#about how unfulfilling the normalcy is

[gracemarkss]

i really do think we lose out on a lot by cutting ethan from the pilot. so much of what we learn about scully in subsequent episodes and seasons - her relationships with her father, with jack, with daniel; her experiences in never again and how she describes her relationship to authority; the themes of normalcy and expectation, desire and fear, what you should want vs what you actually want, letting yourself want; about having a life and drawing lines and getting out of the car…once you learn about jack, ethan makes so much sense.

how much time passed between her time at the academy and dating jack and her assignment to the x files? months, a year at most maybe? with the revelations in lazarus, you start to wonder, what made her go from a superior decades older than her who’s intensity is his downfall to a regular run of the mill guy in her peer group? when she talks about other fathers in never again, taken with everything she’s said about wanting “a life”, it becomes a bit more clear - this was a course correction. it’s all the more clearly drawn in all things, another taboo relationship with a man she could never bring home. is it “normal” to date your teacher, have emotional affairs with married professors twice your age? is that what good catholic girls do? can you bring these men to sunday dinner with your parents’ pastor? so ethan is a conscious choice. an experiment in normalcy. an attempt at the clean cut boyfriend that you can bring home to dad, with an eye on the house in the suburbs, the picket fence, the 2.5 kids. she doesn’t not want it. she wants to want it. it’s what girls from her background are expected to do. missy certainly isn’t going to. so it’s up to her. and she’s already rebelled so much already, with her career choices. she can do this. she can want this. she can be a good daughter. she can make this work.

but then there’s the assignment. then there’s mulder. then there’s passion and intensity adventure and a fierce dedication to the truth, to helping people, to a dogged pursuit of justice (whatever form that might take). there’s the adrenaline rush over lost time beside empty graves in the rain. there’s this strange man you just met being so careful with your vulnerability, and handing his to you in kind. how can a weekend out of town with ethan compare to this? what’s the house and the fence and the sunday dinners compared to this?

so ethan is is out. the experiment in normalcy has failed. but the fear lingers. there are still expectations to meet. there are still parts of her that wants it. she could get it if she really tried. it’s something that she comes back to over and over again, fear vs desire, the contradictions in all the things she wants and needs, the heavy weight of expectation, both from others and her own. and i think it’s all communicated that much more clearly and powerfully when ethan’s presence is maintained in the pilot.

[os-eclipses-tamen-son-yuri]

Love to hc Denji as anything besides strictly cis because no matter how you see it and choose to read him as it will always add so much more nuance to his portrayal and character and it just feels RIGHT

[despite-everything]

checked out this book on sexual intelligence at the library and it’s honestly fascinating. i know i’ve been reading theory on sex for years now, but i’ve never considered myself an expert by any means, but it’s fascinating to read this book and only be able to think “good lord you people live like this??”

like i’m more than aware that the average american isn’t particularly sexually liberated, but i really assumed that if people were so fucking hung up on the idea of sex being the epitome of pleasure and intimacy, they’d at least be less fucking weird about it

[lollytea]

I was looking at reddit comments about Carol & The End Of the World and I got so frustrated with people completely misinterpretating what the show was about and hating on Carol because they found her unrelatable. Or "her monotone voice is annoying". The show itself wasn't perfect and I was a little unsatisfied with the ending but I loved it so much for the premise and the choice to focus on a character like Carol. It's a really unique angle.

The world will end in six months and everyone on earth has gone carpe diem mode and are living out their wildest dreams. They're partying, they're rioting, they're traveling the world, they're eloping, they're having orgies, they're picking up new daring hobbies, they're doing all these crazy hedonistic things that life has never given them the opportunity to do until now.

And Carol, poor Carol. Carol's parents are worried about her because she has not felt inclined to do anything like that. It's just not how she wants to live. Carol is quiet, she's awkward, she gets overwhelmed at parties. So intense doomsday chaos is not her scene at all. She finds peace in normalcy and routine. Simple things like a boring desk job and grocery shopping and doing laundry and eating at her favourite restaurant are what make Carol happy.

But when society has collapsed, all sense of structure has gone with it. So she has to hunt to find meaning in a way that suits her own personality.

And is she not entitled to finding joy during the end times on her own terms?

Carol has also felt unfulfilled in her life. But not because she's disliked the rigid routine she has built for herself, but because her socially awkward demeanour has prevented her from really connecting with other people. She's lonely. She's 42 years old and she doesn't really have anyone that she feels she can open up to.

The show is about Carol's tiny victories and her own spin on seizing the day on a much smaller scale than the rest of the world. She doesn't need to travel. She doesn't need to find the love of her life. She doesn't need to jump out of a plane. Maybe all she needs in order to feel whole is a few close friends that she can bake banana bread for. All she wants is the calmness of routine and the warmth and reliability of friends. She doesn't want to feel alone anymore. Carol's desires are simple and mundane, and she might be judged for not choosing to live a little louder when the clock is ticking down. But it's what will make her happy. Is that not beautiful? I think it's very beautiful.

