#You have a really high opinion of me

[panestates]

I just reorganized my Victoria, Rachel, and Nathan Pinterest boards. links to each board, organization, and miscellaneous notes added under cut because I get antsy when I'm not dedicated to something silly. I will probably update this post if I make any major changes

soooo fun fact these started as a Victoria/Nathan shared board called "dead and buried" in June 2024 but I started to branch off into individual boards for individual characters with specific sections for relationships as I got farther into this hyperfixation!! We love virgoisms!!

each board is fairly self explanatory. the body of each board is dedicated to the character themselves and organized by color - Rachel's board begins in monochrome like Victoria and Nathan's, but her first in-color images are in shades of brown and her board ends in pinks/reds because we only know her as a dead person at first then she comes to life :) the sections are organized by quotes that almost always apply specifically to each section without referring to characters or relationships by name! "⌙" is used for the board sections to designate BAD relationships (eg Nathan and his dad and #that man with Nathan and Rachel), "⟡" designates better relationships (still not great but BETTER! eg kristine and Nathan, Rachel and Chloe, and Victoria and Nathan), while "┊" seperates out quote images because I think they look really clunky in the body of the board! however, each board begins with two quotes and some lyrics :)

Kind of a secret not sure if you could tell but Victoria is my favorite character. I really want to redo the red into orange into yellow into brown into sepia section because I think it's just a leeeedle messy but . It'll be done eventually. you'll notice a lot of Audrey Horne images here it's because I'm a fucking NERD. I need to stop adding images of Oxford shoes but I don't want to. the description quote is from episode 4, "I know how this art game has to be played. it's brutal" is also from episode 4, "like brother-sister or something" is said by Taylor in episode 4 too what the fuck, and "she already has everything she wants, doesn't she" is said or written by max during episode 1... aren't you glad I didn't say episode 4. I've been on the fence about naming the quote section either "et in arcadia ego" or "everywhere you go, there I am" but I like them both too much! by the way it's really hard to find images for the Victoria and her parents section (said about relationship that was never actually developed or mentioned or implied to be something worth analyzing up until one very specific line in episode 4)! I am the most proud of this board than I am any other board I've ever made!! it is my baby and I get really angry when I see images get taken down from it. I've wanted to put in a Rachel/Victoria section for a long time now but I think all the images I'd put in it would not be allowed on Pinterest OR SOMETHING

this is my most recent solo board - Rachel originally shared a board with Chloe called "fire walking" and just received her own board because she's been on my mind more lately :) I'll probably create a solo Chloe board one of these days but I think I only have like 40 images dedicated to her right now while Victoria/Rachel/Nathan all have well over 150+ 🥲 you can't blame me all she does is smoke weed have blue hair and die!! but!! Rachel's board is still a work in progress, I'm just trying very hard not to be generic.. I struggle so often with character boards and playlists where I don't want to have the same images and songs as all the other boards and playlists even if that sounds pretentious and silly! with Rachel's board, I tried to really focus on a ghost/deer/faceless/california motif and I hope it doesn't come across as too repetitive. "the last binder in the row reads 'Rachel'" is from the episode 1 script but it's empty right now because I'm scared, "...in the dark room" is from episode 3 and is sort of a cop out but fuck you (I almost named it dark room junkyard besties but absolutely not), "fire walking" is from before the storm and it is also the only acknowledgement I'll ever make of before the storm and I am also trying sofucking hard to find an amberprice quote I like from the first game so I can get rid of any mention of bts, and "you can't cover over that sunlight" is said by Samuel about Rachel's missing person posters in episode 1! fun fact: her board and Victoria's board have images from the same photoshoot but with different models!

