#also considering just not having everyone reconcile as one big family like a lot of other Aus do

[seabugsbaby]

FINALS ARE OVER DESIGNING KALLAMAR TIMEEEEE

[diminuel]

Ace confessing he was thinking about using Edward hit me hard in the feels because yeah, that is on one hand funny and on the other angsty:

🔥: Nearly used your name, glad that I didn't now because that's embarrassing.

WB: no no, please feel free to use it, you're my son now, we can tell everyone Rocks was you being a rebelling teenager

🔥: 😦

But on the other hand I can see that revelation about Crocodile considering him at one point as a father/family bringing up guilt. When going with Rocks D. Crocodile, I headcanon that Whitebeard either assumed him dead and felt guilty about it, or that maybe Big Mom took him because she's big about family/that's a bloodline she would be interested in keeping. Either way, years later Crocodile hunts him down and confronts him about how he claims all these people as his children but abandoned him when he was a literal child that grew up with him, and they fight and Crocodile looses a hand due to that tho I think that would be either an accident or because of other circumstances surrounding the situation (I read a story once in which he lost his hand because he tied himself to something so he wouldn't drown but consequently killed the blood flow after leaving the Moby). Ace being on the Moby could maybe lead to him tentatively seeking out Croc again to see if they can finally reconcile or at least find some closure.

And yeah, Marineford is really weird when you get more information later on, like Sengoku is confirmed to have cared for Rosinante so it's weird that he should care that much about parentage with Ace. I think the WG basically forced the Marine's hand and ordered the public execution to eradicate the Roger bloodline and display their might while also hoping to get rid of WB. And they had to announce Ace's parentage because they needed a reason for this kind of spectacle, especially when we see who else just gets thrown into Impel Down, executions in the One Piece world seem kinda rare, either the criminals die before they're caught, they end up in Impel Down, or the WG just Buster Calls everything but executions by the Marines? Can't remember any besides Roger's and Ace's.

There's a lot of potential to give Crocodile a sad/ traumatic backstory when it gets to his loss to Whitebeard. I like pretty much everything! No idea what I'd go for (though in my Rocks D. Crocodile post I suggested that Crocodile reached out once for help but WB denied him - it would still fit in with Croc's potential rage that WB takes on everyone needing help, a home, a family. Everyone but him.)

And a Whitebeard and Crocodile reconciliation via Ace does sound very nice ;w;

Yeah, Marineford was a trap for WB and a display of their might but it seemed like a pretty foolish decision on the Marine's side because so many things could have gone wrong. And since it was broadcast - but only selectively (they conveniently cut out the parts of it that would show the marine's less than savory actions), they clearly wanted to tell a particular narrative. Still. Hmm. *squints at Sengoku*

[roses-bel-air-darling]

In one way, at least Touya’s end is kind of ambiguous so we can make our own ideas! I mean yes, there are the implications of him dying and such. I won’t deny it still sucks considering Endeavour and all. But, in one way at least he will be able to talk with his family, reconcile with them. I like to think (might be wishful thinking on my part) that eventually he gets better and maybe lives with his family again, or something, to give him a chance at normal with his family. He might be under house arrest or something, unless he still stuck in a tank after all those years, or did die. But if he did, I like to think he and his family made peace before he did.

Idk, it’s just unfortunate how the Todoroki plot wrapped up, but at least his family didn’t push him away. Honestly I’m probably in denial with it all because maybe he is dead considering he wasn’t shown in the flashbacks, but who knows?

Toga and Shigiraki’s deaths were unfortunate, HK really fumbled on the end. Honestly I dipped when the last chapter released, and when I came back, I realized that a lot of people/blogs didn’t have many thoughts on the end. Almost unanimously it seemed everyone was in radio silence 😅

I am so sorry that this is long!

That's the tiny bit of hope I have for touya. Although, I'm trying not to be a negative nancy. There is the last volume and the official fanbook both coming out this December. We could possibly get a final update on touya. Good or bad.

Hori confirmed that he forgot to draw a few things in the final chapter and is going to put it in the final volume.

I'm not going to be cautiously optimistic. I'm just going to expect something.

Personally, before the manga ended, I was on the villain trio big save train. I was so sure they were going to get a 'happy' ending and heading towards their bright futures as it was intended to throughout the story. (Note: I won't elaborate on the whole villains bad, must die arguments. It's tiring and gets old super fast the moment those sentences are used to justify the deaths of toga, shigaraki, and touya. Different topic, different day.)

Now, looking back, I just want him to have a peaceful death with his mom and siblings there by his side and knowing he's not alone and loved. I don't want him to be alive and be a part of the society that still rejects someone like him, toga, and shigaraki. You must be a good victim to be accepted back into said society, and bad victims don't deserve a second chance, sympathy, or to be heard. Doesn't matter how much pain and abuse you have been afflicted. No redemption. Death is the only option.

Onto the last parts, with the todoroki family plot. I hated that dabi, shouto, and the rest of the family became plot devices for endeavor's "redemption."

Shouto and dabi's moments are being overshadowed by endeavors, constant apologizing, and yapping. Over and over.

Hori didn't know what to do with endeavor and it showed.

Poor shouto's arc being ruined.

The unnecessary parts of the final todoroki chapter of endeavor's talking as if touya is still a villain by accepting his invitation to Dabi's dance and natsuo's comment about that was the only time he thought his dad was a badass. It felt so off and OOC of natsuo to say that.

I lost interest during the entirety of the ACT 3 of the manga. I only cared about the villains at the time. I think hori in the end. He just wanted to end the manga. There were a bunch of breaks during Act 3 due to his health and stress, and it affected the story. Hori deserves a long, long vacation as being mangaka is draining. I also hope he recovers as well.

I'm sorry for yapping, but I felt the same that I wish we didn't get these endings for the todoroki family and the villain trio. I would say more on toga and shigaraki's outcome, but I would make this reply WAY too long. Almost a 20-page essay. 😂

Lastly, with the blogs I follow on tumblr and Twitter on the reactions I saw to the last few chapters. It was mainly negative. And yet other bigger blogs in the fandom it was crickets. I agree I think the silence was loud and clear too. I'm like... 😬

I don't go on the BNHA reddit as the posts call the ending bad cause people's ships didn't become canon. Which with shipping vs. story arcs, themes, and narratives. I only care about the story in general when I read. Shipping? Nah.

For real, tho, I just wish the manga ended on how it was originally going to.

My headcanon is that the league is in an island somewhere, just soaking in the sun and having fun. Spinner and shigaraki brought a whole TV and gaming consoles to the beach, toga swimming and teaching twice how to swim, dabi cooking some BBQ while texting shouto asking how's he's doing. Compress is getting a tan and scolding shigaraki and spinner for bringing electronics to the beach. Big sis magne is not with them as she modeling in a big fashion show.

Just a happy little misfits being a family. 💗

Sorry anon! For the long reply! I wanted to share my opinions on the ending as well. Take care!

[atla-recluse]

Some Not-So-Gentle Reminders and Points for the Gravity Falls Fandom (And for Fandoms in General) to Consider, Especially the Dishonest and Clueless “Apologists”

Note: So here’s my official first Gravity Falls post. I’m not exactly a new fan, though I am having a second wind of interest and appreciation for it and everything in it. For this particular post, I guess I just really felt like getting some thoughts off my chest and just kept going after that. Sorry for lack of pics/direct evidence. This was supposed to be quick and most of this stuff should be pretty obvious if you just pay attention and take the bias goggles off. I might come back and add images/media later. I’ll gladly correct any mistakes too, big or small, if need be.

Now consider this:

- Stan, in the scene where he allegedly “broke” Ford’s science fair project, didn’t even touch it! I repeat, Stan DID NOT touch Ford’s science fair project! What he touched, was the table it was set on when he slammed his fist down! Yet he was and still is blamed for it breaking by everyone in the fandom and show, even himself. How has this common claim so rarely been questioned by a fandom that prides itself on being skeptical and solving mysteries? Just use your eyes and rewatch the scene, people!

- The fact that Ford was so quick to accuse Stan—the one person in the whole world out of his entire life that had supported him through thick and thin and always protected him—of breaking his project based on minimal evidence at best, implies that Ford already had a low opinion of Stan by that point and probably much earlier. It implies that even if he did love Stan, he definitely didn’t believe in him. No one had ever believed in or supported Stan until Soos came into his life, followed by Wendy, Dipper and Mabel.

- No matter how you try and slice it, Ford had been outright shown time and time again, through both words and actions, to have not appreciated Stan’s love or devotion to him, or their closeness. At least not outwardly, to us viewers. His true feelings might not always show and we do get some glimpses here and there of his thoughts on Stan, but appearances matter a lot! Someone being open to doing things with another person, seemingly to keep up an air of decency and calm while they’re trapped in the same place together, doesn’t mean that person appreciates the other. It doesn’t even necessarily mean that you want a relationship with that person or to reconcile.

- Ford’s usage of the words “suffocating” and “meant for something greater” when talking to Dipper about familial relationships and specifically the boy’s connection with his sister Mabel, besides many other talked-to-death things, is very telling and shows how much he was terrified of the intimacy he had with Stan. There’s literally no nicer way to put it. He didn’t just want to escape the bullying he received or the crappy town he grew up in. He wanted to escape Stan. At some point in his adolescence, Ford seemed to have grown to view Stan as an obstacle to his success, a weight on his shoulders, a leech or spotlight hog of some sort, or just a painful reminder of awful experiences. This in itself is a very realistic reaction and when you look at the examples, the case for Ford truly being proud of what he had with Stan looks very shaky. Despite what I’ve noted here, I do think Ford did and does greatly love Stan deep down. But he also seemed to be afraid of something, which seems to have led to him wanting to run away from his feelings—and from Stan.

- Again, it’s possible to love someone dearly but still harm them or view them as harmful to you or for both of you to harm each other. If you really want to view Ford’s immediate discarding of what was supposedly both his and Stan’s dream, along with Stan himself, in a somewhat more positive (well, more selfless) light, you could argue that Ford thought he was holding Stan back (instead of solely vice versa). After all, if Stan did depend on Ford as much as we see him do in the series to the point where they were practically a (mis?) matched pair of socks, it could very well be that Ford felt like he was forcing Stan to be the ‘dumb but brawny and funny’ twin to his ‘smart but weak and weird’ self. Maybe he figured Stan shouldn’t have to keep defending him and making a fool of himself to make Ford happy and feel less alone in his ‘freakishness’ into adulthood. Perhaps he thought some separation was what they both needed to finally grow into two fully-fledged, separate beings.

- There’s an argument to be made that Ford is/was extremely narcissistic and insecure. You know what many narcissists (with or without NPD) have in common? They have low self-esteem. Low self-esteem often born from a childhood of emotional abuse and neglect and constantly being told there’s something wrong with you, that you’re not and will never be good enough. Low self-esteem and a need to hide it and look for ways to avoid rejection or coming rejection, even if it’s just perceived. It can be easy to forget that Stan and Ford were both treated terribly inside the home as well as outside it. Ford was on some level the golden child whereas Stan was the scapegoat. There are some narcissistic dynamics going on here. (They’re very prevalent in families, you know?) Childhoods like theirs are known for breeding such people. This means that Ford may have saw himself in a negative light but felt Stan’s love was exacerbating the problem because he was being led to believe that Stan was a problem; The problem child.

- Stan shows signs of extreme codependency to the point of having traits that practically mimic that of BPD/EDD/EUPD (including insecurity and low self-esteem as well). He’s clearly terrified of abandonment yet of closeness too, at the same time. This is likely also caused by his and Ford’s childhood. Many people with BPD come from homes like theirs, too. Now I understand these are cartoon characters, so the urge to diagnose, while understandable, is typically pointless. However, if we’re speaking theoretically on which disorders match up with characters the most based on what we see and find out about them, then yes, Stanley seems to be extremely codependent—especially toward Stanford—and likely suffers from other emotional trauma that was made far worse after he was kicked out.