[aro-bird]

There's something just so frustrating with the aro and ace communities with people either constantly focusing on getting relationships or trying to find some sort of replacement for allo relationships. It's not directly said, but a lot of posts comes with it the implication that QPRs are a way to replace allosexual alloromantic relationships.

On one hand, I get it. It's a different way of experiencing relationships from what is expected of our allonormative and amatonormative society and that's absolutely revolutionary to redefine what is a committed relationship based on your own terms in a completely aspec way, but I do think there should be some self-reflection here. There's a lot of people just yearning for a partner whether it be a queer platonic one or otherwise or people venting about how they want a relationship so bad or how they'll forever be alone because they're aro and/or ace or within the aspec and it's honestly such a downer to see so many aspec people who are upset with simply being aspec.

Why do you want a qpr or any kind of partnership exactly? Do you truly want to pursue a relationship because it's your authentic desire to be with someone or do you only want a relationship to try to achieve a sort of acceptable normalcy to the rest of society? Are you truly unfulfilled unless you have a live-in partner that would support you in similar ways as a marriage or are you simply responding to amatonormative expectations?

I guess this is one of the tougher questions that aspecs have to deal with and it doesn't help that existing as a single person in society is deemed as weird, strange, and even lonely. It also doesn't help that society is actively harder to live in as a single individual in a practical way as well seeing as single-income households struggle to meet basic needs. That isn't even getting into how much amatonormativity is such an inescapable force that makes it extremely hard to unlearn.

I guess for anyone still reading this, try to reflect. Is getting a partner really what you want for yourself or is it simply a desire to fulfill amatonormative expectations?

[kingofanemptyworld]

it’s missing nobara hours once again and I am near tears thinking about one of the worst fates ever bestowed on fictional characters: the tragedy of unfulfilled dreams and a life cut short.

you could obviously make the argument that most fictional deaths hit that mark — they don’t make it to the end of the narrative, so there have to be goals they never accomplished. and in jujutsu kaisen you definitely have a number of characters suffering that specific tragedy. but! There are two characters who I think embody it more than most of the others (particularly the more recent deaths, because, ugh, that’s a whole other beast of a thought and I won’t be getting into it here).

anyway. nobara and nanami. that’s who I’m talking about.

so, I’m excluding junpei from this for a few reasons. his death is horrible and cruel, he was too young, mahito took advantage of his trauma and turned him into a weapon against his friend. he dies without really being able to make amends with itadori or avenging his mom. absolutely a tragedy. but we don’t know junpei for very long, right? he’s confined to his arc (and the first opening goddamn that was mean of them) and he’s largely never mentioned again outside of it.

nobara, on the other hand. we meet her in episode 3 and she’s there throughout the rest of the first and second season. she’s also brought up again in the manga, if only briefly. we also get a very clear idea of her personal goals from the very beginning. we don’t know all the details of her relationship with saori, but we know she’s why nobara came to Tokyo, and by extension why she became a jujutsu sorcerer in the first place. nobara’s character is driven primarily by this one goal to escape her hostile, closed-minded town and reunite with this childhood friend. later on we come to understand exactly what this friend means to her but from day one we have a pretty good idea of what nobara wants and what she’s willing to do to get it.

it’s not the only important thing to her, not after she spends time with itadori and fushiguro and the second years (maki in particular). she makes new friends and they fill up the chairs in her life and she wants to protect them, physically and emotionally. but the common thread that runs through her entire arc — which is further revealed in season 2 in her flashbacks — is meeting saori again. her, fumi, and saori, back together for the first time in years. that’s what she wants. it’s one of her last thoughts. and she dies knowing she’ll never see either of them again.

tbh I’m almost crying writing this out, can you tell I experience genuine grief over her death?

but you get the point.

now, nanami is a slightly different breed of tragedy for me. he’s older, an adult although not old. we also get some idea of what drives him in season 1, which is reinforced in the hidden inventory arc in season 2: he wants to do something meaningful, something that actually helps people rather than the soul-sucking corporate bullshit he did before, and he wants to protect the next generation of jujutsu sorcerers. knowing what happened to haibara explains how protective he is of itadori, maki, nobara, and fushiguro in both seasons. and that very sweet interaction he has with the bakery woman, who definitely wants him to come by again. we have no idea if he ever did, or if he totally closed that chapter of his life and never went back. either way, it’s a lingering regret of it, I assume. maybe not for that woman specifically but for the normalcy he gave up to return to the sorcerer world.

and his actual death confirms that: nanami wanted to rest, but he wasn’t able to let go of what he learned to do, eradicating curses to save people. to make a difference. so he can’t rest, he sets that goal aside, and he doubles down on protecting the youth.

cue that heartbreaking scene of him seeing itadori for the last time and, going against his better judgement, entrusting itadori — young, inexperienced itadori who he promised to protect with his life because that’s what adults are supposed to do — to continue the fight in his stead. he doesn’t want to, the reluctance comes through loud and clear. but he does. and in doing so he knows he’s damning itadori to more tragedy and more heartbreak.

the more defined the goal, the more we feel its presence throughout the narrative, the more gut-wrenching it is to know these characters failed to achieve what they wanted most in the world.

these two are also especially tragic to me because neither of them really shared these goals with anyone that we know of. maybe nanami spoke with ino, or, less likely, gojo. maybe nobara did tell itadori and fushiguro about fumi and saori in full detail. but we really don’t know for sure. nobara doesn’t ask itadori to find saori with her final words, nanami doesn’t tell him about haibara or the bakery woman. these were quiet, personal goals they kept close to their hearts. which just makes everything so much more viscerally sad to me.

