hold on to what you have purchased, offline and ad-free options exist for games launchers, e-readers, and media players. The future isn’t bright, but it is not a place without hope, and as long as people continue to enter communities with passion and ingenuity, I think we have a chance at stopping the events at Lelystad, 1994 from happening again. 

[jadelotusflower]

Robin Hood Rewatch: 1x09 A Thing or Two About Loyalty

IT’S EVE, IT’S THE EVE EPISODE, IT’S HERE, WHO CARES ABOUT THE BLACK POWDER PLOT, IT’S ALL ABOUT EVE.

What, exactly, is Guy and Lambert’s backstory? Why are they friends? How does Lambert not know the Sheriff’s reputation? Questions that, I suppose, don’t matter.

Much thanking the guards for arresting him is Peak Much, and I love his green scarf.

If Robin is Earl of Huntingdon, and Bonchurch is part of the Huntingdon holdings, shouldn’t Much be given a lower rank in the peerage like Baron? Although I suppose at this point the Huntingdon Earldom has technically gone extinct as it’s clear Guy has not been granted the title like he anticipated, and it doesn’t matter what the Sheriff says because he doesn’t have the authority to grant titles anyway.

Marian plays Guy very well here; it’s a fine bit of maneuvering. I also still like this outfit.

Was anyone installed in Bonchurch Lodge prior to Much taking up residence? It’s mentioned in the first episode as the house and estates Robin was granting Much, but was anyone looking after it before? Was Eve there, or brought over from Nottingham? Is there a Bonchurch village? I’d just like a bit more detail in the world-building please.

YOUR FACE MADAM.

I really enjoy Eve as a character and the Much/Eve dynamic because he is upfront with her that he knows she’s a spy, and she is completely unruffled, so it never feels as if she is deceiving him. Rather, it’s closer to them both playing the game since he knows she has to keep up the pretense, so he can ask her to tell him about the Council of Nobles and it never feels like he is deceiving her either. 

Concussion count: Gaoler.

Concussion count: Guard.

“I’m not asleep” *punch* is an underrated joke.

Robin and Much’s relationship is repaired somewhat from the last episode - first Robin has faith in and defends Much when Allan is mocking him, and then supports him again when Much is expecting disparagement. It’s nice to see.

Robin’s relationship with Marian is as poor as ever though, his jealousy is bleeding through all over the place and it’s not a good look. They’re also on different sides of the ideological argument about the ledger; Robin “who are we to judge what should and shouldn’t exist as knowledge” and Marian “it is our calling to protect others”. Again, they’re both right, but coming at the problem from completely different sides.  

It’s quite rich for Guy to be so easily manipulated into turning against Lambert for his lack of “loyalty” when he was the one who straight up lied to Lambert that the black powder wouldn’t be used as a weapon. On the other hand, the psychological hold Vaisey has over Guy can’t be denied. I mean:

There’s a nice bit of continuity at the Council of Nobles - the gentleman looking very uncomfortable at Much’s treatment is Merton, who shows up at the end of the season to give evidence against Vaisey and die.

Robin saying nothing when Marian tells them about Lambert’s death and instead just comforting her is a nice scene, but he also looks rather pissed off - at the situation we are to assume, not her, still I’ve always felt it was an odd acting choice. But my R/M loving heart melts a bit when they arrive at the camp holding hands.

This is the moment Eve falls for Much. She saw him stand up for himself and the poor at the Council of Nobles and was probably impressed by his fortitude when everyone else was being cowed by Vaisey, then she saw his generosity and kindness at the feast, but then - knowing that he knows she’s likely a spy - he calls her his friend, and The Way She Looks At Him.

I really enjoy any time Much and Marian interact, they have such a complicated relationship and the contrast between them is never more stark than in this episode. Marian is cynical  - with good reason! - she has to be calculating and careful, and some of her anger at Eve here is no doubt misplaced over Guy. If he did not shift his loyalty from Vaisey to her, why would she ever expect Eve to shift hers to Much? But Much has an open heart, he can’t help but show affection and trust in the hope that it will be reflected back at him.

And for once, it is! Eve is so overwhelmed by Much’s kindness, but doesn’t completely trust him until he refuses to take advantage of her (her laugh over that misunderstanding is so cute!). Or perhaps when he decides not to feed her false information, because he couldn’t bear to see her hurt for it, even if she was a spy.

“When I was in the Holy Land, I would find myself...craving something. I thought it was hunger, and it was hunger most of the time. But now and then, when I would feel it, it would not be in the stomach...but in the heart.” This line was delivered so well - Sam Troughton MVP.

And I like that Eve doesn’t particularly care for Robin! It’s a nice touch, for her to be won over by Much himself, even though he credits to philosophy to Robin, it’s Much’s innate goodness that wins her loyalty.

Of course it’s not an exact parallel to Guy - well except for this:

Guy has choices that Eve doesn’t have, being a man able to live independently, a knight rather than a serf, he need be responsible for no one but himself (for all he tries to deflect and say he betrayed Lambert to “protect Marian”) - but he is fueled by an inner resentment, of Robin, of the world, he seeks power and Vaisey is the best option for him to attain that goal. Eve, it is implied, works for the Sheriff to make sure her mother “wants for nothing” so her motives are not so selfish in the first place, and when she is confronted by someone who is good and kind like Much, she not only renounces the Sheriff, but risks her own safety for his cause.

“A thing or two about loyalty” could very easily be “a thing or two about love” - sometimes it’s a choice between one or the other. Guy chooses loyalty, Eve chooses love, which perhaps is slightly reductive, but THIS IS A LOVE STORY ALRIGHT?

“When there is justice again, I will come and find you” is Peak Romance and I am annoyed that we never saw Eve again, can you imagine her around the camp snarking at Robin and making friends with Marian and being incredibly useful with her super spy skills (or hey you could just read my au season 3 fic) and why does the show keep having these great characters show up for one episode never to be mentioned again?

One more thing before I melt into (even more of) a shippy puddle - when Eve kisses Much the second time he keeps his eyes closed until she’s gone and once again I say Sam Troughton MVP.   

Waiting until Vaisey and Gisborne show up to destroy the black powder just to show off and gloat is Peak Robin.

Djaq is the only one who has agreed with Robin all episode about not destroying the ledger -  it makes sense that their opinion align in the interests of preserving knowledge and scientific endeavour, but the show keeps its powder dry (heh) on this issue all the way until the season 2 finale.