Nathan my boy forever. Sorry. sucks. I will always choose the ending where he's murdered. I have nothing interesting to say honestly.when I made that post like "what color is Nathan's hair I can't look at him long enough without laughing" that was so serious I have no fucking clue what his hair color is so a lot of these images are redheads some are dark haired!! it;s like a rorschach test. the description quote is from the episode 2 Jefferson lecture before Kate kills herself, "I told him what he needed to hear" is from episode 5 - I was on the fence about making it something from the Jefferson sms message "you want me to treat you like an adult who can get things done on his own? impress me. I'd like nothing more than to be proud of you. I'm not there yet." because I think it characterizes their relationship super well but I couldn't choose a part I liked most, "you'll thank me someday" is from Sean's email in episode 4, "I miss you and your pictures" is from Kristine's email in episode 4 (I also have a private board dedicated to her but it's pretty barren so I doubt it'll ever see the light! it's called "back to the mangrove!") and "kill the rich kid" is said by Hayden in episode 1 :)

[puppetmaster13u]

I was reminded of a Thing from the reblogs on the Mermay 03 Prompt

Very similar vibes. But with platonic omegaverse, and dragons. Gotham? Already cursed to hell and back. But then another curse was formed via the museum bringing in this strange statue. That of course got stolen because solid crystal and gold. Then got broken, split in half. And oop. New Curse.

Now before I get into the curse, lemme explain the omegaverse side of things. Everyone is born a secondary gender labeled Alpha, Omega, or Beta. There's also medical conditions where one is neither, usually a mix of genetic and hormonal issues. Gotham however, is Weird. They have no set scent according to Outsiders. Really? They can shift and switch (Yes there's a large LGTBQ percentage in the population) at will. It can take months for someone new to the city, but those that have been there for a few generations can do it in hours. For those like the Waynes or other founders who have been there since the beginning of the city? Minutes. It's more than a little unnerving to Outsiders who are used to things staying the same.

But that curse (or blessing as others call it) mixed with the new dragon one. See, they can all change into draconic form, and do their best to keep that secret. But they also have different forms depending on the secondary sex they are at that time.

@f4nd0m-fun & @golden-buddle idk if u'd be interested in this but-

[superfallingstars]

Personally I think jily is supposed to be idealized (like how James and lily were idealized) to Harry. James gets knocked of his pedestal in swm and so does jily by Harry questioning if his father forced his mother into marriage. Later when talking to lupin and Sirius James and Jily get a slight defense and Harry is back to feeling alright but with the knowledge that things weren’t perfect.

I personally don’t read Jily as abusive (even though I read James as being abusive to snape at school, but I don’t think that violent, physical behavior was extended to Lily) but I definitely don’t read them as a “good” couple (whatever that means). I think you can read it in many different ways given there is so little of them and I think an interpretation that their relationship wasn’t the healthiest is perfectly plausible with the scant information we’re given.

Yeahhhh that’s probably what JKR intended. James and Lily are the fridged parents who are dearly mourned and missed, and as a result, their flaws are completely smoothed over in everyone’s memories. But in Snape’s Worst Memory, Harry learns the hard lesson that things aren’t always what they seem, and that nobody is perfect, not even his dead father. Hurrah.

My problem with this is that I think it’s very boring, LOL. Like it really is probably exactly what JKR intended (given her middle-of-the-road takes on every moral and political question that happens in these books), but man, it feels like such a cop out. James basically ruins Snape’s life for no reason, and the conclusion we’re meant to draw from this is just, well, people are complicated! NO!!!! Bad answer!!! Like, Snape also did some terrible things, but at least he spends a ton of pages actively suffering/atoning for his sins. But James, on the other hand, is only somewhat implied to have changed maybe slightly a little bit somewhere off-page, and we just have to take #1 James Potter fanboy Sirius Black and serial understater Remus Lupin at their word. So if James was supposed to be “redeemed” – or even just excused – wow, it really doesn't work for me. You can't go as dark as "protagonist questions if his father forced his mother into marriage" and then just brush it off like no big deal, Joanne! And it’s so frustrating, because all it would've taken to fix this would've been to show James being a good person instead of just telling the reader that he was one (proof: trust me?). Ugh.

So because of all that, I agree that from what we’re given, it’s quite difficult to read Jily as “good.” We rarely see them interact, and when we do, James’s behavior is wayyyy too similar to the trope of “terrible guy eventually gets the girl even though she seems to hate him with every fiber of her being because his persistence and not taking no for an answer is just toooo romantic to resist.” Which sucks, lol. It feels like JKR is basically being like, “eh, James was young and dumb, whatever” and giving him a huge out for all the grief he caused Snape (and Lily, for that matter) – and she expects that the reader will agree that that is a legitimate excuse for his behavior, and by extension think that it's reasonable for Lily to forgive and eventually marry him. And man, I am just not sure if that is enough to convince me. (And evidently, I'm not alone, considering the “Jily is abusive” meta post that likely sparked this ask!)