[flintism]

thinking also about the end of AF and i think it’s interesting that in the “what were we” scene at the end of the book fitz says that his & nighteye’s relationship was a simple thing and that they were simple beings whereas the fool is complex and full of convoluted ideas. one of the main things fitz seeks when it comes to molly is the normalcy she represents - a life devoid of court intrigues and assassinations - but she also embodies a simple life. when fitz longs for molly and the simplicity/normalcy she embodies he is, metaphorically speaking, longing for the simplicity/normalcy of a heterosexual life whereas the fool with his complexity and his landscape “full of secrets” embodies a queerness that keeps scaring fitz. and the thing is, fitz gets to have his simple heterosexual life for 25 years but it’s never truly his life is it? he needs to assume another identity in order to be able to live it and there are aspects of that life that leave him unfulfilled (the fool’s absence being the most obvious one) 

now, one of the main themes of the last trilogy is death and, more specifically, how you want to die should you be given the choice. fitz has died over and over again over the course of the past 7 books and in FQ and AQ he mentions several times that he’d like to die/is feeling suicidal now that molly is dead and that bee is gone. then for a short time after regaining bee he wants to live again, it’s the infamous “and we will live happily ever after?” “that is my intention” bit of dialogue between fitz & the fool but those books being what they are it doesn’t last. fitz almost dies a first time and has to decide what he wants to do before dying & decides to give all the strength he has left to the fool. he almost goes with him where he’d be “home” and “a whole thing” but that would mean living inside the fool’s body and taking something away from the fool and he can’t do that. 

this first death doesn’t last and he has to do it all over again & this time he decides to carve a wolf/dragon. here, there’s a really interesting line from the fool who asks fitz “you did not really think you would be allowed to die privately, did you?” and that, to me, contrasts directly with a thought fitz has a few chapters earlier when he wishes he could have died in his and molly’s bed. all his life fitz dreamed of a simple life with molly and it makes sense that he would also dream of having a simple death and that this dream of a simple death is linked to molly. but as i said before that simple life wasn’t really his, he could only have it because he wasn’t himself anymore, and now that he is fitzchivalry farseer again this dream is once more unattainable. what’s left to him is a public death or public “going into a stone wolf for eternity” and he tries to do it alone because until the very end he’s afraid of being rejected by the fool even though he wants nothing more than to finally embrace what they have. and it’s in part why i love that final scene before they go in the wolf so much, it’s not only an acknowledgement of what the fool means to fitz and what they mean to each other it’s also a public acknowledgement of it when fitz has spent so much time being afraid of embracing it. and everyone fitz holds dear (and who is still alive to be there) witnesses him finally becoming whole/himself  

[edwardsissyhandsthtdanceslikeabb]

im high pls dont make me name my batjokes meta

this post may be implicit/common knowledge, but having not seen much discourse around the mechanics of batjokes' dynamic compels me to catalog. there's sm to unpack here, so excuse lapses in structure or flow.

first off and most importantly, joker's battle with bruce is an existential one, he wants to justify himself in the eyes of his maker, his reshaper, whose perpetual control and prowling enabled, and ultimately exposed, the failure of his veneer of heroism and ability/adeptness, and birthed a distillation of that failure. the failure to circumvent criminality and violence, continually indulging retaliative brutality and unresolved anger, edging catharsis in assuming a protective and dominant role as to compensate for his loss and pantomime vicarious past reclamation and authority. constantly stagnant, incessantly unfulfilled, an everlasting outburst if you will, addressing not his material conditions but feeding his metaphysical ones. joker moulds himself around bruce's worldview, concerning himself with the salvation eternally eluding bruce, achievable through the violence that birthed batman and reinvented joker in turn.

this is a dialectical affliction, one desperate in nature, to validate that he wasn’t a mistake, a deviancy, to prove that a singular, perhaps seemingly insignificant element can transform anyone, unchain them, and joker refuses alternatives because batman forever dances, is forever chained by both his insistence on normalcy, but also his neglect of it. joker wants foremost, to matter to his creator, to break perfunctory monotony and elicit true understanding and oneness, have his existence be purposeful and intentioned, proving himself worthy, the one that finally cracks the elusive figure and chiefly, achieves ordainment in the eyes of his saviour — embrace, his personhood returned to his creator’s hands as to ascend batman into godhood, inextricably coalescing them.