[cincopavideohosting]

How to Start a Podcast: Every Single Step for 2021

A fast heads up, as well. A portion of the administrations we highlight here are subsidiary podcasting connections.This implies we'd procure a little commission if you somehow managed to purchase through them – at definitely no additional expense to yourself. This all goes towards supporting the majority of free substance we put out. What's more, have confidence, we just suggest things we use ourselves, and respect!

Arranging Your Podcast There are two central issues you need to ask yourself here, and they're joined at the hip. First…

1. What's Your Podcast For?

So right off the bat, for what reason would you like to make a web podcasting? Is it accurate to say that you are a consultant? A business? Or then again a showcasing supervisor? Assuming this is the case, you may have distinguished podcasting as an extraordinary method to fabricate authority, and furnish your clients and target crowd with significant and engaging substance. Or on the other hand would you say you are taking a gander at podcasting from a specialist viewpoint? This may mean you'll make a show in your extra time. What's more, the subject will be something that you're energetic about.

2. Who is Your Podcast For? So first day, get the unavoidable issue in: Who are you causing this to web recording for? The thing is, except if you know precisely who you're making your show for, and why you're doing it, you have no way of growing a crowd of people. In case you're coming at it from a business podcast, and you're (for instance) a fitness coach who needs to make a wellbeing and wellness webcast, at that point your intended interest group may be individuals who are keen on smart dieting, weight reduction, exercise, or working out. 3. Give Them a Reason to Listen Regardless of whether you're giving data that will assist somebody with shedding pounds (on account of our fitness coach), or doing a truly engaging meeting with one of your #1 creators (on account of our zombie podcaster) you're offering some benefit for your audience. Not just have you given them motivation to tune in, however you've additionally given them motivation to return for additional. It's critical to consider this in the arranging stages. Would you be able to record 10-15 potential scenes that you figure your intended interest group couldn't want anything more than to tune in to?

4. Naming Your Podcast No "how to begin a digital broadcast" direct is finished without noting this generally basic of inquiries – what do I call the thing? There's three primary camps with regards to naming your show. The Clever Name You may think about a truly cunning name for your show. Yet, screen record that individuals should have the option to discover it when they're looking for data about your subject. On the off chance that you have a sharp/infectious name for your show, attempt to likewise consolidate a depiction into the title. There's no point putting out extraordinary substance if no one can discover it.

5. How Long Should A Podcast Episode Be?         Digital broadcast length relies entirely upon content. Try not to chop down great substance or cushion out brief work! How long does it should be to get the message out? On the off chance that you asked most digital recording audience members, a "short" scene would likely be anything under 15 minutes. Furthermore, a "long" scene would likely be anything longer than 60 minutes. 6. How Often Should I Release New Episodes?   In this way, on the off chance that you can just oversee once every month, that is fine. In the event that you can deal with like clockwork, far better. Assuming you can oversee week by week, that is incredible Podcast hosting. You can in any case have a major contact with a fortnightly, or month to month show, however individuals plan their lives around what day of the week it is. It's the daily schedule at the cutting edge of our lives, and taking advantage of it very well may be amazing.

7. Picking Good Episode Titles   Actually like picking a name for your podcasting, picking great, accessible, clear titles for your scenes is significant. The greatest slip-up with regards to naming your scenes is to call them "Scene 1", "Scene 2, etc. No one will realize what's in store on the off chance that they tune in. The general purpose of a web recording is that individuals hear it out, so give them motivation to tap on one of your scenes. 8. Picking a Podcast Format The configuration you pick is truly close to home, and relies upon who's included! In the event that it's simply you, you're not doing a co-facilitated show any time soon, for instance The thing is, it's comparable here to your webcast length: while it's acceptable to have an 'normal' design, so your audience members realize what's in store, you don't need to adhere to it without fail.

[fairie-gothmother]

In The Shadow of Starlight, Part 2: Negotiating With Gods

Read Part 1: The Fall

Octavia took a deep breath outside the door, steadying herself in preparation for what Lilith asked her to do. How did she get into these situations? A week ago, she was in her room, sipping on a Moxx-tail and watching a Lord of Skags stream on the EchoNet. Today, she was interrogating the cult leading, pseudo-siren monstrosity known as the God King. Lieutenant Cramer wasn’t making things any easier. He was ready to go. She stumbled when Cramer clapped her on the back a bit too forcefully.

“Enough waiting around. Chin up, kid,” he said. Shouldering his gun and wasting no more time, Cramer kicked the door open. “Look alive, rat boy!”

Troy sat with his head resting on a small table at the center of the dimly lit holding cell. The walls and floor were made of concrete. The only entrances were two heavily reinforced steel doors. The door at the front of the room was the one they had entered. The other one was at the back beside a wide mirror that took up the majority of the wall.

Troy lifted his head. “Aw, that’s adorable. They employ senior citizens here. At ease, Pops. The Corporate Wars ended a while ago,” he said.

Octavia braced herself while giving Cramer a sideways glance.

“Wipe that pedophile smile off your face, boy! I have gray pubes older and wiser than you!” Cramer yelled, his face nearly turning purple.

Troy sneered at him, slowly rising from his chair and standing at his full height. He towered over Cramer in an intimidating display. The sporadically sparking remains of his damaged cybernetic arm dangled from his shoulder. The red light of his siren marks cast eerie highlights across the angled features of his face. 

Octavia stayed close to the door, unsure how this would play out.

Cramer was unimpressed and got right down to business. The dude had nerves of steel. “Commander Lilith has ordered the removal of that smoking fire hazard you’ve been dragging behind your sorry ass. Ellie will be doing the honors. You are expected to behave yourself.”

“And if I don’t behave?” Troy challenged.

Ellie entered the room right on cue. “Then yer gonna make this a lot harder than it needs ta be.” Octavia had met Ellie a few times before. She was a squat, stout woman wearing overalls, every pocket filled with tools and gadgets. “Let’s just git through this. I don’t wanna be here any more than you do.”

Troy put his hand over his chest feigning a broken heart. “Hey, that hurts my feelings.”

Ellie ignored him and flipped her welding mask down over her face with a nod of her head, plasma cutter in hand. Troy got the message and sat down. Loose cybernetic parts dangled from the back of his neck. He winced when Ellie reattached them into the bleeding ports of his spinal implant. The mechanical arm barely hung onto his right side by chucks of charred metal and wires. Ellie removed the arm with little effort. When she reached to do the same with the shoulder brace, Troy grabbed her arm with his remaining flesh hand before she was able to touch it.