With that said, I agree that it’s a stretch to say that James was abusive (or even implied to be abusive) toward Lily. It’s not a completely unfounded take – it could probably be written well in a fic, and even be canon compliant – but you would really have to extrapolate that dynamic from the little information we’re given (as you pointed out). And more importantly (at least, re: that meta), I don't think JKR intended that interpretation at all.

Personally, I just don’t think it makes sense for the narrative for James and Lily to have been in an abusive relationship. And by the narrative, I mean Harry. If Jily is an abusive (or even just bad) relationship, that would have massive ramifications for the way Harry sees his parents. Ideally he would have to come to terms with that at some point – I don’t think it makes sense for James’s and Lily’s relationship to have been this way and not have significantly affected Harry – but imo JKR clearly does not want to deal with that. Like you said, the point of SWM – aside from foreshadowing Lily and Snape’s relationship – was to knock James off his pedestal and basically go, See, nobody’s perfect. <3 And the story is not interested in engaging with James’s behavior on a level any deeper than that lol. Which ok, I don’t love it, but if we’re not going to spend time dealing with morally gray James, then it doesn’t make sense for him to be even more morally gray (or rather, have him fall face first over the line into becoming a downright despicable person) by making him abusive toward Lily.

So that's my Doylist analysis: no way in hell did JKR intend Jily to be an abusive relationship, but she also didn't do a good enough job defending and/or redeeming James after SWM, so we're just left to speculate about how much he really changed. Still, I don't think "JKR is a bad writer" is a very satisfying answer. After all, the only reason that I'm engaging with this text in the first place is because I'm a fan of it, so I think it's also worth looking at it from a Watsonian perspective – or at least, to accept the events of the book as they're written and try to fill in the blanks. (Imo so much of the fun of fandom is trying to fill in those blanks in a satisfying way, to expand upon a character and try to reach a more interesting conclusion than the author did... And I would be remiss not to mention that, because it undoubtedly influences the way that I (and probably also you, if you're on this side of tumblr) engage with the text.)

So for me, as a Marauders era fan, I’m faced with: ok, I don’t really like the idea of these two characters together, but they canonically got together, and I think the story is better because they got together, and it’s better if they genuinely like each other, and it all had to happen somehow – so how can I explain it in a way that both makes sense with the story and is satisfying to me? And my answer to that is twofold.

First, I imagine that James was not always quite such an awful guy (as in, not always as showy, combative, and cruel as he was in SWM). After all, there is a glimmer of goodness in him when he chooses to save Snape’s life during the Prank, revealing that somewhere deep down, he does in fact have a moral compass. And second, I think that he has to have changed. And I mean a genuine change – one that might not have resulted in completely different behavior (after all, he was still hexing Snape through his seventh year) – but regardless, something that makes him seriously reflect on his actions and reconsider his motivations. His behavior in SWM is just too inexcusable for him to get with Lily – partly because Lily is generally framed as a Very Good Person, and partly because regardless of how she is framed, James was still awful to her – without any self-reflection or growth. Of course, the problem then becomes explaining this in a satisfying way!

And I have some ideas in mind – but they’re definitely more speculation than fact, and omg this post is long enough already. Luckily, I received another ask on this topic, so I will save my self-indulgent headcanons for that.

There is one last thing I want to mention, which is (part of) my reasoning for why James may not have been such a bully all the time and why I think he has the capacity for change, and it's been nagging at me ever since I read that meta post (which again, presumably started this whole thing). I think one thing that bothers a lot of people (including me!) about James is that it seems like he chooses to pick on Snape in SWM because of Lily’s presence. He wants to show off to her, so he keeps looking over to the girls by the water, he ruffles his hair, he deepens his voice, and he tries to get her attention by targeting Snape. Following this logic, we can presume that James wouldn’t have done any of this if Lily hadn’t been there – and that’s the part that got me thinking. I have to wonder if Lily was perhaps not the only person who James wanted to impress in that scene… in fact, I think it’s incredibly likely that James would have acted differently if the Marauders hadn’t been there! (Harry has "the distinct impression that Sirius was the only one for whom James would have stopped showing off," and Sirius saying that he's bored is the inciting incident for James spotting Snape...!) Yes it’s going to be a James masculinity analysis because this is what happens every time I talk about these fucking characters apparently. So idk, stick around if you’re into that.