it’s a labour of love, devotion, joker truly loves THe BaTmaN, bleeds and lives and offers up gothamite sacrifices as to resuscitate his vacancy, bless him with unadulterated purpose, validate the meaningless of the earthly. ultimately, batjokes are cyclical, that: from ash you were birthed and to ash you shall return, sh1t. what confuses that however, is how dialectical they are (as aforementioned), they embody a yin & yang dynamic after all. however, ultimately, joker wants to birth the batman who laughs [like when you think about it — batman realizing joker's philosophy and transcending humanity], to eliminate bruce's restraint and contradictory morality as to, ironically, create a pure, militant reaper encompassing gotham's brutality and abandon. joker is fighting for gotham's soul in more ways than one, on the physical level — crippling its normative function, inundating it with senseless violence, and on a metaphysical level, fighting for its symbol of order and constraint, someone who arose as an abstract embodiment of gotham's institutional enforcement, a distillation of authoritative fear, gotham’s punitive restrictiveness, the abstraction of otherworldly, insurmountable power, an inverted reflection of the very thing bruce is and was unable to overcome, aiming to strip them of their defences as to coax their primality, a violent denuding as to be sculpted anew, the same enlightenment he was afforded. to be broken so thoroughly that you become pure. to shatter pretence and baptize gotham, or its seemingly intractable moral paragon, in hedonistic freedom, uniting them with his gory rebirth. and joker, with this hedonistic perspective, recognizes that capacity in batman, recognizes it as his truth as one who was born from that brutality and violence and continues to endure it, seeing it as the purest form of expression and the underlying nature of existence.

he glamorizes his own death at the hands of the one who rebirthed him bc it will rebirth his creator in turn, allowing him to fully embody his godhood. it will afford the joker true meaning — once again my metas coming back to the struggle for existence but universal themes gonna universe [with the melody] — however, bc of the dialectics of batjokes, the struggle is a testament to their bond, it’s a seduction, a courtship, its authenticity and potency dictated by scale and intensity (aka their Stockholm is mad), the commitment to enduring joker’s forcible conversions, and foremost, to joker martyring himself to batman’s perpetual aggrieved ministrations, the irony in trying to fix someone through cruelty, conflict everlasting in one’s subjugating machinations. the more joker seizes, the further his cost sinks. bruce becomes steadily entrapped with and by the one person who can never leave him, the magnitude of those around him continually strained against the joker, the onus to humanize a sadistic, inhumane murderer forever ballooning. joker’s mortality, his humanity becoming further pathologized, his undying ceaselessness a type of consolation, a mark on bruce’s own consciousness, to save the one person forever bound to him, justifying his heroism and the incongruity between them, the fundamentalist moral dividing them: do not kill. batman's consideration, thusly, is birthed from a deep resentment, the flagellation of abstinence, maintaining the one thing delineating human from unfeeling instrument [of violence]. that resentment festering into a neurotic sort of dependency, joker acting as his NorthStar of morality, subsuming his sense of self, entrancing and ensnaring him. without the joker, batman is slowly cannibalized, unable to exist. whatever, i’m tired. this better be good enough cause its going up either way.

to conclude, this song [pay for it by jeff and the mindful selfless chastites]

encompasses batjokes perfectly. the eternal struggle, the damned position and conundrum batjokes find themselves saddled with, their respective lives being their sort of penance, an inability to ever truly connect without eliminating the other, love transmorphed into a twisted, destructive passion disinterested in its untainted iteration and consequently further estranging them.

(there was another song too but i forgor 🤷🏿‍♂️ [AN: not bc i was high, i could not conceive of this high)

[sethshead]

The big issue I have with “Star Trek: Picard” is this: why did he have to be shrunk? Can’t someone prefer their (awe-inspiring and galaxy-altering) work without it being emblematic of sublimated trauma or a character flaw? Some people prefer transient relationships with those whom they know will move on to another assignment over long-term intimate relationships. Some people just aren’t cut out to be partner and parent material, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

In a way then, “Star Trek: Picard” was deeply regressive. It had to “fix” Picard with some Dickensian therapy in order to make the character conform to a more domesticated ideal. It’s everything we complain about in Hallmark movies!

Certainly, many do long for that traditional normalcy and simply don’t know how to overcome our stumbling blocks to achieve it. But that’s not everyone, and I think Picard ended the TNG movies just fine as someone well suited to being a father figure to many, less so to just one. And if intimacy was his struggle, why did the character need to be cured? Why couldn’t he go out slightly unfulfilled, unactualized, wanting? Isn’t that more human than is closing his book with too perfect a storybook happy ending?

[deathfavor]

@ofsavior said: Headcanon prompt: What would it take for Kazutora to actually find happiness in life? Are there any key components missing in his life that make him feel unfulfilled? Or is his baggage really the weight that holds him down?