“Leave it,” Troy said through clenched teeth.

Ellie yanked her arm from his grip. “Suit yerself. I’m gonna fix the hinges on yer jaw modification. The higher-ups are comin’ and I don’t want ya droolin’ all over the place. Open up.”

Troy slurped and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. His modified jaw split open at the chin revealing rows of pointed fangs. He leaned closer to Ellie, flicking his long tongue. Dear god, Octavia thought. She forced herself to look away.

Ellie was in no mood to put up with any shit. “I could smother you under one tit, string bean! Now back off ‘fore I decide ta weld yer monster mouth shut.”

Unable to articulate, Troy growled in response but did as he was told. Ellie finished the touch ups in a matter of minutes. Without a word, she gathered her tools and stood. Troy snapped his jaws back in place and ran his fingers along the newly repaired hinges.

After finishing her job, Ellie walked over to stand by Octavia. She leaned close to Octavia’s ear and said, “That guy’s creepier than slow dancin’ with a hot corpse. Watch yerself.”

Octavia’s throat felt like sandpaper. She approached carrying her medical bag in what she hoped looked like a confident stride. Never in her worst nightmare did she think she’d meet the Calypso in person. He was thin and monstrously tall. His usual bulky, fur trimmed coat was missing which left his upper body completely exposed apart from the black collars around his neck. Lithe muscle slid beneath tanned, bruised skin. Radiant red siren marks coiled in looping patterns around his left arm and across the left side of his face. Icy blue eyes pierced through deep shadowed sockets with traces of black eye makeup smudged underneath.

“Like what you see?” Troy asked.

Octavia snapped out of her stare. Remembering her bedside manner, she extended her right hand to Troy. “Hello, Troy. My name is Octavia.” Troy raised an eyebrow at the gesture. Octavia quickly recoiled realizing that Troy didn’t have a right hand to shake with. “Right, sorry,” she said.

“Jesus. First the redneck mechanic, now an incompetent doctor.”

Octavia took offense to that, momentarily forgetting her nerves. “While I’m legally obligated to say I’m not technically a doctor, I am a highly qualified herbalist.” Octavia set her bag on the table. After putting on a pair of gloves, she pulled the stopper from a vial. “This is gonna sting.” She hesitated before touching him. Cautiously, she applied ointment to a laceration across Troy’s collarbone.

“Perfect. A witch doctor. Even better,” he said sarcastically. He hissed in pain. “The hell is that? It reeks.”

Octavia continued the application. “Scab root reduction. It’s a plant based antiseptic. It burns like hell and stinks just as bad, but it does the job.”

“Sorry I asked.”

Dried blood flaked from his skin as she applied more ointment to a lesion on his human shoulder. Uneasiness writhed in her stomach as her hands passed over the glowing red tattoos that adorned the limb. She expected them to feel warm to the touch, but they felt exactly like the rest of his skin.

The wounds were deep. She carefully cleaned and stitched them, working until she was satisfied that he was safe from infection. Much better, she thought, feeling pleased with herself. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the condition of the metal brace on his right shoulder. It bent inward in such a way that it likely put an uncomfortable amount of pressure on whatever tissues were underneath.

“I’d like to see the extent of the damage under your…” Octavia slipped the tips of her fingers beneath the shoulder brace. 

Troy lunged forward and shoved her into the wall in one fluid motion. Her head bounced off the concrete causing her vision to blur. His forearm held her across the chest, his body flush against her, pinning her against the wall. Cramer reacted immediately and aimed his gun at Troy from across the room.

“Don’t ever do that again.” Troy’s threat was delivered in a hot whisper inches above her face. His lips curled back in a snarl revealing gold capped fangs on his canine teeth. The stench of blood on him was sickening. She couldn’t move, completely at his mercy.

“Stand down!” Cramer yelled, still aiming a Jakob’s shotgun at the side of Troy’s head.

There was a tremble in Troy’s grip. Octavia noticed he was using his weight rather than his strength to hold her in place. He drew sharp breaths while his lungs struggled with the effort. Despite his incredible endurance, he was still weak.

“Rat boy, if you think for one moment that I won’t put a hole in that greasy head and watch your tiny brain drain out, you’ve got another thing coming! I said stand down!” Cramer repeated.

Troy’s enraged expression contorted into a playful smirk as he released Octavia and backed away. He raised two fingers to his brow in a mock salute to Cramer.

Octavia pressed a hand to her chest both to calm her pounding heart and to recover from just having the wind knocked out of her. Ellie rushed to her side to put a comforting arm around her. “You okay? He’s all bark ‘n no bite the way he’s in. He’s just tryin’ ta intimidate us.”

Octavia nodded. “It’s working.”

After collecting herself, Octavia took a seat across from Troy, who had reverted back to being aloof with his feet propped up on the table. He looked at her expectantly. This dramatic change in demeanor was unsettling. He was ticking time bomb begging for an excuse to explode.

Octavia cleared her throat. “I think it’s safe to assume that anyone else that found you in your condition today would’ve killed you on the spot.”

“Yeah, woulda been the smart thing to do. Which is why I can’t help but wonder why you chucklenuts didn’t,” Troy prompted.

“Lilith sees potential to make something of this circumstance, crazy as that sounds.” Octavia paused, wanting to choose her next words carefully. Her voice softened. “You’ve hurt a lot of people, Troy. This could be your shot at redemption.”

Troy snickered. “Redemption? Yeah, no thanks. The only thing I’m after now is revenge.”

“You’re not the least bit interested? People are calling you a monster.”

“So what? You get in a God’s way, you get smited… smitten… smote? Whatever. Point is, fear turns out to be the perfect motivator. So if keeping the masses motivated makes me a monster, let them think what they want.” Troy nonchalantly rested his hand behind his head.

“That doesn’t bother you? Even if you’re not leading the Children of the Vault anymore?”

“Like I said, let them think what they want.” After a moment, Troy sighed heavily. He glanced at the mirror that ran across the length of the back wall and rolled his eyes. “I get why you Crimson Traitors see me as a monster. Tyreen and I attacking your commander and all. Before you decide to torture me or whatever you plan to do, let me just point out that I spoke up and stopped Tyreen from dusting your precious Firehawk.”