Do we ever see it so much as implied that this concerns Stanford though? That he sympathizes with whatever current plight his brother is going through even once outside of the finale of all times, particularly before Stanley had seemingly already been erased out of existence? I don’t think we do. Well, maybe once. Stanford gave Dipper a pretty and high tech tie to give to Stanley... I guess he wanted to throw his poor, dumb dog of a brother a bone. (I kid, I kid. But not really.)

You can’t even claim that it was the same the other way around and say that Stan doesn’t pay mind to Ford’s struggles or want to help him out of them ever, because the show often goes out of its way to illustrate to us the opposite and often also makes it clear just how much Stan adores Ford. Spending their childhood protecting and sticking up for him. Dropping/giving up everything for Ford repeatedly. Being concerned over Ford’s sanity/behavior when he visited him that fateful day in 1982. Still holding out hope he’ll change his mind on their old dream despite the hell he’s been put through. Forgiving Ford for everything even after he almost ‘dies’ to clean up the problem that, mind you, FORD CAUSED TO BEGIN WITH. Ford “ruined” his own life! (And is implied or explicitly shown to have had a hand in bringing about the intense hardship of others’ lives. E.g. Stanley, Fiddleford....the evidence is there.)

- In fact, there can be no talks about “who was more responsible for Weirdmageddon” without acknowledging who was the first one to shake the devil’s hand: Ford! I mean, of course it’s mainly Bill’s fault, he’s the villain! The point is that it’s harder for others to do wrong when we refuse to help them. We know romantic relationship cheaters are jerks but what about those who knowingly help the cheaters cheat? They never get a pass, now do they? Then the same can especially be said for Stanford, who did not refuse to help Bill—even despite warnings about summoning him—until it was too late and the cat was miles away from the bag. At that point he had no one to blame but himself for the problem continuing to escalate. I mean, don’t you remember the many questionable ways he tried to contain it?!

- Stanley is not even close to being the dumb twin. Not in anyway. On top of all the skills he’s learned over the decades, he’s actually implied to be close to as smart or even equal to Stanford. His whole life is actually a testament to how amazing he truly is at surviving and, given the right tools, thriving. You know what some of you sound like when you have nothing but crap to say about this main’s relatively positive traits, irrespective of his actual wrong-doings? Stanford Pines, pre-realization of all the ways he has screwed things up for those around him. You know, who the man was only after he erased Stanley’s memory. Though a lot of you seem to self-insert and project onto Stanford to an unpleasant extent anyway, so I guess that’s not surprising. You know who else you end up sounding like? Filbrick Pines. Yeah, that one. I don’t know, seems a bit disturbing to be. You know who else you often end up sounding like? Bill Cipher, if I remember properly. In fact, wasn’t it implied that much of Stanford’s negative views of Stanley and not needing family, was influenced by Bill? Hmm.

- You can not blame Stanley for pushing Stanford into the portal while completely ignoring the context of the scene and all the actions that lead up to that point. Ford sent Stan a vague postcard (implying he may have known how to reach Stan all along). Ford allowed Stan inside and in the basement where things were bound to be the most dangerous. Ford told Stan to take the book and get as far away from him (“sail as far away as you can. To the edge of the Earth”) as possible despite knowing their were a lot of tender feelings there, especially when it came to the two of them sailing together. Ford started the fight when Stan tried to burn the book he was given, that Ford wanted to get rid of anyway! Ford pushed Stan while trying to get said book back onto a bunch of buttons which activated the portal to begin with! The accidental lever turn came after that and the Stan accidentally pushing him into the portal was just the nail in the coffin of their faux family reunion that Ford caused to happen. 

No one made Ford choose an unsuspecting Stan as a tool and means to an end for the mess he put himself and possibly the whole world in. That was his choice. Either they’re both to blame or Ford is solely to blame. What you’re not going to do is put the entirety of the blame on Stan. Call me every name in the book for this, but I believe the BIGGEST innocent victim in that scenario was Stan! You don’t need to blame him for every single terrible thing that happened to Ford because Stan already blames himself for everything! Even when it doesn’t look like it could have been him responsible for it! He already is full of shame and remorse that fill every step he takes every single day. He worried every day for thirty years that the blood of one of the only people in his life that he’s loved, may have been on his own hands.

- I think it’s possible that one of the reasons Ford latched on to Bill despite all the red flags, was because Bill reminded him of Stanley. He wanted a friend. He wanted his best friend back. Bill played the role almost perfectly—until he didn’t anymore and Ford realized his mistake. This could mean that there’s a chance he realized the biggest difference between Stan and Bill since he did end up contacting the former after Bill’s betrayal, and in his own words, chose Stan because he trusted him. He still trusted Stan. It could have been less than when they were children though and all that time with someone that reminded him of Stan yet ended up betraying him ‘too’ may have caused him to start associating Stan with Bill. I can imagine that after he was sucked into the portal, Ford’s associating Stan with painful betrayal may have worsened. But bringing him out of the portal could have slightly improved it. And seeing as they finally sailed away by the end, he realized must have he was wrong to ever associate them, if he had before. I bet they’re probably still sailing around the world together over a decade later right now.

- If the thought of both twins not returning home and choosing to live with their grunkles and exploring gravity falls/world and sailing the sea together, bothers you, ask yourself how it would have been soooo much better if only Dipper had stayed while Mabel went back home? You see the issue with that now? I won’t argue whether or not it’s okay for a 12 - 13 year old boy to stay in a far off place with an adult family member. After all their parents didn’t mind sending them alone to Gravity Falls for the summer to live with their great uncle anyway, which was likely dangerous/irresponsible of them for many reasons. I just think it’s suspicious that some people can only see the issue if someone suggests that both twins should have left their parents and life in California behind to resolve the issue of the apprenticeship and keeping close to one’s sibling all at once.

- The Stan Twins told their story in ATOTS but only we, the audience, actually see it play out. The characters don’t. The way brothers explained it may have made it seem to each other like the other still had no sympathy for them and didn’t think that what they did was wrong. Stan even called Ford’s dream college “stupid” while the flashback was being shown and he was explaining his side of the story. The fact that neither apologizes for the painful things they helped contribute to in their young adulthood which affected them, probably didn’t help either.

- In one of the scenes from the ATOTS flashback, Ford yelled at Stan “Help me Stanley!” as he was slowly sucked into the portal. He wanted Stan to save him! These were Ford’s final words to him that Stan internalized and are what Stan immediately set out to do! He likely worked for decades with these last words in mind, not knowing whether Ford would still be alive when he brought him back to their world! Ford even threw the book that they’d fought over to Stan before he disappeared. How do you think that looked from Stan’s POV? Like a visual cry for help on top the audible one I bet! Also, Ford had some awful nightmares thanks to Bill. It was terrible what was done to him and pushed him to the point of insanity. However, he wasn’t the only one with fears, regrets and a troubled past. Imagine what Stan’s nightmares must have been like, especially the ones with Ford in them? The parts of Stan’s dreamscape that we got a view of were depressing. The dreary colors, the symbolism...

- Both sets of twins are extremely sensitive to and immediately take things to heart, especially insults/criticism and all of them can at times act less mature than their actual ages. They all feel inadequate in some way. They just showed these traits to different extents and unhealthily cope in different ways. Be careful with their feelings and what you say to them because all of them wear a front as a cover for protection. They also all occasionally lack common sense, act silly and say and do the oddest things at times. Plus they all need someone who genuinely loves them dearly to hold them down and would die for their family (or die of heartbreak if they didn’t get there in time).

- Stan and Ford after decades apart and so much animosity between them, are sailing on a ship. They could be together in the middle of nowhere very often. Knowing of all those negative feelings that were present, it leads me to think about all the ways their trip could have gone wrong. Many understand that their father was abusive, but what if they were or became abusive to each other? I don’t want to believe this would happen and I doubt we were supposed to consider such a thought. However, the terrible possibilities are still there. At worst, I prefer to think that things are at times bitter but then sweet.

- It’s very fascinating to me how so much “Stanford Defense” seems to be built upon throwing other characters under the bus to make him seem less culpable for his own choices. It boggles my mind how the same people who claim that characters such as Stan and Mabel are never questioned on anything (laughable to say this point, especially coming from them) seem to be the ones doing everything in their power to keep people from so much as voicing displeasure anymore at any part of Ford’s character. I swear I’m ever seeing the same names on different sites arguing with people about how wrongly ridiculed he is. It’s really is starting to look like all the “Stanford gets soooo much unnecessary HAAAAATE and is always bAsHeD” people are trying to take things in the opposite direction. Which is just as upsetting if not more so, because such behavior only leads to the shutting down of discussion and critique. That’s horrible for a fandom to go through, just like the other way around. Can’t Gravity Falls do better than that?

- Your faves won’t ever be every single person’s faves. Sometimes people will even dislike a character that you like. That’s fine! That’s life! Just don’t forget while loving said character, that this does not have to mean you approve of everything they say or do. You don’t need to jump to one’s defense whenever someone makes a point. Especially a valid one that can’t truly be disproven anyway. It makes you look delusional and like you’re in a parasocial relationship with that fictional character. Learn and never forget the difference between arguing an important point with societal implications and solely defending a character for the sake of it, please.

- Mental illness is not a joke or something to wear as a badge of honor. It’s also not something that, if noticed, should be swept under the rug. In the case of fictional characters, I think it’s quite admirable when people can see certain traits of themselves or their loved ones in characters past the stereotypical ones, but that also gives us a chance to talk about those traits and just how hard it can be to live with them and why sympathy and amnesty is so important to healing and moving forward. I believe Stan and Ford especially show signs of extreme mental illness in the show that I have a hunch were placed in them on purpose. This seems to be one of those cases where we’re supposed to see our own family dynamics in them.

- It’s asinine to claim to love a character but ignore or even outright deny their faults and flaws, even when they admit to it! If you love someone, love all of that person, even if you’re often at odds with them. When someone says they love Stanford for literally deny things about him that are proven to be true, I’m left wondering if that person actually loves him—or just the idea of him. Same with any other character this happens with. Enough with the need for our favorite characters to be pure, perfect versions of ourselves. Enough with the need to wipe away issues and to go as far as making up traits for the character, or even stealing their traits from another to make him or her look better and the other character look worse. You’re in effect masking what depth is actually present and risking putting a bad taste in the mouth of those that are neutral on them; souring them to the character and even fandom. 

- Even the characters with potential who were unfortunately underutilized—such as Caryn Pines, the mother of the Stan Twins—still tended to fill their main roles in the story pretty well, even despite time restraints. Some of these and other side characters even managed to gain their own small group of fans and fan-creators on their behalf, within the larger fandom. That is pretty wild and deserves some praise. Nice one writers!

- Sometimes it really does help to just remove yourself from the story and just be meta with your takes, i.e. to distance yourself when discussing something because it helps make you less biased and more evidence-based. There are times where we really do see something in a character that indeed was not there or meant to be there. Death of the author can only allow for so much leeway in interpretations. Authorial intent will always matter. This show was very detailed and there are so many things you only noticed after looking again. Some theories exist that imply the whole story for the Pines Family would have mattered no matter what in-universe. We need to be careful when arguing things, we may be/end up wasting our time even more than we think. Oh and ...cartoon logic haha. Also no one loves or will ever love the Pines Family like the Pines Family can. Nor like the creators/writers themselves do. We also can not understand them the way the ones who made them can. When in doubt, it tends to be best to just trust them and their intentions, and your gut as a last resort.

- The Gravity Falls ending was meant to be a happy, fairytale-like ending. That’s how it’s been implied to be the case by the creator (probably not with the company known for fairytales, Disney, even asking him to) and is the reason why every character was so quick to forgive and forget, and why everyone but the ‘super bad guys’ got their ideal ending. Sometimes it’s really not about what would have been the most interesting or profound (or logical) to viewers when making directive choices but about what would make us feel most at peace.