Amnesia. I'm only partially kidding. His baggage really is what holds him down and I don't think he can find it in himself to let it go. He can loosen his hold, but never fully let go because especially as far as he knows, he never knew anything about Kisaki or Hanma or any of that. It's not even just everything that happened with Bloody Halloween; it's everything with his parents, its everything with spending the majority of his life in juvie / prison. Kazutora was dealt an absolutely abysmal hand in life, and he misplayed the one good thing he had. I think Kazutora will always have a hard time. Not to say he doesn't have times of being happy because he definitely has those! He can enjoy aspects of life and trips and moments and things like that. But in the broad picture, there's always sorrow and guilt and struggles that he carries with him no matter where he goes. It's not about being unfulfilled.

Even in Bonten which is one of the 'best' endings, we see how easy and wiling Kazutora is to throw himself headfirst into danger again. He's self-destructive at his core and he DOESN'T have that connection with Toman or anyone really that the others do. Other characters have each other or Mikey or Takemichi or all of the above to put their dreams and hopes into ; Kazutora never has that. He was in jail for everything that created stronger ties and memories between other characters which leaves him extremely isolated other than for Chifuyu. At fifteen he admitted in two years his information as outdated about anyone other than Baji, let alone ten years. He also doesn't have the dreams other do. There's no dream path for him - a mix of his home life situation and the fact he keeps ending up back in juvie making it seem pointless during formative years.

He struggles to find a spot where he can feel he properly fits in to a normalcy he doesn't know or understand. He doesn't have the skills or ability to connect the same way others do. He never has, but add in the trauma plus habits picked up in prison to survive and it creates a struggle for him. Like i said, he does enjoy things in life, but he can't put the baggage down.

[kiealer]

@likeadragcn asked:

"Oh Ninazu, I wanted to thank you for lending me a hand with Trunks these days. His training's actually going smoothly, I also heard the two of you often visit my mother. How is she either way?" The hand thing was not meant as a pun to describe his 'predicament' but something directly from the heart. There were some conflicting thoughts about visiting his mother and grandfather, oh his heart aches to see them again but..he still has a job to do and couldn't dare face them with it being unfulfilled.

❝It's not a problem, I'm happy to do it.❞ Her voice is soft, almost sorrowful, though she tries to maintain normalcy. Weeks upon weeks had passed since her return, since she'd first discovered Gohan in this state. A large part of her heart had yet to recover, and certainly neither had the guilt that seeps deeply beneath her skin, burrowing and nesting, making a comfortable home for itself where it remained in her bleeding heart. The last thing she wants to appear as is weak or regretful in Gohan's presence, though she finds it harder day after day to pretend that everything is alright. Interacting with Trunks has been one of the few helpful distractions, so she was more than happy to attend to him as needed.

❝Oh, she's been alright…❞ The question admittedly surprises her, although it shouldn't. He hadn't seen his mother in ages, and she was well aware of this fact. This also hurt her, having seen ChiChi herself recently and able to see how his absence has affected her. ❝But she misses you terribly. I understand why you haven't seen her in awhile, but… you should consider visiting. I'm sure she wants to hear how you're doing from your own mouth rather than mine or Trunks'.❞

[7ban-sama]

disadvantaged from the start

... I’m not usually one to complain about fandom so particularly... but. I suppose, I should log for my own sake, that everyone’s feelings towards Hakubo have been depressing for me to see. It feels there is a uniform disregard for what the narrative is trying to teach us through him and his relationship to Sumire... So, for my own peace of mind, I want to write a little about my feelings for Hakubo and how I relate to him.

starting off with... the thing that connects him to Sumire, being a disadvantaged outcast of society. Both Hakubo and Sumire are displaced from any sense of normalcy or chance at happiness. As was emphasized again and again — it was never asked of either of them. Sumire was a pound of flesh to sacrifice, and Hakubo was seen as a tool, nothing more. Here is where the tragedy lies... in never being taught how to be happy. What happiness is to both of them, is enigmatic and atypical. This is not simply a matter of being a kaii or a human, because Sumire is equally warped and unable to envision a future outside of “cursing” someone... In reality, I feel as though the point of them is that they’re equalized by their circumstance-! 

Hakubo is obedient and doesn’t know how to have his own agency. In his past life, he was meant to tend to gardens for the oni. He could have been guided towards a peaceful life, if instructed to... he was never so motivated as to be senselessly violent or monstrous. But it was humans that saw Hakubo as merely a tool to carry out their will, and it was humans was ordered to kill kaii and humans alike. Humans dictated the narrative that Hakubo was cold and empty, and not meant for anything more in life... as much as humans dictated that Sumire had no other fate, other than to be sacrificed. So, again, it was the world around them that dehumanized them and refused to see them as individual people. 

Even as a School Mystery, Hakubo is preoccupied with maintaining his role, which is to protect humans from kaii. While the Severance is deemed as “extreme”, it makes sense coming from someone who cannot think emotionally, but rather, pragmatically only. Kaii are running rampant in the school and there isn’t a way to feasibly protect all the students by himself, so Hakubo makes the executive decision to sacrifice Aoi to protect the school. Mind you, this problem is being instigated by Hanako, for unknown, yet decidedly personal reasons. Hanako is willfully putting the school at risk for his own exploits. If this hadn’t been happening, then Hakubo would not choose to endanger Aoi.