Octavia hesitated. She never knew exactly what happened the day Tyreen stole Lilith’s powers. If that was true- “Why would you do that?”

Troy shrugged. “I have my reasons.”

~~~

Lilith & Maya were listening in on the conversation behind the two way mirror from the connected observation room. It was obvious to Lilith that her siren companion was uncomfortable after this sociopath had subtly told them he knew they were watching. Maya shifted her weight from side to side, arms crossed, nervously drumming her fingers.

“I really don’t like this, Lilith.”

“I’m not sure what to make of it either. If Troy is telling the truth about wanting revenge on Tyreen, he could help turn the tables in our favor. On the other hand, if this is all a trick and he’s still with the COV, it’d be bad news for all of us.”

Maya threw her hands up in frustration. “That’s exactly why we shouldn’t be taking any chances. There are a lot of people that we keep safe, including the ones inside that room. What would have happened to Octavia if Troy was at his full strength?” Of course she already knew what would’ve happened. “The Calypsos took your powers without a shred of mercy.”

Lilith interrupted, “That’s not entirely true. I’m standing here with you, aren’t I? Tyreen had me by the throat, drained my powers, and was ready to finish me off. But Troy stopped her. He said they were in a hurry to leave. I don’t know if I’d call that mercy, but it may not exactly be malice. I want to test where his loyalties lie. We convince him to cooperate, then we can decide how to use him.”

Maya huffed and resumed staring daggers through the two way mirror, her siren marks pulsing in reaction.

What a strange turn of events. Not in a million years did Lilith foresee a situation like this. One of the Calypso twins was in her custody seeking revenge on the other. It was too good to be true. She expected Troy to jump at the first chance to coordinate with the Raiders, but he refused. If he was trying to infiltrate, that would have been his way in. Did Tyreen really cast him out? What was the catch here? Lilith was determined to find out. Enough of this quiet observation. She opened the door, and entered the holding room.

Troy’s gaze instantly locked onto Lilith when she entered. His cold eyes followed her all the way up to the table at which he and Octavia sat. Though her composure didn’t falter, the contempt in his look made Lilith’s skin crawl.

Lilith put a hand on her hip. “Let’s assume what you’re telling us is true. You got denounced, and Tyreen made an example out of you. Surely some of your devoted followers would’ve wanted to help you out.”

“Some tried. There weren’t enough of them to cause a mutiny or anything.”

Octavia chimed in, “So there were others thrown out, too?”

“Maybe,” Troy said. “If there were, they must’ve been poofed somewhere else. I was alone when I got beamed out. It’s more likely that Tyreen ate them all.”

At last, Lilith asked the question everyone was dying to know the answer to. “Troy, why did Tyreen kick you out of the Children of the Vault?”

“It’s a family matter. Kinda personal. I’m sure you understand.”

“We just want to make sense of your situation,” Octavia pleaded.

Troy looked back and forth between the two women a few times, then scrunched up his face. “Are you actually going for the good cop-bad cop routine?”

Octavia suggested, “We could both try bad cop.”

Lilith could tell this wouldn’t go anywhere. “Alright, fine. Keep your secrets. As you already know, the Crimson Raiders are pursuing Tyreen and the COV. As much as I hate to admit it, we could use each other’s help. You know the ins and outs of their entire operation. We’d like to offer you the chance to coordinate with us.”

The expression on Troy’s face was hard to read. “You do know who I am, right? Calypso twin, God King, ex-Holy Father of the Children of the Vault? After everything I’ve done, why would you want to offer me anything?”

“Don’t take it the wrong way. You’re still at the top of the shit list,” said Lilith.

Octavia cut in. “Embarrassingly, we don’t have much on the COV. We’re outnumbered and our intel is outdated. What have you got to lose? You know the saying, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ You get your revenge, we stop Tyreen from leeching the entire galaxy. Win-win.”

Troy was silent, those cold eyes narrowing skeptically. Losing patience, Lilith added, “Or Cramer could keep you company while you rot in a max security prison cell.”

Cramer still stood at attention at the front of the room. When the Calypso looked at him, a vein throbbed in Cramer’s neck and he shouted, “What are you lookin’ at, cock snot?”

“Pff! Screw that. If it gets me out this hellhole, then I’m in,” Troy said. He looked to Octavia. “I guess your good cop strategy worked after all.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Phew! I apologize if this one felt a little long winded. I crammed in lots of exposition, some backstory, and foreshadowing. Thanks for sticking with it. Part 3 will be much more exciting, I promise. In all its bloody, chaotic glory. 

Feel free to ask questions or just let me know if you like the story. I am fueled by feedback.

[geesemary1]

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[bloodraven55]

The Potential of Glimmer's Villain Arc

Okay so a lot of people have been theorising about what's coming next for Glimmer's character with everything that's happened in Season 3. And I have plenty of thoughts of my own so this is going to be my longest analysis post in a while. I'll put it under a cut for ease of reading, and I hope y'all enjoy!

So as an introduction let's briefly look at where Glimmer is now. She's getting ever closer to Shadow Weaver, and we all know how well that ended for her father, plus the loss of Angella is undoubtedly going to be hugely traumatic for her, especially because as she herself says she assumed that Angella would always be there since she was immortal.

Angella is gone, Adora is going to be under a whole lot of mental strain of her own due to the revelations she's had about her past and the pain of having lost both Catra and Angella for good as far as she's concerned, the rest of the Princess Alliance aren't exactly around a whole lot at Bright Moon, and it doesn't look like Shadow Weaver is going anywhere any time soon as long as there's power to be had and the Rebellion is where she can best work towards her own goals.

What I'm saying is, Glimmer likely isn't going to have much of a support system except for Bow next Season, and she's in a prime position for Shadow Weaver to employ similar manipulation tactics and methods of abuse on her as she did on Catra and Adora. Glimmer has no real experience with that type of abuse and manipulation, or any real frame of reference to understand the more nuanced form of evil that Shadow Weaver represents, and so she probably won't realise that she's being played and pushed down a darker path until it's too late.

So with that basis established let's look at some of the other signs that seem to point towards an arc of this sort for Glimmer.

One very significant thing is some of the cinematography in Moment of Truth.

First Glimmer is positioned directly in front of the image of her father in this shot, showing us that she's figuratively as well as literally taking the same position as Micah with regards to becoming Shadow Weaver's pupil. Note that she’s standing in darkness rather than in the light in this frame as well, because that’s going to be important going forward.

It’s also very telling that this shot comes right after Glimmer argues with her mother about the best course of action and first suggests accepting Shadow Weaver’s help. The visual symbolism of her replacing her father on screen reflects her taking the first step towards filling the same role as him in the story as well.