Note: This was all written with mostly one perspective in mind. There are however, many others ones and I do think lots of them are valid takes too, some of them I may even agree with as well and may have hinted at. Also, although it can be hard to tell with so many questionable decisions made, things not done that should have been and even some writing errors here and there, I do think all four of the Pines Family members and those adopted into the family, truly love each other and express it in different ways. That’s what this whole show is really all about and how it ended: With Love for Family prevailing.

[squadrah]

From My CuriousCat

"What are your cooking headcanons for La Squadra?"

Risotto: I like leaning towards excellent cook because it's just another way of bringing and keeping the team (his last family) together. His preferences are very simple so he focused on learning the basics of everything, and now he can make just about anything and leaves it to the others to chip in with seasoning and ingredients of their choice for variety. Uses Metallica to fetch kitchen implements from the wall and the drawers, so caution is advised.

Formaggio: If it can't be made from scratch in fifteen minutes or less then he is not interested because he needs almost immediate gratification. Can cook eggs a dozen ways and knows how to make imitations of certain dishes using the forbidden shortcuts (his tiramisu is considered a crime), but he infinitely prefers hovering by when someone else is cooking and dipping a piece of bread in the simmering ragú. Or would, if it weren't for…

Prosciutto: Doesn't care to learn, but you want him in the kitchen anyway because he will measure out everything perfectly (yes, he will remove that extra gram of flour), read you the recipe, reassure you and calm your frayed nerves if you make mistakes, and keep everyone else out of the kitchen so they don't dip into the ingredients or the raw batter, your simmering ragú or your frosting. He will also help with presentation when you're done.

Pesci: The somewhat clumsy but enthusiastic kitchen hand. He is an excellent taster because he can instinctively tell you what's missing, just don't make him explain his answer because he really couldn't tell you the reason. He will fetch your ingredients for you and clear surfaces or do the dishes while you cook: anything to make himself useful and pull his weight. The only thing he ever makes from scratch are sandwiches and paninis (they're really good).

Ghiaccio: La Squadra's official ice cream machine because once they realized he can hand-churn ice cream with White Album, they stopped buying store brand altogether. He isn't actually a big fan of the stuff, but he has so much professional pride that making ice cream by hand gives him a lot of satisfaction and joy, even if he refuses to show it. Takes requests for flavorings as long as they're reasonable. This is his niche and he refuses to branch out.

Melone: Everything is an experiment. Has made rice and pasta in Gatorade, tried out ingredient combinations that shouldn't be put together, and also ingredient combinations that have no right tasting so good together. Has hooked every other member on some weird combination of food items at least once. Number one enemy of raw dough: gluten allergy be damned, he will eat it in little chunks if you made the foolish mistake of not having Prosciutto around.

Illuso: King of single serving meals and microwave mug cakes because he hates sharing. He actually has a microwave and an ingredient cabinet in his apartment for bad days, but most of the time he has no problem using the common area microwave so you hear that PING! and just know he's made something nice and he's not giving you a single bite of it. You have to be really close (in cahoots) to stand a chance at getting a mug cake for yourself.

Sorbet and Gelato: Putting them together for this one because my original version said they "[U]sed to love cooking together - to them it was another love language." (Apparently I ran out of space at this point since CC had a hard limit.) Sorbet has a love-hate relationship with cooking because it is necessary for his comfort and yet takes too much effort, but having someone around to help and share the burden makes him more reconciled to it. He would probably like it more if he was better at it, let's be honest: he only knows a few staples and half-heartedly juggles them around. Gelato is fairly good at cooking, but all he ever makes is soup, from whatever they happened to have at home, and he eyeballs everything so wantonly that Prosciutto never ever offers to help out when he's at the stove. Despite this, his soups always end up ridiculously good.

[m0th--teeth]

ok i might sound insane because i haven't finished ch.2 yet and i don't know proper lore all too well but has anyone considered that maybe Ralsei is an ideal version of Kris?

the game so far has this running theme of melancholic smalltown nostalgia. of Kris trying to navigate life in a town where everyone knows of them but doesn't know them, as well as reconciling with their split parents and missing Asriel. Not only missing Asriel but a sort of underlying comparison. we see Asriel's side of the room is colorful and littered with trophies and nearly everyone in town has something to say about how fun he was or how they miss him.

if we assume that Ralsei is partially made up of Kris' fake horns from childhood that Toriel mentions, maybe it can give credence to the idea that he IS a different version of Kris; One that Kris thinks would be more palatable to their hometown and their family? maybe even, secretly, to themself? a version of them that's outgoing and kind, polite and softspoken and who everyone likes. a version of them that looks a lot like...Asriel.

idk...it was just a thought i had during the scene where Susie reveals she taught Ralsei what sarcasm is. it made me think about how being sarcastic and mischievous is a big part of Kris' personality and how Ralsei seems to be the antithesis to all of that; the complete inverse of the weird, creepy, quiet kid. i feel like it would explain small things like why Noelle doesn't acknowledge Ralsei outside of when she first sees him and why when she's given Ralsei tea to heal she claims the cup is empty. Noelle and Kris have been neighbors their whole lives, a little closer than neighbors because of how friendly their fathers were (but never quite friends, until now) so she knows Kris fairly well or at least seems to think she knows them. so of course, if Ralsei is meant to be a projection of what Kris subconsciously thinks they should be, Noelle would see right through him.. like he's a ghost, or a bad imitation. Susie wouldn't feel the same because she's never been close to Kris until now, she doesn't know too much below the surface about them. it would also make Kris not getting healed very much by, and not having a reaction to, Ralsei tea when they're given it.

maybe it's really silly and there's something obvious i don't know yet or am missing entirely, but imo it would fit the theme of a seemingly happy little down struck down by a bunch of small tragedies and the kids of those tragedies figuring out how to grapple with them and their own adolescence.

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Finding our inner peace in the tranquil mountains by taking it slow

Compared to Yuexing Harbor, the pace and atmosphere of Danyang Village is tranquil and slow paced. The village really embodies the idea of slow living, I can’t help but feel myself letting go and just going along with the flow. The countryside in general tends to be more still, especially in a place known for cultivating plants, like tea leaves in this case. It’s a lot of hard work, but to them, it’s meditative work, which is an interesting perspective.

While a setting like that can be relaxing, it can also be stifling for some. Shiwen grew up in Danyang Village and was expected to take over his family’s tea business. However, he had other aspirations that led him to move up north to Liaoyuan Harbor. Connie and Pai met him in Yuexing Harbor and accompanied him back to Liaoyuan during the beginning of Lunar New Year celebrations. With the festivities going on, a lot of stuff happened that made for a memorable holiday, like setting up an elaborate scheme to help Shiwen reconcile with his father.

So, it’s the usual new year, new start kind of thing. Connie and Pai, along with a couple other friends were helping someone move to the city - the timing wasn’t intentional, it just kinda happened. Because the streets were gonna be busy with setting up for the festivities, they had to work pretty quickly to avoid getting stuck in the middle of all that. Luckily, they managed to finish ahead of time with a couple more extra hands, Shiwen being one of them as he was at the harbor delivering stuff for the festival.

As it turns out, Shiwen happens to be acquainted with Shusheng, the one who just moved to the city, and so she insisted that he stick around a bit before heading back home. He accepted because he was done for work since it’s a holiday, plus, he wanted to meet Connie and Pai after hearing about them. He’s the definitely the type who makes friends easily, putting everyone at ease with his easygoing nature and upbeat attitude.

Since Shusheng was planning to make a trip to Liaoyuan, the four of them planned to leave together. However, something came up that Shusheng had to take care of, so she told the others to go on ahead. Shiwen decided to take Connie and Pai through the scenic route by boat along the river, which crosses through the mountains and ruins.

Having been on that ride - except in the opposite direction - I can say that the scenery is worth the extra travel time! I haven’t seen much of Yuexing’s mountains even though they make up most of the country’s landscape. The land is full of high cliffs buried under a sea of clouds, places where earth meets sky, which is like a big symbolic thing there. Some of the cliffs are considered sacred places, especially the ones where certain mythical beasts reside, so you must take care not to disturb the land if you happen to pass by. Connie and Pai actually know some of them, describing them as wise and majestic, while also eccentric and a bit awkward.

During the boat ride, they got to really know each other through snacks and genial chatter. Shiwen revealed that he moved to Liaoyuan to pursue his dreams of being a performer, joining the local theater troupe as well as work part-time as a guard to pay the bills. He also touched on the fact that he left home on bad terms with his father because he didn’t approve of his decision to pursue the performing arts instead of taking over the family business, which is why he’s been trying to keep busy during the holidays.

It sucks when you don’t see eye to eye with your parents, especially when they can be rigid in their mindset. I get having high hopes and expectations, but I think some parents fail to understand that their kids aren’t an extension of them, and are instead their own separate person. There’s nothing wrong with wanting what’s best for your kids, but it does them no good to force into something they’re not.

Forcing someone into a corner and expecting them to go along with it is just never gonna work. Even if they do go along with it, I wouldn’t blame them for feeling resentful - that’s something I’ve seen with some people. And what’s worse is that it’s often a cycle of “That’s just the way life works” kind of thing. In other words, shut up and suffer in silence. Not an ideal way to live, but for some, they literally have no other choice.

It wasn’t until I was older when I realized how lucky I was to be raised by a mom who wasn’t pushy or placed super high expectations on me because I’m the eldest daughter. Sure, she pushes me sometimes, but that’s because she knows what I’m capable of, and being the firstborn, I’m supposed to set a good example and such. Now that I think about it, I also lucked out in not being burdened with responsibilities of being a second parent like some elder siblings.

Basically, I was raised under high expectations, but never to the point where I was pressured to live as someone I’m not, and I’m grateful for that. Even if we don’t always see eye to eye on some things, at least I know my mom respects my decisions - as long as I’m reasonable - and just wants me to be happy and worry free, like what any good parent wants for their kids. After all, your life is yours, and so you should be allowed to live on your own terms, even if it means inevitably disappointing your parents if what you is different from what they want. If your parents are understanding, they’ll come around, and if not, well, that’s their loss.

Thankfully, things are a lot better between Shiwen and his father are a lot better now that they’re finally talking. When Shusheng learned about his family situation, she orchestrated an elaborate plan to get them to reconcile. Things didn’t go exactly as planned, especially since Shiwen quickly figured out what was going on, not to mention that most of Shusheng’s accomplices are, as Pai put it, not the best at acting natural. Still, in the end, everything worked out in its own way and Shiwen put on a show stopping performance during the ceremony that easily made him the highlight of the night.

They obviously still have a long way to go, though it’s safe to say that Shiwen and his father are gonna be all right. After seeing his son’s performance, he finally realized that it was no longer a pipe dream, which was a huge step in the right direction. And for the first time in years, Shiwen decided to visit home, which he says hasn’t changed too much from what he remembered. Most of the villagers are close to one another, so word spread quickly about Shiwen’s return. It’s sweet that everyone wanted to greet him, but at the same time it’s awkward having a bunch of old people surrounding you and asking a million questions. Good thing his father was bale to rescue him - and us - by saying that he wanted to show the visitors around the village, which was kinda true.

Along the way, we ran into a couple familiar faces - Topaz, Mischa, Ruby, and Beryl. Since Liaoyuan is directly across from Petrichor Harbor in Marippe, it’s not uncommon for people to come over for a change of scenery without too much cost or hassle. Just make sure you have some form of ID before entering either city unless you want to be pulled aside for questioning. As long as you’re not causing any trouble, it’s easy to travel between the two countries - you literally just get in and out by boat.

Topaz and Mischa are collaborating on a project that involves processing tea, so they’re in Danyang Village for research. Tea’s a big thing in Marippe culture too, though obviously theirs is a lot different compared to Yuexing’s, not only in terms of flavor, but social customs as well.

Now that Mischa’s officially working under the institute, he can freely travel for research purposes. He didn’t intend to stick around Marippe for the long term, but his mother’s former colleagues took a liking to him and he ended up taking an interest in a research project they’re working on. In fact, part of the reason why he came to Marippe in the first place had to do with that, especially since it was a loose end his mother had left behind. He says that least he can do as her successor is to pick up where she left off and hopefully build something of his own out of that to honor her.