I see Hakubo as someone without a capacity to break out of their own rut... simply being shuffled from responsibility to responsibility... Left asking question after question about why... WHY did it all end the way it did-? Why couldn’t it have just gone differently? But having no real means to achieve that.. due to being, disadvantaged-! 

I greatly pity the fact that Hakubo himself concludes that he would have been better off as a human... It makes sense that he can feel this, after stewing in his own restless unfulfillment for years. He simply thinks being an unfeeling oni, a monster, is what left him and Sumire so unfulfilled... Unable to see it as a matter of being robbed from having more options... but it makes sense, you sooner see all your own personal failings than the system of oppression around you, y’know? You just bemoan, if only I weren’t an oni, and not, if only oni were seen as people too.

... I have my own experiences, with being displaced in life, struggling with dissatisfaction in what I “could” or “should” be. I grew up as a rather ‘unfavorite’ child in my large family. I was a bit of a pariah... being ah, distinctly mixed race, and neither resembling the archetype for my family’s “main” race (Colombian) nor fitting into the predominantly Latino neighborhood (an assortment of other backgrounds, non-Colombian.) In the end I... was largely rejected by my family and peers, and was left disconnected feeling from any one culture. I didn’t feel like I was the ideal anything... just a disappointment, to anyone I’d be courting. Half-formed... incomplete. I am also ah, a very passive person who has mostly lead life getting swept up in other’s instructions >>; that’s just a bonus fact.

Anyhow... it’s a bit personal but... I often relate interspecies relationships between kaii & human to something akin to interracial relationships — which is my circumstance with my lovely wife...! ❤️ — it just evokes that kind of disparity between individuals, to me... A relationship that many people will look down on, and see me as potentially dangerous or a brute in... No matter how passive or out of the way I am.

Of course, I don’t think you have to be mixed race to understand Hakubo’s narrative (it’s a fantastical story, after all, I don’t think anything is really supposed to be a race metaphor) but... what matters is there’s a sense of alienation, and inadequacy. You’re not a proper oni, but you’re not a proper human either. You don’t fit in anywhere...

I’ve seen people conclude that the relationship between Sumire & Hakubo is meant to illustrate that he is a monster who can never change, and their love was always doomed. But I find this... antithetical, to JSHK’s entire thesis. After all, what are the implications of this conclusion that people are making...? If the story was trying to tell us “sometimes, you just can’t love someone, because they are too dangerous. you can’t change or move past their trauma, they’re too messed up”... wouldn’t this have unfortunate implications for characters like Hanako? Is Hanako simply too dangerous and too far-gone to save, considering how he has disregarded Nene’s autonomy and many times lied to her and manipulated her? Outright held her and ignored her crying and pleading...? 

Well... I can see how this is reflective of the current culture’s mindset (fandom is... obsessed with the idea of trauma being permanent and unchangeable) — but I can’t reconcile with it as the actual thesis of this manga.

Do you really believe that Hanako, as a kaii, is just too warped to ever love properly...? And what about characters such as Mitsuba, who has confessed to wanting others to die, from feeling so miserable — or Teru, who is cold and violent at times, and willing to threaten to take Nene’s life even, if he “had to”...? 

Well, I don’t think this manga thinks that, personally. Our lovely protagonist is fighting tooth and nail to be with the title-character for a reason, isn’t she...

[plusultranumber1]

My Thoughts on Genshiken EP 1, 2, 3, 9

This anime was definitely an interesting watch. The anime plays heavily on the Otaku portrayal and stereotypes, and provides commentary on the perceptions of the group amongst its members and from outsiders. The series focuses on the fandom and social interactions of the Genshiken club, a group of college students who are passionate about their hobbies, and most importantly, being Otaku. The first few episodes follow Kanji Sasahara, a freshman looking to get involved in his college clubs. Upon choosing the Genshiken club, Sasahara is engrossed in the Otaku culture. The series focuses on the social dynamics of the Otaku culture, and analyzes the blurred line between passion and unhealthy obsession.

The series goes out of its way to fully represent the Otaku culture in its fullness, with socially awkward geeks who obsessively critique and consume every form of Japanese anime, manga, and video game. It also analyzes the ways in which the group strays away from the traditional societal values. A prime example of this is the relationship between Kasukabe and Kohsoka. Kasukabe tries to send out all the normal signals to Kohsoka to tell him her feelings, but he does not pick up on them, and instead would rather fulfill his craving for his passion rather than spend time with her. Although she initially feels that the group’s obsession is unhealthy and that something must be wrong with them, she seeks to learn more about the Otaku culture to better understand them and attempts to join in on their passion. This shifting dynamic could be a small example of a society changing to adapt to the minority. 