Then we have Glimmer flat out stepping from the light into the darkness as she decides to perform the spell with Shadow Weaver. Which is extremely Not Subtle.

Plus the angle of the following shot making Shadow Weaver's outstretched hand look bigger and more striking to highlight the threat that the offer poses.

And finally there's the way that the scene where they actually do the spell is framed. Shadow Weaver's hand extends through the circle, like a barrier is being crossed metaphorically, and again it fills the screen to make it seem threatening and imposing.

Meanwhile when we get the reverse shot, which I might add is clearly meant to actually be from Shadow Weaver's perspective, Glimmer looks very small and very young, an uncertain and far less powerful figure ripe to be taken advantage of.

There is no way that the tone of this scene was accidental. Without any dialogue being exchanged it's telling us that Glimmer is going to suffer for this choice---it's telling us to be worried---and it's honestly a masterful piece of television.

Another aspect that isn't hugely noticeable on first watching is the undercurrent running through the show of Glimmer's desire for power. She's not obsessively power hungry the way Shadow Weaver is, that's for sure, but she does often demonstrate annoyance at her own limitations.

"Glimmer is frustrated by the constraints of her magic, by the constraints of being a princess, the daughter, of this immortal queen — her mother is this kind of immortal, untouchable angel and her father was the best sorcerer that Mystacor has ever seen. And she’s in the shadow of that." (x)

This quote from a recent interview with Noelle Stevenson pretty much spells it out, and I don't think I need to mention the importance of the use of the word "shadow" here.

With all of that covered, I want to move on to something I haven't seen talked about as much, which is the ways that Glimmer and Catra are paralleled in the story.

"In some ways I think [Glimmer]’s a little bit of a mirror to Catra, although neither of them would ever admit it."

I find this quote from the same interview incredibly intriguing, and it gives me lots of ideas about not only the potential development that a villain arc for Glimmer could bring to her own character, but also the development it could bring in terms of her and Catra as foils for each other in the narrative.

For a start, Noelle then goes on to talk about how "it’s always been this kind of like losing battle for [Glimmer]" and I would like to point out the resemblance to Catra's lines about how she "never gets to win" and "if [she] wins a battle [she] loses the war", because this really does seem to foreshadow that Glimmer could end up in a similar place next season to where Catra was at the end of Season 3.

"So when someone comes to her and offers her more power and the ability to actually really save the day and prove her worth, she takes it. Glimmer’s also sorta crossed the line in the sand this season."

This part of the interview I want to bring up just to further prove that the way these things were written this season was certainly deliberate and it isn't reaching to draw these conclusions from them. It's apparent that the writers are very aware of what they're doing in terms of Glimmer and Catra's character arcs and the possible link between the two so I simply wanted to include this quote to give my analysis here a more solid grounding.

The one thing I'd like to pick out of that as well is the idea that Glimmer is looking to "prove her worth", which is something that has been the core of Catra's decision making throughout most of the show so far. In the past it was Catra making bad choices in an attempt to get respect and admiration from Shadow Weaver, and now I believe it will be Glimmer's turn to do the same.

But beyond that, I want to wind the clock back to the beginning of Season 3 for a moment, specifically to when Glimmer asserts that "evil people don't change." Adora is quick to point out that that is an extremely reductive mindset to have and far from always the case, though she does so by applying it to completely the wrong target in the form of Shadow Weaver who is almost certainly not going to be redeemed in any way, but that got me thinking about how Glimmer flirting with her inner darkness could be utilised in the story in exceedingly interesting ways.

The most obvious path is that through having to redeem herself for bad decisions that she made for understandable reasons, Glimmer would come to realise that things aren't as black and white as people being good and evil but rather there is far more nuance to be found with regards to morality. Basically, she would gain a greater understanding of what it means to be good or bad and the possibility of redemption first hand and grow to acknowledge that she was wrong to oversimplify it down to a binary choice of people being immutably good or evil and never able to change.

However, I would also like to discuss how Glimmer's villain arc could intersect with Catra's redemption arc. Glimmer has always balked at Adora's attempts to get through to Catra, telling her that Catra is evil because she's with the Horde and dismissing the notion of a redemption for her. But if Glimmer sinks to that same point---if she hits rock bottom the way Catra did---and she sees Catra pick herself back up and rebuild herself successfully to become a better person than she was before?

Well, then that could provide some amazing inspiration for Glimmer to then follow in her footsteps and break free from the cycle of Shadow Weaver's abuse herself as well. Add Catra getting to see that the Princesses are far from perfect but fallible people just like everyone else on top of that, and both Glimmer and Catra would evolve as part of the same arc and come out of it with a much stronger understanding of each other and just how people work in general.

Lastly I want to bring up this quote that I’ve put below from a recent convention.

"Interesting foil! Catra is a secretly sweet person with her darkness on the outside. While Glimmer is the opposite."

As well as again emphasising that Glimmer and Catra are in some ways two sides of the same coin, this would definitely seem to back up my theory and indicate that Glimmer has depths that she herself doesn't even understand that are now going to be pulled to the surface by Shadow Weaver.

To add to this, in the interview I drew from earlier Noelle comments that "the way this season ends has major repercussions for Glimmer. It throws her into a world that she never expected to be in." I think the second half of that quote is key. Glimmer never realised that she had this darkness within her, let alone expected to tap into it, and this is why it could lead to serious growth for her as a person to discover the worst of herself and in the end choose to cultivate the best of herself despite that.

There’s one more layer to the Glimmer/Catra aspect of all this as well if you combine this theory with the concept of Micah being alive and mentoring Catra during her redemption process. Because it would link Glimmer and Catra even more closely and beyond that it would create a great call back to the fact that this arc started with Glimmer being paralleled with her father.

And if Catra does work with the Rebellion at some point in the distant future, this could also serve as a starting point for the two of them constructing a friendship using the foundation of that shared similar experience (and also a shared father figure potentially) as they learn how to be part of the same team. It might also play into restoring Adora's faith in the people around her as seemingly losing Glimmer to darkness so soon after losing Catra the same way would undoubtedly nearly destroy her and it would give her some much-needed motivation to see both of them pull themselves back from that.