Since they’re here to learn about Danyang Village’s tea making, why not take a look inside one of their businesses? Shiwen’s father gave us permission to look around and ask questions, handing us off to his nephew, who gave us a quick tour. Since Topaz and Mischa are here for research, they got a more in-depth look that allowed them to access the rooms that are usually restricted to employees and really get into the technical stuff. It was a lot of fascinating stuff that really opened my eyes to the art of making tea.

Beryl and Ruby are tagging along as lab assistants, though it’s more that Beryl does a lot of the talking, like making introductions and asking for directions since approaching strangers is no issue for him while Ruby acts like a bodyguard to keep the others out of danger. Truth is, Ruby admits that she really only tagged along so she could try Yuexing tea and desserts, though she’s got to earn her reward first by helping the guys out. Thankfully, probably because it’s quieter out here, it’s a relatively safe area where the chances of you getting jumped are practically zero. However, if you’re in the mountains, you’re taking your chances with the wild beasts, which tend to be unpredictable. Beryl did say that Ruby has a keen sense of perception that’s a lifesaver when they’re in unfamiliar settings.

Along with visiting the village and learning about the tea culture, we’ve been exploring the nearby mountains overlooking the village. At the highest point, we can also see Liaoyuan and Petrichor. Right between them is a waterfall as Marippe is elevated, so both harbors are designed around that natural barrier. Beryl says it’s the same with Port Maritoise with a giant waterfall serving as a natural border. Nature really is interesting, isn’t it?

Our days mainly consist of dim sum, harvesting tea leaves, mountain hikes, picnics, and meditation. There’s a lot to explore, and we would’ve gone deeper into the mountains as the scenery is said to be absolutely breathtaking - which is saying a lot as the view we’re seeing right now is already so beautiful. Really, the only reason why we’re sticking close to the village is because Shiwen, Connie, and Pai aren’t too familiar with the landscape, especially in the areas where nature has completely overtaken the ruins, so it’s understandable that they’re not too comfortable with just wandering around those areas. Exploring a new place is a lot of fun, but it also has its risks as well.

Though that’s not to say that we won’t be able to check out those places some day. In fact, since things are bit slow right now, Connie plans to stick around and take the time to really explore the mountains. They’ve made enough trips to get a general idea of the area, though it’ll take a lot more than that to get familiar with the land as there are some notable differences compared to south Yuexing.

Meditating in the mountains was nice and relaxing. To me, I feel like meditation can either be a hit or a miss for me. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn’t - it’s one of those things everyone hypes up when it reality, it’s just not for everyone. I mean, I get it, but it takes extra effort for me to even get into the right mindset to be able to do it. Maybe my mind is too restless, I don’t know. But like I said, the scenery here’s so tranquil that I was able to meditate and it felt nice. The cool breeze and warm sun is so calming, like I could nod off at any second if I was the kind of person who could easily fall asleep.

Of course, I brought some things to do up here, notably my journal and my knitting. I was debating bringing a project that’s almost finished versus one that I’m just starting. I opted for the former because I’m at a point where I don’t have to math. Plus, I am like on the last step, which is the double knitted button band, so I want to get that done.

I have to say, despite the difficult start with me not understanding Italian cast-on (I legit was rewatching the tutorial and redoing it for an hour!), it didn’t take me long to finally get things moving once I started knitting. It is slow going, but the result is so much worth it as it gives such a clean look that you see in store bought cardigans. As with anything you try for the first time, it’s not gonna be perfect, though I am surprised at how good it looks. When I posted a pic on a knitting server I follow I got comments saying that my stitches are so nice and even, which is a good thing as maintaining tension isn’t always easy.

It’s not perfect, especially at the start, but I know blocking will even out the slightly wonky parts. The buttonholes were a bit tedious and I’m not looking forward to weaving those ends in, but I do like the finished look. It wasn’t until I was on the last buttonhole when I found a tutorial for a method that involves not breaking the yarn for the buttonholes that doesn’t look too difficult. At least now I’m almost at the neck and at this point it’s just all straight double knitting throughout.

I wish I could experience more moments like this where I just feel so at peace with myself. A place where time slows and stretches out, like watching grains of sand falling inside an hourglass. I feel grounded, yet I could easily float away in the clouds.

Read on AO3

[zeta-in-de-walls]

Aaaah Tommy content how I’ve missed it.

To recap Tommy’s current story position. He’s been trying to heal and recover, he is doing much better after some time since WIlbur’s revival but he still feels a bit lonely. All he’s really striving for is a home and safety. He’s sort of got a goal of wanting to help Wilbur, who I think he basically considers like his family. WIlbur has suggested to him that they could have a home together again. Tommy’s a bit conflicted of course, cause he is also wary of Wilbur and his plans - he know’s he’s trouble and Tommy really wants a more quiet life at this point. He’s buried his old weapons in Logstedshire and his latest projects have been mostly about building little things around the server, a waterfall by his house, the therapy office, removing the skyrail. He briefly saw the burger van Wilbur made and seemed a little distressed by it but otherwise hasn’t engaged much. 

Tommy has basically been living as if he’s safe now, having decided to stop living in fear of Dream’s escape. He’s not going to deal with that well though. He’s also got some unresolved issues with Sam. Isn’t on the greatest terms with Jack, would love to reconcile with Techno, is a little wary of Quackity (as he’s decided to support Wilbur), his latest encounter with Sapnap went bad but otherwise they’re probably fine, mostly just wants to get along with everyone else. 

Tommy does not want to play the hero again, he find it too big a burden, is unsure of himself and holds a lot of guilt for his past mistakes and wants to be better. Still, has never been one not to take an active role in things and basically will stand up if he feels he some responsibility to do so. If the role is thrust upon him, he will accept it albeit reluctantly. Still feels some pain from his past trauma and certain things will greatly upset him but thoe things are currently less raw so it’s hard to say how vulnerable he is. He does have a decent amount of friends who want to help him.

[draculeo]

As a muslim Iraqi American with a significant tumblr following, I feel as though I should let it be known exactly where I stand when it comes to Riordan’s statement about Samirah. I have copied and pasted it down below and my reaction to it will be written down below. This will be the first time I have read it. If you want to engage with me or tell me that I’m wrong, I expect you to be a muslim, hijabi, Iraqi American, and from Baghdad. If you are not, I suggest you sit down and keep quiet because you are not the authority on the way I should be represented.

Like many of my characters, Samirah was inspired by former students of mine. Over the course of my middle school teaching career, I worked with dozens of Muslim students and their families, representing the expanse of the Muslim world and both Shia and Sunni traditions. One of my most poignant memories about the September 11, 2001, attack of the World Trade Center was when a Muslima student burst into tears when she heard the news – not just because it was horrific, but also because she knew what it meant for her, her family, her faith. She had unwillingly become an ambassador to everyone she knew who, would have questions about how this attack happened and why the perpetrators called themselves “Muslim.” Her life had just become exponentially more difficult because of factors completely beyond her control. It was not right. It was not fair. And I wasn’t sure how to comfort or support her.

Starting off your statement with one of the most traumatic events in history for muslim Americans is already one of the most predictably bad moves he could pull. By starting off this way, you are acknowledging the fact that a) this t*rrorist attack is still the first thing you think of when you think of muslims and b) that those muslim students who you had prior to 9/11 occupied so little space in your mind that it took a national disaster for you to start to even try to empathize with them.

During the following years, I tried to be especially attuned to the needs of my Muslim students. I dealt with 9/11 the same way I deal with most things: by reading and learning more. When I taught world religions in social studies, I would talk to my Muslim students about Islam to make sure I was representing their experience correctly. They taught me quite a bit, which eventually contributed to my depiction of Samirah al-Abbas. As always, though, where I have made mistakes in my understanding, those mistakes are wholly on me.

As always, you have chosen to use “I based this character off my students” in order to justify the way they are written. News flash: you taught middle school children. Children who are already scrutinized and alienated and desperate to fit in. Of course their words shouldn’t be enough for you to decide you are representing them correctly, because they are still coming to terms with their identities and they are doing this in an environment where they are desperate to find the approval of white Americans. I know that as a child I would often tweak the way I explained my culture and religion to my teachers in order to gain their approval and avoid ruffling any feathers. They told you what they thought you’d want to hear because you are their teacher and hold a position of power over them and they both want your approval and want to avoid saying the wrong thing and having that hang over their heads every time they enter your classroom.

What did I read for research? I have read five different English interpretations of the Qur’an. (I understand the message is inseparable from the original Arabic, so it cannot be considered ‘translated’). I have read the entirety of the Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim hadith collections. I’ve read three biographies of Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) and well over a dozen books about the history of Islam and modern Islam. I took a six-week course in Arabic. (I was not very good at it, but I found it fascinating). I fasted the month of Ramadan in solidarity with my students. I even memorized some of the surahs in Arabic because I found the poetry beautiful. (They’re a little rusty now, I’ll admit, but I can still recite al-Fātihah from memory.) I also read some anti-Islamic screeds written in the aftermath of 9/11 so I would understand what those commenters were saying about the religion, and indirectly, about my students. I get mad when people attack my students.

And yet here you are actively avoiding the criticism from those of us who could very well have been the children sitting in your classroom. 

The Quran is so deep and complex that its meanings are still being discovered to this day. Yes, reading these old scripts is a must for writing muslim characters, but you cannot claim to understand them without also holding active discussions with current scholars on how the Quran’s teachings apply today.

When preparing to write Samirah’s background, I drew on all of this, but also read many stories on Iraqi traditions and customs in particular and the experiences of immigrant families who came to the U.S. I figured out how Samirah’s history would intertwine with the Norse world through the medieval writer Ahmad ibn Fadhlan, her distant ancestor and one of the first outsiders to describe the Vikings in writing.  I knew Samirah would be a ferocious brave fighter who always stood for what was right. She would be an excellent student who had dreams of being an aviator. She would have a complicated personal situation to wrestle with, in that she’s a practicing Muslim who finds out Valhalla is a real place. Odin and Thor and Loki are still around. How do you reconcile that with your faith? Not only that, but her mom had a romance with Loki, who is her dad. Yikes.

First of all, writing this paragraph in the same tone you use to emulate a 12 year old is already disrespectful. “Yikes” is correct. You have committed serious transgressions and can’t even commit to acting serious and writing like the almost 60 year old man that you are. Tone tells the reader a lot, and your tone is telling me that you are explaining your mistakes the same way you tell your little stories: childishly and jokingly. 

Stories are not enough. They are not and never will be. Stories cannot even begin to pierce the rich culture and history and customs of Iraq. Iraq itself is not even homogenous enough for you to rely on these “Iraqi” stories. Someone’s story from Najaf is completely unique from someone from Baghdad or Nasriyyah or Basrah or Mosul. Add that to the fact that these stories are written with a certain audience in mind and you realize that there’s no way they can tell the whole story because at their core they are catering to a specific audience.

Yes, those are good, but they are meaningless without you consulting an actual Baghdadi and asking specific questions. You made conclusions and assumptions based on these stories when the obvious way to go was to consult someone from Baghdad every step of the writing process. Instead, you chose to trust the conclusions that you (a white man) drew from a handful of stories. Who are you to convey a muslim’s internal struggle when you did not even do the bare minimum and have an actual muslim read over your words?

Thankfully, the feedback from Muslim readers over the years to Samirah al-Abbas has been overwhelmingly positive. I have gotten so many letters and messages online from young fans, talking about how much it meant to them to see a hijabi character portrayed in a positive light in a ‘mainstream’ novel.

Yeah. Because we’re desperate, and half of them are children still developing their sense of self and critical reading skills. A starving man will thank you for moldy bread but that does not negate the mold. 