One of the main topics in the first few episodes is the exploration of the erotic nature of the Otaku culture and its larger effects on the psyche of individuals within the group. One of the first things Sasahara notices when he enters the club’s room is the massive collection of erotic magazines and figurines they’ve collected. He also happens to have interests in erotic video games. The series plays to the stereotype of exaggerated fetishizing that society associates with Otaku culture. When Kusakabe confronts the group over their preferences to different forms of erotic media, they clarify that although their preferences are a little out there, they are still interested in normal women, and equate their preferences to how abstract images allow humans to see something else with their imagination. However, the side effects of their passion also leads them to be remarkably socially awkward when not discussing their hobby. In the episode where Madarame is stuck in a room with Kusakabe, he suffers a nervous breakdown just in her presence. His inner dialogue and conscience struggle to maintain any semblance of normalcy. He wishes social interactions were like a video game with clear choices, or like an anime where he is a suave protagonist. However, reality is often disappointing. It is clear that although the Otaku lifestyle is not inherently unfulfilling or unhealthy, a little dose of reality and real-world interactions would not hurt. 

[basedandradpilled]

very sad to let adherence to normalcy be the driving force in your life! must be very unfulfilling i wonder how many hours you lie awake at night thinking about missed opportunities and regrets. i wonder how often you have to rely on your little bigot buds for any fleeting source of hollow joy day to day. is that really a life worth living? pathetic.

wtf are u talking about bestie i dont even attempt to seem normal. there is a big leap between being a non-normie and joking abt drinking your friend’s breast milk, which i shouldn’t have to explain to you.

anyways as far as relying on fellow radfems for joy, i don’t feel that way personally, but some women do find a much more joyful and fulfilling life interacting solely with likeminded women. that’s separatism babe!

[scoopflash]

Unraveling the Complexities of Ted Bundy's Childhood

Ted Bundy's childhood was marked by a series of complexities and contradictions that may have contributed to his transformation into one of America's most notorious serial killers. Born in 1946, Ted was raised under the guise of being the illegitimate son of his mother's husband, only to learn the truth about his parentage at the age of three. This revelation, coupled with his mother's subsequent move to Washington and his upbringing in a strict Christian household, likely played a role in shaping his dark destiny.

A Troubled Beginning: Birth and Early Deceit

The Birth of Ted Bundy

Ted Bundy, originally born Theodore Robert Cowell, entered the world on November 24, 1946, in Burlington, Vermont. From the very beginning, his life was steeped in secrecy and confusion. His mother, Louise Cowell, was unmarried and gave birth to Ted at the Elizabeth Lund Home for Unwed Mothers. To avoid the stigma associated with illegitimacy, Louise's parents raised Ted as their own child, telling him that his mother was his sister. Imagine the bewilderment and trust issues this revelation could foster in a young mind!

The Move to Tacoma

When Ted was four years old, Louise moved with him to Tacoma, Washington. She married Johnny Culpepper Bundy, a hospital cook, and Ted assumed his stepfather's surname. Despite Johnny's efforts to integrate Ted into the family, there was always a sense of detachment. Ted reportedly struggled to bond with his stepfather, contributing to his feelings of isolation. Did this lack of a strong paternal connection sow the seeds of his later antisocial behavior?

School Days: An Outsider Looking In

The Struggles of Social Integration

Ted Bundy's childhood was marked by a sense of not fitting in. Though he was intelligent and had a pleasant demeanor, he found it hard to form genuine friendships. Classmates from his early school years remember him as shy and awkward, often preferring to keep to himself. The loneliness Ted felt during these formative years may have deepened his resentment and anger towards the world. Could this social alienation have played a role in shaping his future actions?

Early Signs of Disturbance

Even as a child, Ted exhibited troubling behavior. Neighbors and classmates recalled instances where he would engage in activities that were considered cruel, such as harming animals. While these actions might be dismissed as childish pranks by some, they were, in retrospect, early indicators of a deeply disturbed psyche. These behaviors were red flags that, unfortunately, went unheeded.

The Teenage Years: Identity and Rejection

The Revelation of His Parentage

Ted's teenage years were tumultuous. It was during this time that he learned the truth about his parentage—that his "sister" was actually his mother. This revelation shattered Ted's trust and destabilized his sense of identity. The emotional impact of discovering such a profound lie is difficult to overstate. How did this betrayal shape his worldview and influence his future actions?

Struggles with Rejection

During his high school years, Ted Bundy struggled with feelings of inadequacy and rejection. Despite his good looks and intelligence, he often felt out of place and misunderstood. His romantic relationships were fraught with difficulty, further exacerbating his sense of rejection. These experiences with rejection and unfulfilled desires may have fueled his later need for control and dominance over his victims.

College Years: A Mask of Normalcy

Academic Success and Public Persona

Bundy's college years were a study in contrasts. On the surface, he was a successful student. He attended the University of Puget Sound before transferring to the University of Washington to study psychology. Ted appeared to be the all-American boy—handsome, charming, and intelligent. However, this facade hid a growing darkness within him. He was a master at presenting a veneer of normalcy, which made his later crimes all the more shocking.

Relationships and Deception

During his college years, Bundy was involved in several romantic relationships. These relationships, however, were often marked by his need for control and manipulation. His inability to form healthy, lasting connections with women was a clear sign of his deep-seated issues. These relationships provided a glimpse into the disturbed mind that would later commit unspeakable crimes.