And of course, thank you for the ask!

[twinstxrs]

the gorgug-porter conversation is interesting to me because like. yea for the overwhelming majority of the conversation porter’s being shitty & trying to fit gorgug into a box that gorgug just does not fit into by trying to make gorgug’s relationship with his rage more focused on the aggression aspect of it. but then there’s also this specific thing that brennan brought up again in the ap, which is that gorgug’s relationship with his rage is wholly “this is a tool i use to protect my friends.” which isn’t a bad thing! but that’s his Whole relationship with it, & gorgug seems to place next to no value on his rage in relationship to himself. which is problematic, because it’s first & foremost his rage.

being raised in a household with a sort of toxic positivity largely meant that, whether or not it was his parents’ intention, gorgug internalized the message that more traditionally “negative” emotions such as anger are the wrong response to something. part of the reason he prioritizes his artificing is probably because it’s “fixing” things. in comparison to being a barbarian, which gorgug associates with “breaking” things. good vs. bad behavior, in his eyes.

it’s a totally unacceptable bar to measure a 16 y/o by, but i do think part of porter’s reasoning for not letting gorgug multiclass is him recognizing that gorgug generally does not value anger as a valid emotional response to something, at the very least for himself. & that directly conflicts with what being a barbarian is, because whether you like it or not, that rage is what fuels you. but again, barring a kid from pursuing something they deeply care about in part (not entirely, porter has a lot of more bullshit reasons) because of their fundamental values & world outlook is crazy.

so yes, 98% of porter’s reasoning is pretty shitty, immature, rife with a toxic view that there’s only one proper way to access rage, & generally not a good thing to do as a teacher, but also within that reasoning is the 2% of ‘there is a fundamental part of yourself that you only value if you can use it to take care of other people & you need to accept that as something that can take care of you, too.’ but that’s something to discuss with a therapist or a guidance counselor, not something that should hugely impact gorgug’s academic future.

[solstrix]

Monster High March Day 3: Toralei Dancing

Idk why, but as I drew this I imagined her dancing to I Am A Poseur by X-Ray Spex.  Has that kind of aggressive “I dont give a fuck” and abrasive-on-purpose energy that I think Toralei revels in.

[spiderman2-99]

🕷️ Friendly Neighborhood PSA: Dental Health🕷️

Spider-people, you might be swinging from webs and saving the city, but even heroes need to take care of their teeth! Here’s why dental health is as essential as your spider-sense:

1. Brush Twice a Day 🪥 - Your spider mask doesn’t cover bad breath! Keep it fresh by brushing in the morning and before bed. Two minutes each time is all it takes. No exceptions!

2. Floss Daily 🧵: No webbing for this job—use floss to get between those teeth! Flossing is your best defense against cavities and gum disease, especially after a long night out.

3. Rinse with Mouthwash 🌀 - A quick swish keeps bacteria at bay and your breath fresh—especially important after those late-night stakeouts or grabbing a quick slice of pizza.

You’ve got the power to keep the city safe and keep a shiny smile. Healthy teeth mean less pain and more focus on your hero work. So swing into action and make dental care part of your routine.

A clean smile makes for a confident hero! 🕸️

(This has been a test of the multi-dimensional broadcast system.)

Is this because I said I don't go to the dentist?

I still have proper hygiene, for shock's sake. I just can't afford questions. My God.

[the-busy-ghost]

Me normally: Let people love what they love

Me, after a Test Match Special commentator expresses their belief that the new All Creatures Great and Small is somehow "better" than the 1978 version: This is pure insanity and TMS can no longer be trusted on anything, how can they even be trusted to know about cricket, do they have no TASTE

[iceyrukia]

Women’s self-image is as negative as ever despite the “body positivity” wave of choice feminism. Why?

I think one of the biggest reasons as to why women’s beauty standards and self-image are worse than even is because you can preach about unfair beauty standards all you want and tell women not to make fun of another woman’s looks but you can’t take away the social status and praise that women who are “beautiful” get from society (both men and women). You give them clout and praise them. Something both “body positivity” and “body neutrality” feminists do btw despite all the talk about acceptance.