Some readers had questions, sure! The big mistake I will totally own, and which I have apologized for many times, was my statement that during the fasting hours of Ramadan, bathing (i.e. total immersion in water) was to be avoided. This was advice I had read on a Shia website when I myself was preparing to fast Ramadan. It is advice I followed for the entire month. Whoops! The intent behind that advice, as I understood it, was that if you totally immersed yourself during daylight hours, you might inadvertently get some water between your lips and invalidate your fast. But, as I have since learned, that was simply one teacher’s personal opinion, not a widespread practice. We have corrected this detail (which involved the deletion of one line) in future editions, but as I mentioned in my last post, you will still find it in copies since the vast majority of books are from the first printing.

This is actually really embarrassing for you and speaks to your lack of research and reading comprehension. It is true that for shia, immersion breaks one’s fast. If you had bothered to actually ask questions and use common sense, you would realize that this is referring to actions like swimming, where one’s whole body is underwater, rather than bathing. Did you not question the fact that the same religion that encourages the cleansing of oneself five times a day banned bathing during the holiest month? Yes, it was one teacher’s opinion, but you literally did not even take the time to fully understand that opinion before chucking it into your book.

Another question was about Samirah’s wearing of the hijab. To some readers, she seemed cavalier about when she would take it off and how she would wear it. It’s not my place to be prescriptive about proper hijab-wearing. As any Muslim knows, the custom and practice varies greatly from one country to another, and from one individual to another. I can, however, describe what I have seen in the U.S., and Samirah’s wearing of the hijab reflects the practice of some of my own students, so it seemed to be within the realm of reason for a third-generation Iraqi-American Muslima. Samirah would wear hijab most of the time — in public, at school, at mosque. She would probably but not always wear it in Valhalla, as she views this as her home, and the fallen warriors as her own kin. This is described in the Magnus Chase books. I also admit I just loved the idea of a Muslima whose hijab is a magic item that can camouflage her in times of need.

Before I get into this paragraph, Samirah is second generation. Her grandparents immigrated from Iraq. Her mother was first gen.

Once again, you turn to what you have seen from your students, who are literal children. They are in middle school while Samirah is in high school, so they are very obviously at different stages of development, both emotional and religious. If you had bothered to talk to adults who had gone through these stages, you would understand that often times young girls have stages where they “practice” hijab or wear it “part time”, very often in middle school. However, both her age and the way in which you described Samirah lead the reader to believe that she is a “full timer,” so you playing willy nilly with her scarf as a white man is gross.

For someone who claims to have read all of these religious texts, it’s funny that you choose to overlook the fact that “kin” is very specifically described. Muslims do not go around deciding who they consider “kin” or “family” to take off their hijab in front of. There is no excuse for including this in her character, especially since you claim to have carefully read the Quran and ahadith.

You have no place to “just love” any magical extension of the hijab until you approach it with respect. Point blank period. Especially when you have ascribed it a magical property that justifies her taking it on and off like it’s no big deal, especially when current media portrayals of hijab almost always revolve around it being removed. You are adding to the harmful portrayal and using your “fun little magic camoflauge” to excuse it.

As for her betrothal to Amir Fadhlan, only recently have I gotten any questions about this. My understanding from my readings, and from what I have been told by Muslims I know, is that arranged marriages are still quite common in many Muslim countries (not just Muslim countries, of course) and that these matches are sometimes negotiated by the families when the bride-to-be and groom-to-be are quite young. Prior to writing Magnus Chase, one of the complaints I often heard or read from Muslims is how Westerners tend to judge this custom and look down on it because it does not accord with Western ideas. Of course, arranged marriages carry the potential for abuse, especially if there is an age differential or the woman is not consulted. Child marriages are a huge problem. The arrangement of betrothals years in advance of the marriage, however, is an ancient custom in many cultures, and those people I know who were married in this way have shared with me how glad they were to have done it and how they believe the practice is unfairly villainized. My idea with Samirah was to flip the stereotype of the terrible abusive arranged match on its head, and show how it was possible that two people who actually love each other dearly might find happiness through this traditional custom when they have families that listen to their concerns and honor their wishes, and want them to be happy. Amir and Samirah are very distant cousins, yes. This, too, is hardly unusual in many cultures. They will not actually marry until they are both adults. But they have been betrothed since childhood, and respect and love each other. If that were not the case, my sense is that Samirah would only have to say something to her grandparents, and the match would be cancelled. Again, most of the comments I have received from Muslim readers have been to thank me for presenting traditional customs in a positive rather than a negative light, not judging them by Western standards. In no way do I condone child marriage, and that (to my mind) is not anywhere implied in the Magnus Chase books.

I simply can’t even begin to explain everything that is wrong with this paragraph. Here is a good post about how her getting engaged at 12 is absolutely wrong religiously and would not happen. Add that on to the fact that Samirah herself is second-generation (although Riordan calls her third generation in this post) and this practice isn’t super common even in first generation people (and for those that it DOES apply to, it is when they are old enough to be married and not literal children). 

As a white man you can’t flip the stereotype. You can’t. Even with tons of research you cannot assume the authority to “flip” a stereotype that does not affect you because you will never come close to truly understanding it inside and out. Instead of flipping a stereotype, Rick fed into it and provided more fodder to the flames and added on to it to make it even worse.

I would be uncomfortable with a white author writing about arranged marriages in brown tradition no matter the context, but for him to offhandedly include it in a children’s book where it is badly explained and barely touched on is inexcusable. Your target audience is children who will no doubt overlook your clumsy attempt at flipping stereotypes.

It does not matter what your mind thinks you are implying. Rick Riordan is not your target audience, children are. So you cannot brush this away by stating that you did not see the harm done by your writing. You are almost 60 years old. Maybe you can read in between your lines, but I guarantee your target audience largely cannot.

Finally, recently someone on Twitter decided to screenshot a passage out-of-context from Ship of the Deadwhere Magnus hears Samirah use the phrase “Allahu Akbar,” and the only context he has ever heard it in before was in news reports when some Western reporter would be talking about a terrorist attack. Here is the passage in full:

Samirah: “My dad may have power over me because he’s my dad. But he’s not the biggest power. Allahu akbar.”

I knew that term, but I’d never heard Sam use it before. I’ll admit it gave me an instinctive jolt in the gut. The news media loved to talk about how terrorists would say that right before they did something horrible and blew people up. I wasn’t going to mention that to Sam. I imagined she was painfully aware.

She couldn’t walk the streets of Boston in her hijab most days without somebody screaming at her to go home, and (if she was in a bad mood) she’d scream back, “I’m from Dorchester!”

“Yeah,” I said. “That means God is great, right?”

Sam shook her head. “That’s a slightly inaccurate translation. It means God is greater.”

“Than what?”

“Everything. The whole point of saying it is to remind yourself that God is greater than whatever you are facing—your fears, your problems, your thirst, your hunger, your anger.

337-338

To me, this is Samirah educating Magnus, and through him the readers, about what this phrase actually means and the religious significance it carries. I think the expression is beautiful and profound. However, like a lot of Americans, Magnus has grown up only hearing about it in a negative context from the news. For him to think: “I had never heard that phrase, and it carried absolutely no negative connotations!” would be silly and unrealistic. This is a teachable moment between two characters, two friends who respect each other despite how different they are. Magnus learns something beautiful and true about Samirah’s religion, and hopefully so do the readers. If that strikes you as Islamophobic in its full context, or if Samirah seems like a hurtful stereotype . . . all I can say is I strongly disagree.

I will give you some credit here in that I mostly agree with this scene. The phrase does carry negative connotations with many white people and I do not fault you for explaining it the way you did. However, don’t try to sneak in that last sentence like we won’t notice. You have no place to decide whether or not Samirah’s character as a whole is harmful and stereotypical. 

It is 2 am and that is all I have the willpower to address. This is messy and this is long and this is not well worded, but this had to be addressed. I do not speak for every muslim, both world wide and within this online community, but these were my raw reactions to his statement. I have been working on and will continue to work on a masterpost of Samirah Al-Abbas as I work through the books, but for now, let it be known that Riordan has bastardized my identity and continues to excuse himself and profit off of enforcing harmful stereotypes. Good night.

[girl4pay]

This might be a big question but what would be the ideal way for the raven king to have ended in ur opinion. Bc it doesn’t make sense as is and thematically falls apart I feel but I can never quite figure out what the actually most narratively satisfying thing would be

lets get married. okay keeping in mind i haven't read the series in full in a couple years my core issues with trk are: i think gwenllian was criminally misused, i think adding in laumonier and blue's dad made very little sense and i think doing the gansey noah and cabeswater deaths back to back the way they were was a terrible way to handle a climax. you don't need blue's dad and you don't need laumonier. too many random new parents and men who are absolutely vestigal. gwenllian should be blue's mentor, you focus the piper plotline completely on a professional antagonism between her and henry's mom who can act as the antithesis to piper's greed and recklessness. the grey man is the reader's familiar link between Crime and Magic here, so you can still have him face the challenge of his old life threatening his new life by having to forge an alliance with seondeok to take down a shared threat. 

gwenllian as blue's mentor would come with a similar but almost opposite effect to persephone's mentorship on adam: blue isn't getting stranger, she's getting angrier. this witch who knows what she is keeps getting mayo in her hair and her teachers don't understand her and her family is being evasive and the boy she loves is going to die. also a demon is clouding her perspective, but she doesn't really know that yet. more adam and blue scheming to keep gansey alive. more research and bugging relatives and desperately looking into rituals while it becomes clearer to the reader that adam is losing his agency and blue is losing her clearsightedness. gansey's panic attacks begin to attune themselves to the moments where noah is not himself as well. his chest hurts, he can't breathe - it feels like something is sucking away at his heart. at the same time adam is still trying to help ronan with waking up the dreams, and blue is getting closer to gansey and henry, trying to imagine a future that feels like her own when she has the weights of her confused identity and her fate hanging around her neck. 

i would have ronan and gansey's relationship blow up here: between the hospital and aurora's death, maybe after his birthday party, ronan finds out - probably through declan, to add insult to injury and even more fucked up brother resentment - that gansey is trying to buy him a diploma. actually definitely just after the night of truth bullshit for prime outrageousness lmao. it goes nuclear. blue is, catastrophically to gansey, on ronan's side. adam is, infuriatingly to everyone, judgmentally neutral. things progress as they were except instead of henry getting kidnapped we get a very reluctant henry passing a message to tgm - things have progressed past the point that is acceptable with piper, and his mother wants to meet. also the visit with gansey's family is tense - they love her and henry, and they just can't understand what's gotten into gansey, who's distracted and snappy, and when helen confronts him, he blows up at her, saying a lot more about his worry for ronan and his fear about what will happen to him than was revealed in the initial fight. they're siblings, their relationship can handle it, but there's still an overarching sense that she doesn't really understand, because gansey is still holding his real fear of dying close to his chest. 

cut to auroras death and the grey man having to leave maura with this tragedy to join seondeok - a king, joining a king, doing what needs doing, instead of just a continued trope about being made for violence or whatever that was. there scene with ronan at the bmw goes more or less the same. gansey goes off on his own because he feels isolated and like the burden of fixing all this lies on his shoulders, gwenllians weird witch pep talk goes to blue instead. here is where you would insert cool fun shit about what being a mirror actually means! all of them reunite as in canon, ronan and gansey reconcile after ronan is like you dumb motherfucker i need you here you're my brother and gansey says some self sacrificing shit and blue and adam make it clear without Making It Clear they are going to stand by him, because they still don't know he knows he's going to die. 