Anyway, there we have it. Those are all of my thoughts on why I do definitely see some kind of villain arc for Glimmer, and how I think it could be an excellent addition to the show for a number of reasons. Thanks for reading and see y'all next time.

[loniden]

How to Eat Healthy During the 2020 Lockdown

This has been a fascinating week with such an unforeseen development in a brief timeframe. Almost all of us are at home for two or three weeks, which brings along new difficulties when following a keto or low carb diet. In this article, I'll give you tips about how to eat well when stuck at home.

The most effective method to Eat Healthy When Stuck at Home

I don't have a clue what it is about the vulnerability of our reality that makes me need comfort nourishment and to heat hand crafted chocolate chip treats. On the off chance that you've been battling staying keto or low carb, you aren't the only one. I surveyed the Easy Keto Low Carb Recipes Facebook page, and keeping in mind that there were many adhering to the keto way of life, there were similarly the same number of battling. It's anything but difficult to push eat when all that we've known is unexpectedly open to question. How would you eat well when stuck at home?

In complete honesty, I haven't eaten consummately for as far back as not many days. I'll do incredible the vast majority of the day, at that point end up giving in here, and there later toward the evening and into the night. Regardless of whether it is only a bunch of my children's Cheetos or a little treat, those little chomps include, and before I know it, I get myself, saying what the hell., I've just spoiled today I should eat anything I desire, which is never a decent course for me.

At the point when I go off arrangement for a few days, it causes me truly to feel yucky. My stomach gets all enlarged, my garments don't fit also, and my vitality levels are lower. With not realizing to what extent we will be home, I realize I need to feel my best. Good dieting is basic to my general prosperity. Else, I realize it would start to influence me intellectually.

Also Read:  6 Awesome Body Changes When You Give Up Carbs

Since I realize that there are numerous who may be managing similar battles, I thought I'd share two or three unique tips that may help we all to eat well when we are stuck at home during this exceptional time in our country's history.

Tips to Eating Healthy During a Challenging Season

1. Resolve and Discipline Always Win – Sticking to a good dieting way of life goes a long ways past inspiration. As I referenced right now what making my bed showed me weight reduction, inspiration is whimsical, and it depends on feelings and conditions. Inspiration will bomb me, particularly in our present circumstance, not realizing a distinct end in sight. I need to determine and decide to stay with day by day trains again and again that bring achievement. Surrendering to transitory wants again and again (hi Oreos) never genuinely causes me to feel better.

2. Recall Your Why and Your Wins – When enticement hits, which it unquestionably will recollect your why and your successes. For what reason did you begin following a keto or low carb diet? What achievements have you achieved en route? Have you gone down a size? Not, at this point constrained by desserts? Have more vitality than you used to have? Record these things on the off chance that you need to with the goal that they are a consistent token of why you should proceed on your smart dieting venture regardless of the way that your life may look altogether different at this moment.

3. Change from Keto to Low Carb – If you have been exacting keto and can't appear to refocus, maybe changing to all the more a low carb way of life may be useful. Thusly, you'll give yourself more breathing space and a couple of more carbs a day. You likewise won't need to concentrate on remaining in ketosis. Eating low carb rather than keto may be the ticket that gives you enough opportunity for progress. On the off chance that you aren't acquainted with how they are unique, Low Carb versus Keto: Differences and Benefits is an extraordinary asset.

4. Plan Ahead – If you wind up battling in light of the fact that there is unexpectedly more nourishment in the house that you wouldn't ordinarily eat, arranging very well might assist you with remaining on target. Plan dinners and snacks with solid other options. For instance, if every other person is eating pizza, make a heavenly crustless pizza or pizza chaffles. That way, you can fulfill your desires and remain on target.

Additionally, in the event that you dinner prep early, you won't be without solid nourishment alternatives. Here are five straightforward strides to supper prep that will make preparing dinners simpler when you get exhausted of cooking.

5. Keep Easy Keto Treats and Snacks on Hand – When you are home throughout the day consistently, it's anything but difficult to surrender to careless eating and eating eventually. There are such huge numbers of great plans for keto desserts and tidbits, yet now and then I simply need something I can get rapidly without getting the kitchen filthy once more. With being home for an all-encompassing measure of time, we all will probably be cooking more, so having simple choices we can get and appreciate may help us not snatch our child's tidbits. Here are a couple of my most loved keto snacks I like to keep in my wash room. In the event that you can't discover them locally or don't have any desire to get out, Amazon is an extraordinary alternative.

6. Pick a Day – I wouldn't ordinarily recommend this, yet edgy occasions call for additional choices. Pick one day a week or at regular intervals, where you appreciate carbs without blame. Perhaps you might want to go through one day seven days heating with your children however have stayed away from it since you don't feel sufficiently able to disapprove of unique treats. Right now, picking one day seven days to have a heating day or solace nourishment cooking day with the family would give you enough alternatives to have the option to adhere to keto or low carb the other six days. On the off chance that you don't figure you could refocus following a day away from work plan, at that point this alternative would not be a decent decision for you.

7. Pick a Nonnegotiable Start Date – With an ongoing sudden spike in demand for staple goods, you probably won't have the option to load up on low carb wash room nourishments you typically eat. Or then again, you may require a brief timeframe of alteration with everything else feeling wild before committing once again to smart dieting. Regardless, set another beginning date. On this day, you'll refocus, no inquiries. What that may resemble is this, " For the following fourteen days I'm going to make sense of our new self-teach plan, load up on low carb food supplies once stores restock, and get some kind of foothold once more. At that point, precisely fourteen days from today, I'm returning to eating low carb."

A couple of days before your new beginning date, start a feast plan and basic food item shop to set yourself up for progress. On the off chance that you need dinner thoughts, here is a rundown of more than 90 free keto supper plans you can get to whenever. Having a beginning date will likewise give you an opportunity to intellectually get ready for the change.

8. Start and Stick with a New Exercise Routine – Now that our timetables are not, at this point brimming with children's games exercises, school exercises, self-teach gatherings, church, youth bunch social occasions, and so forth we have much more opportunity to do things we've been putting off because of absence of time. At the point when I am reliably working out, it causes me to settle on better nourishment decisions as I would prefer not to fix all the difficult work I've done. There are loads of 30-Day Exercise Challenges on Pinterest that are anything but difficult to start. Indeed, even 20 minutes of activity daily causes me to ponder the nourishments I put in my body. Here is a Pinterest Board loaded with various exercise programs and chiseling programs on the off chance that you need motivation.