Early Adulthood: The Dual Life

The Politician and the Predator

In his early adulthood, Bundy continued to maintain the appearance of a successful, driven individual. He even dabbled in politics, working for the Republican Party and attending law school. Yet, behind this respectable facade, he was already honing his skills as a predator. This duality—public charm and private monstrosity—became a hallmark of Bundy's life.

The First Murders

Bundy's first confirmed murders occurred in 1974, but his violent tendencies likely began earlier. The exact number of his victims remains unknown, but his ability to lure and deceive young women with his charm and good looks was both terrifying and effective. The early signs of his violent nature had fully emerged, manifesting in a series of brutal and senseless killings.

Psychological Analysis: The Making of a Monster

The Impact of Childhood Trauma

Psychologists have long debated the influence of Ted Bundy's childhood on his development into a serial killer. The early trauma of learning about his true parentage, combined with feelings of rejection and social isolation, undoubtedly played a significant role. These childhood experiences created a perfect storm of emotional turmoil that Bundy was ill-equipped to handle in a healthy manner.

Narcissism and Manipulation

Bundy's personality was characterized by extreme narcissism and a pathological need for admiration and control. His ability to manipulate those around him—whether friends, family, or victims—was a testament to his cunning and deceit. This manipulative nature allowed him to evade capture for years, as he continually reinvented himself and adapted to new circumstances.

The Legacy of Ted Bundy's Childhood

Lessons for Criminal Psychology

The study of Ted Bundy's childhood and early life has provided valuable insights into the development of criminal behavior. His case has become a pivotal point in understanding the warning signs and psychological profiles of potential serial killers. Bundy's ability to hide his true nature behind a mask of normalcy challenges our perceptions of what evil looks like.

Unanswered Questions

Despite extensive study, many questions about Ted Bundy's childhood and development remain unanswered. Was he born with a predisposition to violence, or did his environment shape him into a monster? Can we ever truly understand the mind of someone capable of such horrific acts? These questions continue to haunt us as we seek to prevent future tragedies.

Conclusion

Ted Bundy's childhood was a complex and multifaceted tapestry of normalcy, deceit, and early signs of disturbance. While it is impossible to pinpoint a single cause for his later actions, understanding his early years provides crucial insights into the making of a monster. As we reflect on his life, we are reminded of the importance of addressing childhood trauma and the potential consequences of ignoring red flags. Bundy's story serves as a chilling reminder of the dark potential that can lurk beneath a seemingly ordinary facade.

[fate-magical-girls]

Phantom of the Opera, question 9? :) sorry I'm not sure how ask games work

9. Musical-wise, probably the ending to the sequel. Unlike most of the fandom, I don't have too much problem with the way it started. Erik/Phantom is a character who's very complicated in that he does incredibly selfish things trying to be unselfish, and is also capable of great devotion and sacrifice while being a selfish little shit. So yeah, he probably would consummate his feelings for Christine if she gave him the okay, but then he would also run away because his self-confidence is down in the sewers and he doesn't want to burden people with his presence. Christine is more tempted by the Phantom in the musicals than she ever was in the novels, but it's the Phantom's own fault for scaring her off with his behavior. I can definitely see her second-guessing and trying to give the Phantom another chance, which he would throw away because he believes this is the unselfish thing to do. I can even see Raoul's alcoholism. He's an upper-class man growing up in a 19th century European culture of machismo. He runs bravely into the Phantom's lair to rescue his beloved, only to fail spectacularly as he ends up tied up and in danger of death, and Christine has to rescue him...by showing the Phantom love and compassion, no less. Raoul is hurt, scared, and humiliated. HE IS TRAUMATIZED. It doesn't excuse his behavior while drunk, but it's completely understandable that he would turn to alcohol to self-medicate, since he would feel even more humiliated if he had to confess that the Phantom traumatized him.

However, Love Never Dies, especially the way it treats Meg and Madame Giry, is still a big mess. The ending is especially pointless.

The original story...probably how the new managers didn't capitalize on all the opera ghost rumors and advertise a haunted opera house. Because HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE. But it just goes to show you they didn't care for anything other than casually entertaining upper class patrons so they could get a paycheck.

The ending itself is a classic, I like it enough, but it's also the reason sequels like Love Never Dies exists. So many classic Gothic Horror stories choose not to completely scandalize the audience by offering a neat ending where all transgressive elements are destroyed and the characters who behaved most in accordance with the ethics of the time return to normalcy. But for readers going along with the mystique of the transgressive elements, however horrific they may be, such an ending is deeply unsatisfying. There's always going to be a portion of the audience that wishes characters would give into temptation and just run off with their more scandalous option, especially if that option no longer seems so scandalous in the modern day. The Phantom doesn't appear on-page very much in the novel, but he looms large over the entire story. Raoul feels like an outside observer to his and Christine's strange romance. And so the more the readers are drawn in, the more they find out about Christine and her "Angel of Music", the more they wish Raoul would just leave. So while the ending makes sense and is a good and suitable ending, it's still emotionally unfulfilling.