here is where we reach the core difficulty: i think the death kiss is incredibly stupid and i don't know how i would write around it. i know how i would finish trk from here, but the kiss curse would not show up at all. i like the kiss curse as a concept but it just doesn't make any sense in the narrative of agency trc constructs and i think it limit's blue's storyline. so without considering the kiss curse: as the demon hijacks adam and tries to use blue as an amplifier to spread to other ley lines, everyone realizes the stakes. everything cabeswater has touched, everything the ley line has touched is at risk, and the ley lines are ALL CONNECTED. blue and adam have been skirting around the realization that the demon and cabeswater are like mirrors the whole book. you can't have one without the other. there is no corruption without something to corrupt. the way cabeswater focuses the ley line for ronan is how the demon has been getting power too, but it's a self contained loop, consumption instead of guidance. kill cabeswater, kill the demon. gansey asks it, realizing in a way they others don’t seem to that he and cabeswater are linked, and the others act. there's a little giving tree moment between ronan and cabeswater, which will surely not contribute to any farreaching survivors guilt that might show up in a sequel series. here is where blue being a mirror comes into play. when neeve was trying to see farther than she could, she used a mirror and it sent her there. the demon is trying to consume beyond it's bounds. a mirror sends it inwards. here blue sees the moment of violence that birthed the demon, and she's terrified and it's tragic. it's a very bildungsroman moment of grief and terror of what will come after for everyone. death of the child birth of the man etc. noah, perpetual child, gets laid to rest with cabeswater, but without cabeswater the ley line floods. here is where gansey dies: without noah fighting his hardest to keep him going, because noah loved him, because cabeswater needed him, his heart simply stops. here is where blue kisses him, because it doesn't matter any more, because he dies even though she didn't, because she's seeing without the demon clouding her for the first time in what feels like the longest time and all she can see is grief. shit gets magically weird with adam and ronan too, and it's henry who grounds them all, who is used to enforcing practicality on the unknown to keep himself safe. with his help the three of them dream something to save gansey. ta da! 

i feel like this would also feed much better into the theme of the dreamer trilogy of like opening ley lines etc bcus trk completely glosses over what happens to the ley line without cabeswater there, and adds to it making sense that ronan thinks opening the ley lines is a good idea - he saved gansey with it! what more could he do! whereas adam felt overwhelmed and out of control and spends the next year trying to construct and repair his own real life conduits and safeguards on the ley line as ronan builds lindenmere. what are your thoughts did i miss anything that you were like absolutely not hate that need it to be gone

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Understanding the aftermath of r/wallstreetbets

A couple days back, I wrote up my best understanding of what happened with /r/wallstreetbets and meme stocks like Gamestop, trying to show how all the different, seemingly contradictory takes on the underlying financial stuff could all be true.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/28/payment-for-order-flow/#wallstreetbets

In the days since, a new series of contradictory takes has emerged, these ones disputing the meaning of this bizarre financial spectacle, and likewise what response, if any is warranted as it unfurls.

I think that all of these takes can also be true, and as with the trading itself, reconciling them requires that we widen the frame.

Let's start with Jimmy Carter.

In 1978, Carter's IRS created the 401(k), a tax-sheltered account for people who wanted to gamble on stocks to fund their retirement.

That was a fringe proposition at best.

The normal retirement system was a "defined benefits" pension where your employer guaranteed you a certain monthly percentage of your salary from retirement to death.

The vast majority of Americans wisely prefered a guaranteed payout to a tax-advantaged gambling account.

Obviously, right? On the one hand, you have the guarantee of a pension (maybe even inflation-indexed); on the other, you have a bunch of bets, that, if they go wrong, leave you literally homeless and starving.

When gamblers remortgage the family home and cash in the kids' college funds to play the tables, we consider them to have a mental illness, a pathological condition that harms them and the people around them.

Giving up a defined benefits pension in favor of a 401k is just the same kind of bet - staking all the money that will support you when you exit the workforce on the movement of stocks and bonds.

Who would do that voluntarily?

Pretty much no one. But the transition from defined benefits to 401k was not voluntary. Finance ghouls like Ethan Lipsig wrote memos to major employers like Hughes Aircraft showing them how they could ditch their pension obligations by moving workers to 401ks.

In the 80s, Reagan created a bunch of legal tools that allowed employers to coerce their workforces into giving up the security of a pension and force them into gambling their salaries on the prayer of a win in the markets.

This was insanely, amazingly great for the finance sector, in three ways:

1. It made companies more profitable. Guaranteeing that the workers whose labor made your company viable wouldn't spend their dotage starving and homeless is expensive.

Helping fund wagers on shares is much cheaper. The finance sector represented the major shareholders of the companies that transitioned to 401ks. The savings were transferred to these shareholders and the finance sector got commissions.

What's more, this temporary inflation of share prices disguised what was going on with the pension switcheroo: workers' defined benefits pensions were liquidated and turned into stocks, just as stocks were going up because their pensions had been liquidated!

Their legs had been amputated out from under them, but so subtly that they didn't yet feel the pain - and now their bosses cooked their legs and snuck them into their dinner, and everyone marveled at how full they felt after that hearty, meaty meal.

2. 401ks brought a lot of suckers to the table. The market was - and is - dominated by "sophisticated investors," AKA predators, who knew all the ways to fleece the rubes who had no idea how any of this worked.

The predatory nature of finance only increased over time. Hedge funds, for example, exist to find unethical practices that are legal (thanks to loopholes in the rules) and exploit them until they are illegal.

3. 401ks created a political force outside the finance sector that would lobby on its behalf. Transforming America into a nation of stockholders meant that workers had to choose between supporting rules that protected their jobs and rules that protected their retirement.

For your pension account to grow, you had to support policies that permitted finance ghouls to offshore your job, or misclassify you as a contractor, or eliminate the safety rules that prevented you from being maimed, or take away your right to sue for compensation.

Every time there's a particularly ghastly bankruptcy driven by PE or hedge funds - Toys R Us, Sears, etc - it emerges that at least some of that money is coming out of a union pension fund.

That's marketization - turning the once obscure, boring business of market-based capital allocation into a matter of import to everyday people.

Marketization begat financialization.

While marketization is primarily about capital allocation (who gets what money), financialization is about bets. Sometimes those bets are about things - businesses, houses, coal and timber - but things are limited. Mostly the financial market consists of bets on other bets.

Bets are infinite. Every time you make a bet, you create inventory for a market in a bet on the outcome of your bet. And that's inventory for a new market: bets on the outcomes of bets on the outcomes of bets.

It's called Wall Street Bets for a reason.

Bets need referees, someone who decides who the winner is. In sports, it's a major scandal if a referee is caught wagering on one of the teams in a match. In the financial markets, it's the norm - referees that lay wagers on the outcome of the contest they're overseeing.

Let's take stock:

Workers are forced to play the casino, and if their bets fail, they spend their old ages homeless and starving;

The vast majority of casino games are wholly abstract - bets on bets on bets - and require layers of refs;

the refs are all crooked.

Every couple of years, we have a massive, systemic financial crisis, and every time that happens, the finance sector lobbies for a no-strings-attached bailout, abetted by suckers who hate the finance sector but fear starving in their old age.

We're about to be engulfed in the second-largest crisis of our lifetime - the reckoning from trillions in capital market gains propped up by the Trump administration's policy of buying all corporate debt as a covid stimulus.

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/28/cyberwar-tactics/#aligned-incentives

(the largest crisis of our lifetimes is a few years off, as the climate emergency piles losses on losses, stranding tens of trillions in assets, from fossil fuels to obsolete gas-stations to literally underwater coastal real-estate to whole towns incinerated by wildfires)

That's where we're at: a crooked casino that we've trusted our futures too, a crisis on the horizon, and a bunch meme-stock "players" who have thrown the normal weirdness of the market into stark relief through a spectacular stunt.

A lot of people are angry at Robinhood, the stock-trading platform at the center of all this. Robinhood froze trading on meme stocks, and has only allowed it to come back in a useless, performative trickle that is seemingly calculated to prevent more meme-stock gamesmanship.

Is Robinhood just another crooked ref? Yes…and no. The meme stock run upset the stable cheaters' equilibrium whereby cheating never escalated to the point where the game just collapsed.

For example, the total short position on Gamestop exceeds its total stock issuance.

Translation: there were more Gamestop shares promised between bettors than exist. When the game stops, all those promises come due, and they literally can't be paid off because there aren't enough tokens in circulation to settle all the debts.

Robinhood halted trading in part because the big fish upstream of Robinhood also halted trading, because they have even more at risk than Robinhood does if the game collapses - they the refs for MANY players, all the same size as Robinhood or larger.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-01-29/reddit-traders-on-robinhood-are-on-both-sides-of-gamestop

But remember, the refs are cheating. And they are both downstream and upstream from other games in which the refs are also cheating.

And the games, as a whole, encompass our economy, including the solvency of the "real economy" (the people who make masks, deliver groceries and drive ambulances), and whether you spend your old age homeless and starving.

So the people who say, "Don't blame Robinhood, they didn't halt trading to help billionaires, they halted trading to prevent the game from collapsing are right."

But they're not the only ones who are right.

Also, there's the people who say that meme stocks aren't making money for little guys at the expense of the big guys. They're right too.

First, because these stocks will all need to be converted to cash, and that means selling them.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/01/the-gamestop-bubble-is-going-to-hurt-a-lot-of-ordinary-investors/

When the selloff starts, the price will plunge, because even if the stock was undervalued before, it's certainly overvalued now. Every bubble produces wealth for its early bettors who sell out to later players who lose everything when they can't find a sucker later on.

From Beanie Babies to subprime, bubbles burst and leave suckers holding the bag. If you just heard about meme stocks last week, you're too late to make money off of them.

There's another version of the "this isn't little guys, it's big whales" that's *also* true: the main beneficiary of the meme stock runs is giant funds who magnified and the bets from r/wallstreetbets and got out smart and fast.

https://twitter.com/zatapatique/status/1354904995901136896

So given all this, what can we make of calls (from parties as varied as AOC and Ted Cruz) to investigate Robinhood and other retail brokerages to see whether they're honest refs, or in the tank for billionaires?

At Naked Capitalism, Yves Smith calls this a "fatuous uproar," saying that the Senate has more important things to do during the racing-out-of-control pandemic than to investigate a literal penny-ante grift.

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2021/01/the-fatuous-uproar-about-robinhood-and-gamestop.html

Do we really care who the winner is in "a beauty contest between Cinderella’s ugly sisters" ("clueless new gen day traders versus clumsy shorts")?

Smith is right too.

A speculator-v-speculator contest that falls apart when the crooked ref halts play to prevent collapse - who cares who "wins?"

But here's how they can all be right - the "who cares" and the "goliath v goliath" and the "bubble" and the "Robinhood is a plutes' honeypot."

*If* there's hearings, and *if* those hearings expose the absurdity and corruption of the system, *then* there is a chance to build the political will to make real, systemic changes when the crisis comes.

And there's a real crisis coming: two, in fact. The covid junk bond financial crisis, which is due very soon, and the climate crisis stranded asset emergencies, which will unroll with increased tempo and intensity for decades to come.

The half-century cycle of "addressing" finance crises by increasing financialization MUST stop.

If the meme stock spectacle gets us to pay attention to hearings that reveal the irredeemable rot of the system, then it's a unique chance to spread *real* "financial literacy."

And that literacy is the necessary (but insufficient) precursor to taking action when the time comes - and the time is certainly coming soon.

[pikahlua]

since dabi exposed everything with endeavor my biggest worry is shoto. like having your abuse out there in the open without ur permission has got to effect him in some esp when he’s trying to heal and forgive his dad in some way. I think shoto having the intense media coverage on him he could build a even more deeper bond between him and bkg and bkg is the only other student to face media invasion like that. ( im also thinking that he’s got another scar from the dabi hug but idk)

This involves a touchy subject that I won't pretend to have a well-read, objective view about. I have a lot of personal experience with this level of family drama and abuse that colors my perception of the Todoroki family, and in the past some people have been very uncomfortable with my takes on that plot line.

For me, the most important thing to do in these situations is adamantly resist the temptation to pass judgment (out loud) on anyone involved unless you are an actual party involved in the drama (for lack of better word). That’s not to say there isn’t judgment to be passed but that, more often than not, the only position an outside party can ever expect to find themself in is that of a confidant. The only opinions and judgments that should matter are those of the involved parties, and a confidant should devote their energy to helping that party/those parties work through their thoughts and feelings, not inject their own judgments into a delicate situation. It comes down to how we view and treat “victims,” and everyone is going to want different things when they are victimized. Instead of determining what’s good or bad for someone, I think the best we can do is empower a victim to utilize their agency and let them work through what they need to.