Also Read: The Future Of Low-Carb Diets: Lessons Learned From Past Fads

9. Give Yourself Grace Upon Grace – We've never confronted this sort of emergency in the course of our life. I don't have a clue about that anybody realizes how to move the progressions that have occurred in our reality. The greater part of us aren't accustomed to being stuck in our homes for broadened periods. You may require a period of modification first before you can get settled and resolved to refocus. Assuming this is the case, that is alright. There is no disgrace or judgment. Right now, neglect to make dealing with yourself and remaining sound a need, regardless of whether it takes you a piece to pull together while the residue settles around you.

Everything Is Not Lost

In the event that you are battling, everything isn't lost. Essentially, pick how you can eat well while stuck at home. What you do probably won't resemble what the following individual is doing, yet you need to discover what you can adhere to in the midst of new difficulties.

I'm hitting my reset button today and committing once again to remaining on target. I'll adhere to more low carb than keto, for a brief timeframe at any rate; maybe I'll return to keto as we get sunk into our new ordinary. Since I am at my objective weight, I may even pick an off-plan day once consistently or two and appreciate making (and eating) family plans that have been passed on through ages that aren't low carb with my kids. I may even appoint my more seasoned children a night to prepare supper (it's a significant fundamental ability all things considered) and simply appreciate what they decide to cook without blame. I can guarantee you if my child is cooking cauliflower WILL NOT be on the menu. lol

Relish the Time and Make Memories

The majority of all, I need to appreciate this time with my family, gain experiences we probably won't have set aside the effort to make in the event that we weren't stuck at home, and relish this time together. I'll despite everything eat soundly, only not as exacting as I regularly would with the goal that I don't come out of this having put on weight. I simply don't need it to be something I consider continually, or that controls me. This season in our home will be devoted to time together and memory-production.

At the point when you get tired recall, each tempest comes up short on downpour. There will be another season.

[iwroteinapastlife]

Different

We’re finally back with more Honey I’m Home! I had to completely scrap and rewrite this chapter three times because it just would not work with me, so please take it away from me.

“I thought you were getting donuts.”

All around them, the room was bustling with serving staff running around trying to keep up with the tests Georgia and the rest of the family were throwing at them, but there in the center of the room, Nathaniel stood still with Chloé as she frowned at the apple in his hand.

“We did get donuts,” he affirmed, “and you can have one after you eat something healthy for breakfast.”

“But I did eat something healthy for breakfast!” she complained, looking up to pout at him. A second later, the look was gone, blue eyes darting back down to the apple. That guilt swam circles in his stomach.

“Eating half of a granola bar while playing Ultimate Mecha Strike doesn’t count.”

Usually, Nathaniel would expect her to argue further, probably jabbing at his own inconsistent meals and bringing up the time he had gone a whole day without eating because he got too sucked into a painting.

Instead, she rolled her eyes with an annoyed sigh, feigning normalcy. All he saw was a mask. “Fine, but you better save a donut for me.” And without waiting for a response, she plucked the apple from his palm—taking care not to touch his hand in the process—turned, and left. Still no eye contact and still wearing a mask.

His shoulders slumped as he watched her walk away. He didn’t know what to do. Their interactions had been like that all day—awkward and strained but pretending they weren’t, tiptoeing around the elephant in the room. Chloé could hardly look him in the eye for more than a second at a time, and when she did, it was different—and not in a good way. It was an act—her best attempt to make it look like nothing was wrong when in reality there was no doubt a storm raging in her mind. It was so unlike her it hurt. Avoidance was not Chloé’s usual strategy, especially not with eye contact. She was one of the most confrontational people he had ever met, and she fought the bulk of her battles with staring contest. He had gotten used to that, he was familiar with that. This he was not familiar with. He had no idea how to deal with this.

“Something wrong?” Nathaniel snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Nick’s voice. He was still just standing in the center of the room staring at Chloé as she spoke with one of the serving staff—eating the apple, thankfully. Nick followed his gaze before he could speak. “Uh oh. Lover’s quarrel?”

He was biting his cheek again. He forced himself to stop with a frown. “Yeah, I guess.” Tearing his eyes away from her, Nathaniel turned to look at Nick. “What do you do when Renee avoids talking about something?”

He was already shaking his head before the whole question was out. “Nope. Chloé and Renee are two very different people. You’ve gotta approach this from a Chloé angle, not a Renee one.”

His frown only deepened, that guilty pit in his stomach dropping with the added weight of helplessness. “This is just so different from usual. I’ve never seen Chloé act like this before. I don’t know what to do.”

“No, come on now. You’ve known her a long time, even if you didn’t always get along. You must have seen her like this at least once before. Think.”

He drew his cheek between his teeth again as he thought. A time when Chloé avoided eye contact?

“I guess…” he pushed a hand back through his hair, “there was one time.”

 Nathaniel yawned as he scrolled through his Twitter feed, desperately clinging to consciousness as he waited for the caffeine to kick in. His empty coffee cup still sat on the desk in front of him. He told himself he would get up and throw it away before class started, but he knew it was just going to inhabit his workspace throughout lab. Maybe it would annoy Chloé. That was a nice thought.

Having stayed up through the night finishing an art history paper, Nathaniel had had nothing better to do that morning than shower and show up to class ridiculously early. He had managed to stay alert enough to write the paper, but now he could feel his system crashing. He would have skipped class if missing lab wasn’t an automatic 5% grade reduction. He just had to get through the next few hours, and then he could take a nap. An 11 hour nap.

He paused his mindless scrolling to watch the news coverage of yesterday’s akuma attack. The clip showed a guy dressed up in medieval gear going toe to toe with Queen Bee. The queen was untouchable; she was far too fast for him to land a single hit, especially in such heavy armor. She dodged every attack with ease, doing nothing more than just flitting around him—he assumed to stall until the others could get there.

That ended when the akuma suddenly turned from her to focus his attention on a civilian. She managed to intercept him before his sword could come down on the crying child, but that move left an opening for him and suddenly Queen Bee was caught in a choke hold.