It’s like saying you don’t support the ethics behind a product and yet still consume and buy it. In this case “beauty” being a luxury achieved via consumerism where women become the products (objects) that other women admire and obsess over. There is a demand so there is a supply PERIOD.

Women might not directly pursue beauty (“I do it for myself”) for men but nonetheless it’s definitely ingrained as a sign of status and that’s enough to cause a negative self-image in women who don’t participate. Men might have been the original perpetrators of installing unrealistic beauty standards for women but the victims (women) have also turned into perpetrators who can’t let go of the misogynistic status symbol of having value from appearances because it’s considered “culture”.

[screambirdscreaming]

At the bus stop one time there was a gaggle of preschoolers waiting to catch the bus for a field trip day, and someone walked past with a couple of friendly little dogs, to great general delight.

But after a little bit, the dogs were getting overwhelmed, and the preschoolers were gently coaxed to back off so the person with the dogs could continue on. Specifically, one of the preschool teachers said, "Sometimes, when you're small, being surrounded by big people can be a bit scary and overwhelming. Even if they are friendly."

This was recieved as great wisdom: after all, the preschoolers were also small, and understood how scary and overwhelming big people could be! And the dogs were indeed even smaller than the preschoolers, so it made sense.

What was funny and charming was that, upon absorbing and reflecting on this wisdom, they all felt the need to tell it to one another. In tones of great insight, they turned to one another and said, "Did you know? Sometimes when you are small, being surrounded by big people can be scary and overwhelming! Even if they are friendly!" Back and forth, without any particular concern that they were all saying the same thing. Have reached comprehension of an insight, it must be shared!

I must say that this behavior is less charming in tumblr users than in preschoolers. Not least because tumblr users, having gained a little analytical skill to misuse, insist on Summarizing and Generalizing and Unifying the insights they repeat, quickly turning any interesting new information into formulaic dogmatic mush.

[pigeonclaw]

Tigerstar 2.0 has been one of my favorite characters for years, he's silly, he stirs up drama — you know I love cringy little guys who stir up drama — and he loves his kids. At least, those have been traits I've enjoyed about him in previous books.

Not a big fan of his recent behavior in regards to Birchfeather, though I can understand it. He's being a hypocrite, and Tawnypelt points this out. It sounds to me like something he's going to have to work on, something that will take time, and I'm okay with that on its own! Unfortunately I don't have faith in the authors to give him that time. I fully expect them to move on and that's a shame. Because a story about a father lashing out over his son's choices and then having to learn to accept that he shouldn't expect to have control over everyone's choices... would be a good story.

[britneyshakespeare]

Subbing special ed at the middle school slaps. Every class I've had so far is 2-4 students and when we finish the assignment we play Uno

[iampikachuhearmeroar]

im sorry UTS, but WHAT on fucking earth is "creative intelligence and innovation"????? and why on earth would anyone studying nursing or midwifery need "entrepreneurship and innovation" as a double degree??

[compacflt]

Do you have any opinions on what kind of music mav and ice like? I’m just curious as someone who has motorcycle riding 80s navy dad whose favorite two artists were Madonna and Bruce Springsteen if you think the answer would surprise us? Or if they’d be as predictable as always

Yeah nothing crazy. kinda predictable i guess. classic rock, country rock, classic blues, nostalgic 60s folk, contemporary stuff when it comes on the radio and isn’t unlistenable by their middle-aged-white-man standards.

+ of course ice’s somewhat gay Fleetwood Mac entanglement

[floorpancakes]

i feel like the logical next step to watanuki being mentally ill in two day old eyeliner and expensive heirloom kimono worn as loose fitting loungewear is watanuki being mentally ill in two day old eyeliner and expensive red or purple or black lace trimmed negligees that have a low neckline but maybe thats just me

[todayisafridaynight]

any hopes for kiwami 3? like things u wanna see added or changed stuff like that

if they dont keep kiryu's goofy walk stance and the hoof-like walk sounds i dont wanna play it

[thenwethrowitonthefire]

Shout-out to everyone who survived a "fun" easter with the family