So when it comes to Shouto (or really anyone in the Todoroki family), I try to focus on what he feels and wants. If Shouto says he wants to reconcile with his father, then I support that. If Shouto says he wants to save his brother, then I support that. Would I make the same decisions? I don’t know. Is that approach something I would consider “heroic?” The answer to that question is not important to me. You’re not necessarily asking me about this stuff, but I want to be clear that this is my perspective before I say anything more about the matter.

The media angle obviously complicates things, but there are interesting, nuanced conversations to be had about expression vs. repression and Japan’s general approach to mental health/therapy that make this such a complex issue that I don’t think it’s meaningful to try to predict what Horikoshi will try to do with it or what he means by whatever he does do. I think you’re onto something by tying Shouto and Katsuki’s relationship together into this, but I think the far more important line of connection between them is the emotional aspect.

We as a fandom talk a lot about Katsuki’s emotions, how he expresses or represses them, when and how he chooses to cry, etc. We act like it’s a big deal when he cries as if it’s breaking some barriers created by toxic masculinity (and it is), but I haven’t seen this applied to Shouto yet (maybe because I just don’t see a lot of Shouto meta). I think this is the big connection between these characters as far as the narrative goes. Shouto...doesn’t outwardly express his emotions. The emotions he does display are usually very subtle, like small smiles, a single tear (like only once or twice ever), things so subtle to the point that characters comment on it (like when Iida is the only one who can tell Shouto seems tense before match 3 in season 5). When he has big emotions, I only ever really see him look mad.

But Shouto does clearly have some grasp of emotional expression. He comments on Natsu showing the most emotion Shouto has seen in years at the beginning of season 5. He implicitly gives Izuku and all heroes permission to cry during the Overhaul arc. I think this all ties back to the sports festival for him.

I haven’t had the chance to write my big sports festival meta yet, but I think a lot of people miss what’s going on in Todoroki vs. Bakugo. It’s not a simple 1v1 final match. It is such a fascinating drama with complex, interesting character motivations tied together among so many different people. For many reasons, Katsuki on some level is trying to save Shouto during that match, and he fails. I don’t think that’s the conclusion of their relationship development. I think Katsuki is meant to be instrumental in Shouto’s final character arc, and it all has to do with Katsuki’s journey to learning how to express his emotions, particularly his fear and sadness. It’s not that Shouto needs to express his emotions as dramatically as Katsuki does, it’s that he’s also working through his emotions, identifying them, connecting with them, coming to conclusions about them, and Katsuki has been on a similar journey. They can help each other, perhaps fill in the missing pieces for each other.

So yeah, I’m super stoked about future developments between these two.

(I dunno, you’d think Shouto would have so many more scars than he does. His body seems resistant to burns, which is part of his “biological advantage,” if you will, over Touya. But I can see him having a meaningful scar from Dabi at some point if he didn’t get one from that. Kinda ties into what you’re getting at with the media/”putting things out in the open for everyone to see” angle.)

[projectjasper]

Honestly Archer you are so brave, both for being a voice that calls out how parental abuse is portrayed as ok and for staying here to answer asks about Bad Buddy the following week. Even during these hard times, you're still here and a safe space, so thank you so much for that. I appreciate you and everything you do. I hope you first and foremost consider your own health, and take all the breaks you need. I want to let you know I agree with you about the direction Bad Buddy has taken. I hated the use of that parallel and the message it's sending.

People saying it's realistic and in character for Pran, I get what you mean. In real life people can have a hard time changing and changing how they react to situations. In my opinion though, this is a narrative, where the characters don't have to act "realistically" in that sense. By making the narrative choice of them pleasing the families instead of fighting, they disregarded the character development in Pran. I may have missed some cues, but from how I understood and interpreted Bad Buddy, that is bad writing. I haven't experienced anything similar myself so this isn't really my place and I apologise if I'm overstepping. I don't think it would've been unrealistic to go with breaking the cycle, though. That's also why I'm really struggling with the message they are sending right now. Previously I was of the impression that Bad Buddy was about reconciliation with the hopeful tone that things can get better. They had the opportunity within the narrative to question established/problematic views, and didn't in this case. Isn't that what art is supposed to do? So yeah, I'm disappointed.

As of now I can't enjoy this episode or Bad Buddy in general to be honest. After having read, written and processed a little, I feel like I'm ready to take a break too. I will reserve my final judgement for when the series is finished, though.

Sending all my love and virtual hugs to everyone who needs it,

song rec anon

thank you very much, i really appreciate your kind words!! i very genuinely and seriously want this blog to be a safe and kind space for everyone who is upset by what's happened, so you would all be able to talk about this and to feel supported and understood instead of feeling judged. so i am doing my best to reconcile talking to all of you and not completely breaking down over some of the hurtful mentions and messages i get. so sometimes i don't get to certain asks right away or just take big breaks because of this, but i promise i am here for all of you and you can continue talking to me about this, my response just might take some time.

as for your point, i think there is space in an unspecified character's development arc to go back a bit and then return on its path to change, but with one episode left, this is clearly not what bad buddy is doing, and with junior's arc in episode 11, the message regarding the parents was also made loud and clear. so with the former, we get all character development going to the drain and both the message and the tone of the entire series shifting completely. and with the latter... well, we get yet another media that perpetuates the generational cycle of abuse not just without criticising it, but with upholding it quite loudly and firmly.

sending you lots of love and hugs back, thank you for being here for me, dearest song rec anon <333

[bi-demon-ium]

talk about the thoughts!!! we wanna hear the thoughts!!!

im giving an entirely way too long reply to your tags right now ngl but actually i'm just gonna talk MORE here because ask? ask? ask? aSk? ask?

and also bc i love this. i love this so much. mr. benedict and sq is yet another underrated dynamic that i will never shut up about.

like okay

first of all, i do think he pretty much exclusively calls him mr. benedict at first, but consider: eventually he starts calling him uncle nicholas or something? and he is Delighted.

i think there's a lot of like. SQ grappling with like. he loves his dad, and maybe on some level he loved him, too, but his dad hurt people. his dad hurt SQ. like. not only was he a bad person who hurt a lot of people and caused this whole worldwide catastrophe (pseudo catastrophe that was in of itself a catastrophe?) and more than that, a bad dad, putting him down and manipulating his emotions. and like. reconciling those feelings?

and i think that's something he could talk about with mr. benedict, someone in a similar situation (albeit not the same, particularly given the entirely different power dynamics) and like. mr. benedict is someone he can turn to for comfort? i mean he can turn to any of them really (and he has so many options now, so many people care about him!!) but like his uncle is just. very kind and gives very warm hugs and maybe he was pretty wary of him at first but mr. benedict never pushed

and SQ generally kinda getting adopted into their little family--maybe constance is wary at first, but never truly cruel, number two is a little awkward but includes him and makes him fruit leather, rhonda's really great to hang out with, milligan--who, wow, SQ would be the only one not to be used to his sad self other than sort of kate--is this cheerful kind man who's very like. Dad like? not his dad, but like, how dads are supposed to be. this big cheerful guy who looks like he'd ask you to play a game of toss

and like gradually it's like. he's not reliant on one person for attention/affection, and like, he can disagree or get into arguments and he's not going to get thrown out or punished, they'll all still love him, and just like. SQ as part of a family?

and like you said in your tags, taking his name

even if he, despite everything, misses his dad sometimes, even knowing now what he knows

and i'd imagine if he's like. in prison or something he'd probably visit him, but i kind of imagine he managed to escape last second and just. left SQ there. which. heartbreaking. maybe, if there's some glimmer left in his heart, he checks in the best he can--not letting SQ know that, of course, but like. checking in. not that he cares or anything, just making sure he hasn't. given anything up or something. bah.

i'm on a thin line here because i don't want to excuse his behavior towards SQ at all, in any way, nor should it be, but like in the idea of a future redemption arc where he does care about SQ, even if he was awful to him. just the idea of mr. benedict being like. you treated this boy awfully and i'm adopting him now. but i will let you know he's alive and safe and i will keep him that way, not for you or for me but because he deserves it.

and perhaps he will let mr curtain know he's alive/safe for him, but no other details, because, you know, he's not putting everyone in danger for that, even if he hopes his brother wouldn't do that, he knows it's very likely

but also more light-hearted things!!! like just like. i think that while both of them have been lonely in their lives they also both like like. well, just quiet peace time? but like. specifically just. mr. benedict reading a book in a comfy armchair and like. SQ just drawing by the window. just. quiet, but like. together?

and maybe some days SQ is kinda half leaned against him or they're sitting on the couch together, and other days they sit apart, but either way just kinda enjoying each other's company and the peace...

like mr. benedict is able to provide that same safety and peace he'd wanted as a kid 🥺

or talking about books they both enjoyed, or art, or like. going to a museum together? like. sometimes as a pair (like an art museum where SQ might go on about styles he likes!) or as a family (all of them piling into a van to go to the local science museum is a fun image!)

cooking together! often with number two, or milligan

also idk if this makes sense but SQ being like how does one use hair gel/pomade and mr. nicholas "wild curls have never been gelled before" benedict is like well not my thing, and my brother usually did it himself as a kid, but i saw him do it enough times and i've helped a few times so we can figure this out!

this either ends terribly (as in SQ's hair looks very strange but they tried, he has also given mr benedict a truly terrible "mohawk" that he took one look at, cackled, then immediately fell asleep) or terribly (SQ with his curly hair slicked back looks too much like his dad's and they both kinda go "hm................Nope™" and mess it up

but like. someone helping you style/wash your hair is so like.... touch starved vibes you lean into that shit. and i don't mean like in a [boyle voice] washing your lover's hair is the most intimate act or something, obviously, just like. hands in your hair? being very gentle and combing through it with gel/shampoo/whatever it is? especially like from a Parental Figure? like big gentle hands? that's good shit.

(i mean, it is also nice from a romantic partner, that's just Very Not Relevant here)

*projects my touch starved agenda all over mr. benedict and SQ* *mostly SQ in this particular instance but you get it*

it's just nice!

my point is they both deserve this

and particularly SQ deserves a loving family and an uncle who cares about him thank you for coming to my ted talk

[yellowocaballero]

Your reverse robin au is such an odd take on Tim? I don't hate it though? I am... confused

YES I GET TO TALK ABOUT TIM. Warning that this is probably going to be long, because Reverse Robin!Tim is probably one of the most complicated characters I've ever written, psychologically. Because Tim is my favorite character in comics, just behind Bart Allen, and I've been in love with him since I was 9. Also I'm going to talk about how we write comic book fanfic I am SO sorry you've unleashed a kraken. I'll put a cut later because Tumblr's bugging and not letting me. Content warning for discussions of suicide, self-harm, PTSD, drug and alcohol mentions, addiction, and homicidal urges.

 How do we write comic book fanfic? It's tremendously difficult. Especially for the Batfam: it's such a soap opera, if you take every single little thing as canon everybody ends up a sociopath. In comics, Bruce has PUNCHED Dick in canon. So we make up our fanon. But if we keep too closely to fanon, then you end up with fairly unrecognizable characters, which is no fun to read. And...a lot of Batfamily fanfic is just Bruce as a great dad with a hoard of adorable children. It's boring to me.  So what do we do? Well, I like to keep a character recognizable while still kind of doing what I want and what I find most nuanced and realistic. You can't completely divorce from canon, but you really should just keep to the essentials of the character. This is subjective - I find it essential to Bruce that he's not really a great parent, but he's constantly trying and working on it. Not everyone feels that way - valid. 