The camera zoomed in closer and, as frightening as the image was, Nathaniel couldn’t help but admire the fierce determination in her eyes. The armored guy had her neck in a fist and held her half a meter off the ground, yet she still glared at him with that utter wrath and fearlessness that she always wore. She was incredible.

“God, can you watch literally anything else?”

Nathaniel jumped as Chloé suddenly appeared over his shoulder, slamming her textbook down on the desk. Queen Bee was just escaping from the akuma’s hold, so he didn’t have to worry. He closed Twitter and checked the time. It was still insanely early, but he supposed that made sense for someone as high strung as Chloé.

“What’s wrong? I thought you liked superheroes.”

She immediately grabbed the coffee cup and went to throw it away. His eyes followed her across the room and back, waiting expectantly, but as she sat down next to him, he realized he probably wasn’t going to get a response.

He was just about to go back to his phone when something caught his eye.

“You should use yellow concealer,” he said, the words escaping his mouth before his stupid tired brain could tell him it was a bad idea. “It’ll correct the color better.”

She turned to him in a mixture of confusion and indignation. “Excuse me?”

“Or just tell your partner not to go so hard if you don’t want anyone seeing them,” he went on with a shrug, “that would probably work too.”

The crease between her brows only deepened. “What the fuck are you talking about? You’re my partner.”

She really didn’t know what he was referring to. An amused smile taking to his lips, Nathaniel pointed to his neck, tapping the exact spot where on her, four dark bruises peeked out from under a thick layer of makeup.

That confusion remained on her face a few more seconds before it was replaced with ice cold realization. The color drained from her face and she smacked a hand down over the marks, eyes blown wide in horror.

He dropped his playful demeanor, suddenly worried; that was far from any reaction he was expecting. Without a word, Chloé grabbed her bag and practically ran out of the room.

The rest of the students were starting to trickle in when she finally returned. She had put a fresh layer of powder on, the bruises hardly visible now.

“Hey,” he said carefully as she sat down again. She wasn’t looking at him. She did her best to make it look like she hadn’t even heard him as she got her class materials out, but he could see her shifting nervously. That didn’t sit right. He had seen her irritated—at him no less—any number of times, but he had never seen her like this. Chloé Bourgeois was not the type to avoid eye contact; if anything, it was her weapon of choice. To see her like this—anxious and trying her best to hide it while refusing to look at him—it felt wrong. “It’s no big deal, you know.” Still nothing. He leaned forward and dropped his voice. “When I have hickeys, I wear them with pride.”

That seemed to give her pause. She watched him warily out of the corner of her eye. He gave her what he hoped was a peaceful smile.

“Yeah, well,” she finally said, looking back at her notebook, “your father isn’t the mayor.”

He laughed, more out of relief than amusement as that worry finally abandoned her eyes, returning them to the cold, stinging blue that he knew.

“Fair enough.”

 “There you go,” Nick continued, thankfully not asking for any details. “So how did you solve it last time?”

Nathaniel was still biting the inside of his cheek, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop. He had no idea what was even going on back then. He didn’t know that the bruises weren’t hickeys and he didn’t know that her worry was of him finding out about her identity, not some partner.

His gaze had gravitated back to Chloé, as it seemed it always would. This and that were completely different issues, but at the same time, if he was able to mend things back then—when he didn’t know anything about her and she still absolutely hated him—he really ought to be able to mend things now. At the very least, he wanted her to look him in the eye again.

He blew out a long sigh and thought hard. No doubt, her relief that day had come from the realization that he had no clue who she was—that her identity was completely safe. “I guess I just…made her feel like she had nothing to worry about.” So maybe that’s what he needed to do; make her feel safe again, let her know that she didn’t have to worry.

“Perfect.” He looked up again as Nick’s palm landed on his shoulder. He was giving him that encouraging, comforting smile again. “Do that. Reassure her; make her feel secure.”

Nathaniel was starting to understand why Chloé’s grandparents had one of the best relationships he’d ever heard of. “Thank you, Nick.”

“Anytime. Now go talk to her; you don’t want to let this sit.”

He nodded and, with a deep breath, walked away. As if on cue, Chloé’s conversation ended and the other person left right as he approached. She didn’t notice him as she wrote something down on her clipboard, holding the apple with her teeth. Out of habit, he set his hand gently on her back.

She immediately stiffened, drawing in a short breath of surprise, and that same look took to her face that she’d been wearing around him all day—the act that nothing was wrong. Fuck.

He stuffed both hands in his pockets. “How is everything going?”

She finished scribbling down a note before reaching up and replying around a bite of apple, “Good.” Even as she looked up from the clipboard though, she still didn’t look at him—electing instead to watch Georgia do something across the room.

“Chloé?”

“Hm?”

Nathaniel shifted awkwardly. He didn’t know how to start—or even what he wanted to say exactly—but he needed to say something.

And it was on that thought that he blurted out, “I don’t care about last night.”

He paused briefly to try and get a bearing on what he was saying. Chloé visibly slowed mid-bite as that statement sank in. “And I don’t care what happens moving forward,” he continued, surprising himself with how true the words were. “Things can go on how they always have if you want.” It would be the feat of a lifetime for him to get over her, but he would do that if she wanted him to; he knew he would. Her eyes finally found his and the mask was gone, leaving only that worry and hesitation he knew she had been shouldering all day. Breathing a small sigh of relief for at least having her eyes again, he looked back with a soft gaze. “You’re my best friend, Chloé. Whatever happens, I just want that to stay true.”

She held his gaze, looking back and forth between his eyes as she seemed to process his words. He definitely hadn’t phrased it as well as he could have, but there it was; he could only hope she received it well.

You’re safe, he said in his mind. You can think as long as you want and no matter what you decide, I’ll still be here.

In that blue he could see a storm of unease and deliberation, but the longer she watched him, the more her expression melted into a certain tenderness—an understanding and appreciation, and finally, a warm relief.

“You’re my best friend too, Nathaniel,” she finally said, voice soft, but not weak. A tiny smirk threatened the corner of her mouth and she added, “Don’t tell Sabrina.” He could feel a wide grin slowly spreading across his cheeks as a familiar warmth bloomed in his stomach, that pit finally dissolving. Her own smile grew and she rolled her eyes, already looking so much more like herself. “Don’t let it go to your head, tomato. I’m still not ready to forgive you for making me eat an apple.” As if to punctuate that statement, she took a bite.

He laughed, probably a little too hard, but he couldn’t help it with this intense relief washing over him at having his Chloé back. She was eyeing him quizzically with that sassy smirk of hers and all he could do was beam back at her.

“Yes, your highness.”