 So what I consider essential to Tim is this: he's a socially awkward nerd. He always feels extraneous and neglected, because he's insecure, because he was a victim of childhood neglect. For most of his life, he really doesn't consider himself Bruce's kid. He's crazy intelligent and good with computers. He's a better detective than Bruce. He has a ton of friends who love him very much, but he shows a different face to them than to his family. He has lost basically everybody he has ever cared about at one point or another and just kinda gotten on with his life, which if you want to be realistic about it was probably hugely traumatizing and a huge sign that Tim kind of boxes himself away. That's Tim to me. Everything else is flexible. And although Tim in the Reverse Robin AU is a COMPLETE FUCKING MANIAC, he is still all of those things.

 I've done it differently in other roleswap aus, but the idea behind the Reverse Robin is that everybody is half themselves, half who they were switched with. Damian is reserved and cold, but he is just as much 'oldest daughter syndrome' as Dick. Jason is intellectual and rough (which is canon!), but he is just as much of a mediator who feels like he has to single-handedly keep the family together as Tim (which is canon especially in very early Tim - check Knightfall, the stupid Gotham Earthquake thing, and his introduction). Dick is loving and hyper, but he's just as reserved and resentful and alien to America as Damian. So, Tim is all of the things I listed, so I can establish that he's basically Tim. But he is as batshit crazy as Red Hood!Jason. He's just as cruel, resentful, self-harming, desperate, alienated, attention-seeking, groomed by Talia and Ra's, and just bugfuck insane because of the Pit. He's also been low-key mentally ill his entire life due to his complete and total isolation and childhood neglect. His life ended through torture and suicide. In 'the prophetic spring', he is at Jason's lowest point in his life - and his own.

 But, and this is important, Tim as Red Hood does not work. Jason became a drug lord because he came from that background. Tim's spoiled and rich. Jason had a motivation, a reason to live, a Bruce to hate and a Dick that always reached out. Tim doesn't have this. Tim is listless and purposeless - and I say several times that Tim is cosplaying this life. He's cosplaying wanting to kill his friends, being an addict, being a supervillain. Without Bruce, without that target of hate, Tim is lost. Without his dad, who loved him, Tim is lost.

 It's important to understand that everything he does in 'the prophetic spring' in self-harm. He thinks of himself as a monster (because Tim was raised by Bruce and he's extremely rigidly moral, and he can't reconcile his morality with what he did while he was pit-mad), and as a result he wants everybody else in his life to think of himself as a monster. He wants to be hated as much as he hates himself, because at least that's real and validates his feelings. He thinks of himself as the lowest of the low, so he performs his image of a spoiled party boy - the kind of person he's never been, and who he always hated, because he thinks of himself as the person who ruined Tim Drake, not Tim Drake. The drugs and alcohol are self harm (and I'd say, in my essential interp, that Tim has an addictive personality). Having sex is self-harm for him specifically because he's sex-averse. Alienating everybody who ever loved him is self-harm. Practically begging Damian to put him in Arkham is self-harm. This is a 20 year old unstable kid who wants to self-harm until he dies or his family kills him, because he is suicidal. He's still clinging on because he doesn't want to do it himself, but if someone kills him no big deal, and if he overdoses he probably deserved it.

 It IS confusing! As readers we are used to traumatized characters who seek catharsis, affection, and safety. We want the hurt and the comfort. But I really wanted to highlight how fucking ugly PTSD is. It can genuinely make you into a cruel and hurtful person. Tim is suicidal and he responds by becoming an addict, rejecting his family and friends so nobody can try to help him, and lashing out nonstop because he wants to punish the people who love him for loving a monster. And because he wants to punish the people he blames for his death - Bruce and Damian. The Joker. But Bruce is dead and the Joker’s dead Damian isn't giving him the attention he wants...so what does he do? He's lost. And so 'the prophetic spring' is the story of someone who is so fucking lost that he tries to destroy his own life because he can't bring himself to end it again. 

 Hope that cleared stuff up. I really love Tim. You probably didn't need that amount of detail but I am psychically compelled to share these things...partly because most people take Tim's incredible trauma and just make him a cute woobie..no guys make him mean. People are mean sometimes. Fiction exaggerates and magnifies - so many hurt people WANT to do the stuff Tim does, but their lives aren't a comic book soap opera so they don't. I wanted to highlight that real pain. Thanks for asking!!!

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis is a series that looks at villains across various media in the hopes of coming to something of a consensus on the overall quality of the character. Are they performed well? Do they enrich the narrative? Are their motives fleshed out? Are they voiced by Tim Curry and thus a sex icon? 

There are a lot of important questions that I look into, but ultimately, Psycho Analysis boils down to asking one simple little question: How bad can a character be?

Thankfully, there’s one villain who decided to answer that question for me... in song form.

Psycho Analysis: The Once-ler

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Yeah, I’m finally talking about everyone’s favorite greedy bastard who, back in some of the darkest days of Tumblr history, ended up being the premier sexyman on the website. People were thirsting over this twiggy weirdo, acting as if he were God’s gift to women and shipping him with alternate versions of himself. Much like the movie he’s from, he is now incredibly hard to take seriously.

But hey, speaking of alternate versions of himself, I’m going to be covering him from the original book and the animated short film as well. Might as well just knock it all out of the park at once, right? Now let’s see how ba-a-a-ad this guy can be.

Motivation/Goals: The Once-ler is all about biggering. He’s making thneeds (things that everyone needs) and he is gonna stop at nothing to craft these things. Not even the power of the Lorax, Danny DeVito or otherwise, is going to stay his hand from getting that sweet, soft Truffula fluff to make his wares. This is ultimately a little unrealistic, at least for the Illumination version; if Danny DeVito asked me not to do something, I’d listen, no questions asked.

Performance: In the animated special, Bob Holt does double duty, as he is portraying both Once-ler and the title character. It works really well for what they’re going for, and the double casting is interesting because it highlights the ultimate role of the Lorax as the Once-ler’s conscience given form.

In the film, Ed Helms portrays the Once-ler, and he’s fine. He’s certainly better casting than Audrey, but that’s not particularly saying much considering that’s a non-singing Taylor Swift (when Cats is able to utilize Taylor Swift better than your musical, you know there’s trouble). I don’t know, Ed Helms is fun and all, but I’m just not sure his take on the Once-ler is all too compelling overall.

Final Fate: In the original book and the special, the Once-ler wins… but even he realizes it’s a terrible, pointless victory, and all he has achieved is ruin, his family leaving him, his business ultimately collapsing, and the environment permanently damaged. He’s left as a miserable, jaded hermit, broken by the bleak consequences his greedy actions have sown upon the world and only able to tell his story and pass on the last Truffula seed in the hopes that maybe, maybe someday the trees can regrow and the Lorax will return. The Illumination version follows this but then tacks on a happy ending  where the Lorax and Once-ler reunite because as we know ambiguity and bittersweet endings cannot exist in children’s films.

Best Scene: Obviously it’s the scene where he shakes his ass to seduce Jack Frost, in one of the greatest gay romances ever put to film.

Joking aside, it is undoubtedly his villain song. It has become such a meme, but real talk? “How Bad Can I Be” slaps. This is a really good song, probably too good for the movie but you know what, I’ll take it.

Best Quote: HOW BA-A-A-AD CAN I BE? Yes, I’m using a line from his villain song. Sue me.

Final Thoughts & Score: What can one really say about the movie version of the Once-ler that hasn’t already been run into the ground? Well, how about… He’s not too bad, honestly? Like, yes, he has next to nothing to do with his book counterpart and they really go way too far into trying to make a capitalist pig sympathetic… but the animated special from the 70s did that too. I think the Once-ler honestly works better when there is a dash of complexity to him and he isn’t just a simple-minded Captain Planet villain.

Of course, the issue here is that the 70s version took a simpler approach, kind of less is more. The 70s Once-ler brings up some valid points to the Lorax about his work, and the Lorax can’t help but agree that there’s no easy answer while also stressing that the environmental devastation is still really, really bad. It works, it feels complex, and it arguably helps the ultimate point that we need to protect the environment better than even the book did (and I love the book, don’t get me wrong, but its take on the Once-ler is a bit too simple for its own good; it almost runs into the Femme Fatale problem by being a bit too much of a strawman). The movie version has a bit too much going on, especially with his family. His family are much more blatantly evil, greedy, and manipulative, but they’re relegated to the background for much of the film and don’t effect things all that much. The whole narrative would have been infinitely stronger if they were the greater scope villains behind Once-ler and were who needed to be defeated and maybe taught a lesson, but instead they are ignored in favor of someone I’ll address very shortly.

All of this leaves movie Once-ler feeling extremely disjointed, but not irredeemably so. As I said before, his villain song is unironically awesome, and as lame as it is compared to the more haunting, contemplative ending of the book and the special, I’m not so much of a curmudgeon that I didn’t at least smile when he finally reconciled with the Lorax. Ultimately though, him being memed to death really didn’t help his case, but it means I’m not giving the movie version anything less than a 3/10. He might in fact be the best “so bad it’s good” villain ever, or at least up there. He’s just so undeniably enjoyable even if the narrative isn’t making him as complex as it thinks it is. The animated special version gets a 9/10, the book version is a 7/10, and the Once-ler’s family gets a 5/10 for being an interesting concept they sadly do little with, which will now be elaborated on as I follow up on the foreshadowing from the last paragraph...

Psycho Analysis: Aloysius O’Hare

Remember how I said the Once-ler’s family gets ignored in favor of someone else? Here he is, Aloysius O’Hare, one of the absolute lamest villains ever put to screen.

Motivation/Goals: He’s greedy. That’s it. I’m not kidding. He’s just a cartoonish caricature of a rich person, which still makes him a realistic portayal but also makes him boring as sin compared to the wacky dude with a big musical number about how bad he can be.

Performance: Rob Riggle does a decent job, but there’s really not much for him to work with here. This character is a cardboard cutout who exists to be as cartoonishly greedy and evil as possible with no nuance so the kids know who to root against and so that Once-ler doesn’t look bad in comparison.

Final Fate: Look, he’s a blatantly evil corporate villain in a kid’s movie about the environment. Of course he gets defeated and everyone turns on him. What’s especially funny though is that, on the brink of learning his lesson, he rejects any form of redemption and just goes whole hog on being a villain.

Best Scene: I will absolutely give him this: in the face of his ultimate defeat, after having the virtues of trees sung to him and the entire town turning on him, he for a moment contemplates turning over a new leaf… and then absolutely rejects the thought and instead decides being evil is just too much fun, at which point he tries to get everyone back on his side by seeing a funny little song about death while wavedashing. If more shitty villains did this, I don’t think there would be shitty villains.

Best Quote: LET IT DIE, LET IT DIE, LET IT SHRIVEL UP AND DIE! Yes I’m quoting a song again.

Final Thoughts & Score: Look, I’m not gonna mine words here: O’Hare sucks. Big time. He is a prime example of why The Lorax failed as an adaptation. In a story that is dealing with a moral grayness with no easy answers, O’Hare is just a big, blatant target, a dark shade of black in terms of black-and-white morality. He’s like a reject Captain Planet villain with Edna Mode’s haircut.

The movie would have been infinitely better if, instead of him, the Once-ler’s family were in control of the town, and they needed to learn the lesson about saving the trees instead of simply vanishing from the story. They were shown to be overbearing, manipulative, and greedy, and they had a much more personal connection with Once-ler being, you know, his actual family. The fact they abandon him and never really get any sort of comeuppance despite being perhaps the most evil people in the move, egging on Once-ler and taking full advantage of him, makes O’Hare all the more egregious, because there could have been some strong thematic elements that would have tied the film together and made it come off as much less preachy and more nuanced.

But we don’t live in a world where that happened, we live in a world where we got O’Hare. Aside from some genuine hilarity from him at the end, O’Hare really adds very little to the film. I gotta give him a 2/10, but I will say he’s a lot closer to a 3 than he is to a 1; there’s no denying his absolute rejection of learning a moral is absolutely hilarious. I love when villains do that. It’s just a shame those funny moments are wrapped up in something monumentally unimpressive.